For approximately 45 years, my father has written a weekly opinion column he calls Brainstorms.

Typically, he “brainstorms” about several different topics, ranging from national politics to anecdotes about his grandchildren to local issues and talk about town. I thought I’d copy him this week.

One of the frequent bloggers on The Star-News Web site scolded me as a liberal last week, and accused me of moving news stories to the “back” of our Web site “when the (comments) don’t agree with her lib views.”

My husband and I have been laughing about that all week. “Have a good day, you old lib,” he keeps telling me.

It’s true, my generally independent views fall to the left of hers, but they don’t always cross the center line. I think of myself as a moderate, but “liberal” isn’t the worst thing I’ve been called.

By the way, the story was on the “back” of the site because it was several days old. Our site is programmed to move stories “back” as fresh content appears.

I’ve been brainstorming for weeks about which primary I’ll choose in June. Like many of you, I generally pick a primary that most affects local office-holders. On June 1, 2010, the only local race with opposition will be the Republican race for the Alabama House.

However, I’m not sure I can bring myself to “sign in” as an R. (Remember, we have to “declare” a party in the primaries). The decision of a state Republican committee to disqualify Sen. Harri Anne Smith (R-Slocomb) as a Republican on the morning after qualifying ended for the June races rankles me.

The state committee said Harri Anne broke party rules when she endorsed now U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright, a Democrat, after losing the Republican nomination to Jay Love in a nasty run-off election in 2008.

I would understand the party’s position if she had been out campaigning for President Obama. But truth be known, the Republicans courted Bright to run on their ticket before he announced his candidacy, and even in his first two years of office, have made overtures to him about switching parties. They recently welcomed a long-time Democratic member of the U.S. House, Parker Griffith, to the Alabama party, and “took in” our own state senator, former Democrat Jimmy Holley, four years ago.

I suppose the rules say that it’s OK to be a Democrat, just not OK to support one. Smith is now considering a run as an independent candidate. I hope she wins.

Finally, “welcome home” to members of the AHS Class of 1948 in town this weekend for today’s annual meeting of the foundation they founded. It is a joy to observe the delight they take in coming home to Andalusia and visiting with each other six decades after they parted ways as high school seniors.