We have our share of political disagreements, stonewalling and gamesmanship here in Vermont, but I don't believe we've sunk to the kind of political fighting that took place in Alabama yesterday.
To wit:
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Simmering tensions in the Alabama Senate boiled
over Thursday when a Republican lawmaker punched a Democratic colleague in the
head before they were pulled apart.
Republican Sen. Charles Bishop claimed that Democratic
Sen. Lowell Barron called him a “son of a (expletive).”
“I responded to his comment with my right hand,” Bishop said.
Alabama Public Television tape captured the punch.
Barron denied saying that to Bishop. He said the Jasper
senator used an expletive to him and he was trying to get away when he was hit
by Bishop on the side of the head near an ear.
Let that be a lesson to Vermont politicians. The Alabama fight was about campaign finance reform - a topic the Vermont Legislature will be revisiting at a July 11 veto session. In Alabama, Republican senators were using delaying tactics to force Democratic leadership to bring up an election reform bill to ban transfers between political action committees.
- Terri Hallenbeck
