Western Tribune Column 3-18-09 Troy King

Just so you know what I am talking about in the column, this is the article and picture that appears to the left of my column in The Western Tribune.



Here's my column:

It appears AG wanted by more than us

For months it seems that to the left of this column has been a picture of Attorney General Troy King with the bold headline “Wanted” just above. That layout could take on a whole new meaning in the near future as an investigation of the attorney general himself is underway.

Not much is known about the investigation, other than it is being conducted by U. S. Attorney Alice Martin and that questions have been raised with the grand jury about King’s position on gambling and about an investigation of Tuscaloosa City council member Jerry Plott.

The Plott investigation may have been triggered by Stan Pate, who is familiar to the people of Bessemer as a real estate developer. Pate says he gave information about Plott to both Alice Martin and Troy King.

Sometimes these investigations move very slowly, and sometimes there is much surprise and fanfare when someone is indicted.

For reasons unrelated to the current investigation I would like to see King removed from office. His reluctance to allow DNA testing in cases involving a man sentenced to death and his insistence on trying to get the death penalty for a man who didn’t kill anyone after an appeals court commuted his sentence to life in prison are two of many reasons.

Then there is this. Most of the time an investigation by the feds does not leave any stone unturned.

In a story that didn’t quite make it into the main stream media last year King was accused of a dalliance. When questioned about it during a radio interview with WVNN’s Dale Jackson he refused to answer, saying “I don’t discuss rumors.” The radio host said his response, in the context it was used, was a “very damaging” statement and made King look guilty.

The rumored activities, if true, may not carry the weight of federal charges. But if federal charges are forthcoming, you can bet that the U. S. Attorney’s office will use anything they can find to undermine his character.

In order for his weekly photo to be removed he could do one of three things: his job, be removed from office or be defeated in a rematch, hopefully with John Tyson.

I like to think that I keep better company than Troy King and I am tired of being pictured next to him.

Tyson would make a better attorney general and might actually do his job.

Troy King Rumors in the Tuscaloosa News

Finally, the Troy King (troiking) story has been picked up by some main stream media.

After rumors about John Edwards affair hit the news, now answers are being sought about Troy King's . Tuscaloosanews.com has a piece.

This article posted on The Huffington Post (which has led to a lot of visits to Bessemer Opinions, thanks to a link in the story. Thanks, HP), invited people to seek out the skeletons in Republican's closets, and started the ball rolling again.

The Tuscaloosa paper urges a middle ground, reporting without getting sleazy. Hard to do when the subjects are sleazy, but their point I believe is finding ways to address rumors without sitting on them for years, as in the Edwards case.

King sure isn't going to do it. Afterall, this and this should have been enough to make him want to address the rumors.

So now we just need to see the biggie papers in the state pick it up and demand some answers.

Troy King's Response

First, this. And it leads to Troy King.

My response to a comment yesterday about the death penalty ended with:


The whole system seeds to be revamped.


Today we see why.


Without a doubt the stay of execution by the Alabama Supreme Court of Thomas D. Arthur is a welcome step toward determining if the man on death row is really guilty of the crime he was about to be put to death for.


Troy King assistant Clay Crenshaw said yesterday that the state can't find the rape kit that contains the evidence (DNA) necessary for the tests. "Astounding," Arthur's attorney said.



The Muscle Shoals Police Department says they don't have it. The Colbert county district attorney office says they don't have it. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences says they don't have it.

Is that not evidence that the system is flawed?



Call me a cynic, but knowing Troy King's love of putting people to death it would not surprise me to learn that his office (or one of his overpaid staff members) had seen to it that the evidence was destroyed.

This is a picture of the "indispensable" and over paid King assistant J. W. Godwin with the Attorney General, a picture that suddenly disappeared from Godwin's facebook page this week.

Dale Jackson of WVNN interviewed Troy King live this morning and asked him about the "rumors" about him and J. W. Troy King refused to comment on the issue. Dale says the possible sex scandal is a news story. He says the no comment is a "very damaging" statement. "I don't discuss rumors," King said. A long pause, a very long long pause, before " I have lots of things to do, but one of them is not discussing rumors." Never mind the syntax of the answer (is not doing something really something to do?)

Here is audio of parts of the interview, provided by Loretta.

Dale admits he does not believe the accusations, but that answers are necessary to defuse the rumor. Not answering, not denying, makes King look guilty. Callers agreed.

Again, the story is not King's sexual orientation, it is his hypocrisy and the perks that is the story.

Because of this interview, which I am sure was listened to by many members of the main steam media, the issue is on the table for the Birmingham News, the Montgomery Advertiser or any other MSM agency sitting on the story to go with it. It's time.

Troy King and Staff

Left in Alabama reported yesterday that Channel 13 in Birmingham aired a video of Troy King's response to a question about his recent foibles, to which he replied "No comment."

But the interest in King and his staff has generated an article in today's Birmingham News about the salaries and perks of his aides, and one of the staff members the article focuses on is 24-year-old John W. Godwin, the former homecoming King of Troy.



