Mo Brooks endorser omits that he is also chief of staff
So that’s why one of Mo Brooks’ supporters seemed familiar. On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate candidate declared the endorsement of Mark Pettitt, identified as an “Alabama Strike Force member” and “a beneficiary” of Brooks’ help. But Howard Koplowitz of AL.com noticed something else about Pettitt — he is also Brooks’ chief of staff. That piece of information was withheld during the announcement at Hoover Tactical Firearms. On Thursday, Pettit defended omitting his title in an interview with AL.com: “We don’t like to mix official office with campaigns. … What I do on my day job is supposed to be independent of what I do on my campaign time.” “I didn’t want to use [my title as chief of staff] because it’s using an official title for political gain, and I didn’t think that was appropriate,” Pettitt added. “I intentionally left it off even though it would have been stronger not to do so,” he said, a reference to criticism of Brooks’ lack of support for President Donald Trump. Brooks has been trading barbs with incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, in the 9-person field in the heated midsummer battle for who will serve the rest of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate term. Other Republican candidates include former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, Dr. James Beretta, Joseph Breault, Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson, Mary Maxwell, Bryan Peeples and state Sen. Trip Pittman of Baldwin County. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary is Thursday, Aug. 10. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — in the Aug. 15 primary, a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
Tea Party-aligned PAC backs Mo Brooks, blasts Mitch McConnell’s ‘false attacks’
A Tea Party-aligned super PAC is backing Rep. Mo Brooks in his Alabama U.S. Senate bid, as he attempts to push back against “false attacks” from opponents. On Thursday, Brooks announced the endorsement from Senate Conservatives Fund, founded by one time South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, was set up in 2008 to promote conservative candidates. Earlier, the Fund supported Pat Toomey in his challenge to Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, and Florida’s Marco Rubio in his first Senate bid against former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. In a statement from Brooks’ campaign, the group called Brooks a “principled conservative” with “strong grassroots support.” “We believe he is the conservative candidate with the best chance of winning a likely runoff election. If he’s elected, he will fight to defend the Second Amendment, protect the unborn, stop illegal immigration and repeal Obamacare,” the statement continues. “We’re also proud to help defend Mo Brooks against the false attacks being made by Senator Mitch McConnell and his political machine. “There is no reason why McConnell should be spending millions of dollars to mislead voters in this race and we hope conservatives come together to fight back.” In response, Brooks said: “SCF is one of the premier national conservative political organizations in America, and I’m proud to be endorsed as the conservative candidate most likely to upset the Washington establishment. “Mitch McConnell and his lobbyists and special interest group financiers are spending millions of dollars in hopes of buying Alabama’s Senate seat and keeping a principled conservative out of the Senate. “I’m confident that, with the help of patriotic, conservative groups like SCF and strong support from grassroots activists, our campaign will prevail in spite of the onslaught of attack ads that aim to deceive Alabama voters. SCF’s endorsement proves our campaign has serious momentum in this race as Election Day nears.” In what is shaping up to be a three-candidate race, Brooks faces incumbent Sen. Luther Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore for who will serve the rest of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate term. Strange is supported by the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Majority Leader McConnell, which has spent millions of dollars on the race. Other Republican candidates the 9-person field include Dr. James Beretta, Joseph Breault, Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson, Mary Maxwell, Bryan Peeples and state Sen. Trip Pittman of Baldwin County. The last day for Alabama voters to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary is Aug. 10. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12. Given Alabama’s strong Republican lean, whoever wins the primary — either outright or in the runoff — will most likely represent the state in the U.S. Senate.
