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DEL.ICIO.USHow to get a $100,000 tax break? Says Sonny: “Well, you get elected governor, Brian.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Listen to the audio clips: Democrats’ sound clip | Perdue’s sound clip
Four years ago, with his race on the edge and a TV camera pointed square at his face, Gov. Roy Barnes sought to deflect criticism arising from the deaths of several foster children in state custody.
Look, he said, “Out of 20,000 children, you’re going to have children die every day.”
It was a massive blunder. Upstart Republican Sonny Perdue took what little money he had, and blanketed the state with Barnes’ voice on a TV ad, echoing, “Children die every day…every day….every day.”
The shoe may have slipped onto the other foot during Tuesday’s afternoon rush-hour.
The program was “The Right Side with Shelley Wynter” on WAOK (1380 AM). The guest was Governor Perdue from Houston County, and the caller was Brian from parts unknown.
Brian: “Hello, Governor, I’m a big fan of yours.”
Sonny Perdue: “Thanks, Brian.”
Brian: “I’d like to think I’m a lot like you. I just graduated from UGA and recently married my high school sweetheart.”
Sonny Perdue: “All right. I hope you make it 34 years like we have.”
Brian: “Well, that’s my goal, Governor. The one thing I haven’t been able to do is find a way to have a friend of mine write me a bill that saves me a $100,000 on my taxes. I was wondering how I might be able to get that done.”
Sonny Perdue: “Well, you get elected governor, Brian. I appreciate your question. That was really nice. I appreciate you being a fan, and i wish you well on your honeymoon.”
As you can hear on the sound clip, peddled by Democrats first thing this morning, the question caught Perdue by surprise. His reply is partly flip, partly testy.
“Clearly this was an orchestrated call, and the governor was being dismissive of a ridiculous question,” said Derrick Dickey, spokesman for the Perdue re-election campaign.
But the gaffe was also Perdue’s first public comment about a serious situation: Legislation passed in 2005, proposed by his business attorney, state Rep. Larry O’Neal (R-Perry), which allowed the governor to defer taxes with the purchase of some Florida acreage.
The Perdue side provided its own, additional sound clip in which Wynter, the WAOK radio host, apologizes to the governor for Brian — who apparently didn’t ask what he said he’d ask.
“You and I both know what’s going on, Shelley,” Perdue replies. (The next caller pretends he’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, and asks why Perdue’s TV ads look so much like his.)
Orchestrated or not, the governor said what he said. If you’re a Republican, you have to wince.
Democratic spokesman Emil Runge swears he doesn’t know who “Brian” is, or whether he was a party plant. Nor is Runge likely to inquire.
One thing’s for sure: Expect Brian on WAOK to become something of a star. If Democrats have their way, and can scrape up enough money to put it on TV, “Well, you get elected governor, Brian” could be their catch phrase for the ‘06 season.
By the by, we checked with WAOK. The Democratic sound clip is true and accurate, a spokeswoman said. The click you hear on the MP3 file is the sound of Brian — a sandbagger extraodinaire — hanging up his phone.
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By disgusted republican
September 13, 2006 12:49 PM | Link to this
It seems that some things never change. These candidates promise all the right things until they get in office. I am a teacher and voted for the Governor because of what he promised to do for education. After taking office he didn’t think about or do anything for education until his grandstanding this year. All the time he was feathering his own nest. I am hurt and disappointed. The Governor mislead us and his actions are the same as all greedy politicans.
By Lisa Curvin
September 13, 2006 1:28 PM | Link to this
I was comletely disgusted by “Brian“‘s planted call. No one from The governor’s campaign tried to do something dirty like that while the Lt. Governor was on earlier in the program and by doing it Taylor’s campaign looked like a desparate outfit. It is no wonder that Perdue has over 20% support coming from the African American community. Big Guy, indeed.
By WAOK
September 13, 2006 2:37 PM | Link to this
Big Guy = Big Lie… he doesn’t know who called in. What a load of crap! I’m glad the announcer called it out as another one of Taylor’s dirty campaign tactics. Big Guy, big lie.
By RMiller
September 13, 2006 2:55 PM | Link to this
Hell, I’m still trying to find out how to work only two hours a week for a $100k a year allowance.
By Rawena
September 13, 2006 3:02 PM | Link to this
Planted call or not, it still makes Perdue look like a big a*******hole.
By Ha Ha HA
September 13, 2006 3:02 PM | Link to this
I love it!!!
The big bad governor got caught showing his true GOP, f the poor, it’a alright I deserve it ‘cause I’m rich colors.
