Steve Flowers: Defense spending important for Alabama
During the Great Depression and coming out of World War II, the deep south had immense power in Washington. We were fortunate to have a cadre of southern senators, who were seniority laden and knew how to bring home the bacon. This group of deep south southern Democrats controlled most of the prominent and consequential major committees in the United States Senate. In that era, all the jobs in the United States Capitol, as well as our state capitol, were patronage jobs or really could be called political jobs. Every clerk, stenographer, research analyst, secretary, and even elevator attendants were granted their jobs based on who you knew, not what you knew. Most people in Washington were working there because they were southerners who had connections to our southern senators. If you got in an elevator in the nation’s capital, you often-times would hear southern accents. That is not true now, today you would hear a foreign accent or foreign language. Our southern senior senators knew how to bring home the bacon like nobody’s business. The roll call included Stennis and Eastland from Mississippi, the southern lion Richard Russell from Georgia, Strom Thurmond from South Carolina, Russell Long from Louisiana, and last but not least our, our dynamic duo of distinguished, erudite powers, Lister Hill and John Sparkman. For this reason, a good many of our nation’s military bases are in the south. Ft. Benning in Georgia is there because of Richard Russell, and probably its location on Alabama’s eastern border of Columbus/Phenix City is no accident. Russell was granting deference to Hill and Sparkman, who really did not need any help. Eastland and Stennis did pretty well for Mississippi’s Gulf Coast when it comes to military and ship building facilities. Eglin and Tyndall Air Force Bases in the Florida panhandle are there thanks to one Bob Sikes “The He-Coon.” However, no state has benefitted more from military defense related locations than us in the good ole Heart of Dixie, thanks in large part to Lister Hill and John Sparkman. If you took the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, the Maxwell/Gunter Air Bases in Montgomery and Ft. Rucker in the Wiregrass out of Alabama, we would be more than wiped out. Our senior senator, Richard Shelby, has been the salvation for sustaining and saving our sacred military facilities. Shelby has not only been Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, but he also retained the Chairmanship of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee. He has made the difference for Redstone, Maxwell, and Rucker for the last decade. Folks, Shelby is retiring at the end of next year and Alabama is going to be up the proverbial creek without a paddle. I am here to tell you that national defense spending is very important to Alabama, but more importantly, it is vitally important to our nation’s security and future. Senator Shelby is sounding the alarm as the senate is crafting the next fiscal year’s budget. He is saying you cannot adhere to the Biden Democratic calls to cut defense spending. The national defense strategy provides a roadmap for our Department of Defense. The Democrat’s efforts to undermine the importance of strategic, long-term defense readiness plays into the hands of our competitors China and Russia. The Democratic Biden Administration budget proposal would allow Russia and China to overmatch our investments in readiness, state-of-the-art equipment, and technology. China seeks hegemony militarily, technologically, financially and is making unprecedented investments to see that come to fruition. Russia is also quietly building a massive military modernization program that saw its defense spending increase 30% over the last 10 years. We must outpace Russia and China in defense spending. Our state, and more importantly our nation, must adhere to Senator Shelby’s admonition that we as a nation cannot afford to cut military spending as President Joe Biden and liberal Democratic Senators in Washington are advocating. The two things that our country still does best and indeed the two most important things we need to do best are having the most superior military in the world and the ability to grow our own food and fiber. Military and Agriculture are America’s salvation and, by the way, defense dollars and agriculture are Alabama’s salvation. We as Alabamians can and should look closely as to who can and will work the hardest to protect defense and agriculture when we vote for the person to succeed Senator Richard Shelby in Washington in the U.S. Senate. That person would not be Mo Brooks. 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.
