Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > August > 29
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Clark Howard and ‘undecided’ dominate a first Atlanta mayoral poll
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In what’s sure to frustrate the business leaders most interested in who will replace Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin two years hence, Matt Towery of InsiderAdvantage released a poll Wednesday that shows the race to be highly unfocused.
Radio consumer guru Clark Howard leads the way with 36 percent. But he’s not a sure candidate.
Undecided comes next, with 31 percent.
After that:
— Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts at 10 percent;
— Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders, 7 percent;
— Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood, 7 percent;
— Former Atlanta City Council president Cathy Woolard, 4 percent;
— State Sen. Kasim Reed, 3 percent;
— Others: 2 percent
This was a poll of 479 voters. Margin of error was plus or minus 5 percent — which means a virtual dead heat among all candidates ranking below Howard.
No endorsement for Edwards from the man in Plains
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former President Jimmy Carter called Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards “a candidate whom I really admire,” but stopped short of an endorsement Wednesday as Edwards popped into Americus.
The Associated Press reports that the two shared the stage at Georgia Southwestern State University, Carter’s alma mater.
“I can say without equivocation that no one who is running for president has presented anywhere near as comprehensive and accurate a prediction of what our country ought to do in the field of environmental quality, in the field of health care for those who are not presently insured, for those who struggle with poverty,” Carter said.
Carter later told AP writer Shannon McCaffrey that it was too soon for endorsements — and that his comments were not meant as a criticism of other Democrats.
“I think he is a very appealing candidate, especially for rural voters here,” Carter said.
Three sign up to replace Mack Crawford in the House
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Qualifying for the state House District 127 seat closed at noon today.
Three candidates — two Republican and a Democrat — plunked down the necessary $400 to qualify for the special Nov. 6 election to replace state Rep. Mack Crawford (R-Concord), who last month was named the new director of the statewide indigent defense system.
The district covers Pike and portions of Lamar and Upson counties.
According to Secretary of State Karen Handel, the candidates are:
Republican Jim Fletcher
711 Hill Street
Thomaston, GA 30286
Democrat Bonnie Byrd Gardner
723 Oliver Rd.
Meansville, GA 30256
Republican Billy Maddox
440 Whitfield Walk
Zebulon, GA 30295
Permalink | |
And that’s how the Cracker Crumbled
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After 44 years, the Georgia Press Association has decided to pull the plug on the “Cracker Crumble,” an annual evening of music and political satire that had begun to ruffle some fairly large feathers at the state Capitol.
Proceeds from the event had gone to fund journalism scholarships. GPA executive director Robin Rhodes said the decision came down to a matter of cost — not political pressure. Ticket sales had not dipped, she said, but the expense of the event had increased disproportionately.
While Democrats were ruthlessly skewered by “the Crumble” in their day, many Republicans now in power at the state Capitol have been less willing to bear the annual humiliation.
As governor, Sonny Perdue attended only once in his first five years as governor — although Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle accepted a speaking role last spring.
At the same event, the Crumble made several ribald references to House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s social life. Days later, for the first time, reporters were permanently barred from the House floor. (The speaker said the timing was coincidental.)
And we were picking up word that lobbyists at the Capitol were being encouraged not to purchase tickets for the event.
Rhodes said the GPA, which is primarily a collection of small dailies and weeklies, wants to find another vehicle for its scholarship program.
“Options being considered include a roast of a well-known political figure, a cocktail party with a live/silent auction or entertainment, an invitational golf tournament with a reception or auction and others,” says a notice on the group’s web site.
If you say a congressman is missing, and he’s found in Afghanistan — does it count?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s hard to know what to make of this fight that Rick Goddard has picked with U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, the Democrat from Macon.
Last week, the Moultrie Observer ran an interview with Goddard, one of two Republicans who want to wrest the 8th Congressional District from Marshall’s grasp. That middle Georgia territory should belong to the GOP, they reason — and not without evidence.
Goddard ripped into Marshall for missing debate on the farm bill in July. Not a vote. Just debate.
“What’s important is we ought to have people in Congress on duty during the discussion making sure that that farm bill represents the interests of middle Georgia.
“Our current congressman was not there. He was overseas during the debate, and I think that’s wrong,” said Goddard, a retired Air Force major general.
So Marshall was “overseas.” In the Bahamas, perhaps on some congressional inspection tour of local rum factories, was the unstated implication.
But no. Marshall, a former Ranger, was actually spending a few days with the Special Forces in Afghanistan.
Wrote Marshall in an e-mail published by the Macon Telegraph: “First of all, the General obviously doesn’t know how things get done in Congress. Before I left for my long scheduled ‘overseas’ trip, the farm bill debate was over in the ag committee — the bill was drafted and noses counted. And I knew I’d be back in time to help move the farm bill through the full House.
“But the General’s ‘overseas’ and ‘duty’ references are arguably unbecoming. He knows I was embedded with a Special Forces team in a remote base along the Pakistan border. But he just calls that being ‘overseas.’ And if he doesn’t think that’s my ‘duty’ as a member of the Armed Services Committee, the general’s not ready to represent Georgia in Congress. This isn’t San Francisco.”
Now, what Marshall meant by “embedded,” we don’t know. Here’s what he wrote about the visit. Note that he’s not a whiz at spelling.
In any case, the location alone should amount to a pass. No rum factories there — only poppy fields.
Bottom line, Goddard made a vague reference that should have been checked out before he uttered it. But he didn’t, so you drop it and move on. That’s how you deal with a gaffe, right? In military terms, you don’t reinforce failure.
Unless it’s not a gaffe.
On Monday, the Goddard campaign raised the issue yet again.
“Democrat Congressman Jim Marshall continued to dodge questions this weekend as to why he left town before finishing the House Agriculture Committee’s work on the 2007 Farm Bill,” the Goddard campaign said in a press release.
“On Friday, Marshall admitted he was the only member of Congress in Afghanistan while the House of Representatives was still in session and work remained on the farm bill.
“He then attacked Rick Goddard, Republican candidate for the 8th District, for simply asking the question as to why Marshall could not have seen the farm bill through the committee process even if it meant traveling to Afghanistan during Congress’ four week-long-summer vacation.”
What makes this a strange fight is that Goddard was brought on board to go toe-to-toe with Marshall on military issues. And this isn’t an exchange that Georgia’s military community is likely to buy into.
The only thing that makes sense is that Goddard’s tactics aren’t necessarily directed toward Marshall, but the GOP primary.
As we said, Goddard is one of two Republicans in the race. Mac Collins, who once held that seat, wants it back and so far has refused to cede the nomination to Goddard. And Collins’ base is Georgia agriculture.
We welcome other theories.
Because you can never have too much Cynthia McKinney in your diet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You can scratch Cynthia McKinney from the Barack Obama bandwagon.
In Pennsylvania, the former Georgia congresswoman said Tuesday that black voters should consider voting for third-party candidates, according to this Associated Press report.
Said the AP:
Speaking to a sparsely attended Green Party gathering, the Georgia Democrat railed at her party and said black voters should not automatically vote Democratic, as an overwhelming majority now do.
“We have to be willing to do something that we’ve never done before so that we can get some things we’ve never had before,” said McKinney, who is black.
Now, don’t take this wrong — but she sounds a little bit like Herman Cain.
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
