Richard Shelby, former colleagues come to Jeff Sessions’ defense
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby rallied behind his former Senate colleague Attorney General Jeff Sessions Tuesday morning following a string of critical tweets from President Donald Trump. “During the past twenty years that I have served with Jeff Sessions in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to know him well. He is a man of integrity, loyalty, and extraordinary character. I join the people of Alabama in giving him my deep respect and unwavering support,” Shelby told Alabama Today and echoed on Twitter. During the past twenty years that I have served with Jeff Sessions in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to know him well. 1/3 — Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) July 25, 2017 Jeff Sessions is a man of integrity, loyalty, and extraordinary character. 2/3 — Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) July 25, 2017 I join the people of Alabama in giving Jeff Sessions my deep respect and unwavering support. 3/3 — Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) July 25, 2017 South Carolina-Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who served alongside Sessions in the Senate for 20 years, called him “one of the most decent people I’ve ever met in my political life.” “He’s a rock solid conservative, but above else, he believes in the rule of law,” Graham said in a statement. “Jeff understands that we are a nation of laws, not men. On occasion, I’ve vigorously disagreed with Jeff, but I’ve never once doubted his integrity or sense of fair play.” Both lawmakers came to Sessions’ defense after Trump tweeted on Tuesday that Sessions had taken a “VERY weak position” on Democrat Hillary Clinton regarding her emails and the intel leaks. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017 Graham called Trump’s early morning tweet “highly inappropriate.” “Prosecutorial decisions should be based on applying facts of the law without hint of political motivation,” Graham said. “To do otherwise is to run away from the long-standing American tradition of separating the law from politics regardless of party.” pic.twitter.com/7Dk2GTbR9O — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 25, 2017 Throughout the morning, other former Senate colleagues have joined Shelby and Graham, going on record stating their support for Sessions as well. “I’ve worked with Jeff Sessions for years, and while we certainly may not agree on the specifics of every issue, I believed he would be a great attorney general because of his unwavering commitment to the rule of law,” North Carolina-Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said in a statement. “…Following eight years of organizational and accountability issues plaguing the Department of Justice, Attorney General Sessions’ leadership is needed now more than ever.” “Jeff Sessions is a friend, former colleague, and an honorable person. He is a man of deep conviction and principle who believes in the rule of law. We may not agree on every policy issue, but I believe he always has the best interests of our country at heart,” added Ohio-Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman Even House Members have jumped into the fray, offering their support. Illinois 16th District U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger suggested the president “maybe just try a meeting” rather than public calling out his own Cabinet. Mr. President, maybe just try a meeting? This is beneath the office – of any held office – from city councilman to POTUS. https://t.co/5u7E2n0m6G — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) July 25, 2017 “I think Jeff Sessions made the right decision in recusing himself, and I also understand the president’s frustrations at the decisions and actions that Attorney General Sessions that led to him having to recuse himself,” South Carolina 4th District U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy on Fox News. “The president is frustrated that he picked an attorney general that had to recuse himself. The recusal was based on the attorney general’s failure to recall some meetings. So that’s what the recusal was based on. The recusal was appropriate, but I do understand the president’s frustration.”
