Karla Smith set to be sworn in as first black female Montgomery District Court judge

Karla Smith is ready to serve the people of Montgomery County and the State of Maryland.

The prosecutor has spent more than a dozen years steeped in the horrifying details of abuse, five as chief of the family violence division, bringing a mother’s eye and an unflinching approach to a job she held longer than many could handle.

Now Smith, 42, is headed for a new role. Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has chosen her to become a District Court judge, and she is scheduled to be sworn in Thursday.

Karla Smith 

Smith, who started her career as a prosecutor in Prince George’s County in 1997 and moved to Montgomery three years later, has approached cases with the same sense of purpose she saw at home in the 1970s.

Smith’s mother, Betty, was a third-grade teacher at Beall Elementary School in Rockville. Her father, John, helped run Howard University’s School of Social Work and was chief of staff for pioneering black congressman Augustus Freeman Hawkins, whose Los Angeles district had been hit by the 1965 Watts riots. For a school project, Karla interviewed Brooklyn’s Shirley Chisholm, the nation’s first African American congresswoman.

Soon, Smith will preside over cases in a new, nearby courthouse — the first African American woman appointed to Montgomery’s District Court, according to Administrative Judge Eugene Wolfe. Judge Sharon Burrell, the first black woman appointed as a Circuit Court judge in the county, preceded Smith to the bench in 2008.

“It’s an awesome responsibility,” Smith said. “My sole job is to be fair and impartial and work hard and make all the people who paved the way for me to get there proud.”

Smith takes satisfaction in long and deserved prison terms. But another measure of success does not come in numbers.

“The best feeling for me always is to turn around and look at a victim at sentencing and see what ultimately is a look of relief on their face,” she said. “The victim knows that somebody listened to me, and somebody believed me, and what happened to me was wrong.”

Mount Vernon to see new leadership; runoffs ahead

The race for Mount Vernon mayor and council was held in the storm on yesterday. Issac didn’t stop many voters from showing up at the polls to vote for whom they think should lead them the next four years.

The race for Mayor is now between two black candidates former councilman James Adams and current councilwoman Verdell Trotter-Dees. James Adams came out on top with 266 votes with Verdell Dees finishing second with 213 votes. The incumbent Jerry Lundy was defeated for re-election receiving only 128 votes.

The City Council will see all new faces except for one seat. Johnnie Robinson was re-elected without opposition.

In District 2, Councilman Cecil Earl Driskell was defeated, and now the race is on between Jeanette McGaskill who finish first, and Linda Robbins. Both candidates will square off in a runoff election on Oct. 9^th.

In District 3, Roosevelt Woody Dean defeated former councilman Brian Henderson for that seat. The incumbent Robert Taylor did not to seek re-election.

In District 4, newcomer Gwen Pugh defeated incumbent Jeffery Bolden, Jr.

In District 5, James May won election without a runoff over two other challengers William “Bill” Grant and Carolyn Young. The incumbent for this seat is running for mayor.

Mount Vernon, Alabama citizens is seeking change come the next four years with new leadership; that change may be on the way. 

Former Alabama football star Eddie Lowe becomes Phenix City's first black mayor

Mayor elect Eddie Lowe with Supporters Tuesday Night

Eddie Lowe won the Phenix City mayor's race without a runoff Tuesday, capturing 64 percent of the vote to become the city's first black mayor.

Eddie Lowe, who was one of the captains on coach Paul Bryant's last Alabama football team in 1982. Lowe a former linebacker, who went on to play professional football in the Canadian Football League was elected without a runoff.

The vote totals reported at the Phenix City Council chambers showed Lowe with 2,946 votes. His nearest competitor in the four-man race was Max Wilkes, currently the council's District 1 representative, with 1,224, or 27 percent. Of the other two candidates, Johnnie Robinson got 336, and Antonio Carter had 110, according to vote tallies.

In an interview with reporters outside the noisy room, Lowe said he wanted a government that was "inclusive."

"The first thing that we have to bring to light is that this is an inclusive city, regardless of where you're from -- north, south, east or west; all ethnicities. This is an inclusive city, and that's what we have to build upon."

Phenix City's first black mayor will lead a council with a newcomer in every seat. 

Coal miners say they were forced to attend Romney event and donate; and not get paid

Romney Campaign Rally in OHIO

This is very sad for a presidential candidate of such to force people to attend his events to get publicity. How worse can it get?

A group of coal miners in Ohio feel they would have been fired if they did not attend an Aug. 14 event with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and contribute to his campaign — and to make matters worse, they lost of day of pay for their trouble.

In phone calls and emails to WWVA radio host David Blomquist, employees at the Century Mine in Ohio said they feared retaliation if they did not attend the Romney event.

