With an eye towards the June 1 primary, state and local candidates are thick on the ground everywhere.
AG candidate Michel Nicrosi was recently in Cullman and gave an interview to the Cullman Times. She emphasized how important it is for the state's attorney general to set politics aside when dealing with issues and cases.
Campaigning on a party platform creates a politically-charged environment that Nicrosi said must be separated from the actual office of Attorney General, Nicrosi observed.
“The AG position is a little bit different than the other offices,” she said. “You can’t be driven by politics; it cannot run your decision making. You do things instead as a prosecutor, even if it costs you politically.”
Great idea! We've seen enough at both national and state levels to know what happens when an Attorney General is more interested in scoring political points than in doing his/her job honorably and impartially.
She also noted - as virtually everyone in the state has also - that the relationship between AG Troy King and Governor Riley is dysfunctional and is hurting the state:
“I think what you’re seeing now is a lack of communication; a lot of rhetoric and not much working together,” elaborated Nicrosi. “You don’t ever get to a point where you don’t listen and don’t talk to each other. When you are holding office, you are working for the state of Alabama — you have to put your personalities, your parties, your rhetoric aside and be a professional.
All the Democratic AG candidates - Michel Nicrosi, Giles Perkins, and James Anderson - will be in Huntsville March 4th at the lunch meeting of the Madison County Democratic Women. This is an important race with three interesting candidates so I urge everyone to make an effort to see them in person before the primary.
As reported in a previous "On the Road with LIA" post, we attended the February 5th meeting of the Downtown Democrats club in Birmingham.
We were anxious to see the Democratic Attorney General candidates for the first time. All three: Giles Perkins, James Anderson, and Michel Nicrosi spoke and answered questions. (Please email me if you have a url for Anderson.)
As Countrycat noted in an earlier post, we were most impressed with Nicrosi, but Giles Perkins also came across well. He is an attorney, a former Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic Party and definitely has the right attitude towards the current Attorney General: "Troy King is a disaster and it is our duty to remove him from public life."
As Mooncat reported in a previous "On the Road with LIA" post, we attended the February 5th meeting of the Downtown Democrats club in Birmingham.
We were anxious to see the Democratic Attorney General candidates for the first time. All three: Giles Perkins, James Anderson, and Michel Nicrosi spoke and answered questions. (I can't find Web sites for Perkins and Anderson. Anybody have the URLs?)
I was most impressed with Nicrosi. She presented her credentials as an experienced prosecutor willing to make tough decisions and wasn't afraid to ruffle the feathers of party insiders or hurt their tender feelings:
I've never run for political office before. Some people think that's a bad thing. I look around the government and I think it's a good to be new. [...] If you want the status quo in the Attorney General's office, vote for one of the other guys in this race. At the end of they day, they're all the same: political insiders and lobbyists. If you put an insider or lobbyist in charge of the Attorney General's office, it's like putting the fox in charge of the hen house.
Good thing she isn't running for Treasurer. That straight talk would have the party's "inside man," Charley Grimsley, in tears 24 hours a day....
Perkins did a credible job, although is main pitch seemed to be "vote for me because I used to run the Alabama Democratic Party and know lots of influential people.... Oh, and Troy King is a disaster as AG...."
Anderson's speech was, to me at least, bizarre. He wasted over half the time allotted to him by reading the contents of his daytimer for the previous week. During the last 2 minutes or so, he finally explained that he has been the Alabama Democratic Party's lawyer, has served on the Ethics Commission, and been appointed to numerous other statewide boards by Lucy Baxley and others.
Video of Nicrosi and Anderson is on the flip. Mooncat has the Perkins video and will post when she gets the time. Between stalking Parker Griffith, keeping track of the antics of the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee, and interviewing Democratic candidates, we're covered up with video footage here at LIA, so please be patient!
Our esteemed Attorney General Troy King has been in the news pretty frequently recently for his investigation of Senator Ben Nelson's so-called "Nebraska compromise," but thanks to the ubiquitousness of the Google Ads system, he's turning up in some other interesting places as well.
While browsing this excellent Five Thirty-Eight post on Rasmussen Reports' polling practices, the Google Ad sidebar on the site turned up a gem of a Troy King ad. The link takes you to a screen shot I took - if you don't want to click, it helpfully instructs you to visit ALVoterGuide.com for a "voter guide" with "important information for the Attorney General Campaign."
Not surprisingly - the ad does say in the corner it's paid for by Troy King's campaign - clicking on the actual ad itself takes you to Troy King's website. Trying to visit ALVoterGuide.com? Turns up nothing at all.
Maybe it's late, maybe it's the giddy excitement inspired in me by the Iron Chef America White House garden special, maybe I'm just easily entertained, but: really? An ad touting a voter guide that doesn't exist, using an address that points to nothing, directing people to nothing more than Troy King's front page.
