Steve Flowers: Donald Trump will be coronated at the Republican Convention:
The Republican National Convention begins next week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee was selected as the home to the GOP Convention for a reason. Wisconsin is one of the six major pivotal battleground states in the presidential race. The others are Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, and possibly Pennsylvania. In bygone years, presidential candidates campaigned in 40 or so states because 40 states were in play. Today the candidates will concentrate in these few swing states and will really focus their efforts on certain locales and precincts within these handful of states. Even the media, both right and left, discuss and reveal polling in these swing states and disregard the national horserace polling numbers because they are irrelevant. Under our electoral college system of selecting our president where the winner of each state’s popular vote gets all of those states electoral votes, there is no reason to campaign in 40 states because those back 40 are already predisposed to vote for either the Republican or Democratic candidate. As I have often said, if Mickey Mouse were the Republican nominee he would win Alabama and Kansas. By the same token, if Donald Duck were the Democratic nominee he would carry the states of California and New York, and get all of their boatload of electoral votes. You might say that the “hay is in the barn” in Kansas and the “cannabis in the halo” in California. Donald J. Trump will be coronated by the GOP delegates at the Milwaukee confab July 15-18. Republicans are hoping that by giving deference to Wisconsin, it will help the former President carry the state in November. Trump won the state narrowly against Hillary Clinton in 2016 and lost narrowly to Biden in 2020. Currently, Trump and Biden are knotted at 45/45 in Wisconsin with third party candidate Robert Kennedy getting a substantial 10%. In fact, as the convention begins, current polling has Donald Trump ahead of Joe Biden in most of the battleground states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, and even Michigan. Trump is ahead and will be favored to win the General Election for three reasons. First, Joe Biden’s aged demeanor is an Achilles heel that he cannot overcome, and it will only get worse. Pivotal Independents are not comfortable that he is capable of being Commander in Chief, and young Democratic voters are not enthused to vote for someone for President of the United States that looks like their great grandfather who is running for president of his nursing home. Secondly, the candidacy of third-party candidate Robert Kennedy is siphoning off these young Democratic voters. The third and primary reason is that the Democratic plan and ploy to indict former President Trump on trumped up ridiculous court cases in primarily Democratic venues around the country, has incensed American Republican and Independent voters to such a degree that this mockery of the court system has made Trump a martyr. It has definitely made the Trump Republican base mad and fired up. The Democrats overplayed their hand with this court charade. This circus abuse of the judiciary for political purposes has truly angered the Republican base. It has assured Trump the GOP nomination and it has even made the pivotal Independent voters sway towards Trump. Alabama is a Trump state. The Alabama delegation will fervently cast 50 delegate votes for Donald J. Trump next week. Senator “Coach” Tommy Tuberville will be the one who gets to reply to the Chair of the Convention when they call the roll for the vote. Alabama will be the first to vote as they call the roll alphabetically. Senator Tuberville will rise and shout that the great state of Alabama proudly casts all of its 50 delegate votes to the next President of the United States, President Donald J. Trump. It is appropriate that Tuberville is Chairman of the Alabama delegation. He and Trump are close. Indeed, if Trump becomes President, our Senior Senator Tuberville will be the President’s closest ally in the Senate. They talk consistently, and golf together regularly. Our 50-member delegation is star-studded. Our Senior State Senate Legend, Senator Jabo Waggoner, will be a delegate to the National Convention for the ninth time. Jabo is 87. He will be joined by the youngest delegate ever elected, 22-year-old St. Clair native and lifelong resident of Chandler Mountain, young Logan Glass. 