“Yes, we were in fact told that the Romney event was mandatory and would be without pay, that the hours spent there would need to be made up my non-salaried employees outside of regular working hours, with the only other option being to take a pay cut for the equivalent time,” the employees told Blomquist. “Yes, letters have gone around with lists of names of employees who have not attended or donated to political events.”

Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob Moore told Blomquist that the charges were untrue.

“There were no workers that were forced to attend the event,” Moore said. “We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event. We had a pre-registration list. And employees were asked to put their names on a pre-registration list because they could not get into the event unless they were pre-registered and had a name tag to enter the premises.”

“What about not getting paid for an eight-hour day?” Blomquist wondered. “If the mine was shut down for the visit, I understand, but wouldn’t it be fair — let’s use the word ‘fair’ — to still pay these individuals for that day? I mean, it wasn’t their fault they weren’t working.”

“But why not still pay then their wage for that day?” Blomquist pressed.

“By federal election law, we could not pay people to attend the event,” Moore replied. “And we did not want anyone to come back and see where anyone had been paid for that day.”

“I’m not saying pay then to attend the event, I’m saying, ‘Hey look, we have to close down the mine, if you want to attend this event, that’s fine, but you’re still going to get a day’s pay for the work that you would have done,’” Blomquist pointed out. “Why not do that?”

“As a private employer, it was our decision and we made the decision not to pay the people,” the Murray chief financial officer said.

At the time, conservative blogs and websites like The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit andTownhall trumpeted the fact that “hundreds of Ohio coal miners attended” the event. Even though the mine was closed on Aug. 14, soot-covered miners were staged behind the GOP hopeful as he spoke.

Robert Murray received national attention in 2009 after his Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah collapsed, leaving six miners trapped inside. Between 2005 and 2009, the Murray Energy Corp. Political Action Committee had given more than $150,000 to Republican candidates. Murray personally gave $15,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2004 and $10,000 in 2006. The Ohio Valley Coal PAC, a group affiliated with Murray Energy, gave $10,000 to George W. Bush’s presidential campaign in 2000.

One thing we know is that this campaign of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan has been nothing but lies from the start. They are continuing to feed the American people with lies as they seek to gain attention on the national stage.

We can also see clearly that Mitt Romney is not getting all of his campaign donations by free will donors. Mitt Romney and his campaign is forcing people to attend his events and donate to his campaign what a wimp.

This is a candidate that can’t be trusted on no front. Just as he is hiding his tax returns, he’s hiding the truth on many other issues from the American people.

Judge Vance of Birmingham a Democrat enters Ala. chief justice race

Judge Robert Vance, Jr. 

A Jefferson County Circuit judge has signed up to run as a Democrat for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, which could give Republican nominee Roy Moore a better-known opponent than he had just a couple weeks ago.

The Alabama Democratic Party disqualified its nominee, Pelham attorney Harry Lyon, over critical statements that the perennial candidate made about Moore, gays and supporters of gay marriage. The party started seeking a replacement candidate on last Monday, when Judge Robert Vance Jr.  

Vance said he did not enter the race before the Democratic primary in March because he respected the job that Republican incumbent Chuck Malone was doing to manage the state court system, but that changed when Malone lost in the Republican primary to Moore in March.

"I was getting increasingly concerned that the candidates for chief justice both seemed interested in dividing us rather than bringing us together," he said.

Moore was chief justice from 2001 to 2003, when a state judicial court kicked him out of office for refusing to abide by a federal court order to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the lobby of the state judicial building in Montgomery. He is attempting a political comeback after losing races for governor in 2006 and 2010.

Lyon became the Democratic nominee because he was the only one to sign up for the race in January. State law allows a political party to disqualify a candidate and name a replacement.

Moore said last Monday that the Democratic Party's decision to change candidates near the end of the race will backfire.

Vance described Moore as "a polarizing figure" and described himself as someone who would work with Democrats and Republicans to address budget cuts that have left the state court system struggling to maintain services.

He is the son of the late U.S. Circuit Judge Robert Vance, who was killed in 1989 by a mail bomb sent by Walter Leroy Moody, who was convicted of murder. The candidate is the husband of Joyce Vance, who was appointed U.S. attorney in Birmingham by President Barack Obama.

Vance, 51, was appointed in 2002 by then-Gov. Don Siegelman to fill a judicial vacancy in Birmingham. He was elected to six-year terms in 2004 and 2010.

The chief justice's race is one of four Supreme Court races up for election this year, but it's the only one where a Democrat signed up to run. Republican incumbents in the other three seats have no opposition in the general election Nov. 6.

Alabama Democrats have a chance to elect a qualified candidate to begin to take back our government and protect our people and not the special interest.

