Email insights: Roy Moore declares himself the ‘firebrand conservative change agent”
In a weekend email to his supporters, former Alabama Chief Justice and current U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore declared himself the “firebrand conservative change agent” in the senate race. “I’m writing you as the firebrand conservative change agent running for U.S. Senate against Mitch McConnell’s hand-picked candidate in the upcoming August 15 special election to fill the seat held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions,” Moore said in the email. Without naming names, Moore consistently refers to sitting U.S. Sen. Luther Strange as McConnell’s hand-picked candidate. Saying McConnell-controlled outside groups have already lined up more than $10 MILLION to replace Sessions Strange — “a former D.C. lobbyist turned politician guaranteed to do the establishment’s bidding in Washington.” Moore goes to say if elected, he’ll stand with Senators Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz to “fight against the Washington Establishment” accomplish his policy goals, which include: Rebuild our military, crack down on illegal immigration and secure our borders; Repeal ObamaCare — 100%; Stop liberal judges that threaten religious liberty and the Second Amendment; Return American manufacturing to our nation by rescinding unfair “free trade” agreements which have severely damaged our economy through the loss of jobs and skill development; FIGHT tooth-and-nail with everything I’ve got against the entrenched establishment with everything I’ve got. Read Moore’s full email below: Friend, After defeating Hillary Clinton and electing a Republican Majority in Congress, there’s only one obstacle left standing in the way of passing real conservative reforms through Congress . . . . . . and that’s establishment Republicans like Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and the rest of the insiders in Washington. My name is Judge Roy Moore. You may know me as “The Ten Commandments Judge” because of my long time support of displaying The Ten Commandments at the Alabama Supreme Court. But today I’m writing you as the firebrand conservative change agent running for U.S. Senate against Mitch McConnell’s hand-picked candidate in the upcoming August 15 special election to fill the seat held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. If you’ve had enough of Mitch McConnell and the Washington establishment, I’m counting on you to chip in a donation to my campaign’s “Defeat the Establishment Money Bomb” to help me get to Washington and TRUMP THE SENATE! Friend, according to most political experts, the upcoming August 15 Republican Primary is the most important special election of the year because it’s the first MAJOR showdown between Mitch McConnell and grassroots conservatives of Donald Trump’s Presidency. In fact, U.S. News and World Report are calling it “GROUND ZERO in the political and cultural war” taking place right now in America. You see, right now there are 9 Republican candidates running on the August 15 Primary ballot. As it stands, I’m currently running neck-and-neck with Mitch McConnell’s hand-picked candidate. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote on August 15, the top two candidates face off in a run-off on election September 26. That’s why Mitch McConnell-controlled outside groups have already lined up more than $10 MILLION to replace Jeff Sessions with a former D.C. lobbyist turned politician guaranteed to do the establishment’s bidding in Washington. The stakes are simply too high for McConnell not to go all-out to defeat me and try to keep me out of Washington. They know if I’m the next U.S. Senator from the great state of Alabama, I’ll stand with Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz on the frontlines of the fight against the Washington Establishment. I’ll stand against the weak-kneed Republican establishment and fight to: >>> Rebuild our military, crack down on illegal immigration and secure our borders; >>> Repeal ObamaCare — 100%; >>> Stop liberal judges that threaten religious liberty and the Second Amendment; >>> Return American manufacturing to our nation by rescinding unfair “free trade” agreements which have severely damaged our economy through the loss of jobs and skill development; >>> FIGHT tooth-and-nail with everything I’ve got against the entrenched establishment with everything I’ve got. Senators Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz need one true conservative to have the votes to END Mitch McConnell’s rein over the U.S. Senate. I am that candidate. And I’ve got a 15-year track record to back it up. So can I count on you to chip in a donation to help me TRUMP THE SENATE on August 15? My campaign team just finished putting the finishing touches on an aggressive mail, Internet, TV and radio ad 3-week battle plan designed to reach as many conservative voters across Alabama as possible with our winning message. But in order to execute this aggressive battle plan to defeat the establishment, I must be able to raise $100,000 by 11:59 PM on Monday, July 31, 2017. That’s why I’m counting on you to chip in a generous contribution of $2,700, $2,000, $1,500, $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $75, $50 or $35 right away. Your contribution will help me pay for