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DEL.ICIO.USDeKalb’s Jones launches quest for Senate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones threw himself into the Democratic contest for U.S. Senate on Saturday with searing criticisms of Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss for his stands on immigration and the war in Iraq.
“We’re in a bad situation over there, and poor leadership and rubber stamps got us over there,” Jones said. “We have to find a dignified way to get out of Iraq.”
He emphasized his support for the war on terror, but added that “fighting terrorism, and making stupid, repeated mistakes are two different things.”
The lanky DeKalb County executive made his long-expected announcement on the picturesque Marietta Square in Republican-dominated Cobb County. Jones said he chose the location because of its proximity to a national military cemetery and Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
About 150 supporters attended the announcement, many of them brought to the rally on two air-conditioned buses. Attendees included Walter Young, brother of former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, and Patricia Roberts, the mother of Jamaal Addison, the first Georgian killed in Iraq.
Jones first announced his interest in the U.S. Senate race in December. His two terms as head of DeKalb County government could give him a distinct advantage in his search for the Democratic nomination — DeKalb generates more Democratic votes than any other county in the state.
But winning a statewide general election has become a challenge for any Democrat. In the 2004 race for U.S. Senate, Denise Majette — like Jones a resident of DeKalb County and an African-American — earned only 40 percent of the vote in her loss to Republican Johnny Isakson.
As of June 30, Jones reported raising a total $188,970 for the race, and had $154,403 in cash on hand. Chambliss, facing his first re-election bid, reported $3.3 million available.
Jones mentioned Democratic rival Dale Cardwell only when prompted by reporters. Cardwell, a former Atlanta TV journalist, entered the race last month. “I’ve run a government. I’ve got a track record. I see him as an intern,” Jones said of Cardwell.
On the bandstand in the Marietta Square, before a huge American flag, the DeKalb CEO offered up his county’s improved “quality of life” as evidence of his ability. “I believe I can do for the country what I’ve done for this county,” he said.
Jones, the son of a North Carolina tobacco farmer, also pointed to his eight years as a state legislator, claiming credit for helping establish the PeachCare program, which provides health insurance for children of Georgia’s working poor.
But the crowd responded most loudly when the topic was Jones’ Republican opponent.
In addition to repeatedly calling Chambliss a “rubberstamp” when it comes to Bush administration policy on Iraq, Jones accused Chambliss of performing a “Michael Jackson moonwalk on immigration reform.”
Jones noted that Chambliss ended up voting against “the very legislation that he helped craft” — after the bill received a hostile reception among Georgia voters.
Jones insisted his critique of Chambliss would remain issue-oriented. “I think he’s a nice man. He really is. He’s just out of touch,” he said.
The Democratic candidate himself is likely to be subject to questions about his personal life. As DeKalb CEO, Jones was the center of several controversies — including a 2005 rape allegation, in which a woman alleged Jones, who is not married, had assaulted her after a night of consentual sex with her and a second woman.
After a nine-month investigation, the woman withdrew the charges, but never recanted.
Jones said he’s ready for any personal attacks. “Every single issue that’s been brought against me — every single one of them — has been proven, clearly proven, to be false and baseless,” Jones said. “My life is open. I’m open. Let’s discuss it. I have nothing to hide.”
In the 1996 presidential race, Jones noted, U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich focused on President Bill Clinton’s sex life. “He got re-elected, and Newt Gingrich is home,” Jones said.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Chip
July 21, 2007 4:39 PM | Link to this
Unfortunately, as politically strong as Jones may be,we still live in Georgia. People here vote for anyone with an R next to their name. Who in Georgia really looks at issues?
By Michael
July 21, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this
Chip, You are an idiot. Vernon is a bully and a racist. I will not vote for him just because he is black. And I refuse to be guilted into doing so.
By Boots
July 21, 2007 5:23 PM | Link to this
I don’t think DeKalb county is a microcosism of Georgia. Consequently, Vernon is just drawing attention to himself without any real possibility of winning unless Chambliss does something so stupid and reprehensible that mind mind just can’t grasp it.
