Please sign the petition below to remove the statue of Jefferson Davis currently in Kentucky’s Capitol Rotunda, and replace it with a tribute to Muhammad Ali, “the Louisville Lip” and “the Greatest of All Time.”
I just heard from the Ali family: It is the Champ’s belief that Islam prohibits three-dimensional representations of living Muslims. Accordingly, I have adjusted the petition to call for a two-dimensional representation of Ali (a portrait, picture or mural) in lieu of a statue.
UPDATE (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)
In this interview with WHAS-TV’s Joe Arnold, Governor Steve Beshear endorses the idea of honoring Muhammad Ali in the State Capitol (although he disagrees with removing Davis). Arnold explores the idea further on his weekly show, “The Powers that Be.”
Click here to check out WDRB-TV’s Lawrence Smith’s coverage of the story.
And here’s my op-ed in Ali’s hometown paper, the Louisville Courier-Journal.
UPDATE (Saturday, June 4, 2016)
In the wake of the 2015 Charlestown tragedy, in which a Confederate flag-waving murderer united the nation against racism, all of the most powerful Kentucky policymakers — U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, Governor Matt Bevin, Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo — called for the removal of the Davis statue from the Rotunda. Today, as we commemorate last night’s passing of Muhammad Ali, there is no better moment to replace the symbol of Kentucky’s worst era with a tribute to The Greatest of All Time.
UPDATE (Wednesday, June 8, 2016):
Great piece by Lawrence Smith of WDRB-TV in Louisville on the petition drive to replace Jefferson Davis’ statue in the Capitol Rotunda with a tribute to Muhammad Ali.
UPDATE (Thursday, June 9, 2016):
Excellent piece on the petition drive by Jack Brammer that was featured on the front page of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Highlight of the article:
Miller said he has received a few “angry comments” on his call to honor Ali.
“One of them encouraged me to kill myself,” he said. “You can quote me that I have decided not to take their advice.”
UPDATE (Friday, June 10, 2016)
The petition drives continues to show the Big Mo(hammed): check out these stories from WKYU-FM public radio in Bowling Green and WKYT-TV, Channel 27 in Lexington:
UPDATE (Saturday, June 11, 2016):
Still not convinced? Check out this excerpt from today’s New York Times:
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET
Take a deep breath. A new study shows that stress actually shrinks the parts of the brain dealing with metabolism and emotions. [Time]
In the United States, the average binge drinker takes in eight drinks at a time. [Wall Street Journal]
Instead of concentrating on social media’s negative effects, more doctors are using the Web to interact with teens. [NY Times]
Newsweek provides tips from experts on how to get a bigger brain. Hint: sleep has a lot to do with it! [Newsweek]
New research in Sweden reveals an alternative pain management system for premature babies, who are often too small for traditional painkillers: sugar water, and the human touch. [NPR]
We’ve got some good news to share regarding our site’s most popular writer, contributing RP Jeff Smith, from St. Louis Today:
Since leaving federal prison, former Missouri State Sen. Jeff Smith has carved out a new life in New York, teaching politics and offering commentary on the election season.
And now, more than two years after the charges that torpedoed his own career in office, Smith is officially free from the federal government’s tether.
A U.S. District Court judge in St. Louis this week ordered an early end to Smith’s post-prison probation…
Smith, now a professor at the New School in Manhattan, has not been shy about discussing his time in prison — in fact, his writing on his incarceration has drawn attention because of its frankness.
His legacy has also not been forgotten in Jefferson City, where his term ended abruptly after he plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges.
In his address on Wednesday to begin the legislative session, House Speaker Steve Tilley, a Republican who visited Smith in his Kentucky prison, highlighted Smith’s experience as a reminder to legislators to make time for those that matter most.
“Focus your time on the people who love you for who you are,” Tilley said, “and not what title you have attained.”