Jeff Sessions’ days as Attorney General may be numbered
President Donald Trump has spoken with advisers about firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as he continues to rage against Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from all matters related to the Russia investigation. The president’s anger again bubbled into public view Monday as he referred to Sessions in a tweet as “beleaguered.” Privately, Trump has speculated aloud to allies in recent days about the potential consequences of firing Sessions, according to three people who have recently spoken to the president. They demanded anonymity to discuss private conversations. Trump often talks about making staff changes without following through, so those who have spoken with the president cautioned that a change may not be imminent or happen at all. What is clear is that Trump remains furious that the attorney general recused himself from the investigations. “So why aren’t the Committees and investigators, and of course our beleaguered A.G., looking into Crooked Hillarys crimes & Russia relations?” Trump tweeted Monday. His tweet came just hours before his son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, traveled to Capitol Hill to be interviewed about his meetings with Russians. Trump’s intensifying criticism has fueled speculation that Sessions may resign even if Trump opts not to fire him. During an event at the White House, Trump ignored a shouted question about whether Sessions should step down. The attorney general said last week he intended to stay in his post. If Trump were to fire Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would be elevated to the top post on an acting basis. That would leave the president with another attorney general of whom he has been sharply critical in both public and private for his handling of the Russia probe, according to four White House and outside advisers who, like others interviewed, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. It could also raise the specter of Trump asking Rosenstein — or whomever he appoints to fill the position — to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and potential collusion with Trump’s campaign. The name of one longtime Trump ally, Rudy Giuliani, was floated Monday as a possible replacement for Sessions, but a person who recently spoke to the former New York City mayor said that Giuliani had not been approached about the position. Giuliani told CNN on Monday that he did not want the post and would have recused himself had he been in Sessions’ position. The president’s tweet about the former Alabama senator comes less than a week after Trump, in a New York Times interview, said that Sessions should never have taken the job as attorney general if he was going to recuse himself. Sessions made that decision after it was revealed that he had met with a top Russian diplomat last year. Trump has seethed about Sessions’ decision for months, viewing it as disloyal — arguably the most grievous offense in the president’s mind — and resenting that the attorney general did not give the White House a proper heads-up before making the announcement that he would recuse himself. His fury has been fanned by several close confidants — including his son Donald Trump Jr, who is also ensnared in the Russia probe — who are angry that Sessions made his decision. Trump and Sessions’ conversations in recent weeks have been infrequent. Sessions had recently asked senior White House staff how he might patch up relations with the president but that effort did not go anywhere, according to a person briefed on the conversations. Sessions was in the West Wing on Monday but did not meet with the president, according to deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Newt Gingrich, a frequent Trump adviser, said that the president, with his criticisms of Sessions, was simply venting and being “honest about his feelings. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to do anything,” Gingrich said. Still, he said the president’s comments would have repercussions when it comes to staff morale. “Anybody who is good at team building would suggest to the president that attacking members of your team rattles the whole team,” Gingrich said. Sessions and Trump used to be close, sharing both a friendship and an ideology. Sessions risked his reputation when he became the first U.S. senator to endorse the celebrity businessman and his early backing gave Trump legitimacy, especially among the hard-line anti-immigration forces that bolstered his candidacy. Several of Sessions’ top aides now serve in top administration posts, including Stephen Miller, the architect of several of Trump’s signature proposals, including the travel ban and tough immigration policy. After Trump’s public rebuke last week, Sessions seemed determined to keep doing the job he said “goes beyond anything that I would have ever imagined for myself.” “I’m totally confident that we can continue to run this office in an effective way,” Sessions said last week. Armand DeKeyser, who worked closely with Sessions and became his chief of staff in the Senate, said he did not see the attorney general as someone who would easily cave to criticism, even from the president. “If Jeff thinks he is in an untenable position and cannot be an effective leader, I believe he would leave,” DeKeyser said. “But I don’t think he’s reached that point.” But Anthony Scaramucci, the president’s new communications director, said that it’s time for Trump and Sessions to hash out a resolution, regardless of what they decide. “My own personal opinion, I think they’ve got to have a meeting and have a reconciliation one way or another. You know what I mean? Either stay or go, one way or another,” he said. The Justice Department declined to comment. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Donald Trump is right: Jeff Sessions’ recusal a mistake
