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Monday, April 17, 2006
Sonny Perdue’s new bodyguards
Democrats Cox, Taylor try to slam the lid on a negative TV attack on their Republican opponent
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A small but important battle erupted within Democratic ranks on Monday.
It featured an odd sight: two Democratic candidates for governor, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and Secretary of State Cathy Cox, throwing themselves in front of Sonny Perdue, to protect the Republican governor from a negative TV attack.
Then it got stranger, with a demand by Taylor that the state Democratic party sever ties with one of its best fund-raisers, in an election year.
The drama began last week, when Democrats discovered a new group in the state’s political mix, calling itself “Georgians for Truth.” (Remember Swift Boat Veterans For Truth?)
The group’s leader is Ralph Knowles, a prominent Atlanta attorney. Another officer is Kristin Oblander, who has the biggest Rolodex of Democratic money in Georgia. Oblander was the state finance director for presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004.
More research showed the group with $45,000 in hand. And some relatively small TV buys — $4,000 on WGCL-TV (Channel 46) and $17,000 on WSB-TV (Channel 2).
Over both their signatures, Taylor and Cox sent a hand-delivered letter to Knowles, dated April 12.
“It has come to our attention that your organization, Georgians for Truth, Inc., is raising money to produce and air broadcast advertising attacking Gov. Sonny Perdue,” the letter said. “We respectfully request that your organization refrain from such activity.
“While both of us understand that electoral politics can be a ‘rough-and-tumble’ business, we do not approve of organizations that are set up and funded specifically to attack a particular candidate. We believe the public good is advanced when the candidates themselves are responsible for political advertising, and are answerable to the voters for its content.”
The letter’s kicker: “We believe that an effort by an outside organization to attack Governor Perdue will likely backfire against Democratic efforts in this critical election.”
Both Taylor and Cox appear to be concerned that a small attack on Perdue — we hear the content of the TV ad was to be about the governor’s tax history — would give the Republican incumbent the excuse he needed to launch a well-funded, retaliatory strike against one or both Democrats.
Apparently, the warnings went unheeded. On Monday, Mike Mikus, manager of the Taylor campaign, issued a written ultimatum to the state Democratic party. He wanted the head of Oblander, who last week brought in $100,000 with a lunch featuring former vice presidential candidate John Edwards. The money went to state House and Senate races.
“We have demanded that [the] advertising not be aired, apparently to no avail. Apparently, this does not concern Ms. Oblander at all. Therefore, we urge that she be relieved of her duties today. Failure to do so only makes every Democratic elected official look complicit in their plans — and we are not,” the Mikus letter said.
One reason why Taylor may be more concerned is the fact that, on Tuesday, he’s set to launch the first big round of TV ads in Georgia’s political season.
Late Monday, we had yet to talk to Knowles, Oblander, or anyone else associated with “Georgians for Truth.” But state party officials considered the matter important enough to raise an ax over the woman who fills one of their many wallets.
“Kristen Oblander has been told she cannot work for the state party and the third-party group,” said spokesman Emil Runge.
And the “Georgians for Truth” ads have yet to run.
‘To be’ wins out
Senate leader decides he'll go for a seventh term
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After playing Hamlet the last couple weeks, Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson of Savannah announced Monday that he had decided to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune for another two years.
In other words, the No. 1 Republican and de facto leader of the Senate has decided he will, in fact, run again. Among his top priorities: Filling the “mega site” just outside Savannah, once eyed for Daimler-Chrysler, and making trauma care available to every Georgian.
The decision by Johnson, an architect and developer, also means he’ll be on hand to greet the next lieutenant governor of Georgia. And presumably will have some say in how much — if any — power flows back to that position.
If you’re worried that Johnson’s hemming and hawing may have hurt his chances, fear not. His latest campaign disclosure shows $385,548.66 in the bank, ready to go.
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