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Recent developments in Syria highlight the need for the United States to revisit its broader Middle Eastern policy. Early last week, I joined a small meeting of House Republicans for an update on Syria from Secretary of Defense Mark Esper where he discussed a phone call from President Erdogan of Turkey to President Trump. During that call, Erdogan notified President Trump that after years of waiting at the Syrian border, Turkish troops would finally cross over. He assured that Turkey was not coming after our troops but targeting certain...
We have two men who were elected to statewide constitutional offices last year, who seem to be doing a good job. They are both working quietly and diligently in their new posts. Rick Pate was sworn in as the state’s Agriculture Commissioner in January. He followed John McMillan, who served eight years as Agriculture Commissioner. McMillan took a nonpolitical, hardworking, business-like approach. Pate seems to have taken a page from his friend McMillan and appears to have the same non-flamboyant, business-like approach to the job. Rick Pate i...
Despite the dire implications for any future freedom in Asia, Americans have been watching the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong with only a mild passing interest. So they were caught off guard when the National Basketball Association (NBA) suddenly lost a jump ball to the Chinese communists. First off, what does the NBA have to do with China? Turns out the Chinese are huge basketball fans, so China is a huge market for the NBA - who knew? The NBA brouhaha started when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted a picture in support...
Ohio. In the grand scheme of things, it’s really not that far away, but I’ll tell ya, boy, is it far. Those people up there don’t wear crimson and white to support their good, God-fearing football team. They wear this strange shade of red and begin sentences with things like ‘O.H.’ Weird. Stupid southern girl that I am, went into that country and tried to navigate the streets and suburbs of Columbus with nothing but a built-in tour guide...Folks. Up there it ain’t the same- they drive like...
While Democrats recklessly intensify their partisan scheme to impeach President Trump, the Biden scandal has escalated to a level Congress can no longer responsibly ignore. As more details come out regarding Hunter Biden’s business dealings overseas, their connection with actions taken by his father, Joe Biden, in his official capacity as Vice President raise new questions that must be answered. For example, we have learned that Hunter Biden accompanied his father aboard Air Force Two to China six years ago. Ten days after the trip, Hunter B...
One of the most outstanding congressmen and leaders in Alabama history is Congressman Jack Edwards. He passed away three weeks ago at age 91. He was born with the full name of William Jackson Edwards, III. However, he was always known as Jack. Although he was renowned as a Mobile/Baldwin County Congressman, he was born and raised in Jefferson County. He received his early education in public schools and graduated high school in Homewood. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1946. He continued his military service from 1946 through 1951, and...
Another week and another excuse to decry President Trump for imagined or manufactured malfeasance. Democrats and media have suddenly found a war they like; they are howling over Trump’s supposed betrayal of our Kurdish allies in Syria when he directed the US military to withdraw from Syria. Too predictable and now somewhat irrelevant, Democrats protest everything Trump, but NEOCON Republicans also criticized Trump. The Commander-in-Chief seemed to stand alone, but tough decisions are typically lonely. Some Americans cringed because the media t...
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones was met by about 100 people last Thursday afternoon at Brewton City Hall during one of the many stops along his 'town hall meetings' stops across the state of Alabama and he did address the 'elephant in the room' over the current impeachment process of President Donald Trump. He was the one who actually brought the issue up. I was impressed with his answers. Jones has been pressed by multiple news organizations on how he feels about the impeachment and actually how he will...
We have to assume that when Jay resident Glenn Austin Bingham, 43, shinned laser toward a Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office cruiser that he thought it was a joke. What Bingham found out the hard way was that it wasn't a joke and he is now facing felony charges. We've all seen those lasers, you can buy one for a few bucks at many convenient stores. They can be used to make cute videos of cats trying to catch the light as you move it across the room only to move the light a little more. The cat gets confused when he finally jumps on the little...
In the summer of 1973, as a student intern in Washington far from my home in Mobile, I got a firsthand view as the Senate held its Watergate hearings. For a young person, it was an amazing introduction to politics, and I was fascinated by what I saw. I followed the subsequent impeachment proceedings in 1974 carefully. Unfortunately, as the facts came out, it was clear President Nixon couldn’t continue in office. During the Clinton impeachment drama, I was a busy father, attorney, and part time state school board member. I could not pay as c...
The second year of the reign of Governor Kay Ivey may give her a second major accomplishment in the first two years of her term as governor. In her first year, she spearheaded the measure to increase the state’s gasoline tax in order to allow Alabama to proceed with a much-needed massive infrastructure program labeled Rebuild Alabama. It is my belief that she and the legislature will resolve the state’s looming prison problems. It was first thought and actually assumed that a Special Session would be called in late October. However, it now app...
Absolutely nothing matters and that means nothing including lack of actual wrong doing. Who needs evidence when hearsay or whatever Congressman Adam Schiff makes up in his so called “parody” convinces the media impeachment is justified. Actually, the fact President Trump is president is the only reason the “Democrat Media Complex” needs to impeach him. Nothing matters except taking down Trump, so ANY means justifies the ends. Still bitter and bruised over the 2016 election, Democrats are still aching to undo the results, but they are joined...