In Feb. 2016, then-Sen. Jeff Sessions did the unexpected — he sidestepped the establishment and threw his support behind Donald Trump. It was Sessions’ reputation and early loyalty ultimately earned him Trump’s U.S. Attorney General appointment. Trump saw Sessions as a leader, an honorable man worthy of a top-tier Cabinet position. Very few disagreed with the appointment and those who did cite half-baked facts or out and out lies regarding his impeccable record. Sessions, to Trump, was someone who put a lot on the line to be an early supporter and someone he thought he could continue to count on to have his back. Imagine his disappointment when Sessions recused himself the Russia investigation. In an interview with The New York Times, President Donald Trump said he thought it was “very unfair” that Attorney General Jeff Sessions accepted his appointment without warning him that he would recuse himself from the ongoing Russian investigation. Trump was right about Sessions’ recusal. It wasn’t the right thing to do. The easiest way to explain his actions is “feeding the trolls,” and Sessions’ and his team should know better than that. Jeff Sessions is an honorable man. He has proved through a career in public service his commitment to truth, honesty, integrity. The Russian investigation is a classic witch hunt in every sense of the word. The media and the Democrats are using it as a dog whistle to take attention away from the agenda and accomplishments of the president. Let’s revisit what led Sessions to his recusal: During his Jan. 10, 2017 confirmation hearing, Minnesota-Democrat Senator Al Franken, asked what Sessions would do if “there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of this campaign.” Sessions replied frankly, “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign, and I didn’t have — did not have communications with the Russians, and I’m unable to comment on it.” Then on Jan. 17, 2017, as reported by The Washington Post, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, asked Sessions in a written questionnaire whether he had been “in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after Election Day.” Sessions responded with one word: “No.” Despite pushback from the Left, Sessions was confirmed on Feb. 8. Fast-forward to the evening of March 1, when Sessions found himself yet again being questioned about whether he had any ties to Russia. “I never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign,” he said in a statement. “I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is false.” Nevertheless, less than 24 hours later, despite the denials that any of his conversations with Russian officials were related to the presidential campaign, Sessions recused himself from any current or future investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Sessions let the media bully him into recusal. He allowed their baseless accusations dictate his actions. He handed them a win they didn’t deserve. Rather than standing up and being the honorable man Trump, and America, needed him to be he took the easy way out. No doubt, he did what he thought he had to in order to escape further scrutiny, but that still doesn’t make it a good decision. What I wish Sessions had done instead of recusing himself was take the tough tone that he later took with the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 13, 2017, where he said: “Further, I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign,” Sessions said. “The suggestion that I participated in any collusion or that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country, which I have served with honor for 35 years, or to undermine the integrity of our democratic process, is an appalling and detestable lie.” “I recused myself from any investigation into the campaign for president, but I did not recuse myself from defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations.” With that fire in his belly and the truth on his side, he should have stood strong and not recuse himself to start with. Edmund Burke famously said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Rather than allowing the critics and conspiracy theorists to triumph with the recusal of a good man, an honest man, Trump and our nation needed for him to be fully involved in this investigation.
Donald Trump’s critique of Jeff Sessions reflects long-held frustrations
President Donald Trump‘s extraordinary public denouncement of Attorney General Jeff Sessions reflected a long-simmering frustration with one of his staunchest allies, but was not a calculated attempt to force Sessions from the Cabinet, according to two Trump advisers. For weeks, the president has seethed about Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the federal investigation into whether Trump’s campaign coordinated with Russia during last year’s election. On Wednesday, Trump told The New York Times that he would never have appointed Sessions to the post if he had known the former Alabama senator would make that decision. “Sessions should have never recused himself,” Trump told the paper, “And if he was going to recuse himself he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else.” The White House notably made no effort to walk back Trump’s comments or display confidence in the attorney general. Instead, the two Trump advisers acknowledged that the president’s public comments largely reflected what they have heard him say about Sessions privately. The advisers insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the president’s thinking. The Justice Department declined to comment on the president’s remarks. Sessions, one of Trump’s earliest supporters, stepped away from the Russia probe following revelations that he had failed to disclose meetings with the Kremlin’s ambassador to the U.S. His decision was made without consulting with the president and essentially paved the way for the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel. Mueller’s investigation, along with separate congressional probes, has overshadowed much of Trump’s agenda and ensnared several of his associates, including son Donald Trump Jr. and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. Despite his protest to the contrary, Trump continues to heavily watch cable news coverage of the Russia investigations. At times he has told allies he’s convinced that the White House has turned the corner and the controversy will soon be behind him. But at other points, he has expressed fears that it will dog him for his entire term. Few developments in the snowballing controversy have irked Trump more than Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the investigations. The advisers said the president viewed the move as an act of disloyalty – arguably the most grievous offense in the president’s mind – and was angry that Sessions did not consult with him ahead of time. At one point, Sessions privately told Trump he was willing to resign his post, but the president did not accept the offer. One adviser said the president’s comments to the Times did not reflect any new desire by Trump to fire Sessions, though they acknowledged that the attorney general’s response to the public denigration was less certain. Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump during the presidential campaign, and the two bonded over their hardline immigration views. Some of Sessions’ long-serving advisers are now working alongside the president in the West Wing, including senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, who was one of the architects of Trump’s controversial travel ban. A potential Sessions resignation could throw Mueller’s investigation into a state of uncertainty. Trump would nominate a replacement and could seek assurances that his pick would not recuse himself from the investigations. Trump raised the prospect of firing Mueller in his interview with the Times, suggesting he had damaging information on the former FBI director. The president said Mueller’s selection for the job was a conflict of interest because Trump had spoken with him about returning to the FBI after the firing of James Comey in May. “There were many other conflicts that I haven’t said, but I will at some point,” Trump said. He lobbed similar conflict of interest charges at acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He also accused Comey of briefing him on a dossier of unverified, incriminating information in an effort to gain leverage over the soon-to-be president. The president has repeatedly told those close to him that he fears there is a movement underway, fueled in part by Comey, Rosenstein and potentially Mueller, to discredit his presidency. He has denied that his campaign had any contacts with Russia during the election, though that assertion has been challenged by his son’s acknowledgment that he accepted a meeting that was billed as part of the Russian government’s efforts to help the Republican win the election. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Lay of the land as Senate race enters stretch
As the horse race for our open U.S. Senate seat heads down the stretch, let’s look at the lay of the land. All indications are that Roy Moore and Luther Strange are headed for a one-two finish Aug. 15 and ultimately a runoff Sept. 26. The winner of that match will be our junior U. S. Senator for the next three years of the Jeff Sessions’ seat term. The short window for the campaign helps Moore and Strange. They both have name identification and have run several successful campaigns for significant statewide offices Moore has worked the rural areas of the state quietly without much money. Luther Strange has bought heavy TV time in the Birmingham media market hoping to turn out upscale suburban Republicans. A combination of polls as we head around the curve and into the last leg of the race has Moore at 30, Strange at 28 and Mo Brooks at 18. The caveat to remember is that turnout is critical. Moore’s 30 percent will show up. Therefore, his final vote tally Aug. 15 could be higher than 30. A poll is a picture of the entire electorate. The poll that actually counts is the poll Aug. 15 and it is comprised of those that showed up to cast their ballot. Congressman Mo Brooks has the best chance to upset one of the two frontrunners. He represents the vote rich Tennessee Valley in Congress. He is the only viable candidate from that neck of the woods. He is a member of the right-wing Freedom Caucus in Congress. If that ultra conservative group has a grassroots fundraising organization and they raise Mo some money, he could surprise and overcome Luther. There are two descriptions I like to use when assessing a U.S. Senator and the script they seek as your senator. Sen. Richard Shelby is the ultimate caretaker. He has proven to be the greatest U.S. Senator in Alabama history. Over the past 30 years, he has brought home the bacon. He has also voted conservatively. In fact, if you compare the voting records of Shelby and Sessions they would be identical. However, Jeff Sessions would be categorized as an ideologue. He was an ultra-conservative during his tenure in the Senate and was considered one of the upper bodies’ most arch right-wing reactionaries. Therefore, would Roy Moore or Mo Brooks or Luther Strange be considered a caretaker or an ideologue? Brooks has already proven to be an ideologue as a congressman. There is no question but that Moore would be the ultimate ideologue. He would arrive in Washington and by national standards would be the caricature that the Democratic Party would use as the poster boy that depicts how far right the Republican Party is today. It would be Moore’s mission to be perceived as the most ideologically religious zealot on the scene. Alabama would be known for having the most religious right-wing senator in the nation. The national Democrats would use Moore’s picture in every ad in every California race the same way Obama was used in Alabama. Strange would be in the mold of Sen. Shelby as a caretaker. Shelby would mentor Luther, who is more of a mainstream conservative. Strange, Moore or Brooks would all vote conservatively right down the line. They would have the identical voting record as Sessions or Shelby on all the litmus test GOP issues like abortion, immigration, balanced budget, pro-military, pro-gun, pro-agriculture and most importantly the appointment and confirmation of conservative Supreme Court Justices. However, without question, Strange would be a much more effective U.S. Senator for Alabama than Moore or Brooks. He would be more of the type Senator that we have in Shelby. We have had some greats like Shelby, Lister Hill, John Sparkman and John Bankhead. Alabama would be better served to have a conservative caretaker in Washington than a reactionary right-wing ideologue. However, Alabamians may prefer having a missionary in Washington rather than a visionary – at least those who show up to vote Aug. 15. 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.
