Troy King Candidate for Attorney General 2010

Alabama

From the American Civil War until World War II, Alabama, like many Southern states, suffered economic hardship, in part because of continued dependence on agriculture. Despite the growth of major industries and urban centers, white rural interests dominated the state legislature until the 1960s, while urban interests and African Americans were under-represented. Following World War II, Alabama experienced growth as the economy of the state transitioned from agriculture to diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction, education, and technology. In addition, the establishment or expansion of multiple military installations, primarily those of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, added to state jobs.

Alabama is unofficially nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie". The state tree is the Longleaf Pine, the state flower is the Camellia. The capital of Alabama is Montgomery. The largest city by population is Birmingham. The largest city by total land area is Huntsville. The oldest city is Mobile, founded by French colonists.

Luther Strange is currently a candidate for Attorney General subject to the voters of the June 2010 Republican Primary. While an attorney, he has spent little time in the court room, a fact that Troy King or other candidates may bring up. Luther has been active in electing moderate Republicans for the past several years. He was chair of the committee to elect Bill Pryor as Alabama Attorney General in 1998 and 2002. Bill Pryor has the infamous fame of taking action to remove Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore from office. On his own web site, Luther says he wants to restore the creditability of the Office of Attorney General to that of Bill Pryor.

To see what was said about Luther Strange in the 2006 race for Lt. Governor, read the below.

Candidate for Lt. Governor - 2006 Campaign Facts

The below information originally appeared on web site, www.voiceofalabama.com, known as the radio voice of Russ and Dee Fine. Russ and Dee Fine on Luther Strange http://web.archive.org/web/20060630090011/voiceofalabama.com/strangetruth.html

Strange But True - Facts about Strange Luther

Luther Strange is the ultimate liberal candidate for Lt. Governor in Alabama.

What Luther Strange's TV Ads Don't Say and What Luther Strange Does Not Want Voters to Know:

The TRUTH about Strange Luther

On May 23, 2006, Luther Strange's campaign issued a news release "Setting the Record Straight" (copy below). Mr. Strange's news release does a disservice to Alabama voters by continuing efforts to hide what Luther Strange does not want voters to know: that he is a full-time professional lobbyist, that he supervises a squad of 12 other lobbyists, and that he is a flawed candidate burdened by conflicts of interest, special interests, self-interest and strong support for higher taxes. See attachment "Meet the REAL Luther Strange - What his TV ads do not say" for details with supporting public record citations.

While Mo Brooks understands this particular mud-slinging battle is between the Luther Strange and George Wallace campaigns, Mo Brooks campaign has public record information (attached hereto) that proves Luther Strange's response is wrong and deceptive. Mo Brooks' comments, below (in red), rebut Luther Strange's effort to deceive voters about who he is, what he stands for, and why voters should never elect a professional lobbyist as Lt. Governor.

Luther Strange: Setting the Record Straight

Birmingham, AL George Wallace, Jr. has released media ads claiming the following about Republican Lt. Governor’s candidate Luther Strange:

Mo Brooks Comment: Luther Strange is undisputably a big business lobbyist. He has filed over 180 registrations as a professional lobbyist with the U.S. Senate. To suggest that Luther Strange is not a "big business lobbyist" is a clumsy attempt to hide something that is not hideable.

A. Luther Strange was the in-house lobbyist/manager for gas company Sonat, Inc's. Washington, D.C. lobbying office for 8 years in the 1990s (all source data is in the attachment to this news release and won't be reiterated here).

B. Luther Strange later opened up his private lobbying practice. Strange's principal clients have been (1) Alabama Gas Co. (a/k/a Energen) since 1999, (2) Vulcan Materials (rock quarries) since 1998, (3) numerous banking interests (since 1998), and (4) numerous other oil and gas interests.

While Luther Strange probably does care about Alabama citizens, his track record establishes that his first priority has always been the special interest groups he has represents as a professional lobbyist.

2) Luther Strange is responsible for utility rate increase??? FALSE says Luther.

Mo Brooks Comment: Luther Strange does not vote on utility rate increases. George Wallace does. Those are facts. But that does not clear Luther Strange of responsibility for Alabama citizens being gouged with the highest natural gas prices in the southeastern United States (Source: Mobile Register articles, October-November 2005).

Luther Strange has been, and is, a long-time, 15-year lobbyist for gas companies. Gas companies make more money by charging higher rates. Now Luther Strange wants to act like his 15 years as a gas company lobbyist had no effect on gas company profits? Absurd!

What Luther Strange does not tell you is that he is the manager of 12 lobbyists and the partner in Alabama's largest law firm. What Luther Strange does not say is whether any of his subordinate lobbyists or fellow lawyers have lobbied the Public Service Commission for higher rates, or lobbied the Alabama legislature against laws that better protect Alabama citizens from being gouged by public utilities, or lobbied the Alabama legislature for laws that permit public utilities to gouge Alabama utility users. Those are the questions Luther Strange must answer.

