Political Insider

Poll shows McCain dominating Georgia

Monday, June 30, 2008, 11:11 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Rasmussen Reports has been busy in Georgia, and continues to send bad news for Democrats.

We’ve told you already this morning about the Rasmussen poll showing no Democrat within shouting distance of knocking off Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss. But Rasmussen is also throwing cold water on the notion of a Barack Obama surge in the state.

The firm’s latest presidential poll shows Republican John McCain holding a 10-point lead over Democrat Obama in Georgia. It also shows Libertarian candidate Bob Barr pulling just a single percentage point in the state. In the poll, of 800 likely voters, McCain gets 53 percent to 43 percent for Obama.

The survey found, however, that up to 6 percent of voters might consider casting a ballot for Barr. If all 6 percent did, it’s possible the state would be competitive.

“However,” the report concludes, “unless McCain is clearly headed for defeat nationally, it is unlikely that Barr will make enough of an impact to threaten the Republican winning streak in the state.”

No Democrat has carried the state in a presidential election since 1992.

Rasmussen’s poll comes on the heels of a survey by Atlanta-based Insider Advantage a little more than a week ago that found the race much tighter. Insider Advantage’s survey showed McCain leading by just 1 point.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Permalink | Comments (40) | Post your comment |

Dems face long odds against Chambliss

Monday, June 30, 2008, 11:03 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The five Democrats trying to unseat Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss went into Sunday debate at Fox 5 TV in Atlanta with a piece of sobering knowledge — a new poll shows them all trailing Chambliss by double digits.

“As they enter the debate, all five are trailing Chambliss badly in the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the state,” Rasmussen Reports noted on Sunday. “Against each of the Democrats, Chambliss attracts between 52% and 57% of the vote. The Democrats attract from 30% to 39% support and trail by margins ranging from thirteen to twenty-seven percentage points.”

Rasmussen gives Chambliss a “97 percent chance” of winning in November.

That’s the bad news for Democrats. The good news is that trying to poll political primaries like the July 15 election is essentially a futile exercise. It’s nearly impossible to gauge turnout, and the margins of error — despite what the pollster tell you — are so large that the results can be meaningless.

In the Rasmussen survey, former Democratic state lawmaker Jim Martin scored best against Chambliss with 39 percent to Chambliss’ 52 percent. Coming in second was former WSB-TV investigative report Dale Cardwell in a 33 percent to 53 percent match-up. Atlanta businessman Rand Knight and Josh Lanier of Statesboro both scored 31 percent against Chambliss. And DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones came in with 30 percent.

— Jim Tharpe

Jones goes up on air in Senate bid

Sunday, June 29, 2008, 11:19 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones became the second Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Georgia to run a television ad.

Jones’ 30-second spot, which touts his position on fuel prices and the economy, began running Sunday morning on television news shows, said Jones’ deputy campaign director Dexter Porter. The ad appeared on NBS’s “Meet the Press” and “The Georgia Gang.”

“It’s an introduction to who he is and what his platform is on the major issues,” Porter said.

Porter said the campaign plans two or three more television ads before the July 15 primary.

Jones is the second of the five Democratic Senate candidates to run TV ads. Former state lawmaker Jim Martin has also run television spots.

Jones, Martin, former WSB-TV reporter Dale Cardwell, Atlanta businessman Rand Knight and retired businessman Josh Lanier of Statesboro are running for the Democratic Party nomination to take on incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Moultrie and Libertarian Allen Buckley in November.

— Jim Tharpe

Obama visit confirmed

Saturday, June 28, 2008, 02:39 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will be in Atlanta on July 7 raising money, his campaign confirmed Saturday.

It will be Obama’s first visit to the state since securing the nomination earlier this month. It is the first visit to the state by either Obama or John McCain since March, when McCain visited shortly after wrapping up the GOP nomination.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained a copy of the invitation to the long-rumored Obama event. A trip here by Obama has been the topic of much speculation for several weeks but the campaign had until Saturday not been willing to confirm details.

According to the invitation, the event will begins at 6 p.m. at 103 West, on West Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta. Tickets ain’t cheap: $2,300 per person for the general reception and $10,000 for a VIP reception and photo line.

You can see the invitation after the jump.

Co-chairs for the event, according to the invitation, are: Pinney Allen and Buddy Miller, Donna and Michael Coles, Barb and Kirk Dornbush, Norrene and Eugene Duffy, Daniel Halpern, Steve Leeds, Karol Mason, Marianne Spraggins and Chris Womack, and co-hosts are Cathy Hampton, Michelle and Kenneth Taylor and Rodney Strong.

The event itself is a joint fund raiser for Obama’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The first $2,300 of any contribution will go to Obama’s primary campaign account, which must fund his campaign until the convention in late August. The next $2,300 from the same individual will go to his general election account and up to an additional $28,500 will go to the DNC.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

obamainvite.pdf

Permalink | Comments (93) | Post your comment |

Obama staffer rallies Rockdale

Saturday, June 28, 2008, 12:37 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If you needed another example that Barack Obama’s campaign believes Georgia can be in play in November, one was given Saturday in Conyers.

Jeff Ingram, regional field director for three Metro Atlanta counties, told nearly 100 Rockdale County Democrats that the Democratic presidential hopeful will work to organize, register and turn out voters here. And not just because it’s good for Obama.

“Turning out the vote for Barack Obama turns out the vote for candidates up and down the ballot,” said Ingram, who leads field efforts for Obama in Rockdale, DeKalb and north Fulton counties.

But, no, Ingram offered no clues or hints of that rumored July 7 visit to Atlanta from Obama himself.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Isakson to speak for McCain

Saturday, June 28, 2008, 09:02 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If you’re out and about today and are both hungry and interested, then you might want to head over to the Fulton County GOP’s barbecue for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

McCain himself won’t be there, but Georgia U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson will be. Isakson will be speaking on McCain’s behalf.

The event starts at 11 a.m. and Isakson is expected to speak at 12:15. It’s at the Roswell Area Park, 10495 Woodstock Road in Roswell.

McCain spokeswoman Gisele Roget says Isakson, whose support in the primary was key for McCain, “is a strong social conservative and his support of Sen. McCain is testament to Sen. Isakson’s firm belief in Sen. McCain’s commitment to traditional values.”

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

McCain ad to air on cable in Georgia

Friday, June 27, 2008, 03:24 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has launched his latest television ad and this one will be seen in Georgia.

The 30-second ad will be running nationally on cable networks and on local channels in select states. Georgians will see it on cable.

Democrat Barack Obama last week launched his first ad of the campaign in 18 states, including Georgia.

The new ad from McCain is called “Purpose” and highlights McCain’s Lexington Project, which is aimed at creating energy independence by 2025.

McCain spokeswoman Gisele Roget said Friday that the campaign wants to emphasize McCain’s ability to collaborate across the political spectrum.

“John McCain is someone who’s always worked across the aisle,” Roget said. He “is someone who puts his country first, and unfortunately, that’s not what you get with Barack Obama.”

Here’s the ad:

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment |

More on guns

Friday, June 27, 2008, 11:43 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of Americans to have guns on Thursday. A new state law taking effect Tuesday will give Georgians with carry licenses the right to take weapons on MARTA, into state parks and into restaurants that serve alcohol.

Now comes a new state study committee led by pro-National Rifle Association senators to study the state’s “complex firearms laws and recommend new legislation for the 2009 session.”

Three of the four members of the study committee backed the new Georgia gun carry law.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle announced Friday that the committee will be led by Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), a strong firearms rights supporter. Seabaugh sponsored the resolution creating the committee.

According to the resolution creating the study committee, it will “examine Georgia’s firearms law and the way these laws are applied in our state to ensure that the constitutional right to bear arms and the right to self-defense are properly protected.”

-James Salzer-

Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment |

Franklin’s presence boosts Reed event

Friday, June 27, 2008, 11:01 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kasim Reed held a fund raiser for his potential 2009 mayoral bid and the woman he hopes to succeed was on hand.

Reed, a Democratic state senator from Atlanta, had 250 people in a ballroom of the downtown Hyatt Regency. And while Reed declined to tell us how much money he raised Thursday night, he was clear that Mayor Shirley Franklin was there as his friend and said Franklin has not endorsed him — at least not yet.

“The mayor was kind enough to come and stay with us for my speech,” Reed said Friday. “I was really gratified to have her there.”

Reed said he wants to earn Franklin’s support.

“I don’t want to take anything for granted,” he said. “I don’t view her presence there last night as that. She was there as my personal friend. It was a very important event for my campaign. And that’s how I view it.”

Reed announced in March that he was creating an exploratory committee for a possible mayoral bid.

Also running is Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders, and those who have expressed an interest include city council members Mary Norwood and Ceasar Mitchell.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

McGuire joins appeals court race

Friday, June 27, 2008, 10:40 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former Republican state Sen. Perry McGuire of Douglasville has joined the race to replace Judge John H. Ruffin Jr. on the state Court of Appeals.

McGuire’s qualifying for the race means five attorneys will battle for the slot. Ruffin is retiring.

Qualifying ends today and the election is in November.

Also running are Bruce M. Edenfield of Atlanta, Christopher J. McFadden of Decatur, Mike Sheffield of Lawrenceville and Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen (D-Albany) to run for election this November.

Sheffield, a criminal defense lawyer, ran for a seat on the appellate court four years ago in a race won by Judge Debra Bernes.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Plouffe: Georgia ‘very competitive’

Thursday, June 26, 2008, 04:22 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s national campaign manager, just told reporters on a conference call that the Democratic presidential candidate plans to fight for Georgia’s 15 electoral votes.

Georgia, Plouffe said, is “a big state with a lot of electoral votes,” and one that he said is in play.

“We think Georgia is very competitive,” Plouffe said.

He specifically disputed the notion that Obama will make a show of competing in red states like Georgia just to force Republican John McCain to spend money defending what normally is safe turf.

“There is not a head fake in any of these states,” Plouffe said. “There is a path to victory in each of these states. We’re playing aggressively in states we think we can win.”

Obama last week launched the first television ads of the general election here when went up on the air in Georgia and 17 other states.

Plouffe referenced a poll released last week by Atlanta-based Insider Advantage that showed Obama and McCain essentially tied, as McCain’s 1-point lead fell within the margin of error.

That poll, Plouffe said, reflected their own belief on the state of the race here. “That’s where we think it is,” he said.

No Democrat has carried the state in a presidential election since 1992 and the state hasn’t been competitive since 1996.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Permalink | Comments (58) | Post your comment |

Franklin eager for convention

Thursday, June 26, 2008, 03:14 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

She’s yet to learn exactly what her duties will be, but Shirley Franklin’s role at the Democratic National Convention will likely be high-profile.

The Atlanta mayor is one of three co-chairs of the convention, to be held in late August in Denver. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is the chairwoman, and joining Franklin as co-chairs are Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Texas state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte.

In an interview Thursday, Frankin said she’ll be supporting Pelosi in “whatever role is required.”

“I’m more excited about the convention and the nominee than I am about myself,” Franklin said. “I want to be focused on winning an election.”

Franklin will also be an Obama-voting delegate to the convention after she the state party chose her for one of 11 slots designated for party leaders and elected officials. Franklin said she doesn’t know if she’ll have a speaking role at the convention, but said it hardly matters.

“I have offered to the DNC to serve in any role they would like,” she said.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Barr on the ballot

Thursday, June 26, 2008, 02:49 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bob Barr is now officially a presidential candidate in Georgia.

The former Republican congressman, now Libertarian Party candidate for president, filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office on Thursday to add his name to the slate of candidates in November.

While the Libertarian Party gets automatic ballot access here, just like the Democrats and Republicans, the law requires an official statement of candidacy to be filed.

Barr completed that task surrounded by about two dozen supporters in Secretary Karen Handel’s office.

Barr did not have to do it in person, but given that it’s his home state, and a state where he could have the greatest impact, it makes sense.

And, by the way, in case you’re wondering: Barack Obama and John McCain have not yet filed the same paperwork, because they’re not officially their parties’ nominees yet. That won’t happen until after the conventions in August and September, respectively. Barr won the Libertarian nomination at his party’s convention in May.

—Aaron Gould Sheinin

Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment |

More on that Obama trip

Thursday, June 26, 2008, 02:35 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

We’ve just received a copy of an e-mail that’s making its way around Atlanta’s Democratic circles that seconds those rumors of a pending visit from Barack Obama.

Regular readers know that talk of a trip here from the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting has been circulating for a few weeks. On Tuesday we were told a date: July 7. Now, according to the new e-mail, we have a time: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

We still don’t know a location. But this e-mail repeats the Tuesday tip that Obama’s trip is primarily going to be about raising money.

Obama’s campaign has yet to confirm that the candidate will be visiting.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment |

‘Cooter’ at Manuel’s tonight

Thursday, June 26, 2008, 02:07 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ben Jones, the former congressman, perhaps better known as “Cooter” on the “Dukes of Hazzard,” will be at Manuel’s Tavern tonight signing copies of his new book.

Jones, who represented Georgia’s 4th District, will sign copies of “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land,” at the popular hangout for journalists and politicians. It’s at 602 N. Highland Ave. NE.

It doesn’t cost anything to get in, and they’ll be selling copies of the book.

As Cooter might have said, “Y’all come.”

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Georgia Democrats have a minor gender issue

Thursday, June 26, 2008, 11:28 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Democratic National Committee has found Georgia to be one of nine states that is out of compliance with party rules on the demographic make-up of its delegation to the national convention.

The party has complicated goals states should meet to ensure diversity in the delegations. But there are also hard rules that say the three standing committees to the national convention have equal number of men and women. And that’s where Georgia’s issue is.

The state party has four seats on each of the three standing committees, which are Rules, Platform and Credentials. Martin Matheny, spokesman for the Georgia Democratic Party, said the problem appears to be that there are three women and one man from Georgia on the Rules Committee, and three men and one woman on Credentials.

The issue, Matheny said, came about because the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns dictated who they wanted on which committee. So, Matheny said, the party is working with the campaigns to get one woman and one man switched before the convention in August.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

List of appeals court hopefuls grows

Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 04:57 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The number of attorneys qualifying for a seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals has grown to four.

Over the past two days, Bruce M. Edenfield of Atlanta, Christopher J. McFadden of Decatur and Mike Sheffield of Lawrenceville joined Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen (D-Albany) to run for election this November. The winner would succeed Judge John H. Ruffin Jr., who is retiring.

Sheffield, a criminal defense lawyer, ran for a seat on the appellate court four years ago in a race won by Judge Debra Bernes.

Qualifying for the Court of Appeals seat ends Friday.

— Bill Rankin

Senate debate Sunday

Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 01:35 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

So far, Georgia’s five-way race for the Democatric nod to run against Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss has been a civil affair. The only face-to-face appearances have been a few, relatively polite public “forums” where the candidates addressed a moderator who posed the questions.

Sunday’s debate at Atlanta’s Fox 5 TV, however, could get a bit hotter.

Candidates will get to ask each other a question in the 1-hour debate that begins at 5 p.m. and will be carried live on Fox 5 and simulcast on its website.

DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones, former state lawmaker Jim Martin, former WSB-TV reporter Dale Cardwell, Atlanta businessman Rand Knight and retired businessman Josh Lanier of Statesboro all plan to attend.

—Jim Tharpe

Poll finds Barr siphoning votes from McCain

Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 09:39 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

While a poll released late Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg showed Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr drawing only 3 percent support, the data show that much of that is coming at the expense of Republican candidate John McCain.

The new national poll shows McCain trailing Democrat Barack Obama 37 percent to 49 percent when the race is just between the two major party candidates. But when Barr, a former Georgia congressman, and independent candidate Ralph Nader are added to the mix, Obama’s margin jumps to 15 percentage points, 48 percent to 33 percent.

Unfortunately for Barr, he trails Nader in the poll. The former Green Party candidate gets the support of 4 percent in the poll of more than 1,100 registered voters nationwide.

But Barr is continuing to gain media attention, which could result in a rise in the polls. He’s been on CNN in the past week and his campaign announced late Tuesday that he would be on ABC’s weekly political program “This Week,” on Sunday, July 6.

That will be perhaps his most high-profile media appearance yet.

—Aaron Gould Sheinin

Permalink | Comments (60) | Post your comment |

Obama to Atlanta?

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 08:52 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Those rumors of a Georgia visit from Barack Obama are starting to gain traction as we’re hearing that July 7 trip to Atlanta is in the works.

Details are still sketchy, but we’re hearing that at this point it will primarily be a fund-raising visit.

The Obama campaign declined to say whether the rumored trip is for real.

We’ll have more as it becomes available.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Permalink | Comments (29) | Post your comment |

Austin Scott staying in the House

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 04:52 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Rep. Austin Scott’s name popped up as a potential state Senate candidate when one of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s floor leaders, Sen. Joseph Carter (R-Tifton) signed up to run for a superior court judgeship on Monday.

Turns out Scott (R-Tifton), is staying right where he is.

Scott, who has been in the General Assembly since 1997, contacted Political Insider to say he’s going to run for re-election to the House.

Scott, chairman of the House Governmental Affairs Committee, faces two Democratic challengers in his bid for another term.

—James Salzer

Leebern learns his lesson

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 03:47 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Donald Leebern, long-time member of the University System Board of Regents and a leading political donor to Georgia’s top politicians, has apparently learned his lesson about filing reports on time.

Leebern, a Regent since 1991, was recently fined $37,750 by the State Ethics Commission for failing to file 2005 and 2006 reports disclosing his business interests, as required by law.

The reports showed that over that period, one of Leebern’s businesses sold $90,000 worth of bottled water to the university system he helps govern.

This year, he didn’t take a chance on missing the June 30 deadline. He filed his personal financial disclosure late last week.

By the way, Leebern’s report showed water sales to system schools rose to $52,435, up from $49,794 in 2006 and a little over $40,000 in 2005.

— James Salzer

Martin up with first ad

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 11:22 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former state legislator Jim Martin has become the first Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Georgia to put a campaign ad on statewide TV.

The 33-second ad, entitled “Honor,” began running on TV statewide Tuesday morning, said Martin campaign spokesman Ellery Gould.

The ad touts Martin’s time as a serviceman in Vietnam and his fight against mortgage foreclosures during part of his time as an 18-year veteran of the state Legislature. The ad concludes with Martin stating: “It’s time someone stood up for the middle class again.”

Martin, the best-funded of the Democratic field is running against former WSB-TV reporter Dale Cardwell, Atlanta businessman Rand Knight, retired businessman Josh Lanier of Statesboro and DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones.

Here’s the ad:

— Jim Tharpe

Backers hope Barr is the bomb

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 10:27 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Get ready for a Barr Bomb.

No, you don’t need to stock up on emergency supplies. But, if you want to support Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr, the former Georgia congressman hopes you’ll have a blast (sorry.)

The Barr Bomb is an idea borrowed from the Republican presidential campaign of Ron Paul, a hero to many Libertarians, and from whom Barr hopes to siphon votes and cash.

Paul’s backers helped the Texas congressman raise millions in a single day with “Ron Paul Money Bomb.” The idea is harness the power of the Internet, which Paul’s supporters are exceptionally adept at, and raise tons of money online in a single day. The goal is two-fold: raise cash and raise awareness by making a splash (or a blast, in this case) with a big number.

The Barr Bomb is scheduled for July 2 and pledges are being accepted now at BarrBomb.com.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment |

Dennis Miller finds Barr, well, normal

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 10:18 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s own Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president, was on the syndicated radio show of comedian turned conservative pundit Dennis Miller on Monday and the former “Saturday Night Live” standout came away seemingly impressed that Barr was not a flame-thrower.

“You’re being much more measured than I imagined you to be,” Miller told Barr at one point. “You seem much more even-handed than I thought you were going to be.”

The bloggers at Liberty Maven thankfully captured the audio of the interview and you can listen to the full interview here.

In it, Barr and Miller cover a lot of serious ground, ranging from government surveillance to the Supreme Court’s recent decision on detainees at Guantanamo Bay. At one point, Miller asks if Barr finds himself more closely aligned with either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain. To summarize Barr’s response: No way.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Knight picks up endorsement

Monday, June 23, 2008, 04:34 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Georgia Association of Educators on Monday endorsed Democrat Rand Knight for the U.S. Senate.

Knight is running against DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones, former Democratic lawmaker Jim Martin, former television report Dale Cardwell and retired businessman Josh Lanier for the Democatic nomination to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Libertarian Allen Buckley in November.

The Board of Directors of the GAE approved the recommendation, passed by the GAE Fund for Public Education Committee, to endorse Rand Knight for U.S. Senate, and has recommended Knight’s candidacy to the National Education Associations’ Fund for Children and Public Education.

“The recommendation was based on (Knight’s) commitment to strengthen public education for 1.6 million Georgia children by opposing private school vouchers and tuition subsidies; improve the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; prepare students for jobs of tomorrow; protect and strengthen Social Security; reduce the cost of health care and improve access; and respect the rights of school employees as full participants in educational improvement efforts,” Jeff Hubbard, President of the GAE, said in a prepared statement.

Knight, an Atlanta businessman, was previously endorsed by the state AFL-CIO.

“I am, of course, both flattered and humbled by the show of confidence from the GAE,” Knight said. “When I get to D.C., I’m going to fight to bring the changes necessary to improve our public education system.”

— Jim Tharpe

Senator qualifies for appellate seat

Monday, June 23, 2008, 04:19 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

State Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen (D-Albany) on Monday was the first lawyer to qualify for what is expected to be a crowded race for a seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals.

The seat is open because Judge John H. Ruffin Jr. is not seeking re-election.

Qualifying for the state appeals court seat ends Friday.

— Bill Rankin

Lawmaker to get school-choice award

Monday, June 23, 2008, 03:13 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

James Salzer reports that Senate President Pro-Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) is scheduled to be presented the Alliance for School Choice’s National Legislator of the Year Award Tuesday in Savannah.

That probably puts him out of the running for any awards from public school groups, like the Georgia Association of Educators.

Johnson championed legislation creating a private school voucher program for students with special needs, such as learning disabilities. He also has been a long-time supporter of legislation allowing more taxpayer-funded choice in education.

The Alliance is a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization that advocates for vouchers and tax credits for parents to send their children to private schools. Vouchers advocates have been fighting for legislative support for years in Georgia and in other states, but they gained little ground here until Republicans began taking over the statehouse six years ago.

Groups like GAE have traditionally fought vouchers, saying they will weaken public schools by taking money out of public systems. Supporters of vouchers say the public school systems need the competition private schools provide to make them better.

Knight brings the pun

Monday, June 23, 2008, 01:41 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It’s still a few weeks until the Democratic primary to determine which Democrat will win the right to run against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss in November.

No one is making predictions in the five-man field that includes former TV reporter Dale Cardwell, DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones, former state legislator Jim Martin, Atlanta businessman Rand Knight and retired businessman and former U.S. Senate staffer Josh Lanier. If one of the five does not win outright in the July 15 contest, there will be a runoff three weeks later.

However, a clear crowd favorite for the best political slogan has emerged at two U.S. Senate forums in recent weeks. At an Atlanta forum two weeks back and one last week in Athens, candidate Knight was given an enthusiastic round of applause — despite moderator warnings — when he vowed: “The sun is setting on Saxby Chambliss. It’s Knight time.”

Before Knight can deliver on the slogan, however, he must first get past candidates who are much better known than himself. Cardwell was a frequent face on WSB-TV for years. CEO Jones is in the news weekly. And Martin has been a fixture in the Democratic party for years.

None of that mattered much to organized labor, a key group underpinning most successful Democrat campaigns. The state chapter of the AFL-CIO took at pass on the better-known Martin and threw its support behind the newcomer Knight.

— Jim Tharpe

Obama voter drive continues

Monday, June 23, 2008, 01:35 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If you’re taking MARTA through Atlanta this week, you might run into some of Barack Obama’s local supporters.

Fans of the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting will be fan out to local MARTA stations as part of Obama’s voter registration drive. And no, you don’t have to be an Obama supporter to register.

Today, Tuesday and Wednesday they’ll be at the Inman Park station from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Today through Thursday they’ll also set up at the Midtown MARTA station at noon for a lunch-hour registration drive.

Every Monday through Thursday volunteers will also register voters at Woodruff Park and Broad Street Plaza downtown from noon to 3 p.m.

— Aaron Gould Sheinin

Perdue to lose ally

Monday, June 23, 2008, 11:11 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

James Salzer reports that Gov. Sonny Perdue is unexpectedly losing one of his floor leaders in the state Senate.

Sen. Joseph Carter (R-Tifton) is giving up his Senate seat to run for a superior court judgeship. Qualifying for such nonpartisan seats starts today.

Carter had already qualified to run for re-election to his Senate seat. Nobody signed up to run against him. So now Perdue’s staffers are working to decide how to elect his replacement with the state’s primaries only three weeks away. Among those mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Carter is state Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton).

Gone fishing

Monday, June 23, 2008, 09:00 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ladies and gentlemen:

Summer’s here, and it’s time to take a little time off. My colleagues at the state Capitol and elsewhere will be filling in with the occasional post, so don’t stop checking in.

If you’ve got news, don’t hesitate to pop an e-mail to our political team: editor Susan Abramson at sabramson@ajc.com; staffers Aaron Sheinin at asheinin@ajc.com; James Salzer at jsalzer@ajc.com; Ben Smith at bsmith@ajc.com; and Jim Tharpe at jtharpe@ajc.com.

Back at you soon.

Running mate or not, Sam Nunn’s made his way back to the spotlight

Sunday, June 22, 2008, 03:00 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

One afternoon last week, Barack Obama gathered his new circle of national security experts into a conference room at The Liasion — an apt name for a Washington hotel if ever there was one.

In characteristic, low-key fashion, former senator Sam Nunn of Georgia avoided the TV lights and journalistic nagging. He participated by telephone.

Much has been made of 69-year-old Nunn’s presence on the presumptive Democratic nominee’s list of running mates — a fact confirmed by the Obama campaign. The prospect has roiled the blogosphere more than any other possibility save Hillary Clinton.

The odds are against an Obama/Nunn ticket. But any debate misses the point. What’s certain is that we’re witnessing the return of a formidable Southern presence to the inner circles of public policy-making — after a decade of, if not exile, then a self-imposed withdrawal from the spotlight.

Nunn retired in 1996 as one of the most influential voices in Washington on the topic of national defense. “When he left the Senate, he wanted to do other things,” said Arnold Punaro, who was Nunn’s chief of staff on the Armed Services Committee.

Nunn didn’t slow down, but his focus narrowed. He began, with Ted Turner, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a private group that tackles the important problem of “loose nukes” and other mass threats. He remains chairman of a prestigious think-tank on strategic affairs. The former senator still hobnobs with the likes of Henry Kissinger and George Shultz.

But Nunn dropped out of the average Georgian’s daily frame of reference. And his deep differences with the Bush administration over its conduct of the war in Iraq forced his profile even lower.

The ex-senator’s re-emergence began in early 2007, with an op-ed piece in Wall Street Journal that carried the bylines of Democrats Nunn and former defense secretary William Perry, and Republican secretaries of state Kissinger and Shultz. The bipartisan quartet called for “a world free of nuclear weapons.’’

The next month, an article in the New York Times Magazine detailed Nunn’s private efforts to keep nukes out of the hands of terrorists in a post-9/11 world.

The article, entitled “The Stuff Sam Nunn’s Nightmares Are Made Of,” earned Obama’s attention. The Democratic candidate mentioned it a few weeks later, at a D.C. fund-raiser.

“Sam Nunn is to the nuclear proliferation issue what Al Gore is to the global climate change issue,” Ed Kilgore, another former Nunn staffer and a prominent Democratic blogger, wrote last week.

The objections to Nunn as a vice presidential candidate are several. The Democratic left, and gays in particular, remember him as one of the authors of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prevents homosexuals from openly serving in the military. (Nunn recently said the policy deserves to be revisited.) More cold-blooded strategists say Nunn’s age could muddy a generational contrast between Obama and Republican John McCain.

But Kilgore, in an interview, said he’s noticed a consistent theme in the on-line discussions of Democrats: “I’m just stunned that people who hate the idea of [Nunn] on the ticket also say he ought to play a role in the Obama Administration.”

Photo credit: Bloomberg News

Because what you don’t know about a politician can’t hurt you

Sunday, June 22, 2008, 01:33 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Savannah — The first thing to remember is that Bob Holmes is a thin fellow, bald and bespectacled.

The state House member from Atlanta has a doctorate in political science, and taught college for 30 years or so. He’s the epitome of a quiet, tweed-jacketed academic — mid-sixties, and newly retired.

In other words, sweet and harmless and boring.

Holmes was was one of three African-American lawmakers honored for their 34 years of service on Saturday.

This has been mentioned before. The other two were Calvin Smyre of Columbus and David Lucas of Macon. The presenter of the award on Saturday was Tyrone Brooks, the long-time head of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials.

The occasion was naturally biographical, and encouraged a review of how one came to arrive from a distant There to a close-on Here, all in the nanosecond of four or five decades.

Holmes told of his birth on the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, and a youth spent learning the ways of Harlem and its gangland politics. A brother who manufactured zip guns. A best friend who OD’d on heroin.

And the time a rival grabbed Holmes from behind in high school. Holmes gave him his right elbow in the belly, crooked an arm around the miscreant’s head when he doubled over, and rammed him through the principal’s glass door.

Holmes’ education was suspended by two months.

Perhaps, Holmes theorized, this is why he never joined the Freedom Riders on their non-violent tour of the segregated South in the ‘60s. He didn’t have the temperament.

Such are the confessions of a man who no longer intends to run for office.

There was, of course, the question of how Holmes evolved from a gang-banger to a Phd. But he had little time to explain things.

Evening was approaching. He had a plane to catch. The former denizen of rough-edged Harlem, you see, had promised to accompany his wife to an AARP gala in downtown Atlanta.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Listen to a portion of his speech here.

SCLC head: Michelle Obama treated more roughly than her husband, because of her slave heritage

Saturday, June 21, 2008, 03:37 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Savannah — Michelle Obama has been the recipient of rougher treatment than her husband for a reason, the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference said Saturday.

One has ancestors who were slaves and the other doesn’t, said Charles Steele Jr., president and CEO of the decades-old, Atlanta-based civil rights group.

Barack Obama is “of the system. He’s going to be in the system,” Steele told a morning gathering of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials.

“Why are they attacking Michelle Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and not really attacking, to that degree, her husband?” Steele asked. “Because he has no slave blood in him. He does not have any slave blood in him, but Michelle does.

“This system is an issue. I don’t care what you say. You can’t expect the system that enslaved you save you,” Steele said.

Steele admitted to the crowd that his remarks about the Obamas were intended to be provocative, but afterwards declined to expand upon them.

The SCLC said his larger point was that — even should Obama win the presidency in November, the problems faced African-Americans will still require an outside voice.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Permalink | Comments (370) | Post your comment |

If someone borrows your words, you ought to be able to charge interest

Saturday, June 21, 2008, 10:32 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

No, Isakson didn’t plagiarize. But he was borrowed from.

Here’s the piece by Don Rhodes in today’s Augusta Chronicle.

Rhodes found that a near identical speech was given by U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) in 2004.

Here is the example given:

ISAKSON: “I hope you’ll take your graduation diploma today and not frame it and put it on the wall but treat it like a passport and have it validated over and over and over again; wherever you go and wherever you travel.”

MILLER: “In a few minutes you are going to receive a diploma. You can frame it or hang it on the wall — do whatever you’d like with it. But if I were you, I’d treat it like a passport. I’d have it validated over and over and over again as you go through life … as you continue your education, move through your career development, or in whatever interests you choose to pursue.”

A staffer for Miller told Rhodes that an aide to the Florida congressman had heard Isakson deliver a version of his speech, and “had asked to borrow the basic remarks.”

Isakson told a slightly different story. He told Rhodes:

“Jeff [Miller] called me about 30 minutes ago and said, ‘That was a great speech. One of my staffers went to a graduation and heard you give it, and they brought it back, and I gave you credit when I made it but somehow it didn’t get into the Web site.’”

It’s there now.

Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment |

A state senate seat opens up in Tifton

Friday, June 20, 2008, 09:41 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Word spread quickly late Friday that a superior court judge in Tifton decided not to seek re-election, and state Sen. Joseph Carter has decided to run for the post. He’s to qualify Monday.

Here’s the Tifton Gazette version of events.

Carter was unopposed for his senate seat. This would mean a special election, I think. Or a new qualifying period. Even the experts aren’t sure. “We will be in touch later as to the process for replacing him,” wrote Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson in a note to his colleagues.

Don’t know who would be interested in Carter’s seat, but the name of state Rep. Austin Scott comes to mind.

Words didn’t fail him. He just didn’t need many.

Friday, June 20, 2008, 09:25 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Garland Pinholster resigned from the state Transportation Board two months after news broke that two Department of Transportation employees have accused him of sexual harassment.

See the story here.

Pinholster’s a man of few words. Look for yourself.

The socio-economic side of up-and-down lake levels

Friday, June 20, 2008, 07:00 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

State Rep. Carl Von Epps (D-LaGrange) is pointing to the racial aspects of the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ control of lake levels in the Chattahoochee River chain.

Epps, invoking his role as the founding president of 100 Black Men of West Georgia, has written a letter of complaint to the commander of the Mobile District that governs the waters. On his legislative stationary.

Read it here.

In the June 2 letter, the lawmaker points out that the West Point Lake area includes a large number of African-Americans and poor people. And the bouncing water levels are depriving them of a reliable source of recreation.

Here’s a section of Epp’s message:

Due to its proximity and use of access, the lake provides substantial and in most cases the only opportunity for outdoor recreation such as picnicking, swimming, fishing, hiking and camping to the segment of the society surrounding West Point Lake that falls within a definition of minority and low-income populations….

But at the same time, the Corps of Engineers has utilized West Point Lake “as its workhorse” to provide for other demands throughout the river basin, while ignoring the original authorized purpose of recreation, and the needs and expectations of minority and lower income households in west Georgia and east Alabama….

Epps details his primary interest here:

Our non-profit has a lease on 31 acres with a one and one-half mile of shoreline on Lake West Point, with anticipation of providing camping, day and night retreat activities for our inner city youths… Although we are still in the planning stage, our potential is hampered by the uncertainty of [the] lake level.

Permalink | Comments (53) | Post your comment |

Obama going up on television in Georgia — see the ad here

Thursday, June 19, 2008, 11:20 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Barack Obama campaign just confirmed that the Democratic presidential presumptive will be going up on television Friday in 18 states, including Georgia.

It’s the first general election TV ad by a presidential candidate in Georgia.

The 60-second spot is entitled “Country I Love.” Here’s a first look:

In addition to Georgia, the Obama campaign is airing the ad in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia.

Those familiar with the purchase say it looks to be aimed at rural areas, but you’ll also notice a heavy blue-collar tone. Many of the images were first used in primary states, but they haven’t been seen here.

The TV ad places in a larger picture that radio ad that Obama has just cut for U.S. Rep. John Barrow. Here’s the audio on it, just released.

In the radio ad, this is the active line from Obama: “We’re going to need John Barrow back in Congress to help change Washington and get our country back on track. He’s already standing up to the lobbyists and the Republicans who go right down the line with George Bush.”

Go to the jump for the entire radio script.

OBAMA: “This is Barack Obama, and I want to ask you to join me in supporting Congressman John Barrow for re-election in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, July 15th.

“We’re going to need John Barrow back in Congress to help change Washington and get our country back on track. He’s already standing up to the lobbyists and the Republicans who go right down the line with George Bush.

“Now we need him in Congress to help reduce gasoline prices, provide access to affordable health care for every American, and create good paying jobs here in Georgia and all across our country.

“Together, we can get that done, because John is not afraid to take a tough stand to do what’s right. Again, I’m Barack Obama and I urge you to vote for John Barrow on Tuesday, July 15th. “

BARROW: “I’m Congressman John Barrow, running for re-election, and I approved this message. Announcer: Paid for by Friends of John Barrow.”

Permalink | Comments (112) | Post your comment |

Pay no attention to that $1.2 billion deficit behind the curtain

Thursday, June 19, 2008, 09:02 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

We’re told not to worry, but state auditors have uncovered a deficit at the state Department of Transportation that stood at $839 million as of March 31, and could reach $1.2 billion by the end of this month.

State officials say they think — though this is not a promise — that it will take no more than a little shuffling of money from one checking account to another to fix things.

But my colleague Ariel Hart sensed some tension in the room.

John Thornton, a division director for the state Department of Audits, said he believed “there was a miscalculation of how much money” the department had on hand.

DOT board member Steve Farrow asked why these problems had not been found previous audits. Thornton, who has been with the auditing department for 29 years and has audited DOT before, said that he did not know whether the current system of looking at the DOT books had been used before.

When board member Robert Brown repeated that these problems were longstanding at the DOT, Thornton mentioned Fast Forward, which had been Sonny Perdue’s top-shelf transportation program — until the governor recently discovered that only 20 percent of the projects contained in the program had been completed.

“During Fast Forward, when you try to do in six years what would normally take place in 18 year, you are changing the dynamics of your operation. So it can put stress and pressure in areas that may not have been there in prior years,” Thorton said.

Listen to the audio here.

In Savannah, the fallout from Obama’s choice of Barrow rather than Thomas

Thursday, June 19, 2008, 08:35 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In today’s Savannah Morning News, political columnist and reporter Larry Peterson has already picked up on some hard feelings generated by Barack Obama’s endorsement of U.S. Rep. John Barrow over his Democratic primary challenger, Regina Thomas.

Peterson notes that Barrow, a conservative Democrat, differs with the presumptive presidential nominee on heavy topics such as the war in Iraq and President Bush’s tax cuts.

But Peterson also mentions one of the vagaries of campaigning in the Democratic primary: Barrow, who is white and eager to do well among African-American voters, endorsed Obama early — in late February, just as the crucial contest for superdelegates began.

Thomas, who is black and presumably needed to cultivate an image as a crossover candidate who can attract white voters, didn’t endorse Obama until he’d very nearly locked up the nomination.

Wrote Peterson:

Mary Osborne, who was Obama’s Chatham County coordinator in Georgia’s Feb. 5 Democratic presidential primary, said she is disappointed.

Osborne, a Savannah alderman, said Obama might not be familiar with Barrow’s voting record.

Kevin Clark, another local Obama supporter and a leader in the gay rights community, said he was “sorely, sorely disappointed.”

Clark said Barrow failed to stand behind the pro-gay-rights positions he took in his 2004 Democratic primary campaign.

Osborne and others suggested the endorsement was a reward for Barrow’s support of Obama for president….

“I’m sure there’s a matter of trade-offs,” Osborne said. “That’s how things are done in politics.”

Permalink | Comments (34) | Post your comment |

Obama cuts an ad to help John Barrow in his primary fight

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 07:02 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has taped a radio commercial on behalf of U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Savannah, who faces a July 15 primary challenge.

It’s the first case of Obama involving himself in a local race in Georgia.

Details of when the ad will start airing and where it will be broadcast — the 12th District covers much of east Georgia, including portions of Augusta and Savannah — were not immediately available Wednesday.

But the Obama campaign made clear to my colleague Aaron Sheinin that it sees Barrow, a two-term Democrat, as an important ally. We’ve got calls into the Barrow campaign, but haven’t heard from them yet.

“Senator Obama believes that Congressman Barrow has worked hard to bring change that families in his district deserve, and we’ll work hard to help John Barrow win in November,” Obama spokeswoman Amy Brundage said.

In the ad, Obama asks voters to join him in supporting Barrow. “We’re going to need John Barrow back in Congress to help change Washington and get our country back on track,” Obama says in the 60-second ad.

Barrow beat a Republican incumbent in 2004 and had tough GOP opposition in 2006. But this April, Barrow picked up unexpected opposition from Regina Thomas, a well-known African-American state senator based in Savannah. Barrow is white, and In past primaries in the 12th District, black voters have cast nearly 70 percent of the ballots.

Barrow had endorsed Obama in late February, a few weeks after the Illinois senator won the Georgia primary. And within weeks of Thomas joining the race, Barrow, a conservative Democrat, was placed at the top of a list of 14 national co-chairs for Obama’s massive, 50-state voter registration drive — along with the likes of singer Melissa Etheridge and the Rev. Joe Lowery.

Barrow has plenty of cash to make use of the Obama ad. He reported $1.3 million in cash on hand this spring.

Permalink | Comments (32) | Post your comment |

Obama meets with his ‘working group on national security’

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 05:31 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Democratic presidential presumptive Barack Obama held his first “senior working group on national security” at the Liaison Hotel in Washington D.C. this afternoon.

Attendees included Madeleine Albright, secretary of state to Bill Clinton; David Boren, the former senator from Oklahoma; Lee Hamilton, the former Indiana congressman who co-chaired the Sept. 11 investigative committee; and Richard Danzig, the former secretary of the Navy.

Two experts participated via phone. One was former secretary of state Warren Christopher. The other was former U.S. senator Sam Nunn of Georgia.

Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment |

Marshall targeted by Freedom Watch robo-calls on energy

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 04:46 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The pro-Republican group Freedom’s Watch is taking aim at U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon and 15 other Democratic members of Congress with a series of robo-calls blaming them for sky-rocketing gasoline prices.

“Shockingly, since gas prices began spinning out of control, Congressman Jim Marshall voted three times against environmentally safe energy production and lower prices,” says the mass message left on answering machines in the 8th Congressional District.

Freedom’s Watch is a non-profit that played in special elections for Congress this spring in both Louisiana and Mississippi. Republicans lost both seats.

This round of robo-calls is the first significant expense the group has incurred here. But Freedom’s Watch could prove an important (but legally distant) ally to Republican Rick Goddard, Marshall’s challenger — because the Republican congressional campaign arm in Washington is extremely short on cash.

In addition to Georgia, districts targeted by the robo-calls are Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It’s worth nothing that, in Georgia, Marshall’s was the only district targeted.

Democrat John Barrow in the 12th District got a pass.

Read the script on the jump.

Photo credit: Rich Addicks/AJC

Hello, this is a GAS PRICE alert from Freedom’s Watch.

Gas prices are up 75% since last year, causing the cost of everything from bread and milk to diapers and airline tickets to skyrocket.

Shockingly, since gas prices began spinning out of control, Congressman Jim Marshall voted three times against environmentally safe energy production and lower prices.

We have enough untapped oil in the U.S. to fuel more than 60 million cars for the next 60 years.

But Jim Marshall keeps standing in the way, and we’re all paying for it.

Call him at 480-946-2411 and tell him to support H.R.3089…

…for more American-made energy and lower gas prices.

Paid for by Freedom’s Watch, 202-379-3742

The appearance, then disappearance, of Red Chinese oil platforms on the Florida coast

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 01:50 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia Politics Unfiltered and Daily Kos have touched on this, but the blogosphere has erupted lately with talk about China erecting oil derrick platforms off the coast of Miami and elsewhere in Florida.

Here’s a brief rundown of the rumor — how it started, and what should be its end this week. If these things ever really end. To wit:

— On May 9, the New York Times published an article on the fact that Cuba had signed lease agreements with several companies, including China — but also including Canada, India and Spain — to drill for oil in its territorial waters.

U.S. companies were invited to bid on the Cuban leases, but could not because of the U.S. trade embargo on the island nation. Read the article here. Also useful is an NYT map showing how U.S. and Cuban waters were divvied up in a 1977 treaty.

— On June 5, a George Will column in the Washington Post, focusing on the need to expand the search for oil in U.S. territories, had this paragraph:

“Drilling is underway 60 miles off Florida. The drilling is being done by China, in cooperation with Cuba, which is drilling closer to South Florida than U.S. companies are.”

— That column, which confused lease agreements with the actual boring of holes on the ocean floor, began much talk. On June 12, on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Mel Martinez of Florida, a Republican, placed himself in front of the whirlwind. Martinez saw the rumor as an attempt at an end-run around opposition by Florida’s congressional delegation.

This is from the Miami Herald:

”Reports to the contrary are simply false,” Martinez said…“They are akin to urban legends. China drilling off the coast of Cuba only 60 miles from the Keys, that is not taking place… Any talk of using some fabricated Cuba-China connection as an argument to change U.S. policy has no merit.”

But only minutes later, in front of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Vice President Dick Cheney jumped in with more gasoline for the fire, or at least unrefined light crude:

“Oil is being drilled right now 60 miles off the coast of Florida. But we’re not doing it. The Chinese are, in cooperation with the Cuban government. Even the communists have figured out that a good answer to high prices is more supply.”

Several other Republicans immediately picked up the vice president’s message, including U.S. Rep. John Linder, who wrote this for Tuesday’s editions of the Gwinnett Post:

”Floridians oppose drilling 125 miles off shore for fear of a spill harming their beaches. However, China is drilling 50 miles from Key West on behalf of Cuba, which will then sell the oil to China. Why do we want them to have oil we could have?”

— But also on Tuesday, the following correction appeared at the tail end of a George Will column:

In a previous column, I stated that China, in partnership with Cuba, is drilling for oil 60 miles from the Florida coast. While Cuba has partnered with Chinese companies to drill in the Florida Straits, no Chinese company has been involved in Cuba’s oil exploration that close to the United States.

Cheney’s office, citing the error in the Wills column, had already issued a retraction of the vice president’s statement late last week. “It is our understanding that, although Cuba has leased out exploration blocks 60 miles off the coast of southern Florida, which is closer than American firms are allowed to operate in that area, no Chinese firm is drilling there,” Cheney’s office told the AP.

Click here for a more detailed image.

A propaganda check-up: Georgia Republicans warn of Jimmy Carter and Obama’s ‘Chicago machine,’ and Max Cleland says Dems need money to stop ‘vile lies’

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 12:41 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Within minutes of each other, two fund-raising letters arrived in the Lotus Notes box this morning.

The first was from Sue Everhart, chairman of the state Republican party, waving the stated intentions of the Barack Obama campaign to put Georgia in play this fall.

Wrote Everhart:

The Obama campaign has made it clear that they will do everything in their power to gain Georgia’s 15 electoral votes to secure the presidency.

Jimmy Carter and other Georgia Democrats are doing everything they can to make sure Barack Obama picks up the Peach State.

Jimmy Carter still makes people angry enough to write checks? But not just Carter:

And the out-of-staters will make sure the Georgia Democrats have all the money they need. Obama’s Chicago Machine, Howard Dean’s DNC, MoveOn.org, the Kennedy Juggernaut, and the Hollywood Elites will stop at nothing…

Then came the pitch from former U.S. senator Max Cleland, who has kept a relatively low profile this election cycle, on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee:

You and I know better than most what Republicans will do to win elections.

We saw those Swift Boat Veterans impugn the patriotism of John Kerry. And we’ve watched our opponents spread vile lies about both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Interesting that by including Clinton, Cleland attempts to keep himself above the current schism between victor and vanquished. And why this work for the DSCC?

[E]very important decision about getting out of Iraq and doing better in Afghanistan goes through the United States Senate.

I know that I want Democrats making those decisions, and I don’t want Republicans getting in the way with another one of their filibusters.

Cleland addresses his 2002 defeat only indirectly:

I’ve seen first hand the worst of what our opponents are capable of. I am committed to never letting it happen again.

Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment |

The GOP battle for the 10th District: Shots fired in a cemetery

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 09:31 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The 10th District congressional primary has gotten more than slightly ghoulish. And brutal.

Republican challenger Barry Fleming of Harlem, in his attempt to oust incumbent U.S. Rep. Paul Broun of Athens, has mailed a flyer to voters dominated by a young girl on her knees in a military cemetery.

Here’s the headline: “When he had the chance to support the families of those killed in Osama bin Laden’s first attack on American soil, Paul Broun said NO.”

The vote referenced has nothing to do with 9/11, but is about compensation for those killed in the attack on U.S. embassies in east Africa in 1998.

First, a briefing on the facts. Neutral data on the amendment to the Foreign Service Victims Act, otherwise known as HR 2828, can be found here.

According to Thomas:

— For local employees of the embassies, the measure would provide a “death gratuity” equal to a year’s salary.

— Relatives of U.S. citizens killed in the terrorist attacks would be eligible for $940,000 in compensation.

In his response, Broun said this:

— “ The term ‘on American soil’ stirs up images of New York City and the World Trade Center. But HR 2828 is about the 1998 bombings of our embassies in Tanzania and Kenya - ‘technically’ American soil, although in foreign countries.

— “ HR 2828 requires American taxpayers to pay a ‘death benefit’ of almost $1,000,000 to the survivors of each foreign employee killed in the attacks. Should U.S. citizens be forced to act as insurers for the families of foreigners? Should we establish the precedent of making American taxpayers responsible for the dastardly deeds of terrorists? My opponent obviously thinks so.”

— “Since HR 2828 has zero to do with America military deaths, you can see just how sneaky it was for my opponent to use the photo of a military cemetery!”

Broun also points out that the bill was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), though he doesn’t explain why this is important.

In rebuttal, the Fleming campaign said this:

— “To claim that this bill does not benefit American families or that America should not help the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom is just plain wrong.”

— “Paul Broun claims this ‘has zero to do with America military deaths.’ He could not be more wrong. Three American military personnel — Sgt. Jesse Aliganga with the U.S. Marine Corp[s], Sgt. Kenneth Hobson II with the U.S. Army, and Senior Master Sgt. Sherry Lynn Olds with the U.S. Air Force — were killed in the attack in Kenya. Paul Broun should be ashamed of any comments he or his staff has made to claim that their sacrifice did not matter.”

While the bill was passed overwhelmingly by the U.S. House, it has not moved in the Senate, presumably because of questions over issuing nearly $1 million in compensation on behalf of some government employees killed by terrorists, while not offering the same death benefits to personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq, who are doing daily battle in a conflict officially called the the War on Terror.

Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment |

Baker and elections board clash over the meaning of ‘frivolity’

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 05:45 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Attorney General Thurbert Baker, one of the highest-ranking Democrats left in state government, clashed today with the Republican-dominated State Elections Board.

You’ll remember that last month, the Georgia Democratic Party filed another lawsuit challenging the state’s voter ID law — even though the U.S. Supreme Court had recently upheld a similar law in Indiana.

The elections board — Secretary of State Karen Handel included — voted to serve the Democratic party formal notice that it considered the lawsuit “frivolous,” and would thus seek to be reimbursed for the cost of attorneys should the lawsuit not prevail in Fulton County Superior Court.

On Tuesday, Baker declined to transmit that notice to his fellow Democrats.

My colleague Rhonda Cook was a witness to the event. “I am personally disappointed that [Baker] chose to put his political interests ahead of the interests of the people of Georgia,” said board member Randy Evans, general counsel to the state Republican party.

Sitting next to Evans, board member David Worley, a former chairman of the state Democratic party, stuck up for Baker. “The litigation is not frivolous and there is no reason to send that letter. [Baker] is within his rights,” Worley said.

Those who don’t believe in Al Gore go up extra fast

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 03:54 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

There are political stunts, and then there are fun political stunts.

The Georgia chapter of Americans for Prosperity, an anti-tax group, is hosting a Thursday event featuring free a hot-air balloon ride, to underline what it says are the harsh economic consequences of fighting global warning.

AFP already had its “Hot Air Tour” up and floating elsewhere during the Washington debate over the now-stalled Lieberman-Warner climate bill, which calls for capping carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, transportation and industrial sources.

The AFP will have its balloon (and 70-foot tether) at Jim Miller Park in Marietta at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Word is that you don’t have to present yourself as a global warming skeptic to go up in the balloon. But they may ask for a different answer before they bring you down.

House Democrats: Governor should investigate Cox and those middle school tests

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 11:15 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

While much of the education world is debating the wisdom of later starts to the school year, some Democrats aren’t ready for state School Superintendent Kathy Cox to change the subject. They want to go back to that other issue — the Criterion Reference Competency Tests.

House Democrats on Tuesday called on Gov. Sonny Perdue to launch an investigation into problems with state CRCT testing and the Department of Education.

My colleague Aaron Gould Sheinin reports that Democratic leaders said Cox covered up the testing problems and let teachers and local officials take the blame.

An investigation, said House Minority Leader Dubose Porter (D-Dublin), is needed to discover “where the Department (of Education) went wrong” and to discover when Cox “knew about the problems, what actions she took, and why schools and parents were not warned in a timely fashion.”

The party leaders also called on Perdue to send money to local districts to help pay for the influx of students forced into summer school because of problems with the tests. The education department has pledged to spend $1.4 million to help, but state Sen. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) said that is not enough. Any money is no more than a “band aid,” he said, so the state at least “should pay for the band aid.”

Here’s the New York Times take:

Kathy Cox to advocate a late August start to the school year

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 09:03 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This is in today’s Augusta Chronicle:

State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox plans to press local boards to postpone the start of the school year until late August…

Schools would start next year’s academic year no earlier than the third week of August under the plan, which would be voluntary, Ms. Cox said.

In return, state Department of Education officials would have more time to crunch testing data from the districts, with the potential that fewer schools would fall short of federal standards. The extra time would allow for standardized testing retakes to be considered.

Ms. Cox plans to propose the idea formally to local administrators at a Georgia School Boards Association meeting this weekend in Savannah.

We’re already hearing some cheers on this from state lawmakers who tried to push this idea in 2004 via legislation that mandated a post-Labor Day start.

Some arguments revolved around the hotel-motel-tourist industry, which has been hit by a shrinking summer vacation. But advocates also said divorced families with one parent living in another state especially needed help with the 30-day visitations.

Advocates of a later school year also point to energy savings on air-conditioned schools and buses that must be kept cool during the hottest part of the year.

Photo credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Permalink | Comments (81) | Post your comment |

Obama’s Plouffe: The focus is on Virginia and Georgia

Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 08:34 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The entire piece is worth reading, but Time magazine has these paragraphs in an article — the title is “Can Georgia Be Obama’s Ohio” — looking at Democrat Barack Obama and the South:

In briefings last week with former Hillary Clinton supporters, Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, said he is focusing on Georgia and Virginia as potential swing states and, depending on the outcomes of voter registration drives, he’s also keeping an eye on Mississippi and Louisiana.

In Georgia, the Obama campaign has wasted no time, launching massive voter registration drives before he the primaries had even ended. “By some estimates we have about 600,000 African Americans in Georgia are eligible but unregistered. I think that number is a little high, but we will be working very hard to register as many voters as we can before the election,” said Jane Kidd, chairwoman of the Georgia Democratic Party. “Georgia is one of the most progressive southern states. There are a lot of people moving in, there’s a lot of transition, a lot of progressives.”

Obama has 15 full-time paid staffers who have been in Georgia for over a month. They also have had staff in North Carolina and Virginia and have been “literally moving in dozens of people every week to all three states,” said Jon Carson, Obama’s national field director.

They also expect to have staff in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana before the end of the month. “It’s very hard to sit here right now to say what’s going to happen in November… Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Montana, North Dakota, Missouri — which of those is going to be most winnable? So our campaign is taking the approach of casting a wide net.”

Permalink | Comments (29) | Post your comment |

‘Daisy Girl’ ad creator dies

Monday, June 16, 2008, 09:19 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The man behind the “Daisy Girl” ad that did so much damage to Republican Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election is dead.

Tony Schwartz, a self-taught, sought-after and highly reclusive media consultant who helped create what is generally considered to be the most famous political ad to appear on television, died Saturday at his home in Manhattan. He was 84.

Here’s what you probably didn’t know about him:

Mr. Schwartz, who had suffered from agoraphobia since the age of 13, accomplished most of these things entirely within his Manhattan home.

And here’s his famous ad, posted on YouTube:

Georgia Right to Life endorses Broun, but not much of the state House leadership

Monday, June 16, 2008, 05:32 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia Right to Life issued its endorsements on Monday. See them here.

The anti-abortion group backed Republican incumbent Paul Broun of Athens over challenger Barry Fleming of Harlem, a member of the state House, in the 10th District congressional primary.

“We always protect a previously endorsed incumbent as long as nothing has changed,” GRTL president Dan Becker said.

In state House races, the organization endorsed 67 Republican candidates and one Democrat. In state Senate races, GRTL backed two Democrats and 28 Republicans.

Significant names are missing on the House side, including: House Speaker Glenn Richardson, Speaker pro tem Mark Burkhalter of Alpharetta and House Majority Leader Jerry Keen. So, too, is the name of state Rep. Bobby Franklin of Cobb County, one the leaders of the anti-abortion movement in Legislature.

Becker said some legislators didn’t turn in questionnaires — either because they don’t accept GRTL’s one-exception approach (“life of the mother”) to abortion, rather than the three-exception approach (“life of the mother, rape, and incest”) accepted by other groups.

Others simply didn’t have opposition in the primary and skipped the primary questionnaire, which Becker admitted has gotten more complicated as the group tries to sample legislative opinion on biomedical issues.

One eyebrow-raiser: In the primary contest for the Augusta seat now held by House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin, GRTL gave its approval to Harbin, but also endorsed his primary opponent, Lee Benedict.

On the Internet, politics, and GOP wariness of social networking

Monday, June 16, 2008, 03:58 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

When Ralph Reed was at the Atlanta Press Club last week, he wandered onto the topic of American presidential politics and the Internet.

“2008 may be to the Internet what 1960 was to television. This could be our first true Internet election,” he said. “Whoever learns how to win campaigns with the Internet is going to dominate politics for the foreseeable future.”

It was one of the few areas in which Reed was complimentary toward Democrat Barack Obama.

By coincidence, the Pew Internet and American Life Project is out today with a new report on the Internet in the 2008 elections.

Among its findings:

“A record-breaking 46% of Americans have used the Internet, e-mail or cell phone text messaging to get news about the campaign, share their views and mobilize others. And Barack Obama’s backers have an edge in the online political environment.”

And there’s this:

“Two new Internet activities have stormed the political stage: 35 percent of Americans have watched online videos related to the campaign, and 10 percent have used social networking sites to engage in political activity….”

Ten percent of all Americans have used vehicles like Facebook or MySpace for political activity:

“For young adults in particular these sites are a key component of the online political experience: 66 percent of Internet users under the age of 30 have a social networking profile, and half of the young profile users use social networking sites to get or share information about the candidates and the campaign.”

The Pew report found that Democrats were more adept at the social networking. Even Republicans admit that this is so.

Nathan Tabor is president and CEO of The Conservative Voice, an Internet news site that caters to Republicans. Tabor, who’s based in North Carolina, said a quick check of MySpace pages for the two presidential candidates shows the difference.

Of Obama’s MySpace page, Tabor said: “It’s professionally done.”

Of his opponent’s MySpace page: “You go to John McCain, it looks like John Smith.”

And it’s worth noting that Obama’s page lists 398,342 “friends.” McCain lists 54,648.

But we’re talking more than Democratic enthusiasm for social networking. We’re talking Republican reluctance as well, particularly among religious conservatives who — when they think of the Internet — think of porn, gambling and other sinful activities.

Tabor said he sits on the board of a crisis pregnancy organization, which tries to reach young women before they have abortions. He suggested that the group establish a MySpace page, so that when a young girl searches the word “abortion,” the anti-abortion agency would pop up as one of her choices.

“You would have thought I had horns on my head,” Tabor said.

Barry Fleming launches first negative TV ad of the season, against Paul Broun

Monday, June 16, 2008, 02:20 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Barry Fleming today has the honor of launching the first negative TV ad in the 2008 season, part of his primary bid to oust U.S. Rep. Paul Broun of Athens from the 10th District.

“He even voted against protecting our kids from on-line sexual predators. What is Paul Broun thinking about?” Fleming asks in the 30-second spot.

That’s a reference to H.R. 3791, something called the “Securing Adolescents From Exploitation-Online Act of 2007.” Broun cast one of two votes against the bill.

I’ve got a call into the Broun camp.

The Insider’s got a string of documents for your inspection here.

Cagle isn’t pleased by Olen’s assertion that ‘top leaders’ blocked transportation bill

Monday, June 16, 2008, 10:32 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle is taking heated exception to comments on the Legislature’s handling of a transportation bill this year made by Sam Olens, the chairman of both the Cobb County Commission and the Atlanta Regional Commission.

At issue is a column that Olens wrote for a newsletter published by the ARC, the planning arm of metro Atlanta governments.

Olens credits House Speaker Glenn Richardson and a number of other state legislators for their work this spring on the failed vote. Cagle, whose Senate defeated the measure by three votes, thinks himself mentioned only by omission.

“Our top leaders either stonewalled or actively opposed legislation to provide new funding for greater mobility in our state, and without their support, many legislators didn’t see it as a priority,” Olens wrote.

The column was a rewrite of an op-ed piece Olens had composed several weeks earlier for the AJC. But the ARC newsletter went directly to the 39 board members of the ARC, plus approximately 6,700 civic leaders throughout metro Atlanta.

Cagle met with Olens and several other leaders of the ARC on May 28. One supposes that it was a kind of peace-making confab. Coincidently, Olens’ column in the ARC newsletter was published the same day, but the lieutenant governor found out about it only afterwards.

When he did, Cagle was not pleased. And it probably doesn’t help that both Olens and the lieutenant governor are kicking the tires on a 2010 bid for governor. Last week, Cagle sent a letter to every member of the ARC.

Wrote the lieutenant governor:

“As you know, Chairman Sam Olens used the Atlanta Regional Commission’s taxpayer-funded newsletter as a venue for attacking the leadership of the Georgia State Senate.

“Unfortunately, Sam’s column - in addition to running contrary to the mission of the ARC to bring the region together - contains several erroneous statements. It is disappointing he has chosen to complain about the past instead of looking ahead to the future……

“I would encourage Chairman Olens and the ARC to be a part of this solution instead of wasting valuable time - and limited taxpayer resources - assigning blame and otherwise playing politics. We can reduce gridlock and get metro Atlanta moving, but we aren’t going to get there by attacking our allies….”

Word is that Cagle has been offered equal space in the next edition of the ARC newsletter.

Cagle mailed his letter of protest only a couple days before Gov. Sonny Perdue jumped on the transportation bandwagon. While the business community is applauding the governor, it’s worth noting that Perdue’s new acceptance of transportation as a matter of urgency has put some lawmakers in a curious position.

As recently as March 27, during the House debate on the transportation bill, representatives of the governor listed the reasons for Perdue’s opposition, which included: “Because its finances and business records are in shambles, the Georgia Department of Transportation doesn’t yet know what our state’s actual transportation funding needs are.”

Ten weeks later, the shambles have disappeared, the governor’s confidence in GDOT is high, and several lawmakers - perhaps even a lieutenant governor - may think themselves out on a limb.

Permalink | Comments (20) | Post your comment |

A bit of useless knowledge, in a time of $4-a-gallon gasoline

Monday, June 16, 2008, 07:00 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Not long ago, NPR had a report out of China on the building sense of nationalism in that country, a reaction to both the recent earthquake and the coming Olympics.

In the background, a Chinese crowd chanted, “Jia you, Zhongguo, jia you!” — which the translator rendered as “Go, China, go!”

But that wasn’t exactly right. “Jia” means “to add” or “to increase.”

“You” means “oil” — but can also be shorthand for “gasoline.”

“Jia you!” is a phrase that the Chinese hurl at their athletes to spur them on. A more literal, Americanized — and highly ironic — translation might be, “Step on the gas!”

Which China has, more and more. And which is one of the many reasons why you mortgaged your home to fill your tank this weekend.

The disappearing Watergate class of 1974

Sunday, June 15, 2008, 03:00 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

GOP leaders warned last week that November poses the greatest threat to their office-holders since the tidal wave of Watergate.

But students of 1974 know that, where there weren’t enough Republicans to absorb public frustration with Richard Nixon, this particular tsunami sought out other victims.

In Democrat-dominated Georgia, voters replaced 67 of 180 members of the state House — the chamber’s largest turnover in modern history. It didn’t help that lawmakers had just voted themselves a retroactive pay raise.

Thirty-four years later, only four of those 67 Watergate babies remain: David Lucas of Macon, Bob Holmes of Atlanta, Bobby Parham of Milledgeville, and Calvin Smyre of Columbus.

Three of these four most senior House members — Lucas, Holmes and Smyre — are African-American, and will be honored this weekend by the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials.

It would be hard to pick a more disparate trio of survivors.

In 1974, Lucas, then 24, was living on the fringes of pro football. He’d been cut from the Washington Redskins, and played a season of semi-pro in Sheboygan, Wisc. Redistricting, forced by the Voters Rights Act, opened up a House seat just as the Cleveland Browns called for a tryout.

Politics won out. On his first day as a lawmaker, Lucas wore his eye-popping “Superfly” suit into a bastion of white men whose fashion sense stopped at Early Eisenhower. “When I was playing football, that’s what the guys wore,” Lucas said.

Holmes, then 30, was the philosopher, the New Jersey-born owner of a doctorate in political science from Columbia University. He was new to Atlanta, but something of a joiner. Holmes beat the white incumbent, in a district that was still majority white.

Almost immediately, Holmes and Lucas — eager to continue the revolution — joined an effort to unseat House Speaker Tom Murphy, leader of the rural white Democrats in control. “We were going to change the institution,” Holmes said.

The decision set the pair apart from Smyre, the son and grandson of soldiers. Of the three, Smyre was the only businessman — a personnel manager in a textile mill.

In its highest form, politics is the art of collaboration, not confrontation. Smyre sided with Murphy, who’d given the 27-year-old a coveted seat on the banking committee. “We hit it off from the very first,” Smyre said.

Murphy beat back the ’76 revolt. Committee chairmanships, the source of real power in the Legislature, were denied to Lucas and Holmes for years.

But Smyre rose quickly, ultimately serving as the first black chairman of the state Democratic party. He was in Arizona last week, pressing Barack Obama’s cause among Hispanic lawmakers — stoking that next tsunami.

The Republican takeover stripped the Class of ‘74 of its clout. Its run is nearly finished.

Holmes has announced his retirement. Smyre contemplates making this next term his last. Of the three black lawmakers, only Lucas, the ex-ballplayer, doesn’t see an end in sight.

“I like the competition,” he said. “I like the matching of wits.”

Rosalyn Carter jumps on Sonny Perdue for shifting $8.5 million mental health funding

Friday, June 13, 2008, 05:50 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter is taking Gov. Sonny Perdue to task for removing $8.4 million from mental health funding for children in the state budget.

The governor says the money is being moved elsewhere because the state overestimated the amount of children who needed the services.

But Carter, who has made mental health her signature issue, is having none of it. Here’s part of the statement she just issued:

When Governor Perdue announced the creation of the Mental Health Service Delivery Commission in August 2007, the mental health community was hopeful that he would take personal leadership responsibility to rectify the issues that plague the mental health system in Georgia.

“Resources for children’s mental health are being reduced before the Children’s Subcommittee of the commission has released its final recommendation report. The proposed funding cut for children’s mental health services calls into question both the credibility of the commission and the gravity with which the crisis at hand is being addressed by state leadership….

“The current budgets allocated for children’s mental health services clearly are not enough to provide for youth and their families in Georgia. Reducing these meager resources further is unconscionable and can only serve to exacerbate the problem.

“At this point, the mental health community is not even sure what the discrepancy is between the number of children who need services and those who receive them. Full accounting from the responsible agencies about the breadth of these issues is needed before any resources are diverted from the system.

“I call on Governor Perdue to ensure that no mental health resources are re-directed from the mental health system as we face the tremendous challenges before us.”

Photo credit: Mikki K. Harris/AJC

Permalink | Comments (35) | Post your comment |

Lewis: ‘I’m not on any Clinton enemy list’

Friday, June 13, 2008, 03:01 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

U.S. Rep. John Lewis says he’s been forgiven by the Clintons for abandoning their cause and turning to Barack Obama.

At least that’s what he tells my colleague Julia Malone up in Washington.

While other Democrats may be on the outs in this post-Hillary world, the Atlanta congressman said the former president has left “wonderful” messages, including a birthday greeting, on his home answering machine.

Earlier this week, the New York Times had an article on the karma-based accounting used by Clinton staffers who control access to the couple.

“I’m not on the list,” Lewis said. Not the bad one, anyway.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Guerrilla tactics on YouTube: Cardwell shows what he could do if he had money, Lanier puts words under Chambliss’ mouth

Friday, June 13, 2008, 12:42 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s Democratic five candidates for Senate have little time before the July 15 primary and less money — which has them chasing voters in nooks and crannies that are often out of sight.

But former TV journalist Dale Cardwell is back on YouTube today, with 30 seconds of what he’d like to put on TV — if he could afford it. Cardwell says more spots are on the way.

Even Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss is playing on YouTube, committing segments of many of his appearances to online video. Earlier this week, he released a direct-to-voter video that blamed Democrats for $4-a-gallon gas.

Democratic rival Josh Lanier of Statesboro took that video and, in an attempt at guerrilla advertising, added his own counterargument — Colbert-like — beneath Chambliss’ visage. At least it’s a time-saver. You can absorb both messages at once:

Ralph Reed: ‘Jeremiah Wright has energized conservative grassroots more than any individual this year.’ Um, that would include John McCain.

Thursday, June 12, 2008, 10:18 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ralph Reed spoke at the Atlanta Press Club on Thursday evening.

The occasion was a book-signing for his new political thriller. But apparently, Reed also recognized that this would be his first appearance before a squad of local journalists since his 2006 campaign for lieutenant governor.

A number of his close friends and supporters were summoned, and in fact everyone behaved. All questions focused on the future. None dwelled on the past.

Reed had plenty to say about the current presidential contest, and especially about Barack Obama.

Here’s a chunk of it, mostly verbatim:

“If this election is about style and personality, I think it will be very difficult for John McCain to win. If it’s about substance, I think it will be very hard for Barack Obama to win.”

The ground favors a Democrat, as does the issue mix.

“Left to their own devices, the American people desperately want to elect a Democrat. But it’s very unclear that they want to elect Barrack Obama. The sheen has really come off of him.

“More than anybody else, I think Jeremiah Wright probably did more to energize the conservative grass roots and bring them home to McCain than any other single individual this calendar year.

“Not just him and the things that he said, but frankly the way Obama mishandled it. First of all, sort of half-jokingly saying, hey, everybody’s got a crazy uncle in the family that they don’t agree with.

“And then saying, well, I wasn’t there for any of those statements. Which then raised the question of how often he was there. And then giving the race speech in Philadelphia in which he said I could no more disown Reverend Wright than I could disown the African-American community — which I thought was a fairly startling statement.”

Reed said further attention should be paid to Obama’s Chicago connections, and his rating by the National Journal as the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate.

I think that if John McCain is prepared to run a campaign where he will lay out the stark contrasts between where he stands on the issues and where Obama stands on the issues, and if he’s prepared to define Obama in a general election environment on those terms, I think McCain can win.

The electoral college contest is already close, Reed said, “with Obama, I would argue, as strong as he’s ever likely to be.”

No Democrat, from the age of Jackson through the ’04 election, has ever been elected president without carrying at least four Southern states. Clinton did it twice. He did it in different states, but he did it….

“While I know Obama says he’s going to be more competitive in the South, I challenge anybody to show me the four states he’s going to carry. I think he’ll make Virginia very competitive. I don’t think he’ll take Georgia. I don’t think he’ll win Mississippi. He’s trailing today in Alabama by 24 points.”

I think you’ll agree that “if [McCain is] prepared to define Obama in a general election environment” is the key phrase in Reed’s analysis. He’s telling the Republican nominee that the only way he can win is to run a harsh, unsparing campaign. It’s going to get ugly.

Permalink | Comments (53) | Post your comment |

Perdue on transportation: He endorses commuter rail, and discovers a sense of urgency

Thursday, June 12, 2008, 04:28 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After six years as governor, Sonny Perdue on Thursday got down to the details on transportation — telling reporters he was ready to support a test case for expanded commuter rail.

Specifically, he endorsed an Atlanta-Griffin route, a project that has federal funding lined up, even though it might not have the ridership as rail on Atlanta’s north side might have. “If it [succeeds], there are certainly other areas of Georgia that can benefit,” he said.

Listen to his 10-minute press conference here. Yes, it’s that important.

Perdue talked about a possible need for “additional resources.” He didn’t use the word “taxes,” but he talked about the need to consider transportation spending as a long-term “investment.” In the past, that has been how some Republicans make the leap.

“I think we need more transit options,” the governor said, pointing to overcrowded buses as a result of $4-a-gallon gasoline.

Perhaps the most significant shift in Perdue’s outlook is this: Months ago, the governor was a “first that, then this” kind of guy on traffic and transportation. Fix the Department of Transportation, then we’ll talk about more transportation funding.

Today, the operative quote from his press conference was this: “We’ve got to fix it while we’re flying.” Urgency was the one thing missing from his past statements on transportation, and it was a centerpiece of this one.

Permalink | Comments (48) | Post your comment |

Might speaking up for the Confederacy eliminate Webb from the Democratic veep search?

Thursday, June 12, 2008, 02:35 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Politico has raised the question of whether Jim Webb’s defense of the Confederacy might disqualify the Virginia senator as a running mate for Democratic presumptive Barrack Obama.

Webb, a descendant of Confederate officers, has addressed the topics in books — and they’re being scrutinized.

Says the Politico:

Webb expanded on his sentiments in his well-received 2004 book, “Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America,” which portrays the Southern cause as at least understandable, if not wholly laudable.

“The venerable Robert E. Lee has taken some vicious hits, as dishonest or misinformed advocates among political interest groups and in academia attempt to twist yesterday’s America into a fantasy that might better service the political issues of today,” he wrote.

“The greatest disservice on this count has been the attempt by these revisionist politicians and academics to defame the entire Confederate Army in a move that can only be termed the Nazification of the Confederacy.”

Among the article’s conclusions:

There’s nothing scandalous in the paper trail, nothing that on its face would disqualify Webb from consideration for national office. Yet it veers into perilous waters since the slightest sign of support or statement of understanding of the Confederate cause has the potential to alienate African-Americans who are acutely sensitive to the topic.

If nothing else, Webb as a running mate might relieve Republican John McCain from explaining the several positions he’s taken on that pesky battle flag on the lawn of the state capitol in South Carolina.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment |

In the 8th District, there are certain people you’d rather not be seen with

Thursday, June 12, 2008, 10:20 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Out of Washington, the Associated Press has a story today on the 14 or so Democratic members of Congress who have refused to endorse Barack Obama.

Naturally, Georgia’s own is among the first names mentioned:

Georgia Rep. Jim Marshall, a Democrat and Vietnam veteran who won his last election by about 1,800 votes, said he admires both Obama and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., but feels no obligation to state a preference.

“If it turns out one of them is an ax murderer or something like that I’ll make a choice,” he joked. Otherwise, “I don’t think I need to get involved.”

Actually, the 8th District congressman’s lack of involvement in presidential politics could go even deeper. Asked last week if Marshall would go to Denver for the Democratic National Convention, spokesman Doug Moore replied, “That has yet to be determined.”

We could be headed for Herman Talmadge territory here. The late governor and U.S. senator habitually scheduled alleged “fishing trips” that conflicted with Democratic conventions, in order to avoid public association with people the folks at home deemed questionable.

But it is only fair to point out that Marshall’s Republican challenger this year, former Air Force major general Rick Goddard, has his own associations to worry about.

On June 23, Vice President Dick Cheney will be the featured guest at a fund-raiser in Perry. Cheney still carries great weight as a magnet for campaign cash within the GOP.

The price of a photo with you and the important but widely unpopular man has been set at $1,000.

The question becomes whether Goddard himself will be using any images of himself paired with Cheney during the campaign.

Pose that possibility to Tim Baker, spokesman for the Goddard campaign, and this what you get: “Georgia is a special place, and people still respect the presidency and the vice presidency.”

But again, will the Republican candidate for Congress blanket middle Georgia with Goddard-Cheney photos?

That’s a strategic matter that’s not discussed with journalists, Baker said.

Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment |

Why all demonstrators in Denver will be equipped with an emergency roll of TP

Thursday, June 12, 2008, 08:13 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This from the election news site on foxnews.com:

Political activists planning protest rallies at the upcoming Democratic Convention in Denver have their stomachs in knots over a rumor about a crowd control weapon - known as the “crap cannon” - that might be unleashed against them.

Also called “Brown Note,” it is believed to be an infrasound frequency that debilitates a person by making them defecate involuntarily.

Mark Cohen, co-founder of Re-create 68, an alliance of local activists working for the protection of first amendment rights, said he believes this could be deployed at the convention in August to subdue crowds.

“We know this weapon and weapons like it have been used at other large protests before,” he said.

Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment |

Your daily dose of Nunn

Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 02:21 PM

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.

Oxendine to lawmakers: ‘Make me governor, and I’ll let you grill me’

Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 12:43 PM

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

Rasmussen: More than half of Georgia voters already view Obama ‘unfavorably’

Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 09:42 AM

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

Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 08:56 AM

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.

Red sky at morning, sandwiches take warning

Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 01:05 AM

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

Peering into the vice presidential fog

Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 03:20 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota has told CNN that the Obama team vetting vice presidential candidates has passed 20 names to members of Congress, roughly divided into three categories: current officials, former lawmakers and “former top military leaders.”

And MSNBC’s First Read says the surprise name that’s surfaced belongs to “Ret. Gen. James Jones, the former Marine-turned-NATO Supreme Allied Commander.”

Other names? “Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, Evan Bayh, Kathleen Sebelius, Ted Strickland, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Jim Webb, Bill Nelson, Jack Reed, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Tom Daschle, and” — of course — “Sam Nunn.”

Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment |

Dershowitz takes aim at Carter over Israel

Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 03:10 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The New York Post’s Page Six has this today:

ALAN Dershowitz is taking on Jimmy Carter in his upcoming book, “The Case Against Israel’s Enemies,” out in September. The Harvard law prof rips the ex-president as a “critical threat” to the existence of Israel, arguing that he wants to “delegitimize Israel as an apartheid regime subject to the same fate as white South Africans.” The book calls the views of Carter and other like-minded Western leaders a bigger threat than Hamas and Palestinian terrorists. A rep for Carter didn’t get back to us.

Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment |

The Abramoff report and the Sonny Perdue staffer

Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 02:38 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

On Monday, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released its report on convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and White House officials.

You can read the entire document here.

The one item of local interest is the August 2007 deposition by Padgett Robinson Wilson, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, then U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell, who wandered into D.C. lobbying circles and became a low-ranking member of Jack Abramoff’s team — first at the team of Preston Gates, then at Greenberg Traurig.

The report makes Wilson’s importance clear:

The Committee sought depositions of Abramoff lobbying team members including Jack Abramoff, Neil Volz, Tony Rudy, Kevin Ring, Todd Boulanger, Shawn Vasell, and Padgett Wilson. Of these requests, the only Abramoff lobbyist deposed was Padgett Wilson, who while prominent in the Greenberg Traurig billing records, indicated that as Assistant Director of Government Affairs he was “basically a paralegal for the practice.”

Wilson, 34, has not been charged with any crime. Questioning by House investigators focused on whether prominent Republican figures in D.C., including Ken Mehlman and Karl Rove, received favors from Abramoff and his team. Wilson was also questioned about his social contacts with White House staff, many of whom worked for Coverdell, who died in 2000.

The most salacious evidence in the Wilson deposition was leaked several weeks ago. It’s an e-mail exchange between Ring, the Abramoff associate, and Wilson. The topic is a Dave Matthews concert.

Ring: I have the suite filling up with [Department of Justice] staffers that just got our client $16 million. Come to the show, baby.

Wilson: Are there any tickets left?

And as for DOJ staffers, those guys should get anything they want for the rest of the time they are In office opening day tickets, Skins v Giants, oriental massages, hookers, whatever…..

Under questioning, Wilson, a Dave Matthews fan, elaborates on the e-mail to House investigator, Suzanne Sachsman:

It’s not something that — it’s not me and it’s definitely not something I would ever say today, and it’s definitely not the way I was raised, but it was a smart aleck comment back to Kevin wanting to — kind of pointing out the fact that I’d really like to go to this and a bad attempt at sarcasm at best.

The investigator’s reply is interesting. She didn’t care about “hookers, whatever.”

“What I’m interested in is what the DOJ staffer has done that made you think that they should get anything that they want for the rest of the time that they’re in office,” she said.

Said Wilson:

Well, Kevin says something there and it was again a direct response to his comment, but you know, again, it’s bad sarcasm. And did I — would I ever think that somebody should be rewarded as a thank you? No, I really — I would never give tickets or dinner or anything as a thank you, so this is — this is just me being smart and a bad attempt at locker room humor.”

Wilson was hired by the state to handle Washington relations in 2005, just as the Abramoff scandal was exploding. Wilson informed the governor and his chief of staff when he gave the deposition this summer, and spoke again with the governor when the e-mail surfaced weeks ago.

“The governor and Pat talked about the issue of the e-mail,” said Bert Brantley, spokesman for Sonny Perdue, who noted that Wilson was the only cooperating member of the Abramoff team. “Pat was very upfront with the governor.

“He’s completely satisfied with everything that Pat has told him,” Brantley said.

Wilson is now in charge of governmental affairs in Washington and both chambers of the House and Senate.

Obama team quietly shifts forces to Savannah

Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 09:34 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

You know about the eight or so Barack Obama operatives who quietly set up shop in Atlanta last month.

This is significant. Posting paid staffers in Georgia speaks of an abundance of both resources and confidence.

Larry Peterson of the Savannah Morning News says this morning that a large chunk of the same Obama team has been working the Georgia coast lately:

Five Barack Obama campaign staffers and dozens of volunteers are conducting a Savannah-based voter registration drive.

The Democratic presidential candidate’s supporters have signed up hundreds of voters, said Chatham County Democratic Chair Karen Arms.

The effort flies in the face of widespread assumption that Obama has written off Georgia as an easy win for Republican John McCain.

Aharon Wasserman, coordinator for the group, said he is not allowed to discuss its activities publicly.

But Tony Hensley, a volunteer to whom Wasserman referred a press inquiry, said the group has seven teams of volunteers.

Hensley said he worked with a dozen-member team that focused on barbershops and beauty parlors and registered 83 people.

Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment |

The locals don’t think the Jekyll Island fight has hurt Jeff Chapman

Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 09:13 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Largely as a result of his efforts to block a Jekyll Island development plan, state Sen. Jeff Chapman of Brunswick has picked up opposition in the Republican primary — in the form of a local developer.

But local Republican officials think Chapman’s in good shape. Today’s Brunswick News offers a notable fer-instance:

Among those who believe that way is the Republican Party’s own chairman, George Skarpalezos. He’s not taking sides, refraining form endorsing Chapman or his July 15 GOP opponent, businessman Terry Carter, but Skarpalezos says the incumbent’s position is generally popular.

It’s a position that reflects his tendency to be fiscally conservative and considerate of what his constituents want, said Skarpalezos, adding that Chapman is trying to “preserve the integrity of Jekyll Island.”

Photo credit: Ben Gray/AJC

Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment |

It starts with a ‘B’ — Boswell? Boudreau? Definitely not Bubba

Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 08:35 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

From Sunday’s forum, Jon Flack at Tondee’s Tavern compiled this attempt by Democratic senate candidates to identify themselves with the new presidential nominee — whose name is….

On Bob Barr: He wins support from the wife of a high-profile fan, and explains the nuances of his new opposition to DOMA

Monday, June 9, 2008, 12:56 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Washington Times today quotes former House majority leader Tom DeLay as saying that it may be “years” before the national Republican party rights itself.

A failure to grasp changes in technology, and a lack of understanding of current campaign finance rules is at the root of the GOP dilemma, he said.

But here’s the kicker: While DeLay said he’ll vote for Republican John McCain in the presidential contest, the man once known as “the Hammer” said his wife will be voting for Bob Barr, the Libertarian.

While we’re on the topic of the former Georgia congressman, the Southern Voice has a detailed article on Barr’s new but nuanced position on the Defense of Marriage Act. He wants a part of it — but only a part of it — repealed.

Said the newspaper:

“Matters of great importance, such as marriage, need to reflect the will of the people, and be resolved within the democratic process,” he said then. “People need to be able to weigh the merits of the opposing arguments, and vote on those merits. They do not deserve — as Americans — to have one side foisted on them by fiat.

“However, that is what social conservatives are also trying to do; and even more inexcusable, they are trying to do it using the Constitution as a hammer,” Barr added.

“To be clear, I am absolutely not a supporter of granting marriage rights for same-sex couples any sort of legal recognition, which makes my decision to oppose the FMA all the harder. I do not enjoy opposing people who I agree with in substance on matters of process. Yet, the Constitution is worth that lonely stand,” he said.

Photo credit: Bloomberg News

House appropriations says he’s sorry — for remaining mum on DUI arrest

Monday, June 9, 2008, 09:46 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Over the weekend, House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Augusta) apologized to his constituents about remaining silent during a year-long dealings over a DUI arrest.

According to the Augusta Chronicle, Harbin “stopped short of offering any details as to what happened.”

But Harbin admitted that he had been wrong not to publicly address the May 2007 incident. Wrote the newspaper:

In the days after his arrest in a single-car wreck in Atlanta, Mr. Harbin said, he was urged by friends and supporters to “aggressively engage the media” to protect himself from political fallout.

He chose instead to stay silent to “allow the legal process to run its course” and avoid any appearance of trying to manipulate the case.

“Well, they say hindsight is 20/20, and unfortunately, I made the wrong choice,” he wrote. “Here we are a year later, and the legal process has yet to be finished.”

Mr. Harbin wrote that he has never used his position as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee to postpone activity in the case.

“It is crazy to think that I would put myself, moreover, my family, under this dark cloud for an entire year by choice,” he wrote. “I have always accepted responsibility for my actions, and this issue is no different.”

He said he remains eager to settle the matter in court.

This is the second time in the last few days that a House Republican leader has addressed a long-standing set of circumstances that, in another political climate, might otherwise have been ignored.

Over the weekend, House Rules Chairman Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) let it be known that he’s no longer with the Facilities Group, a company whose top executives — Ehrhart not among them — are under federal indictment for allegedly corrupting a Mississippi official.

Ehrhart is opposed in the July 15 primary by Tammy Bailey Rohner, a 40-year-old real estate broker. Harbin is opposed by Lee Benedict, a 40-year-old educator. Normally, both opponents might be described as “token.” But apparently, these two powerful Republican incumbents are taking no chances.

Photo of Ben Harbin (right) by Ben Gray/AJC

Thoughts on race from a candidate for the U.S. Senate

Monday, June 9, 2008, 09:20 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This morning, Dick Pettys of InsiderAdvantage has the most fulsome account of DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones’ thoughts on the role of race in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, made Sunday afternoon during a candidate forum.

Much of the forum, which included five Democrats and Libertarian Allen Buckley, was focused on the role of money in political campaigns.

Wrote Pettys:

The debate had been pretty routine until the closing moments, when Jones raised the race question and, in so doing, took a jab at a favorite target - some elements of the Atlanta media.

“… I do want to call on some of those in the media because they’ve offended some of my supporters and some of my friends, both black and white, when they write in the newspaper that … Vernon’s depending on the black vote in order to win - as if black people can’t make intelligent decisions.

“Black people have been voting for white candidates for years. There’s a history of voting for white candidates. If you’re voting for me because I’m black, then don’t. If you think I’m the best person for the job, then do so.”

Jones went on to say that the media never says that white candidates are counting on the white vote and that it is the media which “has really created this frenzy on race. We’re all one. We’re one Georgia. Let’s not get divided by those using race.”

Joblessness, homelessness and a lack of healthcare are conditions that are colorblind, he said. “So it’s not about color. It’s about uniting America.”

With past Democratic primaries split between black and white voters, nearly 50-50, the victor of the primary fight is likely to be the candidate who can put together sufficient amounts of both.

Crossover appeal will be important, particularly in a run-off. Possibly, the topic has jumped up a time or two in this space, particularly in the case of Jim Martin, one of Jones’ four rivals in the Democrat primary.

Martin, who is white, has had some trouble getting endorsements from African-American political leaders, though Martin thinks that, in the end, he’ll do well among black voters.

Photo of Vernon Jones (right) and other U.S. Senate candidates at Sunday’s forum by Hyosub Shin/AJC

Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment |

$4-a-gallon gas hits rural Georgia hardest

Monday, June 9, 2008, 08:54 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The New York Times has an interactive graphic this morning that shows where high gasoline prices costing Americans the most, in terms of percentage of income.

Nowhere does Georgia fare well, but rural portions of the state are hit hardest. Fuel purchases in the familiar swath from Augusta to Columbus are eating up 10 to 16 percent of paychecks. With a little dot that’s probably Tifton thrown in for good measure.

The implications of an Obama visit to Georgia

Sunday, June 8, 2008, 03:00 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Consistent but non-specific rumors say that Barack Obama, currently the sliced bread of presidential politics, will find his way to Georgia sometime this month.

For certain public servants, a visit can’t come soon enough. Obama is the one fellow who can put an end to the several ruptures that have coursed through Democratic Georgia as a result of the knuckle-splitting, 12-round bout between Hillary Clinton and the now-undisputed winner.

When you think about who in Georgia might benefit most from an 8x10 glossy of themselves with the Democratic nominee, his long arm wrapped around a shoulder, two names come immediately to mind: John Lewis of Atlanta and John Barrow of Savannah.

Both Democratic congressmen have picked up opposition in the July 15 primary, in large part fallout from the racially divisive fight in the presidential stratosphere.

When Lewis’ opponents, pastor/activist Markel Hutchins and state Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas, entered the race against the Civil Rights war horse, they specifically cited the Atlanta congressman’s tardy switch from Clinton to Obama this winter.

An Obama who embraces Lewis would seriously weaken the emotional underpinning of their challenges. Asked if the Democratic nominee would endorse him, Lewis replied, “There’s not any doubt. I would love to have his support, I would love to have his endorsement.”

In a sense, the congressman said, Obama has already given it. “In his last book, he said he had three heroes. One was Martin Luther King Jr., the other one was Abe Lincoln — and John Lewis,” said Hero No. 3.

This spring, Lewis said, he has called Obama “from time to time” to encourage the candidate. The last time was after Obama resigned from his Chicago church. The two have swapped voice mail, but haven’t connected lately.

But when Obama sets foot in this state, which his national campaign now considers in play, Lewis will be there to greet him. “As the senior member of the Georgia delegation, I couldn’t be any place else,” he said.

This raises another factor in Lewis’ favor. A part of Obama’s strategy must now be geared toward governing, should he win in November. One does not cultivate Congress by ignoring one of its more senior members.

Barrow, the the two-term congressman from Savannah, faces a challenge from state Sen. Regina Thomas of the same community. Barrow is white. Thomas is African-American.

Barrow endorsed Obama back in February, shortly after the Illinois senator won the Georgia primary. In explanations of her candidacy that have reached Atlanta, Thomas hasn’t mentioned Obama.

But her surprise candidacy against Barrow — who has built a $1.3 million war chest to fend off aggressive Republicans, not fellow Democrats — would have little footing without the racial divide created by the Clinton-Obama fight in Georgia.

In past primaries in the 12th District, black voters have cast nearly 70 percent of the ballots.

Within weeks of Thomas joining the race, Barrow, a conservative Democrat, was placed at the top of a list of 14 national co-chairs for Obama’s massive, 50-state voter registration drive — along with the likes of singer Melissa Etheridge and the Rev. Joe Lowery.

“Getting people involved has been something I’ve been about since I can remember,” Barrow said.

Obama recently came to a meeting of “blue dog” Democrats in Washington, Barrow said. But photographic evidence has gone missing. The congressman would appreciate another shot.

Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment |

Pledged or not, Smyre says he’ll vote for Obama in Denver

Saturday, June 7, 2008, 08:49 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

State Rep. Calvin Smyre of Columbus, the most stalwart African-American supporter of the Clintons in Georgia and a pledged delegate to Hillary Clinton, announced Saturday evening that he would vote for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

I haven’t talked to Smyre, but this sounds like a reaction to Senator Clinton’s decision — despite her concession today — not to release her delegates to vote for Obama in the first round of convention voting. This could be his way of advising her otherwise.

Smyre is one of the best-connected politicians in Georgia, and is a former chairman of the Democratic party.

Read his entire statement on the jump, but here’s the gist of it:

“In August, I will cast my delegate vote for the next president of the United States, Barack Obama, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

“We live now, more than ever, in a time that requires firm resolve, clear vision on issues affecting our country, and a deep faith in the values that make us a great nation.

“Senator Obama stands firm in his ability to make a shift in the way we, as Americans, think as leaders of the world. He is the best qualified to change the dynamics of the American dialogue, both socially and politically.”

GA State Representative Calvin Smyre Endorses Barack Obama for President of the United States of America

(Friday, June 6, 2008) Georgia State Representative Calvin Smyre (D) releases the following statement endorsing Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States of America:

“I would like to congratulate and applaud Senator Barack Obama on winning the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. His nomination to head a major party ticket is a defining moment for America. Senator Obama has shown that America is changing and, through his campaign, he has proven that he and his family are some of the many faces of this change.

Senator Obama’s success has connected the work, hopes and dreams of the civil rights generation with the efforts, ideas and plans of the African-American leaders who are emerging in this generation. His success, however, is not just the success of African-Americans, Senator Obama’s nomination as the Democratic party’s presidential candidate represents unity, respect, family, and hope for all Americans.

I have always held, and continue to hold, Hillary Clinton in the highest regard. She is a woman whose character is rooted in public service. Her record achievement is not to be minimized. In fact, she should receive great accolades from our party and our country for the role she has played in reigniting the interest and passion of the American electorate during this spirited campaign.

In August, I will cast my delegate vote for the next president of the United States, Barack Obama, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. We live now, more than ever, in a time that requires firm resolve, clear vision on issues affecting our country, and a deep faith in the values that make us a great nation. Senator Obama stands firm in his ability to make a shift in the way we, as Americans, think as leaders of the world. He is the best qualified to change the dynamics of the American dialogue, both socially and politically.

As we turn our attention to the general election and Senator John McCain. I fully support the Democratic National Party and Senator Obama’s run for the White House.”

Permalink | Comments (52) | Post your comment |

Ehrhart leaves Facilities Group

Saturday, June 7, 2008, 08:33 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Marietta Daily Journal reports this morning that House Rules Chairman Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) has left the Facilities Group.

The Smyrna company and its top executives have been indicted on federal charges of illegally steering campaign donations to a Mississippi official in order to win a contract.

According to the MDJ:

Ehrhart said Facilities Group founder Robert Moultrie[, one of three indicted company officials,] approached him and offered an amicable departure from The Facility Group, both to avoid the appearance of impropriety and because the allegations against the company could be used by Ehrhart’s political opponents against him.

Ehrhart was a senior vice president with the company. He was not among those charged.

One huge motive for severing political ties with Ehrhart, one of the state Capitol’s most powerful figures: Cobb County is scheduled to vote Sept. 16 to extend a one-cent sales tax for schools.

The Facilities Group has been working with the county school board on the package that will be put in front of voters for their approval.

Photo credit: Ben Gray/AJC

Remembering Bobby Kennedy

Friday, June 6, 2008, 05:40 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

U.S. Rep. John Lewis called this afternoon, and we wandered onto the topic of Robert Kennedy, who died 40 years ago today, felled by an assassin. Lewis was there — here’s his verbatim recollection:

I was in L.A. I was in his room at the Ambassador Hotel on the fifth floor. Today, I was talking to a friend of mine, and I said, “It is so sad, I’m not so sure I’m going to be able to watch this piece on CNN tonight, at 8 o’clock, that they’re going to do on Bobby Kennedy.”

But I was there, and he spoke to me [for] 15 minutes before he made his speech. He was joking with me. He said, “John, you let me down today. More Mexican-Americans turned out to vote than Negroes.” That’s what he said.

And he asked me to remain there. I was standing a few floors up from his speech with his sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, Charles Evers, the brother of Medgar Evers, Jack Newfield of the Village Voice, Teddy White, who wrote “The Making of a President,” and a few other people.

We watched him make his speech, and a few minutes later the bulletin came on, that Senator Kennedy had been shot. I just wanted to get out of L.A. I came back to Atlanta the next day on a Delta flight from L.A. to Atlanta, and I think I cried all the way back, off and on.

And then he died. He was shot on the 5th, and died on the 6th. And after he passed, his family sent me a telegram inviting me to come to New York and be an honor guard at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I stood with Rev. Ralph Abernathy. We took turns, in twos. Then they invited me to ride the funeral train. And I rode the funeral train from New York City to Washington.

He was a man I loved and cared for, like a brother, really.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Of earmarks, and the strange concept of lobbyists as victims

Friday, June 6, 2008, 03:18 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Today’s Huffington Post has this in a piece about the connections between earmarks and campaign contributions:

Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., won a $1.6 million earmark last year for Engineering and Software Systems Solutions Inc. for advanced coating technologies. Kingston has received more than $20,000 in campaign contributions this election cycle from company executives and their wives.

Meanwhile, the American League of Lobbyists is objecting to the decision by the campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain to refuse the cash of Washington lobbyists.

“The leadership of the American League of Lobbyists (ALL) vehemently objects to this treatment. ALL reminds the candidates that all U.S. citizens are guaranteed the right to petition the government under the First Amendment to the Constitution,” said Brian Pallasch, president of the lobbyist league, in a press release making the rounds.

Pallasch pointed out what he called the hypocrisy of the ban. “Both candidates have worked with lobbyists, recognize the value of their input, received legal campaign contributions from lobbyists, and yet never hesitate to throw us to the wolves when it behooves them to do so,” he said.

Think of it as the digital version of slipping flyers under windshield wipers

Friday, June 6, 2008, 03:05 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A shout out to the Saxby Chambliss for U.S. Senate campaign, for its help in driving up the Insider page-view count.

Chambliss political director Justin Tomczak sent out the following note this morning to those who have befriended the campaign’s Facebook page:

Team,

There are two stories up that could use our help in the comments section:

1) A negative post from the DSCC on our budget vote -

http://www.dawsontimes.com/news30534/chambliss-votes-against-budget-that-creates-jobs-i.shtml?33987652#bmc3827

2) A post on our opponents and Barack Obama -

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/06/06/jonesjoinstheobamabandwago.html

Thanks for your help with this, and please be civil in your remarks.

Chambliss spokesman Michelle Grasso eagerly copped to the e-mail, on behalf of Tomczak. “We understand the power of the new media,” Grasso said.

She said Chambliss will have a presence on MySpace in a few days, to give the campaign an even larger Internet footprint.

Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment |

In the words of the great Jim Nabors, ‘Fool me once, shame on you….’

Friday, June 6, 2008, 12:20 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In Insider is a bit late on this, but Denis O’Hayer at WXIA (11 Alive) was the only reporter in town to openly vent about the “sandbagging” that he and his colleagues received this week at the Republican Governors Association.

The affair was mostly private, restricted to governors and donors, but journalists were allowed to listen in on a Wednesday luncheon speech by Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who’s often mentioned as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

O’Hayer explains in his blog what happened after Pawlenty finished his address:

When reporters started to move toward him, they were told if they would agree to wait in the back, the RGA press officers would bring him to them. Based on that, the reporters and photographers agreed not to approach Pawlenty during the handshaking.

A few minutes later, the media folk were told to move to an area just beyond the side doors of the ballroom, where Pawlenty would meet them.

But once the journalists were all gathered outside the doors on one side of the room, Pawlenty slipped out the doors on the other side, and disappeared. My photographer and I found him again at his car. He ignored us.

It was the kind of “gotcha” maneuver one doesn’t expect from an organization at this level of politics. “No interviews” is an honest answer that reporters are accustomed to hearing—even if they don’t like it. They live with it; because they know no one is obliged to talk to them.

That answer was never given here. In this case, the journalists had given their word as professionals, to refrain from approaching Pawlenty in the ballroom, even though he was within easy reach — only to be sandbagged by someone.

Faced with very angry media folk, RGA staffers swore they never intended this to happen. Their claims were met with open skepticism, to put it mildly. Personally, I’m willing to give the staffers the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the media relations folks didn’t make that call. But someone in the RGA — anyone from Governor Pawlenty on down — did.

Believe it or not, most journalists hate to use the “cavalry charge” approach to a newsmaker as much as the public hates it when they see reporters do it. It’s rude, for starters. That’s why this group agreed to wait on Pawlenty. But I expect that won’t happen the next time the RGA is in town. It’s not revenge. It’s simply that journalists will likely feel they can’t afford to trust the RGA again.

Jones joins the Obama bandwagon

Friday, June 6, 2008, 09:23 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Andre Walker of Georgia Politics Unfiltered says that DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones has jumped on the Barack Obama bandwagon, with this e-mail sent out to supporters on Wednesday:

“Now that Senator Obama has met the criteria to be the Democratic Nominee for President of the United States, we have an incredible opportunity to sweep the state of Georgia with Barack Obama as President, and me - Vernon Jones - as your next United States Senator.

“Every vote counts and every vote is important. Vote Tuesday, July 15th! And, vote Vernon Jones for United States Senate!

 ”Send me to Washington to help our next President - Barack Obama - make this world a better place.”

Unless Jones made an earlier statement of support that escaped notice, this e-mail would make the DeKalb CEO a late-comer to the Obama cause. Other Democrats in the race, including former TV journalist Dale Cardwell and Atlanta attorney Jim Martin, has expressed support for Obama weeks, even months ago.

In late April, after he’d qualified for the Senate race, reporters asked Jones who he supported in the presidential race.

The Insider had this:

Jones declined to say whether he supports Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the race for president, but said he had friends on both sides of the fight. “And I support my friends,” he added.

In politics, pledging support before an outcome is decided is deadly serious stuff.

Richard Ray, president of the Georgia AFL-CIO and a superdelegate to the convention, waited until Thursday — after Clinton had scheduled her concession speech — before siding with Obama.

The Obama campaign will make note of that.

Likewise, state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond of Georgia was one of the last superdelegates in the nation to slip across the invisible line — switching his support late Tuesday from Clinton to Obama, after polls had closed but before Obama laid claim to the nomination.

That will be noted, too.

Now, some people don’t believe in bandwagons, whether early or late. U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon, the state’s only remaining uncommitted superdelegate, has been beseiged daily about how he’ll cast his vote at the August convention. Yesterday, a Marshall aide erupted in frustration.

“My answer from here on out is not going to change,” said press secretary Doug Moore. “Jim doesn’t get involved in other people’s races.”

Permalink | Comments (44) | Post your comment |

Mark DeMoss: ‘McCain made a mistake by disavowing pastors’

Friday, June 6, 2008, 08:29 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

God-o-Meter blogger Dan Gilgoff with Beliefnet has posted a well-worth-reading interview with Mark DeMoss, a conservative Christian public affairs specialist who served as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s liaison to evangelicals.

DeMoss, who operates out of Gwinnett County, makes three points:

— He’s now an unenthusiastic McCain supporter. “I told [the McCain campaign] I’m a conservative a first and a Republican second. I was inclined to vote for Senator McCain but not to get involved beyond that,” he said.

— McCain made a mistake when he recently disavowed two pastors with large television followings.

“The senator hurt himself by rejecting the endorsements of John Hagee and Rod Parsley in Texas and Ohio, and it was mistake to do that. Here were two conservative religious pastors who were probably out on a limb supporting him.… That was a slap in the face to evangelicals who are already somewhat suspect of Senator McCain,” DeMoss said.

— As many as 40 percent of evangelical voters may take a chance with Obama.

“You’re seeing some movement among evangelicals as the term [evangelical] has become more pejorative. There’s a reaction among some evangelicals to swing out to the left in an effort to prove that evangelicals are really not that right wing,” DeMoss said. “There’s some concern that maybe Republicans haven’t done that well. And there’s this fascination with Barack Obama.”

Photo credit: Nick Arroyo/AJC

Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment |

Barr wants to add a third wheel to any Obama-McCain debates

Thursday, June 5, 2008, 04:20 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

About those 10 debates that Republican presidential nominee John McCain has pitched to Democratic rival Barack Obama.

Bob Barr wants a piece of the action.

In an announcement posted on Third Party Watch — Richard Viguerie, publisher of the web site, is a Barr ally — the Libertarian presidential candidate says he should be a part of staged confrontations between the Democrat and the Republican.

“It is time for the American people to see a clash of ideas as well as of candidates,” Barr is quoted as saying.

The Barr campaign said:

Rock-the-Debates has called for “free, open and inclusive debates” that include all candidates with a mathematical chance of being elected. Barr says he would be pleased to begin at New York’s Federal Hall next week, as Sen. McCain suggested, or at a later time, if preferred by Sen. Obama.

This raises an interesting question. McCain would probably oppose Barr’s participation. A higher Barr profile hurts the Republican.

Does Obama insist on Barr’s participation — as Bill Clinton insisted on making Ross Perot part of the ’92 debates with George W. Bush?

I talked with one strategist earlier today, before this topic came up. He said the Democratic campaign is quickly coming to realize that Bob Barr is Barack Obama’s best friend.

Permalink | Comments (52) | Post your comment |

So Obama and the DNC say no more money from lobbyists or PACs — what does this do to downticket Democrats?

Thursday, June 5, 2008, 03:56 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Barack Obama campaign announced today that the Democratic National Committee will no longer accept donations from lobbyists and political action committees, to comply with Obama’s campaign policy.

Think about this one — it could have an impact on downticket Democrats who may or may not fall in line with their party’s nominee on the topic. Not just in Georgia, but across the U.S.

Josh Lanier of Statesboro, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, was quick to spot the potential. He doesn’t accept anything but small donations, and refuses PAC money. Dale Cardwell, another Democrat in the race, has also eschewed PAC money.

Lanier fired off a quick e-mail that made reference to the polling memo released this morning by primary rival Jim Martin, the topic of this post below:

“On the very day that our party’s presidential nominee forbids contributions from PACs and lobbyists to the Democratic National Committee and pledges that the American people’s priorities, not those of special interests, will set the agenda, Jim Martin takes a moment from his frantic fundraising schedule to release a haughty posturing memo by high-priced consultants paid for by contributions from PACs, wealthy donors and special interests.

“It is a caricature of how out of sync the monied insiders are with the feelings of average Georgians and the movement toward change that Senator Obama leads. I’m sure we’ll have a chance to discuss this at Sunday’s debate.”

Jim Martin says he’s likeable and has the lead; Jones will join Sunday forum

Thursday, June 5, 2008, 12:50 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The U.S. Senate campaign of Jim Martin has made public a polling memo that gives him the lead in the Democratic primary race.

Also, DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones has committed to appearing Sunday in the first forum for Senate candidates, according to Elizabeth Scott of the League of Women Voters of Georgia. The League is sponsoring the event, which will be available via the Internet.

Jones had been the only hold-out among the five Democrats.

In his memo, Martin claims he’s leading Jones by 5 points, and would even beat him in a run-off.

You can catch the memo on Martin’s web site, or read it here.

The survey was conducted by the Mellman Group, and was conducted May 29 to June 1. It boasts a 4 percent margin of error.

The memo, of course, requires a caveat. As it would be with any candidate, the primary purpose of such literature is to reassure the people to whom Martin is now approaching for campaign funds — especially after the candidate’s failure last week to win the important endorsement of the Georgia AFL-CIO.

But while skepticism is required, the memo is a worthwhile read, because it establishes the presumptions under which Martin is operating:

— First, Martin has assumed a run-off strategy.

The memo puts Martin at 21 percent; Jones at 16 percent; Cardwell at 7 percent; Josh Lanier at 3 percent; and Rand Knight — who won that AFL-CIO endorsement — at 2 percent. Says the memo: “The initial vote suggests that this may end in a run-off, which Martin also leads. In a head-to-head with Jones, Martin leads 31 percent to 25 percent, making him well-positioned for that race as well.”

— Martin will also be relying on his status as a nice guy — the likeability factor. Martin, the memo states, “is the only one equally well liked inside and outside the Atlanta media market, and among both white voters and the African-American voters who have accounted for nearly half the vote in the 2004 and 2006 primaries.

“While Jones is better known, he has the highest unfavorables in the field, and a net unfavorable image even in his DeKalb County base.” The Martin poll claims that 40 percent have a favorable opinion of Jones in DeKalb, while 51 percent have an unfavorable opinion.

— Other candidates in the race are given short shrift. “Cardwell, Lanier and Knight are not particularly well-regarded, or nearly as popular as Jim Martin is within his base,” the memo said.

Photos of Democratic Senate candidates Jim Martin (upper) and Vernon Jones by Rich Addicks/AJC, Jessica McGowan/Special

Another Georgia superdelegate comes out for Obama

Thursday, June 5, 2008, 11:44 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s down to a single Democratic superdelegate who hasn’t declared himself.

Richard Ray, president of the Georgia AFL-CIO, just called to say that — with Hillary Clinton about to bow out — he’s no longer on the fence.

“I will be supporting Mr. Barack Obama,” Ray said. “He’s going to be the nominee. He’s something that the American people are looking for. He’s certainly capable and has shown leadership in the last trying weeks of this campaign.”

Only yesterday, even after national Democratic leaders pressed remaining uncommitted superdelegates to remove any question of Obama’s nomination, Ray had hinted he wouldn’t make a choice until next week.

But late Wednesday afternoon, the Hillary Clinton campaign let it be known that she would concede the race before a rally of supporters on Saturday.

“That leaves one candidate, and it freed me up,” Ray said.

Ray was one of three uncommitted superdelegates from Georgia. Former President Jimmy Carter cast his lot with Obama on Tuesday, after the last two primary votes.

Only U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon remains uncommitted.

Barr on ‘Colbert’: Patriot Act, war on drugs, and ‘yada, yada, yada’

Thursday, June 5, 2008, 08:49 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr on Wednesday took his campaign to one of the most dangerous venues in American politics — Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”

Read the report from the AJC’s man at the scene here.

We offer you the eight-minute video below.

Colbert, who once flustered U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland to the point that the Georgia congressman forgot seven of the Ten Commandments, focused on Barr’s reversals on several points, including the Patriot Act.

Said Barr:

“Certainly I’ve come to realize, as have many members of Congress who voted for it based on a number of promises that were given to us by the Bush Administration at the highest levels, shall we say — we realized very quickly that those promises meant nothing.

“They went back on everything they told us they would do with the Patriot Act. They used it for cases that nothing to do with terrorism. They sought to expand it, and yada, yada, yada.”

Yes, Barr did say “yada, yada, yada.” Even so, the conversion conversation continued.

Colbert: “Did someone slip you a hash brownie? What’s happened to you?”

Barr: “I do like brownies. I don’t know whether it had hash in it or not.”

Colbert: “There’s an easy way to tell. Did you eat all of them?”

Permalink | Comments (25) | Post your comment |

Jimmy Carter: An Obama-Clinton ticket would be ‘the worst mistake’ — Nunn would be the better veep choice

Wednesday, June 4, 2008, 02:31 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In today’s The Guardian, a British newspaper, former President Jimmy Carter warns Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama against choosing Hillary Clinton as a running mate.

Carter’s comments came during an interview in London last week. The former president’s spokeswoman, Deanna Congileo, confirmed this afternoon that the quotes were accurate.

According to the newspaper:

“I think it would be the worst mistake that could be made,” said Carter. “That would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates.” Carter, who formally endorsed the Illinois senator last night, cited opinion polls showing 50% of US voters with a negative view of Clinton.

In terms that might discomfort the Obama camp, he said: “If you take that 50% who just don’t want to vote for Clinton and add it to whatever element there might be who don’t think Obama is white enough or old enough or experienced enough or because he’s got a middle name that sounds Arab, you could have the worst of both worlds.”

Who does Carter prefer?

The former president said: “What he needs more than a southerner is a person who can compensate for his obvious potential defects, his youthfulness and his lack of long experience in military and international affairs.”

For that reason, Carter says he favours Sam Nunn, the former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who hails from his own state of Georgia. “That would be my preference, but there are other senior Democrats who would have similar credentials to Sam Nunn,” he said.

Permalink | Comments (338) | Post your comment |

Deadline? What deadline?

Wednesday, June 4, 2008, 02:18 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s two remaining uncommitted superdelegates say they’ll ignore the Friday deadline set by national Democratic party chairman Howard Dean, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — who are urging ranking party members to quickly pick either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, and remove any doubt about the outcome of the Democratic primary contest.

My colleague Julia Malone in Washington just finished talking with Doug Moore, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Macon).

“No change. He’s not going to make a determination at Howard Dean’s request,” Moore said.

How about Pelosi’s request?

“He’s not going to be on anybody else’s timetable,” Moore said.

Richard Ray, president of the Georgia AFL-CIO, was more polite, but his message was the same. “I’ll take it under advisement,” Ray said. The union leader said he was likely to make a choice soon, but doubted it would come by Friday.

Like your drivers ed teacher said: The right-of-way often belongs to he who takes it

Wednesday, June 4, 2008, 01:29 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Dick Pettys at InsiderAdvantage has a piece focusing on Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams of Lyons, who is urging his fellow Republican senators to rally behind a single candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010.

That is, if as expected, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle runs for governor.

“My position is, we only need one guy from the Senate running for the position,” Williams told Pettys. “They need to come together and decide who that’s going to be so we don’t have a divided caucus.”

Several senators have expressed interest in making the leap. There’s Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson of Savannah, Chip Rogers of Woodstock, Mitch Seabaugh of Sharpsburg, and David Shafer of Duluth.

Internally, GOP senators are portraying Williams’ comments as a move to boost Johnson, the Senate president pro tem.

A few phone conversations with potential candidates — not all, but some — indicates that Williams will have little success with his effort. This despite the fact that Johnson does have a large treasury that would give him a significant advantage in a statewide race.

But several of the above have come down with a severe case of up-or-out fever, and aren’t likely to defer to the Senate’s ranking member. As one told us, and as Cagle proved in ‘06, this isn’t wait-your-turn situation.

In the choice between Barack Obama and John McCain, a conflicted former (GOP) senator

Wednesday, June 4, 2008, 07:18 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The “Cohen” part of the “Cohen-Nunn Dialogues,” which continued on Tuesday in Atlanta with a seminar on national service, belongs to former Maine senator William Cohen, a Republican.

He’s a former member, with Sam Nunn, of the Senate Armed Services Committee. And in 1996, he was named by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, as the nation’s 20th secretary of defense.

Presidentially, Cohen is one of the most conflicted Americans you’ve ever met. Asked if he’s made a choice in the 2008 race between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, Cohen said he had not.

Primarily because he likes his job as a CNN commentator.

On the other hand:

“I was best man at John McCain’s wedding. And I’m still great friends with John.”

Then again, Cohen said:

“And I like Obama’s message. And I have, out of my five grandchildren, three of them are biracial. They live here in Atlanta. They are the Barack Obamas of the future. So I’ve got a lot of competing interests….My wife is an Obama supporter. She feels pretty strongly about that.”

But still:

“I wouldn’t be where I am without John McCain, either.”

Cohen told of how, as a novice senator, he was on a trip to China to meet with Premier Deng Xiaoping. McCain was the Navy officer acting as the liaison on the journey. “During that trip it was John McCain who said, you’ve got to get on the [Senate] Armed Services Committee,” Cohen said. Which led to the secretary of defense job, etc., etc.

Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment |

Says Nunn: It might be time to take another look at ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

Tuesday, June 3, 2008, 02:28 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former Georgia senator Sam Nunn, who helped push through the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” law that established the terms under which gays and lesbians could serve in the U.S. military, said Tuesday that it’s time to review the policy.

“I think [when] 15 years go by on any personnel policy, it’s appropriate to take another look at it — see how it’s working, ask the hard questions, hear from the military. Start with a Pentagon study,” Nunn said.

The former chairman of the Senate Armed Services wouldn’t say whether he personally supported putting an end to the policy.

Nunn’s comments followed a seminar in Atlanta on national service, after which reporters also asked him about the chances that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama might choose him as his running mate.

Nunn, who retired from the U.S. Senate in 1996, gave the same answer he had last month. “I think it’s highly improbable that I would be invited to be on the ticket, and I think it’s also highly improbable that I would be going back into government,” he said.

During the seminar on national service, Nunn made several references to Charles Moskos, a military sociologist who has advocated a return to military service for young people. Moskos, who died of cancer on Saturday, also participated in the formulation of the 1993 policy.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is a short-hand reference to the federal statute that prohibits homosexuals in the military from speaking of their sexual orientation. In return, commanders aren’t permitted to open investigations into what the military might find to be illicit conduct.

When the policy was first adopted in the early days of the Clinton administration, military experts said openly gay military personnel would harm “unit cohesion.”

Since then, the policy has been sharply criticized by many gays as an abridgement of their right to free expression.

Moskos admitted that the policy was flawed. “It’s like what Churchill said about democracy — it’s the worst system possible, except for all the other ones,” he said in 2006.

Nunn said that many people overlook the fact that, before the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was adopted, gays and lesbians were barred from the military unless they gave a false answer to questions about their sexual orientation.

“People don’t understand that that was the beginning point. We basically made it possible for people to serve honorably in the military without lying on the application,” Nunn said.

The former senator said a new look at the policy is “appropriate.”

“But first and foremost we have to put national security on the front burner. That’s particularly true when we’re in a war in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Nunn said.

“Certainly there are a very large number of gay and lesbian men and women serving honorably in our military today. And they’re doing it within the existing law.”

Pressed for his position on the matter, Nunn said, “I’m not advocating anything — except I’m saying the policy was the right policy for the right time, and times change. It’s appropriate to take another look.”

Many conservatives have said it might be time to retire “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal last year, before he decided on a Libertarian run for president, Bob Barr wrote:

”The bottom line here is that, with nearly a decade and a half of the hybrid “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to guide us, I have become deeply impressed with the growing weight of credible military opinion which concludes that allowing gays to serve openly in the military does not pose insurmountable problems for the good order and discipline of the services….

“Three-quarters of returning Iraq and Afghanistan vets said in a December 2006 Zogby poll that they are “personally comfortable” interacting with gay people. A majority of those who knew someone gay in their unit said the person’s presence had no negative impact on unit morale.”

Photo credit: Renee Hannans/AJC

The Associated Press contributed some of the above material.

Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment |

The shove behind the resignation

Tuesday, June 3, 2008, 01:07 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

On Monday, Gov. Sonny Perdue announced a shake-up of his House floor leadership.

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer today provides the back-story. The governor’s decision to dump state Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain) from his leadership team was an outgrowth of the fight over transportation — and money for that infantry museum near Fort Benning.

Writes the newspaper:

Ten days ago, Gov. Sonny Perdue called local Rep. Vance Smith, R-Pine Mountain, to Atlanta for a meeting.

Smith, one of the governor’s House floor leaders, didn’t know what the meeting was about, but it didn’t take him long to get the message.

“I saw where it was going,” said Smith, chairman of the powerful House Transportation Committee.

The end result was Smith agreed to step aside as assistant administration floor leader, a position he has held since 2005. On Monday, Perdue appointed Rep. Jimmy Pruett, R-Eastman, to replace Smith.

“We mutually agreed,” Smith said. “He agreed to find someone to spend 100 percent of their time as floor leader and I agreed to spend 100 percent of my time as Transportation Committee chairman.”

In the fight to make Gena Abraham commissioner of the state Department of Transportation last year, Smith was the rival candidate backed by House Speaker Glenn Richardson. Smith also put forward a plan to let regions such as metro Atlanta to tax themselves in order to spend more money on fighting congestion.

One senses that things went from bad to worse. According to the Ledger-Enquirer:

Last month, Perdue used the line-item veto to remove $3 million from the state budget that would have gone to the Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park. Smith had pushed to get the money in the state budget. He said he had not talked to the governor’s office prior to the veto.