Personnel Update: Robert Aderholt names Michael Lowry as new Chief of Staff
On Wednesday, Congressman Robert Aderholt announced that his Chief of Staff, Kerry Knott, is retiring after more than 17 years in public service on Capitol Hill. Knott will be succeeded in the position by Michael Lowry, who, like Knott, has years of Congressional experience. “Kerry Knott has done an outstanding job serving the constituents of Alabama’s Fourth District,” Rep. Aderholt said in a press release. “Prior to joining our office, Kerry spent many years in the private sector but had worked on Capitol Hill in the 1980s and 90s for Congressman Dick Armey and served as Congressman Armey’s Chief of Staff as the House Majority Leader. His experience was truly invaluable to the work we do in my office to serve our constituents. Kerry joined our staff during a trying time for our nation and the world as the COVID-19 pandemic began. During these past three years, he helped guide our response to the pandemic, but also made sure we stayed focused on the important issues beyond COVID, like strengthening our military, leading in space, and expanding broadband internet access for rural areas.” Knott thanked Rep. Aderholt. “My time as Robert’s Chief of Staff has been tremendously enjoyable,” said Knott. “Robert is in a great position to continue his work to help Alabama’s economy and to continue fighting to promote family values. He has a top-notch staff both in DC and in the district to push his agenda and to help his constituents. I’ve been blessed to participate in many historical moments in my seventeen-plus years on the Hill, but now I’m looking forward to being back in Alabama full-time with my family. I’m thankful for Robert and Caroline for this opportunity, and I will always consider myself part of Team Aderholt.” “A Congressional Chief of Staff plays a vital role in every office,” said Aderholt. “They are literally the second in command and act as a first officer in making sure constituents are being served, and the member’s agenda is being implemented. With that in mind, I’m happy to announce that Congressional veteran Michael Lowry will be coming on board as our new chief. Michael has worked for several Members, including a stint as my communications director back in the mid-2000s. Most recently, Michael served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Neal Dunn of Florida.” Lowry expressed excitement for the opportunity to return to work for Rep. Aderholt. “I feel like I’m coming home,” said Lowry. “Obviously, I worked with Congressman Aderholt previously, but my own roots are also in Alabama, with family in many different parts of the state. This is where I belong. I’m looking forward to helping Robert continue his strong record of fighting for his constituents, standing up for the most vulnerable among us, and protecting and strengthening our great nation, and appreciate his confidence in me.” “I wish Kerry and his family all the best as he begins the next chapter of his life,” said Aderholt. “And I’m looking forward to bringing Michael on board with his experience and perspective. I look forward to continuing to achieve great things for the people of the Fourth District and our great nation.” Aderholt previously announced staff changes in December when Paul Housel retired as District Director. Robert Aderholt has represented Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District for 14 terms. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Libertarian Senate candidate John Sophocleus campaigns for votes
The Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate John Sophocleus, addressed Alabama Libertarians in a Facebook event hosted by the Libertarians Party of Greater Jefferson County at the Mountain Brook Library on Wednesday. Sophocleus is a career college instructor, historian, and economist who resides in Lee County. “I am the Libertarian candidate for Senate,” Sophocleus said. “I am a retired instructor.” Sophocleus said that he was upset with, “How much money we waste on redistribution of wealth” in this country. “I am the best candidate of the three,” running for Senate Sophocleus said. “I am trying to bring competition to Alabama politics.” Sophocleus said that he requires his students to read the United States Constitution. Sophocleus said that he has had students who were serving in the U.S. armed forces tell him, “Wow, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and I had no idea what is in that until I actually had to read it.” “I have been an Alabama Gazette columnist for 13 years,” Sophocleus continued. “I have worked with people on Capitol Hill including (former Congressman) Dick Armey.” “The huge amount of redistributive activity that is going on is the main thing that I would like to stop,” Sophocleus said. Sophocleus and the Libertarian candidate for Governor of Alabama, Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake, were both asked about the Alabama prison crisis. “I am running for federal office, and the prison system it is by and large a state office issue, but I have spoken to Cam Ward, who is the Director of Pardons and Paroles,” Sophocleus said. Sophocleus has been an instructor in the prisons, among numerous other teaching assignments – most notably at Auburn University, Auburn University Montgomery, and Clemson. “They are not using the resources that are available to give them the skills they need when they (the prisoners) get out,” Sophocleus said. “Decreasing recidivism is the biggest long-term solution.” “The recidivism reduction is increasingly important,” Sophocleus said. “There are people that should be punished for their crimes, but we also need people that could be productive when they get out.” Sophocleus claimed, “I know the BCA and my opponent want to devote more money to the prison complex.” “Kay Ivey has sold her soul to the Business Council of Alabama,” Sophocleus said, urging voters to vote for Blake for Governor instead of Gov. Ivey. “In the Senate race, it is an open seat. None of the three candidates are incumbents. It is time to send a message.” Sophocleus slammed outgoing Senator Richard Shelby calling him “Cash Register Shelby,” who changed his Democratic ‘blue gang jersey’ for a Republican ‘red gang jersey.’ “50 of our 65 (Libertarian) candidates are in two candidate races,” Sophocleus said. “We are tired of the gangs of the duopoly. Break up the gangs.” Sophocleus made claims that the Constitution would work if the government would just do those things that it is authorized to do in the Constitution. “The Libertarian Party started 50 years ago because of their anger at the Republicans and Richard Nixon for closing the gold window,” Sophocleus said. “We have done a lot of damage in respect to inflation and how we have devalued our currency.” Sophocleus said that gold was trading at $40 an ounce in 1972 when Nixon chose to let the dollar float as a completely unbacked currency. “What does it cost to get an ounce of gold today? $1800? Americans – they hope that the dollars they save will have a value.” “When you have all of these pages of wealth transfer, it is going to only get worse,” Sophocleus said of the tax code. “President [Joe] Biden is playing games with the strategic reserve and oil prices.” Sophocleus said that there is no incentive for Congress to “stop the spending,” because “bond yields are so ridiculously low that there is no consequences to keep adding to it (the debt).” “All federal drug laws are unconstitutional – period,” Sophocleus said. “How we know that is when we wanted to have a war on alcohol, we passed an amendment. This document (holding up his pocket Constitution) does not empower the federal government to do what it does.” Sophocleus faces Republican nominee Katie Britt and Democratic nominee Will Boyd in the November 8 general election. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
