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Barack Obama's election as president has generated a number of firsts. The latest may be the creation of a paid holiday in his honor in an Alabama Black Belt county. At its most recent meeting, the Perry County Commission voted 4-1 to declare the second Monday in November "The Barack Obama Day." Commissioner Albert Turner Jr., who sponsored the resolution, said flags would be flown on the day and county offices would be closed. He said he hopes county schools also will decide to observe the holiday.

MARION, Ala. – In central Alabama's Perry County, government workers already get a day off for President's Day, Martin Luther King Day, and Veterans Day. In 2009, they'll get one more: "Barack Obama Day." The rural county, which overwhelmingly supported Obama in last month's presidential election, has approved the second Monday in November as "The Barack Obama Day." Commissioners passed a measure that would close county offices for the new annual holiday and its roughly 40 workers will get a paid day off. Sponsoring commissioner Albert Turner Jr. said the holiday is meant to highlight the Democratic president-elect's victory as...

TUSCALOOSA | Don't tell Bill Maher, but the vote among the white electorate in Alabama for president elect Barack Obama was the lowest in the county at only 10 percent. From an analysis by MSNBC: "We took a look at Obama's performance with white voters in all 50 states. In 13 of them, Obama received less than 35% of the white vote. His three lowest performing states: Alabama (10%), Mississippi (11%), and Louisiana (14%). The other 10: GA (23%), SC (26%), TX (26%), OK (29%), AR (30%), UT (31%), AK (32%), WY (32%), ID (33%), and TN (34%). On the...

WASHINGTON -- Democrats won both open-seat congressional races in Alabama Tuesday, preserving a century-long hold in the Tennessee Valley and breaking Republicans' 44-year hold in the Southeastern part of the state. Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions was easily re-elected to a third term. With the election of Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright and state Sen. Parker Griffith of Huntsville, Democrats gained one seat in Alabama's House delegation. Republicans will hold a 4-3 majority in the delegation and occupy both of Alabama's Senate seats.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Even in reliably red states where Barack Obama has little chance of winning on Tuesday, unprecedented numbers of registrations and early votes have been tallied, and elections officials are predicting a record turnout in places where neither candidate even bothered to campaign. An aggressive and well-financed get-out-the-vote campaign helped Obama's campaign mobilize unprecedented numbers of African-American and new voters who could help decide the presidential election by swinging states like North Carolina and Virginia to the Democrat. But even in states like Alabama, Utah, Nebraska and Oklahoma, Republican strongholds where John McCain could post double-digit wins, Obama's...

In Alabama, Republicans McCain and Sessions Win Big: Republican John McCain will carry Alabama and Republican Jeff Sessions will be re-elected to the US Senate, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted for WKRG-TV in Mobile. McCain wins by 25 points. Sessions wins by 33 points. 800 Alabama adults were interviewed 10/27/08 and 10/28/08. Of them, 757 were registered to vote. Of them, 650 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote on or before election day.

Just heard on the news at the half hour (3:30 central), that the new Survey Alabama poll has McCain at 62% and Osama bin-lyin' Obama 35%. Just what the heck is wrong with the rest of the country!!?!?!??!?

Congressman Robert Aderholt Republican from Alabama voted against the financial bail out bill both times it was presented in the House. Part of the reason he gave for his vote was the overwhelming majority of his constituents were opposed to the bill. Upon learning he had dared to listen to his constituents the left leaning Decatur Daily blasted him in an editorial, suggesting constituents opinions should NOT be a consideration in his decision on how to vote ! What kind of nation would we have if all those elected officials in Washington stopped listening to, nor valued the opinion of...

