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Thursday, February 22, 2007
Iran’s nuclear stance; Hank Williams Jr.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thinking Right’s free-for-all Friday. Pick a topic:
• Universities looking for a community outreach project should organize classes for Georgia’s voters on “Picking a Sheriff 101.” Voters clearly don’t get the hang of it. Start with Fulton and Clayton counties.
• How quickly the new guys become the old. State Sen. John Douglas (R-Social Circle) and state Rep. Mike Keown (R-Coolidge) introduce proposed constitutional amendments calling for four-year terms. From Rabun Gap to Tybee Light, the little people are demanding relief from the high burden of voting for legislators every two years. And a compliant Legislature hears and heeds their voices.
• Again. If it takes gas and fertilizer to produce it and if you can eat it, you can’t afford to put it in a gas tank. It’s a dead rush for me between believing that man causes global warming and that food-based fuel is a ticket to energy independence. Get back to me when a commercially viable cellulosic ethanol plant comes on line.
• Hank Williams Jr., divorcing his fourth wife, declares it “one of the toughest days of my life.” Shouldn’t that be “one of the four toughest days of my life”?
• Georgia’s 34 technical colleges may have to lay off faculty because the number of students — and, therefore, revenue — is dropping.
“When a program declines, there may be a situation where you need to do away with faculty,” said Ron Jackson, acting commissioner. “We can’t have people on staff for a program that doesn’t meet the need for their community.” Can he say that? It would pass for common sense in the private sector. But in the public, it could be considered to be “slashing” education and hurting the unemployed.
• Salmonella in sushi, no problem here. But salmonella in peanut butter should be a jailable offense.
• Max Burns, give it one more try. Please. The former congressman was defeated by incumbent John Barrow in the 12th Congressional District that runs from Savannah to Augusta to Milledgeville by 864 votes in November, 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. Barrow is one of the Surrender Democrats who joined 17 White Flag Republicans in voting to oppose the troop surge in Iraq. He should be defeated. Other Georgians, all Democrats, who voted with Barrow should, too, but — with the possible exception of U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop in the 2nd — all are completely safe politically in sending their message to the enemy to sit tight, we’re beat. Rep. Jim Marshall (D- Macon) was thinking and voted right.
• Headline: “Franklin starts partnership for rights center.” Partnerships for nonprofit ventures, when mentioned by the public sector to the private, mean “you pay, I partner.” Partnerships for profit-making ventures, when mentioned by the private sector to the public, mean “you pay, I partner.” I’m a stakeholder, so I know these things.
• Get your credit cards out — or somebody’s. Delta Air Lines plans to start nonstop flights later this year to Nigeria.
• Iran skipped Wednesday’s U.N. deadline to freeze its nuclear enrichment program. Talk to follow. And talk. Until, one day, Iran has nuclear weapons and a madman at the trigger. The matter, said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki “has to be decided peacefully with the United States.” No. The world. If the world fails, then it’s our problem.
• Is it clear now? Federal courts have no jurisdiction over habeas corpus petitions by Guantanamo Bay detainees. Congress can and did decide jurisdiction. Move on.
• Four months is a long time to wait to fill a congressional seat. On the other hand, the 10th Congressional District of Georgia will elect a Republican — and so it’s not like the district is missing an opportunity to influence Nancy Pelosi.
• A Democrat’s my new hero — and it’s not Joe Lieberman, either. It’s state Sen. Robert Brown of Macon, who has filed legislation to prohibit the state or any other government from naming “any public building, site, structure, road, highway, street, intersection, interchange, bridge or other public property” after him. Well, limited hero anyway. Until he introduces another misguided bill like the one to raise the state minimum wage. Again: the minimum wage is zero.
— Jim Wooten is associate editorial page editor. His column runs Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
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Overscripted Hillary?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hollywood mogul David Geffen, who helped Bill Clinton raise $18 million before falling out with him over who the President did and didn’t pardon, is now supporting Barack Obama and trashing Hillary. “She is overproduced and overscripted,” he said. “She’s so advised by so many smart advisers who are covering every base. I think that America was better served when the candidates were chosen in smoke-filled rooms.”
I’m inclined these days to agree. As Newt Gingrich said last week, a year to get the nomination and a year to run is far too much. Stupid, as he put it. Georgia, meanwhile, is debating whether to move the presidential primary up to Feb. 5 next year to join other states in creating something close to a national primary. That could essentially give both parties a nominee by Valentine’s Day.
While I’ve never slept in the Lincoln Bedroom nor contributed to the Clintons, Hillary does not strike me as “overproduced and overscripted.” Her run to the candidate pack on the war in Iraq was probably necessary, since it’s unlikely the party’s base will permit otherwise. Bigger government and opposition to the war seems to be the ticket to success, for the nomination at least.
Does anybody care whether Georgia moves the primary date to Feb. 5? It’s a free, no-consequence vote, anyway. I am, however, beginning to agree with Geffen that less would be more and smoke-filled rooms have their place in the process.
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