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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Crude becomes a sticky topic in the Georgia GOP delegation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My Washington colleague Julia Malone writes that the Republican attempt to embarrass Democrats on offshore drilling for oil has bubbled into something more complicated.
U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Coweta County jetted back to D.C. on Wednesday to lead the now-daily Republican chorus demanding that House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi call the members back from recess and vote on an energy bill.
But Westmoreland also had words for the two Georgia senators, who have been consorting with Democrats on a compromise energy plan.
“I think it’s given the Democrats a place to hide — some cover,” Westmoreland complained of the so-called “Gang of Ten,” who include U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss. Their plan doesn’t go far enough on drilling, the House member said.
Westmoreland stopped short of remarks made by fellow Georgia Republican Rep. Phil Gingrey, who last week dismissed the “Gang of Ten” energy compromise as “procedural pleasantries.”
But it turns out that Gingrey has joined a bipartisan effort, too. He is one of the more than 100 co-sponsors of a House “compromise” energy plan (HR 6709) that would allow drilling offshore but not in ANWR, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Asked about the House compromise, Gingrey defended it as a “giant step forward” in ending offshore drilling bans, even if it doesn’t include ANWR. “I am proud to join Republicans and Democrats alike in advancing this debate,” he said.
And how’s that different from the “Gang of Ten” in the Senate? Gingrey’s staff didn’t say — except to cite summaries suggesting the House compromise bill is broader.
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More on the Democratic view of a Chambliss-Martin match-up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Earlier today, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee published the top lines of a statewide poll (admittedly self-serving) that matched Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss against Democrat Jim Martin.
A kind soul has now provided us with the entire memo being distributed to potential Martin supporters and contributors.
Here are a few lines:
”Chambliss’ weakness is particularly striking due to his large advantage in name identification over his opponent — Chambliss is known to 67 percent of the state’s voters, while Martin is known only to 47 percent. Among the 38 percent of the electorate that knows both candidates, Martin actually leads by a 52 percent to 37 percent margin.”
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A quicker, more convenient way to find out who’s paying for your politician
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My AJC colleague James Salzer says the State Ethics Commission has made it easier to figure out where candidates get their campaign cash.
A new feature on the agency’s web site, unveiled Tuesday, allows you to search race-by-race, and sort by both county and zip code. Very handy when it comes to something like the 2010 governor’s contest.
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Isakson, business types advertise their support for the current speaker
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dick Pettys at InsiderAdvantage has a noteworthy item about a fund-raiser this week for House Speaker Glenn Richardson, who is faced with a leadership challenge from state Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge).
Tom Bell, chairman and CEO of Cousins Properties, is directing this event. Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, is another sponsor.
And U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson is “special invited guest.”
What’s behind this? Remember that Richardson is seen by the business community as the only member of the state Capitol triumvirate who was willing to stick his neck out on the issue of transportation.
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Barr tours the Colorado headquarters of James Dobson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
John McCain may want to make a reassuring phone call to Colorado Springs.
Buried in a press release for Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate for president, was a mention that on Monday, Barr toured the offices of Focus on the Family, headed by James Dobson — a significant voice among evangelical Christians.
This is the same Dobson who, three weeks ago, allowed it was just possible that he might have to endorse the GOP candidate — despite disagreeing with him on several issues.
Barr campaign manager Russell Verney said today that Barr did not meet with Dobson, who was working on a book. (Verney originally gave another reason for Dobson’s absence, but later called to correct himself.)
Instead, Barr met with Tom Minnery, senior vice president for Focus on the Family, and others.
Barr, Verney said, “had a great meeting and discussion with them.
“I think it’s no secret that a lot of the more conservative Republicans have doubts about Sen. John McCain, and there’s been no strong commitment by anyone towards him.
“It’s an area where Bob has a very well-defined record in Congress. There’s a good relationship with a lot of the leaders of that community,” Verney said.
What about the former Georgia congressman’s recent statements on gay marriage and second thoughts about his own Defense of Marriage Act?
“What Bob has said is exactly the conservative philosophy — that these are state isues that should be decided by the people within a state, as opposed to the federal government being involved in non-federal issues,” Verney said.