Alabama Attorney General Troy King, in his capacity as Alabama state chairman of John McCain's presidential campaign, will speak about McCain's campaign today in Huntsville.
And what do you suppose Troy said at his Huntsville appearance on behalf of McCain? This isn't hard folks, he followed the talking points:
POW
War
Terrorists -- he personalized this point, saying "we must stop them so we don't meet them in the streets of Birmingham and Atlanta."
Although the paper didn't mention it, I'd be real surprised if Troy didn't give a plug for drilling too, but he's probably laying off the "family values" theme these days.
(Is there room for one more post about the AG's payroll? If not, feel free to disregard. :) )
The Birmingham News ran an article yesterday (the online version of which is in serious need of an editor's mouse) detailing the inflated salaries of some of AG Troy King's aides. King's chief of staff and spokesman, Chris Bence, apparently managed to keep a straight face while explaining how King had designated Bence a paralegal this spring -- despite his complete lack of legal education or experience -- in order to increase his salary from $94,000 to $104,400. He says Troy did it to make up for the three years he didn't get a raise. And, according to him, the AG has the authority to appoint five paralegals without regard to their qualifications.
Okay. Assuming Bence is telling the truth about not getting a raise for three years, it might be reasonable to give him what amounts to around a 3.5% annual increase in pay. (Although, geez, $104,000 to be Troy's spokesbot? Maybe it includes combat pay.) What's not reasonable is allowing the AG to confer the title of paralegal on someone who hasn't earned it. It's an insult to the actual paralegals who have put in the time and effort to obtain what is, in the real world, a professional designation.
The article's most explosive account, however, is the meteoric rise of 24-year-old John Godwin, Troy's executive assistant.
Thursday Night on WVTM's 6 O'Clock News, Alabama Attorney General Troy King faced his first questions on camera about his troubled personal life and the possiblity of his resignation.
The journalist asked in very generic terms about the controversy surrounding his personal life and whether or not he would resign. King said something along the lines of "No comment, I'm not commenting on that here. I'm here to talk about the accomplishments of those graduating." [loosely paraphrased] And he was smirking as he spoke.
I've been searching the wvtm site, but they seemed to have nixed putting video online.
It's been two weeks since rumors surfaced that King had been kicked out of his home after his wife caught him in a compromising position with a male aide.
It is somewhat bewildering to see Alabama among the top 10, one analyst told LNL.
Alabama Attorney General Troy King is paid the second highest salary in the nation in a state where lawyers earn an average annual salary of $108,730. With a cost of living adjustment, King's salary would be to $209,664.7 in California's capitol, Sacramento.
"I'm a little surprised Alabama's at the top just because one doesn't associate high salaries with the more rural Southern states," said Michael Shires, a public policy expert with Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.
"But," he added, "it's not a smoking gun kind of surprise. It's just: Oh, that's interesting."
Maybe we're paying Troy extra for the added entertainment value he brings to the office. Or maybe it's for his controversial actions as Attorney General. Hat tip to Dan for keeping track of Troy's shenanigans all in one place -- that's getting to be a mighty long list.
Danny is reporting that his sources (the impeccable #1-in-a-jug Steve Windom and King consultant Chris Brown) say Troy King will hang in there as Alabama's Attorney General. And get this denial from Alabama GOP Communications Director Philip Bryan -- “I haven’t heard any plans that he is going to resign.” Strong stuff. Did you even bother to inquire, Mr. Bryan?
We can only hope that Troy Boy sticks it out in his current office, that he goes to the Republican convention to endorse John McCain and even that he becomes the Republican nominee for governor in 2010. I can't imagine anything more perfect.
But here's some unsolicited advice for Troy from this DFH blogger: You can't stonewall your way through this thing. Your office is telling people who call that they won't confirm or deny any rumors. If it's a false, scurrilous rumor, why not just say "There are false, scurrilous rumors circulating and we will not dignify them with further response?" A flat denial would at least convince a few people and provide a fig leaf so others could credibly drop the story.
Instead of dying down, the talk is still picking up steam -- I know that from the Sitemeter at this blog which is in uncharted territory right now on a Friday night, of all things. Journalists around the country are interested in our Attorney General. I'm getting calls from media folks as far away as Washington, DC, for heaven's sake, and that isn't an everyday thing for this peaceful Alabama blogger.
While we're waiting on a denial or confirmation, I'll sort of channel Lucianne Goldberg and Linda Tripp here, with some advice to friends of Troy. If you have the equivalent of a blue Gap dress in your closet, don't send it to the dry cleaners, you know? Like Linda said, "I would tell my own daughter," that she should save the dress "for your own ultimate protection" should she later be accused of lying about the affair.
