January 2012
www.RWOT.net
Executive Board
& Committee Chairmen
Grace Bush
President
Gbush727@gmail.com
Patsy Vines
Volume 4 Issue 1
Are you looking for more
accountability in your
government with less intrusion?
1st Vice President
Programs / Awards / By-laws /
Literacy and Library /
Campaign Activities
Join RWOT:
http://www.rwot.net/uploads/RepublicanWomenofTrussvilleApplication3.pdf
Terry Cates
2nd Vice President
Membership / Fundraising /
Youth & Scholarship /
Caring for America /
Supporting our Troops
Debbie Rangel
Secretary
Communications / Sunshine /
Historian / Scrapbook
Paige Lucas
Treasurer
Audit / Budget
Peggy Blake
Chaplain
Then our meetings are for you!
Donna Blake
Parliamentarian
We need to be ready for the 2012 elections.
Erin Mathews
We stand for:
Website Administrator
Mary Parsons
Sunshine Committee
• Limited federal government
• Individual freedoms
• Personal responsibility
• Free markets
• Returning political power to the states and
people
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Volume 4 Issue 1
HEELS TO THE GROUND!!!
Knowledge is Wisdom!
Article Two (from Al.com)
Alabama’s Judicial System
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Ten posts for Jefferson County court and government seats
feature contests in the March 13 primary, both political parties reported.
Qualifying ended today, with five judges and two county board of education candidates
facing no opposition in either the primary or Nov. 6 general election.
The Republican primary in Jefferson County will feature five judicial contests. Democratic voters will
choose nominees for four judicial posts and the court clerk in the Bessemer division.
Candidates include siblings Gloria and Jerry Bahakel and their cousin Phillip Bahakel.
Birmingham City Councilwoman Carole Smitherman and former Jefferson County Commissioner Bobby
Humphyres also are running for separate posts.
Here are the contested primary races:
• Circuit Judge 6: Republicans Lee Cleveland and David Faulkner vie for the open seat. The winner will
face Don Blankenship, a Democrat.
• Circuit Judge 9: Democrats David Skinner, Jim Hughey III, Tamara Harris Johnson and David Sawyer
square off in the primary. The Republican candidate is Bobby Lott.
• Circuit Judge 13: Republicans Lea Bone and Pat Thetford face off for the open seat. Patrick Ballard,
Peter Johnson Davis and Carole Smitherman meet as Democrats.
• Circuit Judge 5: It's Danita Haskins versus Patricia Ann Stephens in the Democratic primary. The
incumbent judge, Suzanne Childers, qualified as a Republican.
• District Judge 3: Both parties will field primary candidates for the open seat. It will be Republicans
Virginia Meigs, Davis Lawley and Dale W. Snodgrass facing off for the open seat. The Democratic
candidates are Clotele "CH" Brantley and Carnella Greene Norman.
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• District Judge 6: Republicans Gloria Bahakel and John Halcomb seek the nomination. The incumbent
judge, Katrina Ross qualified as a Democrat.
• District Judge 8: The primary between Democrats Alan Summers, the incumbent judge, and Phillip
Bahakel will decide this race. No Republican qualified.
• District Judge 12: The incumbent judge, Jill Ganus, faces Austin Burdick in the Republican primary.
Lorraine Williams-Pringle has qualified as a Democrat.
• Bessemer court clerk: Democrats Karen Dunn Burks, Eric C. McAdory and Louise "LuLu" Alexander face
off for the nomination. The incumbent, Benny Watson, is running as a Republican.
• Bessemer deputy treasurer: Doris Britton, the incumbent, faces Shery McClain in the Democratic
primary. Bobby Humphryes is the Republican candidate.
Here are the candidates for posts contested only in the Nov. 6 election:
• Circuit Judge 5: Judge Teresa Petelos, Republican incumbent; David Carpenter, Democrat.
• Circuit Judge 7: Judge Bill Cole, the Republican incumbent; Tracie Todd, Democrat.
• Circuit Judge 11: Judge Houston Brown, Democrat incumbent; Chuck Hunter, Republican.
• Circuit Judge 18: Judge Brian Huff, Republican incumbent; Raymond Chambliss, Democrat.
• Circuit Judge 27: Judge Virginia Vinson, Democrat incumbent; Jim Neill, Republican.
• Circuit Clerk: Anne-Marie Adams, Democrat incumbent; Jerry Bahakel, Republican.
• Probate Court Judge 2: Sherri Friday, Democrat incumbent; Ginger McCord Barbee, Republican.
• County treasurer: Jennifer Champion, Republican incumbent; Mike Miles, Democrat.