Video shows Mo Brooks defending vote that withholds funding in war on ISIS
At a candidate forum in Wetumpka this week, U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks went on the defensive over a controversial vote to cut off funding in the fight against Islamic terrorism. Opponents were quick to point that the vote by the Huntsville Republican put him squarely on the side of House Democrats. On Monday, the Wetumpka TEA Party hosted a “Top-Three” U.S. Senate Forum — inviting the three leading candidates polling “over 20 percent by professional polling firms” in the Republican Senate primary, which is now less than two weeks away. Brooks, Sen. Luther Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore were each invited. Strange was a no-show, telling the group he had to stay in Washington D.C. to consider the nomination of attorney Kevin Newsome as District Judge for Alabama’s 11th circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate confirmed Newsome the next day. A video taken at the forum shows Brooks asking “How many of you have seen that ad out there that says I’m supporting the Islamic state?” before admitting he voted against funding in the fight against ISIS. Brooks’ statement seemed to confirm an earlier attack ad from the Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC connected to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. SLF is firmly behind Strange in the hotly contested Aug. 15 primary, spending millions of dollars in advertising to support the incumbent and against Brooks and Moore. In an email to supporters, SLF blasted Brooks — the “embattled congressman” — pointing out Brooks was “the only member of the Alabama congressional delegation to vote with [Democratic Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi.” Defending his actions to the staunchly conservative audience, Brooks explained he believed the president shouldn’t have the power to fight ISIS unless Congress gives permission. “This fits the consistent pattern of Brooks’ strident opposition to President Trump since early 2016 and as recently as last week,” the SLF says. Home busy one: The event, held at Wetumpka Civic Center, was moderated by Montgomery’s News Talk radio host Dan Morris, a former advance man for President Ronald Reagan. After the debate, a straw poll gave first-place to Moore (139 votes). Brooks took second with 103 votes, and Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson was third with 18 votes. There were 15 undecideds. No-show Strange and state Sen. Tripp Pittman of Baldwin County tied for fifth, with four votes each. Alabama voters have until Aug. 10 to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12. Given Alabama’s strong Republican lean, whoever wins the primary — either outright or in the runoff — will most likely represent the state in the U.S. Senate.
Mo Brooks’ Sierra Club problem just won’t go away
In Alabama’s fast-approaching Senate primary, Mo Brooks is pushing hard to stand out as a “proven conservative leader.” But under the surface, nagging questions remain over Brooks’ self-described claim of a “record of proven conservative leadership … Unmatched by any other candidate in this race.” Early in his congressional career, the Huntsville Republican — now serving his fourth term — made a completely different claim — membership in Sierra Club, both in print and on his 2010 and 2016 campaign websites. Yet — in a bout of political expediency — he quickly threw the activist environmentalist group under the bus as soon as he made it to the Capitol. In the Yellowhammer State, embracing staunch conservative values proves the most efficient strategy for electoral victory, particularly in a state that overwhelmingly supported President Donald Trump in 2016 and continues to hold his attorney general, former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, in sincere regard. But Trump’s popularity in Alabama continues to serve as an obstacle for Brooks, especially after he criticized him as “a serial philanderer” during the 2016 Republican primary. Despite that, on Brooks’ Senate campaign website, he wholeheartedly claims to stand for the president’s vision, asking voters to “help him take [the] fight to the Senate and pass President Trump’s agenda.” While Trump has been a stumbling block for Brooks in the Senate primary, another is his “decades-long” connection to the Sierra Club, the radical progressive group that has publicly blasted Sessions and vows to fight the president at every turn. Brooks may have made much of supporting Sessions — someone well-loved by Alabama voters — by decrying the “public waterboarding” at the hands of Trump’s Twitter account. Brooks has even offered to drop out of the Senate race (as long as all the other Republican candidates do it first) if Sessions were to reclaim his old seat, calling for a “Resolution Reinstating Jeff Sessions as United States Senator.” But that backing of Sessions flies in the face of statements made by the Sierra Club, which Brooks defended in the past, attacking Sessions after his AG confirmation as “racist” with an “atrocious voting record on environmental and civil rights issues [that] shows that he can’t be trusted to defend and enforce the laws that protect our communities.” According to Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune: “Appointing Jeff Sessions to lead the Justice Department is an oxymoron — the words ‘Justice’ and ‘Jeff Sessions’ don’t belong in the same sentence, let alone the same title. Senator Jeff Sessions is a proven opponent of environmental protection, civil rights, and civil liberties and he must be stopped.” With comments like that, the Sierra Club continues to be the issue that has dogged Brooks throughout his congressional career. As far back as 2010, Brooks touted his “decade-long membership” in the Sierra Club — even including it in his Congressional campaign website. He explained his affiliation to Decatur Daily as such: “Our rivers to a large degree were open sewers. In the absence of federal legislation, that’s exactly where we would return. I don’t want to go there.” Since then, Brooks defended his connection to the Sierra Club — described by the Center for Responsive Politics as a “left-leaning organization” that generally supports Democrats. “Paradoxically, in the Republican Party Primary I was attacked for being a Sierra Club member and for being too tough on polluters,” Brooks wrote in a September 2010 op-ed in the Huntsville Times. “But there is more to this issue than simply being pro-environment. America cannot afford to impose pollution control costs on American manufacturers that give foreign manufacturers a competitive advantage that, in turn, puts American employers out of business and cost Americans their jobs.” Brooks also continued flaunting his “occasional” Sierra Club membership in his freshman term in Congress, telling Science magazine in 2011: “ I very much believe in controlling pollution, so we have better air to breathe and better water to drink and the proper disposal of hazardous waste. And I like going to our national parks. I’m very much the outdoorsman.” But once Brooks made it to Washington D.C. — and no longer needed the Sierra Club tag to appeal to voters — his record on issues important to the group of which he was a member dropped to a solid zero in the fight for “better water to drink.” With less than two weeks before Alabama’s U.S. Senate primary, the race is shaping up to be a three-candidate battle between Brooks, incumbent Sen. Luther Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice (and well-regarded social conservative hero) Roy Moore. While each of the three has made their support for Trump a key talking point, Brooks is only one in with a history of favorability toward the Sierra Club — and its clearly anti-Trump slant. Making it even more troublesome for Brooks’ claims of “pro-Trump conservatism” is when the Sierra Club makes statements like this, coming from Coal Campaign director Mary Anne Hitt: “We can block the Trump agenda — make no mistake about it. Most of the big changes Trump wants have to go through the U.S. Congress, which is where all those Senate Democrats come in. If they stay strong and united, many of Trump’s bad ideas will be dead in the water. That’s why we have to keep turning out to rallies, going to events with our elected officials, meeting with them and their staff, calling and writing and posting on their social media pages, and making sure they hear the voice of the people.” A lesson for Brooks: It is disingenuous to repeatedly advertise a decades-long connection to a radically left group like the Sierra Club, especially when it is politically expedient, and then seek to claim the title of “most conservative leader.”
Alabama Senate race a choice between incumbent, firebrands
The Republican race for Jeff Sessions‘ old Senate seat in Alabama will test which brand of conservatism voters prefer: The polished incumbent backed by the D.C. establishment or firebrand hard-liners seeking an upset in the closely watched race. Incumbent Alabama Sen. Luther Strange was temporarily appointed to the Senate seat in February and is backed by a super political action committee tied to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. His challengers in the Aug. 15 primary include Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and former state Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was twice removed from his duties after losing battles on gay marriage and the public display of the Ten Commandments. “I’m running because I think it’s time to bring some common-sense conservative solutions to our country. A lot of people talk about being conservative. I’m running on a conservative record, actually taking on difficult problems,” Strange told a Republican club in a Birmingham suburb. In campaign stops across the state, Strange touts his own hard-line conservative credentials, including suing former President Barack Obama‘s administration over a federal health care law requirement that an Alabama-based Catholic broadcaster provide contraceptive coverage. As the state’s attorney general, he also challenged President Barack Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan and joined with other Senate Republicans to force a vote on the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Republicans led by McConnell of Kentucky have worked aggressively to defeat fringe candidates in GOP Senate primaries ever since a series of messy primaries led to losing general election Senate races in 2010 and 2012. “Luther Strange is the only candidate who can