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Who will run in 2nd District?
Bright, just elected to his third term as mayor with 58 percent of the vote, has also been urged by some Republicans to enter the contest under the GOP banner. Many political observers question whether a Democratic candidate would be competitive in a district where President Bush received 66 percent of the vote in 2004, but Congressman Artur Davis D-Birmingham and chair of the DCCC's recruitment efforts, told the Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call, that Democrats can win the southeastern Alabama district "if we get the right candidate." DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has called Bright "an A Team candidate" and said that if he decided to run it would be a major recruiting coup. Bright hasn't had to wear political stripes in the mayor's job, the only public office he has held, but is generally considered a Conservative Democrat. His wife, District Judge Lynn Bright does hold office as a Democrat. But National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ken Spain has said that Democrats are dreaming if they think they can move Everett's district into their column next year. Other Democrats who have been mentioned as possible candidates are State Sen. Jimmy Holley and State Rep. Terry Spicer, both from Elba. Republican possibilities mentioned to date include State Sen. Larry Dixon, Reps. Jay Love, Greg Wren and David Grimes, all of Montgomery, State Sen. Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb and Rep. Steve Clouse of Ozark. One potential stumbling block for Bright and at least one of the other Montgomerians named is they live slightly outside the 2nd District boundary. However, that could be cured easily since there are no pre-election residency requirements in Congressional races. Not meeting the "smell test" Since 1999 $135 million in bond issues for the state's two-year college system have been handled by Merchant Capital, LLC, a Montgomery-based investment-banking firm. This business has earned over $1 million in fees for Merchant Capital. Ken Funderburk is Executive Vice President of the firm and one of six members of the limited liability company. His sister, Debbie Dahl, headed the two-year college system's financial division and also oversaw the system's bond business during this time. Records reviewed by The Birmingham News this past week indicate the bond business funneled to Merchant Capital represents over two-thirds of all bonds sold by the system since 1999. Dahl, 52, started in the system in 1982 and since 1992 has headed the fiscal and administrative services division. In 2003 she sent $300,000 to The Alabama Fire College Foundation run by the fire college's director, W. L. Langston. She says it was by mistake and that the money was intended for "critical first-responder training.". However, records unearthed by the News show that before she sent the money to Langston she sent a handwritten note detailing that it should be used to pay the salary for the secretary of one of former Gov. Don Siegelman's closest aides who needed a job. It was later revealed that Langston provided Dahl's daughter a $5,000 scholarship from the Fire College Foundation. Funderburk headed the Alabama Development Office under Siegelman and it was during that time that Siegelman's brother Les had virtual free reign of the department that recruits industry for the state. Last week Chancellor Bradley Byrne fired Dahl for no stated reason other than the need for the system to move in a different direction and that he needs someone who shares his vision of where the system needs to go. I am not suggesting that Dahl or anyone else has done anything illegal, but this whole mess doesn't pass the smell test and it has gone on right under the nose of the governor and the school board. Perhaps that's where the accountability lies.
Bob Martin is editor and publisher of The Montgomery Independent. E-mail him at: bob@montgomeryindependent. com
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