In 2001, President George W. Bush and congressional Republicans had money burning a hole in their pockets. Bush's predecessor, Bill Clinton, had left behind a projected $5 trillion budget surplus, and the R's in Congress and the White House had a plan for the loot. A massive tax cut resulted, one that in order to pass fiscal muster came with a time limit; the tax cuts would expire at the end of 2010.

Not long ago, The Anniston Star ran a dandy op-ed column by Doyle McManus of the Los Angles Times titled “2010: Year of the Conservative Woman?” It was about how the GOP was going after the female vote by — guess what —running women for office.

The setting at Samford University’s Brock Recital Hall a couple of weeks ago was almost perfect. The air-conditioning was working on full blast, a must for late July in Alabama.