Alabama's Governor has resigned rather than face impeachment over campaign finance violations linked to the cover-up of an extramarital affair.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has resigned after pleading guilty to abusing his office, allegedly to conceal an affair with a political adviser.
[...] The Associated Press describes the scene as the plea agreement was signed:
"Bentley appeared sullen and looked down at the floor during the Monday afternoon session. ...
"The agreement specifies that Bentley must surrender campaign funds totaling $36,912 within a week and perform 100 hours of community service as a physician. He also cannot seek public office again."
The governor, a Republican, was briefly booked into Montgomery jail, according to local media reports, before heading to the state Capitol to announce his resignation.
Republican state Rep. Ed Henry, who had introduced articles of impeachment against Bentley last year, said, "I think we have a great day for Alabama, where justice was done. Corruption was spotted, recognized and dealt with. ... even though it was slower and little more painful than we had anticipated."
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Wednesday April 12 2017, @01:48PM (2 children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday April 12 2017, @01:58PM (1 child)
nice blockquotes, guv'ner
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday April 12 2017, @09:42PM
Things like this are bound to happen now and then when one posts just before falling asleep.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @01:58PM
s/t
(Score: 3, Funny) by VLM on Wednesday April 12 2017, @02:24PM (18 children)
I googled it up and he's not a neocon. You can tell because male neocons only have affairs with young men; airport bathrooms and all that. And the mistress is in fact a hot woman. I googled the womans name and she looks pretty good. So yeah definitely not a neocon. Also he didn't drown her in a ditch or rape her, so you know the former gov was no Democrat, not a real Democrat anyway, that's their style.
There really isn't much story here in the sense of man bites dog.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:19PM (2 children)
Additional facts. Democrats take dick pics which get posted online. Republicans fool around with underage page boys. According to this [senate.gov], it seems 2 Republicans and 1 Democrat wanted to sponsor girls to the senate page program, which was approved May 13, 1971.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @04:07PM (1 child)
Additional facts. Democrats take dick pics which get posted online.
Holy crap, I'm a Democrat?
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:10PM
I should have qualified with Democrat Politicians. Sorry.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0, Troll) by jmorris on Wednesday April 12 2017, @04:46PM (11 children)
You can also tell he is a Republican in a Red State because his ass is gone. Republicans take tossing out the bad apples a bit more seriously. Democrats, no matter how many felonies (Sen. Kennedy, Bill Clinton), never punish their politicians when they commit crimes; no they rally around him because to them the only thing wrong was getting caught. If you see a Democrat leaving office it is because he was finally convicted and has to vacate the office to serve a sentence.
And the bonus here is the guy was a "Never Trump" cuck Republican who had to run to a microphone to pontificate how he couldn't -ever- support Trump after the "Grab her by the pussy" tape leaked. Ain't the universe's sense of humor wonderful?
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:15PM (1 child)
Nice cherry picking there.
Republicans and Democrats both toss out the bad apples, if and only if, it makes their party look bad to the voters.
Members of both parties will then do the most despicable things if it sits well with their voters.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @09:43PM
He also failed to mention how the dominant party in that state trumps up charges against the minority party.
On the subject of Alabama, governors, and intrigue:
Don Siegelman was an immensely popular governor of Alabama.
One problem: He was a Democrat. Can't have that.
Alabama Republicans cooked up a case and got him sent to prison.
The proceedings have been variously described [free-don.us] as "Railroaded", "Kangaroo'd", and (Karl) "Rove'd".
Lined up against him was a real rogue's gallery. [wikipedia.org]
Some of the prosecution's crooked witnesses have been sent to prison since then.
The crooked, partisan judge who sat on the case finally resigned years later. [google.com]
It seems clear that the alternative was going to prison.
He is a real piece of work:
He's a wife beater. The wife he was beating had been his court clerk.
He had been fooling around with her while he was married to someone else.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Thexalon on Wednesday April 12 2017, @06:02PM (3 children)
Fairly recent counterexamples: Eliot Spitzer, governor of New York, ousted due to a high-class hooker. John Edwards, former senator and presidential candidate, sunk by an extramarital affair. Anthony Wiener, congressman, didn't even have the affair but was ousted for sending underwear pics to somebody he found on Craigslist.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1, Troll) by jmorris on Wednesday April 12 2017, @07:10PM (2 children)
John Edwards, former senator and presidential candidate, sunk by an extramarital affair.
