Hell Hath No Fury Like Voters Scorned: Fallout from Alabama’s “Human Shield” Legislature - By Donald V. Watkins - Voters are demanding Bentley’s removal by all lawful means necessary. The pro-Bentley forces are not hearing them or respecting their wishes. This rejection is making voters even more frustrated than they were with Bentley’s betrayal of the public’s trust. The “human shields” legislators are betraying this trust as well. They have become after-the-fact accomplices to Bentley’s crimes. Voters are angry that their legislators are not stepping up to the plate.

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COMMENTARY

Hell Hath No Fury Like Voters Scorned: Fallout from Alabama’s “Human Shield” Legislature

By Donald V. Watkins
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on May 1, 2016

Voters who supported Alabama Governor Robert Bentley have been betrayed on many levels. After five years in office, Bentley has shown Alabama voters that he is nothing more than a scam artist who traded the executive powers of his office for sexual favors with political consultant, mistress, lover, White House date, and fellow partner in crime, Rebekah Caldwell Mason. This is especially true for those voters who blessed Bentley with their votes in a landslide re-election victory over Democratic gubernatorial opponent Parker Griffith in 2014. Those voters not only believed Bentley to be a family man who would be transparent and accountable, but above all, they believed he would bring much needed integrity to the office of Governor. These voters have been shamefully disrespected and humiliated by the very man they trusted with their hopes, hearts and votes.

Unknown to all voters at the time, Bentley had already commenced an ongoing pattern and practice of criminal conduct in which he used tax dollars, campaign funds, and “dark money” contributions to carry on a secret extramarital affair with Rebekah. In exchange for “love” and sex from Rebekah, Bentley confirmed upon her full and complete executive authority over the affairs of State. This constitutes sexual bribery under Alabama law. These lovers also engaged in a wide-ranging and engrained crime spree that constitutes racketeering and perpetrated the theft of honest government services under federal law.

A federal investigation by prosecutors from Washington is ongoing. Last week, twenty-three brave members of the Alabama House of Representatives initiated an unprecedented impeachment proceeding against Bentley, who has refused to resign.

Here are the twenty Republicans and three Democrats who signed the impeachment resolution:

• Ed Henry (R-Hartselle)
• Isaac Whorton (R-Valley)
• David Sessions (R-Grand Bay)
• Mike Ball (R-Madison)
• Jim Patterson (R-Meridianville)
• Tommy Hanes (R-Bryant)
• Ritchie Whorton (R-Owens Cross Roads)
• Mike Holmes (R-Wetumpka)
• David Standridge (R-Oneonta)
• Barry Moore (R-Elba)
• Danny Crawford (R-Athens)
• Allen Farley (R-Pleasant Grove)
• Jack W. Williams (R-Georgetown)
• Will Ainsworth (R-Guntersville)
• Craig Ford (D-Gadsden)
• Patricia Todd (D-Birmingham)
• Margie Wilcox (R-Mobile)
• Mack Butler (R-Gadsden)
• Becky Nordgren (R-Gadsden)
• Phil Williams (R-Harvest)
• Johnny Mack Morrow (D-Red Bay)
• Reed Ingram (R-Montgomery)
• Arnold Mooney (R-Birmingham)

But this article is not about those House members who signed the resolution; the focus of this article is about those House members whose names are NOT on the list. This article is also about those senators who have NOT publicly condemned Bentley’s criminal behavior or demanded his immediate resignation.

Following the lead of State Representative Alvin Holmes (D-Montgomery) and Senate President Del Marsh (R-Anniston), all of the legislators and senators in this seemingly pro-Bentley group have banned together, essentially forming a protective “human shield” around Bentley. Holmes has even gone so far as to threaten lawmakers with exposure of their marital cheating if any member of this group breaks ranks. Holmes’ extortion threat has been effective, even with Del Marsh.

Those "human shield" legislators who are not controlled by Holmes by virtue of his extortion threat are under the direct control and dominion of House Speaker Mike Hubbard, who is awaiting trial this month on 23 felony counts of public corruption charges.

According to a poll by AL.com in March, nine out of ten Alabamians want Bentley gone. Every major newspaper in the state has demanded Bentley’s resignation. No corporate leader is publicly supporting Bentley, and many have told me privately that Bentley is a total disaster as governor. Yet, only twenty-three of 105 House members co-sponsored the impeachment resolution. None of the thirty-five senators have publicly supported Bentley’s removal or demanded his resignation.

Holmes, Marsh and their fellow "human shield" legislators have figuratively given Alabama voters the "middle finger" with respect to family values, transparency, accountability, and integrity in government. Holmes is not expected to run for re-election in 2018. Del Marsh wants to become Alabama’s next governor, yet he is refusing to stand for integrity in government when it matters the most. The “human shield” legislators who intend to run for re-election and who are following Holmes' lead are running the very real risk of ending their political careers and irreparably damaging their personal reputations. So be it.

Hell is perceived to be one of the most terrible places imaginable, but it hath no fury like the fury voters will rain down on Bentley and anyone who is shielding him. For the voters have been scorned…much like a woman who has mistakenly placed her trust in a cheating man. And, just like a woman who has been betrayed in love, voters can be very angry and resentful.

Voters are demanding Bentley’s removal by all lawful means necessary. The pro-Bentley forces are not hearing them or respecting their wishes. This rejection is making voters even more frustrated than they were with Bentley’s betrayal of the public’s trust. The “human shields” legislators are betraying this trust as well. They have become after-the-fact accomplices to Bentley’s crimes.

Voters are angry that their legislators are not stepping up to the plate. Voters are also angry that they have to be the ones to write tougher ethics legislation to address the “Bentley” problem with future office holders. Voters are the ones who have had to push for a federal investigation. Voters are the ones who forced the state’s traditional newspapers to demand Bentley’s resignation.

The betrayal of public trust by the “human shield” legislators has an arrogance to it that is offensive and personal. Going forward, we must organize across this state to identify and publicly expose the “human shield” legislators, whether they are Republicans or Democrats. Then we must to take affirmative steps to make sure that each one of these legislators is voted out of office during the 2018 re-election cycle. There is nothing they will be able to say then that will adequately explain their defiance of the voters’ will today. All of them are as dirty and complicit in this public corruption scandal as Bentley, Mason, Holmes, Marsh, and Hubbard.

Furthermore, voters must withhold their future votes and campaign contributions from each and every “human shield” legislator. Hopefully, the voters in each House and Senate district will also identify and support a viable candidate to run against each incumbent “human shield” legislator.

We must also target, expose and take aggressive action against any corporation that contributes money to these legislators. We have to make it a public relations nightmare for this group of supporters.

Finally, voters must flex their muscles hard enough to punish every one of Bentley’s “human shields”. They, too, have betrayed the public's trust. They are no better than Robert Bentley and Rebekah Mason. They, too, need to face the political fallout, along with Bentley, Mason, Holmes, Marsh, and Hubbard.

Donald V Watkins

@TheMeck

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