Does it have to be about sex, Alabama? Does it have to be NC-17 to grab you?

Seems like it.

The thought of Roy Moore creeping on teens at the mall got you riled up. 51 percent of you.

The thought of gay people getting it on makes you pay attention. Especially if they want to get married. And geriatric infidelity drives you nuts.

I almost feel sorry for Robert Bentley, the ex-governor caught on tape describing what he'd like to do to a consenting adult.

He lied and tried to cover it up and all that, but it was the sex that got him.

Bentley was re-elected in 2014 with 64 percent of the vote. In two years he became the most despised governor in the nation.

Dude said he wanted to come up behind Rebekah Mason and touch her breasts and - Boom! -- he went from Alabama's grandpa to Alabama's dirty old man.

I almost -- almost -- feel sorry for Robert Bentley.

Every gear of Alabama's political machine turned against him. He was vilified, investigated by a legislative impeachment committee. He was forced to resign and pleaded to a couple of misdemeanors.

Alabama was mesmerized from beginning to end: For 378 days.

Mike Hubbard was speaker of the House, probably the most powerful guy in the state. He went around to businesses with his hand out: "Hey, give me $12,000 a month."

They didn't ask what for. Or what his qualifications were. They knew. He was speaker of the House.

Prosecutors called him on it and a jury called him on it and a judge in his hometown sentenced him to four years inside.

That was 620 days ago. And Hubbard's still out on appeal.

Now Alabama's political machine is working to keep him free. Working to make sure other politicians - and businesses that rent them - won't be held to account.

They say the ethics law makes it too hard for politicians to earn extra money. They say the ethics bill is confusing.

Right. Twice in two years prosecutors crafted a tough ethics bill to clarify what ethically challenged people and companies can and can't do. But they go nowhere. Because people like AG Steve Marshall and Senate boss Del Marsh want to look tough, but they don't want to be tough.

Because big interests - including companies embarrassed by association with Hubbard -- hate tough.

Jimmy Rane - who invested in Hubbard's business - gave a $16,000 to PACS that gave $10,000 to Marshall in recent months. Will Brooke is an exec at Harbert Management who also invested in Hubbard businesses. Last month Raymond Harbert gave Marshall $50,000, according to Alabama Secretary of State records.

Dax Swatek, John Ross and Tim Howe - all of whom were allies of Hubbard who were called as witnesses against him - contributed $1,000 to Marshall from their SHR PAC.

It's like the Hubbard witness list is paying for the AG's campaign.

Now Marsh and Marshall want to wait until next year - after the election - to close holes in the ethics law.

In the meantime at least three bills that could weaken the law are making their way through the Legislature. In the name of jobs and apple pie.

One bill - HB317, which has scooted through Legislative committees by hook and crook and is pushed by Marsh and Gov. Kay Ivey -- would let part-time economic developer avoid registering as lobbyists, thereby missing all the scrutiny lobbyists need.

Half the people in bed with Hubbard could call themselves part-time economic developers.

Now it appears Court of Criminal Appeals won't rule on Hubbard's appeal until after the primary. Which is nuts.

They all think nobody's paying attention. Because it's not about sex.

But it is.

They're screwing us, Alabama. And telling us to like it.

John Archibald's column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com.

Amendment to HB317 by John Archibald on Scribd