advertisements, mailings, yard signs, flyers and other costs associated with executing our battle plan to defeat the establishment. Not only that, but it will help keep our hard-hitting TV ad up and running through Election Day. Of course, I understand only a few people are able to afford $2,700 ($5,400 per couple) — the maximum legal amount under federal law. If you are such a person, I believe this race is an investment worth making. But I also understand that $250 or $100 may be all many folks can give. In fact, I know for some, $25 or $35 is a stretch. And for others — $5 or $10 can be a major sacrifice. Whatever amount you can afford to donate at this time, please know your contribution is greatly appreciated and will be put to immediate use for my campaign. And I pledge to be a careful steward of your trust. I’m confident you and I are on the verge of defeating the establishment and taking our country back. But we must not let up now. So please stand with me in this historic fight against Washington by chipping in a generous contribution to my Defeat the Establishment Money Bomb. Thank you in advance for
Mo Brooks ‘disappointed’ over Donald Trump’s treatment of Jeff Sessions
U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks went after President Donald Trump Wednesday for his treatment of Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the media. During an interview on Jack Campbell and Baron Coleman’s radio show on News Talk 93.1 FM in Montgomery, Brooks said he was “disappointed and chagrined with what what’s happening with Jeff Sessions and President Trump right now.” Brooks, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, also said his pre-election reservations about Trump “are turning out to be somewhat prophetic based on what we are seeing transpire with the public chastisement and the attacks on the integrity and good name of [Attorney General Sessions].” Brooks added that if he won the special election, he would not vote for Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell to hold on to his post as Majority Leader. The CD 5 Republican is one of several GOP candidates in the race to be Sessions’ permanent replacement in the senate and his primary opponents, most notably sitting Sen. Luther Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, have criticized him for what they say is a lack of support for Trump. Strange and a political committee headed up by McConnell have dumped a lot of money into anti-Brooks advertising, with many of the ads attacking the congressman for his statements on the president. Brooks said those advertisements bother him because they put his statements “in an untruthful light.” “The words that I uttered were my concerns and reservations expressed while I was chairman of Ted Cruz’s campaign for the presidency, and that campaign for the primary for the presidency did not end until late May when Donald Trump got sufficient votes to win the Republican nomination,” he said. He added that he thought Trump was a much better option in a general election setting than Hillary Clinton but said some of Trump’s more “mercurial dispositions,” such as the way his administration communicates with U.S. allies and enemies, have given him “serious reservations.” The special primary election is slated for Aug. 15, and if necessary will be followed by a primary runoff Sept. 26. The general election will be held Dec. 12.
Mo Brooks vows to read Bible on Senate floor until border wall is funded in first campaign ad
In his first campaign ad for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat, Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks has made clear his intentions should he be elected — he’ll fight every spending bill that doesn’t include funding for President Donald Trump‘s promised Mexican border wall. “I am willing to do whatever it takes in the Senate to ensure President Trump’s promise to the American people is kept,” Brooks said in the ad. “I’ll aggressively oppose every single spending bill that doesn’t fund the border wall and expose every Republican establishment Senator who sides with the Democrats against our President.” In the ad entitled, Build the Wall,” Brooks goes so far as to vow to filibuster by reading the King James Bible until the wall is funded. “And if I have to filibuster on the Senate floor, I’ll even read the King James Bible until the wall is funded. And you know what, Washington could benefit from that.” Brooks is polling as one of the top three candidates for the seat, along with appointed U.S. Sen. Luther Strange and former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. The new will soon be on the air statewide. Watch the ad below: Full transcript: Hi, I’m Mo Brooks, candidate for the Senate, and I approve this message. President Trump promised a wall to keep us safe and to protect American jobs for American workers. But even some establishment Republicans are blocking the way. Elect me to the Senate and I’ll fight every spending bill that doesn’t fund that wall. And if I have to filibuster on the Senate floor, I’ll even read the King James Bible until the wall is funded. And you know what, Washington could benefit from that. We’re going to build that wall, or you’ll know the name of every Republican who surrenders to the Democrats to break my filibuster. I give you my word, and I don’t give my word lightly.