The following incumbents have no primary or general election opposition: Circuit Judge Joseph
Boohaker, Place 1; Circuit Judge Mike Graffeo, Place 8; Circuit Judge Teresa Pulliam, Place 16; District
Judge David Lichtenstein, Place 9; Probate Court Judge Alan King, Place 1; and Ronald Rhodes, county
board of education.
Oscar Mann was the sole candidate to qualify for the county board of education seat now held by Karen
Nix.
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President’s Letter
Dear RWOT Members and Friends,
Here we are. 2012 is finally here! How excited can we get? I can hardly sleep at times
and prayer is a state of mind for sure. Again, Barack Hussein Obama has shown his hand
and continued desire to destroy this country by drastically cutting our military and killing the
Keystone pipeline. It is beyond my comprehension how over 40% of this country can still
possibly think he is doing a good job? Iran continues its increasing threat and the DNC has
already started the disgusting race baiting. Radical Islam is so embedded in our country, I
am not sure it can be undone at this stage. Get ready folks, it has only just begun. The next
nine months will not be attractive. But let’s talk about a grave concern I see progressing very
quickly within our party. It is my opinion the candidates are destroying each other before the
primaries are half over. This will be used against us after Super Tuesday and will make it
hard to win over the needed independents. The Reagan rule seems to have been forgotten.
Let’s pray this will cease immediately and do all in our power to not encourage it in our area.
An urgent issue I would like to bring to your attention is the need to contact our
Alabama legislators and let them know how we feel about introducing a bill to change our
new immigration law before the US Supreme Court has had a chance rule on it. Our house
speaker, republican Mike Hubbard, seems to have caved to some business alliance groups
and will introduce a bill this upcoming session to do exactly this. To contact your house
member, go to our website www.RWOT.net and contact their office if you have concerns. It is
getting quite confusing as to why this is happening. If they pass this, it will look as though
we are giving in to Eric Holders’ demands without a ruling from the Supreme Court. Why not
wait until after the ruling and then adjust the bill? Why risk having to adjust it too much or
not enough? We must ask ourselves why our state AG and house speaker are doing this
when Luther Strange ran his campaign and was elected under the pretense of stopping illegal
immigration.
This will be my final letter to you as your president. Let me leave you with a few
thoughts to consider. Press on, never give in, always go with your beliefs and NEVER let the
media or anyone tell you someone ‘cannot’ win a race. I have been told that twice in two
years and both times the experts were wrong. My opinion is we must go back to our JudeoChristian roots and rule by the constitution as it was written. If not, all else is lost. I am not
sure if we are past that point but if not, then this is possibly the most important election year
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of all time. So you may be asking, why now do I seek to resign my position? God placed a
huge burden on my heart for my country a few years ago and I feel the last two years I have
served to the best of my ability and it has been an awesome responsibility. However, over
the past couple of months He has placed an even greater burden on my heart for things closer
to me and I have chosen to take that call seriously. My job has also become more demanding
where I can no longer service both positions. I will not bow out of politics altogether, as I am
still involved in several committed roles but nothing as time consuming as club president. I
ask for your prayers and support for Patsy Vines as your incoming president. She takes this
job seriously and is extremely capable. Being president of a growing women’s club,
especially during an election year can be overwhelming, I have done it. She will need us all.
Patsy, you have my 100% support. We love you!
Thank you all for allowing me to serve you, it was sincerely my pleasure.
God Bless,
Grace Bush
President / RWOT
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Thanks, Grace
There aren’t enough words to express the gratitude I have for all Grace Bush has done as our president.
She led us through the 2010 elections where our club was instrumental in getting republicans elected to
local and state offices. She helped organize two successful tea parties in Trussville. Grace has
represented our club with “grace,” determination, and professionalism as she attended meetings of
Alabama and National Federation of Republican Women.
In addition, Grace has brought forth the best in our executive board as well as making each of us feel a
part of the club. She loves to be in the know on what is happening locally and at the state and national
level. Grace has kept us informed and encouraged us to make a stand to initiate change. She made an
honest effort to keep our meetings on time and brought humor into them.
Grace is serious about her love for our country and her determination to see “real change” take place. It
is sad to see her hand over the gavel because of all she has done to grow our club. It will be hard to fill
her shoes. I don’t think I am worthy of the job, but I promise to do my best.
Grace, we are going to hold you to remaining active and keeping us informed about legislation, etc. that is
being introduced. We love you very much.
Patsy
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Volume 4 Issue 1
Upcoming Events
February 9, 2012
RWOT Meeting
Speakers are Congressman
Spencer Bachus and
Senator Scott Beason
6:00 pm at
the Grayson Valley Country Club
$10 dinner
The ALGOP Winter Dinner is
February 24, 2012
at the Sheraton Hotel
Jefferson County Republican Party
Straw Poll will be
March 3, 2012
at the Trussville Civic Center
The Republican Primary
will be
March 13, 2012
Late Spring Yard Sale
Date to follow
Speakers
February meeting: Guests will be: Alabama State Senator
Scott Beason & US Congressman Spencer Bachus.