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 steve@steveflowers.us. The Republican National Convention begins next week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee was selected as the home to the GOP Convention for a reason. Wisconsin is one of the six major pivotal battleground states in the presidential race. The others are Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, and possibly Pennsylvania. In bygone years, presidential candidates campaigned in 40 or so states because 40 states were in play. Today the candidates will concentrate in these few swing states and will really focus their efforts on certain locales and precincts within these handful of states. Even the media, both right and left, discuss and reveal polling in these swing states and disregard the national horserace polling numbers because they are irrelevant. Under our electoral college system of selecting our president where the winner of each state’s popular vote gets all of those states electoral votes, there is no reason to campaign in 40 states because those back 40 are already predisposed to vote for either the Republican or Democratic candidate. As I have often said, if Mickey Mouse were the Republican nominee he would win Alabama and Kansas. By the same token, if Donald Duck were the Democratic nominee he would carry the states of California and New York, and get all of their boatload of electoral votes. You might say that the “hay is in the barn” in Kansas and the “cannabis in the halo” in California. Donald J. Trump will be coronated by the GOP delegates
Republican Presidential Debate set for tonight; Donald Trump not participating
The first Republican presidential debate is on Wednesday at 8:00 pm on Fox News Channel. “The Republican Party is officially kicking off the primary process in Wisconsin with the first debate and ending it in Wisconsin with the convention,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said on Twitter. “We need every Wisconsin Republican to go to http://BankYourVote.co/gopchair and join the team that will Beat Biden!” Frontrunner former President Donald Trump is not participating. “New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by ‘legendary’ numbers,” Trump said, explaining why he was not participating. “TRUMP 62%, 46 Points above DeSanctimonious (who is crashing like an ailing bird!), Ramaswamy 7%, Pence 5%, Scott 3%, Haley 2%, Sloppy Chris Christie 2%, “Aida” Hutchinson 1%,” Trump wrote. “The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” Coming into the debate, polling shows that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is running in second place, followed by businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. The other candidates on the stage will be U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Vice President Mike Pence. A key issue overshadowing the normal presidential political process is the over 50 indictments against Trump. To this point, the legal controversy has benefited Trump, but will that continue? There are also concerns by some that Trump may not be able to serve if he is found guilty of participating in an insurgency. Trump supporters scoff at assertions that President Trump could be barred constitutionally and dismiss the indictments as Democrats politicizing the legal system. The Madison County Young Republicans are hosting a Republican presidential debate watch party. The debate Starts at 8 pm and ends at 10 pm. The event will be at The Best Pizzeria in Huntsville. The St. Clair County Young Republicans, the Shelby County Young Republicans, and the Greater Birmingham Young Republicans are co-hosting a debate watch party at Hoover Tactical Firearms. The event is from 6:30 – 9:30 pm, and food will be provided. Dues-paying YRs get in for free, $5 tickets for everyone else. The Republican delegates to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will formally select the GOP nominee. Incumbent President Joe Biden appears to be the Democratic nominee, but he is being challenged by former Congressman Robert Kennedy. At present, President Biden has not agreed to any Democratic presidential debates. The Republican primary season will begin in Iowa in January. The Democratic primary season this year will start in South Carolina. The Alabama presidential primary is on March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Republican Party has sold nearly all tickets to Donald Trump dinner
If you plan to see President Donald Trump when he comes to Montgomery on August 4, you need to buy those tickets today because the Alabama Republican Party reports that their dinner with Trump event is nearly sold out. “With less than ten days to go, only a few tickets remain for the Alabama Republican Party’s Summer Dinner with President Donald J. Trump,” the Alabama Republican Party announced late Tuesday in a press statement. “The response we’ve received since we announced President Trump as our keynote speaker has been overwhelming,” said Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl. “We expect individual tickets to be sold out imminently, and sales for table sponsors will shut down on Friday, if not sooner.” The dinner will take place on Friday, August 4, 2023, at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel at the Convention Center. The evening will kick off with a reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. “We are excited at this opportunity to raise the profile of our state by hosting the GOP frontrunner for president and giving Alabamians the chance to interact with him,” Wahl said. “Alabama is a Super Tuesday state and will play an important role in selecting our Party’s nominee.” To purchase tickets and sponsorships, go to the Alabama Republican Party’s website. Trump previously headlined the ALGOP’s 2021 Cullman fundraiser, where more than 50,000 people braved wet conditions and mud to see the former President. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke to the Alabama Republican Party in March at their Winter Dinner fundraiser. Trump was elected President in 2016, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump failed to win reelection in 2020, losing the presidency to former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump is seeking a Trump v. Biden rematch, but he faces a crowded Republican primary field that includes: DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, U.S. Senator Tim Scott, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and others. Trump remains the early polling frontrunner, despite being age 77 and facing indictments in at least three courts. At this point, Biden’s only serious roadblock to the Democratic nomination is former Congressman Robert Kennedy. The Alabama Presidential Primary will be on Tuesday, March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
George Wallace Jr.: 50th anniversary of George Wallace assassination attempt offers opportunity for reflection
Fifty years ago, on May 15, 1972, I was a student at the University of Alabama and in my Tuscaloosa apartment when a “Special Report” on the television announced that my father, Gov. George C. Wallace, had been shot and critically injured in an assassination attempt on his life. The frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination at the time, Dad had been campaigning in Maryland on the eve of that state’s primary. The Michigan primary was scheduled for the next day, as well, and polling predicted that my father would carry both states by wide margins. It was at a parking lot rally in Laurel, Maryland where Arthur Bremer, a troubled, 21-year-old busboy from Milwaukee, took five fateful shots and wounded my father in the chest and abdomen as he was shaking hands in the crowd. Dad later told me that he was immediately aware his injuries were serious, and when he hit the ground, he purposely turned his head, closed his eyes, and pretended to be dead in hopes that a possible second gunman would choose not to shoot. Despite the chaos surrounding him, he had felt a certain peace and finality come over him as he wrongly assumed his wounds would be fatal. A Secret Service agent had kneeled over him in a protective position, but his drawn gun was dangerously close to Dad’s head. “I wish you wouldn’t point that at me – I have been shot enough for one day,” he told the agent. Bremer’s flurry of gunfire had also resulted in Secret Service agent Nick Zarvos being shot in the neck, Alabama State Trooper E.C. Dothard, a member of the gubernatorial security detail, receiving a graze to the stomach, and Dora Thompson, a campaign volunteer from Hyattsville, Maryland, suffering a knee wound after a bullet ricocheted off of the asphalt. A diary that Bremer kept for months stated his intention to “do something bold and dramatic” and indicated he had originally intended to assassinate President Richard Nixon. Stalking the president on his various travels, Bremer got close enough to take a shot at an economic summit in Ottawa, Canada, but the strong Secret Service presence surrounding the chief executive prompted him to change plans and target my father – the most likely future president – instead. Within minutes of receiving the news, state troopers arrived at my apartment door, whisked me to the airport, and placed me aboard a private jet along with Charlie Snider, the national chairman of the Wallace presidential campaign, press secretary Billy Joe Camp, and a handful of others. We soon arrived at Holy Cross Hospital, where my father had been taken by ambulance and was undergoing five hours of emergency surgery. The attending doctors told us that his already grave injuries were complicated by the fact that just prior to the rally, Dad and his traveling campaign staff had stopped at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant, where he ate his usual lunch of hamburger steak and fries doused in ketchup. The bullets had caused the undigested food to explode within his abdomen, and the lingering peritonitis blood infection and abscesses that followed would almost claim his life. When I walked into the recovery room, my father was still heavily sedated and many of the stitches on his chest and stomach were visible. He reached out with a look I had never seen – one of a man who had been to death’s door and was back among the living, reunited with his family. I have never forgotten that look. It soon became clear that the injuries had paralyzed my father from the waist down, and though we held hope that he would eventually regain use of his legs, those particular prayers were left unanswered. He remained hospitalized at Holy Cross for several weeks as he fought infections and held the continuing specter of death at bay. Once he regained strength, he received visits from notable leaders that included President Nixon, Senator George McGovern, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, and Ethel Kennedy, whose husband, Robert Kennedy, had been killed while campaigning