Gov. Robert Bentley, with al.com mouthpiece Chuck Dean
(From al.com)
Bentley also has shown a tendency to blame others--especially citizen journalists (like me)--for his problems. Just more than three months ago, Bentley flashed anger toward "bloggers" who fueled the story of his extramarital affair with former advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason. Does that explain press accounts that Bentley sought to use law-enforcement resources to discredit attorney Donald Watkins and me--for reporting the public now knows was accurate and has attracted national media attention in recent days?
As for Bentley's "lyin' eyes" (not to mention his tongue), consider this from al.com's Chuck Dean, published on December 27, 2015. Dean claims this was the first time Bentley had spoken publicly about "rumors" of an affair with a senior advisor (named Rebekah Caldwell Mason):
Throughout the ordeal Bentley, reluctant to talk about the deeply personal issue, would only say it was a personal, family matter.
And he never addressed the unfounded rumors of an affair.
Until now.
"The rumors were not true," said Bentley.
Oops, looks like we caught the governor in a lie. Then, Bentley and his mouthpiece, Dean, lay it on thicker:
The governor then seemed to let out months of pent up frustrations.
"There were people on blogs and people in the press who crossed the line. They truly crossed the line. People on talk radio crossed the line," said Bentley.
Bentley said it's hard as a public official to address the kind of rumors that were being spread and he said he felt to directly address them would only serve in some cases to give them credibility.
Bentley said the rumors hurt many people.
"There were many people – my own family and there were a lot of other families – many people, people that I love, that I care about, they went through some difficult times because people were able to say whatever they wanted to say. They were just ridiculous. I don't know how anyone could ever believe them."
How does the governor act toward citizen journalists he thinks have "crossed the line," by reporting accurately on his sexual hijinks? Does he sic law enforcement on them? We hope to learn more about that in the near future.
As for Bentley's claim that people who "were able to say whatever they wanted to say" had hurt families and people that he "loves" . . . well, governor, it looks like you were the one who hurt those families. Perhaps Chuck Dean could ask Dianne Bentley about the governor's treatment of the people he supposedly loves.
By the way, the bloggers weren't so "ridiculous" after all, were they?
Bentley wonders how "anyone could ever believe them." But here is the bigger question for the people of Alabama: How could anyone ever again believe a word Robert Bentley says?
