Roy Moore releases first TV ad
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore put out his first TV ad for his U.S. Senate campaign this week, highlighting his conservative bonafides and support for President Donald Trump. Moore, one of several Republicans running for the seat currently held by Luther Strange, said he will “stand with President Trump against the weak-kneed Republican establishment.” In addition to bashing the GOP establishment, the 30-second ad touches on long list of policy positions held by Moore, including his support for traditional heterosexual marriage, rebuilding the military, and repealing the Affordable Care Act. Moore’s support for traditional marriage led him to take a stand and issue an administrative order asking probate judges not to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which led to his suspension from the Alabama Supreme Court last year. The ad also gives a brief biography of Moore, a West Point alumnus who served in the U.S. Army as a company commander with the Military Police Corps in Vietnam. Moore’s ad began running statewide Monday, just a few weeks before Alabamians will head to the polls for an Aug. 15 special primary election to decide who will serve out the remainder of Attorney General Jeff Sessions term. Recent polls put Moore at the top of the heap alongside Strange and CD 5 U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, and the result of the Republican Primary will likely see two of the three of them battling it out in a primary runoff in September. Moore’s ad is viewable on his campaign’s Facebook page.
Luther Strange takes aim at Mo Brooks in leadup to Senate primary
Three weeks out from the special Republican primary for the remainder of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate term, sitting U.S. Sen. Luther Strange has his sights set on U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks. The two Republicans, alongside former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, are in the top tier of candidates running for the seat and Moore looks to have carved out solid support from about 31 percent of Republicans according to a recent poll. In the same poll, Strange was second place at 23 percent support, followed by Brooks at 21 percent. The other GOP candidates in the race all came in below 5 percent. Given the large pool of Republicans running for the seat, no candidate is likely to win the Aug. 15 primary outright, which pits Strange and Brooks in a race for the No. 2 slot and a place in the Sept. 26 runoff to decide which GOP candidate is on the general election ballot. Strange and his allies have come after Brooks in attack ads labeling the CD 5 Republican as a flip-flopper who is not resolute in supporting President Donald Trump, who has 55 percent support among Alabama voters according to a recent Gallup Poll. One recent ad put out by the Senate Leadership Fund, a political committee controlled by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that is backing Strange, tries to tie Brooks, a House Freedom Caucus member, to liberal lawmakers such as Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. “They all attack Donald Trump, trying to stop him,” the ad narrator says of Brooks and the congressional Democrats, before playing a clip of Brooks saying: “I don’t think you can trust Donald Trump with anything he says.” The ad also blasts Brooks for not endorsing Trump after he became the Republican presidential nominee last year. At the time, Brooks did say he would “vote for all Republicans on the ballot,” and called Trump “a better option than Hillary Clinton.”
Loose lips sink ships: Is Anthony Scaramucci solving Donald Trump’s biggest comms problem?
