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DEL.ICIO.USA retirement signals end of Mitchell County clout
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Within a year of the death of former House Speaker Tom Murphy, the transformation of the Two Georgias continues mostly unnoticed.
In southwest Georgia’s Mitchell County, population 23,852, an icon of a region that has produced movers-and-shakers under the Gold Dome for more than six decades announced that he would not seek re-election.
“In my 25 years of service, I have witnessed far too many competent individuals who sadly did not know when to step down,” said Richard Royal of Camilla, who as a Democrat had served under Murphy as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. “I prefer not to follow in their steps.”
Last Wednesday, Royal had driven to Atlanta with a certified check for $400 to cover the qualifying fee. But as he drove, he debated whether to run again. On Friday, as the noon deadline approached with Royal yet to qualify, former Camilla Mayor Jay Powell stepped forward to run for the seat as a Republican.
In Mitchell County and the rest of the South, politicians rose to power and influence in Congress and state legislatures by being smart and attuned to the will of voters. Once elected, they were rarely challenged. Royal, who represented Colquitt (Moultrie) and Mitchell counties, epitomized that tradition, facing only two challengers in a quarter century. After Sonny Perdue was elected governor as a Republican, Royal followed Perdue in switching parties and continued to win as a Republican, even though the district is predominantly Democratic.
Royal served on Ways and Means for 22 years, including 11 years as an officer or chairman. He followed in the footsteps of another Mitchell County titan, former state Rep. Marcus Collins of Cotton, who served as Ways and Means chairman for nine years before he was appointed Revenue Commissioner in 1983 by Gov. Joe Frank Harris.
Collins had come to the House in 1961, part of a freshman class that included Murphy. Twelve years later, in 1973, Murphy was elected speaker, and by 1975 he had picked Collins to chair Ways and Means. That post requires someone who is smart and able to resist pressure to riddle the tax code with unsanctioned giveaways. So it helps if they are also from safe legislative districts. Most are expected to be stout fiscal conservatives, though a few haven’t been.
It is a post of enormous power.
Before Collins, there had been Fred Hand of Pelham, a Talmadge loyalist who served as speaker from 1947 to 1954. Hand left the House in an effort to succeed Herman Talmadge as governor in 1955, but was defeated by Marvin Griffin, who lived in neighboring Decatur County (Bainbridge).
For more than 60 years, from Hand to Collins to Royal, Mitchell County has wielded disproportionate influence. But that era is coming to an end, in part because Royal has grown disenchanted with politics, especially since his switch to the Republican Party. His district is 35.5 percent black, and while he could most likely have held the seat for as long as he chose, he was dismayed that black voters in his district had deserted him in droves when he changed parties. He had also become frustrated that despite his institutional knowledge, he was never integral to tax-policy decisions as a Republican.
“I don’t guess I ever recovered fully from the change in leadership from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party,” Royal told The Moultrie Observer.
Royal’s retirement was one of the few surprises in last week’s qualifying. Otherwise, the status quo won’t change much. Almost 80 percent of House seats and two-thirds of Senate seats will be uncontested in November because redistricting and the Voting Rights Act have largely eliminated interparty competition. In the Senate, Republicans will keep power, possibly with the same 34-22 majority they have now.
But for Mitchell County, and for a corner of the state with real clout in decades past, the status quo is changed. An era of outsize influence ends under the Gold Dome.
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Comments
By Redneck Convert
May 6, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this
Well, I see Wooten’s done wrote another stinker, because he keeps thinking somebody gives a rat’s hind end about what happens in South Georgia. Heck, there’s more hogs down yonder than people. And theys a lot of Those People there. Up here in Forsyth County we got a bunch of Those Other People, but they just pluck chickens and then go back to Hall County when they’re done. No, what Wooten shoulda wrote about was how us Godly Conservatives is going to be up a creek if that Hillary woman can’t come from behind and beat that Obama fellow. McCain could beat her with his head tied between his knees and bamboo shoots under his toenails. Well, I got to get this route started. So, Wooten the lesson for today is Hillbillys rule, gnat blowers drool. Have a good day everybody.
By Just Nasty and Mean
May 6, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this
The “good ole boy” system that ran the state for 100 years is slowly but surely being dismantled.
Thank God!
Some people just can’t deal with it.
