Steve Flowers: Marshall County and Enterprise emerging as Alabama political breeding grounds
Over the years, certain counties in Alabama have bred an inordinate number of governors and state political leaders. The three most prominent enclaves historically have been Tuscaloosa, Barbour, and Cullman. In the earlier years of statehood, Tuscaloosa was the most heralded county. They have continued, intermittently, throughout the years. The most prominent senator in Alabama history, Richard Shelby, who retired after 36 years in the Senate, calls Tuscaloosa home. Indeed, the state capital was in Tuscaloosa one time in the early years. They have had a fairly recent governor in Dr. Robert Bentley. Barbour County is called the “Home of Governors,” and for a good reason. They have had more governors than any county in state history. This sparsely populated Black Belt county has had six governors hail from there. George Wallace is, of course, the most prominent Barbour County Governor, but they also have Chauncy Sparks, John Gill Shorter, William Jelks, Braxton Bragg Comer, and Jere Beasley. Barbour County and Tuscaloosa both claim Lurleen Wallace. She was born and raised in Northport in Tuscaloosa County but married George Wallace and moved to Barbour County. This split county claim of governors also applies to legendary Governor James “Big Jim” Folsom. Big Jim was born and raised in Coffee County near Elba but moved to Cullman as a young man. So, Cullman gets bragging rights since he lived in Cullman when he was first elected in 1946. Cullman has indeed come on strong in the past few decades. They have had two governors in recent years, Jim Folsom Jr. and Guy Hunt. Today, we have two counties emerging as hotbeds for breeding state political leaders. Coffee County is percolating with political success. More particularly the growing City of Enterprise. Our new U.S. Senator, Katie Boyd Britt, was born and raised in Enterprise. She is only 40. The Congressman from the second district, Barry Moore, is from Enterprise although Dothan, Montgomery, and Elmore County have more population in that Congressional District. Moore is only 56. A rising popular star in the State House of Representatives, Rhett Marquis, 48, is from the Boll Weevil City. Enterprise is the home of the new state senator from that southeast Alabama hub. Josh Carnley just took the seat of retiring legend Jimmy Holley, thus keeping that seat in Coffee County. Carnley is a Coffee County farmer and insurance broker. Enterprise has a very good Mayor in William “Bill” Cooper. He has been in city politics for a good while. Coffee County also dominates all the judicial posts in this circuit. All three circuit judges hail from Coffee County in Enterprise. Sonny Reagan, Jeff Kelley, and Shannon Clark are all relatively young. The new District Attorney, James Tarbox, is very young. Jimmy Baker, who is Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, hails from Coffee County and lives in Enterprise. Enterprise has always laid claim to Ft. Rucker, which has been the impetus of their growth, but they are emerging as a political powerhouse. The other county that is set to be called an Alabama political spawning ground powerhouse is Marshall County. They currently have a cadre of the state’s most powerful and promising Alabama leaders. The most prominent is 41-year-old Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, who may be our next governor. State Senator Clay Scofield of Marshall County is only 42 and is Majority Leader of the State Senate. Attorney General Steve Marshall, 57, is in his second term as Attorney General. It is rare that two of the state’s highest-ranking officials, Will Ainsworth and Steve Marshall, are both from the same county. There are two rising stars in the Alabama House of Representatives from Marshall County. Young Wes Kitchens, an emerging leader in the House, is from Marshall. Also, the youngest member of the House of Representatives, Brock Colvin, has just been elected at the ripe old age of 26 and is catching people’s eyes on Goat Hill. Enterprise and Marshall County are emerging as new political breeding grounds for Alabama politicians. 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.
