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Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Even the ag commissioner race heats up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today’s mailbox included — from what we can tell — the first attack flyer in the Republican run-off for state agriculture commission.
It’s a piece issued by Brian Kemp, a state senator from Athens. He’s calling for a 10 percent cut in spending for the state Department of Agriculture. We haven’t gotten much into this contest, but apparently Kemp’s rival, Gary Black, a lobbyist for agri-business, has counseled caution in this area.
“Gary Black calls Kemp’s plan ‘irresponsible,’” thunders the mail piece.
Yet another 4th District poll
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Matt Towery and his Insider Advantage have a tracking poll in the 4th District congressional run-off between Democrats Hank Johnson and incumbent Cynthia McKinney.
The survey, released this afternoon, shows Johnson at 49 percent, but also has McKinney increasing her support to 34 percent. Seventeen percent remain undecided.
If the numbers are solid, it’s not good new for McKinney — and would not be good news for any incumbent.
The survey was conducted Monday evening, the night of the GPTV/Atlanta Press Club debate between the two candidates. Again, this is a tracking poll, the first day of a series of cumulative, rolling surveys.
It’s based on interviews with 300 likely voters, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.
View the entire survey here, but — fair warning — this is a subscription site.
McKinney vs. Johnson and a definition of clout
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
That was an intriguing punching match between Cynthia McKinney and Hank Johnson last night.
Consider it a contest between McKinney’s enthusiastic glibness and Johnson’s plodding - supporters would say relentless - attacks on the incumbent congresswoman’s fondness for excess.
One of the questions is whether anti-McKinney voters are at all bothered by Johnson’s financial troubles, which include a bankruptcy. His sonambulant nature shouldn’t hurt him - and could in fact help him with his work-horse-not-a-show-horse campaign. Think Casey Cagle versus Ralph Reed, Joe Frank Harris versus Bo Ginn.
While you’re kicking this around, here’s something to chew over: McKinney repeatedly said on Monday night, televised nationally on C-SPAN, that congress.org had rated her highest on legislation among the Democratic members of Georgia’s congressional delegation - even above U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
True enough. But not the whole truth. What she referred to was only a partial ranking by congress.org, a score based on the fact that she was the only Democratic member of the Georgia delegation to successfully introduce legislation in 2005. In that category, McKinney came in at No. 285 among 437 House members.
The McKinney legislation would lay the groundwork for the Arabia Mountain national park in DeKalb County. It passed the House on July 24, but still requires Senate approval. Ironically, Johnson criticized McKinney for missing a post-primary vote on the legislation.
But in In its comprehensive “power rankings,” - which includes such things as committee position and general influence - congress.org put McKinney, a 12-year veteran, second to last in the Georgia delegation, at No. 408. Just ahead of rookie U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Savannah.
In terms of total clout, Lewis ranked seventh in a 13-member Georgia delegation, ahead of Republicans Lynn Westmoreland and Phil Gingrey.
