Another Episode of Bob & Mike Show:

In our current episode 'as the corruption churns' in the Heart of Dixie, Big Daddy Bob and step-child Mike Boulevard are having a spat over inability to pay future legal bills without Daddy's help. Seems as serial felony indictments proceed through the process, Mr. Boulevard is having trouble acquiring more unsecured loans and contributions as more political hacks discount the probability he can retain his ‘Spender of the House’ position as auctioneer of future theft from taxpayers. Sad to witness how few on Goat Hill had the courage to stand up to his thuggish rule when re-installing this ‘public servant’ into the powerful leadership position. Boulevard's desperation grows palpable as the big hogs at the through lift their heads from sloppin' long enough to contemplate the future of their largess. Realizing their ‘malevolent benefactor’ may be going down, smart hogs won't keeping churning their money into this once 'sure thing' political jack-pot graftmaster machine. Remember these hogs don’t like gambling…

Trouble in this fallen paradise is now at an impasse with the so-called, "Accountability Act" for those who appreciate irony in nomenclature of this farce. The transfer of taxpayer dollars to a special account for Big Daddy to fork out (after the ‘proper’ cut is siphoned to Daddy) was not easily greased through the legal-political process as planned. It needs a 'legislative refresher' from Goat Hill. Daddy Bob is "Too Big to Fail" in our little New South version of O'Bush Republocrat bailouts. Suddenly Mr. Boulevard is not necessarily cooperating like the “good ol’ sycophant step-son days” of past seasons’ episodes. Sometimes even the dullest in the den of thieves can sense they're fixin' to be kicked to curb. Now Big Daddy's REALLY on edge. Stay tuned to see who steps up to ‘save the day’ and pay those legal bills… then watch what magically makes it through the goat sausage grinder. In short, the “Bobbin’ for Scholarship Dollars: Charter School Edition” gameshow may not get ‘syndication’ in the Heart of Dixie this session - well see.

Honor among thieves has limits; even among our political thieves in a state with some of the most restrictive, anti-competitive ballot access laws in the nation. Disciplining this sort of growing corruption, becoming ever more embedded into the fabric of this state, takes much longer in an environment where most viewers can not even begin to identify the sources of the problem.

Some question the current plot in wonderment of why we’re still suffering this “Spender of House” saga, unfamiliar with past Bob & Mike episodes. Specifically, why are twenty-plus felony indictments (from actions taken so long ago) not already tried and decided in Nottingham’s Circuit Court? In last season’s episodes of ‘The Bob & Mike Show,’ support from Big Daddy and other well moneyed minions delay justice, esp. when facing an excellent jurist who endures great pains and effort to provide ALL opportunities for defense. This enables much stalling to postpone judicial discipline when voters don't do their job and their Mayor and esp. Sheriff of Nottingham profess “Belief in Mr. Boulevard.” The productive citizens suffer while those willing and able to abuse the system continue churning their corruption. Rescheduling Boulevard's trial till next season (forecasted ‘air date’ sometime in October) does chill future charges of "unfair" to have the stress of litigation while the legislature is in session, but also means enduring another helpin’ of this 'public servant's' stewardship. Mission accomplished; the House of Cards will remain standing for another season! Live audience comments Boulevard should care about his good name and have it addressed immediately are quickly booed and shouted down by loyal Mike fans and minions…

The stall prior to the primary election was something to behold - more pressing with an outstanding opponent making Mr. Boulevard feel heat from a smart, honest coffee makin’ real businessman in the community. Mike can't imagine there are in fact businesspeople in his district who actually make it on their own acumen and efforts without government favoritism. Certainly a much more difficult candidate for the graftmaster attack machine to discredit. Forecasting defeat if voters saw the indictments and actually showed at the primary polls, the machine went into overdrive with a mix of shameless ads using everything from his children and unethical sheriff as shields to bombing the airwaves with negative campaign ads to accomplish the result of low turnout. Packing the court with motions as an integral part of the stall also racked up bills pressing Boulevard's current financial constraints. Estimates well in excess of $1 million in a primary (not including 'in-kind' support) for a job which pays $40k/year speaks for itself.

Other pundits of the show found the unusual mix and content of campaign ads/spending outside Boulevard’s district against a "paper" candidate (to protect the duopoly) in the general election more an effort to impact a future jury pool than any serious worries about the outcome. That was determined with the primary reelection result into his hyper-gerrymandered district; Republocrats block competition in the general election. Boulevard’s big money campaign banked on providing the usual ‘low turnout’ result where his minions can carry the day as exasperated voters foolishly stay away from the polls, fed up with the duopoly strangling their State. Perhaps voters will learn to go to general elections and write-in something to be counted and express it is NOT apathy, nor satisfaction keeping them from exercising their right to vote.