John Wahl says ALGOP won’t be sitting on the sideline taking supermajority for granted
Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl spent the weekend in Washington D.C. planning and strategy sessions for the upcoming midterm elections on November 8. The trip was part of finalizing the Republican Party’s 2022 election priorities. During the four-day trip, he attended multiple high-level meetings with different political organizations. “The Alabama Republican Party is ready to help our candidates at home, as well as around the country,” Wahl said in a statement. “We won’t be sitting on the sidelines taking our state’s supermajority for granted. We’ve been working hard for the people of Alabama and doing our part to help partners in other states so we can take back the U.S. House and Senate. Too much is at stake, and we must do all we can to restore America and reign in the out-of-control liberal policies of the Biden Administration.” Chairman Wahl said he has finalized plans with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). The Alabama Republican Party has been involved in a joint fundraising committee with the NRSC geared at helping U.S. Senate nominees from around the country. The Senate is currently divided 50:50, and Republicans are hoping that they can pick up seats and regain control of the U.S. Senate, which the party lost in 2020. “The ALGOP has been working hard to make sure our candidates have the resources they need. Republicans have the opportunity to flip several seats this year, and I hope our joint fundraising committee will play an important role in gaining a majority in the U.S. Senate,” Wahl stated. The Chairman also spent time with the Republican National Committee (RNC). Wahl said that the RNC’s involvement is crucial in the ALGOP’s Restore America campaigns in Georgia and other states, helping Republican efforts stay on the same page. There could be as many as 100 volunteers from the Mighty Alabama Strike Force traveling to Georgia to help Herschel Walker’s campaign for U.S. Senate. The first round of volunteers will leave Alabama for Georgia on Sunday. “It’s exciting to have so many volunteers from across the state of Alabama joining in the fight to take back the Senate in 2022,” Wahl commented. “This election cycle is going to be critical if we have any chance to save our economy and restore the America we know and love. Herschel Walker is a special candidate who understands the American dream and the struggles facing the middle class because of bad government decisions. He has energized people across the country with his common sense conservative message, and we look forward to helping him win this November.” Wahl said that this trip finalized much of the work started at the RNC Winter and Summer Meetings in Salt Lake City and Chicago. “We had the opportunity to review election forecast data and really look at how we can best help our candidates,” Wahl said. “It’s so important that we know where to best spend our resources – both financial and boots on the ground.” The Alabama Republican Party cited several preparations that they have made for the midterm election and are in the middle of implementing in an attempt to make 2022 one of the Party’s strongest general election campaigns ever. • Set a one-day political fundraiser record of $1.1 million at the Party’s Cullman Trump Rally. • Elected the State’s first African-American Republican, Kenneth Paschal, to the State House • Launched an Outreach Coalition to minority voters • Started the Restore America campaign to help Republican candidates win across the country • Target over 40 candidates across the state of Alabama in one of the largest financial commitments in the history of the ALGOP. The Alabama Republican Party won the governorship for the first time since the 1870s in 1986 when probate Judge Guy Hunt defeated Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley. Since then, the ALGOP has been gaining strength and momentum. In the Red wave 2010 election, the ALGOP won supermajorities in both Houses of the Alabama Legislature as well as every statewide elected office on the ballot. The elections that have followed have only increased the GOP’s status as the dominant political party in Alabama. The general election will be on November 8. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Bill Baxley
