Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > January > 03
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
On Sunday’s menu: Wild hog, Travis Tritt, or both
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Over the last 50 years or so, the Wild Hog Supper has become the way that legislators from across Georgia announce their annual return to the big city of Atlanta.
Kind of like the swallows that visit Capistrano every spring. But with forks.
There are those who speculate that this porcine bacchanalia, held every Sunday night before the Monday morning start of the winter session of the Legislature, started as a public safety measure.
Stuffed and satiated lawmakers tend to be drowsy, and so pose less of a danger to the population at large.
Like evolution, this is merely a theory.
But this Sunday evening, someone else intends to hog the attention. Casey Cagle, set to become the first Republican lieutenant governor in Georgia history, has scheduled his inauguration bash in competition with the Wild Hog Supper.
Travis Tritt, the country music star, will sing for Cagle’s supper, as will Atlanta singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins. And Diana DeGarmo. And the Tams, and a gospel choir, and a college drum-line. The room at the Georgia World Congress Center holds 3,000.
“I’m surprised they are planning something in conflict with something that is an institution,” said Tommy Irvin, the state agriculture commissioner. His department coordinates the Wild Hog Supper.
No offense intended, says Cagle’s people. The lieutenant governor-elect was himself hamstrung by the fact that Gov. Sonny Perdue’s inauguration party on Monday had eclipsed any rival event.
“Certainly we want to be respectful of important events, and tried our best to work around a busy start of the legislative session,” said Jaillene Hunter, communications director for Cagle. She noted that both events are held within a few blocks of one another. “We hope legislators and guests will take full advantage of this by attending each event.”
Irvin, a 77-year-old Democrat who has held his office since 1969, took solace in his November performance. The agriculture commissioner made a point of saying that he got more votes statewide than Cagle did.
Become a Georgia Bulldog by wire
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’re hearing talk that the state Board of Regents wants to get into the business of offering college diplomas over the Internet. Seems as if the regents are looking at the easy money that’s being lost — no buildings, and a slimmed-down faculty — as Georgia residents log on to bona fide degree programs offered on-line by the University of Phoenix and other institutions.
In case you missed it: Some air developing between Chambliss and President Bush?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’re forgiven if you paid more attention to football than politics on New Year’s Day, but the Washington Post had an extremely important quote from U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Monday.
The topic was Iraq. The question was whether the number of U.S. troops should be increased — the direction that President Bush seems to be leaning toward.
Chambliss has a reputation for sticking closely to the Bush administration. But what the south Georgia senator said about putting more troops in Baghdad reflects a growing nervousness among Republicans — especially with those, including Chambliss, who face re-election in ’08.
Here’s the snippet from the Post:
“Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), a supporter of the Iraq war who serves on the Armed Services Committee, said he has been ‘cautious’ in his recommendations to the White House about the need for a troop increase.
“For instance, if Bush proposes additional troops to help train Iraqi forces or to clean out a specific part of Baghdad, Chambliss said he could support that as long as it was understood the troops would ‘get out’ after the mission was accomplished.
“’I don’t want to send more troops on a general wartime basis without them having a specific mission,’ said Chambliss.”
