Cross Posted at Legal Schnauzer
Records indicate that taxpayers are helping pay for an upcoming book about the Republican Party's takeover of the Alabama Legislature. The book, to be called "Storm In The State House," reportedly will focus on Mike Hubbard's exploits as party chair from 2007 through 2010--and as speaker of the house in 2011.
A Montgomery Independent story from last Friday shows that the Alabama House of Representatives has spent $136,000 of public money to pay for research, writing, and editing on the book. The Independent also pointed to signs that Hubbard (photo above) had signed off on the use of public funds for a book that glorifies him and the Republican Party.
Someone apparently did not want that story to receive too much exposure; it quickly was pulled from the Independent's slot at al.com-- and has not returned . The fine folks at alabamacorruption.blogspot.com (also known as Vincent Confidential) were on the ball and copied the article before it disappeared.
That led to an enlightening post yesterday:
Why would the elites who control Alabama's mainstream press want to keep the Hubbard story under wraps? Probably because it shines light on the cozy relationship that Hubbard and other Alabama GOPers have with the Swatek Azbell Howe & Ross (SAHR) lobbying firm of Montgomery.
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