The 1970 Governor’s Race between George Wallace and Albert Brewer overshadowed every other political race in the state that year. However, one of Alabama’s legendary political figures burst on the scene in 1970, when Bill Baxley was elected Attorney General of Alabama. The Attorney General’s race was below the radar screen of the titanic war waged by Brewer and Wallace. Bill Baxley’s victory was a major upset. Baxley was a 28-year-old district attorney from the Wiregrass. He beat a veteran Attorney General MacDonald Gallion in a close race. Baxley became the youngest Attorney General in the nation when he was sworn in at the January Inauguration. He had just turned 29. His historic rise at such a young age made him fodder for national publications like Time Magazine, who featured him as one of the brightest rising stars in the nation. His brilliance gave new meaning to the word prodigy. It was not immediately apparent to the voters of Alabama that they had elected a true progressive liberal as their Attorney General. They soon did when Baxley began aggressively attacking the Big Mules in Birmingham and throughout the state and consistently fought for the downtrodden in the state. He sued every Big Mule in sight, including U.S. Steel, for pollution and other environmental concerns during his 20-year career in state politics. Baxley never deviated or backed down from his progressive Democratic ideology, even when it might have been politically expedient to do so. He could not be bought. He was his own man and a true Alabama political statesman. When Baxley won the 1970 Attorney General’s race over MacDonald Gallion, he openly and unashamedly courted liberals, labor, and blacks to win the race. He did not do it for expediency, but because his heart was in it. Baxley was a true progressive Southern Democrat. He openly courted, embraced, and built an overt friendship with labor leaders and black leaders such as Joe Reed. Baxley was certainly a contrast to our race-baiting Governor George Wallace. Ironically, Wallace loved Baxley. Deep down, Wallace was a hardcore progressive who had lived through the Depression. He cut his teeth as a New Deal Democrat. Baxley forged a political career with epic historical milestones in Alabama politics. He was elected Attorney General in 1970 and again in 1974. He ran second for Governor in 1978 when Fob James came out of the blue to upset the “Three B’s” – Bill Baxley, Albert Brewer, and Jere Beasley in the governor’s race. Bill Baxley came back in 1982 and was elected Lt. Governor. He served closely with George Wallace, who was serving his fourth and final term as Governor. They had a special friendship and spoke on the phone constantly. I think Wallace admired Baxley for being true to his principles. He also respected Baxley’s understanding of some of the golden rules of politics, and that is “your word is your bond” and also “you dance with the ones who brung you.” Bill Baxley was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1986. He was upset by Guy Hunt, who became the first Republican governor since Reconstruction that year. Bill Baxley left politics after that race and did what he really loved. He became one of the most prominent trial lawyers in Alabama. He loves the practice of law. He was born for it. For the last 36 years, he has been one of Alabama’s top lawyers and probably one of the most expensive. Baxley now resides in Birmingham and takes prominent cases all over the state. Baxley was born and raised in Dothan. His daddy, Keener Baxley, was a well-respected Circuit Judge in Dothan. The Baxley’s were a prominent family and among the earliest settlers of Houston County. Young Bill Baxley grew up loving the law, politics, and baseball. He grew up in his Daddy’s courtroom in Dothan and learned to love the law. There was never any doubt in his mind that he would be a lawyer by profession because he probably was not going to be a major league baseball player, which was every young boy’s dream at that time. He was always brilliant academically and was gifted with a photographic memory. He skipped a grade in school and finished high school at age 15. He entered the University of Alabama at age 16. He graduated from college at age 19 and the University of Alabama Law School at age 22. After law school, he returned to Dothan to practice law. He was elected District Attorney for Houston and Henry Counties at the ripe old age of 25. Three years later, he was elected Attorney General of Alabama. The rest is history. Bill Baxley has a place in Alabama history. It is hard to believe that young Bill Baxley turns 81 this month. 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.