be trusted to fight for President Trump’s agenda in the U.S. Senate,” said Chris Pack, a spokesman for the super PAC Senate Leadership Fund. The bankrolling has allowed advertisements on behalf of Strange to dominate airwaves ahead of the primary, part of it in blistering ads accusing Brooks of lukewarm support of President Donald Trump. It has become a rallying cry by opponents against Strange in a race that has become all about hatred of the so-called Washington swamp. Brooks said the Washington “swamp critters” were putting millions of dollars behind Strange, their favored candidate. “The swamp is fighting back,” Brooks said. Strange brushes off the criticism as “silly” — noting that he has been in office for only a few months. Joe Akin, a 79-year-old engineer and industrial designer, said he likes Moore’s values but wondered if he had “gone too far” to be effective in Washington. “I’d say it’s down to Moore and Strange,” he said. “I’m for Strange for his stances and his way of presenting himself,” Akin said. Strange, then attorney general, was appointed to Sessions’ seat in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, who resigned two months later amid fallout from an alleged affair with a top staffer. Bentley had planned his own run for Senate in 2018, but when he stepped down, the state’s new governor, Kay Ivey, moved the special election to this year, setting off a demolition derby among Republican contenders. Strange’s challengers said the appointment was tainted because Strange’s office was in charge of investigating the accusations against Bentley. Strange said he did Bentley no favors. The 6-foot-9 (2-meter) Strange, sometimes called Big Luther, attended Tulane University on a basketball scholarship and graduated from Tulane Law School. If Washington is a swamp, Strange already spent some time swimming in it. He worked as a lobbyist for a number of years, including heading governmental relations for Sonat Offshore, an offshore oil and gas drilling company. He ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2006 and won the office of attorney general in 2010 and 2014. As attorney general, Strange had to navigate a gauntlet of politically prickly situations that alienated him from a number of powerful political figures in Alabama. He angered casino owners when he attempted to shut down electronic bingo operations, arguing the slot-machine lookalikes were against state law. His office’s public corruption unit opened an investigation into whether the state’s powerful Republican house speaker had abused his office. Strange recused himself at the start of the probe since he had used the speaker’s printing company for his campaign materials. The investigation ended with the speaker’s conviction on ethics charges in a trial that saw testimony from the state’s former Republican governor and influential GOP donors. “If there’s anybody willing to take on the status quo or powerful forces, it’s been me,” Strange said. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Senate Leadership Fund opens second front in Senate battle, now attacking Roy Moore
Senate Leadership Fund is giving Rep. Mo Brooks something of a break, turning its sights to hard-right social conservative Roy Moore, also in the race for U.S. Senate. On Tuesday, the super PAC linked to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell began running ads against Moore, essentially launching a second front in the contentious midsummer battle for the remainder of Jeff Session’s Senate seat. SLF is backing Sen. Luther Strange in the Aug. 15 special Senate primary. Strange was appointed to the seat in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley after Sessions stepped down to become Donald Trump’s Attorney General. With two weeks left in the race, the Washington Examiner reports that SLF is investing more than $435,000 on both television and radio ads attacking Moore, the former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice. The ad buy is statewide — except in the Huntsville media market, where ads blasting Brooks will continue. Brooks represents Alabama’s 5th Congressional District, which covers much of Northern Alabama. “Roy Moore; there’s so much more,” the 30-second TV spot — called “Fund” AL — opens with a voice-over. “Despite being one of the highest paid judges in the nation, raking in more than $170,000 a year, Roy Moore, wanted more. So, Roy and his wife took over $1 million from a charity they ran, paying themselves $1 million and spending even more on travel, including a private jet.” Moore has also blasted Strange, accusing him of being a McConnell pawn, which plays well into the anti-establishment trend running through Alabama Republican politics, where Sessions is still beloved. Moore has also been getting some traction with the base voters of staunch social conservatives. Despite being ousted from the Alabama Supreme Court 15 years ago after he installed a Ten Commandments monument at the state court building, voters put Moore back in the same job some 10 years later. Moore was removed again from the Court after he refused to defend the federal law legalizing same-sex marriage. Arguing he did nothing wrong by upholding state law, he claimed to be a victim of a campaign from a variety of liberal-leaning groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Examiner reports on a recent Moore fundraising email, where he says: “My opponent is receiving ‘money by the barrelful’ from Mitch McConnell.” Brooks, who had been the sole target of SLF attacks in Alabama until now, has also bashed McConnell while pushing back on accusations he refused to support Trump in the primaries, and was slow to embrace the nominee in the general election. Other Republicans the 9-person field include Dr. James Beretta, Joseph Breault, Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson, Mary Maxwell, Bryan Peeples and state Sen. Trip Pittman of Baldwin County. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary is Aug. 10. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12. Given Alabama’s strong Republican lean, whoever wins the primary — either outright or in the runoff — will most likely represent the state in the U.S. Senate. Both ads are available on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8q2NEZmSAA&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwwujICELGA&feature=youtu.be
Steve Flowers: How Alabama ‘friends and neighbors’ politics will play in 2018
There is a proven theory espoused by political scholars that has prevailed in southern political history for decades. The premier political scholar, Dr. V.O. Key, first illustrated this repetitious theme that has wove its way through the southern electorate. He called it “Friends and Neighbors” politics. It is not a complicated hypothesis. It simply means that southerners tend to vote for someone from their neck of the woods. It is a truism in all southern states. However, it is most pronounced in the Heart of Dixie. This friends and neighbors vote comes to light in open races for governor and U.S. senator. Folks in Alabama will consistently vote for someone from their county or surrounding counties or region of the state overwhelmingly. I tell my university southern politics students that this tendency is so pervasive and tenacious that Alabama voters will vote for someone from their neck of the woods even if they know he is a crook or a drunk. They are probably thinking, “I know ole Joe is a crook and a drunk, but by gosh he’s our drunk or crook.” The earliest and best illustration of Alabama’s “Friends and Neighbors” occurred in the 1946 governor’s race. Big Jim Folsom was born and raised in Coffee County in the wiregrass area of the state. At about age 30, he moved to Cullman, sold insurance, and worked for the WPA getting lots of folks’ jobs. In that 1946 race, he ran against the Probate Judge of Calhoun County. Big Jim beat Judge Boozer because he had two home regions. He ran overwhelmingly in both the Wiregrass and North Central Alabama. On election night in 2010, I was sitting on the set of a Montgomery television station doing election commentary and analysis. As I perused and studied the county-by-county returns, I broke into a smile that bordered on a laugh. When I saw what was happening, it was obvious that friends and neighbors’ politics still persists in Alabama. Dr. Robert Bentley was carrying Tuscaloosa and the surrounding counties of Fayette, Lamar, Pickens and Bibb so overwhelmingly that I saw that the hometown vote was going to propel him past Tim James and Bradley Byrne and into the governor’s office. He ran like a scalded dog through Tuscaloosa where he had been a popular medical doctor for 30 years and there are a good many votes in Tuscaloosa. Bentley won because of “Friends and Neighbors” politics. How will “Friends and Neighbors” play out to the advantage of the potential candidates for this year’s open U.S. senate race and next year’s open governor’s race? It is early and all the horses are not in the race yet for governor. If Kay Ivey runs, she’s been around Montgomery so long that she is thought of as a professional politician who has camped out in the Capitol City for decades. There are so few Republican votes in her native Wilcox County that she can’t reap any hometown advantage. Just the opposite for Huntsville mayor, Tommy Battle. He is well-known and liked in the Rocket City. If he is the only major candidate from the Tennessee Valley and it’s a large field, that North Alabama vote might land him in the runoff. Mobile and Baldwin counties have a long history of supporting one of their own. There are a lot of votes down there. Agriculture Commissioner, John McMillan, has been around Montgomery for a while, but he has deep roots in Baldwin County, which is now one of the most populous Republican counties in the state. What about the current ongoing open U.S. Senate race: The two front-runners, Roy Moore and Luther Strange, are thought of as statewide candidates. Although Moore will carry Etowah and Strange will carry Mountain Brook, this race illustrates and reflects more of a class ideological struggle that is playing out in the national as well as state Republican Party. It’s the evangelical Christian/Donald Trump/George Wallace voter versus the Wall Street business big mules. Moore believes he can out religious anyone. It is Moses with the Hebrew children of North Alabama versus the Philistine Mountain Brook giant. The two tribes in the Republican Party will collide with the battlefield being around the Black Warrior River. 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.
