The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Fear and Loathing in Talapoosa County

Posted on | February 8, 2010 | 9 Comments

DADEVILLE, Ala. — Rumors that I have absconded or been kidnapped during my Alabama expedition continue to roil the blogosphere. Sunday I spoke to Mrs. Other McCain who had seen Bob Belvedere’s account of my allegedly fatal sojourn in the Heart of Dixie.

That was before the Super Bowl, where the Saints made a fool of me. During the first quarter of the game, we made a pizza run to Jim’s Bait Shop — the nearest convenience store, which in addition to serving Hunt Brothers Pizza also sells guns and fireworks. I ate four slices of pizza and fell fast asleep on the sofa before halftime, not awakening until midnight when I got a call from Wlady Pleszczynski of the American Spectator, inquiring about an overdue article.

It’s not just the article that’s overdue. My return to Maryland has also been unexpectedly delayed. I’d planned to be back home in time for the Super Bowl — this is the first time in 22 years I’ve missed our family’s annual Super Sunday party, as my wife reminded me — but the record blizzard changed that plan. And now there’s this news of a gubernatorial debate Monday:

The Christian Coalition of Alabama will host its second gubernatorial forum at 7:00 PM, February 8th, 2010 at Taylor Road Baptist Church located at 1685 Taylor Rd. in Montgomery, AL. Candidates for the Democratic nomination Congressman Artur Davis and Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks will be in attendance, as will candidates for the Republican nomination Robert Bentley, Bradley Byrne, State Treasurer Kay Ivey, Tim James, Bill Johnson, and Judge Roy Moore. The forum is expected to last approximately 90 minutes, and candidates will answer questions posed to them by a panel.

So if I stay here until tonight, I’ll have another big story. And the state Christian Coalition has made news recently, too:

Out-of-state observers might find it curious that the chairman of one of Alabama’s leading faith-based groups, Randy Brinson of the Christian Coalition, held a news conference last week to criticize efforts by Gov. Bob Riley to shut down casinos in Alabama.
The Christian Coalition’s support of gambling establishments would seem counterintuitive to the casual observer. But this is Alabama, where political donations that buy influence flow from one political action committee to another faster than you can say “bingo.”
An Associated Press analysis of campaign finance reports shows the Christian Coalition of Alabama received more than $12,000 from in-state gambling interests last year. Race PAC gave $8,000 to the Christian Coalition after receiving donations directly from gambling interests and from other PACs funded mostly by gambling interests. A sister group, Watch PAC, reported $4,500 in contributions to the Christian Coalition last year after receiving contributions from gambling interests.

Meanwhile, it appears that the big snowstorm up north has done something the a majority of Alabamians would certainly endorse: Shut down the federal government. So, no news from D.C. until Tuesday and therefore I might as well stay in Alabama another day, right?

Hit the tip jar, folks. Mrs. Other McCain might not kill me when I get home, but I don’t need to go home empty-handed. And did I mention that Jim’s Bait Shop sells fireworks?

Just sayin’ . . .

UPDATE: Jimmie Bise at Sundries Shack is keeping track of my Alabama adventures, which today will probably include a visit to Rick Barber’s Deja Vu Billiards, the Montgomery pool hall that has become a meeting place for local Tea Party activists.

Jimmie mentions the Troy King story and it so happens that, during Sunday’s Super Bowl broadcaat, Alabama CBS affiliates aired an ad from King’s GOP primary opponent Luther Strange”s “campaign to restore honesty, integrity & trust to the office of Alabama Attorney General.”

“Honesty, integrity & trust”? NTTAWWT. IYKWIMAITYD.

Update II: Dan Riehl picks up the ball.

Category: Alabama, Mrs. Other McCain

Comments

9 Responses to “Fear and Loathing in Talapoosa County”

  1. Meanwhile in the snow free fields of Alabama… « DaTechguy's Blog
    February 8th, 2010 @ 10:11 am

    […] Meanwhile in the snow free fields of Alabama… By datechguy …Robert Stacy continues to find news. […]

  2. victoria_29
    February 8th, 2010 @ 3:56 pm

    Glad your enjoying your stay here in our fair state…lol & finding plenty of intrique to write about.

  3. victoria_29
    February 8th, 2010 @ 10:56 am

    Glad your enjoying your stay here in our fair state…lol & finding plenty of intrique to write about.

  4. Dan Collins
    February 8th, 2010 @ 4:18 pm

    Luther Strange? Is he Marvel or DC?

  5. Dan Collins
    February 8th, 2010 @ 11:18 am

    Luther Strange? Is he Marvel or DC?

  6. uberVU - social comments
    February 8th, 2010 @ 12:57 pm

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by smitty_one_each: Fear and Loathing in Talapoosa County: http://bit.ly/bnY664…

  7. John Coley
    February 8th, 2010 @ 10:38 pm

    Too bad you weren’t at Jim’s Bait Shop for this past Fourth of July. Patriotically, they hosted an Elvis impersonator in the parking lot by the self vacuum. See the link below, but these pics were so good I tapped the photog with a much desired “reader of the month” award for my blog:

    http://lakemartinvoice.com/2009/07/07/robert-m-wins-reader-of-month-award-for-elvis-photos/

    Jim’s has always been a favorite of mine, from the days that they sold beer on tap (self served into old milk jugs) and used cars, to the current incarnation where you can buy gas, guns, camo, and fine western wear.

  8. John Coley
    February 8th, 2010 @ 5:38 pm

    Too bad you weren’t at Jim’s Bait Shop for this past Fourth of July. Patriotically, they hosted an Elvis impersonator in the parking lot by the self vacuum. See the link below, but these pics were so good I tapped the photog with a much desired “reader of the month” award for my blog:

    http://lakemartinvoice.com/2009/07/07/robert-m-wins-reader-of-month-award-for-elvis-photos/

    Jim’s has always been a favorite of mine, from the days that they sold beer on tap (self served into old milk jugs) and used cars, to the current incarnation where you can buy gas, guns, camo, and fine western wear.

  9. Piece of advice for Wlady… « DaTechguy's Blog
    February 9th, 2010 @ 9:05 am

    […] of advice for Wlady… By datechguy Given the choice between a piece delivered on time and a piece that generates an […]