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 8:23 AM | Link to this
Good morning all. In the early 1960s William F. Buckley, Jr., his brother-in-law Brent Bozell, Barry Goldwater, and the late-joining Ronald Reagan began to map a program to realign the US political parties, more along the lines in Britain, as Conservative vs Leftist. The conservative Republicans moved first, pushing out the northeast Rockefeller Republicans, and wooing (don’t you truly hate that particular word?) blue-collar and “values” Democrats.
By 1968 that realignment seemed like a good idea to Democrats also, and they gleefully pushed out the George Wallace anti-pointy-heads and distanced themselves from Teamsters. The Democrats remained the dominant party throughout the 1970s on the basis of their incumbency power, but by 1980 the conservative makeover was nearly complete for Republicans. The Democrats drifted ever more leftward, distancing themselves from church-goers and gun-owners and relying almost exclusively on poor people (many votes), power-brokers (much money), and those various “rights” movements that sought to carve out special preferences and privileges for various demographics (black folks, feminists, gays, Hispanics).
Somewhere along the way, around the time of McGovern, the Democrats embraced a single self-inflicted wound – “abortion” – that ensured decreasing numbers of their constituents over the course of a generation. Now firmly identified with policies that would marginalize the Christian majority and gun-owning traditionalists within society, the Democrats found themselves condemned to a generation outside the power they crave so.
A far-sighted group of Democrats, around the end of the second Reagan administration, perceived the long-term risk to the Democrat party of its close identification with various groups that could be easily disparaged by the opposition as “kooks,” and sought to remake the Democrats as a centrist group. Thus Bill Clinton’s “triangulation” strategy became the new means for the Democrats to check the growth of the conservative movement, and the parties achieved a rough parity again.
All would agree that the Democrats have lately endeavored to make themselves acceptable to conservatives again, tolerating election of titular Democrats such as Heath Shular and the fellow in Louisiana last week who has 28 consonants in his name. Their national leaders began to fire guns in campaigns (John F’ing Kerry in 2004, for example) and the leaders actively recruited reformed military, to suggest the party was not hostile to traditional beliefs. The candidates of the left actually started mentioning religious beliefs again in campaigns, although I don’t think anyone should expect a repetition of something like Frank Clement’s 1956 “How long, O Lord” keynote address at the summer convention. Who, in this audience, would ever have imagined as late as 2004 that a Democrat nominee could find his campaign derailed, by evaporating moderate and conservative support, because he attended a church?
I think Dan Henninger last week wrote an essay about the end of the culture wars, that the leftists had surrendered unconditionally. That may be correct. Now, as Georgia ends one of the last state-party realignments (Arkansas remains firmly planted in 1958), in the path that started nearly 50 years ago, it is appropriate to take time to salute the late Messrs. Buckley and Goldwater and Reagan, and the still vibrant Mr. Bozell, for the actualization of their vision – a world where it is respectable to be an intellectual conservative.
By Believer
May 6, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
The good ole boy system is not being dismantled. First, it has been renamed to the GOP boy system. Second, the members of the new system had to either change parties or be cast out — most changed parties. Third, why would God want to have anything to do with it.
By Redneck Convert
May 6, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this
I see that other Redneck Convert that don’t even live in Forsyth County done beat me to the punch today. I guess just about everybody wants to be like me. Matter of fact, most people in GA are like me. I hope this guy don’t also have friends like Jim Earl and Joe Bill and a wife that hits the scale at 350.
Well, I’m awful glad to see real Republicans taking over all the house seats in GA. It’s a little thing, this change to Republicans in GA, but its one way of keeping on with the Civil War and States Rights. But I don’t worry about which counties lose power and which ones gain it, long as we elect godly Republicans.
I’m kind of worryed, though. My buddy Jim Earl says the voters are about ready to throw out all the Republicans in Washington and elect librul Democrats to run things. I’m hoping it don’t happen, but if it does GA will be in a awful fix. Old Sonny won’t have nobody to go to when he needs money and goes with his hat in his hand. He will be like the red-headed stepchild. Saxby and Johnny won’t be able to help because they will be the wrong party. Us GA people will just have to stock up on the KY jelly and maybe even have a tax increase.
And we will get guvmint health care. Its a awful thing when people go against God’s will and try to have a hand in who lives or dies. Those People will line up at the Drs. office ahead of me. And they will have the same care I get without working for it like I do.
And the librul Democrats won’t have to do nothing to get a big tax increase. They will just let My President’s tax cuts die. I will be right sorry to see people not able to pay their country club membership and take fancy trips on vacation. Country club people and folks that take vacation drink lots of beer too and that’s good for my job.