On the other hand, Vernon might run for God. He seems to have a messiannic vision of himself.
By barneyb
July 21, 2007 5:35 PM | Link to this
I’m a DeKalb County employee, and I can tell you that Vernon has screwed up DeKalb. Don’t let him do it somewhere else.
By sct
July 21, 2007 5:55 PM | Link to this
I am a liberal white Democrat and would NEVER vote for Vernon Jones.
Some Dekalb County politicians have become very good at alienating whites in the county. Please don’t scream racism when we refuse to vote for people like Vernon Jones. A racist is a racist no matter what color.
Dekalb and Atlanta politicians make political careers playing the race card. I will vote for the people that say they will bring ALL people together.
And Chip, you do know that Georgia elected a black Attorney General and a black Labor Commissioner don’t you? How many states have two black elected officials????
By Will Jones
July 21, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this
How old is Vernon? And he hasn’t been married once? The complaining woman seemed to have some reason and the “investigation” was clearly “botched.” On the national level it’s “interesting” to discover that Jeff Gannon’s “lover” appears to be a “bottom.” Shouldn’t we in Georgia and Metro Atlanta pay more attention to a person’s character that we may return to the path of Righteousness as a Nation? A spirit of evil is upon Our Land. Vernon Jones’ known personal issues gives one no cause for comfort in that regard. The word Americans use is Elect: we use it for a reason, lest we forget.
By Georgia Fella
July 21, 2007 6:20 PM | Link to this
All Vernon Jones does is scare other good Democrats out of the race and cripple Dale Cardwell’s chances at beating Chambliss. He is what you call “damaged goods.” The unfortunate thing is that Chambliss really is vulnerable to a credible opponent. Unless Cardwell can pull off a miracle, Ga is stuck with the lackluster, poor constituent serving Chambliss.
By Lenny
July 21, 2007 7:21 PM | Link to this
Should we call him Mr. Senator?
LOL!!! He has as much chance of winning a Senate election as I have of scoring tonight with Jessica Simpson. NIL!!! Give it up Vernon, and go back to those 2 wild chicks for more sex.
By JONES UNFIT FOR SENATE
July 21, 2007 7:26 PM | Link to this
JONES UNFIT FOR SENATE – HERE’S WHY:
Excerpts from discrimination case against CEO JONES as stated in the judge’s opinion (see pages 46 -50):
Plaintiffs (former DeKalb Parks employees) have presented sufficient evidence to create a genuine issue of fact as to whether the acts complained of by Plaintiffs were motivated by race. The evidence that Defendants targeted Bryant, Drake, and Kelley based on their race is unusually compelling. For example, Lowe testified that Stone told Lowe after he was hired that other white persons, even if they had been interested in his job, would not have been considered for his job.
Drew (Jones’ appointee to Parks head), upon welcoming Lowe to DeKalb County, told him that they were eliminating the existing white people in the Parks Department and replacing them with black managerial employees because the CEO’s agenda was to get reelected, and Stone was making sure the agenda was executed. (Pl. SMF, at 17; Lowe Dep., at 139-40.) Jones stated to Lowe on multiple occasions that he wanted a “darker administration.” (Pl. SMF, at 17, Lowe Dep., at 381.) Jones also referred to Plaintiff Bryant as a “white b*******.” (Pl. SMF, at 18-19; Lowe Dep., at 354.) Defendant Drew told Lowe that she did not trust the white employees in her department and asked him to “dig up dirt” on white employees. (Pl. SMF, at 18; Lowe Dep., 476-77.)
Lowe also testified that Drew told Lowe that she transferred Bryant into position involving recreation because Bryant did not know anything about recreation, and thus Drew believed Bryant would be perceived as incompetent. Drew told Lowe not to speak with Drake about important issues because she wanted to keep him in the dark hoping he would fail in his recreation position. (Pl. SMF, at 18; Lowe Dep., at 515.) Before department meetings, Drew would meet with Lowe to discuss how she could frame issues so as to annoy Bryant and Drake.
