A Few Moore Things About the Alabama US Senate Special Election

So, what happened in Alabama last night? I write these comments with the full understanding that Roy Moore has not conceded the race. With the military ballots flowing in, Democratic Senator-“elect” Doug Jones’s margin of victory will shrink. Alabama Law requires an automatic recount when a candidate wins by less than half of 1%.

So what happened? The dying, lying liberal media has not died yet, and they are desperately clawing their way to demonstrate what little political heft they retain. Hollywood is not relaxing its clutches on the cultural narratives either. The culture war is a long-standing fight, and while conservatives have achieved considerable victories, the unelected power brokers are not giving in. Roy Moore epitomized everything opposed by the GOP Establishment: a stern stance on pro-family values, opposition to gay marriage, open repudiation of Islam. Contrary to Coulter’s countering, Moore was excellent on immigration, pledging to enact every aspect of Trump’s enforcement agenda. Incumbent Strange refused to talk about immigration unless prodded to do so. To me, Moore's strong stance on these contentious cultural issues were the real problem. After all, he was elected twice to the Supreme Court of Alabama, winning Statewide is a considerable victory.

This US Senate race was a national contest at a moment when the Democratic base is mad as hell, and willing to do anything to take back power. Money from the DNC, George Soros, Hollywood, and even GOP Establishment traitors flowed in. Add to that mix the Alabama and national media, and indeed, the “deck was stacked against him”, as the President tweeted last night.

Entrenched interests in Washington are not interested in Outsiders. Cronies on both sides of the aisle will go to every length possible to hold onto their enriching niche. In other instances, it’s the pride of the Washington Beltway which cannot bear to lose to the conservatives, so they will defy the base with a Democratic victory. Consider retiring US Senator Jeff the Flake, who wrote a check for $100 for Doug Baby-Killer Jones. Flake was a hardcore conservative in the House of Representatives. Washington politicking can change the most principled into a meandering watery centrist.

Moore already had the stuff to avoid such queasy compromising, and that scared the political establishment, too.

The MAGA Battle is real, and it's about a lot more than winning elections.

Let's sum up what is not the cause for Moore’s loss. I do not blame Steve Bannon at all for putting his chips behind Moore. Three strong candidates competed in a contentious Republican primary (I endorsed Mo Brooks—and so has everyone else for his 2020 bid against Democrat Doug). With Moore versus embattled incumbent Luther Strange in the run-off,  every major outside conservative interest lined up behind Judge Roy.

I also don’t blame Judge Moore! He had sat down with McConnell during the general election. He worked it, he reached out, he made all the connections. He denounced the vicious smears published against him in the Washington Post. Alternative and Independent Media engaged in massive oppo research against the “victims”. They have a wider readership than the Washington Post.

We must give credit where due. The Democratic party threw in money, time, influence, and an extensive ground game. Reports indicate that Judge Roy Moore didn't have the same political machinery behind him. Politics is not just about winning the media War. It's all about mobilizing voters.

Now let’s discuss who is at fault for Moore’s sad loss.

1.       Disgraced former Alabama Governor Richard Bentley. This mas was already hiding his adulterous flirtations in the state house. He was under investigation from the Attorney General’s office for campaign irregularities. Political, he was a cornered, wounded animal seeking to protect himself at all costs. When Sessions’ seat opened up, he appointed Luther Strange, and right away war broke out between the Establishment and everyone else. Bentley should have appointed Mo Brooks and called it a day.

2.       Diminishing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Republican voters are angry! The GOP promised Obamacare repeal, tax reform, the wall, mass deportation of illegal aliens, etc. The House is living up to its promises, but the Senate routinely stalls. Instead, McConnell and Company want to play the same old backroom wheeling and dealing that gets them and their donors rich, while the rest of us pay the bill. McConnell doesn’t want to tangle with the culture wars, either, despite the populist movement for reasserted nationalism.

3.       NRSC Chairman US Senator Cory Gardner. He serves at the pleasure of the Majority Leader, but he blatantly threw Moore under the bus and refused to support him. That dampened Republican turnout on so many levels.

Where do we go from here?

Frankly, I am not worried. There are a number of silver linings to this Yellowhammer dark cloud. The US Senate faces increased pressure to pass tax reform (Luther Strange will remain until next January). Moore has not conceded yet, which may force recounts and lawsuits, thus delaying Jones’ assignments. Let's hope that Judge Roy Moore does pursue a contested analysis of the results. Some of the outcomes in key counties are too close, lopsided heavily in favor of the Democratic candidate. There are reasons to challenge the results.

Then there’s a broader argument to consider: we need to restore constitutionalism to our federal government, as originally intended and outlined by the Framers. How can a white, male version of Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren get elected in a religious, traditional state with fervent attachment to our nation’s Judeo-Christian values? Because US Senators are directly elected by the mercurial popular vote, which doesn’t have its fingers on the political pulse over six years. The Framers intended US Senators to represent the states … and to be elected by the legislatures. We need a national discussion about repealing the 17^th Amendment and assuring that long-standing elected officials represent the proper interests of the several states.

Other than that, let’s live and pray to fight another day. Roll Tide!

We Need “Moore” Conservatives in Washington DC: Go Judge Roy!

Last month, I wrote that we needed “Mo” conservatives, and I endorsed Congressman Mo Brooks to succeed Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the United States Senate. I thought Brooks had the best chance of beating down former Alabama Attorney General and Interim US Senator Luther Strange in the special election. The Senate Conservatives Fund kind of nudged me in that direction. I have noticed, however, that that conservative group is batting about .333 to .505 when it comes to endorsements. Some of their candidates win, some of them back down when an otherwise retiring incumbent jumps back in the race. Sadly, in more cases they just don’t make.

The good news for all of us “militant normals”, as Kurt Schlichter calls us, Judge Roy Moore was the top vote getting in the August primary. Now he’s the front-runner going into the September 26, 2017 run-off, too. What’s happening in Alabama? Why do we see such a rough-and-tumble for the heart and soul of the Republican Party in the Yellowhammer State? Why would the National Republican Senatorial Committee spend big bucks in a deep red paradise, as though the fate of the country depended on it? Actually, the fate of the political class, both Democrat and Republican, depends on a Strange victory. But We the People want more conservatives, more constitutionalist patriots—and we need Roy Moore!

How did I miss this one? What did the Senate Conservatives Fund miss, too, that they went for Mo Brooks? For my part, I never believed that Brooks was bad, and I had no idea that he had dithered in his support for President Trump. He got on board the Trump Train a little later than most (and that includes me). Perhaps all of us looked at Moore as a spent commodity. He had been elected to the highest judicial office in the state, then thrown out of office by the political powers that be because: 1) He refused to remove the Ten Commandments from the State Supreme Court building. 2) He refused to recognize or rule on the gay marriage decision forced on the country in 2015.

He’s already a winner in my book. Judge Moore man defines “backbone of steel.” Unlike most politicians, especially conservatives, he put his political and judicial career on the line. He didn’t get sore because he was removed from office. He ran a second time for a judicial seat in the Alabama Court system and won! Now he’s running for US Senate, and it looks like he will win.

But still, why did some of the conservative activists and think-tanks go for Mo instead of Moore? They saw Brooks having better access to money and political machinery, perhaps. After all, Cuccinnelli and company claimed that Brooks had the best chance for a reason. But that’s not how things turned out. I am still new at this political ball game, and even the card-carrying book-learning conservatives need to get with the populist program. Trump changed everything when he ran on a commitment to the concerns of Middle American voters rather than worrying about what he had said or done in decades past. Some of us conservatives still don’t realize how militant the average American has become.

Especially in Alabama. This state passed stricter immigration laws than Arizona. The unemployment rate plummeted as illegals fled the state, and Alabamians lined up for work including farm labor. So much for the “Americans won’t do the work” lie. Alabama has been on the cutting edge of fighting corruption, too. Recall that last year conservative activists forced out former Governor Richard Bentley for campaign (and personal) improprieties. Being Republican is not enough for Alabamians. It should not be enough for any of us.

Judge Moore is an outsider, for sure, and an outspoken one. Did some of us worry that this powerful combination still cannot succeed in electoral politics? Does only Trump have the political magic to win elections by saying what he thinks and not what other people want him to say? This blunt finesse and panache remains a desperate demand from the voting electorate: “Stop being nice. Don’t be afraid to say what we are thinking, even if it makes you unpopular.” Moore has already done that. This impressive jurist also gave an epic smack-down to the smarmy liberal media about the origin of our rights … on CNN no less!

One more thing that we conservatives need to understand: we want conservatives to win, but we have to make sure that they win the hearts of their voters, too. It’s not enough to have the right answers. Do they answer the questions coming out of the mouths of their future constituents, too? Moore already had the ready answers. He had won two statewide elections! Congressman Brooks had only won the views of his 5^th District constituents. He not appealed to their concerns on life and family, but he has fought for those values.

Frankly, it’s time that more conservatives took up that fundamental religious liberty fight. President Ronald Reagan ran on a platform of restoring prayer in public schools in 1984. He won by one of the largest landslides in American history, and yet the government still distorts the First Amendment and prevented public prayer in our schools, on high school football fields, and in other public forums. Judge Moore has articulated this frustration long abandoned by the most ardent of conservatives (including Ted Cruz and Rand Paul): “You wonder why we’re having shootings, and killings here in 2017? Because we’ve asked for it. We’ve taken God out of everything. We’ve taken prayer out of school, we’ve taken prayer out of council meetings.”

This country doesn’t just need fiscal restraint, but spiritual revival. Moore epitomizes this necessary restoration of Biblical truth and morality. Without this restored foundation, this country will experience a temporary reprieve from the progressive disaster, but darkness will return. We need more Bible-believing conservatives in Washington. We need Judge Roy Moore in the United States Senate!

Senate Conservatives Fund: Aftermath of Alabama Special Election

Arthur, After weathering millions of dollars in false attacks, conservative Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL) came up short yesterday and failed to make the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate in Alabama. Congressman Brooks was surging three weeks ago, but the president's surprise endorsement of Luther Strange stalled the congressman's momentum. If Senator Mitch McConnell had not convinced the president to bail his candidate out at the last minute, Congressman Brooks would have made the runoff. Despite his loss, we are very proud of Congressman Brooks and the spirited campaign that he ran. He was up against a massive political machine that lied to the voters about his record yet he stood strong and fought for conservative principles until the very end. Mo Brooks displayed the kind of courage and leadership that we need in the Senate if we're ever going to save our country. Senator Mitch McConnell succeeded in defeating Mo Brooks in this race, but he will ultimately be held accountable. No leader can remain in power by repeatedly lying to the American people. I want to thank every SCF supporter who contributed to the Brooks for Senate campaign. He is a strong conservative, a valued member of the House Freedom Caucus, and a good man. Mo Brooks was McConnell's top target in this race because he posed the greatest threat to McConnell's chosen candidate, and I'm extremely proud that we stood with him. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Fund @KenCuccinelli / @SCF

Senate Conservatives Fund: Two Major Elections This Tuesday

Arthur, The special elections for U.S. Senate in Alabama and for U.S. House in Utah are this Tuesday, August 15th. These races are very close and what SCF supporters do now could determine the outcome. Congressman Mo Brooks In Alabama, conservative Congressman Mo Brooks has endured millions of dollars of attack ads from Mitch McConnell's super PAC and is now within a few percentage points of making the runoff. Chris Herrod In Utah, conservative Chris Herrod has erased a 15-point deficit and is now tied with John Curtis, the tax-hiking mayor of Provo. There is no runoff so the top vote winner will be the party's nominee. Please make a contribution to these two outstanding candidates today. We don't have much time so please act now! SCF will wire transfer 100% of your donation directly to their campaigns so they have the funding they need to turn their voters out. Thank you for fighting for conservative leadership. You may not be able to vote for these candidates, but you can exercise your First Amendment right to donate to their campaigns. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Fund @KenCuccinelli / @SCF

We Need “Mo” Conservatives in Washington DC—Vote for Brooks for US Senate

I think former Alabama Supreme Court Judge Roy Moore is not just a conservative, but an iconoclast of the first order. Twice elected to Alabama’s Supreme Court, he refused to bow down to political correctness or judicial tyranny. He was first removed from the bench for refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Supreme Court House.  I am a New Covenant man, but I believe that the Ten Commandments still belong in our court houses. Alabamians did not care, and they re-elected Moore to the Supreme Court. When the hard-core natural rights conservative refused to honor the corrupt, anti-judicial gay marriage decision in 2015, Moore was removed a second time.

So what?

Moore has the forthright courage to declare on national television to the petulant Chris Cuomo that our rights come from God, not from the government. The fact that the New York Son of a … Bad Governor doesn’t know the fundamental values of our country prove how ignorant, arrogant, and out of touch our media have become. Armed and ready at a moment’s notice (ask his wife!), Moore is a great man, and he would make a great US Senator for the State of Alabama.

But he is not my first choice to replace the admirable, estimable Jeff Sessions, who now serves as our consummate Attorney General. We need someone who is not Mitch McConnell’s pick to replace Sessions in the US Senate. We need someone who has been the outsider since Day One--who will win.

I want to see more conservatives in the US Senate, so I want Congressman Mo Brooks.

Why?

He is an outspoken Trump supporter. Yes, that’s good. But there’s more. He wants to repeal Obamacare. So much so, that he submitted a one-line bill to the House of Representatives which simply stated “The Affordable Care Act is now henceforth repealed.” Pretty simply, don’t you think? A bill that can be read in one sitting, as opposed to the telephone book-sized pieces of legislation.

He supports the Second Amendment without reserve. He opposes the crony Export-Import Bank, a slush fund which benefits big business with our taxpayer dollars, while small businesses must fund loans for themselves. He and fellow US Senator Richard Shelby would be a masterful team fighting against DC Corruption. But the biggest reason I support Brooks over Moore? He vocally opposes McConnell, demanding that he step down as Majority Leader. Senator Brooks will be one confirmed vote against the weak-kneed, pro-crony, liberal-leaning Majority Leader, who refuses to lead, who refuses to ensure passage of Trump’s—of our—agenda.

Now, who is McConnell’s pick? Former Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange, who has been tight-lipped about President Trump. Strange was investigating former Alabama Governor Richard Bentley, who resigned in disgrace, but not before he appointed Strange to replace Sessions. What a strange idea—and it reeks of corruption. Strange has got to go just for that!

If Brooks wins the special election, McConnell faces a massive blow to his DC pre-eminence, which will trigger snap resignations and new elections.  We all want to “Ditch Mitch” right? Then we need to shake up who gets elected to the upper chamber. The Majority leader is an elected office, too, but we do not elect him (or her). Whether I like it or not, the Majority Leader or Speaker has a distinct set of constituents: his fellow US Senators.

Want to change the majority leader? We need to change the people whom he represents. We need the most anti-Establishment Republicans winning seats in the United States Senate. Sorry to break your hearts, people, but draining the swamp means more than one election. It means an attitude adjustment from us, and more conservative victories across the country. That’s why I support Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel’s bid to unseat out-of-place regressive leftist Sherrod Brown. That’s why I want Ted Cruz to not only win re-election, but take on a much needed leadership role in the US Senate, whether his colleagues like him or not. And that’s why I want Mo Brooks (and Judge Roy Moore) to make it into the Alabama special election run-off.

McConnell knows that Establishment-tinged Beltway connections are hurting his picked candidates like a belt slapping a wayward child. So, he’s resorted to smearing outsider Republicans as corrupt insiders who misuse public funds and enrich family members with government largesse. In 2016, in the Indiana US Senate race, McConnell tapped Todd Young as the replacement, even though Marlin Stutzman was the conservative outsider. McConnell and Co. issued misleading and well-placed campaign smears against Stutzman, and Todd Young now goes along with Mitch McConnell.

Now some conservatives worry about direct primary challenges. Will attacking Republicans in otherwise safe seats give Democrats more opportunities, which had occurred in 2012 with Todd Akin or Richard Mourdock? I think they should shake those fears off. Four years later, one of the most unlikely, most politically incorrect, most media-demonized candidates won the highest office in the land. Since then, the corrupt liberal media has been so expertly marginalized by the Trump Administration, which no one cares what they or their corporate media sponsors have to say. All those anti-conservative smears will fall on deaf ears.

If we want to Make America Great Again, we need to Make Washington DC Small Again, and that means getting rid of the crony Wall Street-Big Business-Big Amnesty phalanx which has overrun the Beltway, pulling the strings of legislative leaders like Mitch McConnell. Primary challenges fought on conservative activists’ own terms is the way to go. President Trump has the grassroots, conservative counter-culture heartbeat We the People have long yearned for. Now let’s put it to work.

Let’s elect “Mo” conservatives to the US Senate. I endorse Mo Brooks for US Senate, and I urge everyone who is able to donate to his campaign (full disclosure—I have donated to the Senate Conservatives Fund precisely because I want to end the non-conservative Republican leadership hindering Trump’s and our agenda in Washington DC).

Senate Conservative Fund Weighs In: Mo Brooks for US Senate

Can't read this? Click here.

