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Monday, June 5, 2006
The Isakson solution
For those who say Republicans gotta have an immigration bill, this may be the only way out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Monday, a weary Johnny Isakson capped a weeklong tour of veterans’ memorials in Europe with a speech to the Metro Atlanta Rotary Club on the hottest issue of the day.
No, not gay marriage.
Georgia’s junior senator has become perhaps the only path through which Republicans can escape the rock and hard place posed by immigration.
“I was kind of glad to have the Memorial Day break. Two weeks straight of debating Ted Kennedy is about anyone can take,� Isakson said.
He’d just touched down in Washington, and was on his cell phone. Another meeting on immigration lay between him and his bed.
Isakson hadn’t done any vote-counting, but said he could feel the ground shifting. The math is relatively simple.
Last month, listening to business interests, the Senate passed out a bill that backed President Bush’s comprehensive approach to immigration, including the creation of a guest worker program, and a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
House Republicans have declared their opposition to anything smacking of “amnesty.�
During the Senate debate, Isakson pitched a third approach. It would forestall the granting of any kind of legal status to illegals currently inside the country — until the borders have been declared secure.
Isakson won 40 votes, and was defeated. But four senators who were absent would have sided with him, the Georgia senator said. And Isakson says other senators are giving his approach a second look.
�We’re in striking distance,� Isakson said. “Now that all the other things have been debated and the public has been engaged, [other senators are] looking back and saying, ‘You know, we might should rethink.’�
What senators? Isakson didn’t say. We’ve heard the name of Lindsey Graham of South Carolina mentioned.
Isakson said his approach has had “unanimous� support from House members. And he openly says that his version of immigration reform — “or something like it� — is the only solution.
“I don’t think any bill comes out of a conference committee that doesn’t incorporate securing the border first,� he said. “It ain’t happened yet, but I’m working on it.�
Perdue puts his cross-hairs on Cox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state Republican party started the week off with another bullet aimed at Cathy Cox, the Democratic primary candidate for governor, sniping at her as she wanders through the hedges of the gay marriage issue.
According to the press release, one person’s nuance is another’s flip-flop.
There could be two strategies, as best as two cynics can figure:
First, by jumping into the primary fray, Republicans could be letting Democrats know that they have a general election argument that plays to one of their greatest strengths. In essence, they want to push Democratic voters into the arms of Mark Taylor, whom their polling says would be easier to beat.
Or they’re thinking could be thus: Though her campaign is off to a slow start, Cox could still recover. Yet her name ID is still soft — so forcing a soft-on-gays label upon Cox is a worthwhile investment, regardless of her standing in the race.
There is a danger. One could argue that Sonny Perdue’s rise to power began four years ago this summer, when Gov. Roy Barnes’ campaign singled him out — rather than the two other Republican candidates for governor.
In a neat bit of jujitsu, Perdue’s campaign used the Barnes’ attack as a flare for Republican primary voters: This was the man that Barnes didn’t want to face.
A creator revealed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Richard Bates, of Bates Web Designs in Athens, has stepped up to claim authorship (and we presume, ownership) of the “Sonny Did” parody that was recently posted on youtube.com.
“I take full responsibility for my content and its repercussions,” Bates writes us. On his web site, he says the following about his take off on Gov. Sonny Perdue’s TV campaign:
“It should be noted that though the video hasn’t any real profanity, some elements are appropriate for adults only. I would put it at PG-13. Also, I think it best for those of you who haven’t seen the original ad to view it first. Like I said, this is purely well-intentioned. Mr. Perdue is running ads to get votes — as he should. This video is merely a commentary on the process itself, not Mr. Perdue. If you’d like to find out more about Mr. Perdue and his opponents, I suggest you responsibly evaluate their respective platforms.”
We’re still looking for the creators of the Cathy Cox and Mark Taylor parodies. Links are below.
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