Prisoners to Work on Alabama Farms?

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Grapevine: Prisoners to Work on Alabama Farms?

Farmers short-handed after illegal immigrants flee state

And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...

Big House

Alabama's Agriculture Department says farmers short of help should stop by the local prison.

Farmers are reportedly short-handed because illegal immigrants have fled the state's toughest-in-the-nation immigration laws.

To be eligible for farm duty, inmates must be non-violent and a low security risk.

The state's agriculture commissioner acknowledges that neighboring Georgia tried a similar approach and it failed.

Quote -- "That is why I'm emphasizing that this is a short-term solution to get the current crops up.

Then we'll look at the long term."

Czar Chasm

The Obama administration's use of special policy advisers sometimes called czars has far outstripped the number of czars in the entire history of Russia.

The Russian title of 'czar' was first used in the 16th century to describe emperors. From that time through the 1917 revolution, there were only about 30 czars.

A new Judicial Watch report says the Obama White House has installed 45 so-called 'czars' with up to 18 other unfilled or planned czar positions.

Book It

And finally, for those feeling particularly adventurous, Travel and Leisure has a list of tempting destinations.

But the magazine weighs a nation's allure against some very serious warnings.

Take Iraq, which is called one huge museum of artifacts, with the downside of suicide bombings and grenades tossed at cars.

Pakistan has mountains, hunting, and antiquities balanced by the threat of terrorist activity.

And given that the war in Afghanistan is 10 years old and not showing signs of weakening there's a correspondingly harsh advisory.

Quote -- "Americans are strongly warned against travel to Afghanistan. Much of the nation is a war zone. Foreigners are key targets for kidnappings and terrorist attacks.

The Allure? Quote -- "Afghanistan's director of tourism (yes, that's right, there is one) says many of the country's old castles and archaeological sites will one day be repaired and open to visitors.