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DEL.ICIO.USThe flaggers get their man
But 'States' rights' McBerry thinks immigration and eminent domain may be hotter buttons
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue will be able to do much as he likes over the next three months before the July primary. But he won’t be able to call himself unopposed.
This week, loyalists of the ’56 state flag and its battle emblem fielded their own candidate in the Republican primary.
He is Ray “States’ Rights” McBerry, a 38-year-old, self-employed ad salesman from Monroe County.
Chances of winning? Slim to none. Significance? For the first time, we may be able to put a number on the hardcore flagger vote. All right, you can call them Confederate heritagists. Whatever their name, they’e widely believed to have cost Gov. Roy Barnes his political career in 2002.
McBerry is backed by the Georgia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the League of the South, the Southern Heritage PAC, the Constitution Party and the Southern Party of Georgia.
But here’s the interesting thing about McBerry, which may generate a bit of perspiration in Republican armpits: He lists the flag as No. 3 on his menu of concerns, behind immigration and eminent domain.
McBerry considers the current Republican administration to be soft on those last two issues.
Of S.B. 529, McBerry said: “I think what was just signed was more of an amnesty bill than an anti-immigration bill. I think there certainly needs to be a little bit more strict or severe penalty for employers. And January 2008 is a little too far down the road for it to begin.”
On eminent domain, the new candidate echoed sentiments already expressed by state Sen. Jeff Chapman of Glynn County: “We certainly are glad that it’s being discussed. However, the constitutional amendment that’s being proposed still provides the General Assembly a loophole to come back in and re-define ‘public use.’ Which is the same problem that got us here in the first place.”
And yes, there is the issue of the flag. He’ll push for a statewide referendum on the ’56 flag and it’s St. Andrew’s Cross.
And remember those planes with trailing banners, the ones that dogged Perdue during his first couple years as governor? They’re coming back, McBerry said.
Comments
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By Edward
April 29, 2006 08:05 AM | Link to this
Go Roy, If the People of Georgia will look at your web-site, GEORGIAFIRST.ORG they will know your platform,and understand YOU are the best man to defeat Sonny.
By Michele
April 29, 2006 11:41 AM | Link to this
The impossible happened when Sonny was elected and it can happen again with Ray McBerry. If you look at the things Sonny and his posse has done or not done since he was elected, you will see their time in domination of Georgia politics has been a total fiasco. There has got to be a place between being totally for business at the expense of the people and the welfare state. The tort reform bill disenfranchised every person harmed by a doctor, hospital or nursing home from ever getting retribution. They want to pave over streams and grade to stream and river beds. The illegals have taken over the state and the new bill is useless. Payday and title lending takes terrible advantage of the desparately poor and ignorant. The Republicans were for taking our property via eminent domain before they were against it. There is so much more. 79% of Georgians said one year ago in a Mason-Dixon Poll they want to vote on the 1956 Flag. That 79% have been ignored to please the powers that be that bankroll Purdue and the rest of the Republicans. As long as we keep putting these people in office and leaving them there things will never change. It is a strange coincidence that we had 46 years of expansion and prosperity under the 1956 Flag and since it has been removed, the state has went to hell in a handbasket. The losses of jobs from closed plants and the ones to come are immense, plus they have allowed the illegal immigrants to take the unskilled jobs that poor blacks and whites desparately need. Tourism is the second biggest business in Georgia and yet with all the pork spread around every year, Georgia government can’t find the small amount of money it takes to replace and repair the Bronze Monuments and fund the Civil War Trails which are an important part of attracting tourists interested in our rich history. Hey folks, our antebellum and War Between the States history is big business that helps all races whether you like it or not.
By Karl
April 29, 2006 12:11 PM | Link to this
“It is a strange coincidence that we had 46 years of expansion and prosperity under the 1956 Flag and since it has been removed, the state has went to hell in a handbasket.”
Can a sentence be written that has less logic than this? It may not be possible.
By Marilyn
April 29, 2006 06:32 PM | Link to this
Finally, an independent Republican who isn’t satisfied with the status quo — For those of us fed up with high fuel prices and low education scores, Ray McBerry offers a real choice.
By r. e. waller
April 29, 2006 10:04 PM | Link to this
changing the flag was suppose to bring business into atlanta,that’s the biggest lie that was ever told all i see is major corporations slimming down or bankrupting,the atlanta yanks ain’t got no business telling southerners what kind of flag to fly anyway,if they don’t like the 56 flag all i can say is I-75 north will take you to the mason dixon line.yall have a nice day.