Have a good day everybody.
By Political Foreskin
May 6, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this
Methinks Jim and jbmlaw collaborated on today’s post. Methinks the teacher is giving his star pupil the test questions in advance.
Whatever.
By Jim Earl
May 6, 2008 8:34 AM | Link to this
I can’t quit you.
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 8:44 AM | Link to this
Speaking as an intellectual conservative, vote Ron Paul for president.
By MiltonMan
May 6, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this
23,852 = population of a county? We have subdivisions in North Fulton that have more than that. Why don’t you dumpy counties in the south merge - maybe then you could reach 50,000?
By Watta Load
May 6, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…wha..!? (snort)…is Wooten still writing?…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!
By Watta Load
May 6, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…wha..!? (snort)…is Wooten still writing?…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!
By DublDawg
May 6, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this
Richard Royal has a better mind and a better grasp of law and policy than many, many people that have served in the General Assembly. The first time I dealt with him on some matters, I thought that he might have gotten a law degreee but pursued business instead of law at some point. He was more than I expected from Mitchell Co., and is brighter than a lot of the Atlanta transplants that have such high opinions of themselves. Mr. Royal was a successful petro distributor/jobber, and was smart enough to prosper in a small, rural community. He never had to pack up and move around like a nomad working for someone else to make a living (as opposed to the Atlanta transplants that think they are so smart), and there is something to be said for that.
Richard Royal would make a much better speaker than Richardson ever will. It’s too bad that it’s Royal leaving and not Richardson.
By Ray Jenkins
May 6, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this
Jim might also have mentioned Frank Twitty, another Mitchell County lawmaker who was prominent in the General Assembley in the 1950s and 1960s.
By Ray Jenkins
May 6, 2008 9:28 AM | Link to this
Jim might also have mentioned Frank Twitty, another Mitchell County lawmaker who was prominent in the General Assembley in the 1950s and 1960s.
By ron
May 6, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
Good morning Jim,Slow day?
I spent the night watching for the new moon.Must have missed it again.
Only 350 Redneck?What a doll.
By George Washington
May 6, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
The South Georgia Rednecks, the North Georgia Mountain Hicks, and the Macon Clowns have been stealing without remorse from Metro Atlanta for the last 100 years….Now it is payback time…..No more Metro Atlanta tax dollars should flow to those thieves….Quality Basic Education was just a money grab from Metro Atlanta to the sticks of Georgia, and should be reversed…The problem with all this money flow is the rural areas take from Metro Atlanta when their thieves are in power, but later have no abilty to repay their ill gotten gains….Ah say tax em till they go bankrupt…then deports em to Alabama and Florida….ah kin use another Quail huntin’ plantation…..with out those pesky, blood sucking poor people always lookin for a handout…..
By Glenn
May 6, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
Gawd, I wish Wooten would stop covering politics as though he were a sports reporter. (And I revere good sportswriting.) G*******, Jim, this isn’t Mudville, and Casey’s not at bat. Of course I, as an outsider, have no standing in such matters, but I trust you see the good faith in what I’m saying.
Drag them off and set them back to the plow. If they happen to possess the Washingtonian grace to do it themselves, great; otherwise, get the hook if necessary, and focus on the new audition.
For example, how about trying to chill the word on Isaacson for Governor before he gets a preemptive lock and we are left without real choices?
P.S. Jbm, I appreciate Henninger’s declaration of victory in the culture wars, but overstates in a couple of ways. First, the true victories of modern American conservatism lie in realms other than popular culture. And second, he’s giving full points to Democratic lip service (if you’ll pardon the redundancy). Moreover, they may concede a plank or two, but the Democrats have the schools—-and as far as they’re concerned, that means the next generation. Looks like they’re right. Advantage: Greece.
By Hugh Hefner
May 6, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
I’ve always enjoyed more than my share of lip service, Glenn.
By Jim Wooten
May 6, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this
Ray Jenkins @ 9:28 is correct. I should have mentioned Frank Twitty, a Talmadge stalwart from Mitchell County, who served as House floor leader for Gov. Ernest Vandiver, a Democrat, who served from 1959 to 1963.
When faced with the choice of whether to integrate the University of Georgia or to close it down, Vandiver turned to about 60 of the state’s political leaders for advice. Fifty-eight of them allegedly favored shutting down UGA.
Carl Sanders, who was elected governor in 1962, was Vandiver’s Senate floor leader. He and Twitty advised Vandiver to accept integration.
