Wilson Appears on Finebaum’s Radio Show Friday
July 18th, 2008Locust Fork Journal Editor and Publisher Glynn Wilson was on the radio Friday via telephone on Paul Finebaum’s popular talk show to discuss the “rumors” circulating about Alabama Attorney General Troy King.
Ad 1: Listen to the first part, hour 2, here.
We will also be providing listeners with a tutorial, of sorts, on how information these days travels from whispers to the Internet, or Net, over e-mail, then to the Web on blogs, and finally into the mainstream news media.
Examples include the story that got Dan Rather fired from CBS News on the Bush AWOL story after conservative bloggers started suggesting that some of the documents used in the report might be fake. Rather’s lawsuit was back in the news this week.
CBS Chiefs to Testify in Dan Rather Lawsuit
You can listen live online here: Finebaum.com from 2:05 to 6 p.m.
This story has been talked about quite a bit on talk radio and on blogs for the past week, but no newspaper in Alabama or nationally has published a story, yet, that we know of … but give them time.
To listen in Birmingham, tune to 100.5 FM.
We welcome your comments here, although we should remind everyone that this is a moderated discussion and not an anonymous free-for-all.
I will be posting live from The Bunker blog compound as the show airs, so refresh often for updates.
To see our original post on this that seems to be part of the reason for the rumor spreading so far and wide, in some people’s opinion, here’s the original blog post with more than 100 comments.
As we will be indicating on the show, this is not some major investigative piece about Troy King’s personal life. I do not care if he is gay or not. But I am concerned as always about hypocrisy in politics and if there were crimes committed or even unethical conduct involving employees who work for him. King has been vociferous in the past about his views about the gay lifestyle, and he has riled up even a number of Republicans who may have it in for him.
The original post was the blog equivalent of a mention on a talk radio show.
Since one of the other radio stations in town basically mucked up the coverage of this the other day, I agreed to talk to Paul because I have known him for a long time as an honorable guy and a journalist and have appeared on his show before.
I should be clear that in no way do I want to become the subject of this story. I didn’t ask to be on the radio to talk about this. They called me…
So if the right-wing bloggers and GOP operatives try to turn this into a smear job on me or this news site, we will pull the plug.
As far as we know as of this posting, Mr. King has still not issued a formal denial of these rumors. Nor has any reporter, for print, broadcast or the Web proved the allegations. In other words, no one seems to have the video, photos or the blue dress – yet : )
But we do know that there are some local and national investigators working around the clock on this. And who knows. Maybe we can break some news on the air.
If you are one of the former security guards who worked for Mr. King and were shuffled out of his office a few months ago in the big shake up, and you have knowledge of something that might be a crime or even bad ethics, please call in and give us your story.
If you are a certain lobbyist who has any direct knowledge of some of the things alleged, please call in and give us your story. You can start your 15 minutes of fame today!
If you are one of the regular readers and fans of this Website, please call in too. We would love to hear from you : )
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July 18th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
No evidence just rumor—one can not help but notice that the Troy King sex thing sounds very much like a Karl Rove tactic. Perhaps Riley et al. want King to do something he does not want to do and/or fears he will be exposed/get caught doing, and therefore does not want to do. If so maybe this has something to do with the two-year college bogusness or something else. It just cannot be denied that scandal is a primary pressure tactic in the Rove/Riley/Bush bag of tricks, and they are not of the creation, that is to say, they do the same thing over and over with no creativity to it. Sex scandal seems to often be their preferred selection in their arsenal. Perhaps Troy King’s own team is behind this—so far no evidence just rumor.
July 18th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Well, that was a pleasant experience : )
Guess I should have talked about my love for Hazelnut coffee.
Being accused of being a rumor monger by the talk radio crowd? Funny…
July 18th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
And what if it turns out to be true? Watch the rednecks turn on King overnight…
July 18th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
No blue dress moment on the air. If you have stories to tell, let us know…
July 18th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
You handled yourself well against the unwashed, uninformed, unintelligent listeners who “don’t do the Internet” except for NASCAR. Please. The threats of violence towards you was typical of some fool sitting with a cold Bud resting on his genitals while at home. Surely, these people get into fights every weekend after playing pool at Bubba’s Bar.
