A "Pork & Politics" gathering of Republican hopefuls for state office was supposed to be highlighted with another governor's candidates' forum on Saturday. Instead, it was the Attorney General's candidates who stole the show.
With Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle absent from the Baldwin County GOP event, the program's format changed. Other candidates for statewide offices got to speak, and it was three of the four Republicans vying for Alabama Attorney General who captured the political intrigue by taking turns jabbing at one another.
The forum, held at the Baldwin County Coliseum in Robertsdale, occurred slightly more than a week out from the June 5 primary.
Criticism abounds
The three GOP candidates -- Chess Bedsole, Steve Marshall and Alice Martin -- each toss political haymakers at their opponents.
Chess Bedsole, Republican candidate for Alabama Attorney General, speaks during a "Pork and Politics" gathering of Republicans on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at the Baldwin County Coliseum in Robertsdale, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).
"I am the only person who said 'No' to the interview with (former) Gov. Robert Bentley," said Bedsole, a former judge who served as President Donald Trump's Alabama campaign chairman during the 2016 presidential race.
Bedsole referred to interviews that Bentley had in early 2017, after he appointed former Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange to replace Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate after Sessions was tabbed by Trump to become U.S. Attorney General.
The move raised some eyebrows since it allowed Bentley to appoint a new state attorney general as he faced an ethics investigation in the fallout of an alleged affair with a staffer.
"I don't do business with crooks," said Bedsole. "I think that is important for the Attorney General."
Martin, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, blasted Marshall's support from heavyweight political donors, such as the Business Council of Alabama. She also referenced Marshall's decision, about five years, to switch parties from Democrat to Republican.
In addition, Martin also took a swipe at Bedsole's campaign that has repeatedly tied itself to Trump.
"I'm the only person running for this job who has worked for a President of the United States," said Martin, who was nominated as a federal prosecutor by President George W. Bush in 2001. She served in that role until 2009.
Alice Martin, Republican candidate for Alabama Attorney General, speaks during a "Pork & Politics" gathering of the GOP on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at the Baldwin County Coliseum in Robertsdale, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).
Bedsole and Martin were joined by Marshall at the event. Absent was former Alabama Attorney General Troy King, who headed up the office from 2004-2011.
Marshall, the current attorney general, said that while Bedsole, Martin and himself have been at candidates' forums, King has not. Marshall said that has allowed King "not to be questioned."
Marshall then championed the work his office has done in the past week that included joining with U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, to sue the federal government for the U.S. Census Bureau's inclusion of undocumented immigrants in its decennial count.
Said Marshall: "I will tell you this, if we count those who are in (the United States) illegally, we'll lose a member of Congress. We'll lose the ability of Alabama to influence what is going on in Washington."
'Disappointment'
For the two governor's candidates in attendance - state Rep. Bill Hightower of Mobile and Birmingham evangelist Scott Dawson - the canceled forum allowed them each to speak uninterrupted for 10 minutes before prospective voters.
But they were both disappointed that the scheduled forum was canceled. A final GOP governor's forum is scheduled at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday.
"It's a tragedy," said Dawson. "I am running for Alabama and if people are running for the highest office, you are public servant and it starts with campaigning to serve the people of Alabama."
Dawson, Hightower and Battle have all been critical of Ivey, who has missed most of the candidates' forums and debates since they began last month.
"I'm very disappointed in our interim governor who hasn't shown up to any of these," said Hightower. "I wonder where is she?"
Hightower then returned to previous campaign comments he's made about health. He was the first of the candidates to release his personal medical records last month, triggering reactions by the other candidates to do the same.
Questions have swirled about Ivey's health since media reports claimed that Ivey, while serving as lieutenant governor, suffered stroke-like symptoms or a mini-stroke while in Colorado in 2015.
Ivey has since said she is in good health and, earlier this month, her campaign released a letter from her Montgomery-based physician Dr. Brian Elrod, who said that he has not seen medical issues that would prevent the governor from fulfilling her job.
Said Hightower: "All of us want to make sure whoever is the Republican nominee is strong enough to run against (Democratic governor hopeful) Walt Maddox. We don't need a weak person to do that. They need to be strong mentally and physically."
Battle was a last-minute scratch from the forum. His campaign did not respond to an immediate email request for comment.
"This is not his home territory," said Hightower. "I have focused on my area here in Mobile and Baldwin counties and served it for the past five years."
Said Dawson: "He's been to 17 of the 18 forums. If you're running and doing the best you can, things do come up."