Actually, no. The media knew about his affair with a creepy groupie and sat on it until after he was eliminated from the race, then they could go for the ratings they knew they could gain from the ick factor of cavorting with a groupie while the wife was dying. Plus they could time it to suck all the media oxygen from the news cycle at a time of their choosing. Waste not, want not. Too bad the National Enquirer broke it first and smashed all their carefully laid plans.
Eliot Spitzer, governor of New York, ousted due to a high-class hooker.
Failed straight up to CNN host. And resigning was his choice, the Party would have stood by him if he wanted to fight and mobilized their media flying monkey squads to run air cover. He hadn't even put the hooker on the State payroll or anything, the excuses write themselves; this is just a story about sex, this is a private matter, blah, blah. The high class hooker part was the most problematic element of the story for a Democrat.
Anthony Wiener, congressman, didn't even have the affair but was ousted for sending underwear pics to somebody he found on Craigslist.
No, he resigned when he became the butt of jokes from every comedian because his last name was Wiener. And I really don't think the Party wants Weiner investigated very hard because odds are a lot more ick is waiting to be found, and not just sex; see Huma Weiner + Hillary Clinton + Clinton Foundation + Billions in Dirty Money = Pulitzer Prize being left on the table for Party loyalty. But the Party media didn't break that story, it was the Internet guys like Ace at ace.mu.nu who worked tirelessly that long holiday weekend to dig out the story and flog it hard enough to cause the comedians to run with it. And then the Democrats and the media (BIRM) buried him a short time and ran him for mayor of NYC. And if he could have kept his pants up long enough he probably would have been elected because the D voters certainly didn't hold his past creep factor against him. Sending dick pics to minors is A-OK with them.
If you wanted a counter factual you could cite Mark Sanford, a Republican caught in a super creepy affair who has managed to crawl back into public office. Exception that proves the rule though since he is one of the only ones I can think of.
(Score: 5, Informative) by vux984 on Wednesday April 12 2017, @09:31PM (1 child)
If you wanted a counter factual you could cite ...
Donald Trump
Well documented extramarital affairs in his past. Has bragged of lots more that aren't so well documented. Weird creeping on his daughter. Boasts of "grabbing pussy".... and everyone knows about it. And with all that baggage the guy didn't merely crawl into public office, the republican faithful elected him their president.
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Wednesday April 12 2017, @10:08PM
Trump smashes the traditional Christcuck, Glenn Beck sorta super Holy and utterly ineffectual conservatism into tiny pieces. He is something new, whether for good or ill we still await an answer to. Stay tuned. Of course his election was only possible because the situation was so utterly dire that enough people were willing to roll the dice.
(Score: 4, Informative) by bob_super on Wednesday April 12 2017, @06:04PM (4 children)
Republicans in many states run on a platform of God-fearing personal purity, probity and absolute faithfulness (and small government and big guns...).
That makes what he did pretty antithetic to the base's expectations. At least, I didn't read that he made her have an abortion.
Democrats don't run on Bible-Sharia. They should get kicked for embezzling, but banging an adult intern (regardless of sex or gender identity) isn't explicitly against the character voters endorsed.
(Score: 2, Troll) by jmorris on Wednesday April 12 2017, @10:45PM (3 children)
Democrats should be subject to double scorn for banging interns. Make the enemy live by his own book of rules. Taking advantage of the power imbalance implied in a CEO/Governor/etc vs a lowly intern to force them into having sex is straight up sexual assault, a horrible sign of the patriarchy, and every other evil in the Progressive playbook. Just ask any professor of Women's Studies if you aren't clear on that. Except of course when the offender is a Democrat politician. Which tells us they don't actually believe a word of it, look how the NOW abased themselves to declare Bill Clinton innocent of any PC violation, many even stating straight up that they didn't care so long as he saved abortion; many said they would personally blow him if it was what the Party needed. Too bad few members of NOW are pretty enough for even Bill Clinton to be interested.... and he has dubious taste.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday April 12 2017, @11:00PM (1 child)
> Taking advantage of the power imbalance implied in a CEO/Governor/etc vs a lowly intern
Are you talking about super-charisma Bill banging the daughter of a very rich person?
