Although we have grown accustomed to having very little confidence in our federal legislative bodies, that has not always been the case. Americans in the 1970s trusted Congress at roughly the same level they trust churches or organized religion today.

Typically Party affiliation has had a bearing on how individuals view Congress. Today, both Democrats and Republicans hold Congress in equally low esteem. Gallup points out that this “likely reflects the split control of Congress.

Americans also have little trust in the newspapers who are supposed to be holding our elected leaders accountable.

…And television news is not fairing any better.

Gallup believes that “social sites and the Internet in general, as well as the 24/7 television news cycle, have challenged traditional media outlets and brought new ones to the fore, creating an increasingly complex — and sometimes messy — news environment. While individual news consumers have better access to news and to journalists than ever before, the struggles of the news industry seem to be affecting Americans’ confidence in it.

What else is going on?
1. Black Louisiana senator releases stirring video explaining why he became a Republican
2. Sessions touts $625 billion defense spending mark-up with significant funding for Alabama
3. Alabama football legend running for House of Representatives
4. The 10 largest private companies in Birmingham
5. Q&A with Governor Bentley while on the industrial recruitment trail in France

Louisiana Senator Elbert Guillory explains why he switched parties to become a Republican. There’s nothing that could be added to this to make it more perfect. The video is above, and here’s the transcript:

“Hello, my name is Elbert Lee Guillory, and I’m the senator for the twenty-fourth district right here in beautiful Louisiana. Recently I made what many are referring to as a ‘bold decision’ to switch my party affiliation to the Republican Party. I wanted to take a moment to explain why I became a Republican, and also to explain why I don’t think it was a bold decision at all. It is the right decision — not only for me — but for all my brothers and sisters in the black community.

“You see, in recent history the Democrat Party has created the illusion that their agenda and their policies are what’s best for black people. Somehow it’s been forgotten that the Republican Party was founded in 1854 as an abolitionist movement with one simple creed: that slavery is a violation of the rights of man.

“Frederick Douglass called Republicans the ‘Party of freedom and progress,’ and the first Republican president was Abraham Lincoln, the author of the Emancipation Proclamation. It was the Republicans in Congress who authored the thirtheenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments giving former slaves citizenship, voting rights, and due process of law.

“The Democrats on the other hand were the Party of Jim Crow. It was Democrats who defended the rights of slave owners. It was the Republican President Dwight Eisenhower who championed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, but it was Democrats in the Senate who filibustered the bill.

“You see, at the heart of liberalism is the idea that only a great and powerful big government can be the benefactor of social justice for all Americans. But the left is only concerned with one thing — control. And they disguise this control as charity. Programs such as welfare, food stamps, these programs aren’t designed to lift black Americans out of poverty, they were always intended as a mechanism for politicians to control black the black community.

“The idea that blacks, or anyone for that matter, need the the government to get ahead in life is despicable. And even more important, this idea is a failure. Our commnunities are just as poor as they’ve always been. Our schools continue to fail children. Our prisons are filled with young black men who should be at home being fathers. Our self-initiative and our self-reliance have been sacrificed in exchange for allegiance to our overseers who control us by making us dependent on them.

“Sometimes I wonder if the word freedom is tossed around so frequently in our society that it has become a cliché.

“The idea of freedom is complex and it is all-encompassing. It’s the idea that the economy must remain free of government persuasion. It’s the idea that the press must operate without government intrusion. And it’s the idea that the emails and phone records of Americans should remain free from government search and siezure. It’s the idea that parents must be the decision makers in regards to their childrens education — not some government bureaucrat.

“But most importantly, it is the idea that the individual must be free to pursue his or her own happiness free from government dependence and free from government control. Because to be truly free is to be reliant on no one other than the author of our destiny. These are the ideas at the core of the Republican Party, and it is why I am a Republican.

“So my brothers and sisters of the American community, please join with me today in abandoning the government plantation and the Party of dissapointment. So that we may all echo the words of one Republican leader who famously said, ‘free at last, free at last, thank God Almight, we are free at last.’”

