What's Happening In Alabama?

[StuBleedsBlue2]

I don't know much of the details, but I'm hearing Impeachment, Federal indictments, all kinds of accusations against the Governor, the House speaker and the Chief Justice.

Has there ever been such accusations at ALL of these levels simultaneously for ANY state in our nation's history?

Do these have merit?

Is this a political witch hunt?

Why isn't this national news?

[PedroDaGr8]

The chief justice is being impeached (not sure if it's the right term) because he told the state to blatantly ignore the US Supreme Courts ruling on gay marriage. He instructed the probate judges to not issue gay marriage licenses. His "reason" is they need to wait for clarification. Of what, nobody knows; it is thought this was/is an attempt to get around the ruling and not follow it. This was covered pretty well nationally. If he is removed from office this would be the second time. The first time because he refused an order from the Supreme Court to remove the ten commandments monument he had installed in the court (not sure if on the grounds or in the building itself).

The governor looks unrelated. Apparently, a tape of him sending sexual messages to an aide has surfaced.

Not sure about anything else.

[Darrell KSR]

Hope this doesn't sound like I'm friends with the man or anything of the sort--he likely wouldn't recognize me if I walked up to him--but I spent many days in Judge Roy Moore's courtroom in Etowah County, Alabama and spent some time in his chambers. Was the largest case I was ever involved with--interesting case for another day, but his rulings were sound, fair and couched in common sense and good judgment. Good trial court judge.

So when he first ran for Alabama Supreme Court Justice, I supported him. No reason not to think he wouldn't carry those same good qualities to Montgomery. Unfortunately, this good man--and I do think he is a good man--allowed his personal religious beliefs to supercede his obligations as a jurist. He argued otherwise, but his positions were unsupportable, and he was removed from office for violating federal court orders to, well, do his job.

The good people of Alabama being the stalwarts of The Bible Belt as we are, we gave him a second chance and re-elected him, notwithstanding his removal. Again, faced with a similar choice of following the law, or following his beliefs (and God's law, as he sees it), he is in the same general predicament as before.

As to the others, Mick posted something on another thread about Alabama politicians which is accurate. I'll see if I can locate it and post it here. The gist of it is that corruption is rampant, and lack of moral compasses permeate our politicos. I hope I'm doing it justice. Those "targeted" may claim to be the subject of a witch hunt, but my belief is that they are all guilty of the accusations charged, and then some. Hey, we already have one former Governor sitting in prison serving time for federal corruption charges. It's not like Alabama politics have ever been pristine.

I'll see if I can find Mick's comments.

**Mick's Comments**

...our Supreme Court Chief Justice is about to be removed from office, the House Speaker is on trial for 23 counts of ethics violations, and our Governor, along with his paramour and her husband, is under investigation by state and Federal authorities for violations of ethics and campaign laws.

It is not about political parties, but about the conduct of those who hold office. It's time to close the campaign loopholes. It's time to tell the lobbyists you can buy lunch and nothing more. Let's get rid of the anonymous donors. As we have learned in alaBama, it's not about whether someone campaigns on conservative Christian values. It's whether the office holder lives them. In our case most all do not. Matter of fact most House members will not vote to impeach the governor as they have their own paramours and are afraid the governor will expose them.

[Doc]

Alabama = Louisiana lite

[Darrell KSR]

Alabama = Louisiana lite
Getting there...

[CitizenBBN]

Getting there...


I'm an outsider and all, but if you guys were going to move that direction you might have started with the topless bead wearing girls, big blue drinks and jazz music, done the corruption part later. :)

[MickintheHam]

Hope this doesn't sound like I'm friends with the man or anything of the sort--he likely wouldn't recognize me if I walked up to him--but I spent many days in Judge Roy Moore's courtroom in Etowah County, Alabama and spent some time in his chambers. Was the largest case I was ever involved with--interesting case for another day, but his rulings were sound, fair and couched in common sense and good judgment. Good trial court judge.

So when he first ran for Alabama Supreme Court Justice, I supported him. No reason not to think he wouldn't carry those same good qualities to Montgomery. Unfortunately, this good man--and I do think he is a good man--allowed his personal religious beliefs to supercede his obligations as a jurist. He argued otherwise, but his positions were unsupportable, and he was removed from office for violating federal court orders to, well, do his job.

