Great forces are at work here

Nineteen Alabama legislators in recent years have signed a "no new taxes" pledge drafted by a group headed by anti-tax lobbyist Grover Norquist. The group claims that a handful of lawmakers already have reneged on their commitment, but one legislator not on that list is state Sen. Hank Erwin, R-Montevallo, even though he voted to send a tax-increase referendum to the voters in 2003 -- just the sort of taxing faux pas that got state Rep. Jimmy Martin, D-Clanton, demoted to the pledge-breaker list.

Then again, given Norquist's expressed desire to see the federal government drowned in a bathtub, the D.C. lobbyist may be eager not to give up an ally with such a thorough grasp of the root causes of hurricanes and the true nature of light and darkness.