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:
I would be the first to admit it – I am not a patient person. For example, I’ve owned 5 different cell phones in the last 3 years. Why? Because I get impatient whenever a new feature comes out that my phone doesn’t have! If you want to torture me, ask me to wait in the grocery check-out line. On my birthday, we open gifts at 7 AM. Waiting a few minutes at the coffee shop for a friend running late tests my patience. Yet, in my professional career, it has been my lack of patience that actually changed the entire course I have taken.
I am an economist who specializes in crunching giant datasets to figure out what patterns exist in the data and how to rigorously test hypotheses. After a very short stint as an academic after graduate school (again, impatient!), I began a career at one of the top economic litigation consulting firms in 2001. My job the past decade has been to provide expert witness testimony in antitrust and labor and employment litigation matters.
About three years ago, during a performance evaluation, one of my bosses tried to pay me a compliment when he told me I had been a “superstar” at the firm, but sometimes being so successful so quickly meant people didn’t exactly know what to do with me. Then he gave me some advice which I will never forget– I just needed to be patient because I was a big part of the future of the firm.
You can probably guess that I didn’t take that advice so well. Something about the discussion crystallized for me that to be truly satisfied in my professional career, I was going to have to shake things up and venture out on my own. So, after nine years, I decided to leave the security of a large firm to venture out on my own (in the worst recession of the last few years).
Thus, in September 2009, Edgeworth Economics was born.
Francis Edgeworth
I quickly realized that I had a certain vision for the firm that would have my name on it. But, as you probably noticed, my name is Johnson, not Edgeworth! That was actually the point. Francis Edgeworth was a 19th century economist who developed, amongst other things, a model of trade called pareto optimality. The theory of Edgeworth’s model is that gains from trade can be made to the point at which everyone has been made better off, and no one is made worse off. We have used this concept to guide decisions at our firm from the beginning: a belief in a culture that serving clients can be done and a work environment can be created in which we all can flourish by putting the needs of the firm above those of ourselves.
Our firm started with six of us in what quickly became a very cramped temporary office space in Washington, DC. At times it has felt like Art Linkletter might be hiding in the office waiting to jump out and say “this is your life…”. Our recruiting efforts have brought a group together from all different parts of my life: my two co-founders were both colleagues from my former firm who I have known for almost a decade. Our HR Director was my best undergraduate student from Illinois. Our COO is my former research assistant who was finishing an MBA as we started the firm. One of our senior PhD economists was my daughter’s first babysitter. And even my wife jumped in to the mix—handling all sorts of crazy tasks for us whenever we needed her help.
About 19 months later, and having run out of people I know, we are about to hire our 22nd employee and once again find ourselves expanding our office space to fit all of our staff. One of the best parts of this experience for me has come from the ability to create a unique culture of professionalism, shared sacrifice, and working together for the benefit of the entire firm. Our client base is varied—but the hallmark of our firm has been great attention to our clients and providing rigorous, objective analysis. In many respects, we are academic in our approach. My firm specializes in teaching our clients, attorneys, judges, and juries. And in some respect, that is how my career has gone full circle from my short stint at a professor.
Every day, I try to teach my employees – leading by example, building our culture, pushing our potential, and sharing this experience.
Every day, I attempt to teach my clients – what does all this economics analysis mean, how it is relevant to their case, and what the implications are.
And not a day goes by that I don’t learn something from my colleagues and my clients – either about myself, about running a business, or about life in general.
Being The Boss can be very rewarding.
My experience at Edgeworth Economics has been one of the most exciting and rewarding of my professional life. I never knew what it was like to love going to work every day. In addition to the great rewards that have come from professional successes, the true meaning of Edgeworth for me has been creating a little corner of the world that reflects the values of myself and my colleagues. I doubt I’ll ever be able to work for someone else again, but in some respects, that was the whole point in starting Edgeworth Economics.
Being my own boss fits me well. In this job, I get to be impatient everyday, which fits my entrepreneurial side well, and it has been most rewarding. It is something I hope I never recover from.
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed May 4, 2011 at 5:00 PM ET
Happy Star Wars day to all of our readers-who-need-to-get-a-life! Enjoy an evening of fake lasers and bad James Earl Jones imitations.
Thursday is the debut of a new Friend of RP who has made the journey from academia to entrepreneurship. He has some valuable lessons to share about patience and recovery.
And as always, plenty of Weekly Web Gems, featuring links to some of the best civil dialogue on the Internet.
