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June 2006
This time, no torch
Romney comes calling with '08 primaries in mind
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The last time Mitt Romney was through town, he was here for the ceremony setting the Olympic flame on its journey to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Games, for which Romney filled the Billy Payne role.
We’re likely to be seeing more of the Massachusetts governor in the future. Romney is serious enough about seeking the ’08 Republican nomination to have troops on the ground in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan and South Carolina, already.
Officially, Romney isn’t going to make a decision between now and the November election. Between now and then, he has a tough hand to play.
Romney chairs the Republican Governors Conference, and there are eight Republican governors leaving office with only one Democrat leaving. What’s worse, he said Thursday before a speech to the Georgia Public Policy Institute, several of those Republicans who are leaving are from traditionally Democratic states, including New York, Arkansas and, of course, Massachusetts.
“Most people looking at the numbers are going to say we are going to lose quite a few governor’s races,” Romney said.
Romney’s luncheon speech was about his state’s new health care plan, notable not only because it is being spoken of as a possible model for wider health care reform, but because it was worked out with a Democratic legislature.
“It’s hard to understand why Washington has become so paralysed and so bitterly partisan, because in state after state you have Republicans and Democrats in various percentages, and in almost all of them, progress has been made and tough problems have been dealt with,” he said.
Governors have done well in recent presidential elections, but this could be one more sharply focused on international affairs. But as Romney pointed out, some governors have done quite well in foreign policy, Ronald Reagan included.
In fact, Romney added, while he didn’t subscribe to it, Gov. Howard Dean had “the clearest vision of foreign policy” of any of the Democratic candidates in the last election, while Sen. John Kerry’s view was “far more confusing.” A point to ponder.
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Reed and Enron
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A young lady called Thursday evening, asking whether we considered Casey Cagle’s TV hit on Ralph Reed, leading on Reed’s work for Enron, a clean hit.
Let us put it this way. Reed — one of two GOP candidates for lieutenant governor — has accused the liberal media of guilt by association when it comes to his association with Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Reed’s got a much better case when it comes to Enron.
The accusation from the New York Times in the late 1990s was that Karl Rove urged Enron head Ken Lay to hire Ralph Reed to do a bit of work for the company, back when Enron was the “it” corporation in America.
The implication was that Enron paid Reed as a substitute for the 2000 George W. Bush presidential campaign, to keep Reed off the books and out of the employ of Bush rivals. An investigation was launched by the Federal Elections Commission. The agency gave Reed a clean bill of health.
One of us, the fellow on the left, went to Harrisburg, Pa., to look into the topic. Reed was chairman of the Georgia Republican party when the issue came up. Enron had hired Reed to help create a campaign in favor of electrical deregulation in Pennsylvania. Later, Reed would advise the company on how to lobby Washington.
Reed would not speak, publicly, to defend himself on the Enron issue. It turns out that Reed hired a Democratic subcontractor to do much of the work in Pennsylvania. But here’s the piece of evidence that most redounded to Reed’s favor: James Carville, the Democratic strategist, told us that he was approached first by the company to do its work, and turned down the job. Reed was hired afterwards.
So there.
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Hey, look us over
A voters' guide with all the bells and whistles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is the time of year when calls start coming in from voters wanting basic information about their local races, what their candidates stand for, how to get an absentee ballot and so forth. We’re happy to say that this year, we have a ready answer, which you can find here.
It’s ajc.com’s newly-launched elections page, complete with a full-service voter’s guide to the candidates – the No. 1 thing callers ask for – a calendar of campaign events, news, information on how to find out what district you’re in, and even a link for those who want to look at candidates’ financial disclosures.
In addition to the Insider, there are two new blogs – Reality Check and Reporter’s Recorder.
Here’s the best part: We want the page to be interactive, so you’ll see links if you have suggestions for how the proprietors can better serve your election needs. Check it out.
About that voter guide: We never knew Judge Hatchett had touched so many people.
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Reed’s latest mailer on Cagle
Reed stakes the first round of his fight against Cagle on property rights
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is kind of like “The Lake House,” that movie about two lovers spaced two years apart. Difficult to follow, but not ineffective.
Ralph Reed’s latest mail piece hit the streets on Wednesday, the day after his TV ads hammered Republican rival Casey Cagle on the same topic of eminent domain. The mail piece strikes less cleanly on the issue, mixing the events of 2003 with those of 2005.
“Casey Cagle….voted for a bill allowing big government to take private property and sell it to someone else to collect more tax money,” cries the flyer. A photo of a stately frame house, half-demolished by the claw of an automated shovel, serves as the primary illustration.
The year 2003 is not mentioned. That’s the first year of Republican rule of the state Senate, and the year that Cagle — and every other Republican in the chamber — voted for S.B. 273, a bill to provide for private funding of public projects such as roads, water treatment plants and other “public facilities.”
Cagle’s people have denied the bill would permit condemnation of land for economic development purposes. But this is a campaign in which subtleties do not matter.
The bill — Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson of Savannah — passed the Senate, but failed in the then-Democratic House. Two years later, in 2005, elements of the bill were revived as S.B. 5, introduced just as the Kelo case was being argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. With the same sponsors.
At the same time, H.B. 218 rose up, proposing more secrecy surrounding economic development. Not a good moment for Republicans.
Oh, the outrage. Talk radio went into high gear. H.B. 218 was shelved. S.B. 5 was pulled without a vote, and in its place came S.B. 86, a bill to reassure those worried about property rights.
The condemnations in the Reed flyer are all from 2005, not 2003. S.B. 5 “could dissolve the state of Georgia and build everything from mountain to seashore without asking taxpayers a single time for permission,” wrote the AJC’s Jim Wooten, quoted in the flyer. “Casey Cagle voted for it” screams the flyer.
Well, something like it, two years earlier. But Cagle didn’t vote for S.B. 5.
“The most outrageously repugnant piece of legislative claptrap since the Yazoo land fraud,” the flyer quotes the Bainbridge Post-Searchlight. Again from 2005, not 2003.
Oh, and the flyer also accuses Cagle of walking out on S.B. 86. He wasn’t there for the Senate vote. It wasn’t close, and bill sponsor Jeff Chapman (R-Brunswick) has said Cagle’s presence wasn’t crucial.
Nonetheless, the flyer closes with an endorsement of Reed by Mark and Regina Meeks, the Stockbridge couple with the florist shop, who served as the centerpiece for a new Republican eminent domain package this session.
Things are getting interesting.
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A politician, a reporter, and a poll walk into a bar….
Strategic Vision's survey shows Taylor over Cox, Reed edging out Cagle.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Strategic Vision, David Johnson’s Atlanta-based agency, put out a statewide poll Wednesday aimed at the July 18 primary. Johnson’s is a Republican-oriented public relations firm. As usual, we can’t endorse the results. Our only comment: In some cases, the “undecideds” strike us as a tad low.