One of the more interesting back stories of this current episode is the legislative payoff (raise in pay to triple digits) to the 'Sheriff of Nottingham' for publicly professing his "Belief in Mr. Boulevard" as an ACTIVE grand jury investigated suspicious actions. The House auctioneer must establish he still CAN reward his minions and disproportionately take from and punish producers; Big Daddy’s watching. As the county’s chief law enforcement officer in Nottingham, it was a huge contribution to come out and VERY publicly witness for Boulevard BEFORE indictments, elections and trial. TWENTY-Plus felony indictments LATER one would think it time for the Sheriff of Nottingam to apologize for unethical (at best) behavior and certainly NOT be rewarded in legislature, but this is just satire - another episode in political comedy. The biggest laugh line from the live audience this show was suggesting the Nottingham Co. Commission reprimand their Sheriff and request Heart of Dixie Ethics Commission investigatin’ and opinin’ on the matter!

Enough type in fun and jest and onto more important matters of the Spirit. I suspect most readers are not surprised by modern Nimrods who want to get others to believe their blessings flow from government and build new and improved towers of hubris for God to collapse upon them. At the more micro level it seems wise to remember Job 17:13 KJV - “I have made my bed in the darkness. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.” Be wary of those who make corrupt men of this world their father (to the point of naming their own children accordingly) instead of following their Heavenly Father. Genesis 23:15 teaches us to love God even more than our children if you want their lives and posterity to be blessed. The righteous of the Old Testament are indeed excellent examples, yet Jesus Christ remains the best example to follow. Easter/Pascha now over, does anyone really think there are no Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, Pilate, Tiberius, et al types today to navigate? It is foolish to ignore the efforts and outcomes these past two thousand years by those who’ve struggled to follow His path. Biased toward orthodox Christianity, namesakes are very important and revealing toward what we want our children to be; those who’ll follow the path to God or follow those into darkness.

The next which comes to mind, Matthew 6:24 KJV - “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” As corruption further envelopes our State and nation only fools refuse to see the majority turning to mammon and belief one’s blessings flow from man (modern Nimrods) which naturally turns to hatred and loathing of God as Matthew explains above. At risk of being redundant my last Christmas column lamented on how few (a mere 50 righteous souls, a little less than 5%) would’ve spared Sodom according to Genesis 18:26. As I struggle, in full knowledge of God’s blessing/revelation of His Son’s path, I not only wonder if I’m worthy to be enumerated with the righteous, but if there may be 5% for a long enough duration to shepherd forward out of the current result.

The rhetoric is nothing new, but it is vulgar to this Christian to hear my ‘public servants’ espouse “Belief in Politician X” as they wouldn’t dream to publicly espouse belief in God if they had it. Better still, stick to publicly standing for the truth and an unimpeded process for justice instead of feigned fidelity to liberty while facilitating corruption and tyranny. Again nothing according to 2 Peter 2:19 KJV - “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption.” Most comforting is God as my hope for change (not Bush, Clinton, Dole, Gore, McCain, Obama, Romney, et al) to shepherd our path, even for those in their last moments of just earthly punishment as the penitent thief at Golgotha. We still do have reason to be thankful for sufficiently rebuked and honorable men like Gregory Wren who saved us the cost and further embarrassment by pleading guilty, resigning from office and allow justice to better proceed. May our Heavenly Father see fit to receive Rep. Wren in his final and most important Judgment. Please also keep Mr. Hubbard (and his minions who believe in him) in prayer follow Mr. Wren’s honorable example and path of the penitent thief in preservation of their souls and allow us to move forward out of the darkness they’ve cast upon our State. No matter how much one believes in their modern Nimrods - in the end God wins, Deo Vindice.

Postscript: those who want more on modern application instead of satire and scripture, over half of our state legislators in Alabama got into office without opposition. Currently a few are working to do something about it. SB221 significantly reduces the number signatures requirement for ballot access. Perhaps when good folks understand the power of being identified as the block of votes which BEATS the margin of victory and actually VOTE in GENERAL elections (establish themselves a pro-active block) THEN candidates who want to win must pay attention to the block determining the outcome. Competition will compel change from the controlled, corrupted result we currently observe. Marshall County’s Constitution Party recently worked very hard (earned 35% of the vote) to be allowed minor party status/ballot access at the county level. In Elmore County, they (CP) missed qualifying by only a few percentage points under this barrier to entry and abomination to candidate/voter rights. This is an outstanding 'beach-head' earned in spite of all the barriers in place to keep competition out - pray for it to grow/expand to more counties throughout Alabama as more learn what a mistake it was to allow return of the corrupt Republican Party back into our State instead of REPLACING the modern Democratic Party.