Arthur, We are very proud to endorse conservative Congressman Mo Brooks(R-AL) for the U.S. Senate in Alabama in the special election to replace Jeff Sessions. Mo Brooks is a principled leader, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, and the conservative candidate with the best chance of upsetting the DC establishment. Please join us in supporting Mo Brooks for U.S. Senate by making a contribution to his campaign today. This is very important because Senator Mitch McConnell and his political machine are spending millions of dollars on dishonest attacks so they can defeat Congressman Brooks and elect another establishment Republican who continues business as usual. McConnell is trying to smear Brooks just like he has done to so many other conservative candidates before. And it's all so he can elect more senators who won't fight for our principles. As conservatives, we have an obligation to fight back. Good conservatives like Mo Brooks should not be treated this way and we don't need another alligator in the swamp! Mo Brooks is not afraid to stand up to Mitch McConnell and the Beltway establishment, which is why he has been endorsed by leading conservatives like Congressman Mark Meadows, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham. Please join the fight right now by donating $25, $100, $250 or any amount up to $2,700 to Brooks for Senate. The primary will be held on August 15 – just 12 days from now – and it will almost certainly go to a run-off since there are several candidates running and nobody will get 50 percent of the vote. The top three Republican candidates in the race are former Attorney General Luther Strange, Judge Roy Moore, and Congressman Mo Brooks. Strange is the establishment candidate while Moore and Brooks are both conservatives. We have decided to support Brooks over Moore in the primary in part to defend him against McConnell's attacks, but also because we believe that Brooks has the best chance of winning the runoff election. Roy Moore is a good man and a strong conservative, but we don't have confidence that he can win the runoff. So if conservatives want to defeat Mitch McConnell's hand-picked candidate and elect a principled leader, we believe Mo Brooks gives us our best chance of doing that. And we're not the only ones who see it that way. Mitch McConnell and his political allies see Congressman Brooks as the biggest threat to their establishment candidate, which is why they have spent $3 million attacking him. So please support this outstanding leader and help send a true conservative to the U.S. Senate who will stand up to the liberals in both parties and fight for our principles. Thank you for doing so much to promote principled leadership in Washington. We're grateful for your generous support. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Fund @KenCuccinelli / @SCF

Alabama Special Election 2017: Who Will Enter the Run-Off?

A special election is looming in the Cotton State.

Jeff Sessions' appointment to Attorney General opened up his seat.

The current interim US Senator, Luther Strange, was serving as State Attorney General.

The details surrounding the decision for then Alabama Governor Richard Bentley are shrouded in controversy ... and allegations of corruption.

Luther Strange, incumbent interim US Senator

Ballotpedia reports:

On February 9, 2017, Gov. Robert Bentley (R) appointed Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange to the U.S. Senate following former Senator Jeff Sessions' confirmation as U.S. attorney general. Following his appointment, Strange denied that the attorney general's office had an ongoing investigation into Bentley related to allegations the governor had misused state funds in order to cover up an affair with adviser Rebekah Mason. "I want to make this clear because I think there have been some misconceptions," Strange told the media. "We have never said in our office that we are investigating the governor. I think it’s actually somewhat unfair to him and unfair to the process."^[27][28]

Attorney General Steve Marshall, who succeeded Strange on February 13, 2017, announced his recusal from an investigation into Bentley's conduct on February 15. This announcement confirmed the existence of an investigation by the attorney general's office, contrary to Strange's denial earlier in the month.^[29] On April 10, 2017, Bentley resigned as part of a plea deal, after being charged with two misdemeanors related to campaign finance violations.^[30][31]

A looming degree of scandal forced Governor Bentley to resign, and it's become clearer by the minute that theformer Governor appointed the Attorney General of the state to dissuade or slow down any investigations into wrongdoing. For the record, the governor had had an inappropriate relationship with one of his staffers. Recordings of his compromising talk with this staffer went public.

Ouch!

Notice that the new Attorney GEneral had to recuse himself, which indicated that Strange was investing Governor Bentley's conduct as Alabama's chief executive. That's pretty uestioable, if not corrupt, for the Governor under investigation to then appoint the chief investigator to another office.

Besides, it had little effect protecting the Governor, since Bentley later resigned.

Strange has an aroma of corruption around him already.

So, who's running against him for the GOP nod?

1. Congressman Mo Brooks.

This man is concerned a full-on, free market, hard core conservative. He submitted a one sentence bill which would repeal the Affordable Care Act. He is a vocal critic of the Export-Import Bank, and he is not afraid to speak the truth about the nation's excessive dependence on federal entitlement and safety net programs.

He is a thrilling rock star to the GOP base.

2. Former Chief Justice Roy Moore.

Many social conservatives were hoping that President Trump would nominate Moore to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Moore has been a staunch defender of this country's God-given rights and heritage. His ascension to the US Senate would affirm a similar path to Jeff Sessions, who served in elected office--as Alabama's attorney general then US Senator--following his fail bid  for the Alabama Southern Federal District Court.

Moore was removedin 2001 as Chief Justice for refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from the Courthouse. Nevertheless, he was re-elected as Supreme Court Justice in 2013, but was removed again for his refusal to direct lower court judges to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in line with the corrupt Obergefell v. Hodges decision from SCOTUS.

Moore is as anti-establishment as it gets, but Brooks has demonstrated reall savvy and conservative acumen as a sitting House Rep. Either one of those candidates would be better than Strange, in my view.

When is the primary? August 15? When is the run-off for each party's primary if no candidate gets a simple majority? September 26th.

The final general election will take place December 12, 2017.

It should be interesting--but it's a sure win for the Republicans, no doubt. 

We shall see. Roll Tide!