Here’s the original source.
According to Strategic Vision, the three-day poll is “based on telephone interviews with 800 likely voters in Georgia, aged 18+, and conducted June 23-25, 2006. The margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.”
Do you approve or disapprove or disapprove of Governor Sonny Perdue’s job overall performance?
Approve 57%
Disapprove 31%
Undecided 12%
Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Saxby Chambliss’ overall job performance?
Approve 50%
Disapprove 39%
Undecided 11%
Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Johnny Isakson’s overall job performance?
Approve 53%
Disapprove 32%
Undecided 15%
Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush’s overall job performance?
Approve 45%
Disapprove 46%
Undecided 9%
Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush’s handling of the economy?
Approve 43%
Disapprove 50%
Undecided 7%
Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq?
Approve 47%
Disapprove 47%
Undecided 6%
Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush’s handling of the war on terrorism?
Approve 49%
Disapprove 42%
Undecided 9%
Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush’s handling of the immigration issue?
Approve 40%
Disapprove 51%
Undecided 9%
Do you view President Bush as a conservative in the mode of Ronald Reagan? (Republicans only)
Yes 31%
No 54%
Undecided 15%
Do you think Georgia is headed in the right direction or the wrong direction?
Right 51%
Wrong 41%
Undecided 8%
Would you like to see the United States Supreme Court overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that makes abortions legal in the United States?
Yes 55%
No 35%
Undecided 10%
Do you expect another terrorist attack within the United States in the next six months?
Yes 74%
No 14%
Undecided 12%
Do you favor an immediate withdrawal United States military forces from Iraq, within the six months?
Yes 36%
No 54%
Undecided 10%
Do you favor granting amnesty to illegal immigrants currently in the United States?
Yes 7%
No 76%
Undecided 17%
Do you favor constructing a wall along the southern border of the United States to stop illegal immigration?
Yes 86%
No 6%
Undecided 8%
Do you favor a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriages?
Yes 64%
No 29%
Undecided 7%
Do you approve or disapprove of Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor’s job performance?
Approve 54%
Disapprove 34%
Undecided 12%
Do you approve or disapprove of Secretary of State Cathy Cox’s job performance?
Approve 52%
Disapprove 38%
Undecided 10%
If the Democratic primary for Governor were held today, for whom would you vote for, Secretary of State Cathy Cox or Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor? (Democrats only)
Mark Taylor 46%
Cathy Cox 42%
Undecided 12%
If the election for Governor were held today, for whom would you, Sonny Perdue, the Republican or Mark Taylor, the Democrat?
Sonny Perdue 50%
Mark Taylor 44%
Undecided 6%
If the election for Governor were held today, for whom would you vote, Sonny Perdue, the Republican or Cathy Cox, the Democrat?
Sonny Perdue 53%
Cathy Cox 40%
Undecided 7%
If the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor was held today, whom would you vote for Greg Hecht, Griffin Lotson, Jim Martin, Steen Miles, or Rufus Terrill? (Democrats only)
Jim Martin 29%
Greg Hecht 24%
Steen Miles 20%
Griffin Lotson 4%
Rufus Terrill 2% Undecided 21%
If the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor was held today, whom would you vote for Ralph Reed or Casey Cagle? (Republicans only)
Ralph Reed 44%
Casey Cagle 41%
Undecided 15%
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Ralph Reed, a Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor? (Republicans only)
Favorable 38%
Unfavorable 47%
Undecided 15%
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Casey Cagle, a Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor? (Republicans only)
Favorable 43%
Unfavorable 20%
Undecided 37%
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Romney works the skeeter belt
Massachusetts governor kicks off a series of speeches by '08 hopefuls
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has been getting some Southern exposure lately.
Romney has put a staff on the ground in South Carolina for that state’s important ’08 presidential primary, he’s been profiled on the “700 Club,” and Thursday he’ll be the first in a series of ’08 presidential candidates to speak to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
Romney’s speech, at noon at the Commerce Club, is expected to focus on his state’s far-reaching new Medicaid reform program.
Romney finished second to Sen. Bill Frist in a straw poll at a gathering of Southern and Midwestern Republicans in Memphis earlier this year, fueling speculation he might have unexpected appeal in the region.
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Amoebas, lizards and apes! Oh, my!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An absorbing NYT piece on a middle school biology teacher’s struggle to teach evolution in North Georgia can be found here.
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Boom.
The Republican race for lieutenant governor begins with a pair of simultaneous explosions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The day calls for some wide-angle thoughts on the first round of TV ads exchanged by Ralph Reed and Casey Cagle.
First, here’s the Ralph Reed ad. (Some of you have had trouble viewing it. Our tekkies say it may be a tad muddled. We’ve got a request into the Reed campaign for a fresh version.)
And here’s the Casey Cagle response.
Now, to begin: First, remember that these are second-string topics brought out by both candidates. A kind of testing of the waters. Reed has yet to drill Cagle on banking legislation. Cagle has yet to flash that photo of Reed and the Learjet to Scotland.
But Enron was an interesting first choice by Cagle. It’s probably the most recognized corporate name in the country, and not in a good way. Much easier to understand than the word “Abramoff”. And the references to pensions is always red meat for older voters, who are most likely to show up in a primary.
Likewise, you can see why Reed chose eminent domain as his topic. His strategy all along as been to string together enough dedicated — some would say rabid — GOP subsets to win a low-turnout July primary. Eminent domainists are particularly active this year.
The Reed campaign this week flaunted the endorsement of Mark and Regina Meeks of Stockbridge, whose eminent domain case in Henry County served as the centerpiece for Republican legislation this year.
Look for Cagle very quickly to bring out state Sen. Jeff Chapman, considered by many E.D. enthusiasts to be the unchallenged champion of property rights in Georgia. Chapman has endorsed Cagle.
In the meantime, consider this: Reed’s attack on Cagle on S.B. 273, a 2003 precursor to the unfortunate S.B. 5, underscores a problem Reed will have throughout the remainder of his campaign. One of S.B. 273’s chief sponsors was Eric Johnson of Savannah, the Senate president pro tem. Every Republican in the Senate voted for the bill.
When Reed attacks Cagle on this, he attacks every Republican he wants to lead next January. Obviously, he’s willing to live with that.
Two other spare thoughts: Among the first words out of Reed’s mouth is the fact that he was once head of the Christian Coalition. He’s addressing the base, not the party’s middle. Also, Reed speaks directly to the camera, a move that many candidates save until the final days of the campaign.
That may be a product of Reed’s experience before the lens. But solid, unwavering eye contact also helps if your opponent is about to accuse you of nefarious deeds.
Now, let’s have your thoughts.
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Finally, a way to keep out the riff-raff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue would love for you to attend his primary night bash July 18 — as long as you can afford the cover charge.
In an effort to hold down costs on a campaign that is flush with money these days, the Perdue campaign decided to charge people to attend his traditional primary night party at the Westin Hotel in Buckhead.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the door.