Vandiver, who had been elected on a “no, not one” pledge on school integration, scheduled a television address 10 days later to urge the General Assembly to keep the university open.
By Glenn
May 6, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this
And apparently, Hef, so has Ariana Huffington, “The Edmund Hillary of Social Climbers”, done, if you recall her reason for switching to the Democratic Party.
Give my regards to Maher, please. Tell him I hope he gets the Clap.
By Peter
May 6, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this
Hi Jim,
When are you going to write about the state of the Union?
We are on a train wreck with the WAR, and the Economy…..oil is through the roof, and the dollar is going down in value.
Any thoughts on those subjects, or is that a column you are afraid to write because OUR leader is a Republican?
By munchi
May 6, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
Imagine my shook this morning when I read this article.
Just last night over my tenth beer I started thinking…What are them good ol’ boys in Mitchell County up to!
Thanks Jim for your Johnny on the spot article.
Oh, well I’m going back to bed…Hung over and all.
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 10:45 AM | Link to this
Good thing Vandiver didn’t pledge “No, not any”. He would have had to eat crow, eh Jim. Otherwise, he would have had to go against his most trusted advisers and the south may have been burned down again. I wonder which General would have been called upon to make the trek.
By Glenn
May 6, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this
Peter, the President and the opposition party addressed the State of the Union in January. On that occasion the Democratic Party made a commitment to “reduce” global warming by the end of the year (provided the voters maintained them in power), and it’s already evident that they have succeeded well ahead of schedule.
If you can recall any of the President’s commitments for the year, I’m sure we could guage his progress similarly. The man likes “accountability”, as you know.
By Winfield Scott
May 6, 2008 10:57 AM | Link to this
Who cares about Mitchell County? They refused to embrace, observe and celebrate International Respect for Chickens Day. They can take a hike!
By W
May 6, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this
Make my tax cuts permanent and everything will be fixed. All of your worries will fade away. Well, almost all. There’s still the issue of paying for the war in Iraq and paying to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan. Then there’s my plan to back the real Georgia when they go to war with Russia. Let’s not forget my plan to invade Iran if they don’t admit to being witches. I still have my sights set on North Korea also. Then, there’s Syria and let’s not forget Lebanon. Now, after everything we’ve done for them, those stinkin Kurds in northern Iraq are upset because I sided with Turkey and helped them blow the crap out of a few Kurdish terrorists. Those people just don’t know how to show a little gratitude. Now, if I can just get those liberals in Congress to approve my war budget and get those rebate checks delivered before July 4th, we can have us one heck of a Independence Day bash. Chinese fireworks and that Mexican Tequila — the one with the worm in the bottle — for everyone. Dang. Life just doesn’t get any better.
By Van
May 6, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this
Wow, what a snoozer of an article. I did not bother reading past the second paragraph. No worry, the regular contributors to the comments will start their daily mudslinging about things having nothing to do with the article topic anyway.
By Jim's a Cherry Picker
May 6, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this
Hi Jim,
This is a real laugher. I’m sure that all those lobbyists who are wirting Richardson’s tax, gun and banking legislation really got a kick out of your “An era of outsize influence ends under the Gold Dome” statement.
Do you know anything about where laws come from?
What’s really funny to me is even after the GOP has demonstrated a complete inablity to run the state, they continue to bow their chests like a bunch of roosters.
That’s just politics though, huh? Say it enough and people will believe you.
By Artie Sammish
May 6, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this
Sure, sure. Chair or officer of Ways and Means is a big job. Sometimes the policy they try to smuggle that way actually lands where they intended it to go. That’s something you could really get to like. The kind of activity to where you could stand a little taller at the Club, knowing that you were spending your most active years doing it.
But the Chair can only deal with what’s on the table, and as for what got there over the transom instead of under it, trust me, any item can be kept off the table. Any bill can be killed before the Chair of Juice even gets to goose it along. Any bill.
And any journalist ought to know that. “A post of enormous power.”
Kiss my nib.
By muchi
May 6, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this
The political party of “FAMILY VALUES” (keeps it in the family)
And, yes of course he is a REPUBLICAN!
A North Dakota woman is suing her former foster father, a onetime South Dakota legislator who is serving more than 50 years in state prison for raping her and a fellow foster daughter by assaulting them in phony examinations he said would help them sell their reproductive eggs.
