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Monday, January 7, 2008
Blogwatch: Oh, dear. The tears
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For Georgia blogger Sid Cottingham, a Democrat, the sight of Hillary Clinton fighting off tears today brought back memories of Ed Muskie. He’s found a good account of the ‘72 incident in the New York Times obituary of Muskie, who died in 2004.
Read about it here. See the AJC video clip of a dewy-eyed Clinton here.
Nunn-Boren group: Regardless of who wins in ‘08, they want the next president to appoint a bipartisan cabinet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Norman, Okla. — Here’s the headline from the Nunn-Boren meeting, just finished: The 17 political figures — most Republican and Democrat — demanded that the entire presidential field commit to a bipartisan Cabinet if elected, and called for cross-party approaches to crucial national issues — most specifically foreign policy.
Former Georgia senator Sam Nunn read the manifesto that begins like this:
“America is in danger. Our ability to meet and solve the problems that face us is seriously compromised. National surveys reveal that an unprecedented seven out of 10 citizens believe that life for their children will not be as good as their own. We are headed in the wrong direction. We share their deep concern and frustration. Our nation is indeed at risk.”
The 1,000-seat auditorium was standing-room only, with not quite 150 media members in attendance. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who’s toying with an independent candidacy, took a relatively low profile.
After the event, Nunn said the group intends to get together again this spring, regardless of who the Republican and Democratic nominees are. And he said there was significant resistance in the group toward backing en masse an independent candidate for president.
More later.
Fortunately, if anything untoward happens, there’s a medical writer in the house
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Norman, Okla — We’re here at the Nunn-Boren-Bloomberg meeting at the University of Oklahoma. The public portion starts in 90 minutes or so. The participants are currently locked away in the president’s house getting their game plan together.
About 50 people are gathered outside, waiting for a portion of the program that will allow them to question the 17 figures, most of them retired politicians, who will address the shortfalls of the current presidential debate.
The media number more than three times that. All the standard heavyweights — E.J. Dionne, columnist Kathleen Parker, etc. — plus representatives from Al Jazeera, Executive Intelligence Review magazine, and the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Thirty-eight reporters, camera people and techs are from New York, here to catch whatever billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg cares to say about an independent run for the presidency.
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Kasim Reed joins Obama’s supporting ranks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s no surprise, but state Sen. Kasim Reed of Atlanta just endorsed Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential race.
“I have been inspired by the coalition of supporters of all ages, races, and walks of life he built in Iowa and is building around the country, and I believe he gives Georgia Democrats our best chance of retaking the White House in 2008 and building the coalition necessary to bring change as President,” Reed says.
The significance? Reed is a key strategist for Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, whose Democratic machine could play a huge role in the Feb. 5 presidential primary. Reed is expected to announce his ‘09 candidacy for mayor any day now.
Guns in company lots would jeopardize national security, says chemical group
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state Capitol is all about guns today.
Wayne LaPierre and his co-horts from the National Rifle Association are here doing some personal lobbying to push their all-important (to them) guns-in-parking-lots bill.
How intense is the opposition? The Georgia Chemistry Council just declared defeat of the bill a matter of national security.
“The nature of some materials produced in the chemical industry make our workplaces higher-risk targets for potential terrorist attacks,” said council executive vice president Rudy Underwood. “A mandate by state government to force our member companies to relax the necessary security measures adopted by the chemical industry would be counterproductive to ensuring safety and security for our employees, neighbors and essential products.”
The word from REM: Huckabee’s a ‘charming’ creationist
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Sirius satellite radio PR machine was late getting out the word, but here’s what REM frontman Michael Stipe of Athens, known for his political activism, had to say about Republican Mike Huckabee last week — after Stipe saw him on “The Late, Late Show” on CBS:
“I’ve never seen the guy [Mike Huckabee] talk, not even online. I have never seen him talk for 30 seconds…[and] he’s really charming. I instantly wanted to call [Generation X author] Doug Coupland and say ‘OK, project one year into the future for me: what the hell does this mean?’
“Because he’s a creationist, he’s a Baptist minister. I can’t think of probably a single issue in which I am even remotely in the same universe as that guy. And yet, he was kind of charming and…self-deprecating. He was actually kind of a good sport, and funny, and I don’t know what that means. Maybe it’s a good thing that’s he’s being lauded right now by the right. He’s an evangelical.
“May God bless all living creatures, but my God — how weird.”
Stipe made the comments Friday on something called “Jane Radio” hosted by Jane Pratt.