I hope the Dems play this all friggin’ fall.
Sonny is single handedly trying to bring Maryland style crookedness into Georgia.
Go Spiro, no wait…
Go Marvin, no wait…
Go Don, no wait that’s not it either…
oh, yeah,…
Go Sonny!!!
By mom
September 13, 2006 3:06 PM | Link to this
why are you bickering over whether it was a planted caller, instead of discussing whether you can support a governor who gets himself special 100k tax breaks.
By mom
September 13, 2006 3:09 PM | Link to this
why are you bickering over whether it was a planted caller, instead of discussing whether you can support a governor who gets himself special 100k tax breaks.
By John D
September 13, 2006 3:57 PM | Link to this
When I looked up the word “obfuscation” in my dictionary it gave this definition: the Republican activity of obscuring people’s understanding, leaving them baffled or bewildered.
Of course it doesn’t make a tinker’s damn who the caller was; the Governor’s answer is the news.
By Justin
September 13, 2006 4:19 PM | Link to this
I think it’s ironic how many on the right like to tout the fact that radio hosts present a forum in which even those who disagree get heard, and in fact get priority in calling order. However, most times when a host or guest is challenged…drop…there goes the caller.
I give Perdue credit for many achivements that are not headline-generating issues, but he’s screwed himself with this issue, both the act and his response.
By etb53@netscape.net
September 13, 2006 4:54 PM | Link to this
Sonny lied to everybody about the Flag vote, but this time I think he is telling the Truth.
By LeftPerdue
September 13, 2006 5:30 PM | Link to this
I have also heard that Mr. Cagle, the Republican Lt. Gov. candidate who made a fortune as a banker while serving on the senate banking committee, has been arguing with former Reed supporters who have confronted him as he has traveled on his statewide tour.
He would rather argue than admit his campaign went too far in its charges against Mr. Reed.
I think both Perdue and Cagle are ethically challenged and I for one plan to vote Libertarian for the first time in my life this November.
By Matt
September 13, 2006 8:02 PM | Link to this
Give me a break! Most politicians are “farmers” or lawyers, or both. As lawyers, they write bills to give themselves,”farmers”, breaks every day. (Sorry to offend the real farmers who actually work on a farm). That’s the life of politics in America today, Democrat or Republican.
By Walter
September 13, 2006 8:19 PM | Link to this
Anyone who is close to Gov Perdue knows that this is actually a version of one of his favorite ways to blow up at people. He loves to challenge folks by asking them how they would sell something to the public or how they would do this or that if they were Governor, and then he always ends it by saying “great answer, qualifying is coming up for candidates, you get yourself elected if you want to do that”. It is actually his way of diverting an argument that he is losing or ending an argument where he really does not know the facts - he does it all the time because it gives him the oppty to try to bully the other person. Sounds like he screwed up and lapsed into a version of one of his favorite tactics only to come out sounding really, really bad as a result!
By You Crazy Diamond
September 13, 2006 9:17 PM | Link to this
The point: Gov gets $100K tax break and you and I do not. He will never discuss this besides saying something like “I’ve already discussed this”. Point # 2 There is not 5 cents worth of difference between this Republican governor and any Democrat in the state when it comes to padding their own pockets.
By GodHatesTrash
September 13, 2006 10:13 PM | Link to this
Let’s face it - it’s not hard to make Sonny look like an idiot. What a fat unctuous POS he is.
Pure trash.
By Steve
September 13, 2006 10:33 PM | Link to this
Two things to keep in mind here.
1) It doesn’t matter who the caller was or who put him up to it. What matters is the facts. Purdue’s business partner sponsored a bill that gave our Gov. $100,000 in tax breaks that you and I don’t get.
2) Only one person in the state of Georgia benefited from this bill….Purdue.
It’s ashame that you conservatives can’t EVER see the forest for the trees. Purdue used his influence as Gov. and his friend/partner in the Senate to get this tax break. Why does it matter who the caller was and who may have put him up to it!?!
By Rob
September 13, 2006 10:53 PM | Link to this
We need to look at the facts:
1) Mr. Purdue took advantage of a legal part of our tax code, a 1031 Exchange, which allows him to defer taxes on the $100,000. I say defer, because he will have to pay these taxes, he’s just deferred paying them until a later date.
2) Any taxpayer in the state of Georgia can take advantage of the same law. It wasn’t written just for Mr. Purdue.
3) Many other states have the same law Georgia just enacted.