Alabama Trump Victory calls out Mo Brooks ‘false’ claim of support
Alabama Trump Victory has something to say about U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks’ claim he ‘supported’ candidate Donald Trump in 2016: “That dog doesn’t hunt.” A recent ad from the Senate Leadership Fund blasted the “career” congressman for refusing to endorse Trump during the GOP primary, “They all attack Donald Trump, trying to stop him,” the narrator says, quoting Brooks in March 2016 when he told MSNBC: “I don’t think you can trust Donald Trump with anything he says.” The 30-second ad repeats the quote twice more. Brooks – the Huntsville Republican seeking the U.S. Senate seat to finish the term of now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ – quickly backtracked, saying the ad is taking him out of context. As proof of his support of the president, he offered a copy of a $2,500 check to the Alabama Republican Party for get-out-the-vote efforts. That “support’ is simply not true, says Alabama Trump Victory Chair Perry O. Hooper Jr. “Congressman Brooks’ claim that he supported Donald Trump in the general election is a flat-out lie,” Hooper said in a statement Thursday. “Not only did Congressman Brooks go on a radio show in October refusing to endorse Donald Trump, he actually refused to answer the question of who he planned on voting for in the election.” Hooper pointed out that in November, Brooks told a newspaper in North Carolina – a crucial swing state — that Trump was “not well suited for office,” calling the choice between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton “the lesser of two evils.” In the GOP primary, Brooks is one in a crowded 10-person field that includes incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, the former Alabama Attorney General, who had been appointed to the seat in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley. Hooper concluded: “Additionally, I am proud to confirm that Luther Strange was all in for Donald Trump in my successful efforts to help Mr. Trump win in Pennsylvania and Ohio.” If one person does not reach 50 percent plus one in the Aug. 15 primary, the top two vote-getters will face a runoff Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
Mo Brooks blasts ‘Big Lyin’ Luther Strange over latest anti-Trump attack
A war of words is brewing in Alabama’s U.S. Senate primary between the two leading Republican candidates vying to finish Jeff Sessions’ term – incumbent Luther Strange and Rep. Mo Brooks. Strange, appointed to the Senate seat in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, is working hard to hang the “never Trump” tag on Brooks, most recently with a mailer blasting the Huntsville Republican, as well as new 30-second video, which proudly proclaims Strange as a “Trump man.” At issue were comments Brooks made during the 2016 presidential primary season, where he told MSNBC: “Trump voters are going to regret their votes.” He then gave somewhat tepid support for Trump as a nominee: “Voters sure are facing some tough choices in November, aren’t they?” (Although he did later admit he would vote for Trump in November.) Brooks responds to the latest attacks by returning fire, accusing Strange of refusing to give any evidence that Strange has supported the president during the 2016 primary or general election. Brooks says he has become one of the strongest defenders of both Trump and his agenda, telling Breitbart News in an interview Wednesday that his lack of support was just “another lie from Big Lyin’ Luther.” “Luther Strange, and the DC swamp, are desperate because Alabama voters do not like and do not trust Luther Strange,” Brooks said. “Voters know Strange acted unethically when he sought Governor Bentley’s appointment to the Senate while holding the threat of criminal prosecution over Bentley’s head. That’s why they are running this ad, that’s why Big Lyin’ Luther’s DC handlers are hiding him, that’s why he is avoiding debates and only doing carefully controlled media appearances.” Breitbart also reached out to Alabama Trump campaign co-chair Ed Henry, who called Strange’s attacks on Brooks “complete B.S.” “It disgusts me that someone like Luther Strange who never picked any side, who laid back and waited for all the dust to clear then comes out and tries to pretend like he supported Donald Trump,” Henry said. “It’s just completely disingenuous and it’s exactly the kind of people we don’t need in Washington, D.C. I want somebody who’s willing to speak their mind, state their opinion, stand behind it and move forward from that point and that’s who Mo is. Mo Brooks has very strong character.” While Brooks supported Texas Sen. Ted Cruz during the primary, he says he back Trump in the general election, and donated to the Trump campaign with a $2,500 check to the AL GOP National Account in Oct. 2016. Strange and Brooks are part of a crowded 10-person field for the Aug. 15 GOP primary. A runoff, if necessary, will be Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
Jeff Sessions addresses group representing baker who refused to serve gay couple