John Giles: National frustrations hit high water mark
When I was first officially assigned a role in the public sector, Governor Guy Hunt appointed me in 1989, as Alabama State Small Business Advocate. I wasthirty-five years old, a team player, easy to work with, friendly to everyone ingovernment and the private sector, yet mission oriented to advance the cause ofthe Hunt Administration. I can remember having a much greater capacity backthen to take on more water, metaphorically speaking dealing with the slowbureaucracies, political non-sense and the inability to advance the ball down thefield. Just thirty years later, I find my capacity for this non-sense has shrunk, myflash point greatly lowered, and joining America’s escalating frustration. Wehave hit our high-water mark with the dramatic scenes being played out in DCand on the 2020 Democrat Presidential campaign trail. The “swamp,” as Donald Trump calls it, has existed all these years, but now has hit theexponential curve at the state and national level. I used to think my cultivateddiplomatic skills would allow me weave and navigate my way around thelandmines of obstruction for progress, and to some degree it worked. Lookingback on those days, I can clearly see now, if you had a total of ten moves in aday, eight of them were stroking egos, extinguishing little fires, petting theoffended and only two moves in the day was advancing the positive cause ofpromoting economic, social, moral and constitutional governing. If one spent alifetime in this public sector environment with pure motives, you should knowup front, you will only accomplish 20 percent of your capacity, or you will flame outearly. If you understand going in the rules of engagement will greatly hinderadvancing a conservative cause, the tactics of the southern gentleman diplomat,who wants everyone to like them because of their selfish desire of futureadvancement politically, will be guaranteed few earned scored points for thebetterment of mankind at the end of each day. Trump’s sense of urgency, lack of bedside manners, brassy, sometimes rudenessand New York style street fighting tendencies offends the southern gentlemanapproach to governing, but the fierce, out of control, violent, win at all cost andmaligning modern day Democrat behavioral style, can only be put in checkmate with one thing…a 2 x 4 brought to the fight. Unfortunately, the rules of publicdiscourse being changed by Democrats over the years, particularly since theNovember 2016 election, requires one to step in the ring swinging in order toadvance the will of the American people. But Giles, what about Christianity,and Christian principles; sure let’s discuss this point for a moment. Let us remember, Jesus physically cleared the decks in the synagogue of thegreedy merchants personally profiting in the sacred house. Jesus also had anoffensive tongue using words like, brood of vipers, serpents, foolish ones, blind(figuratively not literally), liars and he also called his adversaries hypocrites, justto list off a few. Trump is certainly no saint and definitely not the messiah, butdo we see some current modern day similarities. Jesus was falsely accused ofblasphemy; they held a kangaroo court and then executed him. In the 2016 election cycle, pollsters were trying to brute force a win for Hillaryover Trump. Late at night, on November 8, 2016, Democrats were wailing andgnashing their teeth at the Clinton Victory Party. Where was Hillary…pitchinga hissy fit and did not even show up. Trump well exceeded the ElectoralCollege threshold of 270 with 304 earned votes. Then they tried to override theconstitution bending the narrative around a popular vote. After theinauguration, the Washington Riot Style March filled the streets with womenwearing female genital hats. Immediately, the tone of impeachment echoedamong Democrats and the liberal media. They cranked up a fairy tale story ofRussian collusion, when Hillary was the one colluding with Russians. Comey,rogue FBI cops and some of his treasonist intelligence community colleagueslaid out a Trojan horse strategy for Trump’s removal, fueled by a false dossierpaid for by Clinton, DNC and Soros. Two years and forty five million UStaxpayer dollars later, the Mueller Report was a Big Zero. Then, the falseBrett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing fiction played out as choreographed and theywere caught again. Now we have an unidentified whistle-blower, launching animpeachment through surrogate hearsay, presumptions, and false testimonies,when all they had to do is read the conversation transcript. It might havehelped for them to watch the Ukrainian President on TV categorically deny anypressures of quid quo pro by Trump. If I was reading a novel and not living thisreal time, I would be thinking in these terms: brood of vipers, serpents, foolish ones, blind (figuratively not literally), certified liars and hypocrites. Soundfamiliar? For a minute let me rewind to the 2016 election cycle. Americans had hit theirhigh water mark on political correctness, watching Obama split the countryinstead of being the healer he promised. Remember “CHANGE,” we got italright. The DOJ, under Eric Holder became the largest Civil Rights law firm inthe country going after cops rather than criminals. Obama’s “Green Jobs”economic development plan turned into closed