Steve Flowers: Seniority vs. Senility
Our senior senator, Richard Shelby, will be remembered as Alabama’s most prominent senator when he retires next December. Folks, that’s saying a lot because we have had a host of prominent men serve Alabama in the United States Senate, such as giants like Lister Hill, John Sparkman, and John Bankhead. However, history will record that none of these above senators brought the federal dollars back home to Alabama that Shelby has procured. Seniority is omnipotent in Washington. It is everything, and Senator Shelby has it. He is in his 35th year in the U.S. Senate. He has already broken Senator Sparkman’s 32-year record of longevity in Alabama history and at the end of his term next year he will have served a record 36 years in the Senate. In addition, Shelby was the U.S. Congressman for the old 7th Congressional district for eight years. Shelby has not only been the most prolific funneler of federal dollars to Alabama in our state’s history but he could also be considered one of the most profound movers and shakers of federal funds to their state in American history. His only rival was the late Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Senator Byrd, who was in his ninth term as a senator when he died at 92, funneled an estimated $10 billion to his constituents during his 51 years in the Senate. The obvious question asked by observers of Washington politics is, “Are some of our most powerful senators too old to function cognitively?” I can attest to you that I know Senator Richard Shelby personally and he is the most cognitively alert and healthy 87-year-old man I have ever seen. He works out daily and has the memory of an elephant. In fact, his mental and cognitive abilities are similar to someone 30 years his junior. He very well could run and serve another 6-year term. However, he will be 88 at the end of his term. Shelby is one of five octogenarians serving in the Senate. California’s Dianne Feinstein is the oldest sitting senator at 88. She is followed by Iowa’s Charles “Chuck” Grassley who turns 88 next month. Shelby is the third at 87. James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Senator Pat Leahy of Vermont are 81. By the way, Grassley and Leahy are Shelby’s closest allies in the Senate. The question becomes, “How old is too old to be a U.S. senator?” According to the Congressional Research Service, the average age of senators at the beginning of this year is 64-years. At some point voters have to weigh, “Is my senator too old to perform the duties of the office or does the weight and power of their seniority and the benefit of their influence to the state outweigh their energy and cognizance?” Voters tend to go with experience and seniority over youth. Senator Feinstein has been the most widely discussed current senator for a decline in health. Liberals believe she was too conciliatory during Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearing. There is a pervasive whispering campaign about Feinstein’s alleged cognitive decline and the Democratic senior leadership has indeed quietly removed her as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was common knowledge and apparent that Senator Shelby’s predecessor as Chairman of Appropriations, Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, was not very cognitive in his last years in the Senate although he was younger, chronically. The most notable example of possibly staying too long is probably the story of legendary Senator Strom Thurman of South Carolina. In 2003 Strom Thurman retired at the age of 100 after 48 years in the Senate. It was no secret that his staff did everything for him during his last six-year term. Our founding fathers created a minimum age for serving in the U.S. House or Senate but did not address a maximum. The owner of Grub’s Pharmacy used by many on Capitol Hill in Washington raised eyebrows in 2017 when he revealed he routinely sent Alzheimer’s medication to Capitol Hill. There are continuing attempts to pass a Constitutional Amendment to limit the terms of Congressmen and Senators. Republicans run on the issue of term limits. It was part of their contract with America Agenda in 1994. Alabamians need to consider being for term limits in 2022 because it comes down to the old adage of whose ox is being gourd. We in Alabama are going to be up the proverbial creek without a paddle after Shelby. He is our power in Washington. We need to all jump on the term limit bandwagon beginning next year. 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.
