BIRMINGHAM, Alabama–In a case troubling to free speech advocates, an Alabama journalist who blogged about allegations of a sordid affair between a powerful Republican scion and a lobbyist has been arrested and now sits in jail on contempt charges.

A judge has taken the extraordinary steps of not only sealing the file in the case, but ordering that the blogger’s posts be removed from the Internet.

The Constitution doesn't apply, apparently, when it comes to atheists. Barry Hazle, an avowed atheist from California, has had his parole revoked, and you'll balk at why. According to Courthouse News Service, Hazle rightfully sued his parole officer, several corrections officials with the state of California, and Westcare Corp. for revoking his parole after his “congenial” refusal to acknowledge a higher power in a required 12- Step Program.

Texas voter ID law didn't suppress vote

According to the Texas secretary of state's office, 10 amendments were up for vote in 2011, the last constitutional amendment election before the voter ID law passed. Some issues received more votes than others. The one most voted on received 690,052 votes, for and against. Overall, an average of about 672,874 Texans voted on these 10 constitutional amendments.

If voter ID suppressed votes, we should see a drop in turnout, right? Well, according to the Texas secretary of state's office, nine amendments went up for vote in 2013. The amendment that attracted the most votes, Proposition One, attracted 1,144,844. The average number of votes cast in 2013 was 1,099,670.

So, in terms of raw votes, turnout in 2013 increased by about 63% over turnout in 2011 in comparable elections. But that's statewide. How about in areas the anti-voter ID side predicted should see "suppression"?

Turnout for the 2011 election was 5.37% of registered voters; for 2013 it was about 8%.

Democrats allege that voter ID will suppress the vote in predominantly Hispanic regions. Hidalgo County sits on the Texas-Mexico border and is 90% Hispanic. In 2011, an average of just over 4,000 voted in the constitutional amendment election. In 2013, an average of over 16,000 voted.

If voter ID was intended to suppress votes, it is failing as spectacularly as HealthCare.gov.

Look at Cameron County, which is about 85% Hispanic. Turnout increased from an average of 4,700 votes in 2011 to 5,100 in 2013.

So in its first real-world test, Texas' voter ID law -- which 66% of Texans support, according to a 2012 University of Texas poll -- had no impact on suppressing the vote. It even can be argued that voter ID helped increase turnout. Turnout was up, and in fact, the 2013 constitutional amendment election saw the highest constitutional amendment election turnout in Texas in about eight years.

Opponents of voter ID must come up with a new line to attack it. The old dog that it suppresses the vote just won't hunt.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession of cocaine and was sentenced to one year of supervised probation.

"I've hit a bottom where I realize I need help," Radel said, as he admitted in District of Columbia Superior Court that he purchased 3.5 grams of cocaine.

The freshman congressman, who represents a solidly Republican district in southwest Florida, said he'll enter a rehab program.

Radel, 37, also vowed that he will "come out of this stronger" and told the judge that he wants to "continue serving this country."

Radel was caught buying drugs in what a senior Drug Enforcement Administration official described as a sting operation that was part of an investigation by several federal agencies into a drug ring in the nation's capital. A drug dealer who told law enforcement officials that one of his customers was a member of Congress helped set up a buy on Oct. 29 and Radel bought the cocaine, the official said.

The DEA official was not authorized to speak publicly about the case.

Radel was also fined $250 on the misdemeanor charge, and the money will be paid to a victims' compensation fund.

The arrest of Radel, who was elected last year with Tea Party support in the Fort Myers-Naples area district, rocked Congress and southwest Florida. The congressman's arrest comes as Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been stripped of his powers by the City Council for smoking crack, drinking and boorish behavior.

Radel, a former TV reporter before entering politics, issued a statement Tuesday expressing remorse. He explained that he struggles with alcoholism and that his arrest gives him the opportunity to seek treatment and counseling.

"This led to an extremely irresponsible choice," Radel said in his statement. "Believe me, I am disappointed in myself, and I stand ready to face the consequences of my actions."

Radel is believed to be the first sitting member of Congress charged with a drug crime since then-Rep. Frederick Richmond, D-N.Y., who was convicted in 1982 on charges of drug possession and tax evasion.

Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, said Tuesday the incident is "between Rep. Radel, his family and his constituents."

On Radel's Facebook page Tuesday night, there were posts that were both supportive and angry. While some people gave him credit for taking responsibility for his actions, others blasted him for his behavior.

As a member of Congress, Radel has co-sponsored legislation to change the nation's mandatory minimum drug sentencing laws and voted for a bill that called for states to drug test people who receive food stamps.

PS And after the election on Nov. 5th, let's redouble our efforts to register voters and to phonebank for Wendy Davis as well as other Democratic candidates. We have lots of work to do so that we can kick as many GOP politicians as possible out of office in 2014.

Sondra Haltom, founder of Empower the Vote Texas, is correct when she reminds us that we simply cannot afford to freak out or to freak others out when dealing with the Republicans' new voter suppression law requiring photo identification to vote.

Go hang out with your alcoholic, crack smoking hot headed mayor of Toronto.