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday delivered a speech to the religious freedom group that is representing a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple in 2012. Sessions’ attendance at the closed-press Alliance Defending Freedom‘s (ADF) Summit on Religious Liberty in Orange County, Calif. is drawing criticism as advocacy groups and Democrats across the country are questioning why the leader of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) agreed to speak at the ADF group at all. Founded by Dr. Bill Bright, ADF is best known for supporting socially conservative causes and advocating on behalf of religious freedom. Recently, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case in which ADF is representing Colorado baker Jim Phillips. Phillips made national headlines in 2012 when he refused to create a wedding cake for a gay couple. He is now challenging Colorado’s nondiscrimination law, saying he should be allowed to refuse service to same-sex couples due to his religious beliefs. A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) criticized Sessions’ decision to speak to the group. “You can judge a person by the company they keep and tonight – Attorney General Jeff Sessions is choosing to spend his time speaking in front of one of the country’s leading anti-LGBTQ hate groups,” Joel Kasnetz said. “Sessions’ appearance at this event, as the top law enforcement official in the country, brings into question whether the attorney general intends to protect all Americans.” “ADF has been extremely active in pushing for so-called ‘religious liberty’ laws around the country that allow Christians to discriminate against LGBT people,” said the Southern Poverty Law Center who in 2016 designated the ADF as a hate-group, on their website. “The nation’s top lawyer rallying with an anti-LGBTQ hate group? Outrageous,” the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a civil rights group promoting LGBTQ equality, said in a blog post Wednesday. HRC was also troubled by the DOJ’s decision to keep Sessions’ remarks private. “The attorney general has every right to speak to a group like Alliance Defending Freedom,” commented David Stacy, Government Affairs Director of HRC. “What troubles us is that his remarks are being kept hidden from the public at the same time he has been tasked by the President with issuing religious discrimination policies that ADF has long promoted.” The DOJ did not respond to questions about whether the speech was in support for Phillips’ case.
‘Trump man’ Luther Strange drops new ad, proudly touts Christian values
Sen. Luther Strange dropped a new ad on YouTube Tuesday, the latest in the upcoming special election to fill the seat vacated by now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Diner” focuses on Strange’s Christian values as the former Alabama Attorney General leads the charge “to bring Alabama conservative values and common-sense accountability back to the United States Senate.” Also notable is that the 30-second spot has “Big” Luther Strange fully embracing President Donald Trump, a strategy that has come increasingly into play as he faces his leading GOP opponents, Congressman Mo Brooks and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. “Big Luther is a Trump man,” the narrator says, “working to pass the president’s agenda … a border to stop illegal immigration … extreme vetting to stop Islamic terrorists … repeal Obamacare … pro-life … And endorsed by the NRA.” During the 2016 presidential primary season, Brooks told MSNBC: “Trump voters are going to regret their votes.” The Huntsville Republican later gave somewhat tepid support for Trump as the nominee, telling the Montgomery Advertiser: “Voters sure are facing some tough choices in November, aren’t they?” (Although he did admit he would vote for Trump in November.) Last month, a Senate Super PAC — controlled by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — dropped more than $2.6 million and add support to help Strange. Appointed to the Senate in February by then-Governor Robert Bentley, Strange is part of a crowded 10-person field for the Aug. 15 GOP primary. A runoff, if necessary, will be Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
Jeff Sessions to visit Guantánamo Bay for updates on operations
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting Guantánamo Bay for “understanding of current operations.” “Keeping this country safe from terrorists is the highest priority of the Trump administration,” Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said in a statement first reported Friday by POLITICO. “Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible.” Joining the former Alabama senator on the trip is his deputy, Rod Rosenstein. Prior explained the visit “is to gain that understanding by meeting with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts at GTMO.” Among the executive actions drafted (but not yet enacted) by the Trump administration regarding Guantánamo include keeping the base open and possibly bring in new prisoners. As a candidate, Trump promised to load the facility – formally known as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay – with “some bad dudes.” However, no any new detainees have been sent yet. Then-candidate Barack Obama, ran in 2008 on a promise to empty and close the facility, but in his two terms as president, he did not follow through after facing strong political opposition. Sessions is a staunch supporter of the detention camp, telling radio host Hugh Hewitt in March that he has “no legal problem whatsoever” with sending new detainees to the detention facility.