Steve Flowers: Alabama will miss Richard Shelby, immensely
In only 21 short months, at the close of 2022, Alabama will lose the greatest senator in our state’s history. Those of us who are political historians will acknowledge Richard Shelby as Alabama’s most pronounced political emissary in Washington. In my 2015 book, Six Decades of Alabama Political History, I have a chapter titled “Alabama’s Three Greatest Senators,” which features Lister Hill, John Sparkman, and Richard Shelby. Lister Hill and John Sparkman were icons but, if we’re writing that chapter today, Richard Shelby would be alone as the premier “Giant of Alabama.” Hill served in the Senate for 30 years and Sparkman for 32 years. Shelby eclipsed Sparkman’s record two years ago and at the end of his term will set the bar at 36 years. It should also be noted that Senators Shelby, Hill, and Sparkman served nearly a decade or more in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Shelby is now in his 43rd year in Washington. Seniority is king and paramount in assessing power under the Capitol dome. However, what you do with that seniority is what makes one great. The average voter and citizen of our beloved state does not comprehend the magnitude of the federal largesse that Richard Shelby has brought home to the Heart of Dixie. His strength, power, and resolve have resulted in countless improvements to every corner of our state. It would take volumes and annals to chronicle the federal dollars that Shelby has funneled to Alabama throughout his career. Beginning with the coastal area of Mobile and the Docks, to the Wiregrass and Fort Rucker, to Montgomery’s Maxwell and Gunter; to UAB in Birmingham, and finally Shelby’s impact on the growth and prosperity of the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, are incomprehensible. Folks, when you combine all of the aforementioned economic engines, we are not talking about a couple million extra federal dollars but more like hundreds of millions of federal dollars. Shelby has been the savior of these centers of economic growth and employment in our state. The two most important, UAB and Redstone Arsenal, owe their growth and prosperity to Shelby’s ability to bring home the bacon. He has had the most profound impact over the last few years as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. He very adroitly kept in conjunction the Chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations. If you do not think defense dollars are important to Alabamians, simply ask the folks in the Wiregrass and Montgomery’s River Region what Ft. Rucker and Maxwell/Gunter mean to them. Also, Huntsville would be a sleepy little cotton town if it were not for the Redstone Arsenal. While Shelby was not in the U.S. Senate when these facilities were placed in Alabama, you can bet your bottom dollar that they have flourished, prospered, and more than likely survived because of Richard Shelby. Senator Shelby and I have been friends for over 35 years. I was a part of his inaugural 1986 triumphant election to the Senate. To know him personally is to see a man that you instantly recognize as a once-in-a-lifetime giant. He is extremely witty and personable with a keen lawyer’s mind that analyzes your words as soon as they come out of your mouth. Indeed, he was a brilliant and very successful lawyer before entering Congress. If he had not gone into politics, he could have become a billionaire as a Wall Street Lawyer. As Shelby eloquently said in his retirement statement, there is a time for every season. He will be 87 in May of this year and 88 at the end of this term. He deserves some private years. He enjoys time with his wife and best friend of over 60 years, Annette Shelby. He will enjoy being at home in his beloved Tuscaloosa and hunting occasionally with his buddies, Joe Perkins and Judge L. Scott Coogler. Maybe he will have time to reminisce with some of us who like to share old Alabama political stories. In closing, there will be plenty of time to observe the fray that will be developing to follow the legend of Richard Shelby, but no one will ever fill his shoes. As I traversed the state doing television interviews the day of Shelby’s announcement, I became melancholy and almost tearful for Alabama’s sake. While driving between Montgomery and Birmingham, I had a lengthy telephone conversation with the lady who has been Shelby’s real Chief of Staff, confidant, and gatekeeper his entire career in Congress. She very aptly told me to tell the people of Alabama that whoever follows Shelby, even if brilliant, will be 20 years in waiting and learning before they will be able to wield any power. She is correct. Seniority is king in Washington. 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.