for the presidency in 1968. Cards, letters, telegrams, and flowers flowed into the hospital by the thousands. Upon his release, Dad flew to Miami on a military medical aircraft, which was provided by President Nixon, to appear at the 1972 Democratic National Convention, where McGovern, a committed liberal, would claim the nomination. My father’s forced absence from the campaign trail had allowed his competitor to secure the required delegates. During his convention remarks, Dad warned the Democrats that embracing the extreme left and its ultra-liberal agenda would cost the party the support of the rank-and-file, blue-collar, middle-class families that served as its foundation and doom it to lose the Deep South states in future elections. Like a clairvoyant with a crystal ball, all of the predictions he made those years ago have come true today. As my father spoke, a handful of liberal delegates tried to shout him down, and some marched around the convention hall wearing paper masks depicting Arthur Bremer, which Wallace supporters ripped from their faces. The vast majority, though, gave him a warm reception and appreciated the history of the moment. His mission complete, it was time to return to his beloved Alabama. My father would serve two more terms as governor and run for president a fourth time in 1976, though he lost the nomination to Jimmy Carter, a former Georgia governor who had once been a Wallace supporter. Retirement from public office in 1987 would offer him the opportunity for reflection in his later years, and his relationship with God grew significantly. One of the most enduring and revealing testaments to my father’s deepening faith came in an incredible letter of forgiveness he wrote with no fanfare or public announcement to his assailant, Arthur Bremer, in 1995. A copy of the missive was discovered tucked away in Dad’s files years after it was written. “I love you and have forgiven you, and if you will ask Jesus Christ into your heart,
Roy Moore, Luther Strange move to runoff for Ala. U.S. Senate race
Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore and sitting Sen. Luther Strange will face off in a runoff election to decide the Republican nominee for the rest of Jeff Sessions’ Senate term. Republicans voting Tuesday did not give a single candidate more than 50 percent of the vote, resulting in the top two vote-getters moving on to a runoff election Sept. 26. Republican voters gave Moore an 8-point lead over Strange, 40 to 32 percent, with 66 of 67 counties reporting. Huntsville Republican Congressman Mo Brooks came in third at 20 percent, with state Sen. Trip Pittman of Baldwin County getting seven percent and Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson with less than one percent. Unofficial results put turnout at about 15 percent, with 500,390 votes cast of 3,281,781 total registered voters. More than 376,000 Republicans cast ballots. Other Republican candidates receiving less than one percent include Dr. James Beretta, Joseph Breault, Mary Maxwell and Bryan Peeples. The contentious primary featured bitter accusations between Strange and Brooks, which cast no small doubt on whether the sitting incumbent — who enjoyed endorsements from both President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — could come in either first or second. What did not help was that Strange was appointed in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, who later resigned in disgrace after a sex scandal. Strange also struggled with his association with McConnell, whose popularity plummeted among Republicans. Brooks constantly hammered McConnell, calling the Majority Leader the Senate’s “Swamp King.” McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund had run waves of negative ads during the primary — many supporting Strange, but much more against Brooks, calling him a “career politician” and blasting his nonsupport of Trump in 2016. Late in the race, Strange finally received Trump’s endorsement (on Twitter), even though Strange also did not publicly endorse the New York real estate mogul during last year’s presidential primaries. As for Democrats, former federal prosecutor Doug Jones looks to be winning the primary outright with more than 61 percent of the votes cast. Jones, received a late-primary endorsement from former Vice President Joe Biden. While he led polling throughout the primary season, Kennedy’s name recognition — despite being unrelated to the famous Kennedy clan — helped earn him only 21 percent of Democratic primary voters. Other Democrats in the race were pastor Will Boyd, a former Greenville, Illinois City Councilman (who received six percent); Talladega County Constable Vann Caldwell, businessman Jason Fisher (two percent); activist Michael Hansen (who also received seven percent) and Charles Nana. Given Alabama’s strong Republican lean (the state elected Trump by nearly 28 points over Hillary Clinton), whoever wins the runoff — either Moore or Strange — will most likely represent the state in the U.S. Senate. The general election is Dec. 12.
Dr. Eric Ostermeier: Will Luther Strange lose Alabama’s GOP U.S. Senate nomination?