windmill plants and millions ofwasted grant dollars. Globetrotting on expensive golf vacations and apologizingto the world that somehow America was guilty of some abusive behavior.Obama had strategically weakened our military to an all-time low. The finalresults of this eighth year behavior, Trump and the deplorables dumped theObama-Clinton machine. Now let’s fast forward to the 2020 elections. You would think they would learnfrom 2016, but some folks tend to walk back through the same yard where thedog bit them last time. America is experiencing historic low employment, jobcreation, capital investment, stock market is unprecedentedly soaring, worldnow respects us, balancing the trade defects, rebuilding the military, taking careof our veterans, reining in illegal immigration, building the wall, respecting andsupporting law enforcement officers, appointing constitution originalist to thefederal bench, sticking to the list of twenty three for the U.S. Supreme Courtvacancies, moving the U.S. Embassy for Israel to Jerusalem, opening updomestic oil production and leading globally in oil exports, stepping up NATOpartners investment in protecting Europe, pulling out of the fake science drivenParis Climate Accord, renegotiating NAFTA and GATT for a new balancedtrade relations between Mexico and Canada,
John Giles: Qualifications? Meeting a payroll
Governor Guy Hunt once told me, “John, before anyone runs for office or becomes a journalist, they would be well-served to have met a payroll first. What a profound statement and I agree 100 percent. If you have kept up with my resume, I worked for the Hunt administration in economic development during the late 80’s early 90’s. I worked primarily in the area of Small Business and later with all exiting business and industries. My father was a small business entrepreneur and that mantle passed down to his family. My father taught all of us what it meant to meet a payroll. We all fully understood and appreciated what Governor Hunt was saying. For those who have not had that opportunity, let me share with you what has to happen before you can write a payroll check. First, you have to have a product or service. Then, you have to get in the market place and find your niche among a field of competition. You have to convince the buyer you are qualified to deliver, best in the business and your price has to generally meet your competitors. After getting the order, now you have to deliver as promised, satisfy the customer, invoice and then collect. In addition, one must price the invoice with an adequate margin to meet your overhead, expenses, maintain raw materials and finished inventory, carry accounts receivables, payroll and payroll taxes, and then guess who is last to get paid. Entrepreneurs are often over glamourized, they really work to keep their team employed and in most cases, the last one to get paid. I can tell you from personal experience, on more than one occasion; we had to put our paycheck in the drawer, while paying employees and other obligations first. Entrepreneurs often go to bed and wake up in a sweat, frequently can’t sleep from the financial, physical and emotion load of carrying a business. This same owner is often faced with a tsunami of problems that seem to be insurmountable, and somehow finds a narrow path of escape from total disaster and business failure. At the end of the day, this small business person is responsible for the engine of our economy, and creates 75 percent of all of our new jobs. Prayer, vision, work ethic, tenacity, grit, tough, mission oriented, making one dollar do the work of three dollars, negotiating skills and not having can’t or quit in your vocabulary are the traits that embody a small business entrepreneur. Most people cannot handle this kind of sustained pressure. For an elected official who never met a payroll, it puts them at a great disadvantage in solving problems and getting projects completed. Often, without the skills to find solutions or make very tough decisions, a non- business background officeholder quickly find themselves outside of their expertise. All too often they are tempted with very weak solutions throwing taxpayer money at problems, like raising taxes, toll roads or legalizing gambling, all of which are very regressive ideas. Another example, let’s build bigger prisons rather than fight recidivism. Being successful in business also requires a high level of common sense, which is generally not the order of the day in government solutions. Rarely does a journalist have a small business background, which means they have never met a payroll. Most come from academia where research projects are theory based and not applied real time research. Journalist by most polling data, generally vote Democrat and typically lean leftward in rationale and on issues. As I have written before, journalism and editorial opinion departments have merged, which is unfortunate. In my experience over the years, if you have an elected official offer an idea as a solution like, raising taxes, passing gambling, open borders, free healthcare and college, adding illegal immigrants to the entitlement rolls and allowing them to vote and the like, generally journalist are drooling all over these ideas as if they are a stroke of brilliance. One recent example, Obama’s economic development plan was summed