“For $10, folks get a free T-shirt and finger food while celebrating election returns with the governor and fellow conservatives,” said Nick Ayers, the governor’s re-election campaign manager. “That’s a pretty good deal.”
The Perdue campaign sent out e-mails to supporters on his mailing list Monday telling them space was limited and that they should buy their tickets soon.
Perdue managed to win in 2002 with $3.65 million compared to Roy Barnes’ $20 million. He’s heading into a primary, in which he has only token opposition, with a much bigger nest egg and help from the state Republican Party, which is paying for his campaign ads.
After the 2006 legislative session, Perdue had $8 million in the bank — more than his two main Democratic opponents combined. And he’s picked up the pace of fund raising. He heads to California today to attend three fund-raisers in his honor.
Ayers said charging for the formerly free party makes sense.
“It’s a great way to break even on costs and for Sonny to fellowship with his biggest supporters,” he said. “This allows for the campaign to focus our resources on getting our message out.”
Democrats, who face being heavily outspent by Perdue and the Republicans this fall, were chagrined.
“This guy is coming up with new ways of shaking down campaign donors,” said Georgia Democratic Party spokesman Emil Runge. “This is the same guy who four years ago attacked Democrats for the way they raised money. He’s doing the same thing today.”
Thanks to our colleague, staff writer James Salzer, for the above contribution..
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The gavel bangs on judicial elections
Qualifying begins just as Supreme Court asked to wrestle with gay marriage amendment
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
All four Georgia Supreme Court justices up for re-election, a majority of the high-court bench, filed their campaign qualifying papers on Monday.
J. Michael Wiggins, the former Bush Administration lawyer, will decide which one he’ll run against sometime this week — possibly by Wednesday, said his campaign chairman, attorney Frank B. Strickland.
Perhaps, Wiggins is waiting until he watches today’s 10 a.m. high-court arguments over the constitutional ban on gay marriage, which can be seen live, at this locale.
The four incumbents on the November ballot: Carol Hunstein, a 14-year veteran of the bench; George H. Carley, who has served since 1979; Hugh P. Thompson, a 12-year veteran; and Harold D. Melton, who was appointed to the bench last year by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Melton, nearly all our political contacts agree, will get a pass because of his sponsor. The best evidence is last month’s leaked memo from George Israel, the president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, to other chamber members.
It included ratings on three justices — Thompson, Hunstein and Carley — compiled by the Institute for Legal Reform, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that has guided millions of dollars toward judicial elections in other states.
From what we’ve heard, Thompson and Hunstein are the most likely target for Wiggins.
Qualifying ends at noon Friday.
Until then, those two justices — or at least their seconds — will be making every effort to make themselves look as impregnable as possible. We know more about Thompson’s efforts than Hunstein’s.
Thompson, we’re told, has raised $100,000 and has pledges for $200,000 more. He’s also developed an impressive list of supporters, including Chuck Clay, publisher Otis Brumby, Jimmy Blanchard of Synovus, former attorney general Michael Bowers, and — perhaps most important of all — well-connected Republican attorney Randy Evans.
Hunstein’s best defense may be the co-chairman of her campaign: former governor Zell Miller, who appointed her to the bench in 1992.
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Front moving in, heavy storms in sight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Weekend news in the Republican lieutenant governor’s race consists of one barbecue, and one flyer.
At a gathering of something called the GOP Capitol Political Action Committee in Duluth, Reed won 56 percent of the vote in a straw poll taken on-site. Reed’s people claim activists from Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Hall, Cherokee, Banks, Paulding, Forsyth, and surrounding counties participated.
A total 298 ballots were cast.
“For me grassroots isn’t a slogan, it’s a strategy,” Reed is quoted as saying in his latest release.
Cagle’s mouthpiece, Brad Alexander pointed out that his man was on the Georgia coast at another function: “We’re quite pleased to come within 30 votes of beating Ralph in a straw poll at an event in Ralph’s backyard that Casey did not even attend.” Cagle said.
Though not for long, Cagle is still depending on direct mail to do most of his talking. The latest flyer has more bite to it, and lays out much of his plan of attack against Reed, the former head of both the national Christian Coalition and the state GOP.
First, it’s “Lobbyist” Ralph Reed versus “Senator” Casey Cagle, to emphasize that this is Reed’s first try at elected politics.
It’s clear that immigration will become a topic of conversation in the next few weeks. Reed has already attacked Cagle for allegedly opposing a bill to mark the drivers licenses of legal aliens, to prevent them from registering to vote or signing up for public services.
Here, Cagle assaults Reed referring to an immigration initiative pushed by President Bush in ‘04 as “responsible policy.” It would, Cagle said, have granted “amnesty” to Illegal aliens.
The flyer slams Reed for hiring Bill Clinton’s defense lawyer “to protective him multiple investigations.” It says Reed “laundered millions through Christian non-profit groups to hide his secret work with convicted felon Jack Abramoff and gambling interests.”
And it charges Reed with, as a political consultant, advocating the elections of pro-choice candidates. That’s a reference to Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, and Mitch Skandalakis of Georgia.
Cagle also accuses Reed of suggesting “radical budget claims” and “massive tax cuts,” but offering no plan to balance the budget. That could be an interesting riff on Republican discontent with a free-spending Congress in Washington.
Cagle closes with a last notation intended to sow doubt with another hardcore Republican constituency: He has “no record of rating” on Second Amendment issues.
We’d be happy to reward, with private praise, anyone who can fill us in on Reed’s weekend mailings….
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An outtake from the Abramoff report
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every document like the one put out by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee today has a line or two in it that illuminates.
Let’s set it up for you. Reed’s most important task for the Coushattas was a campaign in Texas to close down an illegal casino operated by the Tigua tribe of El Paso. Yes, it was on the other side of a big state. But it was still competition.
After the casino closed, the man most responsible for its closing, Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff — one of Reed’s close friends — contacted Tigua representatives and offered to help reopen it. For $4 million or so.
Marc Schwartz, the Tigua spokesman, questioned Abramoff about his friendship with Reed — whom they viewed as an uncompromising “ideologue.”
“Schwartz recalled that Abramoff laughlingly replied, ‘As far as the cash goes,’” the report said.
Then again, to another Tigua official, Abramoff described Reed as “crazy, like other folks in the Christian Coalition.”
If you’re looking for a complete copy of the Senate document, go here.
But you’re in Washington and are looking for a friend, get a dog.
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The little word no ones loves
Thinktank probes what to do about taxes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Gov. Roy Barnes had a lot to do with the formation last year of the Center for a Better South, and he’ll be speaking at a press conference at the Atlanta Press Club Friday morning when the Charleston-based thinktank brings forth its first fruit, a book-length analysis of tax policy in the South, with recommendations for each state.
