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DEL.ICIO.USThey’re out of power in Atlanta, but have a hotline to D.C.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yet another reason why Democrats in the state Capitol shed few tears at last week’s dismissal of the ethics complaint, brought by the chairman of their own party, against House Speaker Glenn Richardson: It muddied a rare opportunity to exercise some real clout.
Early this month, the Republican-controlled state Legislature passed a resolution calling on the newly empowered Democratic Congress to fix a looming disaster — a $131 million hole in PeachCare, Georgia’s insurance program for 270,000 children of poor but working families, caused by a federal funding glitch.
Money could run out by March.
In a private gathering of Democrats, which has grown more intimate by the year, state Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) pointed to the weakness of the plea. The measure suffered from a dearth of Democratic sponsors.
At the nation’s Capitol, no door that mattered would be opened by it.
Smyre knew of what he spoke. When it comes to Washington, the Columbus banker is one of the best-wired figures in Georgia. He’d just returned from the swearing-in of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Word of Smyre’s comments made its way to the House GOP leadership. Smyre was invited to lead a bipartisan delegation of state lawmakers to Washington. Last Thursday, on the same day the dismissal of Richardson’s ethics complaint became public, the PeachCare delegation sat down with Pelosi’s chief of staff.
Several things were made clear in the meeting. First, 17 other states are in the same boat with Georgia, and the total cost of the repair is close to $1 billion. Resentful Democrats in Congress think their Republican predecessors had the opportunity to solve the difficult problem, but instead chose to punt.
And that will make it hard for Georgia, a thoroughly red state, to be heard.
Secondly, if more money for PeachCare does come Georgia’s way, the message from Congress is clear — Democrats in Georgia are to have a say in the future shape of the program, and how the money is spent.
For a minority party, that’s clout.
Comments
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By Fred
January 21, 2007 9:46 PM | Link to this
A state representative wrote a column for the AJC about the pettiness of Republicans trying to rename Cynthia McKinney Parkway when important issues such as Peach Care were at stake. I lauded him in a blog just like this one and went to the trouble to find his email address. I a praised him via email and told him I appreciated his dedication to Peach care and to please send me the details so I could “pressure” my representative to support his bill. I see like most politicians he was full of crap and my “praise” was misdirected. I’m not surprised he didn’t bother to answer me as he was merely posturing as he acused others of doing and had no intention of doing anything. I’m so “proud” of the leader of the Georgia Black Caucus. When will they quit enriching themselves and start helping those whom they prostitute? They should change their name to the Black Pimps of Georgia.
By RJ
January 21, 2007 9:54 PM | Link to this
Again, no power is absolute. Worth noting is that Calvin Smyre is not the only Democrat with strong connections in DC.
The important lesson here is that the new configurations of power in Washington and Georgia redefine what it takes to get things done. As such, they not only redefine the NEW most suitable qualities of political leadership, but also the measures for electiblity in 2008.