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Streetcar Line
Battles in ‘Bama
Conservatives should pay heed in Heart of Dixie.
Not enough conservatives nationally are paying attention to Alabama’s political races this year, including a tremendously important Republican primary runoff for governor this coming Tuesday, July 13. There’s also an important race for attorney general in the fall featuring a solid conservative trying to fight against what would be a counterintuitive, Democratic central-Gulf Coast sweep of AG offices, causing all sorts of mischief that could hamstring the conservative governors in those states.
Let’s take the governor’s race first. Governor Bob Riley is finishing up his second of two impressively successful terms, having made great strides in industrial recruitment, tax relief, conservative education reforms, multiple-disaster response, and government ethics. But with Riley retiring, his enemies at the hugely powerful, hugely counterproductive Alabama Education Association are going to phenomenal extremes to make sure the governor’s mansion ends up in hands far more pliable for the AEA agenda. So radical is the AEA that a decade ago it actually fought tooth and nail against teacher background checks. Yes, against background checks. Apparently it was more important to protect the jobs of teachers than it was to make sure Alabama’s children weren’t being preyed upon by sex offenders or other criminals. Most people see the AEA as a direct arm of the state Democratic party — or vice versa, with the AEA pulling all the strings: Paul Hubbert, AEA’s major domo since 1969, is a former Democratic nominee for governor and still is co-chairman of the state Democratic Party.
Anyway, the AEA has by reliable estimates spent well over $1 million, and by some claims as much as $3 million, to defeat conservative reformer Bradley Byrne. Byrne is a former state school board member and state senator who then was appointed to take over the state’s system of two-year colleges after the schools were plagued by a multi-conviction scandal — and who by all press accounts effectively cleaned house. Against Byrne in the Republican primary runoff is a relative cipher named Robert Bentley, a previously low-profile state House member who used a stealth campaign to barely edge conservative businessman Tim James, son of former Gov. Fob James, to sneak into the runoff with Byrne. Bentley, who partnered with the AEA while in the Legislature to help kill Gov. Riley’s efforts to legalize charter schools, gladly has accepted AEA’s campaign help, financial and otherwise. The AEA is openly urging registered Democrats to cross over and vote in the GOP runoff, for Bentley.
When I served as chief editorial writer for the Mobile Register, at the time one of the most conservative papers in the country and one of the only conservative papers to regularly win mainstream journalism awards, Byrne was one of the few office-holders we could count on to give us the news straight and unvarnished, whether we wanted to hear it or not. He never wavered in the state Senate when subject to unrelenting pressure from the liberals who controlled the chamber, several times leading successful filibusters against corrupt or big-government agenda items. I remember one time, also, when he was the only member of a key committee to vote against a sneaky tax hike: I can’t remember the details, other than that it was one of those legislative sleight-of-hands by the left that only somebody really paying attention would have caught and raised a stink about. Byrne, to his credit, was paying attention, and raised the appropriate stink. (Byrne signed the famous tax pledge from Americans for Tax Reform a full year to the day before Tuesday’s primary runoff. ) He also showed fiscal restraint as an administrator, saving $70 million from the budget of the state’s two-year colleges.
So much the straight shooter is Byrne that every major paper in the state has endorsed his candidacy — including my old paper in Mobile. So has almost every business group, large and small.
All of which is fine, you might ask, but why should you care? For one thing, redistricting. Three of Alabama’s current congressional districts have repeatedly produced razor-thin margins. Just a few tweaks in the district lines could easily make all three of them virtual guarantees for Democrats to win, merely by shifting more Republican voters into the neighboring districts currently held by Republicans Jo Bonner, Spencer Bachus, and Robert Aderholt. A governor in hoc to the AEA is, through Hubbert, directly in hoc to the state Democratic Party. Bye, bye, any real chance of fair redistricting for those three U.S. House seats. As the fight over Obamacare showed, every single one of those seats can make a huge difference.
Secondly, the national conservative movement would benefit from having a Duke-educated, sophisticated, articulate spokesman, without a good-ol’boy twang, in the state known as the Heart of Dixie. Somebody who naturally sounds attractively southern without sounding the slightest bit hayseed is harder for national establishment media to stereotype and slander.
On the other hand, conservatives cannot afford to lose the governorship in what should be strong conservative territory. The solid South would suddenly have a soft underbelly. And the Left would exploit it without mercy.
