Artur Davis praises Robert Bentley, says GOP nominee will be tough to beat

U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, praised Robert Bentley for his victory in Tuesday’s runoff election and predicted the Republican Party nominee will be tough to beat in the general election.

“Robert Bentley is one of the most decent, honorable people I know in politics. I have nothing but admiration for him,” Davis said Thursday. “I believe he will be a very strong candidate.”

Davis finished second to Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks in the June 1 Democratic primary after a bruising campaign for the party’s gubernatorial nomination.

Davis, in his concession speech, encouraged his supporters to rally behind Sparks in the general election. But he said Thursday that he’d already heard from several supporters who indicated they would cross over and vote for Bentley.

“I wish Ron Sparks well. But I think one common concern that people have — and I share — is that he could open the door that allows gambling interests to control Alabama,” Davis said.

Sparks’ campaign centers on his plan to establish a state lottery that would fund education. He has also vowed to regulate and tax the state’s gambling industry.

A spokesman for Sparks did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Bentley, a state legislator from Tuscaloosa, defeated Bradley Byrne in Tuesday’s runoff.

Davis said Bentley’s win was impressive because he overcame opposition from his own party’s leadership. Gov. Bob Riley and several members of Alabama’s Republican congressional delegation bucked party tradition and openly endorsed Byrne.

In response, Davis said, Bentley went out and built strong support among independent voters. That should put him in a strong position as he heads into the general election, Davis said.

“November elections are decided by independent voters,” Davis said. “Bentley had to reach out to independents because the establishment was supporting Bradley. It was a very effective strategy and he executed it well.”

He said that Sparks, by comparison, focused his campaign on liberal Democrats, attacking Davis from the left for his vote against the health care bill. The strategy helped Sparks roll to a dominant victory — the Fort Payne native captured 62 percent of the primary vote and won majorities in 61 of the state’s 67 counties — but Davis said it could become a liability in the general election.

“Ron Sparks was very much the candidate of activist, liberal Democratic voters. And the fact is that’s a very small segment of the electorate in Alabama,” he said. “That puts him very much at odds with the majority of Alabama voters, and that is a prescription for failure.”

Davis said he was “very concerned” that the Alabama Democratic Party was coming under increasing control by a tight circle of individuals and special interest groups.

“The party is losing its way. We are losing ground in Alabama and we are losing it unnecessarily,” he said. “We want to hide behind the excuse that the national party is unpopular right now but that’s not what’s causing it. The fact is we’re seeing the complete domination of the party by a narrow group of insiders who are completely out of step with average Alabamians.”

Davis said he disagreed with Bentley on a variety of policy issues — naming abortion and charter schools as two examples — but that he admired Bentley’s record of reaching across party lines to work with Democrats in the state Legislature.

He said his respect for Bentley grew during their time on the campaign trail.

“Over a year and a half and 20-something debates, you get to know each other pretty well,” he said. “(Bentley) was always very authentic, consistent in his positions and knew as much about state government as anybody in the race. He is running a very impressive campaign.”

The representative, Dr. Robert Bentley, beat Bradley Byrne, a former state senator and college system chancellor who was endorsed by the current governor and a congressman. He won 56 percent of the vote to Mr. Byrne’s 44 percent.

“No one thought we had a chance,” Dr. Bentley, 67, a physician, said Tuesday evening in a celebration at the University of Alabama football stadium. “But you know, God is good.”

Political experts offered several theories for Dr. Bentley’s come-from-behind victory: an anti-establishment political climate, an outside group’s negative advertising campaign against Mr. Byrne, and a state registration system that allows Democrats to switch over to vote in Republican primaries.

Although Dr. Bentley campaigned aggressively (his slogan: “Alabama is sick, and we need a doctor”) and had been rising in the polls for weeks, he was a virtual unknown before his second-place finish in the crowded primary on June 1. In that election, he defeated two more prominent opponents: a former governor’s son and a former State Supreme Court chief justice who is nationally known for trying to put a statue of the Ten Commandments in the courthouse.

“He was the outsider,” said Bill Stewart, a political science professor at the University of Alabama. “He didn’t represent the Tea Party, but he did represent the nonestablishment.”

