I visited the Roy Moore for Governor Web site this week. It is a state-of-the-art site reflecting the thousands of campaign contributions the deposed chief justice says he has received from every state in the union and every county in Alabama.

In November 2003, a special state court for judicial ethics removed Moore from office for defying a federal judge’s order to move a Ten Commandments monument he had placed in the state Supreme Court building to acknowledge God..

The nine-member Court of the Judiciary issued its unanimous decision after the trial of Moore. The panel, which included judges, lawyers and non-lawyers, could have reprimanded Moore, suspended him with-or-without pay, found him mentally unable to carry out his duties, or cleared him of the charges.

In removing Moore, the court said he put himself above the law by “willfully and publicly” flouting the order to remove the 3-ton monument from the state judicial building’s rotunda in August 2003.

In a ruling upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, a United States District Court in Montgomery found the granite carving was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. Moore refused to obey the order but was quickly overruled by the other justices on the state court.

Moore continues, however, to couch the federal court order to remove the monument as an attempt to restrain him from acknowledging God as he desired on behalf of the people of Alabama. A video clip of his testimony in the case is shown on his face book page linked to the Web site. It has been suggested that a fitting campaign slogan for the former chief justice in his gubernatorial campaign could be: Honk if you acknowledge my God.

Moore was prosecuted before the ethics court by State Attorney General Bill Pryor, who, at the time was being considered by the U.S. Senate for a position on a United States Court of Appeals. Pryor’s confirmation was opposed by Senate Democrats and was accused by Moore supporters of leading the prosecution of Moore to gain the support of Senate Democrats trying to derail his appointment.

Following Moore’s conviction there was an attempt to convene the State Bar Association’s disciplinary board and remove the former chief justice’s law license, but that was eventually delayed and has not been revived. It is speculated by Montgomery insiders that this threat is the reason he did not seek election as chief justice in 2006. Being governor doesn’t require a law license.

But the Moore

infatuation remains

The Moore campaign’s clever ploy to assert that it has received a campaign donation from every state and every county in Alabama is a neat little gimmick and may actually be true, but is really meaningless. The big money usually comes from fewer than 25 sources.

What isn’t meaningless, however, is the polling data reported to me lately. I am told that the numbers from two reliable polling firms gives the former chief justice a double-digit lead over his nearest Republican rival and the first number isn’t “one.”

Frankly, that doesn’t surprise me. Moore has a dedicated following in the state, and it is hard to find an Alabamian who doesn’t acknowledge that God is the giver of all things.

But Moore’s problem with rational thinkers is his attempt to pass off his sworn duty to at least be perceived as an impartial judge as a principle that would be frowned on by the creator. He failed in that duty, and that is why he was removed.

I am personally fond of Judge Moore as an individual, but Alabama voters must, in good conscience, ask: “Judge Moore, will you as governor, appoint men and women to the bench who will follow your lead or those who will remain impartial and uphold the laws of our state and nation?”

GOP targets 17

legislative seats

I am told that the Republican legislative victory plan targets incumbent Democrats in17 legislative seats, 10 in the House and seven in the Senate. Democratic senators on the list include: Ted Little of Auburn, Zeb Little of Cullman, Hinton Mitchem of Albertville, Phil Poole of Moundville, Marc Keahey of Grove Hill and Kim Benefield of Roanoke.

House members on the list are: Henry White of Athens, Ron Grantland of Hartselle,, James Fields of Hanceville,, Frank McDaniel of Albertville, Jeff McLaughlin of Guntersville, Lea Fite of Anniston, Jimmy Martin of Clanton, Steve Hurst of Munford, Terry Spicer of Elba and Betty Graham of Alexander City.

Bob Martin is editor and publisher of The Montgomery Independent. E-mail him at: bob@montgomeryindependent.com.