Democrats will have to turn out in huge numbers and support Judge Vance for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice. 

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist endorses Barack Obama in 2012 race for President

Former Gov. Charlie Crist

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has given his support to President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential race.

The former Republican governor made the announcement in an op-ed piece published in Sunday's Tampa Bay Times. The endorsement came as Republicans are gathering in the Tampa Bay area for the GOP convention.

Crist wrote that he's confident Obama is the right leader for the country.

"I applaud and share his vision of a future built by a strong and confident middle class in an economy that gives us the opportunity to reap prosperity through hard work and personal responsibility," Crist wrote.

Former Gov.Charlie Crist is one the few Republicans that have common sense in this political life. Many others are following the bandwagon of hate.

In the op-ed piece; Crist noted that an element of the Republican Party has leaned to the far right on many issues important to women, immigrants, seniors and students.

"The truth is that the party has failed to demonstrate the kind of leadership or seriousness voters deserve."

Crist has been a politician for most of his adult life. He won a state Senate seat in 1992 before making an unsuccessful 1998 U.S. Senate bid. He then won three straight statewide offices — education commissioner in 2000, attorney general in 2002 and governor in 2006.

Many Republicans are hating the truth this hour and in this election. 

Political Beacon Poll: Ephraim and Davis in a tight race to become Prichard next mayor.

The Political Beacon recently conducted a poll from August 13-18, 2012 of 327 registered voters in the City of Prichard. This is one of the closely watched races in our Mobile County municipal races, so I decided to do an independent poll on the race.

In the recent poll conducted by the Political Beacon we asked likely voters if the election were held today who would they vote for as the next Mayor of Prichard?

Results:

Troy Ephraim:      28%

Ron Davis            26%

Charles Harden    18%

Campbell Morris   13%

Fox Bettis             9%

Undecided or not supporting a candidate 6%

It’s clear that the voters want new leadership and a new direction for the City of Prichard; and the incumbent Ron Davis would be forced into a run-off with Councilman Troy Ephraim to make the case to Prichard voters.

Troy Ephraim received most of the votes in the poll coming out on top with 28%. Charles Harden a distance third with 18%, community activist Severia Campbell Morris coming in with 13% and placing last was Fox Bettis with 9%.

The City of Prichard has been facing a number of issues from high water and sewer rates, crime, infrastructure, and a lack of sufficient tax revenue  

The citizens of Prichard will have a chance to vote on their next choice of leadership Tuesday, August 28, 2012. Polls will open at 7am until 7pm.

House Democrats working to tie Rep. Todd Akin to Republican House candidates

Rep. Todd Akin - R 

Meet the newest campaign issue for House Democrats: Todd Akin. Akin is not the issue that the House Republicans or the National Republican Party want.

From Colorado to New Hampshire to Illinois, Democrats already are using the incendiary comments about rape made by the Missouri congressman and Republican Senate candidate as a political bludgeon. In interviews, news releases and tweets, they’ve blasted Akin for saying victims of “legitimate rape” are able to naturally prevent pregnancy and tried to tie their opponents to legislation he’s supported.

Those moves might only be the beginning, as Akin has so far refused to drop out of the race despite pleas from top Republicans, including GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and the widespread condemnation of his remarks.

“People are disgusted and appalled,” said Joe Mikosi, a Democratic congressional candidate in suburban Denver, who began tying his opponent, GOP Rep. Mike Coffman, to Akin within hours of learning about his comments this past Sunday.

Coffman responded by calling for Akin to leave the race and decrying his rape comments as “wrong, inappropriate and hurtful to women across the country.”

It’s a scene repeated in House races nationwide, as Akin’s comments on rape are playing a role in more than dozen House races in battleground states — particularly those in which the incumbents joined Akin last year in co-sponsoring a resolution that would have redefined rape as “forcible rape.”

Most Democrats and women’s groups objected to such language, because it suggested there are different severities of rape.

In New Hampshire, Annie Kuster rapped one of Democrats’ top targets, GOP Rep. Charlie Bass, saying she was “disappointed” Bass hadn’t yet called for Akin to leave the Senate race. Bass quickly did so. In Illinois, another Democratic challenger, Cheri Bustos, called on her opponent, GOP Rep. Bobby Schilling, to return a $2,000 donation from Akin. Schilling did so and issued a statement expressing his disgust with Akin’s remarks.

“As a father, a husband and a close friend to people who have been scarred by the evils of rape, I could never stand with someone who said something so contrary to our basic human values,” he said.

In Wisconsin, Democrat Pat Kreitlow had made an issue of GOP Rep. Sean Duffy’s support for legislation defining “forcible rape” even before Akin’s comments. That criticism now has new life, Kreitlow said.

