Good morning! We made it to Friday! We made it to June? Here’s your Daily News for Friday, June 1, 2018. 

1. ALGOP kicks Bonner off the ballot.

• Having already publicly condemned Public Service Commission candidate Jim Bonner, the Alabama Republican Party went a step further voting to not certify Bonner on the ballot should he win the GOP primary.
• Jim Bonner is the guy who has said really offensive things and would probably be a disaster for Republicans in November if he won the primary, which he might because voters think he’s popular former Congressman Jo Bonner.
• Fine. Bonner’s out. Don’t blame the ALGOP one bit.
• However, Bonner is not the first or only candidate to say crazy things, do awful things and just generally be an embarrassment for the Alabama Republican Party.
• Roy Moore comes to mind. For that matter, so does Donald Trump, if we’re talking about candidates saying bad things. And, just the other day the party looked the other way when people challenged the ballot access of a candidate with a long history as a democrat and maybe a racist.
• I’m not saying the aforementioned candidates deserved to get kicked off the ballot, or that Jim Bonner doesn’t. That’s really not my jam anymore.
• But, more than a few people have pointed out to me how this ruling, while completely justified, just adds to the inconsistency of the ALGOP’s decision making.

2. Stuart nabs justices’ endorsements.

• Six current and former Alabama Supreme Court justices have endorsed Alabama Chief Justice Lyn Stuart.
• Stuart faces Associate Justice Tom Parker in the GOP primary.
• Justice Mike Bolin, Justice Jim Main, retired Justice Gorman Houston, retired Justice Patti Smith, retired Justice Champ Lyons, and retired Justice Bernard Harwood all said they were supporting Stuart.
• That’s a pretty good group.
• It’s hard to say how much it will mean. Folks haven’t really been paying attention up to now.
• But, to the extent that voters are now starting to tune in, an endorsement like this is well-timed.
• Read more HERE.
• Also read Melissa Brown’s story in the Montgomery Advertiser HERE.

3. A trade war with our allies. 

• At midnight, President Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs against Canada, Mexico and the European Union went into effect.
• Not a lot of people thought this would actually happen.
• China was one thing, given its demonstrably bad behavior in this market. And, you know, it was China. These countries are our oldest allies and firmest trading partners.
• Maybe there’s an Art-of-the-Deal plan at work here. But, in the here and now, we’ve made our friends pretty mad.
• Also mad: a lot of American businesses who rely on imported materials that we don’t produce domestically.
• Read more HERE.

4. Chock full of political stories.

With four days until the Democratic and Republican primaries on June 5, it’s time to read up on the races.

The state’s political reporters have been doing some work getting information together on the races.

Whether you’re an insider who long ago decided who you’ll be voting for or an observer trying to find out more about the candidates. these are some good stories to read.

• Brian Edwards of the Montgomery Advertiser profiles the state auditor race.
• Mary Sell of the Decatur Daily profiles the Alabama governor’s race.
• YellowHammer’s Jeremy Beaman has a nice profile of Bill Hightower in his campaign for governor.
• Dale Jackson has some history and some beef with Troy King.
• Melissa Brown of the Montgomery Advertiser profiles the chief justice race.
• Andrew Yawn of the Montgomery Advertiser profiles the secretary of state race.
• Trisha Crain of AL.com takes a look at the Alabama School Board races.
• Mary Sell: Moore calls out Fredricks for post about suicide.
• AP’s Kim Chandler does an overview of the AL-2 congressional race.

5. Why we can’t have nice things, Part Two.

• What is it with this year?
• Why has this relatively low-key election cycle taken a turn for worse with ugly, sexually-tinged political attacks?
• Gov. Kay Ivey dealt with a smear of a sexual nature – and it ended up costing the ones who were responsible.
• An Alice Martin campaign worker lost his job after creating a website to question the sexuality of an opponent.
• Given the consequences for those involved in these earlier smears, I didn’t think we’d see that kind of tactic used again.
• But now Alabama Political Reporter’s Bill Britt, well known for his attacks against politicians and political operatives, has gone back to the barrel and reached the bottom of it.
• Britt posted a picture of Poarch Creek Indians vice president Robbie McGhee dancing in a night club. The photo and accompanying article are a not-so-subtle attempt to question McGhee’s sexuality.
• Bill called me last night and, in between a torrent of curses and threats, swore it wasn’t meant to be sexual at all. You be the judge.
• Political attacks using sexuality aren’t cute, aren’t funny and shouldn’t be rewarded. They certainly weren’t rewarded earlier this campaign season, and I sense this one won’t be either.
• Say it with me: NO MORE USING SEXUALITY AS A POLITICAL WEAPON.
• It’s wrong, and when you do it, it makes you look terrible.
• Read my full piece on the matter HERE.

Headlines.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Updated: Candidates air TV ads.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – A New Low.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – U.S. allies to fight Trump’s tariffs, warn of trade war.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Alabama GOP will ignore votes of PSC candidate.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Alabama plan to arm school principals draws mixed reaction.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Justices endorse Lyn Stuart in chief justice primary.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – State to pay Justice’s attorney’s fees in free speech lawsuit.   

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Trump meets with families of Texas school shooting.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – More than 170 arrests made in regional violent crime sweep.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Contributor U. S. Rep. Mike Rogers:  Shut down the Mueller witch hunt.

DOTHAN EAGLE – Debate is remarkably civil.

YELLOWHAMMER NEWS – Bill Hightower a different kind of conservative.

AL.COM – Family plans lawsuit against security guard who ‘body slammed’ Huntsville student.

AL.COM – Principals and volunteers can already carry guns in this Alabama county.

AL.COM – Alabama Justice Tom Parker claims victory in lawsuit against Judicial Inquiry Commission.

AL.COM – Order for Alabama to unveil lethal injection process may not reveal one execution secret.

AL.COM – Justices endorse Lyn Stuart in Alabama chief justice race.

AL.COM – AG Jeff Sessions ‘worthless,’ former Congressman Jason Chaffetz says.

AL.COM – Google generated $703 million in economic activity in Alabama, report says.

AL.COM – What Hyundai’s expansion means for Alabama’s auto industry.

AL.COM – Drop the national anthem before all sports, so we can become fans, again.

AL.COM – Columnist Kyle Whitmire:  For 19-year-old campaign manager, it’s not just politics, it’s personal.

DECATUR DAILY – Moore, Fredricks have different takes on state government.

DECATUR DAILY – 4 candidates looking for Senate District 2 seat.

TUSCALOOSA NEWS – On the Road with Rick Holmes: The Republicans of Kansas.

ANNISTON STAR – White evangelicals and refugees.

ALABAMA POLITICAL REPORTER – PCI stands by their man, calls reporter “son of a bitch”.

ALABAMA POLITICAL REPORTER – Bonner brings more notoriety, trouble to PSC race.

WASHINGTON POST – The child-free life: Why so many American women are deciding not to have kids.

NEW YORK TIMES – Trump Ran as a Renegade. Now He’s Trying to Keep Them at Bay

NEW YORK TIMES – White House to Impose Metal Tariffs on E.U., Canada and Mexico

NEW YORK TIMES – America Declares War on Its Friends

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