I was unsurprised by the people who misconstrued what a listener had said about Luther Strange with your comments. This is the problem with radio, some jack hole comes in the middle of something and has to share their opinion on the airways which is incorrect.
People hear what they want to and while you may have brought the ire on yourself with the King saga you are to be commended for taking the heat while staying in the kitchen and once again trying to educate people on the intricacies of the blogsphere and today’s form of selective journalism in general.
The truth of King may come out eventually but his refusal to deny does not help his cause.
Callers today were a collection of the worst of what this state has to offer and one only hopes that most of them are impotent before they add more shallowness to the already polluted gene pool.
Anyone want to put a whoop-ass on me for defending Glynn? We got gators and snakes ready for your visit down south.
Naw, they will place another cold one on their … and watch NASCAR.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
The only facts they need have bright colored numbers on them and go round and round : )
July 18th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
No wonder they are so dizzy with misinformation!
July 18th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
As for the comments about Wikipedia, the only reason the New York Times doesn’t like it is because they own a competing company, About.com.
And it’s a PR advertising site and is not independent or “open source.”
July 18th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Hi Glynn,
I just heard you on Finebaum, and wanted to congratulate you for keeping your cool. I don’t think I could have done so, especially considering confrontational and uninformed tone of the callers. When you hear people like today’s Finebaum callers, you start to understand why our nation is in the state it is in today.
You came across as very intelligent and logical – keep up the fight!
By the way, the first time I ever visited your site was yesterday, but I’ll definitely add it to my daily “sites to visit” list!
War Eagle from Birmingham!
T.
PS – A note on Karl Rove – if the Dems lose control of the White House, I very well expect Rove to be indicted and spend the next few years of his life in prison. What do you think?
July 18th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
You mean if the Repugs lose control, but I don’t have the answer. I agree with what Birmingham attorney Doug Jones said about Rove in this piece.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Oh, and we’ll be heading over to The Garage Cafe on Southside for the standing ovation here in a little while – if anyone wants to have a fistfight : )
July 18th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Yep – I meant if the Repubs lose control of the White House …. thanks for the correction. I looked for the edit button as soon as I hit “Submit”.
TP
July 19th, 2008 at 3:55 am
Just got back from The Garage. Nice night on Southside.
Someone made some comments about Mark Montiel here which were deleted. A later post addresses this now…
July 19th, 2008 at 3:59 am
This just in from Montgomery via e-mail from a former journalist:
Sorry I was out of town during the last two weeks, but thought I’d add a little comment, since none of this is resolved.
It was the downtown Y. talk of his conduct and companion there that have been heard for months. He fired his executive security detail altogether several months ago, and he asked for all black (?) replacements. No reporter inquired, or noted it.
The issue, of course, is not whether he’s gay or not, or even his unconscionable gay-baiting.
The hook is abuse of office, and sexual harassment, involving what may be two male employees. His No. 2 guy resigned suddenly without comment a few months ago, and no reporter inquired as to why. This is an elected official who has twice been caught violating state ethics laws and misusing his office. Are the reporters brain dead or just lazy?
If you Google “Troy King Gay” you’ll find 1,220,000 entries. Locust Fork Journal editor Glynn Wilson, who worked on a PhD and with bona fides that include the NYT and The Nation, endured the insults of crotch-scratching, tobacco-chewing NASCAR jocks of Paul Finebaum’s radio show for two hours yesterday discussing the King rumors and asking the question: When everyone is talking about it, why doesn’t a reporter investigate it? I guess they’re waiting for a press release.
One of the capital correspondents told me Thursday he wasn’t going to touch it, but later called Wilson with additional details about King. As Wilson noted, the Monica Lewinsky story first appeared on the Drudge Report, where it was reviled as tasteless rumor-mongering. There’s more to reporting than the church page.
July 19th, 2008 at 5:39 am
From a lawyer/writer in Mobile:
The Lagniappe
Somewhere in a government bunker deep inside a secure building in Montgomery, Alabama Attorney General sits huddled with some of his closest aides. The mood is somber as King surfs the Web in an ever-more-agitated manner, reading one post after another aimed squarely at him:
King: Oh God! Now it’s on Perez Hilton’s Web site! That’s national. I’m completely screwed! What’s next, the Drudge Report?