Steve Flowers: Jim Martin father of modern Republican Party in Alabama
Three years ago, Jim Martin passed away in Gadsden at 99 years old. His beloved wife of 60 years, Pat, was by his side. He was a true Christian gentleman. Jim was one of the Fathers of the modern Republican Party in the south. In 1962, John Kennedy was President. Camelot was in full bloom. The Congress was controlled by Democrats only because the south was solidly Democratic. The southern bloc of senators and congressmen were all Democrats. Because of their enormous seniority, they controlled both houses of Congress. The issue of Civil Rights was a tempest set to blow off the Capitol dome. Kennedy was under intense pressure to pass major Civil Rights legislation. However, he was up against a stonewall to get it through the powerful bloc of southern senators. Race was the only issue in the south, especially in Alabama. George Wallace was riding the race issue to the Governor’s office for his first term. The white southern voter was determined to stand firm against integration and was poised to cast their vote for the most ardent segregationists on the ballot. Our Congressional delegation was Democratic, all eight Congressmen, and both Senators. Our tandem of John Sparkman and Lister Hill had a combined 40-years of service. Lister Hill had gone to the U.S. Senate in 1938. He had served four six-year terms and had become a national celebrity in his 24 years in the Senate. He was up for election for his fifth six-year term. It was expected to be a coronation. Senator Hill was reserved, aristocratic, and almost felt as if he was above campaigning. He was also soft on the race issue. He was a progressive who refused race-bait. Out of nowhere a handsome, articulate, young Gadsden businessman, Jim Martin, appeared on the scene. Martin was 42, a decorated World War II officer, who fought with Patton’s 3rd Army in Europe. He entered as a private and became an integral part of Patton’s team, rising to the rank of Major. After the war, Martin went to work for Amoco Oil and married a Miss Alabama – Pat Huddleston from Clanton. They then settled in Gadsden and he bought an oil distributorship and became successful in business. He was a business Republican and became active in the State Chamber of Commerce. When the State Chamber Board went to Washington to visit the Congressional delegation, they were treated rudely by our Democratic delegates, who were still voting their progressive New Deal, pro-union philosophy. Martin left Washington and decided that Alabama at least needed a two-party system and that he would be the sacrificial lamb to take on the venerable Lister Hill as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. Martin got the nomination in a convention and the David vs. Goliath race was on. By late summer the big city newspapers could feel that Martin had some momentum. He was being perceived as the conservative and Hill as the liberal. Every Alabama courthouse was Democratic, all sheriffs, Probate Judges, as well as all statewide elected officials. It was hard to imagine that the tradition of voting Democratic would change, but the winds of segregation were strong. When the votes were counted in November of 1962, Martin had pulled off the biggest upset in the nation. NBC’s team of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley reported the phenomenon on the nightly news. Republican President Dwight Eisenhower called Martin to congratulate him. However, things were happening in rural North Alabama. Martin had won by 6,000 votes but three days later, mysterious boxes appeared with just enough votes to give Hill the belated victory. The entire country and most Alabamians knew that Jim Martin had been counted out. Jim Martin would have been the first Republican Senator from the south in a century. Some people speculate that he would have been the vice-presidential candidate with Richard Nixon in 1968. Regardless, Martin was the John the Baptist of the Southern Republican sweep of 1964, and father of the modern Republican Party in Alabama. That 1962 Senate race was a precursor of what was to come two years later. Jim Martin was one of five Republicans swept into Congress in the 1964 Goldwater landslide. He probably would have won the U.S. Senate seat of John Sparkman in 1966. However, Martin chose to run for governor against Lurleen Wallace. In 1987, Martin became Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. As Commissioner, Martin helped create the Forever Wild land preservation program. Jim Martin has a special place in Alabama political history. 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.
Inside the Statehouse: Methodists have Dominated High Offices in Alabama History
Alabama’s leading columnists discusses the respective faiths of our state’s leaders.
Steve Flowers: Richard Shelby eclipsing Alabama greats in annals of senatorial lore
A few weeks back my column illuminated the career and influence attained by our senior U.S. Senator Richard Shelby. In the column and in my book, “Six Decades of Alabama Political Stories,” I reference the fact that our current senior senator will be regarded as one of Alabama’s greatest U.S. Senators? I consider Lister Hill, John Sparkman, and Richard Shelby in that triumvirate. However, history more than likely will reveal that Shelby is eclipsing Hill and Sparkman in the annals of senatorial lore. Shelby is chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. In his illustrious 31-year tenure in the Senate he has chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, which in itself parallels the achievements of Hill and Sparkman. However, Richard Shelby is next in line to take over the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. Therefore, it is almost comical that a few right-wing fringe members of the state Republican Party along with some kook from Texas are promising some resolution to censure Senator Shelby for not voting for Roy Moore in last year’s election. If these folks had even walking around political sense they would be promoting a ticker tape parade for Shelby. I would suggest that Richard Shelby could care less what some members of the Alabama Republican Party say about his vote in the recent election. Members of political party organizations have an inflated opinion of their influence in politics and public policy. Being a member of a state political party has no more effect on politics than being president of the local Civitan Club. Their primary function is to set the Primary dates. Therefore, when these political party operatives get together to debate this benign resolution on February 24, they may imagine that it matters