Godwin started working in the attorneys general office as an unpaid intern last summer, when he was a senior at Troy University. Shortly after arriv­ing in Kings office, Godwin was put on the payroll at $10 an hour. Over the next nine months, Godwin rapidly ascended the ladder. In July 2007, King ap­pointed him as a special ad­ministrative assistant earning $39,456 a year. He completed his degree in broadcast jour­nalism in December, and on March 27 was named to his current title of executive assis­tant, a job paying $57,504 annually, according to state records. "J.W. is an exceptional young man who is the chief aide to the attorney general and who is almost indispens able in terms of the many functions he carries out in this office," Bence said. Bence said Godwins duties include policy research and constituent relations, and he serves as a liaison between the attorney general and the staff. Godwin travels with King as part of his duties, such as ac­companying him to this years National Association of Attorneys General Conference.

Interesting. In addition, a friend posted on an earlier comment on this blog that Troy King and J.W. are still exercising together at the Montgomery Central YMCA.

If I were interested in defusing a rumor, I sure wouldn't go to the GAYMCA, I mean, YMCA with my suspected love interest. But that's just me.

Troy Day 6...and a Mormon Ex-communication

Troy King had a planned press conference for Monday afternoon, to respond to an article that was expected in The Birmingham News on Sunday. No article, no press conference. Just the information on Doc's Political Parlor. Now there is a lot of back and forth on the comments over there, but having thought about this during the day before reading the comments, here are my thoughts about all the hypothetical.

1. If all the accusations are false. Then denying the accusation at the press conference makes perfect sense, and most anyone would have done that.

2. If part A (marital splits) is true, but part B (troiking - the new term for “boinking” on the downlow) is false. Then denying the accusation is even more important because part A is going to be revealed anyway, and lingering rumors of part B would persist.

3. If part A is false and part B is true (for instance, if the troiked party is the one talking, and TK was not “caught”), then he is trying to convince the spouse nothing happened and so he might remain silent.

4. If part A is true and part B is true, then by remaining silent, he can only be fueling the fire, because it will not die.

If # 4 is the case, and he gets by with it (for a while), one of several things can happen:
1. He has learned a lesson, and will be troiking no more. But that rarely happens.

2. He continues troiking on the downlow and gets caught again. Most likely.

I will continue to follow the story.

Remember this story? Men on a Mission?

Now the man who fashioned the calendar has been excommunicated from the Mormon Church for his role. 365 News .

By the way, all you have to do is go to the calendar web site from the link above, and you can link to the myspace page of each of the models. You can check out their pages and their friends, you can decide.

Troy King Day 4

No word from Troy King. Seems strange that he would not make a public statement to deny the rumors, as homophobic as he has proven himself to be. "How could people be saying he is gay, and yet you say he is homophobic," you ask.

Troy King wrote homophobic articles while a student at the University of Alabama. He has made homophobic statements while attorney general.

I found some of his statements Here:

As a law student at the University of Alabama, King wrote frequent editorials for The Crimson White in condemnation of gays, affirmative action and abortion. In his editorials for the student newspaper, King called homosexuality the ‘downfall of society’ and said AIDS could be cleansed from America if “this nation’s current purveyors of perversion would refrain from committing sodomy.”

King also slammed the idea that gays and lesbians could provide loving, normal families for children, saying: “I often hear the argument that homosexuals who live together create a loving, caring family environment, perhaps an environment which is even superior to that which can be provided by a heterosexual couple. In this day of rampant decadence, many homosexuals would misled society into believe that three men, an armadillo and a house plant create a functional family.”

It is because of blatantly homophobic and untrue statements like those that I have no respect for the man.

Often men whose true desires are for other men, yet for a multitude of reasons feel they must hide those desires, put on the appearance of being virulently anti-gay as a front.

Then there is this: UGA Study .

I have referenced this study before, but basically what is says is that in some men those who go out of their way to exhibit anti-homosexual views are indeed suppressing their own sexuality. The study tells how the authors came to the conclusion, and it makes sense.

Some men who are deeply closeted practice risky behaviors, and some even have a desire to "get caught."

So, we have the attorney general, who formerly was John McCain's Alabama campaign chair, but now no longer has that position, at least the reference to such has been removed from the McCain web site, according to Fishbowl America. What does that mean? Is King's world shrinking?

Why have no Republicans of note said anything about this? *(I don't consider former lieutenant governors who pee in jugs to be of note, although I heard that Windom said King would not resign).

We are "Inquiring minds" and we want to know.

Here is what a commenter on Thomason Tracts says:


To be honest, I’ve been saying Troy was a closet homosexual for years. But that’s a far cry from being caught by his wife with his young aide.
I’ve always kinda thought Troy was in denial. In a perfect world, where he didn’t grow up hating himself for being gay, he’d be a balanced, open individual. But as it is, he’s a little troll.

By the way, his gayness is based solely on my personal gaydar which hasn’t been calibrated lately.

There are others on numerous other blogs whose gaydar has been set off by King, dating back to his college days and up to the present.

