United Liberty

In my lifetime, several individuals have displayed a quality in public life that sets those individuals apart as giants. Few have epitomized character and principle in public life as did US Senator James B. “Jim” Allen.

Born in Gadsden, AL in 1912, Allen graduated from the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama Law School. Elected to the Alabama Legislature, Jim Allen left the State House to serve in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. Upon his return home, Allen was elected to the State Senate and in 1950 progressed to serve as Lt. Governor of the State of Alabama. Allen served a second term as Lt. Governor from 1963-67 and was elected to the US Senate in 1968.

Allen was a Democrat, a Southern Democrat in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson. Allen was a true conservative, yet remained a part of the Democratic Party. Whenever challenged, Allen reminded folks that he was an Alabama Democrat.

Allen was a master of parliamentary maneuvering, a scholar on American history, and a diligent leader who often marshaled forces to oppose the liberal legislation proposed in Congress. Seantor Allen was a master of the filibuster, often tying the presiding officer of the Senate into proverbial knots over an issue. A year after Allen died, conservative Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina remarked Oh, how we miss Jim Allen!

The fact that Allen was a Democrat had one powerful advantage over his Republican friends. When Presidents Nixon and Ford would propose some scheme to increase the size of government, Jim Allen was not beholden by party loyalty to advance a liberal agenda, due to loyalty to the GOP. On the other hand, Allen’s Democratic affiliation never meant that the Senator would bow to party pressure to pass liberal legislation. In those days, conservative Democrats like Jim Allen of Alabama, James Eastland of Mississippi, John McClellan of Arkansas, Sam Ervin of North Carolina, and Richard B. Russell of Georgia were the swing votes in the US Senate. Republican Presidents had to win the votes of these Senators to pass important legislation. This meant that conservatives, and in particular, Southerners always had a voice. These conservative Democrats gave Republicans courage to stand against liberal policies of a Republican President.

Today, the South is predominantly Republican in Washington representation. We have weak-sisters like Lindsay Graham of South Carolina who could, just as well, represent a New England state. Frankly, when Congress had a block of conservative Democrats, the conservative movement and the South were better off. Both parties had to satisfy the concerns of these patriots who loved the Constitution and were motivated by principle.
In recent years, the Democratic Party has sought to win back their Southern base by running candidates for the House and Senate as conservatives. Heath Shuler of North Carolina is a committed Christian and outspoken pro-lifer who won his seat in Congress as a Democrat. Gene Taylor of Mississippi, Lincoln Davis of Tennessee, Travis Childers of Mississippi, and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana all won office as pro-life, pro-second amendment, conservative Democrats who support tightening border security and a balanced federal budget. These Congressmen are part of a coalition of Blue Dog Conservative Democrats.

This year, Alabama’s two open Congressional seats were won by Democrats who campaigned as pro-life, pro-second amendment, and proposed tightening our border. In the 2nd District, Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright won a seat that had been held by Republicans since 1964. Bright claimed that he actually voted for Gov. Mike Huckabee in this year’s GOP Presidential Primary (which means he violated the Democratic Party’s Radney Rule).

In the 5th District, Democrat Parker Griffith ran as a conservative. In his tenure in the State Senate, Griffith helped derail legislation to curtail illegal immigration and never sponsored pro-life legislation. Yet, Griffith won in a district carried heavily by the McCain-Palin ticket.

My question for these conservative Democrats is this: how will you fare in the Jim Allen Test? Jim Allen never blinked when President Jimmy Carter asked for his support. Allen had no trouble telling him NO. In fact, Allen’s last days were spent fighting Carter’s giveaway of the Panama Canal. Allen never cut deals to support liberal legislation. Allen was fond of saying that he drew strength from the people of Alabama and that the people of Alabama reminded him of that which was right. Allen often said that Washington needed more Alabama thinking.

Will these Democrats, elected as conservatives, be able to look Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the face and say no, even when she reminds them of the oodles of money delivered to help them from liberal sources? Will these Democratic Congressmen remind a liberal Democratic President that they represent their constituents first? The coming months will tell us how Congressmen like Bright and Griffith fare on the Jim Allen Test.