what they do. However, you can be assured that nobody cares, much less Shelby. Resolutions passed in political party gatherings have no effect or relevance. It is very doubtful that this proposed resolution will see the light of day. Most people who are political party operatives are logical folks and would not want to offend or insult Senator Shelby. He is the Republican Party of Alabama in the eyes of the nation. If it were to pass, he would graciously ignore it and hold no grudges. When Kay Ivey became governor last year, the first thing she did was to reverse the decision of Governor Robert Bentley on the date of the election for Jeff Sessions’ senate seat. Bentley had set it for this year when everything runs anyway. Ivey decided that it should be held forthwith and that a Special Election would be in 2017. However, this Special Election costs the beleaguered State General Fund $11 million. If it were held this year it would have cost the state zero – we were voting anyway. This $11 million is nothing to sneeze at when it comes to state revenue. This aspect caught the eye of House Ways and Means chairman, Steve Clouse, R-Ozark. Clouse, who is a wise steward of the state’s coffers, and is tasked with balancing the budget, has set out to rectify and clarify when any future election for a Senate Seat shall be held. He has offered a bill to set the dates and clarify “forthwith.” Clouse’s Bill says that the election will be held at the next General election. His legislation has already passed the House and is awaiting action in the State Senate. Steve Clouse is a popular Wiregrass legislator who epitomizes integrity and espouses fiscal conservatism. While speaking of popularity in the Wiregrass, Governor Kay Ivey did a good day’s work when she picked Dothan Circuit Judge, Brad Mendheim, to fill the vacancy on the State Supreme Court. It is appropriate that she appointed Mendheim, a Wiregrass judge, to fill the seat of Justice Glen Murdock, another Wiregrass native. I have never seen or heard of anybody more respected in their hometown than 51-year-old Brad Mendheim is in Dothan. He was born and raised in Houston County and has been a Circuit Judge for 10 years. He is a deacon in the First Baptist Church of Dothan. He graduated in a stellar class that included Dr. Russ Holman, who is one of the most prominent radiologist in the state. 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.
Steve Flowers: History will record Richard Shelby as Alabama’s greatest senator
A few months back the Jefferson County Republican Party honored our Senior U.S. Senator, Richard Shelby. It was held at The Club in Birmingham. The view from atop Red Mountain from this elegant club is spectacular, especially at night from the ballroom. The glass enclosure allows you to see the grandeur of the Birmingham skyline. As you glimpse at the scene you can see many of the buildings that are the heart of the University of Alabama/Birmingham. As the tribute to Shelby began, I looked out over the night sky and caught a glimpse of the $70 million Shelby Biomedical Research building. I thought how appropriate that they were honoring a living legend in Alabama political history. Senator Shelby has been an integral part of the growth and expansion of UAB. The UAB Medical Complex and Research Center is now Jefferson County’s premier economic engine and employer. In fact, UAB and the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville are Alabama’s crown jewels now and for the future. It could be said that UAB and the Redstone Arsenal have flourished because of Richard Shelby and his prowess at bringing home the bacon to Alabama over the past 30 years. In my book, “Six Decades of Colorful Alabama Political Stories,” which was published several years ago, I have a chapter devoted to and entitled “Alabama’s Three Greatest Senators.” Two of those Senators served as a tandem in Washington during the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. Lister Hill and John Sparkman were powerful and revered statesmen. Hill, a Montgomerian, served in the U.S. Senate for 30 years from 1938 to 1968. He was a congressman from the second district for 12 years prior to going to the U.S. Senate during the FDR New Deal. Prior to becoming a U.S. Senator, John Sparkman was a congressman for eight years from his native Tennessee Valley. When he retired in 1970, he had been in the Senate for 32 years – the record for an Alabama U.S. Senator. Sparkman is the father of the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. In fact they ought to name Huntsville Sparkmanville. Lister Hill whose legacy was in health care was the Father of UAB. Senator Shelby has sustained these two giant legacies. He has used his power and influence to fuel the continued growth of these two pivotal cogs in Alabama’s economic engine. They are both reliant on Federal dollars which Shelby has supplied. Hill and Sparkman were both University of Alabama graduates. Law school and undergraduate. They both were Student Government Presidents. Shelby was also a product of the University of Alabama. He was a Tuscaloosa lawyer prior to going to Congress in 1978. He had served eight years in the State Senate prior to his departure for Washington. He served eight years in Congress prior to being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986. He was reelected to his sixth six-year term last year. This time next year, he will surpass John Sparkman’s 32 years in the Senate and will have the record for longevity in the U.S. Senate from Alabama. I would contend that Richard Shelby has eclipsed Hill and Sparkman in Alabama political history when it comes to power and influence in Washington. Many times it is difficult to ascertain or recognize greatness when it is current. However, history will record that Richard Shelby would arguably be considered Alabama’s greatest U. S. Senator. John Sparkman chaired banking and had a legacy with housing Americans. Lister Hill authored the Hill-Burton Act which built hospitals all over America. Richard Shelby has been Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. He has been Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is currently Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. Folks, what that means is that nothing becomes law in the United States or no budget or U.S. appropriation is approved without the consent of our Senior U.S. Senator. Richard Shelby has reached a pinnacle of power never before seen in Alabama political history. It really does not matter who is our Junior Senator. As long as we have Richard Shelby we do not need a second U.S. Senator. 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.