up in two words: Green Jobs. The media treated this notion as astounding. Common sense knew at the outset, this was a flawed concept. Wind energy, solar, and electric cars are not cost effective, so the market potential for these ideas are in the deficit before you wake up in the morning. Government subsidized plants promoting these concepts catastrophically failed on a flawed theory, not applied science. Let’s discuss academia for a minute. I have often proposed that we need corporate business minds running academia, not academics, particularly as College and University Presidents along with Superintendents of Education. You can hire academics to run your educational programs. Education is like any other enterprise, you are in the people business so they have to be led, have budgets, need long term strategic plans with measurable outcomes and who better to address this kind of leadership than a business professional. If you do not have a PhD. behind your name, you can forget about being a university president. Motivating people, being goal oriented, raising funds, selling programs to the public, leadership, making tough decisions and so much more are second nature for a business person. Academics in this environment are at a great disadvantage, because of not having the hard core problem solving skills earned from recession injected experiences, there is just no comparison. As a side note, lawyers often find their way into public office. There are two kinds of lawyers, strict constructionist constitutional originalist (Conservative) and those that believe the constitution is a living, breathing every evolving and changing document (Liberal). Ambulance chasing plaintiff trial lawyers (Liberal) generally are those if elected or appointed as judges practice judicial activism. We do not need these types in any public office. On the other hand, strict constructionists (Conservative) generally make great judges and compliment the business minds in the legislative process, keeping ideas constitutionally driven. Business people have to finish the project or service to get paid; non-business minds are
Five things you need to know about Gerald Dial
The primary elections are over, but some highly sought spots still remain open due to the primary races resulting in runoffs. One of those races is for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries seat. Incumbent Agricultural Commissioner John McMillan announced in January he would not be seeking reelection, opting for a run for State Treasurer instead. Four candidates stepped-up to the plate seeking election in the June 5 Republican primary. Former state Sen. Gerald Dial and Lowndesboro Mayor Rick Pate both garnered enough support to tip the race into a a runoff election set for July 17. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Gerald Dial: 1. He served 37 years in the military, retiring in 1997 as an Assistant Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard Dial joined the Alabama National Guard in 1959, over the course of his 37 year career in the military he attended the Alabama Military Academy and the Engineering Officers Basic Course. In 1968 he also completed the rigorous training required to become a United States Army Ranger, and was ranked as the Assistant Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard when he retired in 1997. 2. He served in the state legislature as both a senator and a representative. In 1974 Dial was elected to serve as a Representative to the Alabama House, a position he held for one term. After his term as a representative, Dial sought election to the Alabama State Senate District 13 in 1983 and won. He then held his position until 2006 coming back to the race in 2010 to win the district back. This year, instead of seeking re-election, he’s joined the race for Agricultural Commissioner citing his 44 years of service in the Alabama Legislature as enough experience for the job. 3. He’s currently one of the President’s pro tempore at Troy University. Then governor Guy Hunt appointed Dial to the Troy University Board of Trustees in 1991 where he now serves as President pro tempore for Area 5. “Sen. Gerald Dial is one of the best public servants that I have met throughout my life in Alabama,” Troy Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. told the Trojan News Center. “For 26 years he has served as a member of the Troy University Board of Trustees and he has served well. Leadership in its truest sense is about pulling people together and focusing them in a common direction. Sen. Dial is the essence of a servant leader and one of whom we can all be proud.” 4. He was appointed by former governor Bob Riley to serve as the Executive Director of the Alabama Rural Action Commission. Dial served as the Executive director of the Alabama rural action commission from 2007 to early 2018, he was appointed for the position by then governor Bob Riley. According to his campaign website, while serving in this position, Dial “helped secure grants for infrastructure improvements, rural broadband initiatives, and community development.” 5. He financed his campaign through his timber business Pate, Dial’s opponent claimed he was the only farmer in the primary race, but Dial says that’s not true. “I am a farmer as well,” Dial told AL.com. “I financed my campaign off of timber.”
