Reply #22: Opinion: Turns out Sir Charles won't be able to run after all (AL) [View All]

[EFerrari]

Turns out Sir Charles won't be able to run after all

(Updated: Wednesday, August 9, 2006 2:16 PM CDT)
Bob Ingram, Alabama Scene

MONTGOMERY - There is something eyebrow-raising about the controversy over naming Gov. Bob Riley as the special master (overseer) of an effort to develop a statewide computerized voter registration database.

The responsibility for establishing the voter database was initially given to Secretary of State Nancy Worley, but for whatever reason she missed the deadline. The federal courts then stepped in and gave Gov. Riley the authority to do the job. That is when some of the Democratic leadership began to howl in protest -- State Democratic Chairman Joe Turnham, and Joe Reed, long time spokesman for black Democrats.

Both filed motions in court claiming that Riley should not have the responsibility for this project because he is a Republican running for reelection in November. Ironically, there was no protest from them when Worley had the assignment, and she is a Democrat running for reelection in November.

But somewhere in all this noise, there is an uneasy feeling that there is more to this controversy than meets the eye. There's an uneasy feeling that there are some people who don't want the state to have a computerized voter data base. I hope I am wrong.

It is one of those stories that you wish did not have to be mentioned.

http://www.hartselleenquirer.com/articles/2006/08/10/opinion/oped3.txt

:wow: