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Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The troubadour and the general choose sides
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Democratic secretary of state candidates Shyam Reddy and Scott Holcomb, who are both up with new ads, have picked up support from a couple of well-known names.
Indie fans will notice that the voice in the new Reddy ad is that of singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins, an active member of “Team Reddy,� according to a press release.
Many of those the voice is speaking to might not recognize it. The ad’s about protecting seniors by fighting investment fraud and nursing home abuse, in addition to “protecting our right to vote,� which is a hot topic this year.
Meanwhile Scott Holcomb, who has emphasized his military experience, released an endorsement letter from former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, Gen. Wesley Clark.
“Scott Holcomb served our country proudly, deploying in support of conflicts in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Now Scott is answering another call to public service, and I am pleased to endorse his effort and candidacy for Georgia Secretary of State,â€? Clark’s endorsement says.
By the way: Is Holcomb’s new ad the first this year to deal specifically with electronic voting?
The TV ad war of the season?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve got a nuclear exchange going between Ralph Reed and Casey Cagle in the Republican race for lieutenant governor.
After a 24-hour lag, Reed just went up with his response to a brutal ad from Cagle, accusing Reed of helping Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff go to bat for the Northern Marianas Islands, a U.S. territory that operates under its own labor laws. The ad cites reports of child prostitution and forced abortions.
Reed’s response is a three-pronged attack, accusing Cagle of failure to pay the proper payroll taxes for his campaign staff, of making a $1,000 donation to Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, and of using his legislative seat to benefit his banking business.
No mention of the Marianas Island issue in the Reed ad. For the moment, the Reed campaign appears to be depending on print and e-mail for that.
Even so, Reed still squeezes some face time into the 30-second ad to declare: “I’ve always worked for what we believe in: faith, family and freedom. That’s why the liberal media and others attack me. Because I’ve stood for you and our conservative values.”
With a week to go, this remains very much a fight for control of the base.
Both campaigns appear to be closing in on saturation, buying points in the statewide range of 1000 to 1,200 points — meaning you’ll see each ad nearly a dozen times.
More details to come later. Obviously, the ads are tied to the release of this week’s financial disclosures. For now:
Cagle’s attack.
And Reed’s post and riposte.
Watch, then come back and tell us who won.
Reed and Cagle at or near parity
Reed tosses in $500,000 of his own cash to help push himself over the line
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The two Republican candidates for lieutenant governor filed their June 30 disclosures late Monday, and they’re at near parity in the final days of the campaign.
Ralph Reed raised $846,940.86 over the quarter, but that includes a $500,000 loan from the candidate. Total raised to date is $2.9 million, but remember that figure contains some cash that can’t be spent until the general election. Cagle likewise has some money earmarked for the general, but not as much.
Casey Cagle reported raising $1,083,312 over the last three months — as he points out, triple the amount that came from Reed donors. Cagle puts his fund-raising total at $2,520,027.
Details to come. The State Ethics Commission system is swamped, and we’ve been unable to download the actual documents.
These figures come from the campaigns, and neither side has yet disclosed the most crucial bit of information: Cash on hand.
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