We’ve all heard the phrase, dating back to WWII: “Loose lips sink ships.” That bit of propaganda was meant to stop people from giving away troop locations or other information during casual conversations that could be used by enemies. Right now, Donald Trump‘s administration is dealing with their own version(s) of this. Trump and his leadership have repeatedly struggled, practically since the moment the president was sworn in, with internal leaks to the press undermining the president’s agenda, as well as that of his chief of staff and senior advisors. The other problem is the prevalence of media stories having nothing to do with the work or accomplishments of the administration, and are actively working to take away from them. The problem — based on news stories – is that they’re going after the wrong problem by attempting an internal witch hunt for the leakers. Newly named Communications Director (CD) Anthony Scaramucci has declared it his mission to ferret out those sources that have continually leaked information to the media, which has, in turn, plagued the White House and distracted from the mission to Make America Great Again. According to the NYT, during an impromptu press briefing, Scaramucci said: “I’m going to fire everybody.” His threats and efforts have already led to the resignation of Micheal Short, a member of the press team. The problem, however, is that the actual source of the news that is taking away from the administration’s incredible work — President Donald Trump himself. By his own words, often through tweets (but also the occasional actual statement), Trump undermines his own efforts and team morale. What’s the Mooch to do? What’s the Mooch to do? Where many have tried and failed, he has to continue attempting to make Trump understand the consequences of his style. Yes, his tweets and brutal honesty led to the surprise upset of a crowded primary and can be credited with his overall win. But now, it’s as if he’s fighting himself and his agenda, calling attention to all the wrong things at all the wrong times. From the Morning Joe mess to his Comey/Russia tweets and now attacks on Sessions, the media and nation are distracted from the real work of his administration. If his new communications director is going to get the train back on track rather than ignore and make excuses for Trump, he must play hardball and find a way to demonstrate the facts. One doesn’t have to look much further than the lack of attention for the positive things the administration has done or it’s victories to see that the news cycle is dominated by trivial things Trump is tweeting. Or worse, the drama he has created among his own supporters (*cough* Sessions *cough*). Trump has an ability to hijack a news cycle; why not use that power for his own good? Rather than tear down his team why not build them up? Why not talk about what’s happening at HHS, Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and throughout the administration? Why not vent about his appointees who aren’t getting hearings? Why not be the positive voice we need? The new CD has a real opportunity here, but it’s going to take bold leadership. It’s going to require discipline. It’s going to require consistency. If I had the chance to give a pep talk, I’d tell him I believe in him. I believe in Trump. I believe in the team Trump has pulled together. I believe we can Make America Great Again. We just have to keep our eye on the prize and remind our president that tearing down Sessions and belittling poorly rated TV hosts won’t cement the legacy that Trump wants — only results can (and will) do that.
Mo Brooks to quit Senate race? Only if Jeff Sessions is reinstated
On Wednesday, U.S. Senate candidate Mo Brooks offered to quit the race. However, there’s a catch: Alabama must reinstate Jeff Sessions to his old seat. Brooks, the Huntsville Republican running for the seat now held by Luther Strange, is refusing to stay silent over the “public waterboarding” of Sessions, who stepped down as a senator to become Donald Trump’s Attorney General. Brooks is facing a contentious GOP primary Aug. 15 as part of a 10-person field that includes Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. Over the past week, Trump has openly questioned his attorney general’s judgment — particularly over his recusal over investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Trump told reporters he would have never of hired Sessions in the first place had the president had known Sessions would recuse himself soon after accepting the post. “President Trump should raise his reservations with Attorney General Sessions privately, man to man, one-on-one, not publicly scorn a great man like this,” Brooks said in a statement Wednesday. Calling Sessions “one of the greatest people Alabama has ever produced,” Brooks believes it is “okay” if Trump wants a new Attorney General, suggesting a “win-win” scenario for both Trump and Sessions. “I offer to withdraw completely from the race for Senate if my other GOP opponents in this race will concur on the terms and conditions set forth in the accompanying ‘Resolution Reinstating Jeff Sessions as United States Senator,’” with a link to his campaign website. “If all Republican candidates collectively agree to simultaneously withdraw from this race,” he continued, “then we clear the way for the Republican Party of Alabama to nominate Jeff Sessions to be the Republican nominee for the Dec. 12, 2017, general election.” Brooks added that Sessions can then “return to the Senate where he has served us so well. President can then appoint whomever he wants as Attorney General.” Whether that will happen is yet to be determined. Nevertheless, for Alabama voters, the last day to apply for an absentee ballot in the special election is Aug. 10. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — a runoff will be Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12. Brooks full statement is below: I make the following statement without prior discussion with Attorney General Jeff Sessions. I do so because I do not want to put him into a potentially difficult position. I have known Jeff Sessions since 1994. He is a good friend, a former boss who appointed me to be a Special Assistant Attorney General, one of Alabama’s finest sons, and a great man who has served Alabama capably and honorably as a Senator and Attorney General (both for America and Alabama). In my opinion, the two greatest public servants I have ever personally met and looked up to are President Ronald Reagan and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. I was honored to receive Sessions’ endorsement the first time I ran for Congress in 2010. I have admired his courageous stands on immigration, the deficit and debt, on trade agreements, and his commitment to our America First agenda. He is a patriot who cares deeply about his country and the rule of law. I cannot remain silent about the treatment Jeff Sessions is receiving from President Trump. If the president has reservations about Attorney General Jeff Sessions, that is okay. No two people agree all the time. But President Trump should raise his reservations with Attorney General Sessions privately, man to man, one-on-one, not publicly scorn a great man like this. I support President Trump’s policies, but this public waterboarding of one of the greatest people Alabama has ever produced is inappropriate and insulting to the people of Alabama who know Jeff Sessions so well and elected him so often by overwhelming margins. With that said, If President Trump wants a new Attorney General, he has that right. That is why today I am making the people of Alabama a “win-win” promise: a “win” for President Trump and a “win” for Jeff Sessions. I offer to withdraw completely from the race for Senate if my other GOP opponents in this race will concur on the terms and conditions set forth in the accompanying “Resolution Reinstating Jeff Sessions as United States Senator.” If all Republican candidates collectively agree to simultaneously withdraw from this race, then we clear the way for the Republican Party of Alabama to nominate Jeff Sessions to be the Republican nominee for the Dec. 12, 2017 general election. He can return to the Senate where he has served us so well. President can then appoint whomever he wants as Attorney General. An added benefit is that if Jeff Sessions returns to the U.S. Senate, he re-enters the Senate with 20 years of seniority. That puts him in a compelling position to obtain key committee assignments and chairmanships, thereby empowering Jeff Sessions to best promote and protect the interests of Alabama and America … a Seniority power and ability none of the current candidates can match until 2037 at the earliest. I have signed this resolution, and I call on my opponents, Luther Strange, Roy Moore, and the rest of the field to join me. I recognize that President Trump is popular in Alabama. My closest friends and political advisers have told me to not side with Jeff Sessions, that it will cost me politically to do so. My response is simple: I don’t care. If this costs me politically, that’s fine but I am going to the right thing for Alabama and America. I stand with Jeff Sessions.
Steve Scalise discharged from hospital, now begins rehabilitation
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise – who was critically wounded in a shooting at a baseball practice last month – has been discharged from a Washington hospital. MedStar Washington Hospital Center says the six-term Louisiana Republican was released from the hospital on Tuesday and is beginning “intensive inpatient rehabilitation.” It isn’t identifying the facility. The hospital says in a statement that Scalise (skuh-LEES’) was in good spirits and looking forward to returning to work once he completes his rehabilitation. Scalise and four other people were injured June 14 when a man opened fire on a Republican baseball practice in nearby Alexandria, Virginia. The 51-year-old congressman was struck in the hip, and the bullet tore into blood vessels, bones and internal organs. He has has several surgeries. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz fires IT staffer following fraud arrest
Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has fired an information technology staffer following his arrest on a bank fraud charge at a Virginia airport where he was attempting to fly to Pakistan. Wasserman Schultz spokesman David Damron says Imran Awan was fired by the Florida lawmaker on Tuesday. Awan’s attorney, Chris Gowen, confirmed that his client was arrested at Dulles Airport on Monday. He says Awan was cleared to travel and had informed the House of his plans to visit his family before the scheduled trip. The 37-year-old Awan of Lorton, Virginia, was arraigned Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on one count of bank fraud. He pleaded not guilty and was released pursuant to a high-intensity supervision program, including the restriction that he not travel beyond a 50-mile radius of his home, according to the court. An affidavit filed with the criminal complaint states there is probable cause to believe that Awan and his wife, Hina Alvi, engaged in a scheme to defraud Congressional Federal Credit Union based on misrepresentations made to obtain a loan. FBI Special Agent Brandon Merriman said in the affidavit that the misrepresentations revolved around written assurances that the home serving as collateral for the loan was a “principal residence.” Merriman said that the credit union normally does not provide home equity lines of credit when the home used to secure the loan is a rental. That’s because they are riskier forms of collateral. The investigation, which included physical surveillance and interviews, determined that the couple did not reside at the property used to secure the loan. The agent also attested that bank records show $283,000 was wired to two individuals in Pakistan. He stated that agents followed Alvi in March to Dulles International Airport and that she was allowed to board a flight. She has not returned. She has a return flight for September 2017, but the agent said that he believes Alvi has no intention of returning to the United States. The FBI agent also stated Awan purchased a flight to Doha, Qatar, and then to Lahore, Pakistan. He purchased a return flight for a date in January 2018. Gowen says the federal bank fraud count stems from a “modest real estate matter” and is motivated by anti-Muslim bigotry. He said he’s confident Awan “will soon be able to clear his name and get on with his life.” A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 21, according to Gowen. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Jim Zeigler says Jeff Sessions could dominate Alabama governor’s race
With U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in President Donald Trump‘s crosshairs, one Alabama politician has an idea for the former Alabama senator should he ultimately resign or be fired — he could return to the Yellowhammer State and run for governor in the 2018 state elections. According to State Auditor Jim Zeigler, who’s considering a gubernatorial run himself, Sessions would “be the instant frontrunner and clear out many candidates. “Sessions for governor could possibly scare out Gov. Kay Ivey, Mayor Tommy Battle, Twinkle Cavanaugh, John McMillan and me,” Zeigler said. “There would likely only be nominal candidates to oppose Sessions.” Zeigler filed an exploratory campaign for governor last month after he passed the $1,000 threshold requiring filing with the secretary of state. But he says a Sessions’ candidacy would mean the end of his own exploratory campaign. “Sessions has missed the deadline to run as a Republican for his old senate seat. A write-in campaign in the August 15 primary is extremely difficult and is not Sessions’ style,” continued Zeigler. “A campaign as an independent in the December 12 general election would require 35,000 signatures by August 15. It would also create a risk of splitting the Republican vote and giving the seat to a Democrat.” “I do not expect a 2017 campaign by Sessions.” Thus enter the idea of Sessions running for governor. Over a year away, there’s still an easy on-ramp for Sessions to jump into the race. Should he join the crowded field, Zeigler says he would withdraw his potential candidacy, in which case he would seek re-election as state auditor.
Ivanka Trump speaks at Mike Pence fundraiser
Ivanka Trump has spoken at a fundraiser Tuesday night in Washington for Vice President Mike Pence‘s political committee. That’s according to two people who attended the fundraiser and demanded anonymity to share information from the private event. Trump said Pence has been a key ally of the president and that Republicans should begin preparing for the 2018 congressional elections. Pence’s political committee can dole out money to his preferred candidates. The first daughter’s remarks to a room of donors came as her father attended a political rally in Ohio organized by his 2020 re-election campaign. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
EPA chief pledges to streamline Superfund pollution cleanups