One reason for a Barr visit to Dobson is the Libertarian’s pursuit of a spot next to McCain and Democrat Barack Obama at Saddlebrook Church in Orange County, Calif.
Rick Warren, pastor of the 22,000-member megachurch, has invited the two major party candidates to the Saturday event. Here’s the letter from the Barr campaign requesting equal time.
Remember that this church event in California comes two days before McCain’s visit to Atlanta, where Ralph Reed will be serving as one of the hosts.
McCain’s need to connect with evangelicals is why the GOP candidate will ignore calls to cut the former head of the Christian Coalition out of the event.
My AJC colleague Aaron Gould Sheinin put a phone call into Reed today, about the Monday event. Said Reed:
“I’m strongly supporting Senator McCain because he’s advocating conservative positions on taxes, judges, energy, strengthening the family and common sense values. I have great respect for his service to the country.
“I sent that e-mail out in my capacity as a private citizen. I don’t hold any position or title with the McCain campaign, haven’t sought one, don’t want one.”
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Martin’s own poll says he’s got a chance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss is vulnerable and Democrat Jim Martin is within striking distance, according to a poll circulated by one of Martin’s most important backers, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The survey of the U.S. Senate race puts Chambliss at 42 percent and Martin at 36 percent. Libertarian Allen Buckley is at 3 percent.
Obviously, polls circulated by the very parties involved need to be taken with a sack of salt. But be aware that this is the document that Martin will be using when he rings up potential donors.
The poll of 600 likely voters, said the DSCC, was taken Aug. 6 to 10 by the Mellman Group and has a 4 percent margin of error.
Likely points of emphasis include a 37 percent job approval rating for Chambliss — well below what non-partisan polls have shown. Sixty-six percent say the country’s on the wrong track.
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Facility Group CEO pleads guilty to conspiracy to corrupt a public official
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The head of one of Georgia’s most politically plugged-in companies on Monday pleaded guilty to conspiracy to “corrupt” a public official in Mississippi.
Reverberations are likely both there and here. Click here to read the guilty plea.
This is from the Jackson, Miss., Clarion-Ledger:
Robert Moultrie, chairman and chief executive of The Facility Group of Smyrna, Ga., admitted he gave $45,000 in contributions to the re-election campaign of then-Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, who is now running for the Senate.
Moultrie, 67, is the latest to plead guilty in the scandal that already has resulted in convictions for three other people, including former beef plant owner Richard Hall Jr. U.S. District Judge Mike Mills is set to sentence Moultrie in 45 to 60 days.
As part of the plea agreement U.S. attorneys, Mills and Moultrie agreed to a 34-month sentencing cap. The charge carries a maximum 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine or both and three years of supervised release.
Today’s Marietta Daily Journal has this:
The Facility Group was hired by the state of Mississippi to manage the beef plant. According to the indictment, Moultrie sent out invitations for a July 23, 2003, fundraiser at his Smyrna residence for “a public official.”
Then-Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove had a fundraiser at Moultrie’s house on July 23, 2003, a spokeswoman for Musgrove’s Senate campaign confirmed. Musgrove, a Democrat, is currently running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by former Republican Sen. Trent Lott.
The indictment does not charge Musgrove and Musgrove’s campaign staff have maintained he is innocent of any wrongdoing.
Two other Facility Group executives, chief operating officer Nixon Cawood and executive vice president Charles Morehead, are also under indictment.
Lawyers for Moultrie — as well as Musgrove staffers — are bristling at any use of the word “bribery,” which they say is legally reserved for quid-pro-quo transactions. This money for that action.
Tom Freeland, attorney for Moultrie, put out this statement:
“Robert Moultrie has pleaded guilty to a charge in a one-count information that he paid an illegal gratuity to a state official by a campaign contribution to the official.
“This is a charge that he made the contribution intending to influence and reward the official for the performance of official duties should the public official’s assistance be needed on any potential problems on the Mississippi beef project.”
In other words, according to the attorney, this wasn’t bribery because Moultrie didn’t know what specific deed he might require a governor to perform. This was more like a purchase on the futures market.
Photo credit: The Facility Group
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