We will continue to follow the story.

Is King Going Down?

Link to July 12 2008 Post

What's that they used to sing on Hee Haw?

I'm not one to go around spreading rumors,
Really we're just not the gossipin' kind,
You'll never hear one of us repeatin' gossip
So you better be sure and listen close, the first time.

Not the the real Hee Haw girls, but close:




So listen up.


Hundreds of people visitied this site yesterday looking for information about Troy King and his impending (?) resignation. I will have a lot to say about him, if the news I heard is true, but until then, it won't be repeated on this blog. But...you can read it here, at Pam's House Blend and follow the links to learn more.

But if, and I stress if, it is true, and Troy King had a one on one with the King of Troy (Homecoming King), is it not life imitating art? Sort of? King and King? I mean, remember this?



King and King is a children's book about a prince whose mother insist he marry, and even though he tells her that he never really cared about princesses, she parades princess after princess before him, but he falls for the brother of one, another prince, and they become King and King. My kind of Fairy Tale.

Meanwhile, is Troy King going down? Oh bad choice of words. But will he resign. He's on the downlow right now, oops, bad choice again, but no where to be seen. He really needs to address the issue. Come on MSM, do your job.

The Montgomery Advertiser and the Mobile Press Register have the story. Will they publish?

Speaking of publishing, what about this story. A gay man in Michigan is suing two Bible publishers because Biblical references have made him an outcast from his family and have contributed to physical discomfort, "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment."

The lawsuits also blames the publishers for causing "me or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder."

Asking for $60 million from one publisher and $10 million from the other.

Sounds like this should be a class action lawsuit if you ask me.

Stories of interest to the Gay community usually appear first on 365 Gay and now from Bessemer Opinions you can read these headlines and link directly to the stories from the widget over to the left. Come to Bessemer Opinions, read what is of interest locally, then click to the news of interest to us all.

Troy King... Sinking To New Lows

Link to July 10, 2008 Story

My recommendation to go to the Bright Star on Wednesday night was based on information from the Birmingham News. Oops. The event is tonight. We found out last night when we showed up and a sign on the door indicated the Birmingham News published the wrong date.

That did not stop us (and several other customers) from enjoying a great meal (broiled snapper, Greek Style) and dessert (chocolate almond pie), and getting our book (A Centennial Celebration of The Bright Star) signed by the owners. Jimmy and Nicky Koikos reflected with Bobby and me about growing up on Dartmouth Avenue just a few blocks from our house. Bright Star Menu

There are four things going on that you might want to do tonight. If you are gay or gay friendly, the Alabama Stonewall Democrats are meeting at 5:30 at Los Amigos, 3324 Clairmont Avenue (next door to the Piggly Wiggly) and Joe Turnham, Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party will be our guest speaker. This is a great opportunity to meet other active democrats and help the party grow and increase the potential for victory, as well as learn from the top what the state party is doing and what one leader sees as the future of the democratic party in Alabama.

If you are not interested in that then eat at the Bright Star.

Be sure to eat early, if you are a customer of Bessemer Water Service, so you can attend the special meeting at Broken Vessel Church about the water bond and potential rate increase (108 to 300 %). A press release was sent to all the TV stations and newspapers and we hope to have a big crowd. Read the press release at Bessemer Neighbors

If you don't use Bessemer's water, than go listen to Angela Davis at the Alys Stephens Center. You may not agree with some or most of what she stands for (or what you think she stands for) but you may be surprised, and she will certainly be interesting. Notice of Event

With all of those offerings, no one should be at home tonight.

Troy King really should never have been re-elected last year. You know I strongly supported John Tyson for attorney general. So did Robby Owens, the republican District Attorney in Shelby County.

Owens prosecuted Marcus Presley and LaSamuel Gamble for the 1996 murders of John Burleson and Janice Littleton, and both got the death penalty even though the killer (Presley) was only 16 years old at the time, and Gamble (who was 18) didn't actually kill anyone.

Recently the U. S.Supreme Court ruled (Roper v. Simmons) that killers could not be executed for crimes they commit while they are juveniles, so Presley was moved off of death row. Soon after Owens gave the following testimony, "Both of those defendants deserve to be on death row. But out of plain fairness and simple equity in life, it's not fair to leave the person on death row who didn't kill anyone and take the person off death row who did." Story

King, who like so many republicans, loves to see the state in the business of killing people, was outraged, and has now taken his former opponent's supporter off the case. And he will argue to have Gamble's death penalty reinstated.

Troy King is also went on a witch hunt in his zeal to find "something on Judge (Dan King, Bessemer Cutoff Circuit Judge) King - old campaign records, finance records, anything to get him off the bench," according to sworn testimony from Anthony Castaldo, who says he was reapeatedly told to keep trying. Editorial

I strongly agree with this editorial in the Birmingham News..."Certainly, Troy King has not always inspired confidence as attorney general. In fact, he has sometimes inspired just the opposite." Well said.

Too bad we have at least 3 more years of Troy King. Sorry Alabama, but we elected him. Let's do better in the future.