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The Latest News About Bradley Byrne For Governor
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The Evolution of Bradley Byrne |
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The Evolution of Bradley Byrne and the Leadership of the Alabama Republican Party
April 5th, 2010 - By Dr. Randy Brinson, Chairman of Christian Coalition Alabama
It should be no mystery to anyone in the state of Alabama why the Republican Party is so dysfunctional in so many ways. While the grassroots citizenry of our great state identify with the Republican Party on the national level, it frequently fails to translate into support on the state and local level. The actions of the state Republican Party steering committee this past weekend have only further codified these impressions.
Over the past weekend, the state party steering committee made a series of rulings that were supported by the Bradley Byrne campaign and voted by his supporters within the party machinery. First, they disqualified State Senator Harri Anne Smith from running in the republican primary. Her transgression was her support of Democratic candidate Bobby Bright for Congress .After she had lost in the republican runoff for the Congressional seat vacated by Terry Everett , she chose to support Bright over Jay Love. The party cartel had anointed Jay Love, another Byrne supporter, to be the nominee and actively worked to ensure that he was the nominee, despite the fact that every republican candidate in the race refused to endorse him because he failed to represent the values of the second district. Ultimately, the voters of the district agreed and rejected Mr. Love. So, if they want to sanction Senator Smith, they really need to sanction all the republicans in the district who felt that it was more important to elect a congressman who could relate to them rather than the Republican Party making the choice for them. Their actions ensured victory for Congressman Bright, in one of the most republican districts in the country.
Next was the action of Autauga County Republican Chairman Al Booth, who declared that Bill Johnson was unsuited to speak to the Autauga County Republicans because he dared challenge the governor regarding his relationships with the Mississippi Choctaw Indians. Judge Booth further stated , according to a press release by the Johnson campaign, that the Bill of Rights doesn’t apply to the republican party.
Finally, the party ruled against State Representative Dr Robert Bentley regarding the use of Dr in his name on the ballot. Dr Bentley had previously been assured that he could be listed on the ballot as such since there was previous precedent back in 2002 when a candidate was listed as doctor on the republican primary ballot. Furthermore, many voters have identified him as “the doctor who won’t take a salary as governor”. Dr Bentley had formally changed his name to be Dr Robert Bentley with the probate court in Tuscaloosa County only as a last resort in order to allow voters to properly identify him on the Republican primary ballot. He received a favorable opinion from the Ethics Commission, the office of the Secretary of State, as well as the Attorney General of the State of Alabama. In reality, a candidate should be allowed to be listed in any way they feel appropriate provided that the title is not obscene, in order to assist voters in identifying them on the ballot. Not to be swayed, the steering committee refused to allow Dr Bentley to have his legal name on the ballot. The same fate awaited Judge Roy Moore, although the Republican Party was aided by a judicial cannon that stated that candidates cannot use judge in their official political ballot filings.
The question of the voters should be, Why? Because all of these fine candidates represent a threat to the republican establishment and their anointed candidate, Bradley Byrne. But why would they anoint a former democrat, Bradley Byrne.
Mr Byrne has done more than embrace human evolution. In Feb 2001, he stated that “evolution best explains the origins of man”. Really? A self professing Christian embracing evolution?
He stated that Christian Heritage Week could not be implemented in public schools due to lack of instructional time.
He stated that the Bible was not literal and that the prophets didn’t live hundreds of years
He stated that he accepted Christ in his early 20’s then he stated that he accepted Christ as a child in Episcopalian Sunday School.
His political inconsistencies and political evolution are equally troubling……
He supported Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, and Bill Clinton for President and was a long time democrat.
He financially supported Bill Clinton for President.
He stated he supported the governor’s raid on the bingo operators but later said that it wasn’t the best use of state resources.
He states he supports coastal insurance reform but fails to embrace any meaningful reforms or legislation sponsored by his own state senators from Mobile and Baldwin County after receiving thousands of dollars in PAC money from the insurance industry.