Authored by Sarah Beth Coffey of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, which has contracted to do a series of studies for the center, the study urges a no-nonsense approach, such as eliminating sales tax holidays and exemptions on items like groceries and raising cigarette taxes to the national average.
One recommendation for Georgia: broaden the income tax brackets at the lower level and add a new bracket on the high end. Families making $20,000 a year would pay $57 less, while those making $100,000 a year would pay $27 more.
Georgia fares poorly a 11-point checklist of what the states should be doing – but then, all the Southern states do. It does get a positive check for eliminating corporate loopholes and conducting a performance review.
The report has a lot of interesting ideas, but the one we’d use for a conversation starter is, “Rethink tax preferences based on age alone.”
The report points that Southern states have been generous in giving out blanket exemptions for Social Security and private pension incomes, and preferences on property taxes. But in 2030, when the percentage of seniors is predicted to be 15.9 percent, that generosity may get a second look.
To measure how close the current political climate comes to this tough love approach, by the way, see the ad immediately below.
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Now, the sales tax on groceries is the hot topic
The Taylor-Cox TV war expands; reminds us of Roy Barnes and his comment that "Children die every day."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First the HOPE scholarship, now the 1990s, Zell Miller-backed effort to take the sales tax off food. Cox thrusts, Taylor parries and ripostes. See Taylor’s latest ad here.
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Betting beers on November
Citified types give Perdue, Cagle a wide edge; Democrat Hecht nearly matches Reed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
‘Tis the season to gather in Savannah for conventions. Without Mark Taylor.
It’s the turn of the Georgia Municipal Association this week. And as is standard, in preparation for the gathering, the organization polled its membership of mayors and city council types about major political races. Responses came from 331 members, about 21 percent.
Does it matter? Not that much. But it’s clear, and possibly important, that GMA members are less impressed with the Democratic candidates for governor than they were last year. In 2005, Sonny Perdue barely edged out Cathy Cox. Mark Taylor came in third.
Here’s how things stand now — and remember that members aren’t asked who they support. The question is who will win:
Perdue: 72 percent; Cox: 14.8 percent; Taylor: 10.6 percent; and Don’t Know: 2.6 percent.
“City officials predicted that Sonny Perdue would defeat Roy Barnes in 2002, so maybe they’re on to something again this year with the margin of victory for him,” said GMA executive director Jim Higdon in the formal press release.
The GMA also asked members to forecast the November race for lieutenant governor. Confidence isn’t high, if “don’t know” is any measure. Here’s the bottom line:
Casey Cagle (R): 43.4 percent; Don’t Know: 32.8 percent; Ralph Reed (R): 9 percent; Greg Hecht (D): 8 percent; Jim Martin (D): 6.1 percent; and Steen Miles (D): .6 percent
Always a show-off when it comes to fund-raising
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of our spotters found this in The Hill, the newspaper that covers the Capitol — the one in D.C.:
“Wal-Mart’s contributions to national political candidates have increased steadily in recent years, and Republicans are on the receiving end of most of the giving. In the 2004 election cycle, Wal-Mart’s PAC gave more than $1.3 million to Republicans and $370,000 to Democrats.
“Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) received the most, with $17,500, and dozens got $10,000 or more.”
The speaker makes a pick in a House primary
And it's not the rally-the-base candidate you'd expect
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The most notable political news of the day may have been Speaker Glenn Richardson’s decision to step into a Republican race for the House.
Richardson on Wednesday endorsed Mark Williams, a business leader in Jesup, in the Republican contest to replace retiring state Rep. Hinson Mosley in District 178. Interestingly, the speaker used the phrase “common-sense conservative” to describe Williams.
The other candidate in that race is Kay Godwin, a Republican grassroots organizer who was essential in Gov. Sonny Perdue’s 2002 victory. She lost a close race against Mosley two years ago.
Godwin has deep, deep ties to Christian conservatives across the state. She’s also a firm backer of Ralph Reed for lieutenant governor. Williams is behind Reed’s primary opponent, Casey Cagle. Circles within circles within circles.
McCain report on Abramoff comes down Thursday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Arizona Republic reports this morning that the “long-awaited” final report of the U.S. Senate investigation into Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff will be issued Thursday.
The Senate Indian Affairs Committee, chaired by John McCain (R-Ariz.), began its research Abramoff’s dealings with casino-owning Indian tribes nearly two years ago.
The newspaper said the report isn’t likely to point any fingers at members of Congress. “Still, the timing of the report’s release is not the greatest for McCain’s fellow Republicans, who would prefer that potential voters not be reminded of Abramoff with the fall elections just around the corner,” the newspaper said.
The report could be even more critical to July 18 vote faced by Ralph Reed, now a GOP candidate for lieutenant governor in Georgia. He’s figured prominently in documents made public in four separate hearings dating back to 2004.
Please open your Bibles to Exodus, Chapter 20
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You know that U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston of Savannah, who is Congress’ new media guru, has been encouraging his Georgia Republican colleagues to appear on “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central.
He’s been on the faux news show. Phil Gingrey has done it. Last Wednesday night was U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland’s turn.
Westmoreland, the sage of Coweta County, matched his deadpan against Colbert’s in a fake interview that ended with the question most feared by any politician who’s marched with Christian evangelicals: Name the Ten Commandments that you want to post in public buildings.
“You want me to name them all?” Westmoreland asked. “Don’t murder. Don’t lie. Don’t steal.”
And then blank. No more came to mind. The ultimate Republican anxiety dream.
We suspect his wife reminded him of at least one more when he got home. See it here.
Today, in Republican offices across America, thousands of staffers are paging through the Old Testament and laminating wallet-sized cards for their bosses.
S.P. and the Sunshine Band
Georgia's business community asserts its influence, to the concern of newspapers and judges
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Savannah — Two weird but still significant events were observed at Thursday’s session of the Georgia Press Association.
The first was lunch. There is something of a war over priorities going on between Georgia’s newspaper publishers and the state’s chambers of commerce.
Robert Williams, the publisher from Blackshear, was bold enough to declare “Gott mit uns” during the blessing, but in English. He thanked God for the “sunshine” in Georgia, and loudly prayed that the Almighty would allow it to continue.
He wasn’t talking weather. He was talking open government.
Gov. Sonny Perdue, who is just as confident that God — and Western civilization — is on his side, leans toward the business point of view.
“Sunshine is good,” the former gentleman farmer replied to the crowd. “But you need a little bit of rain now and then, too.”
Another episode involved Augusta attorney David Hudson’s fulsome introduction of state Supreme Court Justice Hugh Thompson. This also happened before the food started flowing.
By the time Hudson had reviewed Thompson’s Boy Scout career, three rail-thin women in the audience had fainted from want of nourishment. Sweet tea was administered, and no ambulances were summoned.
This was evidence of yet another war brewing in Georgia. Four state Supreme Court justices are up for re-election this year. For the last several weeks, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce has been struggling over which one of three — the fourth is a safe Perdue appointee — to oppose in the November election.
Thompson is one of the targeted three.
A memo from Chamber CEO and president George Israel has fallen into our hands, along with the positions of the three justices on 15 decisions rated as faulty by the business organization.
“I am now personally convinced that business has no choice but to step forward and engage in these races. The records of the three justices we reviewed are generally not friendly to business, often reflect a bias built on personal preference than on the law, and stray from the application and interpretation of Georgia’s Constitution to the facts and lean toward judicial activism,” Israel states.
The object is to protect the gains granted by the Legislature last year, when that body placed caps on lawsuits against physicians.
“We, now…as a Chamber, must make an important decision as to what role the Georgia Chamber will play in educating voters about the voting history of the incumbent members of the court,” Israel concluded.
You can read the entire memo, and the ratings here.
The primary decision is which one of three justices will Michael Wiggins — the Bush Administration lawyer who has signed up for the contest — choose to run against.
Thompson, the former Boy Scout, is singled out in the ratings for declaring that a tobacco company still could be sued for damages, despite a settlement by the state of Georgia, on behalf of all its population.
But Thompson has distributed a letter of support signed not just by Michael Bowers, the Republican and former attorney general, but by Paul Holmes, chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
So going after Thompson would likely to split both Republicans and the business community.
Better to go after state Supreme Court Justice Carol Hustein. At least that’s how thoughts are turning. For the second time in two years, a female justice is likely to wear a bull’s eye.
Taylor a no-show in Savannah
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Savannah — The Georgia Press Association is assembling here this Wednesday evening, and word is spreading that Mark Taylor, the Democratic candidate for governor, has nixed his scheduled debate with primary rival Cathy Cox.
It was supposed to happen Thursday. The reviews are not pretty. “We’ve been snubbed by better candidates,” fumed one publisher.
They shouldn’t feel singled out. Taylor was a no-show at last month’s gathering of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, also on the coast.
We haven’t talked to the Taylor’s camp. But allow us to hazard a few guesses on why they passed:
— Taylor feels like he’s got a comfortable lead in the polls. No need to give Cox a forum to attack him. — Cox is a journalism school graduate of the University of Georgia. This group already has an affinity for her. Why waste time?
— Here’s the cruelest interpretation: Like the Chamber, the press association is part of Georgia’s establishment. And the Georgia’s Democratic party is no longer an establishment party. The GPA, which is dominated by the state’s smaller weekly and dailies, most in rural areas, no longer reaches the voters who decide the Democratic primary.
Now, for Republicans, it’s another matter. Ralph Reed and Casey Cagle are set to tango at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
The robo-calls begin
And the first round indicates a split in among Christian conservatives
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The two Republican candidates for lieutenant governor swamped Cobb County with robo-calls on Wednesday.
And the first one to brandish a Christian Coalition endorsement was…..Casey Cagle?
It was a rough one, too. The recording was made by Dave Johnston, chairman of the Middle Georgia Christian Coalition — not the statewide organization run by Sadie Fields, an ally of Ralph Reed.
Said Johnston: “I believe that character does matter. More than ever, we need a leader like Casey Cagle, who lives his values every day, even when no one is looking.”
Both men appear to be trying to expand their reach into the other’s camp. Reed’s message was aimed more at the Republican mainstream:
“This is Ralph Reed, conservative candidate for lieutenant governor, and I’m calling Cobb County Republicans today to tell them I’m a balanced-budget, tax-cutting, pro-family conservative.
“I’m for securing the border, property rights, and the right to keep and bear arms. I’m against wasteful spending, illegal immigration, and higher taxes. I’ve helped build the Republican party for 30 years and I’d appreciate your vote….”
Sow’s earmark is, or is not, a silk purse
Group focuses on "mysterious" $100K for Wesleyan College in Macon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Got a call from Annie Patnaude on Tuesday. She seemed nice enough. Respectful of her elders. Well-spoken. And she had just been escorted off the grounds of Wesleyan College, that most ancient and venerated Methodist institution in Macon.
Patnaude is with a Washington-based group called Americans for Prosperity. They’re on a bus tour across the South, focusing on the “earmarks” contained in the recent budget appropriation aimed at funding the war in Iraq and relief for Hurricane Katrina.
Before we go too deeply, allow us to put forth: One man’s porcine earmark is another’s silk purse. (For the uninformed: This is a Clever Play of an Old Adage. Sow’s ear /= silk purse.)
That said, Americans for Prosperity was focused on a particular $100,000 from the federal government aimed at the city of Macon.
Originally, in the 2004 Veterans Affairs Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, it was intended to help preserve a historic Coca-Cola building.
But the city sold the property. So the money was shifted, in the Senate’s version of the Iraq-Katrina relief bill, to a new driver’s license facility in Macon. But in the House-Senate conference committee, the appropriation was “mysteriously” shifted for “facility renovation, build out and construction at Wesleyan College.” So says Americans for Prosperity.
(We got this late in the day, so no opportunity for comment from Wesleyan.)
What moving hand did this? Hard to say. Patnaude doesn’t know. But likely it was Republican. Johnny Isakson or Saxby Chambliss in the Senate. A far greater number of suspects are in the U.S. House.
Earmarks in federal budgets are anonymous things, so we may never know.
Wesleyan may have needed the money. Given the strapped state of private educational institutions, it may have been desperate. You can decide.
But it’s an interesting debate, with an aspect that we haven’t mentioned yet. Americans for Prosperity is an anti-tax group that has Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, on its board.
AFP’s new president is Tim Phillips, formerly the right-hand man of Ralph Reed at Century Strategies, now running for lieutenant governor.
“We have nothing against Wesleyan College, but this perfectly illustrates the problem with earmarks,” Phillips is quoted as saying in a press release. “This new earmark for Wesleyan was added behind the closed doors of a conference committee, with no information in the legislation about what facility is being renovated, built out and/or constructed.”
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The one-exception rule strikes another candidate
Georgia Right to Life PAC puts out its list of endorsements for the July primary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Right to Life’s political action committee on Monday released its list of endorsements for the July 18 primary.
It’s often a crucial ingredient in Republican contests - though not so critical among Democrats.
Among Republican statewide candidates, the winner may be Bill Stephens, the only GOP candidate for secretary of state to get GRTL’s stamp of approval.
Karen Handel, Stephens’ primary rival and the Fulton County Commission chairman, lost out. “She didn’t meet our criteria,” said Caryl Swift, the GRTL president. She wouldn’t elaborate.
It looks like Handel ran afoul of the group’s “one-exception” mandate, adopted four years ago. Handel opposes abortion, but supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is in danger.
The only exception sanctioned by GRTL is the life of the mother. Two years ago, the group withheld its endorsement from Johnny Isakson in the race for U.S. Senate. Isakson, of course, won without a run-off.
In the Republican race for lieutenant governor, GRTL endorsed both Casey Cagle and Ralph Reed. That wasn’t unexpected, but it does lend fuel to speculation that evangelical conservatives are fracturing over this one.
The group also endorsed two Republican candidates for commissioner of agriculture: Gary Black and Brian Kemp. And Gov. Sonny Perdue, of course. And Perry McGuire for attorney general, who’s running against Democratic incumbent Thurbert Baker.
Only one statewide Democrat received GRTL’S imprimatur of approval. That went to Walter Ray, who’s running for secretary of state. Ray is a former state legislator who went on to become chairman of the state Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Along with fellow board member Bobby Whitworth, Ray was forced from his position by Gov. Roy Barnes during a corruption investigation. Whitworth was convicted of taking a $75,000 payoff to influence legislation that could financially benefit a private probation company.
Ray was not charged.
Swift, the GRTL president, said the group was aware of Ray’s travails when they made the endorsement.
Go here for GRTL’s complete list.
Gitmo political news for your money here
Michael Wiggins, a Bush legal advisor, lets it be known that he wants to wear a Georgia judge's robe
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Want a war over the war on terror? Have we got a state Supreme Court race for you.
As the grapevine predicted, J. Michael Wiggins, the No. 2 legal advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, last week filed the paperwork necessary to start raising funds.
Almost exactly a year ago, Wiggins made headlines during a U.S. Senate hearing, in which he was questioned about the status of 520 prisoners captured by the U.S. in the months after the 9/11 attacks.
“If there is no definition as to when the conflict ends, that means forever, forever, forever these folks get held at Guantanamo Bay,” said U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).
Replied Wiggins: “It’s our position that, legally, they can be held in perpetuity.”
Four state Supreme Court justices are up for re-election in November. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce has conducted a search for opponents, part of the continuing battle with lawyers over tort reform.
The positions are formally non-partisan, but three of the justices date to the recent Democratic era.
Harold Melton, the one justice appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue, is said to be getting a pass because of his sponsor. Wiggins is expected to run against either Carol Hunstein or Hugh Thompson.
Expect this judicial fight to be much bigger than the one that pit now-Chief Justice Leah Sears against Republican challenger Grant Brantley.
Here’s a snippet of one e-mail from a well-placed Georgia lawyer, sent to barristers across the state:
“For all lawyers who have close ties to any leaders in the [Georgia] Chamber and the business community, talking to them and getting them on board to stop this effort to politicize the courts is the key,” the message said. “Starve candidates who would politicize the courts of ‘oxygen’, and someone like this guy will be left with nothing but the hard-core right wing to support him.”
The picket line is crossed, or not
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Southern Voice, the newspaper aimed at Atlanta’s gay community, is reporting that two lesbian politicians, state Rep. Karla Drenner and Decatur City Commissioner Kecia Cunningham, are among 200 women who have lent their names to a Thursday fund-raiser for Cathy Cox, the Democratic candidate for governor.
Before you assume any gay boycott of the Cox campaign is over, Drenner is reported as saying her support isn’t solid — particularly after learning Cox does not support civil unions.
Full story is here
In the end, the only winners are the bookstores
But is it the battle over the bottle blonde, or the bottle over the battle blonde?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State Rep. Rob Teilhet (D-Smyrna) has added his voice to the chorus of those chiding Republicans and conservatives for their coziness with best-selling author and professional quotebox Ann Coulter.
Teilhet e-mailed a letter Friday calling on Georgia Christian Coalition chairman Sadie Fields to cancel Coulter’s invitation to speak at the group’s annual fund-raiser in September.
Teilhet, a Democrat married to Gov. Sonny Perdue’s press secretary, reminded Fields of Coulter’s many controversial remarks, including her latest about the group of 9/11 widows who forced a federal investigation into the terror attacks. Coulter said they’ve taken too much pleasure in their new lives as single women.
“The list of her divisive, hateful, and decidedly un-Christian statements and policy positions is too long to recite here,” Teilhet wrote.
Fields said Coulter is still invited.
“I’m certainly not going to be lectured about my Christian values by Representative Teilhet, who was one of the handful who voted against the [gay] marriage amendment,” Fields said.
Incumbents, don’t get comfy
Longtime legislators feeling the heat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a year when legislative politics in Georgia appears to be largely on autopilot, here’s a sobering thought for incumbents to ponder. Around the country, 38 incumbent state legislators have been thrown out of office this year, and we’re not even through the primaries.
The biggest incumbent killoff took place last month in Pennsylvania, where voters angry over a pay raise gave 17 legislators the boot. But it continued this week with the defeat of incumbents in Alabama - all three of them from the Birmingham area - South Dakota, Iowa and Montana.
What’s striking is that several of those defeated were veteran legislators, including a former House speaker in North Carolina and the Republican leaders of the Pennsylvania Senate. According to a roundup on the website stateline.org, 31 of the 38 incumbents dumped so far have been Republicans.
So, incumbents, when it’s hot as blazes out there this weekend and you’re thinking about calling off that last block-walk of the day, maybe you’d better think again.
Leftovers from a businessman’s lunch
Or, what people with money talk about late at night, in the kitchen, while balancing their checkbooks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Steve Forbes, in town for that Casey Cagle fund-raiser, likes to talk. Fortunately, he likes to talk about more than politics.
Some non-political highlights from his Thursday speech:
Too much is made of consumer debt, Forbes said. “When you look at the American consumer, and add up what they own in stocks, bonds, banks CDs, market funds, and life insurance policies, and take out what people owe on credit cars, take out what they owe on mortgages — American consumers today are plus $26 trillion. American consumers are the biggest suppliers of capital in the global credit market.”
Not enough has been made of inflation. “Over the last two years, to be blunt, the Federal Reserve has been printing, inadvertently, much too much money,” Forbes said. “We have a new federal reserve chairman. Never complain again about what it costs to educate your kids and grandkids in colleges. The tuition we’re paying for Ben Bernanke’s education will vastly exceed anything you pay for your kids. He’s a smart guy, eventually he’ll learn it.”
On immigration, Forbes said no one’s talking about the core reason for the uproar among Americans. Mexico’s economy is a basket-case. Fix Mexico’s job-engine — he cited Ireland’s transformation as an example — and the border problem disappears.
No such thing as bad publicity
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The timing for Sadie Fields, chairman of the Georgia Christian Coalition, couldn’t have been better. This is the week that the Right’s blond bad girl, Ann Coulter, began taking heat for her comment about the widows who pushed for a federal commission to investigate the 9/11 attacks.
“I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ deaths so much,” she wrote in the book she’s now peddling — “Godless: The Church of Liberalism.”
It just so happens that this is the week that Fields let it be known that Coulter will headline the Coalition’s annual fund-raiser on Sept. 16 — the one that will pay for voter guides in the November elections. Tickets are $65.
A pot-luck dinner from Gwinnett
Quick quotes from both Democrats and Republicans, for lieutenant governor and secretary of state
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Following are notes from Wednesday evening’s political forum at the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce. Consider them rough drafts of the first draft of history.
We’ll link you with sound from the event ASAP.
Casey Cagle, one of two Republican candidates for lieutenant governor, invoked the ghost of the late Gov. George Busbee. No doubt he was also trying to cope with the reams of policy statements issued by rival Ralph Reed.
Said Cagle: “In a political campaign, you hear a lot of political rhetoric. People put a lot of fluffy things out there that sound real good. But at the end of day, you don’t want a show horse, you want a work horse. You want somebody there who can deliver, who has led in the past, and delivered for you in the business community.”
Allen Buckley, the Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor and a self-described “atrocious public speaker,” may have had the most honest plea ever heard from a candidate.
Said Buckley: “Does anybody out there think that the world would come to an end if I were elected lieutenant governor of the state of Georgia? Anybody?”
Ralph Reed, the other candidate for lieutenant governor, demonstrated the eagerness with which many Republicans intend to disassociate themselves with Washington.
Said Reed, in explaining his demand that state budget surpluses be returned to taxpayers: “One of the two major parties is really good at raising your taxes and spending your money. The other party, my party, is good at cutting taxes, but not always good at controlling spending. I really think we need to do both.”
The bravest might have been Rufus Terrill, a conservative Democrat who stressed limits on government.
Said Terrill: “This gay marriage ban. I’m against it. You cannot make your faith stronger by taking rights away from people. It’s not going to work. It didn’t work in Germany.”
The Gwinnett chamber also hosted candidates for secretary of state. (Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Walter Ray sent representatives.)
Said Shyam Reddy, a Democrat: “I believe our political system is broken. I believe it has been hijacked by extreme elements of society.”
Pay attention to what was said by Bill Stephens, a Republican candidate for secretary of state. It smacks of the future.
Said Stephens: “The secretary of state of Georgia ought to fight for Georgia, not apologize for Georgia all the time. When it comes to the Voting Rights Act, Georgia ought to be treated with the same dignity as other states in the nation. We’ve been punished for years now — allegedly, temporarily — for our sins in the ‘40s, 50s and 60s. “I will seek out and enforce Georgia laws. …without regard to race, creed color or persuasion. If Cynthia McKinney shows up again at a Dekalb County polling place with a bullhorn, screaming at people, I’m going to put her in jail.”
And there was a reminder that not all the world revolves around two political parties.
Said Scott Holcomb, a Democratic candidate for secretary of state: “July 18 is the biggest day on my calendar this year for me for two reasons. The first is the primary. If you’re a Democrat, I’d love your support. If you’re a Republican, I’d love your vote in November. And, I’m also an expectant father, and the due-date is July 18.”
Makes you wonder where he’ll be election night.
Teachers shun Cox for Taylor
But their Republican endorsements — Kathy with a 'K' and Casey Cagle — are just as interesting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The big news of the day, of course, is the endorsement of Mark Taylor for governor by the Georgia Association of Educators.
For newcomers, the teachers organization is probably the most important Democratic constiuency, after African-Americans.
Endorsements are often instances of politically savy groups betting on likely winners. Jeff Hubbard, president-elect of the group, cited Taylor’s long track record with educators. But the timing suggests that the current downturn of the Cathy Cox campaign made the GAE decision easier.
The GAE also gave clean bills of health to all three major Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor: Greg Hecht, Jim Martin and Steen Miles.
But the surprises were the two Republicans the group endorsed. Casey Cagle, in the primary race for lieutenant governor. And Kathy Cox for school superintendent.
Think about that last one. The GAE withholds its approval from Gov. Sonny Perdue, who truly holds the reins on education in the state. But the group endorses his chief lieutenant. It damns Perdue for cuts to education funding, but compliments K-Cox for doing well with the remander.
“Superintendent Cox has faced tough economic challenges with cuts to education funding and has worked hard to implement the cumbersome No Child Left Behind law in Georgia,” GAE said in its endorsement statement.
Odd, but perhaps not overly so. If an endorsement is a bet, where do you think the better odds are in a general election? A race between Mark Taylor and incumbent Sonny Perdue? Or Democrat Denise Majette versus Kathy Cox in the race for state school superintendent?
Rumormongering among the robes
Nothing like three Supreme court races to keep voters at the edge of their seats
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Heath Garrett, chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, gave a stem-winding, closed-door speech to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce last month. How good was it?
Certain lawyers are putting pressure on the man to run for the state Supreme Court. Don’t expect it to happen. Isakson appears on the ascendancy in Washington these days. And there’s always that rumor that Isakson has his eye on the 2010 race for governor.
That said, it’s certain that Chamber-types are scouring the fields for business-friendly candidates to challenge Supreme Court incumbents. Up for re-election are justices Carol Hunstein, George Carley, Hugh Thompson and new-comer Harold Melton.
Word is that Melton is being given a pass because of his sponsor, Gov. Sonny Perdue. The only candidate we’ve heard mentioned — by both Republicans and Democrats with ears to the ground — is Michael Wiggins, who is (or was, as of last year ) a deputy associate attorney general with the U.S. Justice Department.
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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On higher-class emergency rooms
And a GOP acknowledgement that ticking off school systems may not have been such a hot idea
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eric Johnson, the Republican leader of the state Senate, speechified late last week at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, a local, conservative think tank.
The Savannah lawmaker gave a preview of some interesting fights to come at the state Capitol.
Some will be waltzes between Democrats and Republicans. But not a few will be internal disputes that could put a strain on the new ruling party. We offer a few excerpts below.
On health care:
“We must lobby the federal government to remove the requirement that hospitals treat everybody who walks into their emergency rooms. No reform can work as long as ‘free’ care is available.”
On education:
—“Vouchers are not yet politically feasible.” (Note the word “yet.”)
—“We need to realize that school boards are relevant and cannot be ignored.” (Possibly, this should have been addressed before election season.)
On economic development:
Johnson said debate over “private cities” would continue. “The constitution should be amended to allow Community Development Districts to be created that use private financing of infrastructure for new developments rather than property taxes and public debt. They would be self-governed and only created with the approval of the local government.”
On privacy:
“We should realize that we need to continue to strike a balance between public safety and privacy with such issues as cameras at red lights, identity theft, and the availability of consumer data. Technology versus privacy will be a growing problem.”
A six-month extension for Bobby Kahn?
Democrats want to put off a fight over who'll lead the party. Because they don't know where they're headed.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Democrats have put out an announcement that they’ll hold this year’s state convention in Atlanta on Sept. 16.
The story behind this: About 2,000 delegates are to elect a new slate of party officials at this gathering, including a new chairman.
Bobby Kahn has quietly let it be known that he’s not willing to serve another term.
But Democrats are wary about a floor fight in the middle of a crucial gubernatorial campaign that could very well determine whether they’ve got a 40-year hike in the wilderness ahead of them.