NOW, MORE QUICKLY, as for the race for attorney general. Alabama had two superb AGs in a row, now-Senator Jeff Sessions and Bill Pryor, now a judge on the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. To replace Pryor, Gov. Riley made one of his few regrettable moves, appointing an ambitious lawyer named Troy King. King turned out to be a mess, repeatedly under investigation (no indictments yet) for various potential crimes or ethical scrapes, and often playing footsie with the plaintiffs’ bar. Riley himself has clashed with King, and quite clearly favored a rare GOP intra-party challenge to an incumbent state office-holder. The challenger was Riley friend and respected lawyer Luther Strange, a narrow loser for lieutenant governor four years ago. U.S. Sens. Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby both openly supported Strange as well, and Strange upended King in a 60-40 landslide.
Strange visited Washington last week, and made a stop at a small gathering of conservative journalists hosted by the Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes. (The stalwart conservative Barnes has several close familial and friendship ties with Alabama, and is a good friend of Strange’s.) As Strange rightly explained, Alabama has been a key spearpoint for the civil justice reform movement. Once the worst of the worst “tort hells,” Alabama in the past 12 years elected a conservative state Supreme Court and put limits on punitive damage awards, seriously undercutting the liberal big-money trial-lawyer machine that once held sway. But with the oil spill in the Gulf, the Obama administration in Washington, and major fights brewing about federal encroachment on state prerogatives and individual rights, the plaintiffs’ bar is desperate to recapture the seat of legal-issue power in Alabama.
The latest nationwide trend is for plaintiffs’ lawyers to convince AGs to contract out “contingent fee” cases to them, giving them the power of the attorney generals’ offices to pursue cases in which the lawyers bring home millions while taxpayers see gains only indirectly, through money that flows into the state treasury only to be further raided by big-spending legislators. Luther Strange, on the other hand, pledges to handle all litigation relating to the oil spill in-house, saving for taxpayers the millions that otherwise would flow to the outside lawyers. Naturally, the trial lawyers have put a huge target squarely on Strange’s very tall back. (Strange, at 6’9”, is a former scholarship basketball player for Tulane University in New Orleans.) But as the national trial bar regularly donates more than 90% of its campaign cash to Democrats like Obama, vice president Biden, and Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy of Vermont, any gains they make in Alabama by beating Strange would surely mean a financial boost nationally for the left-most of the Senate’s left.
Democrats already control the AG’s office in neighboring Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and in Louisiana as well. As the Obama regulatory regime grows ever wider and more intrusive, those state AGs who not only refuse to fight it but who actually side with Obama can do great damage to court challenges against federal overreach.
“I just think that with this whole Obama agenda, somebody needs to be watching,” Strange said.
And when you are 6’9”, you can not just watch but actually see one heck of a lot.
About the Author
Quin Hillyer is a senior editor of The American Spectator and a senior fellow at the Center for Individual Freedom. Follow him on Twitter @QuinHillyer.
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Alan Brooks| 7.9.10 @ 11:03AM
"I just think that with this whole Obama agenda, somebody needs to be watching," Strange said. "
But when the Bush family was watched, they retaliated; if you've got pull, you can do so. And if you say Obama is the same way, that is no more of a good reflection on Bush than Nixon was a good reflection on LBJ.
What is it people fear most in politics and out? other people.
Toolbag| 7.11.10 @ 12:23PM
What we should all be afraid of are the politcial machines that are sidelining voters. The machines are going so far as to try and sabotage a primary race. Such practices are patently corrupt and unethical. Our electoral system has been hijacked.
rwtmschaub| 7.11.10 @ 9:52PM
I agree, Toolbag -- out electoral system has been hijacked. They have manipulated the election process putting "super delegates," etc., in place that we have lost "a vote for a vote." While we are screaming about all the other inequities, we need to be screaming for a "fair" election process.
Oldefarte| 7.9.10 @ 11:57AM
Great, great editorial, Quin. Bravo and kudos! Since I mainly pay attention to national political matters, I was not aware of your enlighting information, and my wife and myself will be sure to vote for Byrne [and Strange, if he's up for a vote on Tuesday]. This Obama/liberal Democrat thing gets worse and worse by the minute nationally, with their audacious, asinine activities concerning the Gulf Coast oil spill and the federal lawsuit against Arizona's immigration legislation as only two examples. He/they have now pi**ed off the Israelies and the American Jewish population, England, China, Poland,etc over their radicalism; and once again, I only hope and pray that the American voter-taxpayers have now finally awakened to their extreme liberalism and begin remeding their huge mistake of November 2008 with the November 2010 elections. I/we will be sure to do our small part. ROOOOOOLLLLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alan Brooks| 7.9.10 @ 3:42PM
"[snip] with the November 2010 elections. I/we will be sure to do our small part. ROOOOOOLLLLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Yes, the GOP (and though libertarians are barracudas, they too) will boost the economy 1995- style. And Obama will gain as Clinton did '96.