“People are simply amazed there are elected officials who would take these positions, to redefine rape,” he said. “We were hearing about it in Wisconsin before Akin said this, and of course we’re hearing a lot more about it now.”

In trying to link Akin to their opponents, Democrats are following a time-honored campaign tradition. When a controversial statement or issue percolates in one race, the party sensing an opportunity will invariably try and make it an issue in as many races as possible, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College.

In the swing state of Colorado, voters have twice overwhelmingly defeated ballot measures that would have outlawed abortion in all cases, and Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet won a tight Senate contest in 2010 in part by highlighting Republican Ken Buck’s views on abortion.

It’s clear of what the Republican party represents. Adkins commented on what he and his party believe. Now Republicans want to dis owned him. However, women rights are at stack and Adkins has given a preview of that with his controversial statements this week. 

Federal court says New Florida law could dramatically disenfranchise black votes

Florida is one of the key swing states that have been leading this voter suppression laws among the republican lead states. They have been trying to disenfranchise African Americans and minorities from voting in the upcoming elections.

A federal court says a Florida law that restricts the number of early-voting days could result in a dramatic reduction in voting by blacks.

The Republican-controlled Florida legislature last year cut the number of early-voting days to eight from 12.

But the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled late Thursday that because of the law’s potential impact on minority voters, it would not allow Florida to put the changes in place in five Florida counties covered by federal voting laws.

The court said that evidence presented in the case clearly showed that black voters utilized early voting much more than white voters do, especially in the 2008 election, when President Barack Obama won Florida.

“In sum, Florida is left with nothing to rebut either the testimony of the defendants’ witnesses or the common-sense judgment that a dramatic reduction in the form of voting that is disproportionately used by African-Americans would make it materially more difficult for some minority voters to cast a ballot,” states the ruling issued by a three-judge panel.

The 119-page ruling did say there were ways that the state could ultimately come up with a plan to change early voting that would not adversely impact minority voting rights.

The court did not address the voter registration restrictions because a separate federal court recently blocked them. But the court did uphold the address-change provision that some critics saw as a way to blunt voting by college students.

A spokesman for Republican Gov. Rick Scott , who signed the measures into law last year, emphasized that the court did suggest there was still a way for Florida to make the early voting changes.

“Although the governor hasn’t had a chance to review the ruling, it’s encouraging that the court upheld part of the law and outlined a path for Florida to get pre-clearance for the voting hours provision as well,” said Brian Burgess.

Five Florida counties — Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe — are covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Medicare in focus as Ryan appears with his mom in Florida

Paul Ryan is campaigning in Florida today, trying to sway voters to the republican ticket. I say it’s opportunity to tell many lies as they have been doing all along.

Paul Ryan says seniors have nothing to worry about when it comes to Medicare and Social Security if there's a Republican in the White House. Really Ryan?

Don't believe him the GOP vice presidential candidate? Then just ask his 78-year-old mother, I guess she’s going to join the lying campaign.

Betty Ryan Douglas planned to campaign Saturday with her congressman son at the world's largest retirement community as the Republican campaign tries to blunt withering criticism from President Barack Obama and his allies. The Democratic team charges that presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Ryan would gut programs for older people.

Obama planned to dig in on that point Saturday in New Hampshire. Aides say he will cast the voters' choice as one between two fundamentally different approaches to government's responsibility to its citizens and who pays the bill.

Romney's schedule had him raising money in Massachusetts while his running mate was charging into a potentially dicey audience. Older Americans have often resisted changes in Medicare, the federal health care insurance program for people 65 and older, and for the disabled.

The Romney-Ryan ticket is betting big that voters' worries about federal deficits and the Democrats' health care overhaul have opened the door for a robust debate on the solvency of Medicare, one of the government's most popular and costliest programs. Obama has welcomed the conversation, which has temporarily taken attention from the weak economic recovery.

The Democratic campaign, trying to reach female voters, released an ad Friday that sought to undercut Romney by pointing to Ryan's voting record on funding for Planned Parenthood and abortion. "For women, for president, the choice is ours," the ad says. The ad was airing in Colorado, Nevada, Virginia, Ohio, Florida and Iowa.

In the week since Romney announced Ryan as his running mate, Medicare and Social Security have appeared as a driving issue. Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa are among the top five states in the percentage of people 65 and over, and all three are closely contested this election.

Polling generally shows that the public places more trust in Democrats' ability to handle Medicare than they do Republicans. People also generally oppose plans to replace the current program with one in which future seniors receive a fixed amount of money from the government to be used to purchase health coverage, according to polls.