Top GOP Senate candidates tout endorsements in final sprint to primary day
The top GOP candidates running to finish out Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ term in the Senate each publicized major campaign endorsements Monday. CD 5 U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks picked up support from conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who said Alabamians have “a chance this year to save the country by sending Congressman Mo Brooks to the US Senate.” “Despite my general policy of not making endorsements in GOP state primaries, this moment in history is too important not to endorse Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks for the Senate seat vacated by the great Jeff Sessions,” she said. Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore sent out an email Monday touting an endorsement from the Alabama Republican Assembly, which announced it would back Moore last week. Don Wallace, who heads up the Southeast Region of the ALRA, said “while there are several good candidates that are running for this position and who would serve Alabama well in the Senate, the Republican Assembly voted overwhelmingly for Judge Moore because of his demonstrable commitment to conservative principles and a willingness to stand up against an out of control Federal Judiciary.” Not to be outdone, sitting U.S. Sen. Luther Strange came out with a new ad highlighting the endorsement he received from the National Rifle Association back in May. In the 30-second ad, titled “Drain the Swamp,” Strange says he’s working with President Donald Trump’s administration to curb illegal immigration and build a wall on the country’s southern border. The ad then displays the NRA seal and he mentions the group’s endorsement over video of Strange firing a handgun at a shooting range. A recent poll from Raycom News Network put Strange and Moore in a statistical tie heading into the final stretch, with Brooks coming in as the only other GOP candidate in the nine-person field with double digit support. Alabama requires a primary runoff election if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, which seems likely given current poll numbers. The primary race is set for Aug. 15. The primary runoff, if necessary, will be Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
Mo Brooks hits back on Luther Strange’s ‘deceptive attacks’ in Senate primary
Mo Brooks is hitting back on the recent wave of “deceptive attacks” from opponents in the Alabama’s U.S. Senate race. Brooks’ new ad is the latest push on Sen. Luther Strange over who is the true Donald Trump supporter in the increasingly heated midsummer Alabama Senate primary to serve the rest of Attorney General Jeff Session’s term. The 30-second “Support Trump,” which launched Tuesday, reaffirms his “strong support” of Trump’s agenda, touting he voted with the president “95 percent of the time in Congress.” Strange — who has enjoyed support from the Senate Leadership Fund, linked to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — has leveled waves of negative hits on Brooks, trying to paint the four-term Huntsville Republican congressman as a tepid (at best) Trump supporter and even a “closet liberal.” “There’s only one ‘Never Trumper’ in this race: Luther Strange,” said Brooks, a member of the House Freedom Caucus. “I supported President Trump in 2016 and wrote a $2,500 check to help him win. Luther never endorsed Trump, never donated and is now helping Mitch McConnell block the America First Agenda in the Senate.” “So, who are you going to believe: Mitch McConnell and Luther Strange?” he asks. With a “proven conservative” record, Brooks finishes his ad with a list of endorsements from leading “conservative thought leaders” such as Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and Ann Coulter. Strange and Brooks are locked in a contentious primary battle, part of a nine-person GOP field that includes former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. All three are running for a place in the race’s staunch conservative lane in a state that overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016. Other Republican candidates in the race include Dr. James Beretta, Joseph Breault, Alabama Christian Coalition president Randy Brinson, Mary Maxwell, Bryan Peeples and state Sen. Trip Pittman of Baldwin County. As for who will ultimately represent Alabama, voters have less than two weeks to decide before the Aug. 15 Republican and Democratic primaries. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot is Aug. 10. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12. “Support Trump” is now available on YouTube.