Steve Flowers: A midyear review of Alabama politics
As we take a midyear look at Alabama politics, it has been an eventful first half of the year. It is not every year that a governor resigns midterm. Gov. Robert Bentley’s resignation from office April 10 will more than likely be the most newsworthy story of the year. Bentley’s saga had begun 18 months ago. His troubles stemmed from his relationship with his primary and probably only adviser, who was married to a quiet man whom Bentley placed in a vague $90,000 position with the state. It was a titillating story that led to an investigation and later finding by the State Ethics Commission that there was reasonable evidence that Bentley may have violated the law. Facing probable impeachment by the Legislature, Bentley resigned in disgrace. The most noteworthy event was the appointment of our Junior U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions to the powerful post of U.S. Attorney General. Sessions was one of President Donald Trump’s first Cabinet appointments. Sessions departure from the Senate seat left open his coveted post. In his waning days as governor, Bentley interviewed about 20 qualified candidates for the interim appointment. Bentley eventually appointed Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, a worthy choice. However, the appointment of Strange caused tremendous furor among Alabamians. A few months earlier, Strange stated he was investigating the Governor. The appointment of the Attorney General to the seat had the appearance of a brazen act of collusion between the Governor and Strange. Bentley resigned a month later and Strange went to Washington. Upon the resignation of Bentley, Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey became the second female governor in state history. Ironically, Kay was a stalwart supporter and worked for our only other female governor, Lurleen Wallace, when she was in college over 50 years ago. Gov. Ivey has shown calm, deliberative and wise leadership in her first three months as governor. She has done a good job and steadily stuck to her knitting governing, rather than cutting ribbons. She inherited the ship of state in the middle of a legislative session. She stayed in close contact with the Senate leadership and brought the session to a successful landing. The legislative session could indeed be considered a success. Mac McCutcheon, a Republican Representative from Madison County, led his first regular session as Speaker. McCutchen is level headed and a natural facilitator. He is a retired police officer from Huntsville, who worked as a hostage negotiator. He seems fair and runs a more open and egalitarian House than former Speaker Mike Hubbard. Any legislative session could be considered successful when both budgets are passed. The $1.8 billion General Fund budget passed early due to a one-time influx of $105 million from the BP oil spill settlement. The beleaguered General Fund will be much harder to balance next year, which will be an election year. For the eighth straight year, state workers got no increase in pay. Even though the Education Trust Fund budget grew by $90 million, teachers also get no pay increase. The $6.4 billion Education budget did include a 20 percent increase in pre-kindergarten funding. The Legislature abolished judicial override in death penalty cases, voted to require insurers to extend coverage to autism therapies, and ended the ban on midwifery in Alabama. They chose not to address the prison overcrowding issue. However, this may be a prudent call. It may be wiser to wait until the federal courts decree what they want from the state. This could be a paramount issue that requires a Special Session. The Republican majority ramrodded a reapportionment plan through the Senate and House over adamant disapproval of black Democrats. The final authority on whether it will stand rests with the federal courts. Until this is decided, there is a cloud over the upcoming legislative races. Republican legislators may have overplayed their hand this time. A federal judge may send Alabama’s demographics to a computer in New York to draw the lines and several of them may find themselves in the same districts several counties away. 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.
After delay, RNC finally gives OK to funding for Alabama special election
The Republican National Committee has approved funding for the Alabama special election, likely to support incumbent U.S. Sen. Luther Strange. As reported by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt, the long-delayed has recently become “a point of contention between Senate Republicans and the White House,” over Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ old seat. Much of the problem seems to rest with the convoluted campaign finance rules which Isenstadt describes as “weeks of closed-door talks, inflamed tensions between Senate GOP leaders and the administration and touched on a central issue: how the insurgent-minded Trump White House will approach party primaries.” The approval allows the National Republican Senatorial Committee to spend more than $350,000 on the race to benefit Strange, facing a crowded 10-person field for the Aug. 15 Republican primary, which includes U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. A primary runoff, if necessary, will be Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12. Among those backing Strange are Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, through two McConnell-aligned groups — the NRSC and Senate Leadership Fund. For the past few weeks, McConnell has lobbied to get RNC to approve the cash infusion, but foot dragging so frustrated the majority leader that he appealed directly to former RNC chair and current White House chief of staff Reince Priebus. Strange also talked personally with President Donald Trump. Isenstadt writes that some close to McConnell thought the holdup could be due to bureaucratic disorganization — or the administration was intentionally staying out of the primary, giving a glimpse into how the White House might handle future political battles.