Ryan's stop Saturday at the gated retirement cluster known as The Villages is familiar ground for presidential candidates. Florida has the highest concentration of voters over 65 in the country. Some 17 percent of Floridians fall into that group.

In New Hampshire, where Obama will campaign later in the day, has 14 percent of its residents over 65.

Rep. Paul Ryan has been pushing for a overhaul of Medicare for some time now, and he wants to end it as we know it. It’s a fact not a opinion, this guy proposed it in his budget and Mitt Romney endorsed it.

Alabama chief justice nominee Harry Lyon ousted from the ballot, new candidate sought

Well Harry Lyon is no more and it’s seem that he don’t like it.

The Alabama Democratic Party disqualified Harry Lyon as its nominee for chief justice after a hearing Friday over online comments the Pelham lawyer made that party officials deemed improper for a judicial candidate.

Lyon said afterward he would file a lawsuit and seek criminal charges against the party chairman, Mark Kennedy, alleging that Lyon fraudulently was deprived of his $3,000 filing fee.

"The Alabama Democratic Party committed suicide today," Lyon said. "The party now officially is in the grave."

Four members of the State Democratic Executive Committee unanimously agreed to remove Lyon for comments critical of Republican justices, homosexuals and supporters of gay marriage, ruling he violated canons of ethics for judges and judicial candidates.

In a statement, the party also said Lyon's "increasingly erratic" and "disturbing behavior" have "undermined his ability to stand as a candidate for the Democratic Party."

The party will take nominations for a replacement candidate from Monday morning through noon Wednesday. If no one is nominated, the party will not field a candidate.

If more than one person is nominated, the State Democratic Executive Committee will vote on the nominee between Aug. 22 and Aug. 27.

"It is disappointing that this close to the election process we find ourselves without a candidate for chief justice but are hopeful that we will soon have a truly qualified candidate and future chief justice," Kennedy said in a statement.

Councilman Troy Ephraim running for Mayor of Prichard

Current city Councilman and former Council President is making his run for mayor. The name Ephraim is no stranger to Prichard politics.

Councilman Troy Ephriam

The councilman has laid out a detail and focused platform to deal with Prichard failing programs.

Ephraim’s campaign focuses on establishing a new Prichard government and a plan to address the social-economic problems which have historically plagued the City.   

Councilman Ephriam says his platform will especially address far ranging issues that are concerns of the citizens through a comprehensive 5- year strategic plan that will involve input from residents and professionals in finance, economics and community revitalization. 

Ephriam further states that his experience with the inner workings of City government over the past 12 years will prove invaluable and will enable him to take immediate corrective measures to address the City’s vanishing economy and ongoing bankruptcy and pension fund obligations.

“It’s time for serious leadership to face the problems of Prichard with sound planning and dogged resolve.  The key to moving our City forward will depend on strategically marketing the City’s land base and its’ tax incentives to attract business and economic development.”   

The election for Mayor and Council will be held on Tuesday, August 28, 2012. Ephraim will face off against the incumbent Ron Davis, former Mayor Charles Harden, community activist Severa Campbell-Morris, and Teresa Fox-Bettis.

Prichard mayoral candidates participate in a forum hosted by students of Vigor high school

As the election nears for the City of Prichard, candidates for the office of mayor answered questions from students which are teenagers about why they should be elected Prichard next mayor.

Five candidates grace the stage to participate in the forum and answered those questions; they all have a desire to be mayor of a struggling city that is desperate for change and growth.

Prichard is facing tough choices, with the poor quality of communities, major infrastructure problems, lack of revenue, pension problems and an outrageous crime rate.

The forum was hosted Tuesday night, at Vigor High School on Wilson Ave. Even though the students cannot vote in the upcoming election, they wanted answers from potential leaders.

The candidates that are seeking to become Prichard next mayor are, Severia Campbell Morris, a community activist; Troy Ephriam, a current city councilman and former council President; Teresa Fox Bettis, executive director of the Center for Fair Housing in Mobile; and Charles Harden, a former Prichard mayor. 

One student asked; what you would do, if elected, to tackle the problems of vacant homes, crime and a dwindling city budget?  

This is how the candidates responded:  

Bettis referred to her work experience, where she said she has learned to build relationships in the commu

nity and bridges with other agencies and government entities. 

Ephriam said that his first goal, and second and third, would be to "bring revenue to the city of Prichard." 

He said he would accomplish this by hiring a marketing company and an experienced economic development professional capable of identifying the city’s prime industrial and business real-estate and courting businesses to occupy that property and put it to productive use. 

Harden spent much of his time touting his accomplishments during his tenure as mayor from 2000-2004. When he left, he said, the city paid far less for its garbage pickup than it does today and had nearly twice as many police officers. 

