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Friday, November 7, 2008
The Freedom’s Watch attack on Democrat Jim Martin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Freedom’s Watch is a pro-Republican 527 that has played in other U.S. Senate races, and had sponsored ads on behalf of Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss in the general election.
No surprise with the ad below, which is currently on air:
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The Speaker’s solution for an active duty lawmaker
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A little catch-up:
House Speaker Glenn Richardson sent out a note yesterday intended to resolve the matter of state Rep. Doug Collins of Gainesville, who is an Air Force chaplain currently in serving in Iraq.
Collins had written a letter to members of the House Republican Caucus laying out his effort to participate in Monday’s vote to select caucus officers, including the speaker — who’s opposed by state Rep. David Ralston of Blue Ridge.
Collins, by way of background, was one of those Republicans punished for opposing Richardson’s choice for chairman of the state transportation board.
House Republican Caucus rules require personal attendance at the 10 a.m. meeting. No proxies allowed. But with Collins’ letter circulating, Richardson has proposed a change in rules that would allow exceptions for lawmakers in uniform.
However, the Richardson solution also requires a signed letter giving voting power to a colleague. We e-mailed Collins yesterday to see whether he’s done that. If not, then the situation remains basically unchanged and Collins is out of luck. Iraq is far away, and notarized mail is slow.
Ralston, by the way, has sent a letter to all House Republicans, explaining his reason for challenging Richardson. The communication includes this line to reassure those who hold committee chairmanships and more:
“This campaign is not about a wholesale cleaning out. It is about new leadership that will reflect the best of our caucus and will advance the ideals we all embrace in a positive, open and productive manner.”
Read the speaker’s voting proposal and Ralston’s letter in their entirety on the jump.
FROM HOUSE SPEAKER GLENN RICHARDSON
Dear Caucus Members,
As most of you know, our fellow House member Doug Collins is serving in the Armed Forces in Iraq. We are all very appreciative and supportive of his service to our country. And, I hope all of you will join me in not only thanking Doug for his service but wishing him a prompt and safe return.
As a result of his service, he will be unable to attend the Caucus meeting on Monday. So, to allow him to participate, I have prepared the attached proposed rule change to the House Republican Caucus rules.
In accordance with rule 22, this memo serves as written notice to the members of the caucus at least three days in advance of any vote to amend. I have asked retired Lt. Colonel Amos Amerson to present this rule change on my behalf. I hope you will adopt this unanimously at our meeting on Monday. Thank you.
Glenn Richardson
DATE: November 6, 2008
RE: AMENDMENT TO HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS RULES and the Rules for the Nomination of Candidates for Speaker and Speaker Pro Tem and for Election of Republican Caucus Officers, Georgia House of Representatives, Revised February 13, 2001.
In accordance with Rule 22, I hereby offer for your consideration the following amendments to the Caucus Rules. The purpose of these amendments would be to create a method for voting by proxy in Caucus elections only.
Amendment to HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS RULES:
- There shall be no voting by absentee ballot, however, voting by proxy shall be permitted as specifically expressed in the Rules for the Nomination of Candidates for Speaker and Speaker Pro Tem and for Election of Republican Caucus Officers.
Amendments to: Rules for the Nomination of Candidates for Speaker and Speaker Pro Tem and for Election of Republican Caucus Officers:
In all cases, election to a caucus office shall require a majority vote of the caucus members voting either in person or by proxy as permitted in Rule 9.
Proxy votes from absent caucus members will be counted only if the absent member is serving on active duty in a branch of the United States Armed Forces and cannot attend the election meeting in person because of such duty and has, in writing, designated an eligible member of the caucus as their proxy to vote in his or her stead and has delivered such writing to the caucus Secretary prior to the election of the caucus officers.
RALSTON LETTER
On Monday, our House Majority Caucus will make a very solemn and serious decision. We will come together to choose our new leadership for the 2009-2010 term.
The decision we make will define us as a Caucus and send a message to those who placed their trust in us to represent them in the Georgia House of Representatives.
After much prayer and careful deliberation, I have announced my intention to offer for the position of Speaker of the House.
I do not do this out of anger. I am not angry nor am I bitter. Speaker Richardson has been, is, and will continue to be my friend.
I do not do this because of some unbridled ambition. I have no desire to ever seek another office if you honor me by election to this position of trust.
My reasons for seeking to become Speaker are straightforward. Like many of you, I believe strongly that we must have change for the future of our Caucus, the Republican party and the people of Georgia.
We have become defined as a chamber where heated rhetoric, name-calling and in-fighting have become the order of the day.
We suffer as a chamber from our lack of cooperation and meaningful dialogue with the executive branch and the other legislative body.
Finally, we have allowed a closed leadership system to develop, one which devalues respect for all individual members, has become intolerant of independent thought, and has promoted retribution and intimidation as leadership tools.
I have committed to this race because I am convinced that a change in leadership is the only way we can govern effectively and preserve our majority.