Steve Flowers: Sam Rayburn’s legacy lived on in Alabama’s Bob Jones
The legendary Speaker of the U.S. House, Sam Rayburn, coined a famous phrase he used often and imparted to young congressmen when they would arrive on Capitol Hill full of vim and vigor. He would sit down with them and invite them to have a bourbon and branch water with him. The old gentleman, who had spent nearly half a century in the Congress, after hearing their ambitions of how they were going to change the world, would look them in the eye and say, “You know here in Congress there are 435 prima donnas and they all can’t be lead horses.” Then the Speaker in his Texas drawl would say, “If you want to get along, you have to go along.” Mr. Sam Rayburn ruled as Speaker during the Franklin Delano Roosevelt post-Depression and World War II era. The Democrats dominated Congress. Mr. Sam could count on the big city Congressmen from Tammany Hall in New York and the Chicago machine politicians following the Democratic leadership because they had gotten there by going along with the Democratic bosses who controlled the wards that made up their urban districts. But the country was still rural at that time and Mr. Sam would have to invite a backsliding rural member to his Board of Education meeting in a private den in the basement of the Capitol and occasionally explain his adage again to them that in order to get along you have to go along. One of Mr. Sam Rayburn’s young pupils was a freshly minted congressman from Alabama’s Tennessee Valley. Bob Jones from Scottsboro was elected to Congress in 1946 when John Sparkman ascended to the U.S. Senate. Speaker Rayburn saw a lot of promise in freshman congressman Jones. The ole Texan invited Jones to visit his Board of Education meeting early in his first year. He calmly advised Jones to sit on the right side of the House chamber in what Mr. Sam called his pews. He admonished the young congressman to sit quietly for at least four years and not say a word or make a speech and to always vote with the Speaker. In other words if you go along you will get along. Bob Jones followed the sage advice of Speaker Rayburn and he got along very well. Congressman Bob Jones served close to 30 years in the Congress from Scottsboro and the Tennessee Valley. He and John Sparkman were instrumental in transforming the Tennessee Valley into Alabama’s most dynamic, progressive and prosperous region of the State. They spearheaded the location and development of Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal. Bob Jones was one of Alabama’s greatest congressmen. At the time of Bob Jones’ arrival in Congress in 1946 we had nine congressional seats. By the time, he left in the 1960’s we had dropped to eight. We now have seven. Folks, I hate to inform you of this but population growth estimates reveal that we are going to lose a seat after the next census in 2020. Our current seven-person delegation consists of six Republicans and one Democrat. This sole Democratic seat is reserved for an African American. The Justice Department and Courts will not allow you to abolish that seat. Reapportionment will dictate that you begin with that premise. The growth and geographic location of the Mobile/Baldwin district of Bradley Byrne cannot be altered, nor can the urban Tennessee Valley 5th District, nor the Jefferson/Shelby 6th District. They are unalterable and will also reveal growth in population. Our senior and most powerful Congressman, Robert Aderholt’s 4th District has normal growth and you do not want to disrupt his tenure path. Therefore, the odd man out may be a woman. It is conjectured that Martha Roby’s 2nd District is the one on the chopping block. Her second and Mike Rogers’ 3rd District will be combined into a new 2nd district. However, Roby may exit before she is carved out. She made a colossal blunder in 2016 by denouncing and publicly stating that she was not going to vote her party’s GOP nominee, Donald Trump. The fallout was devastating. She has become a pariah in her southeast Alabama district. It is one of the most conservative and pro-Republican districts in the state. She may survive 2018, because any serious challenger who has their own money to buy the seat may be wise enough to realize that District will not be here in four more years. It will be over in Georgia around Atlanta. 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.