Harden said he opposes the city’s return to bankruptcy, which Davis has said is necessary to shield the city from its insolvent pension fund. Were he to regain his seat in City Hall, Harden said, he would see that all retirees are paid and keep the city out of bankruptcy. 

Campbell Morris during her answers: "I will represent all of the people of the city of Prichard, not just some of the people." The current administration is too often hostile to residents and their opinions, she said. A community activist, she also said that the people need to band together to solve problems like litter. If each person took responsibility for their own property, the streets would be litter free, she said. 

A longtime anti-advocate of the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board, which she blames for the city’s high rates, Campbell Morris used some of her time urging residents to vote in favor of a proposed takeover of the Prichard system by the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System. A referendum on the proposed takeover will be on the November ballot. 

Davis said, given the choice between funding city services and propping up the pension, he opted to fund city services and use bankruptcy to protect the city from the pension liability. 

The candidates fielded more questions during the political forum, as they journey to become the next mayor of Prichard.

The election will be held on Tuesday August 28, 2012 from 7am-7pm. All citizens in Prichard are urged to participate in the upcoming elections. In order for change to take place, a vote must be cast in favor of change.

The political beacon made no endorsement for mayor of Prichard, however I decided if a runoff is necessary we will make a formal endorsement. Here are the candidates I did endorse in the upcoming election.

About 15 students worked to put on this forum under the guidance of the League of Women Voters and Emerging Change Makers Network as part of Vigor High’s Civic Engagement Project. 

Ohio is playing dirty politics with voting hours, they cut hours for Democratic counties and expand for Republican counties

Republicans in Ohio is on a real rampage, and in fact denying citizens their right to vote and be heard. This is another ridiculous and extreme act by the Republicans.  

Ohio has introduced a new tactic in their broader attempts to make it even harder for Democratic voters to get to the polls this year. Early voting stations in Ohio’s heavily Democratic counties will only be open between 8 am and 5 pm, while Republican counties have expanded their hours to allow voting on nights and weekends.

Ohio 2010 Political Map

This rule is the latest in a broader attack on voting rights in Ohio, which often comes down to a tiny margin of votes.

Mitt Romney falsely claims Obama’s lawsuit is meant to take away voting rights from military families, when in fact he is simply trying to restore voting rights to all Ohio residents. Early voting was introduced to mitigate Ohio’s notoriously chaotic elections, in which thousands of votes are tossed due to clerical errors and bureaucratic confusion.

Starting October 1st, voters in Democrat-leaning urban centers including Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Toledo will now only be allowed to vote between 8 am and 5 pm on weekdays, when the majority of people are at work.

The Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted stepped in to deny expanded hours in these counties. But Republican-heavy counties have actually expanded early voting hours on nights and weekends, when most people have time to go to the polls.

We all pay taxes in this country some way or another, so can we all be heard equally in this country?

According to the Board of Elections, 82% of early voters in Franklin County voted early on nights or weekends, which Republicans have curtailed. The number who voted on nights or weekends was nearly 50% in Cuyahoga County.

This is only a realistic sign that Republicans are trying to do whatever they can to disenfranchise voters of their right to vote and be heard. They are trying to win this election anyway possible, and claim that the people were on their side, they know how important these swing states are. So they are trying every trick in their playbook to win this election. This is going to be far worst than the 2000 presidential election.

Protesters meet Paul Ryan outside a Nevada Hotel before his donors gathering

Paul Ryan didn’t get the welcome he was hoping for when he arrived at a Nevada hotel.

Rep. Paul Ryan

Hundreds of protesters greeted Paul Ryan as he met with a small group of Nevada donors including casino magnate Sheldon Adelson at the Venetian hotel.

Protesters gathered outside the casino on Tuesday and chanted “Paul Ryan go home” and waved signs that read, “Romney/Ryan Road to Ruin, “Paul Ryan Hustling for the One Percent” and “This is What Democracy Looks Like?”

The group was mostly made of labor organizations including the American Federation of Government Employees who were in Las Vegas for a conference. They joined up with local labor chapters to protest, including members of the AFL-CIO.

This race will come down to the truth and facts, and not political games of the Grand Ole Republican Party and Tea Party that’s taking over the Republican Party.

People still know about the Medicare raid that Ryan pushes for in congress. They know about the trillions of dollars that Ryan wants to give to the less than three percent and create a new Tax Cut Welfare System for the Millionaires. It’s no secret that Romney/Ryan is running because it’s about race and color and they saying President Obama don’t belong there.

But Americans know the truth and the facts. Paul Ryan is not the choice to help lead this country.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley wants to cut $1 billion from state budget

Gov. Robert Bentley 

Gov. Robert Bentley has become another ridiculous Governor, by cutting essential programs to citizens of this state. Bentley believes Government always expands to meet the amount of money you give it.