You never know what the future will hold. Save the evidence to protect yourself.
Update: McCain has scrubbed his website, taking down the page that announced Troy King had been named as his Alabama campaign chairman. Does this mean that King has resigned from that post? Or that McCain has fired him?
Fishbowl America has a screenshot of the original press release, and I know the page was there this morning because I read it and linked to it. More inept coverup from the McCain camp. Here's the Google cached page which says:
Alabama Attorney General TroyKing will serve as Chair of the McCain 2008 Alabama campaign. Representative Bachus and Attorney General King will continue to lead the growing grassroots organization on behalf of John McCain's candidacy in Alabama.
...
"JohnMcCain is the best hope for conservatives to succeed in November," said Attorney General TroyKing. "He is a principled conservative with a clear record of supporting a strong national defense, fighting for fiscal responsibility, and defending the sanctity of life. JohnMcCain has served our country his entire life, and I am honored to lead his efforts here in Alabama."
I just heard from a very reliable source that Troy Boy is resigning as Attorney General. No report of King's official reason, but the unofficial reason almost certainly involves the rumors swirling around Montgomery that he was recently caught in embarassing misconduct. The resignation may be enough to keep King's personal life out of the papers, but I don't look for him to run for governor in 2010.
I'm almost sorry to see him go -- Troy was like a caricature of the Republican party. Never met a death sentence he didn't like, against sexual gratification, publicity hound, etc. ... life as an Alabama blogger will be harder without Troy King.
Davis was open about his future political aspirations. When asked whether he might be a candidate for a cabinet position if Barack Obama wins the presidency, Davis argued that he had other plans.
“Senator Obama can find someone much more qualified than me for attorney general,” Davis said. “I am not interested in being in the cabinet.”
What would Davis be interested in? How about being the state’s first black governor?
“I don’t think I have made any secret about my ambitions,” he said. “We are probably eight, maybe seven months away from a definitive statement.”
I don't know. There's an emerging case for John Edwards as Obama's VP pick. If that happens, Davis would move to the top of my list for Attorney General. He's young, smart and well liked -- AG could be an excellent next step for him.
Davis is smart to talk about alternative energy sources. We had an opportunity to change 35 years ago and we lost it. Jimmy Carter was right in pursuing solar, wind and conservation and Ronald Reagan was dead wrong to take the country off that path.
Yesterday the Roberts Supreme Court ruled that a lethal injection method similar to that used in Alabama is not "cruel and unusual," opening the door for prisoner executions to begin again after a nationwide 7 month moratorium. Alabama Attorney General Troy King is ready:
"It is time to move forward seeking the execution of the guilty for their murderous acts," Alabama Attorney General Troy King said in a prepared statement.
"As attorney general, I will do so."
Alabama was number 2 in the number of citizens executed last year. Don't expect us to fall much lower than that because we don't allow inmates on death row to pursue DNA tests in an effort to prove their innocence. You wouldn't want Troy and company to miss an execution, would you?
They used to hang people in the public square and people would come from miles around for the entertainment -- picnic lunches, kids and all the trappings. Have we made progress since then?
Hat tip to Daily Dixie, Loretta Nall (she sent the pig, after all), and alapoet for this music video of Alabama Attorney General Troy King's duet with the late, great Johnny Cash.
Johnny Cash spent time in prison; Troy King likes to send people to prison. Is this a musical match made in jail?
Alabama Attorney General Troy King honored family and friends (and the Mobile Press-Register) with a copy of My Elusive Dreams, sung as a duet with Johnny Cash. Is he talking about his dream to become Alabama's governor, I wonder?
King declined to comment on the recording through his chief of staff, Chris Bence. But on the CD's liner notes, King wrote, "If every man has at least one song inside him, this is mine!"
First off, the inflatable pig has been delivered to Attorney General Troy King and Loretta Nall has a photo of it. I had pictured it as a pink pig, but it's still kind of cute.
Francis Coleman's column in the Mobile Press-Register (can you believethis was in the PR?) has the right idea about Alabama's ridiculous ban on the purchase (not possession, just purchase) of sex toys and Troy King's even more ridiculous fixation on it:
If Alabama Attorney General Troy King had a lick of sense, he'd drop the subject. And if Alabama legislators had a lick of sense, they'd scrap the law that prohibits the sale of sex toys in the Heart of Dixie.
But the attorney general apparently is too busy worrying about what some Alabamians like to do behind closed doors to think sensibly on the subject.
...
Come on, senators and representatives: When you go back to Montgomery in February, screw up your courage and repeal this stupid law so cops and prosecutors can get back to enforcing the ones that really matter.
