BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Gov. Robert Bentley this afternoon staunchly defended the use of coal and the jobs and low cost energy it produces in Alabama.

In a speech in Birmingham delivered to a large gathering of educators, corporate and civic leaders and some politicians, Bentley also defended his decision to fight President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, including the expansion of Medicaid which provides health care for the poor.

"I am a very strong opponent of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I truly believe it is one of the worse pieces of legislation that has ever been written by Congress," Bentley told those attending the annual meeting of the Public Affairs Research Council, a think tank located at Samford University.

Bentley said he knows that there are problems with the nation's health care system including denial of care for preexisting conditions, lack of access and costs.

"Do we need some changes in health care? Absolutely," said Bentley, who is a doctor.

He then launched into an emotional attack on Obama's health care overhaul.

"What the federal government is doing right now is going to destroy the greatest occupation that anyone could be a part of and that's medicine," said Bentley. "It hits me in my heart because I loved the practice of medicine and I loved my patients and I don't want to see it destroyed. So, you wonder why I push back so strong against it? Because it's personal."

Bentley said neither Alabama nor the nation can afford the health care overhaul approved by Congress in 2010.

As a doctor, Bentley said he took Medicaid patients and that he feels "sorry" for Medicaid patients.

But, Bentley said the federal law's requirement that the program must expand is just wrongheaded and he opposes it even though the expansion would have been paid for almost entirely by the federal government.

"Medicaid is a broken system. Why would you want to expand a broken system," said Bentley.

Bentley's strong opposition to health care reform was almost matched by his strong support for the continued use of coal and other fossil fuels that are found in Alabama in abundance and which provide jobs but which have also come under increasing attack by scientists, environmentalists and some politicians, including President Obama, for the critical role those fuels play in global warming.

Bentley said he will fight what he called "back door efforts" by the federal government to limit the use of natural gas, hydroelectric power and particularly coal.

"We produce energy in this state in four ways: coal, natural gas, nuclear and hydroelectric," said Bentley, who added that the state must do all it can to protect those energy sources and the jobs they produce.

"I have nothing against renewable energy. But it will be years before it will replace fossil fuels, years." said Bentley.