Friday Wrap Up

Alice Martin has been busy. The U. S. attorney was in Bessemer last night. No, not rooting out corruption in the city government or indicting more pastors, but speaking at the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet.


As Martin came to the lecturn she said she had a little throat problem and a Bessemer City Council person had given her a cough drop. She said she thought it was OK to take it, but she wouldn't trust it if had come from the Birmingham City Council. Federal humor.


Prior to speaking in Bessemer she was holding a press conference in which she announced former two year college chancellor Roy Johnson agreed to a plea deal and to cooperate and that the investigation will now focus on legislators and state school board members.

I wonder who has the jitters this morning? I mean, those who are guilty know it.

She may return to Bessemer however, because the Bessemer City council voted this week unanimously to have an audit of the city finances. I have not yet received word as to who will do the audit, but I did hear from two of the council persons last night that another council person wants to "rescind" the vote and appoint a different accountant to perform the audit.

First of all, can you "rescind" a resolution vote? I don't think so.

Second, think of the reasons a council person might want to change accountants. That's what I thought. So it looks like somebody's got something to hide.

As far as accounting for the city finances, I say the sooner the better and let the chips fly.

And I just have to comment on presidential politics beginning with the Republican debate last night. The quacky moment just had to be when Mike Huckabee suggested that Saddam's (fictitious) weapons of mass destruction might be in Jordan. What a way to make friends in the region. Ignore the really crazy countries and pick on Jordan.

And Rudy dissing the New York Times after they endorsed his rival John McCain. Giuliani's poll numbers continue to fall...remember, Rudy, a lot of those Florida voters moved there from New York. They remember you. Contrary to how he feels, Rudy Can Fail...unlike the message in this song from The Clash:



If you want to hear a better version of the song, listen to this live version by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros a few years after he left The Clash.

Which version do you like?

They also endorsed Hillary Clinton, their real choice, even over McCain, since they said this about the candidates:

"We have strong disagreements with all the Republicans running for president. The leading candidates have no plan for getting American troops out of Iraq. They are too wedded to discredited economic theories and unwilling even now to break with the legacy of President Bush. We disagree with them strongly on what makes a good Supreme Court justice."

Well said.

Tomorrow will be an interesting day in South Carolina.

Monday: State of the Union.