New Luther Strange ad vows to drain swamp of ‘never-Trump insiders’
A new TV spot from U.S. Sen. Luther Strange hits the “never-Trump insiders” for trying to frame him as an opponent of the president’s agenda. In the ad, Strange, appointed to the Senate seat in February by then-Gov. Robert Bentley, argues that he has actively worked with both Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the fight against illegal immigration by building a wall along the country’s southern border. In the 30-second spot “Drain the Swamp” (also available on YouTube), Strange touts himself as “leading the charge to bring Alabama conservative values and common-sense accountability back to the United States Senate.” “Every day I work to follow the word of Jesus Christ,” Strange says. “And to do what’s morally right.” Next, Strange points out how he made “powerful enemies fighting corruption in Birmingham … and now those ‘never-Trump insiders’ falsely attack me.” He also notes his endorsement by the National Rifle Association, while shooting a target with the words: “Obama’s attack on the Second Amendment.” He continues: “I’m no career politician” – repeating one of the main talking points against Huntsville Republican Congressman Mo Brooks, who is currently serving a fourth term in the U.S. House. “I won’t betray your trust, and I’ll fight for President Trump’s agenda every day.” Facing an intense Republican primary battle, Strange is one of a nine-person GOP field that includes Brooks and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, each running in the staunch conservative lane for the race to complete Sessions’ Senate term. Alabama voters have less than two weeks to decide before the Aug. 15 Republican and Democratic primaries. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot is Aug. 10. If there is no primary winner — with 50 percent plus one — a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
Alabama Republican Assembly backs Roy Moore for Senate
With just over two weeks to go until the special primary election for the rest of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate term, the Alabama Republican Assembly announced it would back former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore for the GOP nomination. The Alabama Republican Assembly announced its support for Moore on July 26, citing his “correct moral and constitutional principles” as what sets him apart in the crowded Republican Primary race. “Judge Moore is a proven fighter, personally and politically, and will stand strong for government that abides by the Constitution,” said ALRA President Jennifer Montrose. Don Wallace, who heads up the Southeast Region of the ALRA, said “while there are several good candidates that are running for this position and who would serve Alabama well in the Senate, the Republican Assembly voted overwhelmingly for Judge Moore because of his demonstrable commitment to conservative principles and a willingness to stand up against an out of control Federal Judiciary.” Montrose closed out the endorsement by issuing a call to arms for “all conservatives to join us in supporting Judge Roy Moore in the August Republican Primary. Moore’s major rivals in the primary race are sitting U.S. Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year by scandal-plagued former Gov. Robert Bentley, and CD 5 U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and has recently doubled down on his concerns with President Donald Trump’s administration. A recent poll from Raycom News Network put Strange and Moore in a statistical tie heading into the final stretch, with Brooks coming in as the only other GOP candidate in the nine-person field with double digit support. Alabama requires a primary runoff election if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, which seems likely given current poll numbers. The primary race is set for Aug. 15. The primary runoff, if necessary, will be Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
New SLF ad attacks Mo Brooks on Donald Trump, war funding
With about two weeks before the Alabama U.S. Senate Republican primary, Mo Brooks is once again on the receiving end of a new attack ad from the Senate Leadership Fund. First reported by POLITICO, “’Back’ Al,” which launched last week, features several direct-to-camera interviews of Alabamians attacking Brooks, the Huntsville Republican congressman seeking Jeff Sessions’ old Senate seat. “Mo Brooks said we can’t trust Donald Trump,” a woman says in the ad opening. “You know what I don’t trust? Career politicians like Mo Brooks.” The 30-second spot touches on Brooks’ votes against continuing resolutions by featuring military veterans accusing Brooks of “voting to cut off funding to fight ISIS.” A second veteran says: “We fought for our freedom … Brooks, he fought to cut off funding.” “Mo Brooks didn’t have my back, and he won’t be getting my vote,” another veteran says. Watch the ad here on YouTube. Brooks, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore and sitting Sen. Luther Strange are part of the 9-person field running in the midsummer Republican U.S. Senate primary. Senate Leadership Fund, the group behind the ad, is a political committee controlled by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. SLF is strongly backing Strange in the Senate race. For his part, Moore — a member of the House Freedom Caucus — has returned the criticism. During a recent breakfast event hosted by the Heritage Foundation, Brooks called for the leader’s ouster as “head of the swamp.” “Inside the Republican conference, Mitch McConnell’s got to go,” Brooks said. “Absolutely, he is the head of the swamp in the United States Senate.” New WBRC polling puts the race at a statistical tie between Moore and Strange. Strange received 35 percent of “likely” registered voters, with Moore getting 33 percent. Brooks took 16 percent. Alabama voters have until Aug. 10 to apply for an absentee ballot for the Aug. 15 primary. If there is no winner — with 50 percent plus one of the vote — a runoff is Sept. 26; the general election is Dec. 12.