By Bruce
September 13, 2006 10:53 PM | Link to this
Hmmm. Think I’ll take ol’ sonny’s advice. Get myself elected governor, so I can cut m’self a $100K tax break.
By Brian
September 13, 2006 11:00 PM | Link to this
Hey, Mark, I’m a big fan of yours (oops, excuse me, I shouldn’t say ‘big’ to a drunkard who is morbidly obese), but, anyway, I just got married again and want to know how I can get a job where I “work” one hour per month and make $100,000 per year?
Taylor: Well, Brian, try and get a rich daddy to adopt you; then he’ll cover for every screw-up you ever make and set you up in a cushy do-nothing job in a Buckhead mansion.
By Hahhahahahaha
September 14, 2006 2:38 AM | Link to this
Actually Walter your right, I have been on the recieving end of one of those blowups when the Governor asked a table of supporters how his campaign was feeling like they never see him. He then asked if I wanted to compare schedules and said something to the effect of Governors have to Govern.
BTW, I am still a supporter as I was in late 2001 and 2002, and will vote for him in November.
By PapaAndGranny
September 14, 2006 6:52 AM | Link to this
My wife’s retired parents inherited some land that they sold and the FEDS hit them hard on their Capital Gains Tax. They keep asking me how the GOV can get away with this when they can’t. I guess next year they are gonna let Ole Sonny do their tax return. How much more will it take to make people understand that like preachers, politicians are money hungry liars and cheats.
By Hunter
September 14, 2006 6:58 AM | Link to this
Brian above…you are killin me this morning…ROFLMAO…yours is the talent that needs exposure!!!
By Lifelong_Dem
September 14, 2006 10:19 AM | Link to this
In my 22 years of voting, I will be voting for a Republican for the first time. Way to keep it REAL, Sonny!!!!!
By Rip
September 14, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this
I’m a veteran and I will never vote for a chicken Democrat. $100,000 tax break? Why do you think The Big Boys Running?
By Henry
September 14, 2006 10:47 AM | Link to this
Democrats know only one way to conduct themselves and that is to criticize Republicans. If a Democrat were to have an original constructive idea we would have to call for a new holiday.
Democrats are ruining this country of ours and creating hatred that does not belong in the free world.
By Lagert
September 14, 2006 10:52 AM | Link to this
Crazy Diamond,
By Lagert
September 14, 2006 10:54 AM | Link to this
Crazy Diamond,
Why does Perdue only get to use the tax bill to save him tax money? Why is it not available to everyone?
By Lagert
September 14, 2006 10:55 AM | Link to this
Crazy Diamond,
Why does Perdue only get to use the tax bill to save him tax money? Why is it not available to everyone?
By Lagert
September 14, 2006 10:57 AM | Link to this
Crazy Diamond,
Why does Perdue only get to use the tax bill to save him tax money? Why is it not available to everyone?
By Lagert
September 14, 2006 10:59 AM | Link to this
Crazy Diamond,
Why does Purdue get to use the tax deferal and the rst of us do not?
By SickofitAll!!
September 14, 2006 11:51 AM | Link to this
Sooooo…..THE LEOPARD IS FINALLY SHOWING HIS SPOTS!!!!!
And you all are surprised? You can’t honestly be that blind, deaf and dumb!!!!!
By Activisyxyz
September 14, 2006 12:43 PM | Link to this
Why do you people keep saying that the tax bill only gives the Governor a tax break - You are spreading ridiculous propaganda that assumes someone is so dense that they will actual believe that the legislature passed legislation that would give a tax break to ONE person - Give readers some credit - That’s fine if you want to criticize - but don’t insult me with your ignorant propaganda. The sabatoge call makes the Taylor campaign look dirty, dirty, dirty.
By Activisyxyz
September 14, 2006 12:44 PM | Link to this
Why do you people keep saying that the tax bill only gives the Governor a tax break - You are spreading ridiculous propaganda that assumes someone is so dense that they will actual believe that the legislature passed legislation that would give a tax break to ONE person - Give readers some credit - That’s fine if you want to criticize - but don’t insult me with your ignorant propaganda. The sabotage call makes the Taylor campaign look dirty, dirty, dirty (accurately so).
By Saxman
September 14, 2006 2:52 PM | Link to this
If more people were better informed, before opening their mouths, we’d be a lot better off…
How he knows the caller was a DNC “plant” is suspect, & just a defensive posture.
It should matter not WHO the questioner is! Isn’t the QUESTION, and his non-answer (or Freudian slip of an answer) the relevant, & IMPORTANT element here?