President Donald Trump‘s environmental chief issued a list of directives on Tuesday he says will revitalize the federal program that cleans up hazardous waste sites. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt unveiled 42 recommendations from a Superfund Task Force he appointed in March. Among the steps Pruitt outlined will be prioritizing sites that can be redeveloped or where nearby residents are still under threat from the spread of harmful chemicals. Pruitt has pledged to make mitigating decades-old pollution a top priority for the EPA, even as he has moved to block or delay Obama-era regulations aimed at curbing ongoing contamination from coal-fired power plants and fossil-fuel production. “There is nothing more core to the agency’s mission than revitalizing contaminated land,” Pruitt said, according to a media release. “I commend the team effort of the career and political staff on the Task Force, working together to develop recommendations that are detailed, but also workable – to ensure that we can expedite the protection of human health and the environment around these properties and accelerate the reuse.” There are now more than 1,300 Superfund sites nationally, some of which have languished for years without cleanup plans or funding. President Trump’s proposed 2018 budget seeks to cut money for the program by 30 percent, though Congressional Republicans have indicated they are likely to approve less-severe cuts. Money for Superfund is already about half what it was in the 1990s. The majority of cleanup money has been spent in just seven highly industrialized states, topped by New Jersey. The EPA routinely tries to compel the companies responsible for the pollution to pay, but taxpayers often end up on the hook due to corporate spinoffs and bankruptcies. The work is typically carried out by private contractors. Pruitt has played down the potential impact of the proposed budget cuts, saying the agency will accomplish more with less money under his leadership by improving oversight and efficiency. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
NPR highlights Alabama woman’s 1902 invention
Leave it to a woman to make everyone’s life better. Even though she didn’t drive herself, back in 1902 Birmingham native Mary Anderson saw a problem plaguing drivers across the Big Apple and devised a solution that it would be hard to imagine living without — the windshield wiper. As the story goes, on a wet, freezing winter day Anderson was riding a streetcar during a trip a New York City when she noticed the driver was having problems seeing out the front window. Repeatedly the trolley driver had to get out and clean off the windshield in order to proceed. Which is precisely when Anderson had her eureka moment. Upon returning to Birmingham she sketched a device she believe would solve the problem, wrote up how it would work and applied for a patent. By November 1903, she was awarded patent #743,801. But Anderson was ahead of her time and car builders of the day saw no commercial value for her invention. It went nowhere for years. Nevertheless, modern driver’s have come to rely on her invention and thus her ingenuity was recognized by NPR’s Morning Edition on Tuesday. “Even the most commonplace devices in our world had to be invented by someone,” the program said. “Take the windshield wiper. It may seem hard to imagine a world without windshield wipers, but there was one, and Mary Anderson lived in that world.”
Steve Flowers: Once-proud Business Council of Alabama at crossroads
During my tenure in the legislature in the 1980s and 1990s, political party affiliation was not as pronounced as it is today. We were identified within the Montgomery/Capitol arena as either a conservative pro-business legislator or a liberal pro-union/pro-trial lawyer legislator. Similar to when someone new arrives in Alabama and they are asked to choose sides in college football, you have to make your allegiance with either Alabama or Auburn. We had to make the same choice as legislators. I chose early to be on the side of business. I even took a leading role and was the sponsor of most of the Tort Reform legislation. Therefore, most observers rated me an arch pro-business conservative. The tort problem was so bad in Alabama that we were considered the black eye of the nation. Time Magazine called us “Tort Hell.” With the help of the National Business Community, along with Alabama business leaders and legislators, the Business Council of Alabama was formed. The BCA grew to become the most powerful organization in Alabama. When Bob Riley became governor in 2002, he orchestrated a game plan to take control of the BCA. He succeeded and put his boy, Billy Canary, a Washington political insider in control. Canary was a political hack that would carry out dirty tricks and chicanery for George Bush and Karl Rowe. Bob Riley and Mike Hubbard controlled the BCA through Billy Canary. Riley still continues to pull the strings and make money. However, everything points to Canary’s days at the BCA coming to an end. There have been rumors of his demise for over a year. It appears that it may occur any day. For those of us who fought the battles for business in Alabama and saw the birth and creation of the BCA, that day is long overdue. Under Canary’s and Riley’s reign BCA has abandoned it’s mission of supporting business and the general well-being of the state and now, in the opinion of many, does more harm than good. No one familiar with the workings of the legislature will deny that Canary has become largely ineffective in representing the interests of business in the legislative process. For the past few years, he has failed to pass an infrastructure bill largely supported by business across the state. This past session Canary failed in his efforts to stop legislation that would require insurance coverage for some Autism related issues. On the Autism measure, Canary could get only one vote for his position on the Senate floor. Most GOP legislators vote against pro-business legislation because of Canary. Billy Canary’s leadership goes past simply