Senator Beason is now a candidate for the U.S. 6th
congressional seat now occupied by Congressman Bachus.
Also meet candidates seeking election and re-election for
local judgeships within Jefferson County.
This is a critical time within our state and country, please
come, ask questions, stay informed and get involved.
(If critical votes are being taken in Washington, Congressman
Bachus will have representative present in his absence.)
RWOT Membership Dues
The 2012 Membership Dues are to be paid by January 31st.
The dues cover the 2012 calendar year, January through
December.
Regular membership is $35, Associate membership (for
someone who belongs to another Federation of Republican
Women’s Club and for men) is $25.
Make your check payable to “RWOT” and mail to:
RWOT
P O Box 972
Trussville, AL 35173
If you have any questions, please contact me at 655-9494.
Thank you for being prompt with your payment.
Paige Lucas
RWOT Treasurer
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Volume 4 Issue 1
The Devastation Around Us
This morning, Monday, January 23, I awoke to the rain pounding our roof and lighting flashing in the sky. The
lights went out. I turned over thinking, “I’m retired. I will just sleep late and the electricity will be back on.”
The phone began ringing around 6:30 a.m. My son wanted to know if we were okay. “Yes, why?” was my
reply. Scott began to tell me about the tornado and where it had hit. It was so close. I looked out the window.
Everything was fine here. The phone continued to ring until all the family had checked in to see if we had been
hit and in turn I knew they were okay. My daughter-in-law who lives in Florida left a tearful message of
concern when she couldn’t get us on the phone.
I have lived through two major tornadoes that left devastation all around me. I have never personally had
damage to my home or a family member hurt. I can’t imagine losing everything, but most of all losing a loved
one. I have many friends who live in the affected area and I am sure you do, too. I know that they will need
help in the days to come.
When I got my thoughts together I called RWOT members whom I knew lived in these areas. Members began
to call me. I am not sure where all our members live and we want to know if your home was damaged, etc.
Please contact me at pwvines@yahoo.com. My prayers go out to all those who have been affected.
Even in the devastation I can see how God is so good and uses caring people to reflect His love. We are a
political organization, but I feel that we are much more than that. We are a group of like-minded women who
love and care very much for our country and each other. I feel privileged to call you friends.
If you have ideas about how we might be of help, please let me know that, also.
Patsy Vines
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OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
•
•
•
•
•
The following are new members from our December meeting: Wendy Mathis and Judge Till Ganus.
And these are new members from our January meeting; Lori Snodgrass and Nancy Grogan. Make
them welcome.
There will be a straw poll at the Trussville Civic Center March 3.
Don’t forget to join the “Capital Club”. It is just $15 a month or $180 a year. This will be the
foundation on which the Party will achieve its success for years to come. It will help build an
infrastructure for the future of the Party. Go to www.ALGOP.ORG.
Get your copy of Frederick Douglass Republicans (the book) by K. Carl Smith!
•
Save your useful discards for our Spring Yard Sale coming late Spring.
•
Cookbooks and Quilts!
Work for our judicial nominees.
Ladies, RWOT cookbooks and quilt tickets are available at our monthly meetings.
•
We need every member to take part in selling these items. These will provide the funds to help our
candidates win their races this year. Think big....Sell big!
Vicky Brandy is heading this up. This is her FB post.
“I'm asking my friends and family to pray about helping with a project I am working on. I am currently
reaching out to various groups, churches, etc. to take the idea from my heart and hand and bless the 620
students, grades K thru 2nd of Center Point Elementary School. You know the shoeboxes we do at
Christmas? Along those lines... maybe an investment of $10 to $15 and a note of encouragement from a
child in your home, school or church group. Keep you posted. Demographics: Boys, 341 (10 Hispanic), Girls,
281 (15 Hispanic)... I asked for the number of ESL students because so many friends and family fluent in
Spanish can pen messages in both languages. Keep you posted. Thanks!”
This is purely voluntary. Those interested can bring a shoe box with school supplies in them to the next
meeting. It will be for the kids who lost everything at Center Point School.
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Pictures
2011 RWOT Christmas Party
Governor Bentley, Keynote Speaker at the 2011 RWOT Christmas Party
Governor Bentley with Member Cheryl Mathews and guests, Wanda & Melanie Manning
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Mrs. Bentley and Donna Blake
Governor and Mrs. Bentley with RWOT members
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January 2012
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Governor Bentley with the Mtn. View Baptist Church Violinists
Governor Bentley and Sandy Lancaster
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January 2012
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January 2012 RWOT Meeting
Judicial Speakers and Candidates
January Meeting Group Picture
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