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Sunday, October 29, 2006
Away all boats: But support for Wiggins could put Perdue on a lee shore
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s amazing the things that a governor with a double-digit lead in the polls can find to do, only days before an election.
A man under pressure might have spent the weekend stuffing envelopes.
On Saturday, Gov. Sonny Perdue paid a sobering visit to the Georgia-Florida game, which we now must refer to as the world’s largest temperance society gathering. On Sunday, it was a visit to the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Oh, the stress.
By his actions, Perdue has declared that he has political capital to spare. And has made clear how he intends to cash it in this week.
With appearances at presidential rallies for two Republican congressional candidates, and his participation in a statewide caravan of GOP candidates for constitutional offices - agriculture commissioner, secretary of state and the like - Perdue has decided he’ll be the tide to lift all boats on Nov. 7.
None of this spending spree is risky, save for one item on the Sonny-do list: the governor’s now-obvious support of Mike Wiggins, the non-partisan candidate for the state Supreme Court.
Wiggins’ opponent, incumbent Justice Carol Hunstein, cut loose late last week with a ferocious 30-second TV spot that said Wiggins had been sued by his own mother, and that his sister had accused him of threatening her life.
Over the weekend, Wiggins supporters — lawsuit-fearing business types and those with strong ties to the GOP’s Christian conservative base — came out in defense of their man. He’s been wrongfully cast as the villain, they say, in an ugly family drama.
We wondered why Hunstein had engaged in such a drastic, pre-emptive strike. And were told that it was because, in large part, the justice’s strategists had picked up word that the state GOP — with Perdue’s permission — was ready to wade into the contest on Wiggins’ behalf.
The state Republican party has committed more than $1 million to Wiggins’ election, we’re told, through TV ads and at least two statewide mailings. One flyer is over Perdue’s name. Another includes the name of state GOP chairman Alec Poitevint.
If we’re a little fuzzy on the cash amount, it’s because state GOP officials have declined to volunteer the details.
Look for the governor’s investment in Wiggins to create seismic disturbances within Republican ranks, especially between lawyerly and business interests in the state party.
Hunstein, you see, is backed by GOP hero Zell Miller, who as governor first appointed her to the high-court bench 14 years ago. And by Michael Bowers, the former GOP gubernatorial candidate, who is now chairman of the committee that screens judicial nominations for Perdue. And by Oscar Persons, the Atlanta attorney and former counsel for the state GOP.
And in church pews, Georgia Christian Alliance debuts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This weekend, the group formerly known as the Christian Coalition of Georgia, led by Sadie Fields, put out 650,000 copies of its traditional election-year voter guide. Her group is now called the Georgia Christian Alliance.
You can find Fields’ voter guides here. Note that Democrats pretty much declined to play. Libertarians didn’t do well, either.
Even for those not on her side, Fields’ voter guides are always worth checking out - simply to see what’s next on the legislative agenda for Christian conservative forces, who form the Republican base.
For instance, candidates for state agriculture commission, and for two seats on the state Public Service Commission were asked to declare their position on the following: “Abortion coverage and/or prescriptions used to induce abortions included in Georgia state employee health care plans.”
Somebody ask Sanford Bishop why he’s smiling
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At a candidate forum hosted by the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce late last week, one of the most sanguine men in attendance at the early, early morning meeting was U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop.
The Democratic congressman, who represents much of southwest Georgia, doesn’t seem that worried by his Republican opponent, pastor Brad Hughes of Blakely. Then there’s the fact that, if Democrats take control of the U.S. House in eight days, Bishop is in line to become the most influential House member in Georgia.
He’s not the most senior Democrat in the Georgia delegation. That honor goes to U.S. Rep. John Lewis. But it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Lewis is on the House Ways and Means Committee, in charge of taxation. Bishop is on the House Appropriations Committee, which has much control over the disbursement of billions - nay, trillions - of dollars.
Bishop says he’s shooting for chairmanship of a subcommittee, preferably the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense spending. The subcommittee is in charge of big ticket items, big spending, and has major clout.
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The Wiggins response: He wasn’t fighting with Mom, but for her
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Both Lynn Westmoreland, the congressman from Coweta County, and Sadie Fields, leader of the Georgia Christian Alliance, came out in defense of Mike Wiggins on Saturday, in response to that ferocious 30-second TV spot by Carol Hunstein.
Wiggins also went up on Friday with a TV response. No doubt you’ve already seen it — you could hardly miss it in metro Atlanta over the weekend. But if you haven’t caught it, check it out here.
Note that the Wiggins campaign chose to refute the general tone, rather than the specifics of the Hunstein ad.
The campaign didn’t deny that Wiggins had been sued by his mother, or that his sister expressed some unsibling-like — or maybe, ubersibling-like — feelings for her brother. Rather, the ad explains that the whole situation had roots in a family fight while Wiggins’ mom was in a coma.
The ad speaks of recovering stolen money, but Wiggins’ sister isn’t directly accused. The question of how Wiggins’ mom came to sue her son is not addressed, so far as we can tell.
The Hunstein ad can be seen a few items below.