The good people of Alabama being the stalwarts of The Bible Belt as we are, we gave him a second chance and re-elected him, notwithstanding his removal. Again, faced with a similar choice of following the law, or following his beliefs (and God's law, as he sees it), he is in the same general predicament as before.

As to the others, Mick posted something on another thread about Alabama politicians which is accurate. I'll see if I can locate it and post it here. The gist of it is that corruption is rampant, and lack of moral compasses permeate our politicos. I hope I'm doing it justice. Those "targeted" may claim to be the subject of a witch hunt, but my belief is that they are all guilty of the accusations charged, and then some. Hey, we already have one former Governor sitting in prison serving time for federal corruption charges. It's not like Alabama politics have ever been pristine.

I'll see if I can find Mick's comments.

**Mick's Comments**

...our Supreme Court Chief Justice is about to be removed from office, the House Speaker is on trial for 23 counts of ethics violations, and our Governor, along with his paramour and her husband, is under investigation by state and Federal authorities for violations of ethics and campaign laws.

It is not about political parties, but about the conduct of those who hold office. It's time to close the campaign loopholes. It's time to tell the lobbyists you can buy lunch and nothing more. Let's get rid of the anonymous donors. As we have learned in alaBama, it's not about whether someone campaigns on conservative Christian values. It's whether the office holder lives them. In our case most all do not. Matter of fact most House members will not vote to impeach the governor as they have their own paramours and are afraid the governor will expose them.


If anyone.thinks this is limited to alaBama, they are fools. And if anyone believes it is limited to one political party they are bigger fools. The corruption has no boundaries. There is a grass roots movement in alaBama, made up of Blacks and Whites, democrats and republicans, conservatives and liberals that want government cleaned up. It is facebook based. It resulted in a legal brief being delivered to Loretta Lynch to begin an investigation of the Governor, his paramour, and her husband. It lead to the recusal of the Federal prosecutor investigating the case. There is a grass roots political movement in this country that goes way beyond Sanders and Trump's challenges to the political establishment.

[KSRBEvans]

Here's the GQ article that was published yesterday on the rise and fall of Alabama's Governor and his relationship with a woman who became his "senior political advisor":

The Love Song of Robert Bentley, Alabama's Horndog Governor (http://www.gq.com/story/affair-robert-bentley-alabama-governor)

[Darrell KSR]

Read it this morning. I believe it happened just the way they portrayed it. I almost feel sorry for him. He got a little attention, and lost his compass. Hard to call him "naive," but I think that's what he is.

(Note-I am not a fan of Governor Bentley, nor his actions.)


Here's the GQ article that was published yesterday on the rise and fall of Alabama's Governor and his relationship with a woman who became his "senior political advisor":

The Love Song of Robert Bentley, Alabama's Horndog Governor (http://www.gq.com/story/affair-robert-bentley-alabama-governor)

[MickintheHam]

Read it this morning. I believe it happened just the way they portrayed it. I almost feel sorry for him. He got a little attention, and lost his compass. Hard to call him "naive," but I think that's what he is.

(Note-I am not a fan of Governor Bentley, nor his actions.) i am not in the Governor is naive camp. He served in the legislature and learned the system. He had the backing of the power brokers in West Alabama and with their backing felt he would get by with anything he wanted. I believe he is more cold and calculating than the image he projects.

[KSRBEvans]

Thought of this thread when I read that Bentley resigned & Kay Ivey is the new Governor

[Darrell KSR]

Yep. Three of our top political leaders are gone in disgrace.

A guy I taught in law school was elected Jefferson County D.A. The day before he was sworn in, he was arrested for perjury, and has been prevented from taking office.

Mick said it happens everywhere, and I guess it does. But it sure seems to be bad right now in my state.

[suncat05]

Ala-BAM-a!

[CitizenBBN]

Mick said it happens everywhere, and I guess it does. But it sure seems to be bad right now in my state.

You're just better at catching it would be my guess.

But firing the "Luv Guv" saddens me, I like that name.

[MickintheHam]

You're just better at catching it would be my guess.

But firing the "Luv Guv" saddens me, I like that name.

I give high marks to a few Republicans who stood up in the face of significant opposition to their impeachment efforts. The mystery in all of this is why black Democrats have supported the corrupt politicians who have supressed their constituents and robbed them blind.