He publically opposed a sales tax increase in Baldwin County that was ratified by the voters and led to the resignation of his County Chair in Baldwin County.
He received hundreds of thousands of dollars in PAC money tied to gambling and other special interests to do their bidding as governor.
He was a member of the PACT board but failed to attend the majority of the meetings during the time of serious financial losses, yet blamed State Treasurer Kay Ivey for the loss of equity and failed to offer any tangible solutions.
The list is endless. Christians need to send a message to the Republican Party, either support candidates that embrace the hopes and dreams and will of the people or continue to suffer at the polls. We need men and women of integrity to represent us, not the wealthy, well connected, stiff shirted, silver tongued politicians. We need candidates of moral clarity and purpose that are in public service to serve the public, not enrich them. Republican candidates from the grassroots win elections, those tied to the well to do and party establishment, typically lose elections.
Tell your representatives and the candidates seeking your vote that you are voting for the person, not the party. We will not reach our full potential until we make the character, conviction, and courage of our elected officials, not party identification, our primary motivation in the area of public policy and debate. Link to Story
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Bradley Byrne Flip-flopping Again |
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MONTGOMERY – Bradley Byrne is changing his position on yet another issue facing Alabama families. This time, it’s a critical bill to rebuild Alabama’s crumbling roads and bridges.
Last week, Bradley Byrne called Sen. Lowell Barron’s proposal “a good bill” that would be positive for the state (Byrne likes roads bill, ethics reform, Decatur Daily, 1/24/2010). Now, Byrne is changing his position, saying he does not endorse the plan and arguing that he supports only “the concept behind Senate Bill 121” (“Byrne says Barron is wrong on his support of SB121,” alabama.raycompolitics.com, 2/2/2010).
The reversal is the latest in a series of Bradley Byrne’s embarrassing flip-flops. Earlier this year, Byrne told the Mobile Press-Register “I think there are parts of the Bible that are meant to be literally true and parts that are not” (GOP gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne says he believes 'every word is true' in Bible, Mobile Press-Register, 1/9/2010). After taking criticism, Byrne switched his position on the Bible and said “every word is true.”
“Bradley Byrne’s flurry of flip-flops on issues ranging from jobs to the Bible is making Alabama voters dizzy,” said Jim Spearman. “How can Bradley Byrne ask Alabama voters to trust him when he doesn’t even know where he stands?”
Spearman continued, “Bradley Byrne is stumbling, bumbling, and ‘clarifying’ his way out of the race for governor.”
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Bradley Byrne a 5 1/2 Generation Democrat - One-Quarter Generation Republican |
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Tuscaloosa News - We are closing in on three months until the June 1 gubernatorial primaries and while the two main Democratic candidates for their party’s nomination, U.S. Rep. Artur Davis and Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, are already going at it hammer and tong, things have been relatively quiet on the Republican front.
That may be because there are seven announced candidates for the GOP nomination — they can’t actually qualify until next Tuesday — and you would think the last thing they would want to do is get into a circular firing squad. That’s in part because there will likely be a July runoff and if you are in it and asking for the votes of those who didn’t make the cut, you certainly don’t want to have offended the supporters of the also-runs.
But that doesn’t mean that there is not some hanky-panky already underway among the GOPers, including a flyer that mysteriously showed up in my in mail box a few days ago linking former state senator and chairman of the Alabama Board of Education Bradley Byrne, considered one of the front-runners for his party’s nomination, with being a five-and-a-half generation Democrat and one-quarter generation Republican.
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Bradley Byrne Says The Bible Is Not literally True |
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Mobile Press-Register - Among the Republicans, only Byrne, Johnson and Potts expressed some belief in evolution. All three said they thought God was ultimately behind the process.
Most of the candidates also said they accept the Bible as absolute fact.
"I believe in the literal interpretation, that the holy Bible is the inspired word of God. Period," James said.