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 9:30 AM ET
New Hampshire voted yesterday. Many of the pundits (including the ones on this site) did well predicting the top of the polls, but really sucked when it came to figuring out what would happen at the bottom. No one on this site predicted correctly that Newt Gingrich would defeat Rick Santorum for 4th place (although he did only win by 213 votes). For my money, the most important race last night was the one for 4th–and with Newt winning, that sets up an epic battle between Rick “Who’s in your bedroom” Santorum and Newt “Not My Wife” Gingrich for all the palmettos (and maybe a delegate or two) in South Carolina. Also, whoever win the battle between those two will likely be the person whom the media decides is the person who ACTUALLY lost to Mitt Romney. Should be one for the ages, folks.
Contributing RP Jason Atkinson was featured this week in a television piece commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Tucson tragedy that left six people dead and critically injured Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Giffors, who has miraculously recovered, was a fellow classmate of Jason’s (and The RP – pictured behind Giffords) in the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellows program.
OK, folks, round two of the 2012 GOP presidential primary, which means round two of the fearless predictions of our recovering politicians.
Last week, our RPs boldly made their Iowa caucus prognostications, and with the exception of RP staffer Zack Adams (who predicted the correct finish of the top 6 candidates) and Artur Davis (the only contributing RP to predict the correct order of the top 3), well…let’s say they are lucky to get a second chance. But this web site is all about second acts, right?
And we ask you to join them in the comments section as well. No fun prizes, but instant fame and glory to the reader who is the closest.
So, here goes the New Hampshire experiment:
The RP: Romney 39; Paul 19; Huntsman 17; Santorum 12; Gingrich 11; Roemer 1; Perry less than 1%. Ron Paul let me down — big time — last week, but I still have confidence that the independents will keep him in a solid second place. And I predict that the media darling, John Huntsman, will underperform. And my big surprise: Buddy Roemer ekes out 6th place from under Rick Perry’s nose. Oh, yeah, and Mitt Romney wins big. Yawn.
Paul Hodes (contributing RP and former New Hampshire Congressman): Here goes from the Granite State…Romney 34; Huntsman 19; Paul 18; Gingrich 14; Santorum 12; Perry 3
Zac Byer (RP Staff):1st – Mitt Romney (32%); 2nd – Ron Paul (19%); 3rd – Jon Huntsman (15%). [Click here to read his Zac’s full report from Manchester, New Hampshire.]
Jason Grill: 1. Romney (Needs at least 35% or a 10 point win); 2. Huntsman (The candidate with the best chance to beat President Obama in the general); 3. Paul (Another third place finish, but still relevant); 4. Gingrich (Edges out Rick, but Tick…Tick…Tick…SC is next. Boom); 5. Santorum (No Iowa magic tonight); 6. Perry (Already hunkered down in SC for his last stand)
Greg Harris: Romney – 35; Huntsman – 21; Santorum – 16; Paul – 13; Gingrich – 11; Perry – 4
Steve Schulman: With apologies to Frank Sinatra…Mitt Romney – If he can’t win it here, he can’t win it anywhere…Ron Paul – He’ll do it his way…Jon Huntsman – Strangers in the night…Rick Santorum – Please don’t talk about him when he’s gone…Newt Gingrich – Fly him to the moon, let him play among the stars…Rick Perry – Ain’t that a kick in the head…And too bad Michele Bachmann dropped out … that lady is a tramp!
Read the rest of… The RPs Predict the New Hampshire Primary
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Tue Jan 10, 2012 at 3:00 PM ET
The Politics of Pigskin
The NFL playoffs are underway and we have already seen some fantastic matchups. So far the Saints out-offensed the Lions, the Texans just looked like the better team against the young Bengals, the Giants pounded the Falcons, and the Broncos stunned the injured Steelers. Here is your updated playoff schedule. [Fox Sports]
Peter King does his weekly breakdown thang in the MMQB column. You don’t want to miss these. [Sports Illustrated]
The Giants might have the best front 7 in football. They certainly were dominant against the Falcons. [Yahoo! Sports]
The Broncos defied conventional wisdom to defeat the favored Steelers on the first play of OT. [CBS Sports]
The Tampa Bay Bucs are reported to be in talks with Marty Schottenheimer regarding their vacant head coaching position. A bizarre choice if you ask me as they would be going from one of the youngest coaches in the league: Raheem Morris, 35, to one of the oldest in Schottenheimer, 68. But there you have it. [ESPN]
15 reasons why both Alabama and LSU will win the national championship tonight. [ESPN]
An Alabama-LSU preview from the men at Football Outsiders using their innovative statistics. [Football Outsiders]
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Tue Jan 10, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET
Fill yourself in on a possibly pivotal First Amendment case, FCC vs. Fox Television Stations, before it goes before the Supreme Court on Tuesday! [Supreme Court of the U.S.]