There is no way 'out of it'; that is to say people do what they please and build justifications around such.
You can't deny libertarians are so, can you? Economically you can do "wonders", but what on Earth are you going to do about ... demographics, social conditions? Some of you might have been around in the '50s, did you ever dream the 21st century would be like this? for the strong;
of stomach.
Gerald Stephens| 7.10.10 @ 6:23PM
IT'S WAR… All Hands on Deck!
The present a state of the nation has only one historical analogy; that at the time of the American Revolution. English tyranny had entwined its tentacles throughout the colonies intent on strangling their way of life and very existence. The fatal danger was manifested not only by the introduction of foreign forces detailed and empowered to crush the colonists but loyalist elements from within as well. The Crown appointed and controlled the governmental structure.
How did such conditions come about? The inhabitants of thirteen colonies were by birth or heritage loyal English. They believed and trusted in the rights and freedom hammered out through centuries of English Common Law. They brought that law with them to the New World, lived by it, and were content to function within it for some 150 years. Their alarm and disquiet over the usurpation of their legal rights grew ever increasingly during the latter part of the 150 to the point whereat only fools could not recognize the terror of tyranny staring them in the face.
So it was and so again now. It is well beyond the point of making a further case for the analogy. The internal threat to the existence of our constitutional republic in both qualitative and quantitative measure is even greater to that posed by Hitler or Russian communism. It has seized control our government and attacks with the intent to destroy the constitutional fabric of the nation. Like those gathered around the 1776 meeting halls awaiting word from the people’s leaders, we find ourselves in the precise same state of apprehension. “Did you hear? A declaration of independence! IT’S WAR”
We have concluded waiting. IT’S WAR!
.
Laneybug| 7.9.10 @ 12:12PM
An excellent article showing great awareness of the real issues facing Alabama and the region. Thanks for doing your job in such a professional manner.
Byrne is clearly the best gubernatorial candidate we've had in decades.
ottertail| 7.9.10 @ 4:38PM
Tim James was the best candidate by far- the most trustworthy and honest candidate with ideas and love for the people; a southern gentleman with a great family- they would have represented our state well. The GOP ESTABLISHMENT did a disservice to the people of Alabama by blatantly backing a nasty -tempered, RINO, trial-lawyer -turned-conservative named BYRNE. Tim missed the GOP run-off by 270 votes. Now, the people have lesser choices for their vote for Governor. That is how the AEA runs politics in Alabama.
Alan Brooks| 7.9.10 @ 3:49PM
That's good hearing, Laney.
If he is indeed the best in decades.
Anon| 7.9.10 @ 3:55PM
PRESS RELEASE: Robert Bentley in Wide Lead over Bradley Byrne; McMillan and Grace Too Close to Call According to Independent Poll
VIEW POLLSTER ANALYSIS HERE
MONTGOMERY, Alabama (July 8, 2010) – A poll conducted this week commissioned by a Montgomery political strategy, media and public relations firm shows Robert Bentley in a commanding lead over Bradley Byrne in the Republican run-off for Governor. Agriculture Commission candidates Dorman Grace and John McMillan are virtually tied with a fairly large number of undecided voters.
Public Strategy Associates, a Montgomery-based company, announced the results of the poll conducted the evening of July 5, 2010 by Baselice and Associates, an Austin, Texas polling firm whose clients include Governor Rick Perry (R-Texas) and Governor Arnold Swarzenegger (R-California). Public Strategy Associates is not in the employ of any gubernatorial candidate.
In phone surveys by Baselice & Associates with 1,003 highly likely Republican primary runoff voters, the race for Governor of Alabama shows Dr. Bentley some 20 points ahead of Mr. Byrne with only 13 percent undecided. Bentley is at 53% percent, and Byrne at 33% percent.
REV.CEDRIC JONES| 7.9.10 @ 4:03PM
THE DEMOCRATIC MACHINBE IS SUCEEDING IN DIVIDING THE GOP VOTE.THE REMARKS AGAINS THE TWO GOP CANDIDATES WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT US WHEN ITS DOWN TO GOP VERSUS THE DEMOCRATS.THE RHETORIC HAS BEEN TOO TOUCH AND AS A PATRIOT,I FEEL THE MUD THROWING MUST STOP NOW.IF NOT,IN NOIVEMBER WE WILL HAVE DEFEATED OURSELVES.I AM A CONVERTED PATROPT BUT FEEL THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT MUS T BE MORE AGRESSIVE AND NON DIVISIVE IF WE ARE TO WIN IN NOVEMBER.UNITED WE STAND;;DIVIDEDM WE FALL! A MINISTER PATRIOT
Julie Magee| 7.9.10 @ 4:43PM
Dr. Bentley stands for the people and what good he can do for the state. Byrne stands for himself and he only cares about money, power and prestige. Yep, even us poor, dumb, morons with southern accents can see through him easily enough and we're all going to the polls en masse Tuesday and voting for Dr. Bentley.
