Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2008 > June > 11
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Your daily dose of Nunn
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Michael Crowley of the New Republic has weighed in with a substantive piece on the prospect of Sam Nunn as Barack Obama’s choice of a running mate in November.
His verdict? A wise choice that’s politically unlikely to happen:
[Nunn] is the Washington establishment’s archetype of a vice president: undeniably qualified, yet low-key and uninterested in personal glory. He is, in many ways, what Dick Cheney promised to be before it grew evident that Cheney had lost his marbles.
This is probably the most thorough assessment of Nunn out there by the national press. Crowley makes two points I haven’t seen elsewhere:
— On Nunn and the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy:
Nunn would guarantee Obama one unfortunate thing: a backlash from gay and lesbian activists, who are already refreshing bitter memories about the lead role Nunn played in quashing Bill Clinton’s 1993 attempt to allow gays to serve openly in the military. …. But Nunn conveyed less of a sense of personal morality than an obligation, as Armed Services Committee chairman, to represent the military’s views.
— On the former Georgia senator’s age:
Few things would mollify the embittered Clinton machine more than an Obama running mate who isn’t an instant threat to Hillary’s future presidential ambitions.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment |
Oxendine to lawmakers: ‘Make me governor, and I’ll let you grill me’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At least a year ahead of what Georgia is used to, John Oxendine continues to make his case in the 2010 race for governor.
The Republican state insurance commissioner, the only announced candidate in the race, has offered the Insider a copy of a letter he’s sent to every GOP member of the state Legislature — promising, among other things, a Parliamentary-like opportunity to question the next governor in public.
The communication, dated last week, is rife with implicit criticism of Gov. Sonny Perdue. A few of Oxendine’s promises:
— “A John Oxendine Administration will meet weekly with the leadership of both the House and the Senate and establish regular meetings with the majority and minority caucuses of the House and Senate.”
— “I will also ask the speaker and lieutenant governor to invite me to appear before a joint session on a regular basis to answer questions from members of the General Assembly, and from the citizens of Georgia, much like Senator John McCain has proposed to do in his Administration. It is time for the governor to be more open and available.”
— “I pledge to never veto a bill without first speaking to the principal author - you are men and women of outstanding character and you are due that basic courtesy and respect. I will never deliberately put you in an embarrassing situation. If I am made aware of a project that I know I will not be able to support, I will make every reasonable effort to communicate that to the author before you introduce it.”
— “The House and Senate must start working together, and I believe a governor who will act on the controversial issues will go a long way to providing the necessary leadership to make that happen.”
Read the entire letter on the jump.
Photo credit: Rich Addicks/AJC
June 5, 2008
Dear:
The work each of you does at the State Capitol, on behalf of the taxpayers of Georgia, is to be commended. Georgia is well served by the Republican Majority in the General Assembly. I consider each of you a patriot, and Ivy and I look forward to campaigning for your reelections this year.
I have asked our Party to honor me with our nomination for Governor in 2010. If I am so honored, I want to make a very public promise to each of you:
A John Oxendine Administration will meet weekly with the leadership of both the House and the Senate and establish regular meetings with the majority and minority caucuses of the House and Senate. I will listen.
I will also ask the Speaker and Lt. Governor to invite me to appear before a Joint Session on a regular basis to answer questions from Members of the General Assembly, and from the citizens of Georgia, much like Senator John McCain has proposed to do in his Administration. It is time for the Governor to be more open and available.
Further, I will establish the tradition of an annual Legislative family day at the Governor’s Mansion so that our families can meet and visit together. I will also invite each Committee to a dinner at the Mansion so that I can hear the issues and concerns in a more intimate setting.
I pledge to never veto a bill without first speaking to the principal author - you are men and women of outstanding character and you are due that basic courtesy and respect. I will never deliberately put you in an embarrassing situation. If I am made aware of a project that I know I will not be able to support, I will make every reasonable effort to communicate that to the author before you introduce it.
I will give each Member of the General Assembly an email address and cell number which will go directly to me and not through staff. I will be accessible. The taxpayers of Georgia are looking for help and change. I plan to provide it for them.
I have no animosity towards the House or Senate. I know there have been issues and disagreements. I am at the service of both the House and the Senate to build the bridge of effective leadership for the taxpayers of Georgia. The House and Senate must start working together, and I believe a Governor who will act on the controversial issues will go a long way to providing the necessary leadership to make that happen.
I welcome the opportunity to meet with, and campaign for, each of you in the days ahead as we work together to maintain our conservative Republican majority in 2008 and prepare a platform for the 2009 Legislative Session that unites our Party and serves the taxpayers of Georgia with effective results.
Many taxpayers believe that due to the actions, or inactions, of a few individuals in state government, important issues have not been addressed. At the end of the Session, Georgians still have no tax cut, are still stuck in traffic, still have no new economic development projects, and still trail other states on school test scores.
I say we start giving the taxpayers of Georgia the credit for passing legislation. I propose that we remove the ego fight over legislation by putting the names of real taxpayers on legislation as opposed to the names of elected public servants. Maybe this will move us forward to start putting the people first and politics last.
I thank each of you for your service; I especially want to acknowledge the leadership of the President Pro Tempore and the Speaker Pro Tempore, Majority Leaders, Whips, Caucus Chairs and Committee Chairs from both the House and Senate majority caucuses. Our state is blessed with an effective and dedicated group of men and women in the General Assembly and I look forward to earning your trust, confidence, respect and support as I campaign across Georgia.
My pledge to each of you is to be a Governor who respects, works with, and unites the General Assembly. We owe it to the taxpayers of Georgia.
With kindest personal regards, I am
Sincerely,
John Oxendine
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment |
Rasmussen: More than half of Georgia voters already view Obama ‘unfavorably’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The latest Rasmussen poll doesn’t show Georgia to be fertile battleground for Barack Obama — at least not yet.
In the first survey of the state by the polling outfit since Obama won the Democratic presidential nomination, Republican John McCain still holds a significant lead, with 51 percent compared to 41 percent for Obama.
Six percent declared themselves for another candidate — Libertarian Bob Barr was not mentioned — and 2 percent were undecided.
Two things worth noting:
— The small number of undecided voters is striking, and probably a result of the interminable national primary campaign. Which means that we could be headed for a race in which enthusiasm, or the lack of it, will count.
— The polarizing nature of this historic race has already begun. Says Rasmussen:
”While McCain’s unfavorables total 37%, over half of Georgia voters (54%) view Obama at least somewhat unfavorably.”
Permalink | Comments (107) | Post your comment |
Ralph Reed on the artist as a young man, and the voting habits of evangelicals
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Turns out that Ralph Reed got the idea for his new novel when he was a high schooler in Toccoa, Ga.
The Republican strategist and former head of the Christian Coalition was on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show Show with Jon Stewart” last night, plugging away on his book tour.
“I outlined this book 30 years ago. I was inspired by Gene McCarthy running against Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter,” Reed said. “Gene McCarthy, had he gotten on the ballot in New York state, Gerald Ford would have carried New York and would have had the presidency. He was kept off the ballot.”
Reed weathered a good many barbs from Stewart.
“So I wrote the first chapter, and then I thought, wait a minute. I’m 15 years old,” Reed said, finishing the tale of himself as an artist, interrupted.
Said Stewart: “So in the heat of this monumental historic presidential campaign, in which you have been a broker and strategist for these years, you thought, I need to get back to what I was doing when I was 15. It’s gone that wrong?”
Reed made one brief, biting pass at the former White House spokesman who has a competing, though non-fiction thriller on the bookshelves: “I’m either too young or too loyal to write a memoir. I couldn’t do what Scott McClellan did.”
Otherwise, the most substantive portion of his appearance was an exchange on evangelical voters. Stewart picked up on a statement by Mark DeMoss last week that up to 40 percent of evangelicals might consider voting for Obama.
DeMoss is the former conservative Christian advisor to Republican Mitt Romney. What makes this interesting is that DeMoss and Reed operate out of the same building in suburban Gwinnett County.
Reed: First of all, I don’t think that’s supported by the polling data. I think if you look at most of the general election polls, McCain’s getting about 60 to 65 percent of the evangelical vote, and Obama —
Stewart: They don’t trust him, though. They don’t think he speaks the language.
Reed: He’s got some more work to do. But there is a myth in American politics, and I attempt to shatter it in “Dark Horse,” my book, which is that voters of faith vote for somebody because they go to the same church as they do. They don’t.
They voted for the first divorced man ever to sit in the Oval Office, Ronald Reagan, against one of the most evangelical figures to sit in the Oval Office. They vote on issues.
Stewart: They will give up their core religious values as long as there can’t be gay marriage.
Reed: That’s not fair. No, that’s not fair.
Stewart: Believe me, I know that’s not fair.
Reed: It’s the same reason why the African-American community will vote for a liberal who shares their views on issues like affirmative action and government programs against, say, a conservative African-American.
And if he can connect with them on the issues, John McCain does not have to become George W. Bush in terms of —
Stewart: No, he does not have to try.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment |
Red sky at morning, sandwiches take warning
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When the tomato sirens went off in west Cobb County the other morning, there was no hesitation. We dropped our sliced Big Boys, grabbed the kids and the dog, and headed for the cellar. When you live in Tomato Alley, you don’t hesitate.
We used the anxious hours on the old couch in the basement as a kind of classroom, educating our daughters, and the dog — to the extent that he’d listen — about the difference between a tomato watch and the more perilous tomato warning.
Kirk “Hellish” Mellish has explained this before. The difference is simple, but is always worth a review.
During a tomato watch, the sky is merely a dark, choppy salsa. But if the heavens turn a swirling beefsteak, take cover. Salmonella becomes an extreme possibility. Avoid Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonald’s, Krystal, Huddle House, Waffle House, Jiffy Lube, and the dank interior of your own refrigerator.
Cobb County’s emergency management system is relatively advanced. Much of its extended tomato warning system is an analog system of whining loudspeakers. But a few digital speakers can carry voice instructions.
Once we heard the all-clear notice that cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine attached and homegrown tomatoes were safe to consume, we climbed up the stairs and into the light.
White bread, mayonnaise and juicy red goodness awaited.
We were safe. For now.
Photo credit: Chris Hunt/AJC