What else is going on?
1. Sessions touts $625 billion defense spending mark-up with significant funding for Alabama
2. Alabama football legend running for House of Representatives
3. The 10 largest private companies in Birmingham
4. Q&A with Governor Bentley while on the industrial recruitment trail in France
5. Heritage Action ranks voting records Alabama congressional delegation

Sen. Jeff Sessions

Sen. Jeff Sessions on Friday announced the Senate Armed Services Committee had completed its mark-up of the annual defense bill. Sessions, a senior Republican member of that committee, noted the bill discounts some of the spending cuts from being targeted by sequestration.

“I am happy to report that Alabama’s contribution to our nation’s security was maintained this week in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s mark-up,” Sessions said in a statement. “The sequestration spending reductions required by the Budget Control Act have fallen disproportionately on the Department of Defense. While Defense represents one-sixth of the federal budget, half of the cuts that are to be taken from our entire government would come from Defense.”

“I remain concerned, however, that the bill, in its present form does not fall within the new discretionary spending cap on defense,” he continued. “I don’t think it will pass—or should pass—the full United States Senate until all federal agencies and departments tighten their belts to reduce spending and the federal debt. Secretary of Defense [Chuck] Hagel has committed to producing a plan to solve the sequestration shortfall.”

The update from Sessions’ office touted spending for missile defense that would have a considerable impact Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal and the Littoral Combat Ship, which is manufactured at Austal USA’s facility in Mobile. It also included funding for the Anniston Army Depot, Maxwell AFB in Montgomery and Ft. Rucker in southeast Alabama.

Highlights as provided by Sessions office below:

FUNDING LEVELS

· The committee reported bill authorizes $625.1 billion for national defense in fiscal year 2014. This total includes:

· $526.6 billion for DOD base budget ($9 million less than the budget request);

· $87.0 billion for OCO ($18 million less than the budget request); and

· $17.8 billion for national security programs in the DOE ($16 million less than the budget request).

HUNTSVILLE

· The bill authorizes full funding for missile defense at $9.3 billion— $150 million over the President’s Budget request. This bodes well for related programs like the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program, Patriot, and other theater missile defense programs and projects managed and designed by the Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, and the Huntsville community.

· The committee also included $30 million to provide the Missile Defense Agency another ground-based sensor that will ensure a more capable defense against the increasing threat of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) attack from North Korea, Iran, or any other emerging belligerent nation.

· The committee requires the Secretary of Defense to report to the congressional defense and intelligence committees on the capability of each service to operate its weapons and communications systems in a hostile cyber environment. The report is required to provide an assessment of the cyber threats to major weapons and tactical communication systems that could emerge in the next five years; an assessment of the cyber vulnerabilities; a description of the current strategy to defend against battlefield cyber-attacks; and an estimate of the costs to correct the vulnerabilities in the future. This provision includes cyber-analysis of the space-based and high altitude weapons systems developed and maintained at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

· Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPGS) including the Army hypersonic weapon (AHW) that is managed by Redstone’s Space and Missile Defense Command was recognized by the Committee for its valuable contributions to the nation’s defense. The committee noted its support for the CPGS program and realizes that efforts in developing intermediate-range and long-range hypersonic boost-glide systems have the potential to provide significant military capability. The committee also requires the Department of Defense to report to the congressional defense committees on whether the CPGS should include maritime and ground surface versus sub-surface launched CPGS.

· Operationally Responsive Space (ORS): The Strategic Forces Subcommittee added $10 million to the President’s Budget request for the nano and micro satellites and launch systems—providing new and lower cost access into space.

ANNISTON

· Overall Army Depot maintenance was fully funded at $1.7 billion nationwide. Additionally, the committee added $732.2 million to the Army Operations and Maintenance fund to restore readiness cuts from Sequestration.

· The Committee’s provision also fully supports the funding request of $592 mission for the Army’s ground combat vehicle programs. This will help ensure that sufficient work is conducted by Anniston Army Depot, taking advantage of the expert maintenance workforce employed there.

· The Committee fully supported the budget request of $374.1 million to convert flat-bottom Stryker to more survivable double-V configuration.

· The Committee also fully supported the budget request for Paladin Integrated Management Program (PIM) at $340 million.

· The Committee also authorized $116.3 million for the Armored Multi-purpose Vehicle (AMPV), fully supporting the DOD budget request.