Based on his unlikely rise, outsider background and limited-government ideology, Dr. Bentley drew comparisons to other new Republican stars: the nominee for governor Nikki Haley in South Carolina and the Senate nominees Sharron Angle in Nevada and Rand Paul in Kentucky. But unlike those candidates, Dr. Bentley was never endorsed by the Tea Party.

With a soft-spoken, mild-mannered campaign style, Dr. Bentley played up his medical background. Campaign advertisements show him in a white doctor’s coat and he legally added “Dr.” to his name, hoping that it would appear on the ballot (it did not because the state refuses to include any honorifics). He promised fiscal conservatism and Christian values, but struggled in fund-raising, receiving $621,000 in contributions compared with Mr. Byrne’s $2 million.

“I’m not from a political family, I’m not backed by powerful interests,” Dr. Bentley says in a video advertisement. “The only special interest I’ll ever serve is you, the people of Alabama.”

The two candidates were ideologically similar, political experts say, but on the campaign trail Dr. Bentley tried to paint Mr. Byrne as a newcomer to the Republican Party. He noted that Mr. Byrne had voted for Bill Clinton and Michael S. Dukakis for president.

An outside group named the True Republican PAC also ran advertisements questioning whether Mr. Byrne believed the entire Bible is literally true (he says he does) and whether he opposes teaching creationism in public schools (he says he supports it).

Also, a powerful, Democratic-leaning teachers’ organization, the Alabama Education Association, came out strongly against Mr. Byrne. The group has opposed Mr. Byrne ever since he carried out an overhaul as chancellor of the state’s two-year college system that weakened the education association.

In the November election, Dr. Bentley will face Ron Sparks, the agriculture commissioner and Democratic nominee.

TUSCALOOSA, AL – Senator Scott Beason, Alabama’s most prominent conservative Republican legislator urged Alabamians to join him in voting for Dr. Robert Bentley on Tuesday, it was announced today.
Senator Beason sent the following letter urging Alabama conservatives to join him in voting for Dr. Robert Bentley for Governor.

“Many of the Republican Party faithful are uneasy because of the allegations that have been made in the gubernatorial runoff election. It is difficult for people not directly involved in state level politics to separate truth from fiction.

Because of all the confusion, I feel it is necessary to publicly announce that I am endorsing and actively supporting Robert Bentley for Governor.  The systemically ill power structure that is Montgomery politics needs to be cleared out, and the election of Robert Bentley will begin that
shake up.

I have no doubt that Robert Bentley will lead the state in a positive, pro-family direction, and that strong conservative principles will be supported by the Governor’s office.  I hope that everyone will join me Tuesday in voting for Robert Bentley to be the Republican nominee for Governor.”

Dear Fellow Alabamians:

Thank you for your support which enabled me to narrowly defeat Tim James for second place in yesterday’s primary election. The battle for second place was hard fought, and I will now join Bradley Byrne in the July 13, 2010 primary runoff to be the Republican Nominee for Governor of Alabama.

I am humbled and grateful to the people of Alabama for their support in the primary and for their belief that I could win. I believe my success is due to my focus on putting Alabamians back to work, cleaning out Montgomery, and offering substantive solutions to Alabama’s problems. I couldn’t have done it without the grassroots support of Alabamians across the state, and I will continue to focus on these issues during the runoff.

I also believe that Alabamians responded to my positive campaign which focused on solving Alabama’s economic and employment problems. Alabamians are sick of all the negative attack ads on TV. I have run a very positive campaign for the last year and will continue to do throughout the runoff.

Now that the primary is over and the runoff begins, I ask that all Republican voters consider voting for me in the runoff election.

Sincerely,

It is fitting and appropriate that we honor and give thanks for those who have fought and died for American liberty and our national security throughout our history. We must also honor our living veterans from all generations and conflicts, including those fighting Al-Qaeda and allied radical Islamic movements in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I was a medical officer at Pope Air Force Base and Womack Army Hospital during the Vietnam conflict. I treated injured troops returning from the war, as well as veterans and their families. I have witnessed first-hand the physical, psychological and spiritual wounds that war inflicts on our soldiers. These are men and women who have put the good of their fellow Americans ahead of themselves. Our country owes them a debt of gratitude and unyielding support of their needs.