Thank you,
Julie P. Magee
Mobile, AL
The Real Truth about Dr. Robert Bentley
ACCUSATION
Bentley has received at least $10,000 in campaign contributions from the AEA.
THE TRUTH
Dr. Bentley has never hidden that he received a $10,000 contribution from the Alabama Education Association. Dr. Bentley votes with the AEA when they are right and against them when they are wrong. Dr. Bentley has been featured in the AEA journal several times during his 8 years in the legislature as someone has voted against them on their legislative priorities. Dr. Bentley has taken less special interest money than any other candidate still in the race for Governor and has actually taken much less AEA money over his career than Bradley Byrne. No special interest, especially the AEA, controls Dr. Bentley or influences his vote. Dr. Bentley has served his country, his state and his patients with honesty and integrity. He is a conservative reformer who has never and will never let a special interest tell him what to do.
ACCUSATION
In the Legislature, Bentley voted to continue full salary and benefits for teachers convicted of serious crimes, including sexual abuse of students. Bentley voted in 2004 to support a measure that allowed tenured teachers to continuing receiving benefits throughout the firing process. As a result, one teacher who seduced a 14-year-old student and was sentenced to a 10-year prison term continued to collect her salary long after going to jail. [HB42, 2004RS]
THE TRUTH
Dr. Bentley was actually one of the co-sponsors of the law that prevents teachers who are convicted of a felony from receiving pay and benefits. The bill that was referenced in the Bradley Byrne's attack ad was supported by every GOP House Member, including Mike Hubbard, the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party and Gov. Bob Riley. The Birmingham News points out the many falsehoods in this claim at: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/20.....off_b.html
ACCUSATION
Dr. Bentley is the only Republican in the House that opposed charter schools.
THE TRUTH
Dr. Bentley's stance on charter schools is clear and has been documented publicly. Dr. Bentley has been praised as having put forth the best compromise on charter schools by his fellow Republicans including Cam Ward who wrote for Political Parlor that: "Ironically the best compromise to the issue was offered by Rep. Robert Bentley. He suggested implementing a pilot program for charter schools in Alabama where certain select areas would be allowed to create the schools. Then it could be determined how effective they were before moving forward and having them locate all across the state. "
ACCUSATION
Bentley supported, and sometimes co-sponsored, more than $100 million in tax increases pushed by Paul Hubbert and voted against tax cuts that the liberal labor union opposed. Bucking his fellow House Republicans, Bentley voted to support a bill that levied approximately $100 million in new taxes on Alabama businesses of all sizes. He even co-sponsored a bill drafted by AEA that placed state taxes on businesses not even operating in Alabama. Bentley also joined Democrats in blocking a substantial small business tax deduction that his Republican "colleagues" offered on the House floor. [HB350, 2008RS; HB768, 2008RS; HB350, 2008RS]
THE TRUTH
Dr. Bentley did NOT vote for a $100 million tax increase. Dr. Robert Bentley is a friend to business and was the only candidate in the last session to author and pass a law, the Alabama Reemployment Act of 2010, which cut taxes for businesses that hire unemployed workers and creates 5,000 new jobs without increasing government spending. The legislation cited in Byrne's false attack was designed to close a loophole used by some large corporations to avoid paying the same taxes that Alabama small businesses must pay. Most Republicans voted with Dr. Bentley to close that loophole. Bradley Byrne has voted to raise property taxes by 30%, raise the income tax by more than $573 million, and raise the state sales tax (HB1, RC 276 6/7/03).
ACCUSATION
Robert Bentley is pro-gambling.
THE TRUTH
Dr. Robert Bentley has been a consistent NO vote against gambling during his entire 8 years in the legislature. He has always refused to accept any money from gambling interests and he was featured in an April 2010 article in the Alabama Baptist as a legislator who is against gambling. Unfortunately, gambling exists in Alabama today in the form of dog racetracks, card bingo and Indian casinos. Dr. Bentley is against all forms of gambling and supports an amendment to the Alabama Constitution which would ban ALL gambling in Alabama. Dr. Bentley believes the only way to ban all gambling in this state is to have a clean up or down vote of the people to pass a Constitutional amendment to ban gambling in all its forms. History has shown us that Alabamians will come together to defeat any gambling vote just as we did in the 1999 lottery vote. Without a constitutional amendment, dog tracks, card bingo and Indian casinos will be here to stay. Dr. Bentley has faith that Alabamians will vote to rid our state of all gambling. Bradley Byrne refused to oppose the so-called "Bingo for Books" gambling expansion bill in 2004 (SB381) and has taken over $30,000 in gambling money for his campaign despite his pledge not to take any gambling money.
