THE BIRMINGHAM MAYORAL CONTEST

If you click on the last entry under the MY FOX YOU DECIDE post you can see how we made use of the "dial it" technology for the FOX6 Mayoral Forum held on Wednesday, SEPT 19. You can view all of the raw footage. The last entry is the morning-after piece Rick Journey and I did for Good Day Alabama. It is unusual in that we were allowed to do a 3 minute package.

MyFox Birmingham | You Decide: Birmingham Mayoral Forums

MyFox Birmingham You Decide: Birmingham Mayoral Forums

WHAT ABOUT SENATOR CRAIG?

It hit the airwaves and newspapers yesterday...Senator Larry Craig of Idaho was arrested and plead guilty to lewd conduct in a Minneapolis airport. He has since protested his innocence, denies ever engaging in homosexual conduct--in fact, denies being a gay person. A lot of the talk show stuff has focused on whether the media are making more of this story than it's worth. Media are being accused of trying to equate the problems of Craig, Mark Foley, Ted Hassler (evangelical minister) with the hypocrisy of the Republican Party. All three are Repubs, and all 3 have built careers on stressing family values and going after gays. Is this a media frenzy or just a good story?

nmd

WELCOME!

By now, you've had a chance to see how awful you can look on YouTube if the camera angle is not right. I'd like to think we look better in real life, but you'll have to be the judge of that. At any rate, I hope your blogging goes well.

I watched many of the Sunday talk shows this week. Lots of talk about the war in IRAQ and evidence that the surge may be working but that political reconciliation looks difficult. Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia has taken a position a little critical of current policy. Much has been made of this to the tune of...If John Warner breaks ranks, the President's congressional support may be doubtful. I think Warner's position of reducing troops levels by about 5,000 seems more symbolic to me, but maybe it does put the Pres on notice.

Lots of talk about Michael Vick. I guess I'm less than interested in that. What do you think?

nmd

WHO's PAM HUFF?

A familiar face to Birmingham television news viewers for more that 25 years, Pam Huff anchors Good Morning Alabama and the 5:00pm news at ABC 33/40. She takes a great deal of interesst in public education and politics in the state. Pam is an emmy-award winning journalist. She also formed her own consulting business four years ago called Outspoken Communications. She offers media training and presentation training to individuals or in small group sessions. For more information on the training e-mail Pam at Outspkncom@aol.com. Pam enjoys giving back to a community that has supported her for more than a quarter century. She is an adjunct professor at Birmingham-Southern College, serves on numerous civic boards and gives approximately 75 speeches each year to organizations and schools. She is active in her church where she sings in the choir and in an emsemble. Pam and her husband Bill, an attorney in Birmingham, are the parents of two daughters who are in college.

WHO's NATALIE DAVIS?

Natalie Davis is a political scientist, pollster, and sometimes pundit in Alabama. Her politics are more "blue" than "red." She is a Professor of Political Science at Birmingham-Southern College. Her special areas of interest include Southern Politics and European Politics. She has been doing polling in Alabama since 1974. She speaks to civic groups and other organizations. In 1996, she ran for the U.S. Senate. And...she lost. She is married to an attorney. They have two grown daughters, and Natalie is a grandmother to ELLA VEDA WILLIAMS and NATHAN JAMES WILLIAMS, both future Presidents of the United States.