Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > February > 26
Monday, February 26, 2007
Perhaps a new name in the ‘08 race for U.S. Senate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Over the weekend, a group of Atlanta fans of the DailyKos put up a notice that they would be forming a local chapter, with the mission of chasing after U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the Georgia Republican.
That’s not news.
The juicy item was the survey included in the solicitation, naming seven potential Democrats who might make decent candidates in the ‘08 Senate race.
Most of the names you’ve heard before: Attorney General Thurbert Baker, Columbus attorney Jim Butler, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon, Atlanta attorney Jim Martin; and state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.
Maybe we’ve been under a rock, but the seventh name was new to us: Charles Brewer, the “former Mindspring.com founder and CEO, now an eco-friendly Atlanta real estate developer.”
A college presidency for Cathy Cox?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dick Pettys and InsiderAdvantage are reporting that former secretary of state Cathy Cox is on a short list of finalists to become the next president of Young Harris College up in north Georgia.
At least through the evening, we’ll have to let Matt Towery’s organization carry the load on this one. We’ve no info to add.
Permalink | |
A taste of Ralph Reed speaking about Rudy G.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Down below, we mentioned this weekend’s New York Times Magazine piece on Sam Nunn. Here’s another telling paragraph — but this one comes from New York Magazine, a different publication. The article is a profile of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. The context is the work he did in 2006 for Republican candidates across the country:
Everywhere [Giuliani] went, he played the 9/11 card, dismissing the Democrats as squishy on terror. More often than not, it worked. “Ask anyone, and they will tell you that their Giuliani event raised the most money,” says Ralph Reed. (Last year, Giuliani campaigned for the former director of the Christian Coalition during his unsuccessful, scandal-marred run for Georgia lieutenant governor.) “People don’t forget that.”
Clinton and Giuliani lead South, says poll — but take it with a grain of salt
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A new poll of five Southeastern states, including Georgia, gives an early edge to Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 race for the White House.
The poll was conducted Feb. 18-22 by Elon University of North Carolina. Note that it has one of the loosest screens imaginable.
The 719 residents surveyed were drawn from the general population of Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. This survey wasn’t about more decerning, likely voters.
When results were divided by party, the Democratic portion of the poll had a margin of error of 5.75 percent, and the Republican sub-sample had a 6.65 margin of error.
The Democratic line-up was as follows: Clinton, 30 percent; Barack Obama, 14 percent; and John Edwards, 8 percent. The rest were undecided or didn’t know.
Among Republicans: Giuliani, 21 percent; John McCain 16 percent; and Mitt Romney, 3 percent. The rest were undecided or didn’t know.
For some reason, Bridges decides to give evolution bill a rest this session
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the first time in 11 years, state Rep. Ben Bridges (R-Cleveland) won’t introduce a bill to hinder the teaching of evolution in Georgia, according to last week’s White County News.
You’ll remember the memo that jumped up in state legislatures across the country, the one that declared evolution to have religious roots in Jewish mysticism.
It also sent readers to a web site that says, contrary to Copernicus, Galileo and NASA, the earth doesn’t revolve around the sun.
Bridges’ name was at the top of that memo, though the north Georgia lawmaker says he never saw it, or read it. An acquaintance apparently was the author.
Friends like that are quite common. They tell your girlfriend she’s fat, or declare the theory of relativity to be a kabbalistic fraud, then leave it to an embarrassed you to explain what they really meant.
Anyway, Bridges has blamed people like us for the hoopla. “This thing got blowed out of proportion,” he told the newspaper. “I ain’t guilty of anything. I regret the media made what they made out of it.”
This is no election. It’s a coronation.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Long-time GOP activist Sue Everhart of Cobb County has picked up yet another endorsement for chairmanship of the state Republican party — this one from Jim Beck, president of the Georgia Christian Coalition.
Beck, who once worked for Pierre Howard, the Democratic lieutenant governor, wanted to be sure no one thought him partisan. I would have considering to an endorsement in the Democratic chair race — but I was not asked,” he said late last week.
Everhart has already received a personal endorsement from Sadie Fields, chairman of the Georgia Christian Alliance. State Sen. David Shafer of Gwinnett County, who lost a GOP chairmanship race to Ralph Reed in 2001, also endorsed Everhart last week.
The only other announced candidate in the race is Anthony-Scott Hobbs, the current chairman of the Cobb County GOP. The next Georgia chairman will be selected by delegates to the statewide convention in mid-May. The delegate selection process began over the weekend.
Permalink | |
Dear Calvin Smyre: Wish you were here
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) checked out of his hospital bed and is now recuperating at home after back surgery. The 32-year veteran of the General Assembly is the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
Mail complaints about his absence to 1103 Glenwood Road, Columbus, Ga. 31906. Smyre’s e-mail address is calvinsmyre@synovus.com.
Services »