Troy King: Smoke 'em if you Got 'em

John Davis at the Montgomery Advertiser recently pointed out that Troy King declined to add his name to an effort led by 30 state attorney generals to urge Hollywood to put anti-smoking announcements at the beginning of films.

I don't see the rationale behind King's decision. Of course past GOP attorney generals Jeff Sessions and Bill Pryor caught flack for refusing to join the national effort to sue the tobacco companies. And while many people disagreed with their refusal to join the suit, there was at least a principle behind it. But I don't see one with this issue.

I can't imagine the tobacco companies (historically GOP allies) are too concerned with the possibility of anti-smoking PSA's. The tobacco lobby even foots the bill for millions of dollars of anti-smoking ads themselves. I don't think that King would risk alienating any significant interest or constituency by signing the letter. And what Republican worth his salt bypasses an opportunity to harangue Hollywood?

Perhaps the most puzzling part of the story was the AG's office reply to why King didn't sign the letter.

"The attorney general doesn't smoke," [deputy AG Keith]Miller said. "He doesn't drink. He is against youth smoking."

Ok, great. But what does that have to do with the anti-smoking letter? I'd like too see at least some sort of reasoned rationale or principle involved in the decision.

Of course this is a minor story, but Troy King needs to figure out how to stop this constant drip of unfavorable press. King has managed to avoid any major gaffes or scandals, but there has been a steady drumbeat of recent stories that cast King in a less than positive light.

It doesn't take a huge scandal to get a politician defeated. The political career that dies a death of a thousand small cuts is still dead.