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Wed May 4, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
A teacher shaves the beard he has been growing since September 11, 2001 in celebration of Bin Laden’s capture. [CNN]
One thing that’s not recovering: gas prices. [Time]
Former secretary of state Condoleeza Rice is back, sharing her thoughts about her time in office and her plans for the future. [NY Times Magazine]
Delivery people make themselves feel better by calling out bad tippers in a blog. [Huffington Post]
Part of the healing process for many Americans is sharing their feelings about Osama Bin Laden’s death. Plot your thoughts on the New York Times’ interactive graph and read others’ stories. [NY Times]
Before and during my time in the state Senate, I taught political science for a decade, and no issue fascinated my students more than redistricting. Once I opened class during the week on redistricting by bringing several chairs to the front of the lecture hall, turning on Snoop Dogg’s anthem “Who Am I?”, and leading students in a game of Musical Chairs. (I picked Snoop because the mentality of politicians facing redistricting is pure gangsta: you do whatever you need to do to survive. Also, I wanted students to think that in a past life, I was pretty cool.)
Bow Wow Wow.
It was thru the prism of Musical Chairs that I explained how redistricting works in states that lose a congressional seat, as Missouri has this year. The seat that disappears under the Republican-drawn map is the seat I contested back in 2004. (In the interest of full disclosure, it is occupied by Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO), the man who narrowly beat me and pursued an FEC complaint about an anonymous postcard mailed at the end of the campaign, the knowledge of which I hid from the feds, ultimately leading to my prison term.)
In any case, the current situation has inspired quite a bit of internecine tension. For instance, according to Politico, after their districts were combined in a way perceived as unfavorable to him, Rep. Carnahan recently told fellow Missouri Democratic Rep. Lacy Clay to f- off. In his public response, Rep. Clay channeled former warrior-entertainers “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Muhammad Ali. The F-bombs weren’t limited to the Democratic side: Republican leaders of the House and Senate were also at odds in their attempt to draw a map that appeased the varied interests at the table.
Read the rest of… Jeff Smith: The Recovering Redistrict-aholic
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Wed May 4, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
Politics of the Diamond
Francisco Liriano tossed the first no-hitter of 2011 for the Minnesota Twins. Even though he walked 6 guys, a no hitter is impressive regardless. [Minneapolis Star-Tribune]
discussed declining attendance at MLB parks in this space before. While baseball fans may be worried that people aren’t coming out to see the nation’s past time, Bud Selig isn’t. [SI]
The Indians–yes, the ones from Cleveland–are perched atop the AL Central, a full 4.5 games clear of Kansas City–who is in second place. The AL Central is certainly topsy-turvy this year. The real question? Are these Indians as good as the ones from Major League? [The Big Lead]
The Yankee’s accidentally leaked a spreadsheet containing the personal information of 20,000 of their season ticket holders. Deadspin correctly calls this controversy “Spam Yankees.” [Deadspin]
The Dodgers’ front office gets uglier and uglier by the day. It now appears that Frank McCourt, the Dodgers owner, doesn’t have the cash to cover payroll past May. [Yahoo!]
When Jonathan Miller called me and asked whether I would be interested in contributing a piece to a new website he was starting called “The Recovering Politician,” I was admittedly a little reluctant. First, I’m wary of the characterization of “politician” – not because of any negative connotation, but rather because I’m not sure I qualify since I never had sought elective office And irrespective of that first concern, I’m fully aware that it would be quite a stretch to claim that I’ve “recovered” from the extraordinary experience of serving in the United States Senate.
Last July, 2010, Governor Joe Manchin of West Virginia appointed me to fill the vacancy caused by the passing of Senator Robert C. Byrd – one of the true lions of the Senate and West Virginia’s most beloved public servant. Senator Byrd cast quite a long shadow, and it was daunting to contemplate being appointed to fill the seat previously occupied by the longest serving legislative member in the history of the United States. I could not begin to replace Senator Byrd or ever hope to fill his enormous shoes, but what I could do was emulate his work ethic and commitment to West Virginia – which is precisely what I strove to do during my four months in Washington, a town ruled by Congress, blackberries and Members-only elevators, and a place where fame (and infamy) can come and go in a matter of hours.