“Y’all remember that,” Bentley said Saturday, addressing members of the Business Council of Alabama. “That’s exactly what happens with government. There’s no stopping it, as long as you feed it.”

The governor who famously refuses to take a paycheck said his administration has set an ambitious goal to cut $1 billion in annual spending out of Alabama’s budget. Just 18 months into office, Bentley said he’s already slashed more than $675 million.

These cuts to popular programs and workers — the state has trimmed 9 percent of its government workforce, he said — should come at a high political price. But Bentley, a frugal, plainspoken Republican from Tuscaloosa, enjoys some of the highest approval ratings of any elected official from Huntsville to Mobile. One recent poll showed three out of four voters statewide had a favorable impression of him.

Alabama will end its fiscal year on Sept. 30 as one of three states without a balance to carry over into 2013, and state officials already have cut more than 10 percent of the General Fund budget through proration. Bentley, however, said the crisis is an opportunity to remake state government.

BCA's board voted Friday to support the proposal, despite labeling it as a “temporary and imperfect” solution to the state’s budget woes.

Bentley said taxpayers should have faith that he and Republican leaders in the Alabama House and Senate will be good stewards of their money.

Once again Alabama governor is setting his agenda to meet the agenda of a special interest group. Gov. Bentley is another ridiculous GOP governor that is cutting essential services and programs from our State budget. Programs that will benefit and provide for our poor and middle class, retirees, pensions, teachers, education and state employees.  

This is not how you balance a budget, making dramatic cuts as this, its take tax reform making everyone pay their fair share, cutting programs that is not needed or duplicated and generating revenue to meet demands of the budget to provide sufficient services and programs to the citizens of this state. A majority of citizens pays taxes in this state somehow, and taking away their programs and services is not using their money wisely.

Democrats charge at Ryan, targeting him as “extreme”

President Obama campaign and democrats alike is wasting no time in portraying Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as a extremist.

A congressman from Wisconsin a battleground state, is serving his seventh term in congress and is currently the House Budget Committee chairman.

As Romney formally announced Paul Ryan in Norfolk, Va., deputy Obama campaign manager Jim Messina blasted out an email statement casting the Republican ticket as a potential disaster for the middle class and seniors of this country.

“In naming Congressman Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy,” Messina wrote.

“As a member of Congress, Ryan rubber-stamped the reckless Bush economic policies that exploded our deficit and crashed our economy,” he said. “Now the Romney-Ryan ticket would take us back by repeating the same, catastrophic mistakes.”

I listened to the speeches yesterday by both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and I noticed that both were unfocused. Mitt Romney said Paul Ryan would be the next President of the United States, but later came back to clarify as Vice President. But was Romney right at first; Paul Ryan may be the one leading this country on his personal budget and reform plan and ideas.

Democratic strategists say Ryan will be a liability for Romney across demographic groups, with focus groups and internal party polling pointing to a strong negative public opinion of Ryan’s budget, particularly his plan to revamp Medicare.  ”

Mary Kay Henry, president of the SEIU, one of the nation’s largest unions, added that “Romney has shown the American people that he believes Rep. Ryan’s extremist, irresponsible and anti-worker agenda is what’s right for our country.”

“Rep. Ryan has made a name for himself by fighting in the halls of Congress for tax giveaways for the wealthy and big corporations while proposing to gut vital services like Medicare and education, and eliminating any sense of retirement security for working families,” she said.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan believe that all social programs should be costly cut or did away with. They believe in a welfare tax cut system for millionaires. They believe in putting the deficit on the backs of the poor. I do believe that this entire Republican ticket this fall is the most extreme that ever happen in politics of this country.

The Ryan announcement essentially puts the final chess piece in play for the upcoming GOP national convention. And Ryan will have a chance to square off directly against Vice President Joe Biden in an Oct. 11 debate at Centre College, in Danville, Ky.  

Republican Congressman says House GOP 'angry,' 'incapable of governing'

At least a few republicans in Washington believe and understand what representing the people is all about. You have a few that’s not scared to come out and tell the truth and face their party and critics that seek to divide the country and governing body of our country.

Freshman Republican Rep. Richard Hanna (N.Y.) compared the parties in Congress to sports teams only interested in “winning,” and this week credited Democrats in Congress with having “less anger” than Republicans toward the other side.

Rep. Richard Hanna - R

Rep. Richard Hanna said this to The Syracause Post-Standard on Monday according to the paper.  “If all people do is go down there and join a team, and the team is invested in winning and you have something that looks very similar to the shirts and the skins, there’s not a lot of value there.”He called his Democratic friends “much more congenial” than Republican ones.

