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Wednesday, May 17, 2006
We’re No. 49! We’re No. 49!
In D.C., we've got more clout than Arkansas, but not Puerto Rico. Thank God for Guam.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whenever Washington doesn’t treat us fairly - a military base is closed, a peanut subsidy is dismissed - there is whining that Georgia lacks anyone with the clout of a Richard Russell, Sam Nunn or Newt Gingrich.
It’s been a subjective argument. Until now.
A Washington government relations firm, Knowlegis, this week announced that it had assigned numerical values to the influence wielded by each member of the House and Senate. Then it averaged the scores for the entire delegation.
The verdict? Georgia has less influence in Washington than any state except Arkansas. Even Puerto Rico swings more weight, on average.
The good news is that our phone calls will be returned before any placed by the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Guam - which were also included in the survey.
See for yourself here.
Knowlegis spokesman James Vaughn said individual rankings of members of Congress were based on their position, seniority, and on their ability to change the course of legislation - whether through maneuverings on the floor or in the media.
Here’s the member-by-member lowdown for Georgia:
The base is getting restless
It's not just immigration that has Republican foot-soldiers doubting Bush
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Much has been said about the growing rift between President Bush and his Republican base over the issue of immigration.
To see that the distrust encompasses much more, you need go no further than an “action alert” sent out this afternoon by Sadie Fields, chairman of the Georgia Christian Coalition.
The topic is gay marriage, and the decision by a Fulton County judge to overturn the results of the 2004 statewide referendum:
“This decision highlights the need to have the Marriage Protection Amendment passed by Congress. It is past time for President Bush to use the bully pulpit to promote its passage.
“While he has been relatively quiet on the issue of late, First Lady Laura Bush has not. In a recent appearance on ‘Fox News Sunday,’ Mrs. Bush said the debate over marriage ‘requires a lot of sensitivity,’ and ‘I don’t think it should be used as a campaign tool.’
“Mary Cheney, Vice President Cheney’s lesbian daughter, has been quoted as saying, ‘It is writing discrimination into the Constitution, and …it is fundamentally wrong.’ The Vice President has not refuted his daughter’s claims.
“President Bush has said he supports such an amendment, given the attempts of ‘activist judges’ to redefine marriage. ‘Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society,’ the president said two years ago. ‘Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all,’ he said.
“Now is the time for the President to show leadership and put his words into action by insisting our elected officials vote to protect marriage in this nation.”