So there’ll be a meeting of the state Democratic executive committee later this month. On the agenda will be a proposal to put off election of a new chairman until after November, when Democratic fortunes will be a little more clear.
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Of rap and Muzak
DeKalb goes for the MP3 vote. For the elevator set. And the boom-boxers.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Politics in DeKalb County has gone musical. Angela Moore, a Democratic candidate for secretary of state, has campaign rap. Very groovy. Or awesome. Or whatever.
By contrast, Hank Johnson, the DeKalb commissioner running against Cynthia McKinney for the 4th District congressional seat, has invested in a milder campaign song. Something that white people can dance to. Badly.
But the lyrics are interesting, including this line: “Someone who’s willing, who’ll always be there at the table.”
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Reading other people’s mail
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The people behind Mark Taylor and Cathy Cox continue to pick at each other like two kids in the back seat of a mini-van. (Advice to parents: This is what captain’s chairs are all about. No more arguments about whose finger strays across the invisible line.)
The latest tiff has to do with opposition research being conducted by Taylor’s staff, searching through roughly 8,000 records in the secretary of state’s office, now headed by Cox.
It’s much ado about nothing. Taylor’s people are upset by what they see as a snarky tone used by Tom Mishou, the Cox staffer in charge of requests for inspection of public records.
But what’s more interesting is the actual content of the letter — and the areas Taylor has picked out for research. The Tri-State Crematorium?
Taylor also wants to look into Cox’s use of $4.5 million on TV, radio and newspaper advertising in an anti-fraud campaign that ended just before she began her campaign for governor. The ads were funded with money from a national lawsuit against investment firms that states received for investor education.
Mishou tells Taylor’s people that the person who knew the most about that program has left the state’s employment and — gosh — they haven’t been able to get in touch with him. That person, of course, is Chris Riggall, now Cox’s campaign manager.
Read the entire May 22, 2006 letter below.
Office of the Secretary of State Open Records Compliance Thomas E. Mishou Suite 802 – West Tower #2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30334 404-656-2868 mishou@sos.state.ga.us
May 22, 2006
Mr. Kevin C McKeon 234 C Peachtree Hills Avenue Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Dear Mr. McKeon:
Thank you for the checks, totaling $2,663.20 which you enclosed in your last communication, setting the stage to inspect several documents which you believe to be in our possession.
Before we get confused with the many inspection details (your list IS extensive), and the further costs you will incur during your inspection visits, let me first state that I have set aside the following dates for you to begin your inspection:
Thursday, June 1st; Friday, June 2; Monday, June 5; and, Thursday, June 13th. In an extreme pinch, I may also be able to adjust my schedule, making the morning of Tuesday, June 6th also available.
You will need to contact me to arrange the actual appointment time(s) – but in the interest of openness, and knowing that you are in an extreme rush to inspect these documents (seven weeks and counting), I want you to immediately know that we are willing to open wide the files we reasonably expect to have gathered by that time.
Now, on to your letter:
Press Releases: I have been informed that the gathering of Lewis Massey’s press releases is proceeding according to the schedule I originally assumed. These documents will be available during the times cited above and very likely during your first visit.
Further compliance costs for this portion of your request, at this point, are estimated at $57.30. Additional costs will be accrued depending on the amount of inspection time you require, as well as the normal costs incurred for copying any press release you wish copied.
Tri-State Crematorium: A large quantity of documents relating to the Tri-State matter were located in the file cabinets of various divisions within our agency and in the state records center. Though, in the abundance of caution, the search is on-going I fully expect all related documents in our possession will be available for your inspection during the times cited above and very likely during your first visit.
Further compliance costs for this portion of your request, at this point, are estimated at less than $300.00. Additional costs will be accrued depending on the amount of inspection time you require, as well as the normal costs incurred for copying any press release you wish copied.
Tri-State Transcripts: These documents have all been located, though vetting for confidential information the testimony of literally hundreds of citizens has taken a significant amount of time. At this time I estimate an additional 10 hours of vetting / redaction time, resulting in an additional compliance cost of $351.60.
Additional costs will be accrued depending on the amount of inspection time you require, as well as the normal costs incurred for copying any press release you wish copied.
Georgia Pharmacy: Good News!!! One of the may beneficial results emanating from Secretary of State Cox’s quest to enhance digitization of our agency is that all minutes from the Georgia Board of Pharmacy are on-line. Obviously, there are no compliance costs associated with these documents.
I have identified other documents which I believe to be pertinent to this portion of your request, and I am continuing to search other file cabinets for still further documents. Because of the above stated good news, I believe that you will not incur any additional compliance costs concerning documents relating to the Georgia Board of Pharmacy.
IPT: Unfortunately, bad news sometimes follows good news. The employee most associated with the entire IPT project, Mr. Chris Riggall, no longer works for us. I recently learned where he is now employed and I am attempting to contact him by phone to determine where all these documents are located. He is a busy fellow !! I’ll keep you posted on the status of gathering these documents.
All Previous Open Records: The bulk of previous open records requests submitted to this office since 2001 have been gathered. In an attempt to keep your costs down, I have not attempted to count the total number of individual pages, though my rough estimation is that approximately 3,000 pages exist and will be available for your personal inspection.
These pages were gathered in such a way as to not encumber you with any associated search costs. Additional compliance costs will be accrued depending on the amount of inspection time you require as well as the normal costs incurred for copying.
Well, Mr. McKeon – this IS quite a project. Thank you for presenting these administrative challenges to me. I do enjoy projects which keep me active and sharp. And, of course I’m thrilled at your interest in the operations of this agency. It’s is rewarding to find, after 25 years service to three administrations, that people are interested in the work we do.
I look forward to your call setting up appointment times during the dates specified at the beginning of this letter.
Future compliance costs will be billed at $35.16 per inspection hour; $19.10 per copying hour; and, 25¢ per page copied. Payment will be due at the end of each inspection visit, so don’t forget your checkbook.
Sincerely,
Thomas E. Mishou
Whupping up on Cathy Cox
An Internet ad is intended to keep the the gay-marriage pot roiling
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor’s crew says it has nothing to do with it, but another Internet ad is floating through the atmosphere, accusing Cathy Cox of flip-flopping on gay marriage. The title is “Cathy Chameleon Cox.”
Now that we think of it, the hit comes 24 hours after the state Republican party put out a press release on Cox, with the same theme. And it closes with a snippet that rips off a “Peanuts” cartoon: “You say the cutest things.” That’s a put-down that a Democrat might avoid, if he wants the female vote.
Here’s the link.
Postscript: After perusing youtube.com, fairness dictates that we offer you more.
Here’s a parody of Governor Perdue’s “Sonny Did” introductory ad.
And here’s a rather crude one on Democrat Mark Taylor. Best line? “More governor for the pound”.
Again, all authors are unknown. The Interent is convenient that way.
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