Coercion and power imbalance are pretty absurd, given how she never needed the job or money, and he was risking public exposure. You need a different example...
And you can leave the oppressed-women line out of the equation, since quite a few cases were politicians banging young men...
(Score: 2) by Spamalope on Friday April 14 2017, @02:51AM
That's really how you'd describe Juanita Broaddrick and Kathleen Willey? You're 'misunderstanding' him to mean Monica when she's the least objectionable so you can make a straw man stab, aren't you?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @03:06AM
Sect leaders can do most things they want. They are at the top of the pyramid after all.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:52PM (2 children)
I originally assumed him to be a Democrat because there wasn't an (R) after every mention of his name: when a Republican does something wrong the new loves to brand them but when it's a Democrat suddenly there's no letter after their name. Was quite surprised to get halfway through the summary before Republican was even mentioned.
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Wednesday April 12 2017, @07:14PM
#NeverTrump Republicans get awarded "Strange New Respect" by the media, apparently that now includes the perk of having your party ID eliminated from the headline of negative stories.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 13 2017, @07:44AM
You're a fair-minded person so there couldn't be any confirmation bias going on.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:00PM (4 children)
You can't have extramarital affair if you aren't married.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:44PM (1 child)
To Christian politicians: If you aren't married, don't fornicate! Practice what you preach. Especially if what you preach is connected to your ideas about public policy.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:56PM
They asked the NSA for advice on terminology. When they do it, it's not "fornicate", it's "Gifting Cardio".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @04:08PM
Extragovernment affair
Extra government? No thanks. I already have more than enough.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @11:12AM
You can if your partner in the affair is married.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:09PM (4 children)
Not sure of his political stripes, but he seems more like an idiot to me. From http://www.businessinsider.com/robert-dianne-bentley-alabama-governor-wife-sex-scandal-resignation-2017-4 [businessinsider.com]
When a former Alabama governor started sending suggestive texts to a member of his staff, he probably didn't expect them to sync with the state-issued iPad he had given his wife.
This link has a screen shot that is claimed to be of the texts.
And the NY Times claims that he hid behind heavy duty Christian "morality" -- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/us/alabama-governor-robert-bentley-sex-scandal.html [nytimes.com]
To many of the conservative Christians who unexpectedly propelled Mr. Bentley, a Republican, into power, his demise was a dispiriting setback in an age when they feel their values are under siege.
“We’re sorry for him and his family, but at the same time, he made his choices and did what he did,” said the Rev. Joe Godfrey, the executive director of the Alabama Citizens Action Program, a church-supported group that holds substantial influence in the Legislature. “I don’t know that people feel had; I think they feel disappointed. Here was a man who had a chance to accomplish great things, and he failed.”
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DannyB on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:38PM (2 children)
I expect that some of these Christians, whether genuine true believers, or just playing a plastic game, have unrealistic expectations about human beings, sin and temptation. Nobody is perfect, even if a believer.
When I'm looking at who to vote to put into power, my question is about what kind of public policy to they embrace. Not so much their personal lives, unless it will impact their public policy making. I would be fine with voting for a Christian -- if I could actually believe they were for good public policy. Instead, their agenda seems to be to create a theocracy. Or at least to somehow legislate morality. Here is a clue for Christian politicians: You cannot change people's hearts with legislation. You cannot create a society free of sin and evil no matter how hard you try. You can reach individuals. But if you want to work towards that goal, then become a minister or missionary instead of a politician. If you aspire to politics, then consider the reality that there are people who believe, there are people who don't believe. There are people who just want to work and have a decent life. There are people who want to not work and steal from others. You have a lot of different constituents to serve. Try to make policy that helps the people who just want to work; that encourages others to aspire to the same, and punishes those who steal. There is a limited pool of resources. Maybe think about how much some people should be allowed to have. One common Christian message is about wealth transfer when one person has two loaves of bread and another has no loaf of bread. If you are a republican, maybe don't transfer wealth from the person with no loaf to the person that has two. There are many, especially old testament, messages about how God hates those who hurt the widows and fatherless (eg, orphans).
People who talk about family values the loudest are likely the ones who embrace it the least. People who hate gays the most are probably the ones with internalized homophobia. (eg, they hate themselves for the thing that they hate publicly, or to be more blunt, they recognize their own urges.)
