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Monday, March 12, 2007
Finally, heeeere’s Sonny — and his introduction of the President
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last month, people kept telling us that Gov. Sonny Perdue had made it into Jay Leno’s monologue on “The Tonight Show.”
But trying to find the clip on the NBC web site was like searching for WMDs in Iraq, or talent in a cattle call for “American Idol.” It proved so elusive that it became more legend than fact.
But find it we did, from Feb. 27, sandwiched between a Hillary joke and the news about Strom Thurmond and Al Sharpton. The link is here.
For the readers among you, here’s what Leno said:
“I love this. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue introduced President Bush at the Republican Governors Association meeting yesterday. And this sounded like a back-handed compliment he gave President Bush. I’ll play it twice. Listen to this.”
Leno then rolls the C-Span video, in which Perdue says:
“You know, Vince Lombardi once said that success is not about strength, it’s not about knowledge. But it’s about will. That’s the leadership that President George W. Bush is providing. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Continues Leno: “So what is he saying there? That Bush isn’t strong, he isn’t smart, he’s stubborn? And Bush looks a little stunned, too.”
We confess that we saw the video in a more local context. The clip is a thorough explanation of the governor’s decision to have the Legislature abandon Atlanta for two weeks. Perdue wanted to give Congress time to accede to his demands on how PeachCare should be fixed.
It was a matter of will, not strength and not knowledge. Our governor was channeling Vince Lombardi.
Says Deal: No paperwork, no coverage — no problem
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The New York Times reports today that a federal law intended to keep illegal immigrants off Medicaid has “shut out tens of thousands of United States citizens” who can’t come up with birth certificates and other paperwork.
The NYT identified the principle authors of the 2006 legislation as two Republican congressmen from Georgia: Nathan Deal and the late Charlie Norwood.
A spokesman for Deal said he’d fight any attempt to ease the restriction. In fact, Deal will try to add it to the federal-state insurance program for the children of the working poor — known in Georgia as PeachCare.
Not that it’s likely to happen in a Congress now controlled by the other party.
Blogwatch: Gingrey says Walter Reed is no flophouse
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Over the weekend, Democratic bloggers were buzzing about a statement U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) made about the Walter Reed scandal during a House committee hearing, in which he said Building 18 reminded him of the motel his parents had in Augusta.
Said Gingrey:
“It’s not a five-star hotel, make no mistake about it, but it’s not a flophouse. It’s not a dump. It’s not a dive. It needs some work, no question about it. I’m not making excuses, of course.
“And when I read the Washington Post report I was glad to know that those cockroaches were belly up. It suggested to me that at least someone was spraying for them, Mr. Chairman.”
Here’s the audio posted by thinkprogress.org.
A transcript is on the jump.
U.S. REP. PHIL GINGREY AT HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE HEARING, MARCH 8
I want to say for the record that, Mr. Chairman, that, um, I have been to Building 18. I have been to Walter Reed on a number of occasions, but specifically in regard to this issue went to take a look first-hand.
Having grown up in a motel, when I was going to medical school and living in one of the rooms, when I saw this old Walter Reed Motor Inn, it really reminded me a lot of, Mr. Chairman, of a, of the motel that my parents had in Augusta, Georgia.
It’s not a five-star hotel, make no mistake about it, but it’s not a flophouse. It’s not a dump. It’s not a dive. It needs some work, no question about it. I’m not making excuses, of course.
And when I read the Washington Post report I was glad to know that those cockroaches were belly up. It suggested to me that at least someone was spraying for them, Mr. Chairman.
And, of course, if you leave food around in a motel room or a dorm room at a college, you’re going to get some mice show up at some point in time. But there’s no question that there’s a problem. I’ve heard some of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle suggest that specific heads should roll.
I don’t know that, ah — I was a little bit shocked, quite honestly, that the Secretary of the Army was relieved of his command and the commander at Walter Reed, General Weightmann was relieved of his command and a change has been made there.
I don’t know what comes next, but I would guess if you ask, since General Schoomaker has had to recuse himself, ask the Washington Post whose head should roll I think it probably would be the Commander-in-Chief, would be the only satisfaction, and that would be President Bush.
But here again, let’s try to take some of the politics aside and some of the rhetoric, and try to solve the problem.
Meet us at the fireworks stand across the river. No cops, or you’ll never see your dog again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The office of Gov. Sonny Perdue put out a mysterious alert this morning, offering to drive unwary press types to an undisclosed location near the South Carolina coast for a “major announcement.”
The last stretch requires an SUV. We presume the concrete boots are provided free of charge.
But really, there’s little mystery. The topic of the joint announcement is in this morning’s edition of The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C.
Perdue and his South Carolina peer, Mark Sanford, are to announce an agreement to operate a joint port facility — possibly with some private investment — on the Savannah River in Jasper County.
Says the newspaper:
The 1,800-acre site on the S.C. side of the Savannah River has been the scene of a three-way turf battle for years.
Jasper County struck a deal to develop a port with a private developer in January 2005, but that plan has been on hold since both the S.C. State Ports Authority and Georgia challenged the county’s claim to the land in the past two years.
In January, a judge ruled the S.C. Ports Authority has first rights to condemn the land, which Georgia owns and uses as a dump site for material dredged from the river.
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