Read the complete Judge’s opinion at: http://www.nkms.com/ealert/Bryant%20v.%20Jones,%2004cv2462.pdf
Just copy and paste in your browser. And pass it on. THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA DESERVE TO KNOW.
By LaLaMeeka Chadwalli
July 21, 2007 11:09 PM | Link to this
Vernon Jones would make a great senator! Look at all the wonderful things he has done for DeKalb county! Me and all my friends are going to votes for him. After Obama has served his eight years as president, it will then be a perfect time for us to elect Vernon as president.
By Liberal Drive-by
July 22, 2007 1:02 AM | Link to this
“And Chip, you do know that Georgia elected a black Attorney General and a black Labor Commissioner don’t you? How many states have two black elected officials????”
That must have been a sarcastic question. If it wasn’t, then it appears to be the ramblings of a moron. I’m sure most states with the exception of the Dakotas, Maine, Hawaii and Montana have elected two black officials
Chip never said anything about race in the first post and you all attacked him for it. He’s right. Georgia will not elect a Dem as Governor or Senator for the next 25 years. Ain’t gonna happen. Vern, you’re toast. I predict 70 to 30, Chambliss wins.
By DeWayne A. Ross
July 22, 2007 1:10 AM | Link to this
I am afraid that Vernon has visions of grandeur accompanied with huge empty pockets!
By Datil
July 22, 2007 2:11 AM | Link to this
It’s too bad the Jones entry will most likely mean defeat for the Democrats in 08 before the race even gets started. Chambliss is spineless and can be beaten, even many Republicans don’t like him after his immigration boondoogle. A good conservative Democrat without baggage can beat Chambliss, but it looks like that’s not going to be an option. Vernon’s nomination will show just how weak the GA Democratic party leaders truly are. Please GA Democrats, give us a decent candidate to vote for so we can throw Saxby out!
By Leftist Larry
July 22, 2007 4:55 AM | Link to this
Who b vernin joness?
By JDE
July 22, 2007 6:04 AM | Link to this
If Vernon Jones Inc was a stock and you bought the stock for what its worth and sold it for what the company says its worth you’d be rich. What did Vernon do before he became a politician? He was a sales rep at Bellsouth; where he also stirred up trouble, often playing the race card.He is a RACIST.(I know, I used to work there and have seen some of his archived emails, which will be used against him during his Senate run.) The egotistical SOB needs to take on Hank Johnson because the only place he can get elected is Dekalb Co. Any citizens dumb enough to vote for Cynthia McKinney are surely dumb enough to vote for Vernon.
By NPF
July 22, 2007 9:16 AM | Link to this
It remains amazing to me that Vernon believes he can be elected statewide. Sure, there are two African Americans elected statewide in Georgia. Both took office BEFORE the republican tide took place and had token opposition (when there still was a Democratic party) Today, they are re-elected based on incumbency. A strong opponent could knock off either of them right now. (Especially Thurbert)But back to Vernon, here’s a question: What’s one thing every U.S. Senator has in common. Answer? None have an admitted three-some on their record. Vernon has no idea the number of people who are going to come out of the wood-works on him. I wonder what Tom Perdue is up to these days. An opponent like Vernon is the thing dreams are made of! He’d go recruit a candidate just for this one. No worries Saxby. Looks like another term for you…
By dr soul
July 22, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this
Vernon Jones is just another ‘Michael Vick’ in a suit… he has covered up most of his missteps… egotistical and arrogant without substance… no moral values… is NOT a representative of the people, but only one race (and I do not state this based on bias, but objectivity)… a real rotten apple who thinks by dressing up and bullying people by power makes himself a respected leader.. he does more harm by simply waking up every day than even the ‘wimp of Saxby’… sad state of affairs to have reached such a low brand of representation in this state.