failure and begins to enter the realm of causing real harm to the state and the businesses he represents. Canary once boasted of his position on convicted Speaker Mike Hubbard’s “kitchen cabinet.” However, in the Hubbard trial, Canary was less than convincing on the stand as his memory fades on issues discussed with Hubbard. Some of those issues were part and parcel of the 12 felony convictions that removed Hubbard from office. Most folks expected Canary would be indicted with Hubbard. Now, BCA and Canary face possible involvement in the North Birmingham corruption investigation that has already resulted in one House member’s confession to a crime. Some observers believe the scandal surrounding an anonymous ethics complaint that scuttled Dr. Craig Pouncey’s bid to be the State Superintendent of Education may lead back to Canary. The Board of the BCA and everyone concerned with the future of Alabama should be asking why in the world Canary has taken a once proud and effective organization into such controversial issues that have so little to do with core business interests. The answer is simple — Billy Canary has numerous conflicts of interest. During his tenure as President of the BCA Canary has continued to maintain outside consulting contracts that pose clear conflicts with his role at BCA. However, this should come as no surprise since Billy Canary’s home is New York. Any organization that does not adapt ultimately cannot survive. BCA is at a critical crossroads in its existence. If the leadership of the organization does not replace Canary and move quickly to realign BCA with the interests of its members, its days as a vital voice for Alabama Business may be over. See you next week. ___ Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state Legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Donald Trump weighs replacing Fed Chair Janet Yellen with ex-Goldman exec
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he’s considering either re-nominating Janet Yellen for a second term as Fed chair or replacing her with someone else, possibly Gary Cohn, who leads his National Economic Council. Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he has a “lot of respect” for Yellen and thinks she is serving capably. The president said he’s still considering asking her to serve four more years after her term ends in February. But he said he’s also considering other candidates, including Cohn, who joined the Trump administration after a 26-year career at Goldman Sachs. Yellen has declined to say whether she wants to serve another term. She has said only that she is focused on doing her job and will remain in place through the end of her term Feb. 3. When Yellen was chosen to be Fed chair by President Barack Obama, she became the first woman to lead the central bank, succeeding Ben Bernanke in 2014. Trump said Cohn, who was present for the interview, didn’t know he was under consideration for the Fed job. Cohn has been leading the search for the next Fed leader. “I’ve known Gary for a long time, but I’ve gained great respect for Gary working with him, so Gary certainly would be in the mix,” Trump said in the interview with the Journal. Cohn, 56, would be the first business executive to lead the Fed in 38 years, since the brief tenure of G. William Miller, from March 1978 to August 1979. Miller was installed by President Jimmy Carter, who would soon make Miller his Treasury secretary to make room for Paul Volcker as chairman of the Fed. Cohn, an aggressive Wall Street operator who became president of Goldman Sachs in 2006, would mark a sharp break from the last four Fed chairs – Volcker, Alan Greenspan, Bernanke and Yellen. All came from the ranks of academia or government service. Volcker had served at Treasury and as president of the New York Federal Reserve. In Tuesday’s interview, Trump said of Yellen, “She is in the running, absolutely.” “I like her,” he said. “I like her demeanor. I think she’s done a good job.” The president added: “I’d like to see rates stay low. She’s historically been a low-interest-rate person.” The president suggested that “two or three” other contenders were in the mix, but the Journal said he declined to name them. He said he probably wouldn’t announce a nominee until the end of the year. “It’s early to make the decision,” he said, noting that Yellen’s term as Fed chair doesn’t end until February. He predicted that the Senate confirmation process would move quickly. The president’s comments were the first he has made since published reports appeared earlier this month saying that Cohn had emerged as a leading candidate for the Fed job. Trump was critical of Yellen during last year’s presidential campaign, accusing her of keeping interest rates low to favor Democrats. But since winning the election, Trump has avoided criticizing Yellen, saying that he respects her and likes her low-rate policies. Earlier this month, Yellen nominated Randal Quarles, a top Treasury official under two Republican presidents, to be the Fed’s vice chairman for supervision. Quarles will appear Thursday before the Senate Banking Committee for his nomination hearing. There are two other vacancies on the seven-member Fed board. Trump has yet to put forward nominations for those positions. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