MONTGOMERY

· In an age increasingly plagued by cyber threats, the Senate Armed Services Committee recognized the critical importance of DOD software assurance efforts. As a result, the Committee has required DOD to establish a joint software assurance center to serve as a resource for securing the software acquired, developed, maintained, and used in DOD. The Application Software Assurance Center of Excellence at Maxwell Air Force Base’s Gunter Annex is a worthy candidate to become DOD’s joint software assurance center.

· The Committee’s mark-up also restores funding for the DOD STARBASE Academies. DoD STARBASE focuses on elementary students, primarily fifth graders. The goal is to motivate them to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) as they continue their education.

· The Committee also requires the Secretary of the Air Force to report on the requirement and allocation of aircraft for the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol flies more than 85 percent of all federal inland search-and-rescue missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fl. The Civil Air Patrol’s Administrative Headquarters is at Maxwell Air Force Base.

· The bill also requires the Chief of Staff of the Air Force to submit a report on the effects of transferring the Eagle Vision program from the Air National Guard to other organizations. Eagle Vision is a military based commercial satellite imagery capability that supports various military operations and exercises by providing unclassified imagery collected from commercial satellite vendors. The program is part of a larger enterprise that consists of units stationed in South Carolina, Alabama, California, and Hawaii.

WIREGRASS / FT. RUCKER

· The defense bill fully funds the Defense Department’s budget request of $96.2 million for UH-72 Light Utility Helicopter.

· The Committee also directs the Army to provide a risk assessment of the impact of the product termination of the UH-72 industrial base.

· The Committee’s fully supports the Defense budget requests of $1.2 billion for UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, $1.1 billion for CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and $759.4 million for AH-64 Apache Block III helicopters.

· The Committee also directs the Army to provide a report on the results of the light armed helicopter voluntary flight demonstration.

MOBILE

· Earlier this year, the Secretary of the Navy was very clear: the Navy remains committed to building 52 Littoral Combat Ships. In mark-up, the Senate Armed Services Committee agreed LCS will play a huge role in the future of our Navy. This bill fully supports both the LCS and the Joint High Speed Vessel programs as requested in the Defense Department’s budget request.

· Littoral Combat Ship was funded at $1.79 billion.

· Joint High Speed Vessel was funded at $2.7 million.

· The Committee also requires the Navy to report on the Navy’s: (1) intent for allocating JHSVs among the combatant commands; (2) any overseas basing plan to further support allocation. The Navy will also report on additional functions or capabilities the JHSV fleet might provide.

· An effort to withhold funding for the purchase of next block buy of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) was turned away by the committee citing the fact the previous dual award of the USS Freedom variant (Lockheed Martin) and the USS Independence variant (Austal USA) saved approximately $1 billion in projected procurement costs. That was enough savings to purchase an additional LCS. The Fiscal Year 2014 cost per hull of $343 million is well below the congressional spending cap. The committee did require the Government Accountability Office to answer key management and operational questions concerning LCS before the next block buy of the ship. This issue could arise again when the NDAA is considered before the full Senate.

ALABAMA MILITARY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS 

· The committee authorized $4 million for military construction for the Army National Guard in Decatur.

· The committee authorized $8.5 million for military construction for the Air National Guard in Birmingham.

Related:
1. Bonner defends Alabama-built Littoral Combat Ship in appropriations hearing
2. Bonner’s resignation could threaten future of Mobile-based Navy combat ship program
3. Shelby spokesman downplays potential for LCS cancelation, cites prior efforts
4. 908th Airlift Wing Staying at Maxwell

What else is going on?
1. Alabama football legend running for House of Representatives
2. The 10 largest private companies in Birmingham
3. Q&A with Governor Bentley while on the industrial recruitment trail in France
4. Heritage Action ranks voting records Alabama congressional delegation
5. Rogers to Obama Administration: Come Clean!

Then & Now: Alabama football legend Rich Wingo (#36) will soon be a candidate for House of Representatives

Rich Wingo was a linebacker for the University of Alabama during one of the most famous plays in college football history, “The Goal Line Stand” in the 1978 national championship game against Penn State. 35 years later, sources in Tuscaloosa say Wingo is now ready to hold the line again — this time for conservative principles. Wingo will announce Tuesday that he will be a Republican candidate for the Alabama House of Representatives in District 62.

