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DEL.ICIO.USThurmond on Obama in Georgia: ‘He has a chance.’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Michael Thurmond, the state labor commissioner, was the focus of a press conference on Thursday, where he talked talked about the Georgia’s stark unemployment numbers and budget cuts.
But the formal purpose of his appearance was to tie these economic hard times to the presidential prospects of Democrat Barack Obama.
With Obama down 16 points in Georgia — see the 11Alive poll item below — Thurmond said this week’s meltdown in Washington should give the Democrat an opportunity to climb back into voters’ good graces.
“Americans feel more comfortable with Democrats and Senator Obama on economic and domestic policy,” he said.
Was Thurmond bold enough to predict an Obama win?
“No. I’m not that bold. But he has a chance. And all you can ask for in politics is a chance,” the labor commissioner said.
On budget cuts, Thurmond said he has no problem with Gov. Sonny Perdue’s call for 6 percent, across-the-board cuts.
“I believe governor perdue’s strategy so far is the proper one,” he said.
The labor commissioner said that the problem is that his department’s workload increases in hard times. Thurmond said his 4,000-worker staff will adjust by shifting to a four-day, 10-hour work week that will allow them — by using flexible hours — to keep department offices open longer by one hour each day.
“No. 1, it’s going to help my employees save gas. This is important, because they’re not getting a 2.5 percent [cost-of-living] increase,” Thurmond said.
Comments
By RJ
September 18, 2008 8:53 PM | Link to this
The lack of posts about or in reaction to the 6.3% unemployment for Georgia speaks for itself. Georgia’s voting public is simply not interested in facts, logic, and moral arguments connecting these numbers to past actions and future plans of the Republicans. Their confidence is unshakeable. So do as Obama has done direct your energies where they matter.
SurveyUSA recent poll results putting McCain at 57 percent and Obama at 41 percent says it all.
Lord, help me to start each day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over.
By Michael Thurmond
September 18, 2008 11:11 PM | Link to this
Thurmond has a cushy gig and doesn’t have the guts to lead his party and run for governor or seantor. What a freaking DINO.
By concerned
September 19, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
Michelle says don’t vote for someone just because they are cute, well don’t vote for someone just because they are AA either! Look at the issues, Barack wants to RAISE your taxes! How can that help this economy? It will kill jobs because businesses will not want to hire because they are going to be taxed higher as well! Barack has no background in economics! WAKE UP! Barack wants national healthcare. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my healthcare rationed as the government decides if I can see the doctor or not! I don’t care if his nomination is historic or not he is not the one this time. Maybe in a few years he’ll be ready. We need people in office that are not afraid of this day and time of terristic threats from the people that hate Americans! Yes the economy is a very important issue, but so is our protection from these lunatics that want us all dead! We need Washington cleaned up NOW and the Democratic team will not do it because they have been sitting in Congress for 2 years now and CONTINUE to play with the American people. They want to blame Washington for so much, but they are the ones making all the decisions. They are why the economy is the way it is. With all that the Democrats want to do the economy will be destroyed. At least with the Republicans we have a chance for rebound.
By concerned
September 19, 2008 9:44 AM | Link to this
Michelle says don’t vote for someone just because they are cute, well don’t vote for someone just because they are AA either! Look at the issues, Barack wants to RAISE your taxes! How can that help this economy? It will kill jobs because businesses will not want to hire because they are going to be taxed higher as well! Barack has no background in economics! WAKE UP! Barack wants national healthcare. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my healthcare rationed as the government decides if I can see the doctor or not! I don’t care if his nomination is historic or not he is not the one this time. Maybe in a few years he’ll be ready. We need people in office that are not afraid of this day and time of terristic threats from the people that hate Americans! Yes the economy is a very important issue, but so is our protection from these lunatics that want us all dead! We need Washington cleaned up NOW and the Democratic team will not do it because they have been sitting in Congress for 2 years now and CONTINUE to play with the American people. They want to blame Washington for so much, but they are the ones making all the decisions. They are why the economy is the way it is. With all that the Democrats want to do the economy will be destroyed. At least with the Republicans we have a chance for rebound.
By RJ
September 19, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
Concerned…Not that it will with people like you but the real facts are below.
Under Obama, the wealthiest 1 percent of taxpayers, those making roughly $600,000 or more, would see their taxes go up on average by $93,709 in 2009, according to an analysis done by the Tax Policy Center, because Obama would begin implementing his tax changes even before the scheduled expiration of the Bush cuts. Under McCain, those same taxpayers would see an average reduction of $48,860, reflecting in part additional cuts he is proposing.
By contrast, the bottom 20 percent of taxpayers, those with taxable income of roughly $19,000 per year or less, would see their taxes cut by an average of $567 under Obama’s program and $21 under McCain’s plan, the tax center estimates. For the 20 percent of taxpayers right in the middle of the income scale, making roughly between $37,600 and $66,400, the tax break would be $1,118 under the Obama plan and $325 under the McCain plan in 2009, according to the analysis done by the tax center, a joint venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, two Washington think tanks.
By Gutshehas
September 19, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this
Thurmond has enough guts to speak out when no one from the Party leadership has said anything about Obama. Where is the State chair or other Party leaders. Why aren’t they saying something about Obama. They all wanted john Edwards and because they didn’t get there candidate they took their marbles and went home. So the guts is standing alone and fighting for our immediate issues—not looking to promote his own political agenda like so many other folk.
By concerned
September 19, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
People like me? Then what is the best way to determine who’s right and who’s wrong? You have this party saying one thing and the other party saying another thing. It just drives me crazy. How does one really know who’s right and who’s wrong? And what about the party that is truly wrong how is it that they can do the “wrong” thing to the American people? I was thinking about this the other night and for the parties to be totally different is pretty scary to me. I have not followed politics much because who can you believe? Maybe I was prematurely speaking earlier based on some of the so-called “facts” that I have been listening to.