WASHINGTON – Not since George Huddleston, Jr. was elected in 1963 has Alabama’s First Congressional District been won by a Democratic candidate, but newcomer Benjamin Lodmell is taking a stab at being the Democratic candidate against Rep. Jo Bonner.
Lodmell, a graduate of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, is one of Mobile’s newest residents and that’s not stopping him from making a run for office. According to records from the Mobile County Probate Court, Lodmell purchased the former home of USA President Gordon Moulton for $589,000 in March and that’s where he hangs his hat.
“Apparently he’s from Huntsville, lived in Arizona, and showed up here and is making a big splash,” said Mobile County Democratic Executive Committee Chairman Brad Warren to Lagniappe.
Lodmell came to Mobile from Phoenix, but is originally from Huntsville. He told Lagniappe last week he worked in the non-profit sector after having a career in business.
History isn’t on Lodmell’s side. In Bonner’s three runs for Congress, he soundly defeated Judy Belk twice and my personal favorite local Democrat, Vivian Beckerle, taking no less than 60 percent of the vote in each attempt.
“I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I could win,” Lodmell said. “I do think there are some vulnerabilities.”
One potential wrinkle for Lodmell is that he co-authored a book with his brother, Douglas Lodmell, about tort reform entitled “The Lawsuit Lottery: The Hijacking of Justice in America.” Calls for tort reform might not sit well with the highly-influential trial lawyer lobby, which historically tends to lean toward Democrats in local elections. But Lodmell is already trying to iron that wrinkle out, claiming he didn’t primarily author the book.
“My intention is to distance myself from that book,” Lodmell said. “[It] was more of a vanity book, social commentary.”
Some questions have been raised about a candidate running for Congress who hasn’t been in Mobile very long, but Lodmell downplayed accusations of carpetbagging.
“I’m not [a carpetbagger],” said Lodmell. “This is what I consider home. Everyone is friendly, so sincere. I think it is going to be a good experience [living in Mobile] for my children.”
Warren told Lagniappe he doubted Lodmell would face opposition in the primary for the Democratic spot.
Thanks to http://www.leftinalabama.com for help with getting in touch with Lodmell.
Sessions still fighting the immigration battle
Despite high-ranking congressional Democrat Rahm Emanuel of Illinois telling the Washington Times last week he didn’t see his party attempting comprehensive immigration reform until at least the second term of a prospective Democratic president, Sen. Jeff Sessions introduced a $3 billion “border first” amendment to the Department of Homeland Security funding legislation pending in the Senate.
“The American people want to see that we’re serious about what we promise,” Sessions said to The Politico last week.
Sessions has a strange bedfellow with the amendment, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Graham took a lot of criticism from the conservative base for supporting the latest round of comprehensive immigration reform legislation that Sessions helped defeat last month. This appears to be an effort by Graham to save face.
“We’re now moving to Plan B,” said Graham in a press release issued last week. “That will require us to address the major changes that must be made a piece at a time. Today, we’re addressing border security, visa overstays, sanctuary cities, and other important issues. There’s no doubt that operational control of our southern border is a national security imperative. We must regain control of our border and this much-need emergency funding will play an important role in making that happen.”
Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Az.) and Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) are also co-sponsoring the amendment. However, the amendment isn’t expected to get very far in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
More Staff Shuffling
Sen. Richard Shelby office announced Donald Watson, a fixture of Rep. Jo Bonner’s office for the last three years, would become a legislative assistant for Alabama’s senior senator.
“I am glad to welcome Watson to my office,” said Shelby. “His impressive experience working on Capitol Hill and extensive knowledge of defense and foreign affairs issues makes him an asset to my office.”
Watson is a Mobile native and a graduate of UMS-Wright Preparatory School. Prior to working for Bonner, Watson worked for Sen. Sessions’ office as a legislative correspondent and a legislative aide.
Shelby has a track record of recruiting within the Alabama Congressional Delegation. In March, Michael Brumas was named chief of staff for Sen. Richard Shelby after serving as Sen. Sessions’ press secretary.
Sessions still steadfast on Iraq
Sen. Jeff Sessions, labeled by a lot of the Inside the Beltway pundits as a “Bush administration loyalist,” despite his opposition to Bush’s push for the immigration bill, is sticking to the Bush plan on the Iraq War.
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) forced an all-night debate over an amendment introduced by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) on the floor of the Senate.
“We knew from the day this bill hit the floor that this Levin Amendment was not going to pass, it was not going to get 60 votes – it was not going to be on this bill,” said an animated Sessions during his weekly phone conference on July 18. “And if for any reason it got on the bill, President Bush said he would veto the bill. So this was never going to be part of the bill.”
Sessions said he was extremely disappointed with Reid’s actions to force the all-nighter. Reid pulled the bill from the floor the next morning after the amendment failed to get enough votes.
“I think it was pretty much driven by politics, unfortunately,” Sessions told Lagniappe. “There’s nothing wrong with an all-night debate. Sometimes it does get a little extra attention and the American people get focused on it more and even the senators get more engaged in the debate.”
Contact Jeff Poor at jeffreypoor@yahoo.com.
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