If you have any questions or need any information, please feel free to contact me at LaVeraD@dnc.org.

In light of Hurricane Gustav and the ongoing situation along the Gulf Coast, the DNC announced that it has canceled the tomorrow morning's news conference at the DNC's More of the Same Media Center in St. Paul. We continue to keep our friends and families in the area in our thoughts and prayers.

Damien

Damien LaVera
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
LaVeraD@dnc.org

Stateline columnist Louis Jacobsen writes:

Some Democrats hold out hope that Obama could actually win one of the six Southern states that he won so convincingly during the primary season — Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina — all of which have voted strongly Republican in recent presidential elections .

But while it’s an outside possibility in North Carolina, most analysts believe Obama’s likelihood of picking off any of the other five Southern states is a long shot.

More plausible, though, is a November scenario in which the voters Obama draws to the polls also pull the lever for Democrats up and down the ticket — in statewide posts, congressional seats, state legislative seats and even county positions.

Democrats in the region have been salivating over this possibility for months. Consider Waring Howe, a Democratic National Committeeman from South Carolina and, until recently, chairman of the Charleston County Democratic Party. When Howe first realized that Obama might become the party’s nominee, “I used that as a candidate recruiting tool. But I actually didn’t have to use it much, because a lot of the prospective candidates already felt that way anyway.”

Our friends at the country club around the corner point to a stop McCain made in Wilcox County, Alabama as evidence that Compassionate Conservatism 2.0 isn't just a gimmick. (Beta tests show it, apparently, has a few bugs.)

So let's take a look at Wilcox County, population 13,183, according to census data from 2000.

Wilcox County rests inside Alabama's 7th Congressional District, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Artur Davis who was elected to his first term in 2002 with 92 percent of the vote against a Libertarian candidate. Rep. Davis won re-election in 2004 with 75 percent of the vote and twice as many votes as the Republican challenger. He ran unopposed in 2006. Republicans are so scarce in the area that they didn't even field a candidate.

Earlier this week, Alabama Democratic Party Chair Joe Turnham spelled out how John McCain's swing through the state's "blackbelt" is just more empty Republican rhetoric.

"These Republicans purport to be the champions of the poor in Alabama's Blackbelt but are the very ones who are denying our people with public policy that they deserve. Just recently Sen. McCain voted against the renewal of health care for children in the Blackbelt by his opposition to SCHIPs reauthorization, and Gov. Riley opposes removing the state sales tax on food in the Alabama Legislature at this very moment." said Joe Turnham, Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party.

"In the wake of the public disaster of the Bush presidency, 'More of the same McCain' comes here to speak about empowerment to the very people he and the Republicans have continued to wreak havoc upon since 2003. I think Alabamians have heard enough empty rhetoric and would rather not see what would be a virtual third Bush term," exclaimed Turnham.

"Sen. McCain should temper his visit with some reality and honesty about the plight of Alabama's and America's working poor. The George Bush budget deficit, trade deficit, endless war in Iraq and failure to address economic freefall in America should be confronted and repudiated by McCain and Riley in this visit if they want to win the hearts of voters in our state." Turnham stated.

Under the Bush economy that John McCain promises to extend for another four years, Alabama has lost more than 100,000 jobs with 40,000 of them in the manufacturing sector since 2001. Gas prices are up 166 percent in Alabama over the last six years. The New York Times reported that the McCain campaign has "no estimate of how many of America's 47 million uninsured would likely gain coverage under its plan."

Just over a week ago, John McCain had the temerity to say that the economic fears of many Americans are, basically, all in their heads.

But nevermind that. John McCain and the RNC want credit just for showing up.

State parties will publish their delegate selection rules and clearly explain how to participate in the summer of 2007.

Alabama Democratic Party
501 Adams Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104
800-995-3386 (toll free)
334-262-2221 (local)
334-262-6474 (fax)

District-Level Delegates: 34
At-Large Delegates: 11
Pledged Party Leader & Elected Official (PLEO) Delegates: 7
Unpledged Delegates: 8
TOTAL Number of Delegates: 60

Alternates: 9

System type: State-run primary

State convention page: Not available at this time.
State plan: Working plan available (PDF)
State filing form: Available. Begins at page 58.

** This information is prepared by the DNC's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection and may be subject to change. For more information, please call 202-863-8000.

Potential presidential candidate Fred Thompson drew some of the state's top Republicans to his first Alabama fundraiser, including the state chairman of John McCain's campaign.

State Attorney General Troy King, McCain's state chairman, attended the private fundraising reception Monday evening at the Mountain Brook home of construction company executive Jim Cooper.

Who: DNC Chairman Howard Dean

What: DNC Grassroots Fundraising Rally

When: Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 7:30AM (Cameras set by 7:00AM)

Where: Sheraton Birmingham, East Ballroom A, 2101 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd, N
Birmingham, AL

* For press credentials please contact Aaron Resnick at 202-863-8148 or resnicka@dnc.org.

4/9/07: Giuliani campaign policy director Bill Simon writes to the National Review Online, claiming Giuliani has been consistent in his position on public funding: "Rudy Giuliani has repeatedly said that he will not seek to change current law as described in the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of abortions except in cases involving rape or incest, or where the life of the mother is at stake. [National Review Online, 4/9/07]

12:45 PM, 4/5/07: The National Journal's "Hotline On Call" reports a brand new e-mail from the Giuliani campaign claiming that "Rudy would not seek to change current federal law which provides federal funding for abortion only in cases of life of the mother, rape and incest." [Hotline On Call, 4/5/07]

11:30 AM , 4/5/07: In South Carolina, Giuliani Said He Favors Public Funding Of Abortions. The Associated Press reports that at an event this morning, "Giuliani today defended his record of personally opposing abortions but still favoring the use of public money for the procedures." [AP/Fox21, 4/5/07]

Later On 4/4/07: Campaign Said Giuliani Does Not Support Changing Current Law Restricting Federal Funding. "Clarifying" his earlier comments on CNN, "the campaign noted later in the day that the former mayor would not seek to make any changes to current law, which restricts federal funding to cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother." [CNN Political Ticker, 4/5/07]

Earlier On 4/4/07: But Earlier That Day Giuliani Told CNN He Supports Public Funding Of Abortions. "Probably": When Giuliani appeared on CNN and was asked directly by CNN's Dana Bash if he supported the use of public funding for abortions, Giuliani said "Yes." He said he would "probably" keep that position as president. [CNN Political Ticker; 4/4/07]

March 2007: Giuliani Assured Conservatives He Opposed Public Funding of Abortions. In March 2007, Giuliani's campaign told the Christian Broadcasting Network and the National Review Online that he supported the Hyde Amendment, which since 1976 has banned federal funding for abortion. Christian Broadcast News reported that Giuliani's campaign says he will "not seek to make any changes to the Hyde Amendment which restricts federal funding of abortion". Bill Simon, a domestic policy advisor to Giuliani told National Review Online, "I have an assurance that he is in favor of the Hyde amendment" [National Review, 3/1/07; Brody File, CBN News, 3/28/07]

1989: Under Political Pressure, Eventually Giuliani Supported Taxpayer Funded Abortion. Mayoral candidate Giuliani promised to fund abortions in November of 1989. A video clip shows Giuliani addressing a women's group: "There must be public funding for abortion for poor women. We can not deny any women the right to make her own decision about abortion because she lacks resources..(applause)..I have also stated that I disagree with President Bush's veto last week of public funding for abortion." [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWIrlKujUKk, accessed 3/12/07]

1989: But That Came After He Told Conservatives Just The Opposite Earlier That Year: Giuliani told New York's Conservative Party - a pro-life group whose endorsement he wanted - in mid-1989 that he "did not favor government funding." [Newsday, 11/3/89]

President Bush:

• Bush In Arizona Campaigning Hard To “Pre-Sell” A Political Victory at 12pm ET. Bush talked to an invitation only audience of about 400 people at the Pueblo El Mirage RV and Golf Resort. The Arizona Republic said Bush came to campaign hard for his new Medicare plan. “The main focus of Bush's visit was to elaborate on the new Medicare drug benefit…Having high numbers of enrollees also will be a political victory for the president, since he pushed the Medicare reform measure through Congress in 2003. Members of the Bush administration have been on the road, going across the country to talk up the program…. ‘I think Bush would like it (the Medicare drug benefit) to play a role in the elections next year -- he's been touting it as one of the big accomplishments of his first term,’ David Mark, of Campaigns & Elections Magazine, said Monday.… Bush said Monday that he was in El Mirage ‘pre-selling’ the importance of enrolling for the benefit.” [Arizona Republic, 8/30/05]
• Bush Stopped To Celebrate McCain’s Birthday At Luke Air Force Base. “Greeting Bush was Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)… The president paused on the tarmac to help celebrate McCain's 69th birthday, but on a blazing Arizona day, the cake melted before he could taste it.” [Washington Post, 8/30/05]
• “Upbeat” Bush Continues Campaigning, Speaking Straight From White House Talking Points In Rancho Cucamonga, CA at 5:45pm ET. “An upbeat and slightly sunburned President George W. Bush chatted with the nation's Medicare chief and several locals in a casual, town hall-type setting Monday, encouraging seniors to find out more about their new prescription drug benefits. Repeatedly telling an audience of 200 invited guests at the James L. Brulte Senior Center that the new program was "a good deal,' the president also assured seniors that he sympathized with their apprehension.… Bush, who spoke for just under a half-hour, pulled talking points directly from a White House fact sheet that states Medicare has not kept up with advances in medicine…. Bush's appearance was part of a $300 million campaign to promote awareness of the program and boost interest in it.” [Whittier Daily News, 8/30/05]

The Gulf Coast

• Katrina Moves On Shore As Category 4 Hurricane. At 6am, the National Hurricane Center warned that “extremely dangerous category four hurricane Katrina preparing to move onshore newar southern Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana…Hurricane-force wind gusts occurring over most of southeastern Louisiana…and as far east as the Chandeleur Islands.” [Hurricane Center]
• At Least 55 Reported Deaths By Hurricane Katrina Throughout Gulf Coast. “Hurricane Katrina barreled into the Gulf Coast on Monday morning, its fierce winds cutting a 125-mile swath of destruction stretching from coastal Alabama across Mississippi to the French Quarter and the Superdome. At least 55 people were killed. The storm's leading edge, wielding winds up to 145 mph across the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall as a fearsome Category 4 hurricane at 7:10 a.m. Eastern time near the Louisiana bayou town of Buras, about 63 miles southeast of New Orleans. Katrina then wheeled into western Mississippi, bringing a 20-foot storm surge along the coast near Biloxi. It headed north later Monday to inundate most of the Mississippi Delta, spun off dozens of tornadoes through the South and promised drenching rains later in the week as far north as the Ohio Valley.” [Washington Post, 8/30/05]
• The flooding begins - literally. Pictures start to come in from residents and reporters as the Gulf Coast is washed away.

For a full comparison, check out the research document, Timeline of a Catastrophe.

Circuit Judge Robert Vance Jr.'s decision stems from a 2005 lawsuit arguing that the state constitution is clear that people convicted of certain felonies including DUI and drug possession - unlike murder, rape or robbery - do not lose their voting rights and do not need to apply for an eligibility certificate from the board.

"Only the Legislature has the constitutional power to decide which crimes involve moral turpitude so as to justify the removal of a fundamental civil right for which so many have fought and died," Vance's ruling said.

Strong-Arming the Vote
Editorial
The New York Times
August 3, 2006

"President Bush's Justice Department has been criticized for letting partisanship guide its work on voting and elections. And party politics certainly appears to have been a driving force in a legal maneuver it just pulled off in Alabama, where it persuaded a federal judge to take important election powers away from the Democratic secretary of state and give them to a Republican governor. The Justice Department says it is trying to enforce the election law, but that is unconvincing. There are plenty of ways to enforce the law without creating the impression that it is tilting the electoral landscape in favor of Republicans...

"Sadly, a federal judge agreed yesterday to do just that, in a one-sided proceeding that felt a lot like a kangaroo court... The Justice Department's request to shift Ms. Worley's powers to Governor Riley is extraordinary. Normally, the government would seek an order telling a state official what to do, or it would ask to have a nonpartisan person appointed as a special master. And the Justice Department's aggressive stance stands in stark contrast to the forgiving approach it has taken to Republican secretaries of state. After Katherine Harris removed eligible voters from the rolls in Florida in 2000, and Kenneth Blackwell tried to block eligible people from registering in Ohio in 2004, the Justice Department made no effort to limit their powers. Controlling the voting rolls can yield important advantages, as Ms. Harris proved in 2000. The Justice Department's actions in Alabama appear to be less about enforcing the law than about wresting control of the voter rolls from the opposition party, and making a Democratic secretary of state who is up for re-election in a few months look bad...