Get to know Bryan Peeples, Republican running for Alabama U.S. Senate seat
11 Republicans and eight Democrats will officially move forward to their party’s August 15 primaries to vote in the Alabama special election to replace Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate With a little over three months until voters head to the ballots, AlabamaToday.com is inviting all of the candidates, including appointed-incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, to complete a questionnaire we believe offers an interesting, albeit, thumbnail sketch of who they are and why they are running. If you are a candidate and would like to complete the questionnaire, email Elizabeth@ALToday.com. Today’s candidate spotlight features Bryan Peeples, President and CEO of his own consulting company who’s hoping to bring hope, optimism and change to the nation’s capital. Here he is in his own words: Significant other? Kids? I do not have a significant other or kids. Someday I hope to be a loving husband and father but that hasn’t been the plan for my life as of yet. Education background? Professional background? I started a consulting firm, Peeples Consulting, focusing on small and medium sized businesses. I have an extensive back ground in operations, managing, and IT and I am passionate about helping people succeed and giving the tools for that success. My drive is to ensure that others succeed. Owning your own business is stressful and time consuming but with the right passion and drive can be extremely rewarding. I try and stress to those that it’s not the monetary value that makes your job rewarding it is the ability to see that you were able to provide a substance or service to someone and it was beneficial to them in that time and place. Seeing that you were able to help someone is the reward. What was your first job? Burger King when I was 15. I have always wanted to work. I remember going for my interview in khakis and tie and being extremely nervous. I worked there until I moved from Denver to Birmingham. I still remember this one guest that would come in every other day with his daughter and order a Whopper and Onion Rings for himself and the chicken nugget kids meal for his daughter. In 25 words or less, why are you running for office? The voice of the people isn’t represented in Washington anymore. I want to bring hope, optimism, change, and that voice to Washington. Did you speak with anybody in your political party before deciding on running? Receive any encouragement? From whom? I spoke with close friends about the choice for running. I prayed hard for the right path to be taken. When my friends and family said that if anyone can do this, if anyone can make a difference it is you. I am passionate about this state and the people in it. Working everyday with the working men and women of this state and seeing how Washington is being run right now our voice, their voice isn’t being heard. Who do you count on for advice? Many people. I value all opinions and keep an open mind to new thoughts and ideas. Very few things in this world are solely black and white and issues of the government affect us all differently. I would say if my Grandmother and Grandfather were still alive I would lean on their advice heavily but my fathers advice has been strong in my life. When I was younger I mistakenly never took it but as I matured into adulthood I realized that a lot of what he told me was right and now we talk about issues and different points of views often. It’s important to me to know and understand viewpoints other than mine and different than mine. It allows me to see the whole picture. Who is your political consultant? Campaign manager? Currently I do not have one but I am searching for someone for that role. Who was the first person to contribute to your campaign? Why did they donate? Stephanie Jordan. I have been friends with her for years and she is an amazing strong woman with 5 wonderful children. She donated to me because she believes in me and believe I can make the difference this state needs in Washington. Who, if anyone, inspires you in state government? I think I fall in line with everyone else in this state who is tired of how this state’s government is run. It seems that there is one corruption scandal after another and it’s been that way for as long as I can remember. I like Kay Ivey and feel she is an honorable woman and I wish her all the luck and success as our Governor. Why do people mistrust elected officials and what are you going to do about it? When I am talking to people I get several responses to this question. First, most people feel all politicians are all talk. They are only self-serving and are in it for power. I’m not looking to be self-serving or powerful. I truly want to make a difference and be the voice this state can be proud to get behind that represents all people. Second, there is a divide between the Democratic and Republican parties. I hear I won’t vote for “x” party because they have failed this country. There is this visceral negativity in the media today that fuels this but I also feel it goes back to my first point of being all talk. If you listen to sound bites form our elected officials that is all they are, sound bites for news organizations these days. People feel that both parties don’t represent the people anymore and only their agendas.That’s why I’m running. I’m aware there haven’t been any results. I’m running to be a different choice in Washington and to honestly give the people of this state a true voice. I hope to bring a bipartisan perspective to the table and am changing what it means to be a Republican. I’m redefining it because it’s my right and duty to do so and someone has to do it. It’s not just words to me. I truly care about the issues and how they affect all of