That the host apologized for the caller (he said the caller told his screener a different question) & his question is quite telling. Why was this question considered “off-base”? And worse, this implies that had he told the screener his actual question, he would’ve been censored, hardly “fair & balanced”, much less a “fact-finding” interview.
Don’t we WANT our elected officials, and those seeking office, to answer the HARD questions?
Trying to point fingers at the caller is only shooting the messenger, and just blatant partisan obfuscation. Can’t we all see that this lockstep partisanship is what’s ruining this country, NOT only the Democrats (who aren’t even in power) or only the Republicans?
Not only do we need fresh faces in Congress, but I wish the Republicans hadn’t breached their “Contract w/America”, by ignoring their promise of TERM LIMITS!!!
By WirelessBuzz
September 14, 2006 3:48 PM | Link to this
Wow…this is the best the Democrats have to offer as to why we should not vote for Sonny??? I am a conservative and while I do think the Governor has done somethings with which I disagree, he has certainly done well enough in office to deserve reelection. Mark Taylor is going to have to come up with something far more compelling than a smart remark in response to a setup from a Democratic supporter to make me reconsider my vote for Sonny in November.
By JJos
September 14, 2006 4:07 PM | Link to this
Excellent rebuttal Saxman.
It’s not the tax relief, it the circumstances and the last minute backdating to a year when the average taxpayer had already filed and would not benefit unless they were subsequently informed and went back and did their taxes.
On the surface, there is a strong appearance of complicity with the lawmaker who changed the dates. If he was innocent, he would be wise to be more open about the whole thing.
Why has Sonny been avoiding the question? Why does it take someone that appears to be a supporter before he addresses a question of moral propriety?
By Activisyxyz
September 14, 2006 5:21 PM | Link to this
And the next question is who really cares?
If I wanted to point a finger, why not point it at the legislator who sponsored the legislation? Nothing reaches the Governor’s desk without the support of both the house and the senate. The Govenor can’t just pull a bill out of his you-know-what.
The radio show screened callers for Taylor’s interview, too. The question was off-base because the nasty way he did it - he buttered him up and then bam! Very ugly. There is no way it wasn’t a set-up -it is obvious and any argument against that is a joke.
Democrats aren’t in power - true - but they do everything they can to undermine republican leadership - not for the good people in Georgia - but so that they can regain their power and push their own agendas.
Taylor has very questionable ethics - from illegal contributions to shady family business deals - At the end of the day this is a wash.
The truth of the matter is that Purdue has done a good job and my guess is that he will easily be re-elected.
By GLC
September 14, 2006 10:53 PM | Link to this
Why would we want to go back? Quite frankly, because experience tells us that what we have in the Governor’s office is not what we need!
By Debbie
September 18, 2006 8:39 AM | Link to this
This is in response to “Henry” who wrote September 14th: You wrote: “Democrats know only one way to conduct themselves and that is to criticize Republicans.
Democrats are ruining this country of ours and creating hatred that does not belong in the free world.”
First, by you insulting Democrats, you’ve just done the very thing you accused Democrats of doing, haven’t you? And second, The Democrats are creating hatred??? What exactly does that mean? Do you mean they are creating hatred by disagreeing with the existing politicians? Creating hatred because they don’t agree with Bush? Creating hatred because they are not acting like little puppets as the Republicans are doing? If you, as a Republican, hate - then it’s your problem!!! I’m a Democrat. I certainly don’t “Hate” any Republicans. I just simply disagree with the policies of this government and am exercising my right of free speech to say so. And that DOES belong in the free world. That’s what makes this a free world.
And, back to the real subject at hand, I view Perdue as just another Georgia “Good Ol’ Boy”! He’ll smile and talk with that cute little southern accent, then do whatever he pleases when you turn to walk away! His campaign was all about education when he was running for election before. Ask any teacher how they’ve benefited from his being in office. Oh wait, didn’t he help pass something in the last month or so that gives each teacher a $100 gift certificate to somewhere? Wow, that’s worth something isn’t it??? I’m sure each and every teacher was thrilled beyond words to get that instead of better classroom assistance or a significant raise! VOTE FOR TAYLOR!! WE NEED A CHANGE!!!
By Activisyxyz
September 19, 2006 10:44 AM | Link to this
Does Debbie honestly think that Taylor isn’t a good ol’ boy? Give me a break.
I had to meet him once for work - Afterwards I felt like I needed to take a shower, he was such a dirty politician.