Only five out of 60 Republican appointed senators seeking to keep their seat over the last 100+ years lost their party’s nomination in the next election. With 10 Republican candidates appearing on Tuesday’s ballot – including the incumbent, a U.S. Representative, and a very well-known ex-state supreme court justice – a primary runoff for the GOP U.S. Senate special election in Alabama is all but assured with no candidate expected to capture a majority of the vote. Senator Luther Strange is hoping Donald Trump’s 11th-hour endorsement will ensure he is one of the top two candidates headed to the runoff, besting four-term Congressman Mo Brooks with former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore expected to emerge with a plurality. Should Strange fail to make or lose the subsequent September 26th primary runoff, he will become just the second appointed senator since the 1970s to come up short in such a bid. Overall, slightly less than two-thirds of appointed senators have run to keep their seat the next time it came up on the ballot in the direct election era – 126 of 196 appointees (64.3 percent). Prior to Strange, the vast majority of appointees who sought their party’s nomination were successful – 101 of 125 (80.8 percent), including 84.4 percent over the last half-century (27 of 32). [Note: A few of these 125 appointed senators did not run in the special election for the seat to which they were appointed, but ran instead in the election held simultaneously for the state’s other Senate seat]. Since 1980, appointees nearly have an unblemished mark with 21 of 22 U.S. Senators receiving their party’s nomination, including each of the last 12 aspiring to keep their seat since 1999. The only lawmaker who failed in such an attempt since 1980 was Kansas Republican Sheila Frahm in 1996. Frahm was appointed to the seat in June 1996 after Bob Dole resigned to focus on his presidential bid. Freshman U.S. Representative Sam Brownback defeated Frahm in the primary three months later by 13.1 points in a three-candidate field. Since 1967, just five such incumbents failed to win their party’s primary election. In addition to Frahm, the other four are: Democrat David Gambrell (Georgia, 1972): lost in a runoff to state Representative Sam Nunn Democrat Howard Metzenbaum (Ohio, 1974): lost to famed astronaut John Glenn by 8.7 points Democrat Paul Hatfield (Montana, 1978): lost to U.S. Representative Max Baucus by 45.9 points Democrat Maryon Pittman Allen (Alabama, 1978): lost in a runoff to Alabama State Senator Donald Stewart Of the 24 appointed Senators who failed to win their party’s nomination since 1913, more than 40 percent have come from the Southern region: 10 from the South, five each from the Midwest and West, and four from the Northeast. If Strange fails to emerge as the GOP nominee on Tuesday or in September’s runoff, he will become just the sixth Republican U.S. Senator to come up short in the direct election era out of 61 candidacies: Joseph Grundy (Pennsylvania, 1930): lost to U.S. Labor Secretary James Davis Frank Partridge (Vermont, 1931): lost to former St. Albans Mayor Warren Austin by 10.2 points Robert Upton (New Hampshire, 1954): lost to U.S. Representative Norris Cotton by 8.2 points Maurice Murphy (New Hampshire, 1962): lost to U.S. Representative Perkins Bass by 6.9 points Sheila Frahm (Kansas, 1996): lost to U.S. Representative Sam Brownback by 13.1 points Overall, there have been far fewer appointed U.S. Senators in recent decades, due in part to fewer members of the chamber dying in office to create an automatic vacancy in the first instance. During the first half-century of the direct election era, a total of 124 senators died in office including three or more members 23 times: in 1916, 1917, 1918, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1962. Since 1964, only 53 senators passed away while in office with at least three dying in a calendar year just once (Democrats Lee Metcalf of Montana, Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, and James Allen of Alabama in 1978). The 50+ month gap since the last death in the U.S. Senate (New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg in June 2013) is the fourth longest stretch without such a vacancy in 200 years. ___ Dr. Eric Ostermeier is the author of Smart Politics from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Center for the Study of Politics and Governance (CSPG).