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Retired doctor Parker Griffith's campaign to keep a north Alabama congressional seat held by Democrats for generations was going smoothly until his opponent released 20-year-old documents that accuse him of manipulating his cancer patients' radiation doses. The accusations, which Griffith disputes, are contained in a previously sealed internal review done during a bitter feud between Griffith and the hospital where he once worked. The review claims Griffith manipulated the doses to keep patients in treatment longer and make more money.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Republican Party opposes a drive to register inmates to vote so they can cast absentee ballots from inside state prisons, with the state GOP chief saying Thursday there needs to be safeguards against voter fraud. State Rep. Mike Hubbard, chairman of the party, told Corrections Commissioner Richard Allen in a letter delivered by e-mail that the party supports the idea of registering more people to vote, but not when it comes to prisoners. "Furthermore, I have concerns about potential issues with how this effort is being monitored to ensure no form of voter fraud...

WSFA 12 News has a look at the results of one well-known Alabama political poll in the Presidential race. It appears undecided voters are making up their minds and they're choosing Republican John McCain. According to the Capital Survey Research Center poll of likely voters, McCain has a commanding 20 point lead over Barack Obama, 55% to 35%. When you look back at the last four polls, Obama has stayed virtually flat from 34 to 36%. While McCain started strong in June, dipped in July and August and regained his lead in September. Voters who favored neither candidate dropped significantly...

Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks says he won't run for the 5th Congressional District seat being vacated by Bud Cramer. Brooks, who's a Huntsville lawyer, said Thursday he has been encouraged by many voters to qualify as a Republican for Congress. But he said he has many trials coming up and can't abandon his clients during their time of need. Brooks said he also has family commitments that take priority. Brooks ran for lieutenant governor in 2006 and finished third in the Republican primary.

Democratic state Senator Tom Butler will announce that he is changing parties and run for the state’s 5th Congressional District seat as a Republican, according to two sources close to the situation. Sen. Butler of Madison is one of the “dissident Democrats” who caucuses with Senate Republicans in a minority coalition. Many believed that Butler’s differences with Senate Democrats were more personal than political. State Sen. E. B. McClain (D - Midfield) once described Butler’s relationship with the party as wounded. (Another Senate insider described it to the Parlor in much the same way. See also here.) Democrats had hoped...

The announcement produced outpourings of praise for Cramer and then immediate scrambling by potential successors who have until April 4 to qualify for the June 3 Democratic and Republican primaries. The general election is Nov. 4. State Sen. Parker Griffith, D-Huntsville, said he plans to visit with political and other leaders in Washington to gauge his chances of winning the seat. The physician joins about a half-dozen others who either have been asked to run or are considering running, including Huntsville attorney Ray McKee, who has qualified as a Republican. State Sen. Tom Butler, D-Madison, is being courted by Gov....

Cramer Announces Retirement Mar 13, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (The Politico) House Republicans got a rare bit of encouraging news today when Rep. Bud Cramer (D-Ala.) announced he would be stepping down after nine terms in Congress, opening up a conservative-minded seat in northern Alabama. “I have been truly blessed to be able to serve this district in Washington,” Cramer said in a statement. “While I am closing my career as a member of Congress I will continue to be active in the life, growth and development of the community that I, my parents and my grandchildren will always call home.” A...

AP and Fox News project Mike Huckabee has won Georgia; CNN gives Alabama to Huckabee

Fox News projects Barack Obama the winner of the Alabama Democrat primary.

Link only....Gannett http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-02-05-alabama-primary_N.htm

February 5, 2008 — Mike Huckabee is making a furious charge in some Deep South states, and his efforts are showing up late in our polls. Whether he has run out of time, or whether he is about to pave yet another hairpin turn on the road to the White House will be known in a matter of hours. Our Monday InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research polls show Huckabee pulling even with John McCain in Georgia, and surging into the lead in Alabama. Here are the overnight Georgia numbers: Mike Huckabee 32% John McCain 32% Mitt Romney 29% Ron Paul 3% Other...

John McCain 40% Mike Huckabee 31% Mitt Romney 21% Ron Paul 5% Other 1% Geography: Alabama Data Collected: 01/30/2008 - 01/31/2008 Release Date: 02/01/2008 Sponsor: WKRG-TV Mobile-Pensacola Sample: 629 likely & actual voters MoE: +/- 4%