John Merrill, the current District 62 representative is running for Secretary of State in 2014 rather than seeking re-election to the state house.

After playing under Coach Bryant at Alabama, Wingo played seven seasons for the Green Bay Packers. He was the team’s Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first year in the NFL. He later coached at the University of Alabama before serving for twenty years as president of AIG-Baker Real Estate, a shopping center development company. He is now the chief operating officer of United Assurance Corporation and co-owner of Solid Rock Builders, a residential construction company.

An Alabama football legend running for public office in Tuscaloosa? That’s a lot to overcome for any would-be challengers.

What else is going on?
1. The 10 largest private companies in Birmingham
2. Q&A with Governor Bentley while on the industrial recruitment trail in France
3. Heritage Action ranks voting records Alabama congressional delegation
4. Will Mary Scott Hunter challenge Governor Bentley in GOP primary?
5. Shelby: the cyber threat is increasing, our adversaries grow bolder and more capable

“The industries represented vary widely, from steel production and distribution to financial services to supermarkets and everything in between,” said Anna McFaull, research director for the Birmingham Business Journal. “Companies included are headquartered in the Birmingham metro area and are privately held, with less than 50 percent ownership by an outside company.”

The top ten can be found below. To see the complete list of the top 100, visit the Birmingham Business Journal online.

Rank | Company Name | 2012 Revenue | Number of Employees

1 | Drummond Co. Inc. | $3.7 billion | 1,800 local employees
2 | O’Neal Industries | $2.5 billion | 370 local employees
3 | EBSCO Industries Inc. | $2.4 billion | 1,700 local employees
4 | Brasfield & Gorrie LLC | $2 billion 1,180 local employees
5 | McWane Inc. | $1.5 billion | 650 local employees
6 | American Cast Iron Pipe Co. | $1.2 billion | 1,700 local employees
7 | Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United Inc. | $774 million | 550 local employees
8 | Robins & Morton | $759 million | 250 local employees
9 | Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. Inc. | $733 million | 600 local employees
10| B.L. Harbert International LLC | $657 million | 318 local employees

Related:
1. Study shows Birmingham’s city government is gigantic

What else is going on?
1. Q&A with Governor Bentley while on the industrial recruitment trail in France
2. Heritage Action ranks voting records Alabama congressional delegation
3. Rogers to Obama Administration: Come Clean!
4. Will Mary Scott Hunter challenge Governor Bentley in GOP primary?
5. Shelby: the cyber threat is increasing, our adversaries grow bolder and more capable

Governor Bentley & other governors meet with business leaders in Paris, France (Photo Credit: John Montgomery)

Paris, France – Governor Robert Bentley addressed a crowd of nearly 100 economic development officials and local elected leaders from across Alabama at a breakfast Sunday morning at the Marriott Paris – Rive Gauche Hotel. The group has gathered overseas for the 50th Paris Air Show, a biannual aerospace and defense trade show where companies and countries, suppliers and states showcase the latest technology and talk business.

In a Q&A with Made In Alabama [an official outlet of the Alabama Department of Commerce], Governor Bentley spoke on the state’s aviation sector, the opportunity for growth and Alabama’s purpose at the air show:

Made in Alabama:
The state of Alabama has had a presence for the last several years at the Paris Air Show and Farnborough International Air Show. Why is the state focused on aviation as an industry?

Governor Robert Bentley:
Alabama has had tremendous success in transportation manufacturing and engineering. Some might think that began with the automotive industry – Mercedes, then Honda, then Hyundai. But in reality, it began with the development of NASA’s Saturn V rocket in Huntsville in the early 1960s. Because of Alabama’s history in aerospace, we have the expertise, the talent and the infrastructure companies need. So it’s a natural growth sector for us, and it provides the kind of high-tech, high-paying jobs that we are working to recruit to our state.

MA:
Earlier this year, aviation giant Airbus broke ground on its first U.S. final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama. How does that change the game for Alabama when it comes to recruiting aerospace business?