Young male assistant: Oh Troy, don’t get so upset, they’re just a bunch of rumors. Nobody can prove anything, it’s not like anyone has pictures or anything, right? Do you need a back rub to help ease the tension?
King: Not right now. Do you realize there are more than 100 Web sites now carrying this salacious gossip about me? It’s spread like some kind of horrible sexual virus over the past week.
Young male assistant: Ewww, don’t say sexual virus, it gives me the creeps.
King: Sorry, it’s just a figure of speech. I just can’t believe how out of control this thing has gotten. I’m the attorney general, I’m supposed to be above this kind of attack. This is the kind of thing George Wallace did, and no one ever accused him of such things.
Young male assistant: You mean George Wallace was…
King: Hush your mouth boy! That’s not what I’m saying! I just mean George was a man not to be trifled with – the kind of man I’ve always aimed to be. But George didn’t have to put up with a bunch of yahoos on the Internet saying all sorts of hateful things about him. That’s back when a political machine could really put people in their places. That’s the kind of governor I want to be… but now things are just so up in the air.
(The phone rings and is smartly answered by another young male assistant)
Second young male assistant: Troy, it’s Gov. Riley.
King taking the phone: How are you governor? To what do I owe the honor of this phone call? (King listens for about 30 seconds, then explodes) That’s ridiculous governor, I have absolutely zero intention of resigning! Those are just scurrilous rumors being perpetuated by people who are afraid of running against me for governor. I’m surprised and disappointed that you’d buy into all of this, frankly. (He pauses again to listen to Riley speak, then responds in a much more dejected tone) Well, those kinds of things can be doctored up by people who know how to use Photoshop, governor. I don’t even own those type of underpants, and that apparatus you’re talking about is illegal in Alabama. Your concern is duly noted, but I WON’T be resigning my office! (King slams the phone down and goes back to staring at the computer screen.)
King: Oh great, this site has some of the letters I wrote to the Crimson White when I was at ‘Bama. That’s bound to look like overcompensation to some people, especially the part where I say homosexuality is the downfall of society.
Young male assistant: Troy! You wrote that? I’m shocked.
King: Look, I was mostly talking about the really in-your-face gays who are always causing so much trouble. Besides, I was starting a political career. You’ve got to break a few eggs to make an omelet. Sorry.
(The phone rings again. A third young male assistant answers.)
Third young male assistant, whispering with hand over the mouthpiece: Troy, it’s your wife.
King: (Mutters) Oh Jesus. (Puts the receiver to his ear) Hi honey, how are you? (Pause) Yes dear, I know… (Pauses) Yes, I know those are our good sheets. (Pause) I think burning them is a bit extreme. A good washing and they’ll be just fine. (Pause) Yes, I know it was very disrespectful. He should never have put that on – it’s yours. Yes, I know you sleep in it. (Pause) Wait a minute honey, that’s a really, really bad idea. If you file that, anyone can read it. It’s public record and every newspaper in the state will carry it. I wish you’d consider another avenue. (Pause) I think “total sham” is a bit tough. I’ll accept “hypocrite.” I guess I had that one coming. (Pause) Well I don’t know what you should tell them. Just tell them I was having wrestling practice or something. Really, I’ve got to go. Don’t file that paperwork, it’ll ruin me! (Hangs up phone and buries his face in his hands.)
Second young male assistant: There, there Troy, you’re letting all of this completely stress you out. It’s going to give you grey hair! Maybe we could head over to the YMCA and get in a workout. You know how that always relaxes you.
King: Um, that’s probably not a really great idea right now, especially since one of the rumors got started last time we went to the Y. Maybe we should keep our workouts in private or a while.
(The phone rings again and is answered by the first young male assistant.)
Young male assistant, whispering and holding his hand over the mouthpiece: Troy, it’s a newspaper reporter. She wants to ask you about something, but wouldn’t say exactly what it was.
