Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > October > 16
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
A Karl Rove, Max Cleland face-off
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let the following serve as a lesson to organizers of the current snoozers that somehow pass for presidential debates:
First, take a controversial learning institution. Say, Regents University in Virginia, founded by evangelical politician and broadcaster Pat Robertson.
Pick two pairs of debaters. Put former U.S. senator Max Cleland and retired Army general Barry McCaffery on one side. Set up ex-White House guru Karl Rove and former Florida governor Jeb Bush opposite them.
Toss in a question: “Should America bring democracy to the world?”
Then let the feathers fly, leaving the preservation of civilization to a single moderator, PBS journalist Charlie Rose.
This will happen on Oct. 26. Witnesses will be charged $40. Splatter sheets will be provided to occupants of the first three rows.
So far as we know, this will be the first time Rove and Cleland have met. Many supporters of Cleland believe that Rove — during Cleland’s unsuccessful re-election campaign — was behind the TV ad that paired the triple-amputeed, Vietnam veteran with an image of Osama bin Laden.
Rove was asked about it as he exited the White House last month. “We’ve got better things to do than write television ads in Senate campaigns in Georgia,” President Bush’s brain said.
In the last three months, the Republican challenger to Marshall has out-raised him
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Federal campaign finance reports filed in the 8th District congressional race could ease pressure on Democratic incumbent Jim Marshall to support an override of President Bush’s veto of the SCHIP expansion bill.
Marshall’s been taking some heat for voting against the measure.
But campaign contribution reports filed at midnight Tuesday show a tightening race for money with Republican Rick Goddard, a former Air Force major general.
Goddard, in fact, outraised Marshall over the last three months. Goddard reports donations of $120,799.55 for a total of $272,780.72. His cash on hand is $226,634.21.
Marshall raised $106,442.86 over the last three months, for a total of $478,440.30 since his 2006 campaign. But the Macon incumbent has a 3-to-1 advantage in cash on hand. Marshall reports a nest egg of $724,176.44, and a debt of only $7,500.
Unlike in the 12th District, occupied by Democrat John Barrow, Republicans have been able to rally largely around a single candidate — with both their support and their checkbooks. Gov. Sonny Perdue attended a fund-raiser for Goddard during the period, but does not personally show up as a donor.
Donors to Goddard include Calder Clay ($500), who twice ran against Marshall; House Majority Leader Jerry Keen ($1,000); U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey of Marietta ($2,000); donations from PACs run by Heineken and Coors brewing companies; Ralph Reed ($1,000) and the Loose Group ($5,000).
Former Republican congressman Mac Collins, who has indicated his interest in the Republican nomination, shows only $857 in cash on hand. On his form, the $130,000 loan to himself has disappeared.
Another GOP possibility says no to running against Barrow
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With a general election just over a year away, state Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) has decided not to challenge Democratic incumbent John Barrow (D-Savannah) for his congressional seat.
Larry Peterson with the Savannah Morning News has the details.
Barrow has been a steady target for the national Republican party, which has perennially kept him on its list of most vulnerable Democrats.
This year, Carter was viewed as the best GOP bet. The lack of a formidable, well-funded Republican candidate to run against him is an indication of the troubled straits in which the GOP finds itself.
Peterson has this:
[Barrow] reported Monday that he has $944,892 on hand. Local political consultant Dave Simons said Barrow “would have to screw up a lot more than he has” to be politically at-risk.
Simons, who usually works with Republicans, said it’s relatively late for Carter to begin getting himself known in the district. It includes all or part of 22 counties, and Barrow has visited most of them repeatedly.
Savannah Republican Chris Edenfield already has declared his candidacy. Two other Republicans, Wayne Mosley of Vidalia and former Augusta mayor Bob Young, have been mentioned as possible candidates.
McKinney shows up on presidential ballot list — in California
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hank Johnson just might be able to breathe a little easier today.
Former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney is on the list of recognized candidates for president on the web site of the California secretary of state. She’s listed as a Green Party candidate.
Don’t count on this as the last word. In September, McKinney posted a letter on her web site declaring that she had no interest in the Green Party nomination.
But a report by Atlanta Progressive News — also now posted on her web site — says the elusive McKinney is doing some academic work at Berkley.
The secretary of state’s listing includes no physicial address for McKinney. Just an e-mail address.
A total of seven Green party candidates are listed on the California roll, including Ralph Nader.
Broun loaded with debt, out-raised 5-to-1 by Fleming
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, the Athens Republican elected this summer, has been out-raised by more than 5-to-1 in the last three months by his GOP challenger, state Rep. Barry Fleming of Harlem.
Fleming, who announced for the 10th District seat on Sept. 12, had raised $273,000 as of Sept. 30, according to federal campaign disclosure reports filed Monday.
Broun reports $52,149 raised in the last three months. More important, he’s still carrying a debt of $293,079 from the special election — which he won in a run-off against former state senator Jim Whitehead of Columbia County.
“The people elected me to go to work for them, not to selfishly spend my time raising campaign dollars for the 2008 election,” Broun said in a statement issued late Monday.
Democrat Bobby Saxon of Nicholson, Ga., a former Iraq veteran who also entered the race this summer, reports $32,828 in contributions.
Broun’s election in July was prompted by the death of Republican incumbent Charlie Norwood of Augusta.
The new congressman said by the time he took office in July, his district had been without representation for nearly six months.
Said Broun:
“Focusing on service to the people rather than on campaign finances resulted in a cash-on-hand balance that politicians and media pundits find less than impressive.
“However, I have no regrets for putting people before politics, and people before my own political image.”
In Florida, a GOP property tax initiative hits rough waters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Republican deal to cut $11 billion in property taxes in Florida over four years looks to be in trouble. New numbers are showing the cuts could cost $1.7 billion over those four years — and GOP lawmakers pushing the effort had promised no harm to education spending.
Read the story out of Tallahassee here.
Democratic help is required in that state’s legislature to achieve the required super-majority — as it would be required in Georgia. In Florida, it was fading fast.
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