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.
Steve Flowers: Some positive political observations for 2017 so far
Most times political columns are critical or derogatory of politicians. However, today I would like to share some positive observations from the first few months of this year. Sometimes I enjoy striding down the halls of our old capitol reminiscing about my younger days when I would walk those halls as a page boy and then during my 30s and 40s as a member of the legislature. In bygone days, you would never see a constitutional officer in their offices working on Fridays, not even the governor. A few months ago, I walked down the halls at about 3:30 on a Friday afternoon and popped into Secretary of State John Merrill’s office and to my amazement Secretary Merrill was in his office working. After visiting with him a while, I walked across the hall to the State Treasurer’s office and lo and behold there was Young Boozer working away. We chatted a while, Young’s daddy was a good friend of mine. His name was also Young Boozer. He was a very successful businessman. He had been a star football player at Alabama during the 1920s with Bear Bryant. He intercepted a pass that won the Rose Bowl against Stanford, which by the way is this Young’s alma mater. Well about three weeks later I was attending a ceremony in the old historic House chamber, which was also on a Friday afternoon. I repeated my steps from the previous Friday and again Merrill and Boozer were in their offices working. In essence not only are John Merrill and Young Boozer uniquely qualified for their jobs, these two gentlemen have an honest to goodness work ethic for the people of Alabama. Our Senior Senator Richard Shelby has been our U.S. Senator since 1986. During those 30 years, he has kept a campaign promise made during that 1986 campaign. He has come home and visited all 67 counties each and every year. As he begins his sixth six-year term he finds himself in a pinnacle of power never before matched in Alabama political history. He is without question one of the five most powerful men in the United States Senate, which makes him one of the nation’s most important leaders. Senator Shelby chairs the omnipotent Senate Rules Committee. Within the next two years he will set the record for Senate longevity by any Alabama Senator in history. He will exceed John Sparkman’s record of over 32 years in the Senate and he will also become Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Most U.S. Senators in his position would enjoy the trappings of power and adulation in Washington. Not Shelby. At 81 years old, he spent the months of February and March quietly traveling the state visiting with Alabama businesses discussing how he could use his seniority to enhance their opportunities and growth. One Wednesday night in late February, I joined my old friend Shelby for dinner in downtown Enterprise. He had spent the past two days visiting with military-related industries throughout the Wiregrass around Ft. Rucker. As we reminisced about past times in Alabama politics I marveled at how sharp Shelby is for 81. He looks and moves more like someone 61. We are fortunate to have Shelby. State Senator Gerald Dial has been in the Alabama Senate for 30 years. He has adamantly said he is not running for re-election next year. He is using his last term in the Senate to be a leader and workhorse. He seems to be in charge of the Senate. He is involved with every major issue and is chairing the Reapportionment Committee, which has to have a resolution by the end of the Session. He seems more like the Governor than a powerful State Senator. State Senator Cam Ward has taken the bull by the horns with the prison overcrowding bond issue. He has been the architect, developer, chief cook and bottle washer of this premier and critical issue. He has filled a void left by the governor’s office. Representative Steve Clouse has become the budget guru and mainstay of the beleaguered General Fund. As Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee he has worked adroitly and prudently to keep the ship of state afloat. If it were not for Clouse’s diligence and stewardship, the state would be floating aimlessly into the Gulf of Mexico. 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.
