The Best & Worst Politicians of Alabama

Alabama has only one represenative who could reasonably claim to support genuine democracy (Artur Davis).

At the other end of the spectrum is Representative Jo Bonner.  Bonner virtually always votes against protecting American freedoms (he gets a score of 0 from the American Civil Liberties Union); he also virtually always votes against issues of concern to working people (he scores a 3 with the AFSCME); at the same time he nearly always votes as the Chamber of Commerce would like him to (95% of the time), and as fundamentalists would like him to (89% of the time).  As his constituency is comprised largely of conservative Christians there would seem to be nothing wrong with that; unfortunately, however, some fundamentalists are also dominionists, and hard dominionists oppose democracy (because they want a theocracy).

Accordingly, we rank Bonner among the 57 worst politicians in America.  His votes against unions and for the Chamber of Commerce position him, in efect, as an employee of corporate America, rather than a representative of working people.  His votes against American freedoms and, to some extent at least, for dominionism position him as anti-democratic.  

Two years after graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in journalism he began working as the press secretary for a Republican politician, and thereafter was far removed from the sort of work that most Americans have to confront on a daily basis.  Perhaps this explains why the families doing that sort of work don't seem to be of any special concern to Bonner.

Meet Jo Bonner - Alabama's worst  politician, and among the worst in the entire US; but corporations and PACs certainly love him.

As the Bible says, no one can serve God and Mammon (the false God of greed).  But mindful of their re-election prospects, most Alabama reps follow largely in Bonner's footsteps.  Unfortunately, however, when fundamentalists help elect politicians of this kind, they are typical of most Republican electorates in also voting directly against the economic and political interests of working Americans.  Paradoxically, to the extent that fundamentalists are also working Americans, they routinely cast their votes against their own best economic interests, as well as against basic American freedoms.  Aware that many Christians are willing to do this, if only they hate "liberals" enough, plutocratic commentators can be found constantly emphasizing the "immorality" of "liberals".

Unfortunately, it is only now, after 30 years of the Republican hollowing out of America, that many Americans are beginning to understand this purely political tactic for what it is.  Plutocratic politicians, and the corporate mass media, are extremely skilled at misleading voters.  For example, billions in pork for war contractors is invariably described as "making America strong".   Offshoring American jobs is described as "competing globally".  Protecting the environment is characterized as "harming the economy".  Providing reasonably priced health care for everyone is characterized as "destroying consumer choice, and inflicting long wait times".  Spying on Americans is described as "protecting America from terrorists". And so on.

Precisely who it is that is bribing the politicians of Alabama in order to prevent them from doing what they should be doing can be determined by clicking on the link to each representative's page at the Center for Responsive Politics below.