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @04:34PM (1 child)
Your argument might work better if you separated the Christians-who-see-any-non-believer-as-someone-to-convert (either in person, or by force of law when they support politicians) and the Politicians-that-suck-up-to-Christians ??
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:31PM
Maybe. I'm not sure.
Let's call the "Christians who see all non believers as converts" as the "Evangelists". (Just because it is a convenient term. But I'll keep the quotes around it.) Let's call the second group the Suck-Ups.
Now the Suck-Ups may or may not be "Evangelists". They just want to get elected. So the set of Suck-Ups and "Evangelists" may have a non null intersection. But I am confident that the Suck-Ups are not a subset of "Evangelists".
Now of the "Evangelists" I think there may be two kinds. Those who see a convert as some kind of score. A win. A recruit. A member. Then there are those who see all people as someone in need of a savior. The latter group should / would recognize that nobody can be made to believe by force. (Including legislation.) Belief must be an individual decision. Count the cost. Now, IMO: If you truly believe, and hold the flag very high, you will be ridiculed. Not voted for.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 4, Informative) by bzipitidoo on Wednesday April 12 2017, @04:54PM
Seems that's how social conservatives operate. Hypocritically overlook sexual harassment and infidelity by people they perceive as powerful, rich winners who seem to support policies they like, while going bat crazy over supposed sexual peccadillos committed by those they don't like. I really do not understand why the likes of Newt Gingrich, The Donald, David Vitter, Larry Craig, and Clarence Thomas were allowed to finish their terms or are still in power, why the voters elected them. Seems it's "boys will be boys" and it doesn't matter where his dick was because "his heart was in the right place" and "forgiveness is divine".
Whether Bill O'Reilly survives remains to be seen. They don't all survive, just look at Ailes. But Bill Clinton is an immoral, depraved, cheating pervert who will burn in Hell for what he did!
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:47PM (5 children)
When a devout follower of Islam drives a truck over pedestrians we get "Not all Muslims." But when a Christian politician has an affair we get "I knew it! They are all like that!" The cognitive dissonance is real.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:52PM (2 children)
I think you mixed up your orders of magnitude. There are a lot more people having affairs than committing terrorist attacks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @04:11PM (1 child)
There are a lot more people having affairs than committing terrorist attacks.
They are not mutually exclusive.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:51PM
Using her as suicide bombers is a pretty efficient way to shut the mistress up.
Just be sure she's cleaned up any DNA from her dress, though...
(Score: 3, Touché) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:47PM (1 child)
You might have a point if you were responding to someone who actually said that.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @09:41PM
I see you're responding to someone who doesn't have a brain. Futile.
(Score: 2) by chewbacon on Wednesday April 12 2017, @03:56PM
He was just trying to help a cousin pay her bills....
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Wednesday April 12 2017, @05:18PM (1 child)
and perform 100 hours of community service as a physician
I hope I can infer from this that he already is one. Mind you, it'd solve the problem of the understaffed NHS over here, and would also reduce the number of sick people considerably within days.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday April 12 2017, @06:08PM
Interesting plea agreement there. Can he really be prevented from taking public office again?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @06:13PM (1 child)
Boo! Boo! Boo!
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @07:20PM
There's not even a HINT of a Lynyrd Skynyrd reference anywhere here. How in the hell is this "Redundant"?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 12 2017, @11:44PM (2 children)
The U.S. Congress is allowing tax payer money to be directly funneled into the Trump businesses by his weekend junkets, and his wife staying in New York. Guess who happens to own the places where they are staying? When is Congress going to do its job?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 13 2017, @02:43AM
January 2019.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 13 2017, @05:29AM
It may have started with the Clintons. They took some flak for making the Secret Service pay rent at their house.
Presidents are strongly encouraged to use Air Force 1, but they can use whatever they like, including commercial flights (as Nixon once did) and personal aircraft. Everybody on the plane pays typical first-class airfare rates, with the government paying for those who are flying on official business. (of course, no need to actually bill when the payer is the payee)
The expense of Air Force 1 is pocket change for the USA. We don't benefit from discouraging use of the aircraft; this would encourage the president to be unsafe and difficult to contact.