The Mobile Press-Register has noticed that Attorney General Troy King is criticizing District Attorneys who supported Shelby County DA Robby Owens by name, in a press release to media in their districts. This is still not about politics, of course.
Fifteen district attorneys were targeted with the customized statements. Their names were inserted into the releases that went to media in their jurisdictions.
A King spokesman said the releases were simply designed to get across his side and to alert local news outlets that their local district attorney was involved. An official with the Alabama District Attorney's Association said the releases were out of line.
"The district attorneys of Alabama find his conduct unfortunate, inappropriate and sad," said Randy Hillman , executive director of the Alabama District Attorney's Association. "That is all we are going to say about this situation."
The phenomenon of King attacking District Attorneys in their local media was mentioned in this blog post a few days ago and this one yesterday.
Pesky things, facts. Attorney General Troy King continues his non-politically motivated tirade against Alabama District Attorney's. This time the target is Dekalb County DA Mike O-Dell. From the Times-Journal (emphasis mine):
“There is only one issue in this case – have you taken a side of a convicted murderer or take the side of victims,” King said in a telephone interview. “I didn’t start this to rock the boat, but I am not backing down. It ought to terrify everybody in this state that if the facts go wrong, the prosecutors will turn their backs on them. If they can’t do it, then I will do it.”
How the heck can facts go wrong? Justice and facts -- even the inconvenient ones -- are on the same side. It's terrifying that a man who doesn't understand this holds the title of Attorney General. Kangaroo courts, here we come.
No politics whatsoever - yet King's office went to the trouble of issuing news releases Thursday that were customized by county so that each county District Attorney would get his or her name in a venomous press release. Nope, no politics there - just retaliation for resisting the state AG's evil. And yes, it is nothing short of evil to execute someone for a crime THE STATE KNOWS was committed by another.
See, Troy King clearly needs someone to be put to death for this crime, even if it isn't the actual murderer. Forget justice, this is about revenge, and most of all, the Greater Glory of Troy King, Boy Attorney!
Troy's press conference did not patch up his quarrel with Alabama's District Attorneys -- of course he never intended it to. This looks more and more like Troy the publicity hound out to get news coverage any way he can. All publicity is good publicity.
Today the District Attorneys Association issued another statement pointing out that King has no experience as a prosecutor:
"The attorney general has no idea about these things because he has never stood where we stand every day," Association President Ken Davis said in a statement released Thursday. "Many of our members were fighting for the rights of victims when the attorney general was still in grammar school."
It's worth mentioning that King won his office in a rather close race in 2006. Alabama's district attorneys as a group did much better than King at the ballot box. Does Troy really want to have this group opposing him next time around?
The real question about King, now and for the next election, is his ability to lead. Here is the best thing I've seen written about this whole mess, from the Franklin County Times:
The legal system has enough to handle without adding morale problems. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you are a good leader with good intentions, then you don't publicly criticize your employees, especially for political gain. As one local law enforcement officer put it, the state DA [AG?] is the quarterback of the state's law enforcement team and he shouldn't put down one of his own teammates in the media.
(When you're in a hole, stop digging!
When there's a giant wooden horse outside the gates of your beseiged city, don't pull it in! - promoted by herding old cats)
"Given an option of playing the debate out in public or allowing the people in the debate to get together in a room, close the door and work it out, sure, I think the latter would be more advisable," he [Riley] said.
Sounds like a plan to me. At this point, there's little to be gained from continuing to play out this dispute in front of the media -- well, except for it being in front of the media, which is usually reason enough for Troy.
****
In an interesting twist, Blues reader Helen pointed out over at Danny's that Houston County DA Doug Valeska, the lone dissenting DA, is the brother of Assistant AG Don Valeska, who is not exactly known for his high ethical standards and commitment to justice. He has long been suspected of withholding evidence from defense attorneys in criminal cases, and in 2003 he was caught, resulting in an overturned capital murder conviction.
Circuit Court Judge Glenn Thompson on March 21 [2003] overturned the capital murder conviction of Daniel Wade Moore and granted him a new trial after concluding the Valeska-led prosecution withheld key evidence from the defense. Allegations of similar conduct have followed 59-year-old Valeska throughout his career...
...Thompson overturned Moore's murder conviction and death sentence "based entirely upon the prosecution's failure to comply with this court's orders regarding discovery.
"The court finds that the prosecution's failure to comply with its discovery order constitutes an injustice to the defendant which cannot be tolerated," Thompson wrote.
It's telling that he's still employed in the AG's office. Anything to win, I guess. Who cares if we subvert the justice system?
Although Troy Boy hasn't yet returned to the 
Thursday Night on WVTM's 6 O'Clock News, Alabama Attorney General Troy King faced his first questions on camera about his troubled personal life and the possiblity of his resignation. 
Danny is reporting