GRB:
Without question, the Airbus facility opens up a new set of opportunities. We are very focused on building relationships with companies that could serve as Airbus suppliers and vendors. We want those companies to build their plants in Alabama and bring their job opportunities to Alabama. I want these companies to come to Alabama, not other states.

Also, the Airbus announcement reinforces our position as a leader in the aviation industry. We have had a significant presence with Boeing’s defense division for more than 50 years, and we already had major suppliers such as GKN and PPG on the ground. Now, we’ll be producing commercial jets as well, which was really the only big piece missing from the puzzle.

MA:
Who will you be meeting with at the air show, and do you expect to walk away from the event with a significant announcement?

GRB:
I expect to walk away with deeper relationships with decision-makers who will be key to future announcements. The purpose of our visit to Paris is to promote Alabama as a solid choice for companies looking to build and expand. We have the best workforce of any place in the country. We have a positive business climate. We offer the tools that companies need to succeed. As more companies choose to locate and expand in Alabama, more jobs are created for the people of Alabama.

My Commerce Secretary, Greg Canfield, and I will also be meeting with companies that already have operations here in Alabama and several prospective projects. We won’t be sharing any details just yet on those prospects, but I can tell you that I’m meeting with companies such as Safran, which recently announced a new operation at Mobile’s Brookley Aeroplex, UTC, which has a big operation in Baldwin County, Raytheon, GE, Boeing and, of course, Airbus. All of these companies are growing globally and represent potential new jobs for our state now and in the future.

MA:
When you talk to those prospective companies, how will you position Alabama?

GRB:
I’ll tell them that we have the best workers in the world as well as the best worker training programs. I’ll tell them that we have the ideal infrastructure for any project, including the Port of Mobile, the Port of Huntsville and an Interstate system that can take them to more than half of the U.S. population within a day’s drive. I will tell them that we have been named one of the Top 5 states for doing business. And I’ll tell them that I am personally committed to seeing them set up shop in Alabama.

MA:
How does aerospace fit into your overall economic development plan for the state? Is it your top priority?

GRB:
My top priority is creating jobs. Our long-term economic development plan, Accelerate Alabama, is built on that mission. Aerospace is one of 11 industry sectors that we identified as having tremendous potential for growth. I believe that the next big project could come in any one of those sectors, so we are actively recruiting companies across the board. Our Department of Commerce teamed up with the University of Alabama this year on a trade mission around biosciences, which present a significant opportunity for us. We believe there is more growth that can and will happen in the automotive industry. But beyond those high profile sectors, we have strategic efforts around newer industry sectors such as information technology, and we don’t want to forget our roots in metals manufacturing.

So, our plan is diverse and strategic, and it is all centered on driving the kind of investment in Alabama that creates jobs.

What else is going on?
1. Heritage Action ranks voting records Alabama congressional delegation
2. Rogers to Obama Administration: Come Clean!
3. Will Mary Scott Hunter challenge Governor Bentley in GOP primary?
4. Shelby: the cyber threat is increasing, our adversaries grow bolder and more capable
5. Sessions: Can anyone explain how this immigration bill will help struggling Americans?

Overall, 26 members of the House or Senate received perfect scores from Heritage Action, including Alabama’s 5th Congressional District Representative, Mo Brooks. 113 members of congress — 112 Democrats and 1 Independent — received a score of 0%.

In the U.S. House, the average scores are 75% for Republicans and 6% for Democrats. On the Senate side the averages are 69% for Republicans and 5% for Democrats. The average score for Republicans in the Alabama delegation is 72.25%. Terri Sewell, Alabama’s lone Democrat, scored 17%.

Heritage Action is the sister organization of The Heritage Foundation, one of the country’s preeminent conservative think tanks. “We take the conservative policy visions outlined by our sister organization…and make them a reality,” Heritage Action says on their website. The Heritage Foundation boasts over 700,000 members nationally.

A former staffer for Governor Bentley, Elizabeth BeShears is now a regional coordinator for Heritage Action. “The Alabama delegation has an excellent opportunity to improve their scores, and the state of the country, in the upcoming weeks by voting against the food stamp and farm bill, and the Gang of Eight’s amnesty bill,” BeShears told Yellowhammer Friday evening.

