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DEL.ICIO.USA plea for Martin — from the fellow who wanted to protect sweet tea
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Now, many people have talked about DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones’ double approach to racial politics.
On one hand, the U.S. Senate candidate has slammed the media for raising the topic of race. On the other, Jones has got this “two-for-one” flyer intended to link the only African-American in the Senate race to the candidacy of Democratic presidential presumptive Barack Obama.
But in the last hours, the flip side of humanity may be showing itself.
Two highly reliable informants tipped us to a robo-call by former state lawmaker John Noel — who invokes the names of Billy McKinney (whom he defeated) and the father’s more famous daughter, Cynthia, on behalf of Jones’ rival, Jim Martin.
Noel quickly gave the Insider a call, accepting responsibility for the automated phone call. The Martin campaign, he said, was not involved. “I put out the call because I’m a fervent supporter of Jim Martin,” Noel said. “I did call the campaign initially, but they never approved it. I just went ahead because I considered it completely innocuous. it was really a get-out-the-vote call for a good guy.”
No racial intent was involved, the former lawmaker said — he was merely invoking the accomplishment that many voters would remember him by, Noel said. “It was simply because that’s who I beat, and that’s the year that I beat them.”
Noel said the call went to thousands of residents of the northwest portion of Fulton County that he once represented. He intends to report the expenditure as a $750 in-kind contribution to the Martin campaign.
Here’s the script that Noel dictated to the Insider:
“Hello, this is former Democratic state representative John Noel. You may remember that I defeated Billy McKinney in 2002, the same year his daughter Cynthia McKinney lost her congressional seat.
“I’m calling to ask for your support for my friend Jim Martin in Tuesday’s runoff for the U.S. Senate. Jim Martin’s opponent, the controversial Vernon Jones, has broken promises to not raise taxes in DeKalb, and has had personal antics that make him a poor choice for Democrats in the fall election.
“Remember, please, Jim Martin in the only runoff election this Tuesday, the Democratic primary runoff. This call was paid for by John Noel.”
Ellery Gould, campaign manager for Martin, was quick to insist that the campaign had nothing to do with the automated phone calls.
The Insider has captured this authorized robo-call from Martin, but it’s kind of dull.
By the way — yes, your memory is correct. John Noel, who is white, is the member of the House of Representatives who sponsored a bill Tuesday to make it a misdemeanor “of a high and aggravated nature” not to offer sweet tea in any restaurant that serves iced tea. It failed.
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Comments
By A Voter from HD44
August 5, 2008 12:55 AM | Link to this
Way to go John!
I live in the district he used to represent and I appreciate him taking a stand.
By Granny
August 5, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this
Tea has to be sweetened while it’s warm! Dumping sugar into a glass of cold, unsweetened tea is ineffective, and reduces the satisfaction factor of the iced-tea experience.
By Lily Toad
August 5, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
I don’t live in his old district, I’m in the southeast part of intown Atlanta, but I got this call and consider it race-baiting. Cynthia and Billy McKinney have nothing to do with the current Senate primary. As a Martin supporter I contacted his campaign headquarters to verify whether they were associated with the robocal. They pointed me to this article.
By ILoveIt
August 5, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
I love it …..”You May Remember Me”…..State House members that have served 4, 6, & 8 years in the metro area (and are still actually in office) have 10-25% name ID! There are probably fewer than 15-20 people in that entire district who know who this guy is…..The bubble these guys walk around in is hilarious to me. Oh well, $750 down the tube! At least it’s good for the economy!
By Cynthia K
August 5, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this
Wasn’t the Tuesday the “sweet tea bill ” was introduced, April 1, 2003? Yes, I belief it was an April Fools Day joke.
2003 - Georgia State Representative, John Noel, and four co-sponsors, apparently as an April Fools’ Day joke, introduced House Bill 819, proposing to require all Georgia restaurants that serve tea to serve sweet tea. Representative John Noel, one of the sponsors, is said to have acknowledged that the bill was an attempt to bring humor to the Legislature, but wouldn’t mind if it became law. The text of the bill proposes:
(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘sweet tea’ means iced tea which is sweetened with sugar at the time that it is brewed.
(b) Any food service establishment which served iced tea must serve sweet tea. Such an establishment may serve unsweetened tea but in such case must also serve sweet tea.
(c) Any person who violates this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
By Cynthia K
August 5, 2008 3:47 PM | Link to this
Wasn’t the Tuesday the “sweet tea bill ” was introduced, April 1, 2003? Yes, I belief it was an April Fools Day joke.
2003 - Georgia State Representative, John Noel, and four co-sponsors, apparently as an April Fools’ Day joke, introduced House Bill 819, proposing to require all Georgia restaurants that serve tea to serve sweet tea. Representative John Noel, one of the sponsors, is said to have acknowledged that the bill was an attempt to bring humor to the Legislature, but wouldn’t mind if it became law. The text of the bill proposes:
(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘sweet tea’ means iced tea which is sweetened with sugar at the time that it is brewed.
(b) Any food service establishment which served iced tea must serve sweet tea. Such an establishment may serve unsweetened tea but in such case must also serve sweet tea.
(c) Any person who violates this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
By Cynthia K
August 5, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this
Wasn’t the Tuesday the “sweet tea bill ” was introduced, April 1, 2003? Yes, I belief it was an April Fools Day joke.