By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R) from Texas had been scheduled to address the Republican Women of Huntsville (RWH) on Tuesday, October 15th. Unfortunately the Senator could not leave Washington during the height of the government shutdown crisis. Due to the critical negotiations that were then still underway between both Houses of Congress and President Obama to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, Senator Cruz could not attend this meeting and it was too late for the Republican Women of Huntsville to schedule another speaker.
Fortunately Jonathan Barbee (R) offered his considerable technical expertise to help Senator Cruz and the RWH. Barbee considered the Tea Party favorite is a candidate for Alabama Public Service Commission Place 2, but has years of media experience through his small business, MediaWorks Communications. Barbee went to Washington D.C. to meet with Senator Cruz and provide a live HD video stream to the Space and Rocket Center Marriott Hotel in Huntsville for the RWH meeting.
Senator Cruz said during the live event, “I would like to give a special thanks to Jonathan Barbee tonight for providing the live stream. I wanted to be there tonight, but due to the unresolved issues in our government I am unable to attend. However, Jonathan was able to bring us together via technology and I am grateful to him for helping bring a conservative message on this special night.”
Sen. Cruz said, “I am honored to be here tonight on your 30th Anniversary (of the RWH). Even though it’s digitally, I truly am honored to be a part of this event.”
Marcia Parsons of the Republican Women of Huntsville said, “I really appreciate Jonathan Barbee’s help with setting up this event. He’s saved the day, allowing over 300 people the chance to see and hear Senator Cruz speak to us live. We appreciate Jonathan taking the time out of his campaign to make this event possible despite the critical situation in Washington. You have to stand for something or else you stand for nothing. Senator Cruz stands for those conservative values we believe in.”
Barbee enlisted the help of another Alabama company, Southern Stream Live, to provide the stream so that Cruz could see, hear, and interact with the crowd through a return feed, while attendees at the Space and Rocket Center saw and heard Sen. Cruz in Washington.
Barbee owns a media production company in Birmingham which he started in 1997. He is a member of the Alabama Republican Executive Committee, the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee, and is a former interim Press Secretary for the Alabama Republican Party.
The Republican Primary is in June of 2014, but this is already shaping up to be one of the most contested races in the Republican Primary. Alabama Minority GOP Chairman Phillip Brown and Chip Beeker have also both announced their intent to challenge Republican incumbent Terry Dunn for Place 2 on the Alabama Public Service Commission.