Six-year-old Ryan models for Target and Nordstrom catalogues… and has Downs Syndrome. The retailers are receiving positive reactions for their choice of model, and for not making a big deal out of the casting choice. [Time]
The newest Facebook app will allow you to post a posthumous farewell when you die. Macabre much? [Adweek]
In the age of social media and mass culture, how do we break out of the cycle and find our own interests? [NY Magazine]
Starting in 2013, documentaries will have to be reviewed by the NY Times or the LA Times to be considered for Academy Award nominations. [Poynter Institute]
Last Friday, we posted dedicated from the RP Nation to the recently diseased, one-of-a-kind politician, Gatewood Galbraith. This one came in late, but it was so lovely that we wanted to share it.
I first met Gatewood Galbriath in early October 1994. He was speaking in Glasgow, Kentucky. I drove out with several of my friends, and we weren’t sure exactly who was speaking that night at the meeting we were attending. I don’t even remember who organized the meeting. But when I heard the speaker introduced as Gatewood, I thought, “Cool! The pot guy!”
I don’t remember exactly what Gatewood did speak about, but I remember hearing the great quote from him, concerning did his father’s generation hit the beaches of Normandy so he could urinate in a cup in order to get a job?
I approached Gatewood after his speech was over in order to shake his hand, which he quickly obliged me, with his toothy smile shining down on me. I knew I’d vote for him in next year’s race. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, because I missed the deadline to change my registration to Democrat.
Of course, Gatewood wasn’t finished in his quest for public office.
Five years later, I’m working for a community paper in Bullitt County. I received a tip to come to a meeting one rainy morning in Louisville. I replied I would come, but couldn’t report on it because it was out of our limits. Come anyway, I was told.
Again, Gatewood was the chief speaker. And once again, I approached him after the meeting and asked him if he would be stumping in my county anytime soon. He said he was hoping to attend the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot later that day. I told him if he did, I’d give him coverage that he was certainly unaccustomed to getting in the press, and he readily agreed.
After the meeting was over, we sat down for lunch. It so happened I was seated next to Gatewood. A mutual acquaintance told Gatewood to watch out, he was sitting next to a reporter, and he knew how those people loved to twist what he said. Gatewood looked up and said, “That’s OK, he was up-front with me. I can tell he’s one of the few honest ones left.”
Needless to say, that was one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever been paid.
As it happens, Gatewood wasn’t able to make the shoot, but I didn’t know that at the time. I had other things to do that day, and when I finally made it to the soggy shoot and couldn’t find Gatewood, I feared I missed him. I went to bed that night, deeply ashamed of myself, thinking I let him down.
Well, Gatewood and I never had our interview, but we would meet several other times. And each election I could, I dutifully cast a vote for the “Last Free Man.”
OK, folks, round two of the 2012 GOP presidential primary, which means round two of the fearless predictions of our recovering politicians.
Last week, our RPs boldly made their Iowa caucus prognostications, and with the exception of RP staffer Zack Adams (who predicted the correct finish of the top 6 candidates) and Artur Davis (the only contributing RP to predict the correct order of the top 3), well…let’s say they are lucky to get a second chance.
But this web site is all about second acts. So stay tuned to this channel. At 4:00 PM EST, the contributing RPs, Friends of RP and RP Staff make their predictions.
And we ask you to join them in the comments section as well. No fun prizes, but instant fame and glory to the reader who is the closest.
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