The scores for Alabama’s Congressmen and Senators are below, along with a few other notable members of Congress.

What do you think? Are the scores accurate? Any surprises?

Alabama’s delegation:

Rep. Mo Brooks — 100%
Rep. Robert Aderholt — 82%
Rep. Mike Rogers — 77%
Sen. Jeff Sessions — 74%
Rep. Martha Roby — 69%
Rep. Jo Bonner — 67%
Sen. Richard Shelby — 63%
Rep. Spencer Bachus — 46%
Rep. Terri Sewell — 17%

Other notable members:

Sen. Rand Paul — 100%
Sen. Ted Cruz — 100%
Sen. Marco Rubio — 95%
Sen. Tim Scott — 95%
Rep. Eric Cantor — 69%
Rep. Paul Ryan — 62%
Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennesee — 33% (highest ranked Democrat)
Rep. Chris Gibson of New York — 23% (lowest ranked Republican)
Rep. Nancy Pelosi — 8%

What else is going on?
1. Rogers to Obama Administration: Come Clean!
2. Will Mary Scott Hunter challenge Governor Bentley in GOP primary?
3. Shelby: the cyber threat is increasing, our adversaries grow bolder and more capable
4. Sessions: Can anyone explain how this immigration bill will help struggling Americans?
5. Republican Danny Garrett running to succeed Arthur Payne in Alabama House

WASHINGTON – Earlier this week Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers used his time in a one-minute speech on the House floor to call for more accountability from the White House in the wake of the rash of controversies that has hit the Obama administration in recent weeks.

Rogers reference the president’s handling of last year’s terrorist attack on Benghazi, the Internal Revenue Service’s admission it inappropriately targeted tea party groups and the aggressive tactics used by the Department of Justice in investigating leaks and whistle-blowers.

“Where’s the accountability?” Rogers said. “From Benghazi to the IRS to the Justice Department monitoring reporter emails, the trust Americans should have in their government is being shaken, and for good reason. It’s unfortunate we’re spending time and resources searching for answers from our own leaders.”

Much like the appeal he made in a press release his office issued a week ago, Rogers laid out the unresolved questions and called on Attorney General Eric Holder to resign from his post.

“Americans have questions like, ‘Has the president been completely transparent about the Benghazi attacks? Who ordered the IRS to target conservative groups? Were more reporters monitored by the Justice Department — more than just the AP and Fox News? Did Attorney General Eric Holder mislead the U.S. Congress? Because of his failed leadership on this and other scandals like Fast and Furious, I’ve called on Eric Holder to resign. The buck has to stop somewhere. It’s time for the Obama administration to come clean to the American people,” Rogers said.

Related:
1. Scandals Engulf D.C.
2. Rogers: U.S. Should Enforce Current Gun Laws Not Pass New Ones
3. Rogers Named Chairman of Strategic Forces Subcommittee
4. Rep. Mike Rogers in 140 Characters or Less

What else is going on?
1. Will Mary Scott Hunter challenge Governor Bentley in GOP primary?
2. Shelby: the cyber threat is increasing, our adversaries grow bolder and more capable
3. Sessions: Can anyone explain how this immigration bill will help struggling Americans?
4. Republican Danny Garrett running to succeed Arthur Payne in Alabama House
5. Mo Brooks rails against White House for undermining national security

Mary Scott Hunter

Several highly placed sources in north Alabama have recently been teasing the possibility of a well-funded Republican primary challenger to Governor Robert Bentley in 2014. While I considered the sources extremely reliable, their unwillingness to get into details made me question whether they had hard information, or were just speculating.

This morning I received a phone call from one of those sources who said they were finally willing to give me a name. “It’s Mary Scott Hunter,” the source said. “She’s being encouraged to get into the race by major players with significant financial resources.”

Hunter is a Huntsville-based member of the Alabama School Board representing District 8, which includes Limestone, Madison, Jackson, Dekalb and Etowah county. She also has deep ties to south Alabama after growing up in Baldwin County.