Steve Flowers: The wolves at Robert Bentley’s door
Well, our good ole Dr. Governor, Robert Bentley, is headed to the same fate as Guy Hunt and Don Siegelman. Folks, we are building a legacy that may put us in a league with good old Louisiana when it comes to corruption and debauchery. Bentley’s story is sad. I still really believe he is a good guy at heart. He had a tremendous legacy etched for his life if only he hadn’t run for governor. He had established one of if not the largest and premier Dermatology practices in the state in Tuscaloosa. He had been brought up in modest means in rural Shelby County. He was a brilliant student in High School, in undergraduate school at the University of Alabama, and then on to medical school at UAB. He met his wife, Dianne, while in medical school. He was truly a Horatio Alger story. If only he had retired and gone to the beach. Many of us had pointed to April 5 as a day of reckoning for the governor. His reputation had been dreadfully tarnished by his affair. Ole Bentley just doesn’t look the part of a philandering playboy. His plain, grandfatherly look was the reason folks liked him. His simple country look and gait gave the appearance of a trusted family man and Baptist deacon. It was his calling card so to speak. Folks felt betrayed by their old country doctor. Poor ole Bentley wore a white hat and rode a white horse and there’s an old saying that if you ride a white horse you better not get mud on it. The old guy totally fell in love like a little schoolboy. He allowed Mrs. Mason to take control of his life and the reigns of the governor’s office. She has essentially been the governor. She played the old fool like a fiddle. There’s no fool like an old fool. Late Wednesday night after the Ethics Commission opinion came down; I did an interview with a national news network. They had not heard of nor did they know the lurid details of our Dr. Governor’s saga. When I shared it with them and they heard the story of a 74-year-old simple man falling in love with a 44-year-old married woman who gave her husband a vague position making $90,000 a year and that she cajoled and coerced our poor ole governor into transgressing the Ethics Laws to sustain and perpetuate their adulterous relationship, they thought this was as colorful as a soap opera. It is definitely fodder for another book. My last book, “Goats and Governors,” highlights the exploits of ole “Big” Jim Folsom. Bentley may make for a new book. The April 5 Ethics Commission ruling that found that there was a reasonable cause that the governor violated the Ethics Law is the coupe de gras to the Bentley/Mason regime. This Ethics panel is stellar and well versed in the law. You have two of the four voting members who are distinguished retired Circuit Judges, Charles Price and Jerry Fielding. Another prominent attorney, Butch Ellis, appropriately recused himself because he and Bentley are related by marriage. The vote indicted the governor on four counts with overwhelming votes. They concluded that the governor had broken the law. By the way, Bentley appointed three out of four of the members of the Ethics Panel. Their recommendation that Bentley be prosecuted puts the wolves at Bentley’s door. He can’t overcome this blow. The best thing for Bentley to do is to make a deal with the prosecution. It would be best for Bentley and the people of Alabama if the prosecutors would simply allow Bentley to resign and avoid a costly trial and removal from office. Alabama doesn’t need any more of this mess. Mrs. Mason should show some semblance of decency and allow ole Bentley to leave office with some dignity. Ole Bentley is nothing more than a clown. Nobody in Alabama takes him seriously and this latest chapter has made him a National cartoon character. He really should parlay this story into a Soap Opera or even a movie. 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.
