Birmingham Blues

Well, this certainly should get everyone’s attention.
A charity Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford created more than seven years ago to give every child a computer faces scrutiny from a donor and federal prosecutors over its use of more than $1 million in taxpayer money, including payments on personal credit card bills, expenses for “elaborate” trips and [...]

ADDENDUM:  Here’s the Weekly’s cover story.
This is the one where he didn’t refuse to testify.
Birmingham Weekly has obtained a copy of a transcript from that interview. What it reveals about the mayor is disconcerting: personal financial habits that are reflective of — and perhaps connected to — his management of public funds, and an attitude [...]

Kyle Whitmire, author of the Weekly’s cover story on Larry Langford, will be on Matt Murphy’s talk show on WAPI-1070 this afternoon. The show runs from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. I guess it will be more cordial than Matt’s run-in with Frank Matthews last Friday.
Also, check out this article from today’s Birmingham News [...]

Mixed Media is teasing the Birmingham Weekly’s cover story on Larry Langford that will be on your newsstands today and on your intertubes mid-morning. I’ll post a link as soon as the story is up on the Weekly’s site. Looks like explosive stuff. Everyone stand back and read.

The Alabama 2008 legislative session opened with budget conflicts, ethics reform and the age-old mix of hope and disgust. Let the games begin…
We have been hearing for the past several months as to the dire condition of both of our state budgets—education and general. The Governor presented his proposed 2008 budget to the [...]

I know it’s getting a little easier. I don’t fall apart every single day now, but there’s still such a huge hole in my life. I guess there always will be.
The 10th annual hate crimes vigil in remembrance of the murder of Billy Jack Gaither and of other victims of violence will be [...]

A couple of weeks ago, I reported that Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford had decided to lead Bible study in the City Council chambers. He’s decided to make it a weekly event, and John Archibald caught last Friday’s performance.
Before [Langford] really started Friday he bristled against those who might look askew at his mayor-go-to-prayer meetings.
“Some [...]

Arizona Congressman John Shadegg announced today that he won’t run for re-election this year. He’s the 29th Republican in the past thirteen months to step aside or announce retirement from the House of Representatives. Rats, ship, sinking. Shadegg, who came into Congress in the 1994 Gingrich revolution, didn’t even bother to make [...]

John Archibald wasn’t the only one who wrote an interesting story about Larry Langford last week. While John detailed Larry’s payoffs to local media, Kyle Whitmire at the Birmingham Weekly took a look at his questionable approach to funding that extends back through his tenure on the Jefferson County Commission to his leadership of [...]

Focus on the Family head James Dobson endorsed Mike Huckabee today. Well, really, what other option did he have?
In a statement first obtained by The Associated Press, Dobson reiterated his declaration on Super Tuesday that he could not in good conscience vote for John McCain, the front-runner, because of concerns over the Arizona senator’s [...]