Archibald: Look out for these -- blam! -- runoffs | al.

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Archibald: Look out for these -- blam! -- runoffs

Published: Friday, June 04, 2010, 5:45 AM

John Archibald -- The Birmingham News By

Writing political commentary around here is like hunting in a game preserve.

Carnella Greene-Norman is really in a runoff for a Circuit Court judgeship? Blam!

Dr. Robert Bentley really changed his first name to "Dr." in a failed attempt to have his title included on the ballot? Blam!

It's too easy. Just point and shoot.

But since Alabama has trimmed its herd in the primaries, it's time to take a closer look at the survivors. Look out for these races. And when I say that, I mean ... Look out!

The first is the runoff between Greene-Norman and Denise Pomeroy for Jefferson County Circuit Judge,

Place 23. Greene-Norman, I must remind you, used to be presiding judge at Birmingham Municipal Court. She lost that gig after a series of people stepped up to swear she was not only inefficient and vindictive, but openly racist.

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Carnella Green-Norman That was 10 years ago. Now -- forgiving as we are -- we're about to make her a circuit judge.

Heads up, Bambi!

Blam!

Birmingham City Councilman Johnathan Austin faces former Jefferson County Commissioner George

Bowman in Commission District 1.

SEE BELOW MEMORANDUM AGREEMENT SIGNED BY CARNELLA GREEN-NORMAN AND CONTEMPT ORDER WHEN SHE VIOLATED THE AGREEMENT. Austin, though, is more proof that Birmingham voters have a forgiving nature. He won election to the city
Bowman didn't embarrass us when he served on the commission. He didn't solve our problems, either. council, and led the pack in this race, despite his 2003 youthful indiscretion of pleading guilty to possessing marijuana -- and scales to weigh it. What were the scales for? I guess they speak to his ... precision.

Blam!

THIS WOMAN COST THE CITY ITS REPUTATION AND $202,169.69 WITH HER WILLFUL AND INTENTIONAL BEHAVIOR AS A MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE. ASK YOURSELVES, HOW MUCH WILL SHE COST US AS A JEFFERSON COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE?

In County Commission District 2, former Birmingham City Councilwoman Sandra Little-Brown faces

Midfield Mayor Gary Richardson. Little-Brown wrote the handbook on council smack talk. As she famously told former Mayor Bernard Kincaid, "You are a little, little man."

Richardson used to work as a consultant to help a bond dealer get city of Birmingham business -- which is a worry in a county drowning in bond-dealer-induced debt. He is best known, though, as a radio personality. I

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