Embattled Mo Brooks hit with new ethics complaint
Rep. Mo Brooks can now stop telling Alabama voters he “never” received an ethics complaint. On Monday, an Alabama man filed a federal grievance against the congressman and Senate candidate accusing him of improperly using congressional resources both in a campaign ad and on social media. NTKnetwork.com reports insurance agent Joe Fuller filed the complaint against Brooks, locked in a heated race for the second-place spot in the primary Tuesday for Alabama’s Senate seat. In a recent campaign ad — “To the president” — Brooks chides President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for supporting his Republican opponent, sitting Sen. Luther Strange. Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC linked to McConnell, has solidly backed Strange with millions of dollars in advertising. Brooks, Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore have been battling for the top spots in the 9-person primary to decide who could serve the rest of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate term. A Cygnal/L2 poll released Thursday suggests the race will go to a runoff Sept. 26 between two top vote-getters, since it is unlikely one will take a majority of the vote. In the survey of likely Republican voters, Moore leads the field with 31 percent compared to Strange‘s 23 percent. Brooks, the only other candidate with a chance of making a runoff, follows with 18 percent. Last week, Trump formally endorsed Strange on Twitter, which led to a quick condemnation from Brooks, who had been pushing himself as a pro-Trump candidate. Both in the ad and on Twitter, Brooks asked Trump to reconsider his endorsement. “McConnell and Strange are weak, but together, we can be strong,” Brooks said in the spot, before asking: “Mr. President, isn’t it time we tell McConnell and Strange: ‘You’re fired?’” It was a nod to Trump’s famous catchphrase used in “The Apprentice.” As Fuller’s complaint noted, the ad shows Brooks wearing his congressional pin — an apparent violation of House ethics rules. As the House Ethics Manual states: “Official resources of the House must, as a general rule, be used for the performance of official business of the House, and hence those resources may not be used for campaign or political purposes.” Fuller’s complaint also alleges that Brooks violated 18 U.S. Code § 713, prohibiting a Member of Congress photo from being used on a social media campaign page. Brooks official photo is on his Facebook page. According to 18 U.S. Code § 713: “Whoever knowingly displays any printed or other likenesses of the great seal of the United States … or the seal of the United States House of Representatives, or the seal of the United States Congress … for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably calculated to convey, a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States or by any department, agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.” Brooks continues to insist he has never received a single ethics complaint — an interesting claim considering several questionable ethical lapses as Madison County district attorney in the 1990s. Nevertheless, in a campaign appearance Monday with the Republican Women of Birmingham, Brooks had a slightly different take. The video was streamed on Facebook Live and is also available on Brooks Senate campaign page. At about nine-and-a-half minutes, the video shows Brooks telling the audience that due to “limited resources,” his wife, Martha, handles complaints, ethical concerns, and federal elections Commission issues for his office. Brooks’ comment raises a question: Why would he need someone to handle ethics accusations — especially his own wife — if Brooks never gets any complaints in the first place?
News coverage roundup ahead of Alabama GOP Senate primary
A brief roundup of news coverage ahead of Tuesday’s Alabama U.S. Senate primary: POLITICO – “The GOP rebel threatening to snag Jeff Sessions’ Senate seat” Roy Moore lacks the war chest of two chief rivals in his bid to become the next senator from Alabama. He didn’t land the coveted endorsement of President Donald Trump and doesn’t enjoy the advantages of incumbency. Yet the controversial former state Supreme Court justice is coasting over his Republican challengers in Tuesday’s closely watched GOP Senate primary. Moore is set to easily secure a place in a September runoff, as the establishment-backed Sen. Luther Strange and Rep. Mo Brooks scrape for the second spot. Should Moore become the GOP nominee and the next senator from Alabama, his bombastic personality and antipathy toward Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are sure to make more trouble for the GOP leader, who’s taking constant flak from Trump as it is. McConnell and his allies are spending millions to elect Strange, and in response, Moore has made McConnell the symbol of everything he opposes in Washington. “I resent people from Washington, raising money in Washington, and sending negative ads to Alabama and trying to control the vote of the people,” Moore said in an interview after a GOP executive committee meeting here. “If the Washington crowd wants somebody, the people of Alabama generally don’t.” New York Times – “Despite Donald Trump’s support, Alabama Senator struggles to a primary finish” Sen. Strange wields an endorsement from the president of the United States, is the beneficiary of a multimillion-dollar campaign from allies of Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, and has the backing of influential conservative interest groups like the National Rifle Association. But Strange is wheezing into Tuesday’s Republican Senate primary here. He is grasping to secure a second-place finish and a slot in a September runoff with Roy Moore, the twice-deposed former State Supreme Court justice and evangelical-voter favorite who is expected to be the top vote-getter but may fall short of the majority needed to win outright. And while Republicans have not lost a Senate race in Alabama since 1992, national Democrats have started to quietly consider competing for the seat if their preferred candidate, Doug Jones, wins the nomination and Moore is the Republican standard-bearer. Luther Strange of the Great State of Alabama has my endorsement. He is strong on Border & Wall, the military, tax cuts & law enforcement. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2017 New York Daily News – “In Alabama’s Senate race, contenders fight over who is Trump’s biggest fan” At first glance, U.S. Representative Brooks seems exactly the kind of candidate President Donald Trump would love to see win Tuesday’s Republican primary election for Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat. The 63-year-old Republican is a Freedom Caucus member and an immigration hardliner who calls opponent Strange “Lying Luther,” echoing Trump’s penchant for bestowing insulting nicknames on his political foes. “Trump would like to drain the swamp; Brooks would like to blow it up,” said Larry Powell, a professor of communication at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “But their goals are the same.” Yet it was Strange, not Brooks, who earned a coveted prize last week in a race that could measure Trump’s influence in a state he carried easily in last year’s election, despite recent indications that his support among Republicans may be softening. The Associated Press – “Alabama’s U.S. Senate race all about Donald Trump love, swamp hate” In the Alabama race for Attorney General Sessions’ former Senate seat, the Republican slugfest primary is about love of all things Trump — with contenders competing to woo Trump voters — and disdain of the so-called swamp of Washington D.C. While Strange is boosted by Trump’s endorsement, he could also be dragged down by accusations of his ties to establishment Republicans. Strange is backed by a super political action committee tied to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The PAC has pumped millions into an advertising blitz on behalf of Strange as it seeks to beat back GOP insurgents. Ever since a series of messy primaries led to losing general election Senate races in 2010 and 2012, Republicans led by McConnell of Kentucky have worked aggressively to defeat challengers deemed as fringe. But that backing has become a major rallying cry for Strange’s challengers. Brooks has labeled him as the candidates of the “swamp critters.” Washington Post – “Donald Trump’s feuding base faces showdown in Alabama Senate race” For Republicans, the Alabama contest is a snapshot of the party’s churning base at this moment in the Trump presidency. In a deep-red state, the dominant squabbles are not over ideological purity — that GOP test of old — but over loyalty to Trump and over who has the most visceral connection with his core voters. The violence in Charlottesville, sparked by white nationalists, has hovered over the final sprint, and Republican candidates have issued statements of condemnation. As with Trump, some of them did not mention white nationalism or white supremacy by name. “I was hoping for a quiet, lazy summer in our very humid state. That’s not to be the case this year,” Terry Lathan, the chair of the Alabama GOP, said in an interview. Until last week, Republicans had been immersed in a bitterly fought but relatively sleepy referendum on Strange, with the incumbent — who is nicknamed “Big Luther” — arguing that he was a dogged foe of President Barack Obama’s policies as state attorney general and a reliable vote for Trump’s priorities. His opponents accused him of being a polished and well-connected “swamp critter” who was more aligned with McConnell than with Trump, who won 62 percent of the vote in Alabama last year. Then Trump tweeted. George Will – “’Republican Gothic’ in Alabama primary” Southern Gothic is a literary genre and, occasionally, a political style that, like the genre, blends strangeness and irony. Consider the current primary campaign to pick the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama vacated
Alabama Senate race a fight to the finish
Wearing an NRA baseball cap and newly armed with an endorsement from President Donald Trump, Alabama Sen. Luther Strange on Saturday strolled by the sausage vendors and rodeo ticket booths at a rural county fair, rallying voters ahead of Tuesday’s critical Republican primary for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ former Senate seat. “The day will turn on turnout. That’s why the President’s endorsement is so critical,” Strange said between handshakes. Strange said he thought Trump’s support would make “the difference” in the race. “That’s what I told the President,” Strange said. However, Strange declined to say if he thought he could win without a runoff, citing turnout. Despite both the endorsement of Trump via a Tuesday tweet backing of millions of dollars in advertising by a super political action committee tied to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Strange has found himself in what could be a tight Republican primary race with firebrand challengers. Those rivals include Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore — who was twice removed from office over stances for the public display of the Ten Commandments and against gay marriage — and U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus who is backed by tea party voters in the state. The Alabama race for Sessions’ former seat has devolved into a high-dollar GOP civil war. McConnell’s allies have made a heavy investment to keep Strange in the seat, while the challengers hope to ride an anti-Washington backlash to victory. The race will go to a September runoff between the top two finishers if no candidate gets over 50 percent of the vote on Tuesday. The winning Democrat and Republican will face off in December. At the Cleburne County Fair, where country and Christian music blared from loudspeakers, several voters said they were still thinking — and, in some cases, praying — about how to vote. Cleburne Probate Judge Ryan Robertson said he has great respect for Strange, but also appreciated that Moore “took a stand” on gay marriage. Moore was permanently suspended from his chief justice duties in 2016 after telling probate judges that they did not need to issue marriage licenses to gay couples because of a state court order. Cleburne is one of eight counties that stopped issuing marriage licenses, so county officials did not have to give them to same-sex couples. “He stuck his neck out,” Robertson said of Moore. Moore and Brooks have both criticized Strange as the establishment candidate, saying Alabama voters won’t get the change they want with a McConnell-backed candidate. “People voted for change and they are not getting it. They are not getting anything out of Washington,” Moore told The Associated Press by telephone. Brooks spent the last two-weeks crisscrossing the state on a bus nicknamed the “Drain the Swamp Express” that also had a “Ditch Mitch” sign secured to it. “This is a very, very important Senate race. We’re going to be a bellwether for the 2018 races,” Brooks said at a midweek stop in Montgomery. Other Republicans in the race include Sen. Trip Pittman, who has run television ads and materials touting his status as the only businessman in the race, and Christian Coalition leader Randy Brinson. The rollicking primary began with Strange’s appointment in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, who later resigned in the cloud of a scandal. Challengers have taken swipes at Strange for seeking an appointment from the governor when Strange, as attorney general, was in charge of an investigation. Strange has countered that he did Bentley no favors. The Democratic side of Tuesday’s election has not been the messy political food fight of the GOP race. Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney under the Clinton administration, is perhaps the best-known statewide of the seven Democrats vying for the nomination. He faces Michael Hansen, the head of an environmental organization, and Robert Kennedy, Jr., a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who is unrelated to the famed Massachusetts political dynasty. Adding to the uncertainty, the late summer election is expected to draw low turnout. With no other races on the ballot to help bring voters to the polls, candidates have nervously upped their ground game to get supporters to the polls. Brooks spent Saturday campaigning in south Alabama. Moore will speak at several churches on Sunday. “This state is poised to be the first to make a statement in this battle that’s going on in Washington,” Moore told The Associated Press. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Joe Biden gives thumbs-up to Doug Jones in Alabama U.S. Senate primary
Former Vice President Joe Biden gave thumbs-up to former federal prosecutor Doug Jones in his bid for the Democratic nomination for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat. Al.com reports that Biden is featured in a robocall Thursday urging voters to cast ballots for Jones in Tuesday’s special primary to decide who will finish the term of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Jones’ campaign published the text of Biden’s robocall on Facebook: “Doug has spent his entire life fighting for justice. He was the man after the 1963 church bombings that would not let it rest until he found the killers of those four young girls — and he eventually found justice — prosecuting and jailing those Klansmen nearly 40 years later. He’ll take that same energy and drive and fight for you and your families in the Senate — for a higher minimum wage, for fair, affordable health care, for good schools for all our kids. Doug Jones will make a great U.S. Senator so please make sure you get out and vote on Tuesday — and I’m hoping you’ll vote for my friend, Doug Jones.” With Biden taking sides, both Obama and Trump administrations have weighed in on the Alabama U.S. Senate election. Donald Trump tweeted his support for sitting Sen. Luther Strange this week. Also supporting Jones is Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis and Rep. Terri Sewell of Birmingham. In a Raycom poll conducted last month, Robert Kennedy Jr. — no relation to the famous Kennedy family — is leading the Democratic race with 49 percent, compared to 28 percent for Jones. Jones and Kennedy are part of an eight-person field that includes Will Boyd, Vann Caldwell, Jason Fisher, Michael Hansen, Brian McGee and Charles Nana. Unless one of the candidates can secure a 50 percent plus one majority of the vote in the Aug. 15 primary, Alabama voters will have to decide between the top two vote-getters in a Sept. 26 runoff. The general election is Dec. 12.
