Where's Lucy?

With a little over three months left until the primary elections, you'd think that Loveable Lucy Baxley would be able to give straight answers to simple questions on the issues of the day - particularly when the questions relate to matters currently before the legislature. Well, if this Decatur Daily report is any indication, that may be too much to hope for.

During an interview with THE DAILY before her address at First Baptist Church of Austinville's annual Valentine's Banquet, [Lucy Baxley] commented on the controversy in the Legislature about how to charge someone who kills or injures both a woman and her unborn child.

The abortion issue has made it hard to write a law that most legislators can agree on.
Prosecutors can now bring only one murder or assault charge because Alabama is one of 18 states without a law recognizing two victims.

"If you take two lives, you've taken two lives," Baxley said.

"But there are two pieces of legislation that have been introduced."

The House passed a bill covering a fetus from conception to delivery, but the Alabama District Attorneys Association is recommending a different bill that would apply to "a viable fetus greater than 19 weeks gestation for which there is a reasonable likelihood of sustained survival."

Baxley said she has no problem with the state clarifying the law if there is a question.

Lucy, Lucy. It's kinda hard to advocate clarifying the law when you can't even clarify your own position. A strong leader has to have a vision of where she wants to lead, and she must be able to enunciate the principles that underlie the vision.

So far, Mrs. Baxley has failed to do either of those things. On a range of important issues - tax reform, constitution reform, education, abortion, same-sex marriage, you name it...Mrs. Baxley's position is either absent or indecipherable.

As the campaign for Governor kicks into high gear, the big question will become, "Where's Lucy?" I think I may know the answer: as the old song says, just look for the girl with the sun in her eyes.