He then went on to warn that House Republicans are becoming “incapable of governing” by habitually deferring to “extremes.”

“We render ourselves incapable of governing when all we do is take severe sides,” he said. “I have to say that I’m frustrated by how much we — I mean the Republican Party — are willing to give deferential treatment to our extremes in this moment in history.”

But Hanna didn't begin there at Syracause Post-Standard.

Hanna demonstrated similar disenchantment with his own party at a rally for the Equal Rights Amendment last March, where he urged attendees to give money to Democrats in order to send a message to the GOP about female voters.

Hirono and Lingle wins US Senate primaries in Hawaii, prepare for the battle in November

US Rep. Mazie Hirono

 The race for US Senate in Hawaii is now in full gear, as both parties select their nominees. This race is going to be a costly and heated battle to be the next senator from Hawaii.

U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono has won the Democratic primary in Hawaii for an open U.S. Senate seat, setting up a race in November against former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle.

Hirono bested former U.S. Rep. Ed Case on Saturday night to set up a rematch of sorts against Lingle. Lingle beat Hirono 10 years ago to become Hawaii's chief executive, then went on to serve eight years.

Hirono had nearly 58 percent of the vote with 70 percent of precincts reporting.

Lingle is in for the Republicans

Lingle won her GOP primary contest easily, defeating state lawmaker John Carroll with 90 percent to 6 in early returns. 

US Rep. Lingle 

Hirono and Lingle will compete for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii). Their fight is a rematch of their 2002 gubernatorial contest where Hirono lost to Lingle, who went on to be the first two-term GOP governor of the state in 40 years.

Hirono was also boosted with an endorsement from an unlikely corner: GOP Rep. Don Young (Alaska) backed her in a video last month.

The November matchup for Senate is expected to be a tough fight for Lingle. A poll from the Honolulu Star Advertiser last month showed Hirono with 58 percent support from likely voters to Lingle’s 39. A Honolulu Civil Beat/MRG poll put Hirono up, but by a smaller margin of 5 points.

Mitt Romney choice is Paul Ryan for his running mate

Rep. Paul Ryan  

Mitt Romney has moved the 2012 election for President into high grear and full speed, as he announce Rep. Paul Ryan as his VP pick.

They will appear together Saturday at 9:00am ET in Norfolk, Va., at the start of a four-state bus tour to introduce the newly minted GOP ticket to the nation.

In a statement issued Friday night, Romney's campaign would say only that the running mate would be revealed at 9 a.m. EDT at the Nauticus Museum. Berthed at the museum is the USS Wisconsin — which offered a hint about Romney's choice.

In the final hours before Romney's team issued the statement, all signs seemed to point to Ryan, the seven-term Wisconsin congressman whose nomination could help assuage the conservative base of the party that has been reluctant to fully embrace Romney.

On Thursday, Romney fueled the buzz around Ryan, telling NBC that he wants a vice president with "a vision for the country, which adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country."

Romney's completion of the GOP ticket comes as he tries to repair an image damaged by negative Democratic advertising and shift the trajectory of a campaign that's seen him lose ground to President Barack Obama. The vice presidential selection will dominate headlines, and Romney's team has been relentlessly teasing the announcement for weeks.

Ryan, 42, is viewed by some in the Republican Party as a bridge between the buttoned-up GOP establishment and a riled-up tea party movement that has never warmed to Romney.

The move also now links Romney directly with House Republicans, including no-compromise tea partyers who have pressed for deep spending cuts. Obama has been casting House Republicans as an impediment to progress in the often-gridlocked Washington.

At the same time, Ryan on the ticket could help Romney become more competitive in Wisconsin, a state Obama won handily four years ago but that could be much tighter this November.

Party officials say Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has been convinced for days that Romney had settled on Ryan, according to multiple people who spoke with the chairman. Priebus, who, like Ryan, is from Wisconsin, was expected to attend Saturday morning's announcement.

Paul Ryan & Mitt Romney 

The pick in Rep. Paul Ryan will be a tough sell to the American people and the independents that seek a balanced direction for the future of this country.

Ryan is known his bold authorship of a major overhaul to Medicare, Social Security, Social Entitlements, Medicaid, and Taxes. Ryan is just another rubber stamp for the Tea Party and the Republican Party, and has not provided any bipartisan leadership in congress as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, since Republicans took back control in 2010.

Romney's bus tour was expected to include appearances with Portman, as well as two others who had been talked about as possible contenders for running mate: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

The tour will take Romney through four must-win states in as many days: North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Ohio. All are battlegrounds where Obama won in 2008. While Obama could afford to lose in one or more of them and still reach the 270 electoral votes needed for another term, Romney almost certainly needs all four to beat him.