Chief Justice’s suspension adds to Alabama’s political mess
Alabama politics are at a low point even by Alabama standards: In a state that trails the nation in many areas, three top elected officials are embroiled in scandal or facing removal from office while a former governor serves time in federal prison on a corruption conviction. Chief Justice Roy Moore was suspended from his job Friday and faces possible ouster over his attempts to block gay marriage following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that effectively legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. It’s familiar territory for the Republican Moore, a Christian conservative who was previously removed from the same position in 2003 over a Ten Commandments monument and easily won re-election later. Meanwhile, fellow Republicans tried to remove Gov. Robert Bentley by impeachment in the just-ended legislative session over a sexually charged scandal involving a top political aide, and an investigation continues. At the same time, GOP House Speaker Mike Hubbard awaits a state trial on 23 felony ethics charges that could result in his removal. If convicted, Hubbard could even join the ranks of the imprisoned like former Gov. Don Siegelman, a Democrat who was convicted on federal influence-peddling charges. All in all, it’s some of the worst of times for Republicans who promised to clean up state government after seizing control from Democrats who dominated for generations. “I never recall when the top leaders of all three branches of government were simultaneously accused of improper behavior,” Bill Stewart, a retired political scientist from the University of Alabama, said Saturday. It’s hard for state government to concentrate on issues like Medicaid or improving a dilapidated prison system when so many officials are fighting for their jobs, he said. “It’s definitely a traumatic time,” Stewart said. Among the nation’s poorest states, Alabama is troubled by problem areas including physical and mental health; comparatively low high school graduation rates; and too many occupational deaths, according to a report by the United Health Foundation. It consistently ranks high in college football – the University of Alabama is the reigning national champion – while struggling in so many other ways. Yet the ranking leaders elected to sort out the mess face confounding troubles of their own. In its list of civil charges against Moore, the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission said the 69-year-old chief justice abused his office by issuing an administrative order to probate judges in January telling them an Alabama court order and law banning same-sex marriages remained in effect despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming same-sex marriage six months earlier. Most counties issued same-sex licenses anyway. In a statement after his suspension, Moore said the commission doesn’t have the authority to police the order he issued. As during a news conference last week, Moore criticized the Judicial Inquiry Commission by referring to a recent protest outside his office that included gay and transgender people. “The JIC has chosen to listen to people like … a professed transvestite, and other gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals, as well as organizations which support their agenda,” Moore said. “We intend to fight this agenda vigorously and expect to prevail.” The Court of the Judiciary will decide whether Moore violated judicial ethics, and he could be removed from office if found guilty. The same court removed Moore from office in 2003 for his refusal to follow a federal court order directing Moore to remove a washing machine-sized Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the state’s judicial building. The governor faces very different problems. In March, Bentley admitted to making inappropriate remarks to an aide, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, in a scandal that has included the public airing of secret recordings that captured Bentley professing love to someone and telling her how much he enjoyed kissing her and touching her breasts, and referencing a need to start locking his office door. The admission came seven months after the former first lady, Dianne Bentley, filed for divorce after 50 years of marriage. Bentley has struggled to shake the scandal, and lawmakers obtained enough signatures to file impeachment articles during the legislative session that ended Wednesday. The House Judiciary Committee will review the claims to see if there are grounds to remove Bentley from office. Hubbard, the House speaker, is at risk of losing his job because of criminal charges. Hubbard is scheduled later this month on 23 felony ethics charges accusing him of using his position as speaker, and previous post as chairman of the Alabama GOP, to direct business to his companies, lobby the governor’s office and to solicit investments and clients for his businesses. Bentley could be among the prosecution witnesses. Hubbard, arguably the most powerful person in state government because of his influence and power to control the House agenda, argues the transactions were legal and separate from his public duties. Hubbard will be automatically removed from office if convicted on even one felony count. He would join the ranks of Alabama politicians convicted of ethics violations or corruption that includes two recent governors, Republican Guy Hunt and Siegelman, the Democrat. Hunt, a Primitive Baptist preacher, was convicted and removed from office in 1993 for using campaign and inaugural funds for personal expenses. He tried to mount a political comeback but failed before his death in 2009. Currently imprisoned in Texas, Siegelman was convicted in 2006 on federal charges of selling a seat on a state health regulatory board in exchange for $500,000 in donations to Siegelman’s campaign to establish a state lottery in 1999. A bipartisan group has asked President Barack Obama to pardon Siegelman, claiming his prosecution was unjust and tainted by politics.
