National Media Montgomery Mentions

     Bill Maher's RealTime show on HBO included a mocking commentary about tomorrow's parade on Dexter Avenue in Montgomery commemorating the 150th anniversary of Jefferson Davis' swearing-in as the first president of The Confederacy.
     They'll also reenact the swearing-in on the steps of the Capitol, where a brass star marks the spot where Davis is believed to have stood.
     It will be interesting so see how many elected officials come within miles of the event.
     Rep. Alvin Holmes was planning a protest.
     Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange told me he and his family will be out of town because of the three-day weekend (Monday is President's Day).
     Strange says The L.A. Times was in town recently for a story, and I'm sure the anniversary was the hook.
     But in today's NY Times, a positively glowing story about the Hyundai plant that can't seem to pump out enough vehicles to meet the widespread demand.
     Ying and yang, up and down. Usually the best way to change perceptions about a place is to have people come visit.

[UPDATE: The L.A. Times story does deal with the parade. Here's a link to it. And as I predicted, few if any politicains are attending.]

[PLUS: The New York Times uses an AP story to cover the event, though it contains one factual error. It identified Rep. Alvin Holmes (D-Montgomery) as the longest serving black member of the Alabama Legislature. While that is true, he is also the longest serving member regardless of race.]

[AND ALSO: USA Today published a thorough story before today's events that examined the reasons the Civil War is such a controversial issue.]