Stacey King, Michael Jordan and teammates celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first NBA title
(Side note: Years ago, former Oklahoma standout and Chicago Bull forward Stacey King saw limited action in an NBA game, hitting a single free throw. That same night, his teammate Michael Jordan poured in sixty-nine points. Afterwards, King joked that he would always remember that game as the night that he and Jordan “combined for 70 points.” Similarly, rather that describing my term as “four months,” I usually characterize it by saying that Senator Byrd and I combined to serve over 52 years in the United States Senate. )
Within days of my arrival, men and women I had studied in law school were introducing themselves to me, welcoming me as one of their own, then asking for my vote in the same sentence. And I wasn’t alone; I was immediately put at the helm of a full Senate staff – many of whom had served for decades under Senator Byrd. I was given a personal secretary and press secretary – no longer would I be the one answering the phone in my own office. However, I declined the offer of a personal driver and did the unthinkable – walked myself to work.
In no particular order, here are some random recollections and highlights from that heady time:
Press coverage & John Daly’s Pants?
John Daly's pants
I had to adjust quickly to the media attention. I’d considered myself prepared for the press, after having spent four years as a senior staffer in the Governor’s office, doing the occasional TV or radio interview. Yet, the appointment shot the level of attention into the stratosphere, with newspapers, television, blogs and everything in between weighing in with their thoughts on the relative merits of my appointment. Nothing was off-limits. To the delight of my buddies, one website offered an online poll debating where my looks stacked up against my fellow Senators, while a local West Virginia paper registered their enthusiasm for the appointment by describing it succinctly as “a letdown.”
Indeed, the temporary burst of attention became so intense that on the day that my appointment was announced, I briefly topped Google’s Hot Searches, besting former NBA star Penny Hardaway, the iphone 4, and golfer “John Daly’s pants.” I haven’t had the inclination to go back and find out why Daly’s pants made the top 10 that day.
Read the rest of… Carte Goodwin: My Brief but Fascinating Experience as a U.S. Senator
By Jonathan Miller, on Tue May 3, 2011 at 5:00 PM ET
Tomorrow, we are very excited to add to our contributing roster our first former United States Senator. His term was quite memorable, albeit very short — he served for four months to fill the vacancy of a true legend of that august body.
Still a very young man, he has quite a future ahead of him. Time magazine this year named him last year to its super-prestigious “40 Under 40″ list of rising political stars.
SPOILER ALERT: Clicking on the previous link will ruin the surprise of his big reveal tomorrow.
Whoops, you already clicked? Sorry. Please don’t tell your friends.
By the way, you Jeff Smith fanboys/gals out there: His piece on election reform that we promised today got delayed 24 hours. You can read it in its full glory tomorrow.
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Tue May 3, 2011 at 3:30 PM ET
The Politics of Film
The Hurt Locker duo Katheryn Bigelow (director) and Mark Boal (screenwriter) have been planning a film about Osama Bin Laden for quite some time. Now, it will probably get a different ending. You know, since they killed him and everything. [Guardian]
The film Bridesmaids opens this week. Many people have pointed to this film as feminizing the sub-genre of films made popular by The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Hangover, and Pineapple Express. Maybe so–we will see next week. However, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Stepbrothers, Good Cop, Baby Cop) are teaming up to film something along the lines of Bridesmaids called Bachelorette. [/Film]
Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is no longer Governor of California, he has time to be making movies. What will his next film be? According to this post, it cold be Terminator 5. Watch out. [Film Junk]
Johnny Depp has long been tied to a new adaptation of The Lone Ranger–but in the role of Tonto. Who the title character will be has long been a mystery. A new name has entered the ring–Armie Hammer, most notable for his role as the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network. [The Movie Blog]
Wes Anderson has long been one my my favorite directors. However, I have often wondered how long he can probe the same themes without the idea running dry. His new film–Moonrise Kingdom–doesn’t seem to probe any new depths. We will see if that continues to work for him. [Screen Rant]
I do a film radio show every week, called Surreelfilm. You really ought to check us out. I mean that, from the bottom of my heart. [podbean]
This week, the Recovering Politician takes two very distinctive looks at tennis: one beautiful, one grotesque. Marvel at the former in this stunning collection of today’s top female tennis players in slow motion presented by the New York Times Magazine: [The Beauty of the Power Game]
And let’s see if you remember this classic skit from Monty Python’s Flying Circus. If you’re of a certain age, it was certainly hard to forget. Enjoy! [Tennis Anyone?]
In case you missed it, one of the few boxers to ever knock Muhammad Ali to the floor died this week. Ali led some of the many tributes to Sir Henry Cooper. [The Guardian]
And finally, the RP is sure that you’ve heard of the next generation of professional golfers that are taking over the game from old fogies like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk et al. These young whipper snappers also bring along with them a new generation of WAGs—brought to you by [Golf.com]
Blog this!
