The Alabama Quiz

Underbelly's Alabama Bureau (thanks, Ivan!) flags me to the Alabama Legislator Test. I particularly like:

7. Have you read the Constitution of Alabama — and all its amendments?

A. Yes

B. No

8. Do you believe liars go to hell?

A. Yes

B. No

9. OK, let's try again. Have you read the Constitution of Alabama — and all its amendments?

I also like: which should be the major source of state revenue--sales tax, property tax or income tax? A more awkward question might be--which is the major source of state revenue? Wonder how many legislators of any state could answer that one. And did he forget a fourth category--"Federal handouts subventions?

And a final thought: Alabama has a Muslim legislator? Yes, apparently so.

Hogzilla

Underbelly's Alabama bureau weighs in on the new Hogzilla, the giant wild boar nailed by an 11-year-old boy last week:

Wild hogs are more common than ordinary farm hogs now, I guess. Used to be every farmer had a boar and a sow or two. they'd sell some or most of the little pigs at weaning size, raise the rest to butcher and fill the smoke house. Now, you hardly ever see a sow on a farm around here. all the meat comes from Smithfield's factory farms. some, in NE Alabama -- really Appalachian mountain country, have so bad an odor and other problems, nearby farmers can't breathe the air or even step outside the house. real horror. ...

Many, many years ago i happened to be visiting my in-laws on this farm when a hog-killing took place. we did the butchering on the banks of a branch in the barn lot -- lots of hot water is essential. It was a huge effort -- well, it was a huge hog. long time ago. Incidentally, the smoke house where the hams and shoulders and sides were hung to complete curing is now my outside tool shed.

Phew, I bet he is right about the smell. I remember Southwestern Ohio--out of Dayton, towards Washington Courthouse--on August evenings 50 years ago, i.e., long before commercial piggy factories. The whole county stank, and it was muggy to boot. I can understand why all those nasty flu bugs come from South China.

Here's One Who Did Not Get Fired

My friend Swifty, aka Underbelly's Alabama bureau, helps to showcase an issue that needs more attention--what about the US Attorneys who were not fired? Carol Lam and David Iglesias (at least) got in trouble for not pushing the Rove/Cheney agenda. Can we assume there are others who pushed the agenda too well?

Swifty says yes. Here are some excerpts from an email:

Does anybody know if any of the state's editorial pages (or any editorial pages) are looking at the Siegelman prosecution in light of comparison with this Administration's firing of US attorneys -- some of them because they were too tough on Republicans and some because they weren't tough enough on Democrats?

To me, the irony is just glaring.

Here in Alabama, we've got a US atty -- Leura Canary -- that is never going to get fired by this Administration. She has done exactly what Rove et al want -- engineered the prosecution of Democrat Don Siegelman to get him out of the way of Republican Riley's reelection campaign. ... Why this isn't part of the national story and the subject of angry editorials is beyond my comprehension. ...

My first-hand knowledge of Alabama politics is--let's see--ah yes, zilch. But Swifty is an old political reporter who has been watching the Alabama scene off and on for something like 50 years now. If he says it, I'd say it's worth a follow-up.