Her prior experience includes a decade in the U.S. Air Force as a Judge Advocate General, ownership of a small technology firm, and her current role as corporate counsel for Intuitive Research and Development in Huntsville.

I spoke to Mrs. Hunter this afternoon and she did not rule out the possibility of challenging Governor Bentley.

“I have very much enjoyed my work on the board. I’ve found it to be deeply satisfying,” she said. “But I’m not ruling out any options.”

She has posted several tweets recently that are critical of Alabama’s current economic situation, further fueling speculation that she may be eyeing an office other than the State School Board.

Of 5 U.S. metros that saw income decline, 2 were in Alabama…these signs worry me, & we must reverse. bit.ly/15ZrV4L

— Mary Scott Hunter (@MaryScottHunter) June 13, 2013

Ouch!Alabama GDP grew at half the pace of U.S. economy in 2012, ranked 39th | al.com al.com/business/index…

— Mary Scott Hunter (@MaryScottHunter) June 9, 2013

AL’s economic recovery flat since early 2011, markedly slower than US recovery | al.comal.com/business/index…

— Mary Scott Hunter (@MaryScottHunter) May 19, 2013

What do you think? Would you vote for Hunter for governor, or do you plan on supporting Governor Bentley’s re-election effort?

What else is going on?
1. Shelby: the cyber threat is increasing, our adversaries grow bolder and more capable
2. Sessions: Can anyone explain how this immigration bill will help struggling Americans?
3. Republican Danny Garrett running to succeed Arthur Payne in Alabama House
4. Mo Brooks rails against White House for undermining national security
5. Roy Moore picks his candidate in AL01 race

WASHINGTON — During a much-publicized Senate hearing on Wednesday involving cyber security and government surveillance, Sen. Richard Shelby took a lead role in questioning witnesses, including Gen. Keith Alexander, the head of the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command.

Alexander’s testimony was particularly noteworthy coming on the heels of revelations that the NSA has been gathering data from Americans’ private phone records and emails.

“The cyber threat is increasing and becoming more challenging as our adversaries grow bolder and more capable,” Shelby said in his opening remarks to the committee and witnesses. “We have seen recent and stark reminders of the threat with constant cyber attacks on the financial sector, Chinese hacking of The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, Iranian attacks against a Saudi oil company and reports that information on our most advanced weapons systems was stolen by the Chinese.”

Shelby said that Chinese attackers are “running an extensive cyber espionage campaign with the likely support of the Chinese government” and that Iranian hacking in the United States has also recently been exposed.

“These troubling developments remind us of how urgently we need a coordinated effort to counter and respond to these attacks,” Shelby said. “[T]his Committee may be the only one with jurisdiction over the full complement of government organizations involved in cyber security.”

President Obama on Tuesday signed an executive order which he believes will help combat cyber attacks on government agencies and private sector companies in the U.S. The executive order outlines a “framework” being built to share information between the government and private companies on cyber attacks and threats. Details are somewhat sparse at this point, and many privacy-related questions remain unanswered.

Sen. Shelby pointed out some of the areas where he sees room for improvement in the Obama administration’s vision for a cyber security framework, and said there may be a need for additional legislation and funding appropriations.

“Cyber security is an immediate priority, but the framework envisioned in the executive order will take time to develop and even longer to implement,” he said. “There are still areas that need more attention and may require legislation, such as information sharing.”

“Additionally, the working relationship between the government and the private sector is still a work in progress,” Shelby continued. “Funding requirements also remain unclear in a time of fiscal uncertainty. Clearly more needs to be done.”

Related:
1. Shelby questions Hagel, Dempsey on Obama defense budget proposal
2. Shelby spokesman downplays potential for LCS cancelation, cites prior efforts
3. EXCLUSIVE: Shelby Discusses His Economic Development Vision for Alabama
4. Shelby Sees Similarities Between Obama & Nixon Administrations

What else is going on?
1. Sessions: Can anyone explain how this immigration bill will help struggling Americans?
2. Republican Danny Garrett running to succeed Arthur Payne in Alabama House
3. Mo Brooks rails against White House for undermining national security
4. Roy Moore picks his candidate in AL01 race
5. Leftwing advocacy group behind roadblocks collecting blood & saliva samples