There is nothing more meritorious than serving our nation in uniform. Everyone who does so deserves honor and appreciation from their fellow citizens. Memorial Day is more than just a three-day weekend or the beginning of summer. It is a time to reflect upon the ultimate sacrifice made by American soldiers to ensure freedom and liberty is preserved for all Americans. It is a time to acknowledge that freedom is bought anew for every generation by the sacrifices of America’s armed forces. It is a time to acknowledge that the connection between our freedom and a strong military.

For these reasons, we all need to remember those friends, family members and ancestors who sacrificed their lives to ensure we enjoy our freedoms today.

First Care has had the privilege of serving the medical needs of the community of Tuscaloosa and West Alabama for the past twenty years. During that time, First Care has never formally endorsed any candidate for any public office. This year is different, however, in several respects. We have seen our U.S. legislature ignore the wishes of their constituents. We have seen corruption in virtually every administration at the State level for the past twenty years with, perhaps, the exception of our current Governor, the honorable Bob Riley.

Dr. Robert Bentley is seeking the Republican nomination for Governor. He has the intellect, the political experience, and; most importantly, the moral integrity to lead Alabama to that place of honor and prestige that Alabama deserves. Under the determined, but compassionate leadership of Dr. Bentley as Governor, our state can serve as an example to others that corruption and back room deals are not necessary to govern successfully. What is necessary is a leader who is willing to stand up for what he believes in, while always mindful of the needs and dreams of the people that gave to him the authority he holds. I know Dr. Bentley, and while I may not agree with him on every issue, it is more important to me to elect a person that will stay true to his promise, and to elect a Governor that will serve the people of Alabama, rather than rule over them. In my humble opinion, that man is Dr. Robert Bentley.

Please join me in my support of Dr. Bentley as the Republican nominee for Governor by going to the following link:

www.robertbentley2010.com.

All checks should be made out to: Dr. Robert Bentley for Governor All donations should be mailed to:

Dr. Robert Bentley for Governor
P.O. Box 2276
Tuscaloosa, AL 35403

Sincerely,

John Newcomb, MD, FAAFP, FACEP
Medical Director
First Care Medical Center

Please remember, vote for integrity over self-interests. Imagine the possibilities if that concept actually caught on.

As the primary campaign for Alabama’s next Governor approaches, voters have been inundated with negative attacks, charges, countercharges, etc. to the point that it causes us to question will Alabama politics ever change. The two Democrats claim each other are using racist tactics or being sellouts for political gain, while two of the Republicans debate who is really a liberal or being falsely attacked by
backroom special interests. Amid all of the rancor, one candidate rises
to the top to offer Alabama hope that politics as usual will come to
end.

Dr. Robert Bentley is a respected physician and a state representative from Tuscaloosa that has demonstrated ethical leadership in his career and public service. He didn’t give up much of his career and go to Montgomery eight years ago to be told by special interests how to vote. Dr. Bentley went to represent the people of his district and be a leader we can be proud of. As Governor, he will set the ethical bar high and the only interest he will serve is that of the people.

He has a strong record of being pro-life, for improving public education, and a belief that we should create a better environment for small businesses to thrive and create jobs. Recently, Dr. Bentley
authored and passed an incentive to rehire unemployed workers during a very divisive legislative session. He has been instrumental in finding a solution to the state’s ailing PACT Program so we can keep our commitment to those Alabama families. Those are no small accomplishments in this negative campaign season.

A deacon and Sunday School teacher in his church, Dr. Bentley is a man of exemplary character that we should all look up to. He served his country, is a successful small business owner, and a dedicated father
and grandfather. When our leading candidates are attacking each other as opposed to focusing on the problems facing our state budgets; when ethics are being challenged and leading figures have been going to jail, who could be better? As Dr. Bentley says, “Alabama is hurting, and we need a doctor”.

Alabama does need a doctor. Elect Dr. Robert Bentley in the June 1 Republican primary. He is the one candidate rising above the fray and the one candidate who can restore our faith and trust in Alabama.

Don Wallace
Commissioner
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

205-345-5595
donwallacecpa@aol.com