ACCUSATION
Dr. Bentley lied about his military service.
THE TRUTH
Dr. Robert Bentley is very proud of his record in the military. He served his country and healed troops wounded in Vietnam as a hospital commander during the Vietnam War just as his ad says. Despite attacks from Bradley Byrne about his military record, prominent veterans across the state have come to Dr. Bentley defense. Ray Yeatman, President of the Vietnam Veterans of America – Tuscaloosa Chapter was invited to review Bentley's military records and he issued the following statement: "I have reviewed Dr. Robert Bentley's military records and television commercial and can say unequivocally that the representation of Dr. Bentley's military service in his television commercial is 100% truthful and accurate." Bradley Byrne never served in the military and should be ashamed of himself for attacking Dr. Bentley's military service.
ACCUSATION
Dr. Bentley voted to increase his salary by 62% and is still taking a salary as a legislator despite record unemployment.
THE TRUTH
Dr. Bentley voted against the 62% salary increase and now refuses to take a salary as a legislator. (HJR 29 RC 15 2007) Dr. Bentley has pledged to not
take a salary as governor until Alabama reaches full employment.
Oldefarte| 7.10.10 @ 10:52AM
Even though the above is an informative, factual [?] argument FOR Dr. Bentley's election, it sounds like a simi-professional campaign progandized promotion to me. It's a little too OVER THE TOP in defense of Bentley and a bit too thorough for someone that is supposedly just a typical constituent. Is this possibly from Bentley's campaign offices? Twice today I have received robo type phone calls from Bentley's campaign asking for my vote for him on Tuesday, and the above sounds like a continuation of same to me!!!!
RWinks| 7.10.10 @ 3:19PM
School must be out. Julie McGee has plenty of time to post.
RJ| 7.9.10 @ 8:09PM
Bentley is a tool of Hubbard who has caused more damage to the state of Alabama than anyone in history. Bentley should be ashamed of taking Hubbard's dirty money
Maddox| 7.9.10 @ 10:21PM
RJ, well spoken truth.
The dirty adds attacking Byrne's Christianity have hit a chord with many Southern Baptists who are too eager to believe this kind of nasty accusation.
I truly believe all honor has gone from politics.
RWinks| 7.10.10 @ 4:19PM
I find it hard to believe Alabamans will elect Democrats with the Obamacrats gang raping the Gulf coast states all this Summer and into the Fall. How can a Democrat dare show their face in public when their masters in Washington are still grunting over the prostate body of Alabama. The 'Bamans I knew in the USMC wouldn't be saying "Thank you sir. May I have another?".
victoria_29| 7.11.10 @ 4:27PM
Good Editorial...It is just a shame so many don't do their own research of Bentley-if they bothered really digging on the man they would be aware he also was aware PACT program was in trouble 5 yrs before went public-but so did Kay Ivey-who along with Jim Folsom was responsible. But voters did not even care that about her poor judgment, lies & covering up. Which as Lt Gov she can prevent investigationof PACT. If you go back to the board meetings for PACT you will find Bentley &Byrne; BOTH knew as early as 2005-but Byrne was on board & It was his job to keep quiet. Bentley was legislature-his JOB was to look out for voters & yet he kept quiet-waiting for a way to cover it up & blame it on something else like they got in 09/09.
Delta Man| 7.12.10 @ 2:12PM
Tomorrow we need to begin to defeat Paul Hubbard and Joe Reed. It is time to show real progress and not let this little tin horns steel this election. Stand up Alabama and kick AEA in the butt.
Johnny Rube| 7.13.10 @ 12:40AM
Unfortunately, it's pretty easy to fool the country folk in Alabama. Paul Hubbard looks likely to have the only two ponies in the race, and will be the real winner.
When the GOP runoff turns into a race between a well-spoken, suburbanite type and a good old country boy, the good old country boy always wins, whether or not he's the more conservative. Governor Riley was able to straddle the two groups.
Casey Anthony | 7.20.11 @ 6:06PM
I am a huge supporter of Bradley Byrne, I had followed him after his career in our school systems. I am surprised that conservatives are not following this closer, because this could become a huge hindrance to their campaigns. Conservatives better turn it up a notch, because the democrats are making great strides in these different municipalities and states.