Artur Davis: What a Waste of Political Potential

A hopeful person might have expected that the first black candidate with a legitimate chance to become governor of Alabama would be someone who understands the injustice and inequality that still permeates our society, especially here in the Deep South.

But that hopeful person would be wrong. What we have instead is an empty suit named Artur Davis. And a video making the rounds on the eve of Tuesday's primary election shows that Davis gives empty suits a bad name.

The video juxtaposes Davis' own words, with his actions and inactions, to show that the Congressman is the political equivalent of Don "No Soul" Simmons, a soul-free black character from the 1987 comedy classic Amazon Women on the Moon. Check it out:



Davis makes Don "No Soul" Simmons look like Malcolm X. Heck, I have more soul than Davis--and I'm one of the whitest guys on the planet.

Actually, it's not a lack of soul that is hampering Davis. It's lack of a spine. And it's too bad because Davis clearly has political talent.

Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman pointed to Davis' "empty suit" status when he endorsed Ron Sparks, Davis' opponent in Tuesday's primary. Here is a release from Siegelman's office:

For Immediate Release

May 29, 2010

For the first time ever, Don Siegelman is endorsing a candidate in the Alabama Democratic Primary.

"I'm proud to join political leaders like Dr. Richard Arlington, Hank Sanders, Joe Reed and the Alabama Democratic Conference and New South Coalition in supporting Ron Sparks for Governor. Why? Because I know Ron's heart is right.

Ron Sparks wants to create jobs, pay for free college scholarships for our children with our own Educational Lottery and pay for nursing home care for our seniors by taxing casinos. Ron is courageous and the hardest working man I've seen, well, since I was a candidate.

That would be enough but I am also disappointed in Artur Davis ... not only because he voted against health care and took a bunch of money from insurance companies, but Artur has taken several thousands of dollars in contributions from the very people who had me prosecuted and put in prison.

I just don't understand who Artur really is deep inside. But I do know who Ron Sparks is and what he stands for, and I like everything I know about Ron Sparks. So, it's for these reasons that I am supporting Ron Sparks for Governor."

Don Siegelman

Governor of Alabama 1999-2003

What about those questionable contributions to which Siegelman refers? They entered the Artur Davis coffers from Bill Canary, president of the Business Council of Alabama and husband of Siegelman prosecutor Leura Canary. They also came from Dax Swatek, a sleazy GOP "consultant" who has documented ties to Karl Rove, Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, and Alice Martin (another Bush prosecutor who went after Siegelman).

The most recent polls show Davis leading Sparks, but the lead appears to be small--and it's shrinking quickly. The polls also show Davis losing to three of the top Republican candidates in a general election.

A recent report has Davis asking the Obama administration to hold the U.S. attorney position in Montgomery open for him in case he loses. Sounds like Davis knows he's probably going to need it. After all, candidates with no soul and no spine usually don't get very far.