At this time in our state’s history, it is essential that we have strong, stable and civil leadership. We will continue to have differences with the executive branch and the State Senate, but we must be prepared to work those differences out in more productive and less publicly acrimonious ways.
Every member of our Caucus represents Georgians who elected them to do what is right. As a result, every member is entitled to respect and to full participation. We must empower our Caucus to have input into our positions.
We must also never forget that we are Republicans. As Republicans, we must not only stand for the principles that make us different, but we must never forget that we are held to a higher standard by both who support us as well as those who would seek to tear us down.
My Republican roots run deep. My commitment to this party has been proven. Having served in the minority in the Georgia General Assembly, I do not want to go back. However, the people of Georgia did not give us a permanent lease on the House. Just as our brothers and sisters forfeited their leadership position in Washington, we are in danger of doing the same.
Most importantly, we must be always mindful that the chamber in which we serve is truly the “people’s House.” We have been chosen by the people of Georgia to represent and serve them - not other politicians.
I have the leadership skills needed for this job. I do not have to change who I am. This campaign is not about a wholesale cleaning out. It is about new leadership that will reflect the best of our Caucus and will advance the ideals we all embrace in a positive, open and productive manner.
I hope you will join with me on Monday in a vote that will say to our citizens that we will put them first again and will send a strong, clear message that it is time to put aside the ways we have tried in the past and get about the people’s business.
The people of Georgia want to be able to have respect for and pride in their House again. With your help, we will make that wish a reality.
Respectfully,
David Ralston
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‘Mutts like me’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Barack Obama gave an interesting self-characterization during his first press conference as president-elect. The subject was the harmless topic of finding a dog to keep his two young daughters company in the White House.
Obama said he’d like to pick a shelter dog, but one of his daughters is allergic, so they may need a specific breed:
“A lot of shelter dogs are mutts, like me,” Obama said.
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On Thursday, Chambliss was 8,000 shy of 50% — this a.m. he’s 16,000 short
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With all Fulton County precincts now having reported (at least on the web site of Secretary of State Karen Handel), Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss’ chances of escaping a U.S. Senate runoff seem to have gotten smaller.
On Thursday morning, Chambliss was 8,198 votes shy of the 50-percent-plus-one mark he needs. This morning, the number has nearly doubled to 16,086.
By percentage, the race stands at Chambliss, 49.8 percent; Democrat Jim Martin, 46.8 percent; and Libertarian Allen Buckley, 3.4 percent.
Read the latest vote-count article here.
Last night, a Democratic friend — with a fine hand for note-taking — was phoned by an Ogden, Utah firm apparently polling for Chambliss.
The pollster asked how the respondent voted on Tuesday, of course, and asked him to rate issues. The pollster asked what he thought of a national sales tax. (The Fair Tax in local parlance).
There were abortion and gun control questions. Another that asked if the rich were taxed enough. And whether Democratic control of Washington was a good thing or a bad thing.
Most interesting was the hot-button list of items that might erupt in a short campaign:
— Criminal rights activists (Democrat Jim Martin, Chambliss’ runoff rival, is an attorney);
— Politicians acting on self-interest;
— China cheating on trade deals;
— Courts allowing same-sex marriage;
— The “lack of oil exploration” driving up gas costs;
— The $700 billion bailout of Wall Street;
— Pork barrel projects;
— The state of health care;
— And bringing troops home now.
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‘It’s wrong to support, or oppose, a candidate because of faith’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark DeMoss, the Christian public relations specialist based in Duluth, makes something of a splash this morning with a brief essay on the lessons of the ’08 campaign.
DeMoss, you’ll recall, served as one of Republican Mitt Romney’s liaisons to Southern evangelicals during the primary. DeMoss is Southern Baptist. Romney is Mormon.
I’d like to see evangelicals look for competent, qualified candidates who share our values, whether or not they share our faith or theology. I believe it’s wrong to oppose a candidate because of his faith (Mitt Romney), and equally wrong to support a candidate primarily based on common faith (Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin).
Along the campaign trail I met so many people, including pastors and religious leaders, who could tell me only that their choice for president was a “good Christian,” or “one of us.”
This, in my view, is a dangerously inadequate approach to choosing our highest leaders. We don’t choose people for any other positions using this test; why would we apply it to one of the most important positions on the planet?
DeMoss also suggested that conservative Christians become more active on the financial sides of campaigns.
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Gun shop backs off ‘Obama sale’ on guns and ammo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Athens Banner-Herald has this today:
A local gun shop that used Barack Obama’s name to hawk weapons has backed down, saying the message was meant to champion gun rights, not threaten violence.
Georgia Outdoor Sports owner Carrie Mentel said she advertised an “OBAMA SALE!” - on “GUNS AMMO ARCHERY” - outside her Hull store Wednesday morning, hours after the election, because firearms enthusiasts are worried the new Democratic president soon will step all over their Second Amendment right to bear arms.
But some passing motorists interpreted the sign as a call for violence against the country’s first black president.
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