3) Luther Strange supported Amendment One and made a financial contribution to the Amendment One effor?? Luther says FALSE, but the records indicate other wise.

Mo Brooks Comment: Luther Strange's denial of his support of Amendment One's $1.2 billion tax increase does not pass the "sniff" test! Public records reveal that:

(a) Luther Strange is a partner in a law firm that contributed $50,000 to the campaign to convince voters that higher taxes are a good thing!

(b) Luther Strange's lobbying clients contributed $620,000 to the campaign to convince voters that higher taxes are a good thing!

(c) Luther Strange was on the Board of Directors of Montgomery's 2nd most powerful special interest group . . . when it contributed $852,000 to the campaign to convince voters that higher taxes are a good thing!

(d) Luther Strange was on the Board of Directors of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama ("PARCA") - a strong tax increase supporter and the developer of the tax plan that eventually became Amendment One.

Further, Luther Strange in 2003 personally told many people he supported the Amendment One tax increase!

Now Luther Strange claims he was not a tax increase supporter . . . and offers zero proof other than his say-so in a heated Republican Primary for Lt. Governor? While I would like to give Luther Strange the benefit of the doubt, his disclaimer lacks credibility in the face of so much evidence to the contrary . . . particularly the $50,000 contribution by a law firm in which Luther Strange is a partner and governmental affairs division chairman.

4) George Wallace, Jr. implies that Luther Strange is part of the Montgomery lobbying problem?? Luther denies this and says FALSE!, but the record shows other wise.

Mo Brooks Comment: George Wallace is right. Luther Strange is a part of the Montgomery lobbying problem - both directly (as Luther Strange, himself, is a Montgomery lobbyist) and indirectly (as supervisor for 12 other lobbyists, some of whom are very active in Montgomery lobbying). For example, Luther Strange likes to brag (see the first "fact", below) that his work has helped create thousand of jobs for Alabama.

Luther Strange needs to be clear about what his work was. Luther Strange represented and was a lobbyist for Hyundai against the interests of the State of Alabama. How so? Strange lobbied the State of Alabama for higher subsidies for his client, Hyundai (with the threat being Hyundai won't come to Alabama unless Alabama taxpayers pay the requisite extortion amount). Quite frankly, Alabama cannot afford much more "help" of the sort Luther Strange gave. Nor can American automobile companies stay in business much longer if states continue to substantially subsidize foreign competition.

Luther Strange supervises 12 other lobbyists. Many lobby the Alabama legislature on behalf of their clients . . . and lobby Alabama Departments (like ADEM and Revenue) for regulations that are presumably favorable to their clients.

Fact: Luther Strange is proud of his work as an economic development attorney which has helped create thousands of jobs for Alabamians.

Mo Brooks Comment: Alabama taxpayers cannot afford very much more of the kind of "help" provided by Luther Strange. There is only so many subsidies of foreign industry that Alabama (and American) citizens should tolerate.

Alleged Fact from Luther Strange: Luther Strange cannot possibly be responsible for energy rate increases because the Public Service Commission, on which George Wallace, Jr. has served for the past eight years, is the only entity that controls natural gas and electricity rates in Alabama. Luther has never sought higher utility rates before the Public Service Commission.

Mo Brooks Comment: Right but wrong. It is disengenous for Luther Strange to claim, as a 15-year lobbyist for gas companies, that his lobbying efforts have had no effect on gas prices paid for by Alabama citizens.

Alleged Fact from Luther Strange: Luther Strange did not vote for or support Amendment One financially. Moreover, Luther Strange has never supported any tax increase, much less Amendment One.

Mo Brooks Comment: See above. The documentation strongly suggest Luther was a major supporter of Amendment 1.

Alleged Fact from Luther Strange: Even George Wallace, in his attack, doesn’t call Luther Strange a Montgomery lobbyist, so how is it possible for him to be part of the Montgomery problem? He knows Luther has never lobbied in Montgomery. If anyone can clean up Montgomery, it’s going to be someone who has never held office in Montgomery, not a lifelong politician like George Wallace, Jr.

Mo Brooks Comment: See above. While it is true that George Wallace is a life-long politician or government employee who has never held a full-time job in the private sector, Luther Strange's accusation is like the pot calling the kettle black. Luther Strange is not a "life-long politician", he's much worse. Luther Strange is a life-time professional lobbyist for the rich and powerful who supports special interests over public interest. We need a Lt. Governor who will make policy decisions based on principle, not principal and interest. And Luther Strange fails that test.

Luther says
“We are very disappointed that Mr. Wallace has chosen to take a negative approach to this campaign,” commented Strange. “As a newcomer to the Republican Party, George Wallace, Jr. may not be familiar with Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment of ‘thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican.’ But now that this campaign has taken this negative turn, we feel that it is necessary to correct the distortions made by Mr. Wallace.”