The voters in Santa Rosa County (I actually thought about putting residents instead of voters of Santa Rosa County until I realized that the majority of residents don't care), along with the voters in Jay sent a powerful message Tuesday by not only saying 'No' to a new 1-cent sales tax but a big 'Hell' no with 67 percent of those who voted casting a no vote. A whopping 18.83 percent of the registered voters in Santa Rosa County went to the polls. In Jay, the percentage was higher with 75...
We've discussed honey bees before. Flomaton resident John Sansom invited us to a few meetings to get a better understanding of the importance of bees. This past week we talked with Bill Blair, Escambia County's only Master Beekeeper, not only about his honey business but the importance of bees. Granted, most people are scared of bees. We think too many people compare them to yellow jackets and wasps. But Blair gave us something we all need to think about. “Humans could not continue to live on this planet if all our bees are dead,” he said. Thi...
Even though qualifying does not begin until October 8, 2019, the field is probably set for the GOP Primary in March to unseat the anomaly Democrat, Doug Jones, who is sitting in Alabama’s Republican U.S. Senate Seat. First District Congressman Bradley Bryne and Secretary of State John Merrill may be the favorites to lead the field and square off in a runoff. Either of the two will probably win by a 60-40 margin over Jones in November. The wild card in the race is the iconic character, Roy Moore. He should not be underestimated. He could u...
With her announcement that the House will finally move toward impeachment, Nancy Pelosi has set in motion what the Democrats have wanted to do since Election Night of 2016. They will seek to remove President Trump at all costs. It is frustrating for me that Washington is focused on these partisan impeachment proceedings when there is so much we could get done for the American people. For example, the President’s trade deal has bipartisan support but has not moved forward in the House. Of course, the border security crisis continues as well. Las...
Witnessing the utter nonsense in Washington over an ostensible whistle blower report about President Trump’s phone call with the Ukrainian president, there are literally not enough words to describe total BS. The crazed liberal media complex and panicked Democrats are drowning in bovine scatology. Unable to defeat Trump in politics or policies, leftist press and politicians rushed to judgement in what they thought was another opportunity to destroy Donald Trump. Even “Never Trumpers” came out of hiding hoping to be vindicated. Alas, it is no...
If you have a computer and you have email you have more than likely been targeted for a scam. They come in all disguises, from telling you you have won a bunch of money but need to send some money to cover certain costs to friends who are either stranded somewhere and need some emergency cash. Over the past week or so I've received two emails that appeared to have been sent to me by friends. The emails, labeled 'URGENT', said they needed a favor from me. “I need to get a Gamestop Gift Card f...
“We've got fires everywhere” is what we heard Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton say over the radio Tuesday afternoon. At first it was hard to understand where but we quickly learned they were along Highway 31 and later learned they stretched from Flomaton to Brewton. Our scanner started again Wednesday morning with calls of more brush fires along Highway 31 and firefighters and the Alabama Forestry Commission scrambled to get the situation under control. Witnesses told fireman that the cause of the fires along Highway 31 were caused by an 18-wh...
The first year of Democratic control of the House of Representatives is almost up, and we have nothing to show for it. For the first several months, perhaps some of this lack of results was understandable. After a decade in the minority, Democrats were anxious to vote on issues they prioritized. In other words, they could hold some political show votes to please their base before moving on to serious efforts at governance. Nine months later, it is clear this initial aimlessness was not just a case of backlogged priorities. House Democrats...
The field is probably formulated for our 2020 Senate race. A Republican will be heavily favored to capture the seat currently held by our Democratic Senator, Doug Jones. Alabama is one of if not the most Republican states in the nation. It is quite an anomaly that a liberal Democrat has sat in that seat for over a year. Recently I got a very nice letter from a lady who reads my column regularly. She kindly told me that she has read my column religiously for over decade and that she trusts my analysis of Alabama politics. She, however, said,...
On the third Friday of September, there was a global strike demanding action on climate change. Around the world millions of high school and college students cut classes and tech workers skipped work to protest perceived inaction on climate change. For decades, climate alarmists have been trying to goad governments into disabling their economies by abandoning fossil fuels. Although enjoying modest success hobbling European economies, environmental extremists have had little impact on developing countries and the two largest economies of China...
Mr. Editor Thank you for allowing me to share some thoughts concerning the laws and issues I felt needed to be addressed during the publication of last week’s paper. Many people have commented on my article in the paper. It wasn’t comments about a specific person, but more of one that represented a thankful manner of bringing to light some of the issues that surrounds the Town of Flomaton and the laws and constitution that govern how a municipality should function. The laws are set in place to protect general fund money of a town or city in...
I don't know about you but it seems to me that Congress spends so much time and money investigating and trying to find dirt on members of the other party it doesn't have time to do the jobs they were sent to Washington, D.C., to do. We've got some major issues facing this country, from health care, welfare, illegal immigration to a continued 'war' against terrorism. But turn on the TV, turn on the radio or read a metropolitan newspaper and all we see is Democrats scheming against Republicans and...
Thank you Bryan Davis. Davis, who has served as Flomaton's police chief since Nov. 1, 2013, will be stepping down from that position on Oct. 4 to take a position with another law enforcement agency. Although we don't know for sure what that position is, it will be for more money and more security for his future. We first met Davis when he was over narcotics for the Brewton Police Department. He was always a straight shooter and told it like it was. We learned that Davis really cares about people. When you deal with narcotics, putting someone...
