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DEL.ICIO.USThe end of the 216 Group, the withdrawal of Maggie Martinez, and the clout that fell just a little short
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Notes on a few neglected topics lost in the rush of last week:
— The four-year-old 216 Group, chaired by state Rep. Tom Graves, has disbanded. Named for the room in the state Capitol where members usually met, the 216 Group billed itself as a gathering of true-believing conservatives.
Graves, you’ll remember, is one of the House members punished by Speaker Glenn Richardson for not backing his choice in the contests for the state transportation board earlier this year.
But Richardson — and the rest of House GOP leadership — were also aggravated by the 216 Group’s habit of grading legislation according to its own definition of conservatism. Leadership bills did not always fair well.
The group’s constant advocacy of tighter and tighter anti-abortion legislation also was a chafing point.
In a letter posted on the group’s web site, Graves offered no reason for shutting the 216 Group down. He wrote: “The conservative values which we hold will never die, but the meetings will.”
— Rockdale County teacher Maggie Martinez has dropped out of the Democratic race for U.S. Senate. Her exit statement came shortly after Atlanta attorney Jim Martin, the newest Democrat in the race, announced that he’d raised nearly $350,000 in the last few weeks.
“Unfortunately, our current system carries a heavy burden on the ability to raise the funds to compete with an entrenched Republican incumbent senator.
“After evaluating the situation prior to qualifying, it is in the best interest of our party that we narrow the field and remember that our opponent is Saxby Chambliss and not one another,” Martinez wrote.
So far as we know, the Democratic field now stands at five.
— State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Atlanta) corrects a report posted here a few minutes ago. Remember that curious piece of product liability language that the House GOP leadership tried to sneak into a seat belt bill? The original post about it is here.
Five times the House Motor Vehicle Committee rejected the legislation, after Powell Goldstein lobbyists, who wrote the 113-word paragraph, refused to say who their clients were.
The language ultimately made it through the Senate on Friday, tacked to S.B. 305, an emergency management bill sponsored by state Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth).
It passed the House, too. But according to Jacobs, “Mark Hatfield (a Republican from Waycross) “noticed the language, moved for reconsideration, and prevailed on that motion. The second vote on final passage of the SB 305 conference committee report failed. The bill died.”
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Comments
By Cluefull
April 7, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
I added the 216 group to 911, and then subtracted that figure from 1776 and I got 666. Run for your lives, Glenn Richardson is the devil or is it the antichrist? Dammit! I always get my apocolyptical doomsday dudes mixed up. What?
By Disbelieving Wrecker
April 7, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this
Sad. These fellas were the conservative true believers. It’s a damn shame that the so-called “leadership” did not listen to these folks more often. They had a far better grasp of conservative values and philosophy than do the likes of Richardson and his minions.
By Tsolomon
April 8, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this
why the hell do you say “alleged bandits”?? They swore to the court that they were guilty. How spineless and politically correct (actually incorrect) are you people trying to be?
By Oscar Lewis
April 8, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
Regarding an opponent for Saxby Chambliss, I hope Jim Martin raises lots of cash. However, I don’t think it’s going to take as much as might be expected. People like me are disgusted with Chambliss’ blind support of Bush’s failed war.
How fed-up am I?
Take a look at the video I made last month about Chambliss’ war. It got banned from YouTube.
http://nukular-waste.tripod.com/nukular-waste.htm
Take a look at the kinder/gentler YouTube video that took its place: Do a YouTube search for “Saxby Chambliss” Its easy to pick out my video. Mine is the one that shows an angry Iraqi standing atop a burning vehicle.