Transparency: Not Under Democrats in Montgomery
By Freddy Ard

Just as the Washington Democrats shoved through the recent “stimulus” package, the Democrats in the Alabama Senate seem intent on rules that could do likewise right here in our own state. Republican senators have objected to the practice of the agenda-setting Rules Committee that – selectively and obscurely - gives notice of the bills that will be debated on a given day.

The Sleight of Hand Behind Obama's Agenda
By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, March 6, 2009; Page A15
The Washington Post

Forget the pork. Forget the waste. Forget the 8,570 earmarks in a bill supported by a president who poses as the scourge of earmarks. Forget the "2 trillion dollars in savings" that "we have already identified," $1.6 trillion of which President Obama's budget director later admits is the "savings" of not continuing the surge in Iraq until 2019 -- 11 years after George Bush ended it, and eight years after even Bush would have had us out of Iraq completely.

Alabama Democrats have been plagued with scandal and corruption, yet seem content with the very culture of corruption that they created by moving a bill in the legislature to committee that would seriously undermine the ability of the Ethics Commission to do its job. Alabama needs ethics reform, but not the kind that the Democrat majority is pushing. Below is an editorial from the Birmingham News discussing the Democrats’ bill and its many flaws.

Full Editorial can be read here.

National Media: Mouthpiece for Democrats
By Freddy Ard

While I would prefer to fill this space with information and commentary promoting Republicans and our values at this county and state level, some observations of the national variety might be appropriate in the context of the these first weeks and months of the Obama administration.

Governor Bob Riley will be in Shelby County this coming Tuesday (Feb 24th) to present an important update on pending legislation - and you are invited to attend!

At a time when Democrats, both in Washington and in Montgomery, are insistent on forcing big government bailouts, gambling and higher taxes on us, let's all join the Governor and find out what we, as conservative Republicans, can do to help!

Please pass this invite along to all Republicans, and encourage everyone to attend - details below:

WHEN: Tuesday, February 24 at 7 p.m.

The February 2009 edition of the Red State Review is now online and can be accessed by clicking the link below. The newsletter is best viewed in "full screen" mode.

Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration

February 12, 2009
By: Beth Chapman

Today is the Bicentennial Celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

At election time, every statewide candidate on the ballot is keenly attuned to the vote totals in Shelby County. But that isn’t the only time the Alabama Republican Party hears from Shelby County. This past Saturday (February 7), the state party held its annual winter meeting in Montgomery. As has been the case often over the last two decades, local Republicans played a role in the meeting agenda.

Shelby County Republican Party Executive Committee Meeting will be meeting at 7:00pm at the Shelby County Services building in Pelham, Alabama.

The Steering Committee Meeting will convene at 5:30pm.

The Shelby County Republican Party expresses sadness and heartfelt sympathy over the death of former Governor Guy Hunt. A symbol of the changing political tides in Alabama, Hunt was known as an “upright, and selfless servant to the people of Alabama” said Freddy Ard, Shelby County Republican chairman. “Governor Hunt, cast no image of elitism, and always endeared himself to the decent, hard-working people of the state” Ard added, reflecting on his own meetings with the governor.