By Tom Stafford
April 29, 2006 11:38 PM | Link to this
Slim to none, I like those odds. Being a Confederate American I have always pulled for the underdog. Ray McBerry is a great man and someone I would be proud to call my governor. May God bless Ray and his campaign. Tom Stafford
By Billy Bearden
April 30, 2006 07:44 PM | Link to this
What? Us supporters of the 1956 Georgia Flag now have to bear the shame of not having our collective nickname capitalized? The last 2 articles written by the Political Inciters and all media outlets everywhere have referred to us as “Flaggers” What gives?
Hey - look at the 4th paragraph. They give Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Mr Ray McBerry the EXACT SAME ODDS of winning they gave Sonny Perdue, slim to none.
Oh by the way - check out the 5th paragraph above. Last time I checked the Ga Div SCV has NOT came out in favor of ANY candidate. (I predict they retract that) What gives?
I agree that currently, illegals are more a concern that the Fair Flag Vote HB15, because if the illegals keep flooding our streets, towns, cities and states, we will all be saluting the Mexican tri-colors instead of any Georgia related symbol.
By UGA 72
May 1, 2006 04:55 AM | Link to this
Monday will be an interesting day in Marietta, I hear the Governor is begging people to show up so they’ll outnumber the Flaggers.
Sonny Lied, People Remember, nuff said!
By EX-Perdue Man
May 1, 2006 09:07 AM | Link to this
Yes, I also have heard that the repoobs have switched from asking folks to come and pay homage to the liar, they want warm bodies only to outnumber the Flaggers.
I reckon they remember back when Flaggers outnumbered Roy Barnes, and even more recently when Ralff Casino gReed had 3 times as many Flaggers as supporters :-)
It is the Flag Vote Stupid
By Nicholas
May 2, 2006 10:59 AM | Link to this
You people have fun trying to bring up an old issue if you want, but please don’t be upset when you get called what you really are divisive racists.
By The Quadfather
May 3, 2006 10:03 PM | Link to this
Hey Nicholas: Flaggers are totally unintimidated by being called racists. For the record, we are not, but being told we are doesn’t frighten us. And I would vote for Ray, even if he said nothing about the flag. Eminent Domain and Illegal Immigration are important issues and the current politicians are not getting done what has to be done to shore up the situation. Why vote for the liar when you can vote for someone who understands the issues of the day and why they are important and won’t sell us out! And as for the flag, well, that will be just righting an injustice to the people of Georgia, a visible symbol to show that the citizens are back in control. When almost eighty per cent of the population want that flag vote and we can’t get it done, that is a sign that there is an unelected puppet master pulling the strings. It’s time to cut the strings.
The Quadfather
By UpAndAtEm
May 6, 2006 03:00 PM | Link to this
Hey Nicholas! We’ve been called those silly names before. Barnes called us Extremists, and he is gone. Murphy called us Jackasses, and he is retired. Sticks and stones Nicholas my dear repoob stooge = water off a ducks back.
If we felt that meaningless words and misguided attacks would hurt us, we’d stay home - heck little man, we have been at flaggings were the counter protesters were arrested for illegally carrying guns plotting assassinations. Maybe that is the kind of folks you are, but remember little man, 80% of the people are on our side - not yours and not Sonny and not Casino Ralff Greed.
By Icequeen
May 11, 2006 02:34 PM | Link to this
Dont vote for McBerry. Someone needs to look into court records and his teaching records. You might find some interesting information about him. I agree with most of what he claims to be ready to fight for, but I also know he is a manipulative liar. Granted most politicians are but in his case, it involves a young girl. I’ll just leave it at that.
By UGA 72
May 12, 2006 01:05 AM | Link to this
Since I’ve known Ray since before he was born, why don’t you be specific about your lies? I have no illusions about Ray being a saint, I’m a Pastor and I certainly don’t qualify for even minor sainthood. It takes an incredible coward to assassinate someones character like this. If you have facts, by all means share them. If as everyone not on the Perdue payroll knows there are no facts, you’ll undoubtedly wind up right beside the LIAR in the afterlife. While it isn’t my place to judge anyone it seems that such a scurrilous person might well need asbestos undergarments.
Of course while there is life you could repent, but that doesn’t seem to be in the Governor’s character nor that of his henchmen or henchwomen as the case may be.
Last chance, put up or shut up!
Rev. William H. Swann Living Waters Ministries