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Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Eric Johnson and Genarlow Wilson: The prequel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson and radio talk show host Neal Boortz went at it over Genarlow Wilson this morning, there was the CNN piece.
It aired last Saturday. Johnson wrote a long defense of himself the next day, which became the heart of an AJC story written on Tuesday.
On today’s ajc.com, former lawmaker and current commentator Matt Towery said the law that put Wilson in prison was broken.
But back to Saturday. A Typical Joe has gone to the trouble of posting a partial transcript of the CNN piece. Here it is:
EDDIE BARKER, DOUGLASVILLE PROSECUTOR: From what we’ve seen on the videotape and heard from the victim ourself, we do not believe there was any physical force used.
[CNN CORRESPONDENT RICK] SANCHEZ: No physical force? Doesn’t matter. Nor does it matter that it was consensual sex between two teens. Ten years, mandatory, no way around it.
The law that ensnared Genarlow is so illogical that if he’d had intercourse with the 15-year-old instead of oral sex, his punishment would only have been a misdemeanor.
Back to the Georgia legislature, which recently changed the law but didn’t change Genarlow Wilson’s punishment. Why not?
State Senator Eric Johnson took the floor.
ERIC JOHNSON, GEORGIA STATE SENATOR: Mr. Wilson participated in multiple sexual acts with a minor while she was unconscious.
SANCHEZ: Wrong. The girl was not unconscious. The senator also said she was raped. That’s not even what the prosecutor thought.
So we called the senator and asked for an interview.
(on camera) Do you feel bad about the fact that you characterized this as a rape when you were talking yesterday in the Senate?
JOHNSON: No.
SANCHEZ: You don’t have any problem with that?
JOHNSON: No.
SANCHEZ: Because it wasn’t a rape.
JOHNSON: It’s a rape in my mind.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here’s what it was in the minds of the jurors. We know; we talked to them.
MARIE MANIGAULT, JURY FOREPERSON: When we viewed the tape, there was absolutely nothing in there that showed us that he in any way encouraged this person, even invited the person to come.
SANCHEZ: So for now, the Georgia legislature has done nothing, leaving Genarlow Wilson behind these walls, hoping some day for justice.
Wonk alert: Study says the heavier the voter ID requirements, the lower the turnout
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Rutgers University study, in cooperation with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, has turned up evidence that tighter voter identification rules indeed result in lower voter turnout, particularly among minorities.
Look for this to be brought into the Georgia debate, where the argument has focused on photo ID. Suits are pending in both federal and state courts, though the issue is dead in the Legislature this year.
The study also looked at the effects of other ID requirements. Download the entire (very thick) academic paper by clicking here.
But this is the nut of the report:
These effects translated into reduced probabilities of voting of about 3 to 4 percent for the entire sample, with large differences for specific subgroups.
For example, the predicted probability that Hispanics would vote in states that required non-photo identification was about 10 percentage points lower than in states where Hispanic voters gave their names.
The difference was about 6 percent for African-Americans and Asian-Americans, and about 2 percent for white voters (the gap widened to 3.7 percent for white voters when comparing photo identification to simply stating one’s name.
Georgia Senate condemns Iran, Syria: Surrender expected within days
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At the instigation of state Sen. Judson Hill (R-Marietta), the state Senate today unanimously passed a resolution condemning Iran for its nuclear ambitions, as well as Syria for its disreputable acts in the Middle East.
So far as is known, no troops were committed in the process. Before its passage, state Sen. George Hooks (D-Americus) asked the most salient question of Hill: “Do you expect the ayatollah to fly directly to New York and surrender to the United Nations?”
Check out the audio here.
Boortz vs. Johnson on the imprisonment of Genarlow Wilson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s the rough audio on the confrontation between Neal Boortz and Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson on WSB radio this morning. Johnson handled himself well, and in fact had pushed Boortz into neutral by the end of the conversation.
See the beginnings and details of this in the post below.
Johnson agreed to go on — Boortz had taunted him as a “vile pig” and “candy ass” — but made it clear his cooperation came with a price. Boortz committed to some air time discussion next week of S.B. 10, Johnson’s bill that would permit school vouchers for disabled students.
Dear Eric Johnson: If your phones are ringing today….
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) is getting slammed this moment on the Neal Boortz show on WSB radio.
“Vile pig” and “candy ass” are some of the kinder phrases Boortz is using.
Johnson has come out in opposition of S.B. 37, a bill to adjust the state’s sexual offender law to address the sentence of Genarlow Wilson, the star football player from a Douglas County high school, who at age 17, had consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl.
A jury convicted him of aggravated child molestation, and a judge sentenced him to the maximum 10 years in prison. Wilson was one of six arrested after a night of partying.
“This was not two star-crossed lovers on a date,” wrote Johnson in an article this week. He noted that Wilson and other male partygoers videotaped their acts, and that the girl was “semi-conscious.”
This time next year, Georgia’s presidential primary could be over
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
House Republican leaders have introduced a bill to let Georgia join the stampede of states toward an early presidential primary in February next year.
The same bill would — just in time for a special congressional election in June — change election rules so that a candidate would only have to receive 45 percent of the vote to be declared the winner
H.B. 487 was introduced Tuesday by state Reps. Austin Scott (R-Tifton), Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island) and Berry Fleming (R-Harlem). Earlier this week, Fleming bowed out of the race to replace the late U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood of Augusta in Congress.
The bill would let Georgia move next year’s primary from March 4 to Feb. 5.
Arkansas, Delaware, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona and Utah are already planning primaries for Feb. 5. And California, New Jersey, Illinois are among other states looking at moving up to early February.
The Associated Press was the first to report on the bill. “We do not want Georgia left out of the process,” said Keen, the House majority leader. “We want Georgia to be in play.”
The portion of the legislation dealing with run-offs could have immediate impact. Gov. Sonny Perdue is to order a June 19 election to replace Norwood. The rare open seat is likely to attract several candidates — Republican state senators Ralph Hudgens of Comer and Jim Whitehead Evans of have already formally announced.
Blogwatch: Except for some paternity matters, a knock-out blow for U.S. Senate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a relatively dismal wrap-up of Democratic candidates in the ‘08 race for U.S. Senate in Georgia, Daily Kos plants this gem: Former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield. Sayeth the blog:
Holyfield has given money to the Democrats before (and, according to newsmeat, only to the Democrats), would probably have the ability to self-fund (in addition to his boxing career he owns a record company, a piece of The Black Family Channel, and I’ve heard that he is co-owner of the Atlanta cable system).
But there might be one problem, the blog says.
Having said that, I believe Holyfield has been found to have had a large number of illegitimate children which would probably hurt him.
Possibly, but not if they’re registered to vote.
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