William Haupt III: We need a new contract with America
“Until someone is prepared to lay out the systemic problem, we will simply go through cycles of finding corruption, finding a scapegoat, and eliminating the scapegoat.” – Newt Gingrich Bill Clinton’s first term in office marked the beginning of the Republican Revolution. His promise to reform health care was soundly defeated. His executive order lifting the ban against gays in the military failed to energize leftist activists. And a barrage of political and personal scandals plagued the Clintons during his first term. The most deleterious scandal was that Clinton illegally profited from a back door involvement in a failed savings and loan on the Whitewater River in Arkansas. But none was more injurious to Clinton than the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA created a common market for goods, services, and investments with Canada and Mexico. U.S. workers were forced to compete with global competition for jobs that hurt their standard of living and threatened their future. This ill-fated agreement angered the unions and labor-friendly Democrats who needed union support. And America turned to the GOP to right the sinking ship. Prior to 1994, Democrats controlled the House for 40 consecutive years, with a coalition of liberals in the north and east with southern blue-dogs. Since Democrats held the House for 58 of the last 62 years and the Senate for 34 out of 40 years, they had no fear of Republicans in the 1994 midterms. According to the University of Colorado’s Paul Teske, both Bill and Hillary Clinton were easy campaign targets for the GOP. From Hillary Clinton’s failed health care bill to numerous corruption cases in Congress and Bill Clinton’s foray into NAFTA, America was ripe for the GOP revolution. “Every revolution seems impossible at the beginning, and after it happens, it was inevitable.” – Bill Ayers It was obvious America needed a change. Liberal Democrats in the north and the good-ol-boy-left in the south had dictated Congressional policy for almost five decades – which wasn’t working. They were about to be reminded that the “political pendulum always swings both ways if it is balanced.” The late senator Bob Dole reminded Republicans that they had been the minority in Congress for so long that they had forgotten how to take charge and govern. He said in order to win, they needed a platform that had national appeal with universal solutions for all Americans, not just Republicans. In an effort to unite Americans under a common goal, six weeks before the 1994 midterm elections, House Reps. Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey introduced a “Contract with America.” As ballots were cast, this not only gave Republicans control of Congress, it would also save the Clinton presidency. The Contract with America was a legislative agenda by the Republican Party for all of America. It detailed the actions the GOP promised to take – if they became the majority in the U.S. House for the first time in four decades. This was a true bipartisan effort to solve major problems confronting our nation. “We are in a struggle over whether or not we are going to save America.” – Newt Gingrich The contract’s text included eight reforms the GOP promised to enact and ten bills they committed to bring to the floor if they took over the House. It included issues that had been polled during the first years of the Clinton administration that 60% of the American voters collectively wanted remedied. The text of the proposed bills included in the Contract was released before the election. They represented significant changes in federal policy that included a balanced budget requirement and tax cuts for businesses, families, and seniors. It also included term limits, reforms to Social Security, and tort and welfare reform. It avoided controversial matters such as abortion and school prayer. Gingrich purposely excluded how these bills and policies would be enacted and what they would cost. He did not want to distort his goals. He knew these issues concerned voters, and they wanted them fixed. And if he didn’t deliver, it would cost him his job. He only wanted to impress voters that if the GOP took over Congress, they would make changes in government that all of America wanted. Lou Cannon of the Washington Post wrote, “Democrats attacked the plan as extreme and radical, and its solutions would make America worse.” They claimed that a balanced budget, tax cuts, and welfare reform would hurt the poor and do irreparable damage to institutions that had been in place for decades.” Clinton confidant Vernon Jordan protested, “This contract is a ‘hit job’ on Americans!” Although the liberal media and the polls minimized the importance of “The Contract with America,” Election Day 1994 proved fatal for Democrats. According to Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, Gingrich was responsible for the “Republican Revolution,” with the GOP easily taking control of the House and the Senate. They also won 12 governorships and took control in 20 state legislatures. As predicted, many of the elements of Gingrich’s “contract” that passed in Congress were vetoed by Clinton, and the ones that he signed did not radically change America as the left had predicted. Although the proposed balanced budget Constitutional Amendment failed to pass, Newt Gingrich and the Republicans led the crusade to end 30 years of federal red ink and balanced the budget. Joe Biden’s regressive “contract for our nation” was to turn America into a progressive Shangri la, with no strings attached. He promised to redistribute wealth from the rich with punishing new taxes. He vowed to stop drilling for oil, increase welfare, pay people not to work, and to open our borders. “I promise that all increased spending on federal programs will be paid for by the rich.” – Joe Biden Last election, the liberal media convinced America to buy into Biden’s “contract with America” and take out Donald Trump. We are now energy dependent on rogue nations with record-high inflation, a broken supply chain, a labor shortage, and have security issues due