"It would not be the first time the Bush Justice Department seemed to play party politics with elections. Political appointees approved the pro-Republican Congressional redistricting plan in Texas and a voter ID law in Georgia, despite objections from staff lawyers that the plans violated the Voting Rights Act. The Justice Department has enormous power over state elections. It is important that this power be used in a way that appears - and is - nonpartisan. Undercutting a Democratic secretary of state, and taking the extraordinary step of handing her powers to a Republican governor, meets neither test. The Justice Department is giving the impression that it is less concerned that elections be lawful and fair than that they come out a particular way."

To read the entire New York Times editorial, please click here.

From The New York Times:

Alabama is one of many states that have been late in meeting a federal requirement to create a computerized statewide list of voters. Secretary of State Nancy Worley says the delay is due to factors outside her control. Her critics disagree. But whatever the reason, the Justice Department has every right to try to speed things along. The trouble is, rather than work with Ms. Worley to get the job done, it decided to go to court to take away her authority and hand it to Gov. Bob Riley.

Sadly, a federal judge agreed yesterday to do just that, in a one-sided proceeding that felt a lot like a kangaroo court. The Justice Department and the Alabama attorney general, Troy King, both argued that Governor Riley should control the voter database. Mr. King, a Republican, was appointed to his job by Governor Riley after serving as his legal adviser, and when Ms. Worley realized that Mr. King would not represent her interests, she asked him to let her hire a lawyer to argue her side. He refused. The Alabama Democratic Party tried to intervene in the case, so it could argue against giving control of the voter rolls to the governor. The judge, who was recently named to the bench by President Bush, would not let the Democrats in.

The Justice Department’s request to shift Ms. Worley’s powers to Governor Riley is extraordinary. Normally, the government would seek an order telling a state official what to do, or it would ask to have a nonpartisan person appointed as a special master. And the Justice Department’s aggressive stance stands in stark contrast to the forgiving approach it has taken to Republican secretaries of state. After Katherine Harris removed eligible voters from the rolls in Florida in 2000, and Kenneth Blackwell tried to block eligible people from registering in Ohio in 2004, the Justice Department made no effort to limit their powers.

Controlling the voting rolls can yield important advantages, as Ms. Harris proved in 2000. The Justice Department’s actions in Alabama appear to be less about enforcing the law than about wresting control of the voter rolls from the opposition party, and making a Democratic secretary of state who is up for re-election in a few months look bad.

It would not be the first time the Bush Justice Department seemed to play party politics with elections. Political appointees approved the pro-Republican Congressional redistricting plan in Texas and a voter ID law in Georgia, despite objections from staff lawyers that the plans violated the Voting Rights Act.

The Justice Department has enormous power over state elections. It is important that this power be used in a way that appears — and is — nonpartisan. Undercutting a Democratic secretary of state, and taking the extraordinary step of handing her powers to a Republican governor, meets neither test. The Justice Department is giving the impression that it is less concerned that elections be lawful and fair than that they come out a particular way.

The Democratic candidate for Governor in the state of Alabama, Baxley appears to have a keen interest in helping rural and poor Alabamians seek a better standard of living.

She's experienced in state government, having served as the state's first female Lieutenant Governor. That must have been some glass ceiling to break through.

Other "We Love Lucy" facts: she's a former single parent, and businesswoman. She grew up in rural southeast Alabama, and has an abiding faith in God.

When I signed up for her email updates, I got a nice note from her via email that said:

Thanks again for letting me know you want to be part of my campaign. It truly means so much to me.

She's a total sweetheart.

Here are some highlights:

In Alabama, Lucy Baxley is our Democratic nominee for Governor.

In California, Phil Angelides won the right to take on the Governator.

In Iowa, Chet Culver won the nomination to succeed Democratic Gov. Tom Vislack.

In Mississippi, Erik Fleming and Bill Bowlin will compete in a June 27th run-off for the Democratic nomination to U.S. Senate.

In Montana, State Senate Majority Leader and farmer from Big Sandy Montana, Jon Tester won the nod to take on Abramoff-ally Senator Conrad Burns.

In New Jersey, Senator Menendez won the Democratic nomination for a full term in the Senate.

In New Mexico, incumbent Senator Jeff Bingaman and Governor Bill Richardson won nominations for another term.

In South Dakota, Jack Billion won the opportunity to take on Republican Gov. Mike Rounds.

Congratulations to the all the winners of last night's primaries.