Source: The Birmingham News

By John Archibald

February 10, 2009, 1:01AM

You almost have to feel for Bettye Fine Collins.

Almost.

For nearly three decades she has proudly invoked the Reagan name, standing as a one-woman force against all those arrayed to her left.

But there she was Saturday, defending her very Republican-ness to the head of the dad-gum Eagle Forum — which just last year got $15,000 of Collins-approved county money.

Perhaps Collins was punished enough.

Perhaps.

Of course, just saying that causes hard-core GOPers to pucker. To them, she is the Jefferson County Commission president who ceded power to Democrats. To them, she is a traitor who not only stole authority from fellow Republicans, but probably has a Prius hybrid parked in her garage beneath an Al Gore poster.

To them, she is Marie Antoinette and Karl Marx rolled into one:

Don’t just let ‘em eat cake. Let ‘em eat government-subsidized cake.

So how did she walk away unpunished by the Republican Executive Committee?

I have a few theories.

Among the committee members who defended Collins was Matt Lembke of Vestavia Hills, who said he was “shocked” at the “outrageous” attempt to condemn Collins.

Lembke is a lawyer with Bradley Arant Rose & White, by the way, which is paid by the county to help with the sewer debt. On Jan. 27, the commission voted 3-2 — with Collins on the “3″ side — to raise Bradley Arant’s pay cap to $3 million.

There’s more. Collins’ backers have repeatedly said her anything-before-bankruptcy stance trickles from Gov. Bob Riley, for whom she carries water.

Which is interesting. Because Lembke also has worked as counsel to Riley several times, including the bitter 2002 election contest. Lembke worked closely with the governor’s son, Rob Riley, before former Gov. Don Siegelman conceded.

For what it’s worth, the County Commission on Jan. 20 voted to pay Rob Riley’s firm $725,000 to represent the sheriff’s department.

For what it’s worth.

And while friends are great, a fearsome family is better.

For if Bettye Fine Collins’ name sends shivers down some backs, the name of her brother can make politicians full-on sweat.

Joe Fine, of Fine Geddie & Associates, is no partisan hack whose fortunes rise and fall on the wave of public opinion. He is a PACman and a kingmaker — one of the biggest purveyors of political cash in Alabama.

Fine Geddie’s 11 political action committees, with names such as BiPac, Leg PAC and CanPAC, gave out some $7.6 million in contributions since 2006, according to Secretary of State records. Not just to Republicans. Not just to Democrats. Everybody who was anybody got Fine Geddie money.

Larry Langford got it, and so did the Senate Democrats. Bob Riley got it, and so did the Republican Party.

I don’t think Joe Fine would get too petty with his PAC money, for it is his business.

But put yourself in the seat of a politician asked to vote out loud on whether Bettye Fine Collins is Republican enough. Why take the chance?

The party is one thing. But campaign cash? That’s as good a reason as any to stay silent.