Now is the time for
the world to lend a hand to
our Haitian neighbors.

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Happy Martin Luther King Day! Enjoy this 18-minute video of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a reminder of what this day is about:

We have come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.

The people will be
burned only so many times
until they give up hope.

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Each event, group, run,
slogan has been captured with
another T-shirt.

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The last showdown: Birmingham mayoral runoff candidates William Bell and Patrick Cooper participated in a final 37-minute debate televised Thursday night on Fox 6.

The two men answered questions on the city budget, jobs, race and more. We have videos from the entire debate in six parts.

Video: Part 1, debate between William Bell and Patrick Cooper

Video: Part 2, debate between William Bell and Patrick Cooper

Video: Part 3, debate between William Bell and Patrick Cooper

Video: Part 4, debate between William Bell and Patrick Cooper

Video: Part 5, debate between William Bell and Patrick Cooper

Video: Part 6, debate between William Bell and Patrick Cooper

The runoff election takes place Tuesday.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

With two candidates and 1 week left before Birmingham’s mayoral runoff election, the war of words has escalated.

Black and White pulled out a 10-year-old Mark Kelly story on then-interim-mayor William Bell. A few selected excerpts …

A “domestic problem”:

December 1979: Bell’s wife, Sharon, is treated at a local hospital for injuries resulting from a dispute at the couple’s home. The Birmingham News reports that Mrs. Bell told an unidentified Birmingham policeman that her husband had beaten her. Bell admits there was a “domestic problem” but denies hitting his wife.

Likening the situation to that of Senator Ted Kennedy’s Chappaquiddick incident, Bell says, “I’ll never explain that to anyone’s satisfaction.”

The Hitler card:

February 1982: After a council meeting at which new council President John Katopodis suggested the council should consider adopting an ethics code, Bell says, “Little Hitler and his Gestapo group can do whatever they want. I’m through with all that bullshit.” He retracts the statement the next day.

Profile of a mayoral candidate:

February 1989: The (Birmingham News) story also notes an apparent disparity between Bell’s penchant for living well — expensive suits, Mercedes-Benz sedan with “18K” license plate — and his $25,000 income as a city councilor and his salary as a part-time administrative aide at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Questions are also raised about the nature of Bell’s job at UAB, described as overseeing a computer system that tracks the progress of bills in the Alabama legislature. A UAB dean says Bell does “an extremely valuable job … mainly the dissemination of information” on legislative matters to top university administrators.

Bad business:

July 1993: When Magic City Concessions defaults on approximately half of a $260,000 loan from First Commercial Bank, Bell — along with Germany and other owners of the company — has his wages garnished.

Scandals during his 3 months as interim mayor in 1999:

Bell has kept a tight grip on public documents and information in each of the three scandals—related to the Alabama State Fairgrounds, the Birmingham Water Works, and a controversial land deal in Center Point—that have rocked City Hall in the weeks since Arrington vacated the premises.

Through various aides and department heads, Bell has stalled at every turn, doling out in eye-dropper portions what is proving to be a flood of information. In the process, he has given the appearance of covering up for Arrington and others, calling his own credibility into question.

• • •

Meanwhile, William Muhammad of the Committee to Develop Birmingham wrote a column in the Birmingham Times titled “Is Patrick Cooper Avoiding the Black Community?”

Muhammad organized Monday’s debate, in which Cooper declined to participate. (Cooper also skipped a debate on Friday sponsored by the National Associa­tion for the Advancement of Colored People.)

On Cooper and Monday’s debate:

I received a call from the Cooper campaign informing me that Cooper will not participate in a debate sponsored by the Committee to Develop Birmingham on Jan. 11 at the Five Points West Library … The person who called me said, “It’s not personal, it’s business!” Well, I take it personal!!

When 75 percent of the City of Birmingham is black and 50 percent of blacks in Birmingham are in poverty. When only 3 percent of city business is going to black businesses, I want mayoral candidates to come to the black community and answer some hard questions on the air!

Plantation politics:

I have tried to remain as neutral as I can in this race! I felt that the issues that the Committee to Develop Birmingham have been working on for the past 6 years are too important to be dismissed by a candidate because of partisanship. …

The only thing we are vehemently against is “plantation politics”!! Politics where you take white money and ask for black votes, but you serve white interests!! I guess it’s not personal, it’s business as usual for Patrick Cooper. The business of plantation politics!!!

• • •

The runoff election is Jan. 19.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

The Late Night Wars of
’10 began with Leno bomb
planted in prime time.

• • •

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Shivers and shakes, ice
and chills. Winter has gone South
for the, um, winter.

• • •

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It is enough to
share the couch and watch TV
mysteries for warmth.

• • •

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The little people
frost their little cakes on a
little wooden bench.

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(Yes, Vote 2009 until this mayor’s race is settled Jan. 19.)

Two more debates have been set for Birmingham mayoral candidates William Bell and Patrick Cooper to square off. The runoff opponents agreed to a series of four debates.

Mayoral candidate debate tonight

• When: 6-8 tonight
• Where: Five Points West Library, 4812 Ave. W [map]
• Television/radio: live on WATV (900 AM).
• Also: Organizer William Muhammad of the Committee to Develop Birmingham said that the debate would still take place, even though a representative of the Cooper campaign told him Cooper would attend.

Mayoral candidate debate Tuesday

• Focus: education, crime, economic development, transportation, fiscal responsibility, the youth and ways to attract and retain young professionals and workers.
• Panelists: Yvonne Brakefield, League of Women Voters; Vickii Howell, Birmingham Association of Black Journalists; and Eddie Koen, Birmingham Roundtable. Julius White of WBHK (98.7 FM) will serve as moderator.
• When: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday; audience must be seated by 6:45 for broadcast.
• Where: BJCC Medical Forum Auditorium, 950 22nd St. N., downtown [map]
• Television/radio: live on WAGG (“Heaven” 610 AM), WBHK (“Kiss” 98.7 FM) will air first hour only; available later on Bright House On Demand Channel 1040.
• Also: The debate is free, but tickets are required and can be obtained by e-mailing thedebate2010@gmail.com with your name and number of tickets to pick up at “Will Call.”
• For more information: See the article in the Birmingham Times or e-mail thedebate2010@gmail.com.

The last debate will be Thursday night on Fox 6.

The runoff election takes place Jan. 19.

• • •

More Vote 2009 coverage.

A look at today’s front pages showing Alabama winning the BCS National Championship Thursday night over Texas.

Alabama

The Anniston Star

The Birmingham News

The Decatur Daily

The (Florence) Times-Daily

The Huntsville Times

The Montgomery Advertiser

The Opelika-Auburn News

The Tuscaloosa News

Texas

The Arlington Star-Telegram

The Austin American-Statesman

The Beaumont Enterprise

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times

The Dallas Morning News

The Houston Chronicle

The Killeen Daily Herald

The (McAllen) Monitor

The San Antonio Express-News

Fight on, men! Remem-
ber the Rose Bowl, we’ll win then.
Dixie’s football pride.

• • •

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Pace nervously, make
comfort food, wear team colors,
find a way to win.

• • •

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Blizzard forecast sends
shoppers on rampage for the
essentials: bread, milk.

• • •

Read more haiku.