By Tomb
July 22, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this
Vernon knows he can’t win. He’s just trying to get all the money he can into his campaign coffers so he can have a big old time. Anyone who gives him $$$ is a fool.
By R-dekalb
July 22, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this
The issue of Vernon running for national office scares me, the moral, inconsistent pratices in Dekalb County work force is at a all time low. Employees are leaving at an arlarming rate, these are good experience workers that can not even afford homes in the county where they work, because they are not paid enough. ,No raises,insurance raising cost, pension ,and constant harrasement from managers. I will not vote for him !!! Someone needs to check into the Dekalb Workforce, If you want a better Dekalb and services have and keep your employees somewhat happy> No vote to Vernon Jones.
By bbDeKalb
July 22, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
Is there anyone out there that is going to vote for Vernon (besides Vernon)?
By dr soul
July 22, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this
The number of votes he gets depends on the number of ‘job threats’ that hold up….
By leo
July 22, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this
Excuse Mr. Vermin,
Under you adminstration, women have been treated as sweat shop slaves. Your primary focus has been to achieve “a darker adminstration” as publically evidenced in tape recordings and public statements.
You are a racist, a sexist, and deserve no position other than that of a sewer cleaner and that would be too good a job for you.
By L Carl
July 22, 2007 12:28 PM | Link to this
Running for senate! What a laugh!
By No to Vernon
July 22, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this
I was raised in DeKalb County and my parents still live in the same house. Luckily, it is in north DeKalb, so it is still a pretty nice area. Even though some parts of North DeKalb are falling apart since Vernon Jones is wasting money in South DeKalb.
Drive around south DeKalb and you will see what I mean. Much of it is used as a trash pile, houses falling apart, cars on blocks in yards, etc.
I build houses in DeKalb County and almost all of my buyers, who are black, are great people. They want the dream of a nice home and good schools for their kids. Unfortunately, I can only give them a nice home. The schools in DeKalb are awful. How can they get a quality education when they have to fear for their lives?!?! Gone are the days when students are not victims of crimes on campus…this under Mr. Jones’ watch. What has he done to fix it? Nothing.
As for his employees, the building department has been decimated. People are leaving so fast (and the reputation of the county is such that they are not finding quality replacements) the remaining building inspectors are forced to work long hours so they can cover 2-3 zones in addition to their own zone. In the past, you call for an inspection and they would come the next day. Now, it will be 2-3 days, and they are forced to rush through the house to keep that schedule. How well are they inspecting the houses??? I had one house receive a C.O. (the final inspection that gives county approval for buyers to move into the house) with the inspector stepping into the kitchen, turning around, and signing the card. He was at the house for literally less than one minute. Luckily, I build a quality house and provide an excellent warranty. But, how many houses passed inspections that perhaps shouldn’t have and built by a substandard builder? This is the direct result of Mr. Jones’ management of the county.
I could go on. This guy is a poor leader. Anyone who thinks he is good for DeKalb, let alone the state, or country is terribly uniformed (how dumb are you LaLaMeeka Chadwalli???)!
While I grew up in DeKalb, I will never move back. It is lost.
By avkrishna
July 22, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this
As a long time dekalb county resident and a Democrat, I can say with confidence that Vernon Jones is the WRONG person for any job. His corruption, arrogance, and thoughtlessness will undo our state. Just about anyone in the field is better than he is.
By Darrell A.
July 22, 2007 1:08 PM | Link to this
Actually, the Lewinsky scandal up AFTER Clinton was re-elected, not before. Mr. Jones gets that wrong, too.
Clinton would have been defeated if the Lewinsky scandal, Mr. Clinton’s lies under oath, and the revocation of his law licence by the Bar Association had happened during or prior to November 1996.
Same is true with Vernon Jones and the rape allegations around him. If these allegations had come out prior to his re-election, he would have been defeated. African american women would have never tolerated him, and they don’t now.
By Tishman
July 22, 2007 1:12 PM | Link to this
So jones wants to be a senator. Of course he does. One thing I believe is that jones is more about jones than anything else. I highly doubt he will enjoy the same support from Georgians at large that he enjoys in color blind Dekalb county. Like his idol bill clinton, there has been too much smoke from allgations of wrong doing surrounding him and his political career for there not to be any fire. I predict that if he is elected he will go the way of others like him, such as Bill Campbell and Ralph David Abernathy, III. There is a prison cell somewhere waiting for jones to call it home.
By kris in alpharetta
July 22, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this
I winced when I read this story. Vernon Jones doesn’t have baggage: He’s carrying a huge walk-in closet with an adjoining storage shed! Aside from his admitted orgy, which, coming from a candidate who has labeled himself a ‘conservative democrat’ is questionable and eyebrow-raising enough in itself, he has done a less than remarkable job in Dekalb, passing the blame when something goes wrong, and heaping all the glory when it goes right. I thought it was absurb he would stand in front of police officers affirming his support for them while there were alarming police killings of citizens taking place. He was in a position early on to call for an independent investigation into those officer-involved shootings but he choose to do nothing but grandstand. Meanwhile, the federal government had to step in and virtually take over the Dekalb police department. Further, who really believes an accused rapist has any chance of winning that seat? And who would want an accused rapist to win anyway? Vernon is a self-delusional, pompous windbag who is, in typical politico form, absorbed with no one or nothing unless it serves his egotistical need for power.
By Larry Y.
July 22, 2007 1:26 PM | Link to this
Vernon and his cronies have converted what was once rated one of the best places to live in the country, one its citizens boasted about, into the armpit of Metro Atlanta. Tell someone you live in DeKalb now and they look at you like you have a screw loose.
By BadTony
July 22, 2007 1:42 PM | Link to this
Thanks to M&M (Maloof and MARTA) we got the likes of Cynthia and Vernon.
By dr soul
July 22, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this
“Every single issue that’s been brought against me — every single one of them — has been proven, clearly proven, to be false and baseless,” Jones said. “My life is open. I’m open. Let’s discuss it. I have nothing to hide.”
This statement alone exemplifies the total ignorance of this crook… to begin and immediately question the integrity of your potential constituency demonstrates the arrogance of this misguided reprobate.. people really need to stand up against this smite on decency…
By Spiritraveller
July 22, 2007 1:58 PM | Link to this
I think it’s safe to say that Vernon Jones has not a snow ball’s chance in hell of winning a race for the Senate in Georgia.
He must have some sort of vendetta against the Democratic party to ruin such a good opportunity for unseating Slaxby.
Are the Republicans putting him up to this?
By Not VJ
July 22, 2007 2:01 PM | Link to this
Vernon Jones is not the right person for Georgia. I used to work for DeKalb County, and while Michael Bryant (listed above) is a incompetent buffon, Vernon Jones is a horrible egotistical person.
By Shaketiah Johnson
July 22, 2007 2:23 PM | Link to this
Vernon Jones wuld make a gret senator, he be cute and looks after his peeps!
By BadTony
July 22, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this
Now we know why Shaketiah dropped the charges.
By The Thin Guy
July 22, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this
As a Dekalb County resident and taxpayer, I am delighted that Emperor Jones has decided to run for the Senate. Now maybe 60 per cent of my taxes won’t go to pay for his bodyguards, flunkies, and members at large of his entourage. He would look great next to Sheets Byrd talking about dear old Fido. But I’m afraid after Nov 08 he’ll just join Denise Majette in asking “Would you like to try that in a combo?”
By Sharondra Williams
July 23, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this
ay yall, yall be trippin saying vernon cant be a gud senator. vern is da best candidate for tha job!!!! vernon be lookin after us in dekalb!
By bobs
July 23, 2007 10:04 AM | Link to this
Wise up, he’s raising money and keeping Hank Johnson in the dark until the last minute when he qaulifies to take Hank on in the Dem Primary.