Byrne was an exception, saying it is unimportant whether some details of the Bible, such as people living for hundreds of years, are factually correct.
"I think there are parts of the Bible that are meant to be literally true and parts that are not," Byrne said.
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Bradley Byrne's Lawsuit Trouble |
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MONTGOMERY — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne on Tuesday said opponents who are in a lawsuit over two-year college system policies established while he was the system chancellor are trying to intimidate him.
Byrne said a process server attempted Monday to serve him a subpoena to give a deposition in the lawsuit after dark at his home while he wasn’t there.
Six lawmakers who work for the two-year college system and backed by the Alabama Education Association sued over policies that could end either their jobs or public careers.
Cecil Gardner, a lawyer for the six, said the process server was his young runner who attempted to serve Byrne at 7:30 p.m. Gardner said he studied Byrne’s campaign schedule and figured it would take him two hours to return from a 5:30 p.m. event.
“I wanted to catch him at home and didn’t want to embarrass him with a subpoena at a campaign event,” Gardner said. He said Byrne shouldn’t have been surprised. “He’s a lawyer, he’s a litigator, he knows what happens."
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Bradley Byrne And The Bible #2 |
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Mobile Press-Register - The Huntsville Times reported Thursday that Byrne said he had been misquoted by the Press-Register. "I believe the Bible is true. Every word of it," he said in response to questions at a news conference in Huntsville.
Byrne told the Press-Register later Thursday that its quote was accurate but that its Nov. 16 story lacked context and thus gave an incorrect presentation of his views.
"(The Bible) is all true, but clearly there were times when Jesus was speaking figuratively. Truly, but figuratively," he said by phone from Cullman. "For instance, when he said, 'I am the vine,' he didn't mean he was a living plant."
Press-Register Editor Mike Marshall said that the newspaper stood by its reporting.
"After reviewing the reporter's notes, as well as Mr. Byrne's response to a questionnaire we sent him, I am sure that our story accurately reflected his statements to us at that time," Marshall said.
Byrne said his opponents in the GOP primary seized on the Nov. 16 story to mischaracterize his religious beliefs. He said that the comments "went viral" and sparked criticism from religious conservatives.
Political experts said Byrne is positioned as a moderate among a conservative pack of GOP candidates. That position has helped him win support from the state's business community - Byrne's campaign has been endorsed by the Alabama Retail Association and the Alabama Association of Realtors - but has diminished his appeal to many deeply conservative voters.
That could be a concern in red-state Alabama, where nearly eight out of 10 Republicans identify themselves as evangelical or born-again Christians.
Roy Moore, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, remains "the clear favorite" of evangelicals, according to Randy Brinson, president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama.
"The religious right is a powerful force in Alabama," said William Stewart, emeritus professor of political science at the University of Alabama. "Moore is polling well right now, and that raises the pressure on Byrne."
State Treasurer Kay Ivey, one of Byrne's GOP rivals, on Thursday accused Byrne of "flip-flopping" on an issue important to Alabama voters.
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Which gubernatorial candidate chaired a Herman Thomas campaign? |
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Mobile Press-Register - Gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne, one of seven candidates seeking the Republican Party's nomination, served as the chairman of Herman Thomas' campaign for Mobile County District Court judge in 1990.
Byrne helped Thomas defeat Beth Marietta-Lyons in the Democratic primary and George Hardesty in the general election.
Thomas held his District Court seat for a decade before being promoted to Circuit Court judge by Gov. Don Siegelman. Thomas remained a circuit judge until 2007, when he resigned amid allegations that he offered leniency to inmates if they let him paddle them.
After being acquitted on sex abuse charges related to inmates in October, Thomas announced Wednesday that he would seek election to the state Senate seat in District 33.
Byrne switched to the Republican Party in 1997.
When asked to share any memories he had of the 1990 race, Byrne said through a spokesman last week that he was too busy running his campaign to comment on other candidates.
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