King whispering and looking panicked: Get rid of her! Tell her I’m outlawing a new sex toy or having a political opponent endlessly investigated. Just get rid of her!
Young male assistant: I already told her you’re here. (Hands King the phone)
King: Hello, this is Troy King. (Pauses) I’m not even going to dignify that with a response! Your paper should be ashamed to even think about running such trash. (Slams the phone down)
King: Did that sound convincing?
Second young male assistant: The part where you hung up did.
King: I’m screwed.
http://www.lagniappemobile.com/article/1581
July 19th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Glynn, good job on Finebaum yesterday. I listen to him anyway for that “salt of the earth” crowd (Think Flannery O’Connor). Nice surprise to hear you show up!
July 19th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Oh, and don’t forget to watch for my Sunday column this week on all the things I didn’t get to say on Finebaum because the deal there is to waste time, all while making lots of money, allowing NASCAR fans to scream at me.
Why in the world are we on the radio talking about “rumors” on Troy King’s sex life anyway, while ignoring all the real news going on in the world? Like the fact that Karl Rove defied a Congressional subpoena last week and failed to show up to testify under oath. He was in Sweden, we’re told, then Paraguay : )
Karl Rove Named New Presidential Envoy to Paraguay?
July 19th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Since Republican wannabe attorney general Mark Montiel came on Finebaum’s show and said some strange things, and since one of his buddies came in here and tried to take over this comments section with nonsense about how smart he is and how dumb we are, that commenter is now banned.
And, a reader tipped us off to this post from Montiel’s strange history in Alabama law and politics. Maybe he’s got some in his closet too?
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Montiel Vs. King Vs. Chapman
Can the hallowed halls of Alabama government be rife with mendacity? A former Alabama judge named Mark Montiel filed an ethics complaint against Attorney General Troy King on March 13th (coincidentally, King defeated Montiel in his election to Attorney General) and now he has filed a complaint against Secretary of State Beth Chapman, alleging she paid family members out of campaign contributions (Montiel was a contributor). Chapman has stated that the ethics commission lacks jurisdiction, since the money was not state funds. This sort of thing isn’t going anywhere, since Alabama’s ethics enforcement process is notoriously lax, but it is fun to watch.
Mark Montiel is an interesting bird. A republican activist, he has been appointed to judicial positions two or three times by republican governors, but has yet to win an election, and lost every position. According to a mutual friend, this has left him beyond bitter. I was living in Montgomery during one of his quixotic attempts to hold on to a judgeship, and he had one of the unintentionally funniest advertising campaigns I’ve ever seen. Text would scroll across the screen talking about the harsh sentences handed down in Montiel’s court, then Montiel would appear, glaring grimly into the camera, and intone, “Lawyers who try cases in my court call me MAXIMUM MONTIEL.” Aside from the fact this is goofy in presentation, it was a hoot for a couple of reasons.
First of all, Montiel gave himself the “Maximum Montiel” nickname from the title of an Elmore Leonard book about a judge called Maximum Bob. Apparently, Montiel never read the book, because, while the title character did get his nickname from his harsh sentencing, he was a thoroughly corrupt official who ended up on the run from the law.
Secondly, no lawyers called him “Maximum Montiel”, although they did call him a lot of names relating to his mismanagement of the most royally screwed docket in history, resulting in delays of months and years getting to trial.
I was hanging with a few attorneys who had argued cases before him at the time, and every time the commercial aired, they would collapse with laughter.
A Disordered Mind
July 21st, 2008 at 9:52 am
Loved you on Finebaum! What a show you made of it! It is reassuring to know that there is someone (you) who can deal with people who take your words and twist them to their own devises, and then take other people’s words and act like you said them. What a scary place to dwell — your dwelling place. But without you there, what would we do?
July 21st, 2008 at 9:59 am
Thanks for your support.
What can I say about “my people?” They don’t know any better.
They get their news from talk radio, the Newhouse conservative press (if they can read a newspaper at all) and some local TV news, which is mostly crime, weather, sports, the never ending specials on “Faith Matters,” as if religion was news, and of course Bush’s press releases made up to look like news.
But we are making a difference here, over time…