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this
We may as well read about state has- beens. After all, it’s not like any of these blogs do anything more than provide a place to vent. It’s not like politicians actually read anything posted on these sites or engage the public on these sites or anything useful. Someone might catch wind of such a thing and get the wrong idea about politicians if something like that were to happen. People might start thinking that politicians are in it for more than the money and power. People might start thinking that politicians are caring people — people that volunteered for the job in order to help others. People would just be getting all the wrong ideas, wouldn’t they.
By Bubba
May 6, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this
Ever wonder why it’s called “Thinking Right” and not “Common Sense?”
The evil “abortion” word was the cherry to the sundae (no, not Sunday - that’s fer fishin’, football and NASCAR) that destroyed the physical fitness of American politics. It steered the conersation away from right vs. left and diverted down the gulley into the sewer of right vs. wrong.
Conservatives today are just as fiscally obtuse as liberals. Government’s too big, money swirls around like blue flies on dung. The only difference is that God is on the conservative side, ‘cause them liberals don’t believe in God.
That’s why Southern Democrats switched parties. Not because of Goldwater or Reagan. They followed the tom-tom of the Bible thumpers. There isn’t much difference between Sothern Democrats of 50 years ago and conservative Republicans of today. They even brought their pork barrel, shoot-first, baptize-the-people ways into the Republican party.
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this
Dear HIDT @ 8:13, your post sounded more like Redneck than Redneck’s did, my compliments.
Dear PoFo @ 8:29, while Jim is undoubtedly my star pupil, I did not give him the core material in advance. He has a pretty quick mind.
Dear Glenn @ 10:17, I think you are right about “lip service,” but five years ago even lip service was unthinkable, and I am obviously not referring to Lewinskis.
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
The last time I checked, there were a heck of a lot more Democrats that believe such statements as “Thou Shalt Not Kill” or “Let Thee Who Is Free of Sin, Cast The First Stone”, etc., than Republicans. Besides, I have seen these politicians switch parties just to be electable (yes, there are still a lot of voters out there stupid enough to believe in a political party platform) or to belong to the party in power. It had nothing to do with God. I have heard too many real Christians say that they would have to lose their religion in order to get into politics — regardless of the political party.
By Dusty
May 6, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this
Dear jbmlaw@1:49
Who is HIDT? One RedNeck is more than enough. We don’t need another one. Now there is even Bubba, another undercover lib. The trailer park must be propagating propaganda poofs. Pitiful!!
I would make a sterling comment on Georgia political history but being a conservative, I only tell the truth! I don’t know that much about it except for the few notorious ones..Talmadge & overcoat pockets and things like that. The old days must have been more exciting.
Over in SC they even had a few duels with political discussion. Ben Tillman and such. That kinda ‘revs’ up history a bit.
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 2:53 PM | Link to this
Dear Taxpayer @ 2:38, you are partially correct. I think the modern democrats are hopelessly confused on your Old Testament axiom, as they usually mistranslate the same way you did. As to your New Testament axiom, I think it is true that Democrats hear and sometimes try to obey the voice of the Lord expressing, as you quoted, the words directed at judgmental Pharisees, and Republicans hear and sometimes try to obey the immediate next words, those directed to the prostitute.
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
Dear Dusty @ 2:46, our friend Humble Identity Thief is a low key and exceedingly clever parodist. When he borrows my identity, he will write something that you will reasonably believe is mine. I think he does an even better imitation of Redneck. On those rare occasions he writes under his own name, he presents as a libertarian, and deeper in thought than he represents himself. Like PoFo he is looking for laughs. Around six months ago there were three or four times he posted something outrageous in my name, to which the leftists responded haughtily and which you then declared, correctly, was not my writing. Thus, via HIDT, you proved yourself, several times, the more perceptive thinker in your confrontations with our leftist friends. HIDT is your best friend, whether you know it or not.
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this
Dear jbmlaw,
One point of my comment at 2:38 was that religion, or the lack thereof, knows no party line. Members of both the Democrat and Republican parties have supported/condoned/committed, etc., “actions” that would be considered as sinful in one or more religions. Neither group of believers — Democrat or Republican — has any business proclaiming themselves as “Holier than Thou”. To do so is merely acknowledging one’s arrogance to everyone else.
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this
Wouldn’t this blog just be a riot if everyone had to post using a verifiable e-mail address as their name. I wonder if that would affect the things some people currently feel so comfortable posting. It would be like moving one step closer to a “face-to-face” meeting. Many people behave a lot differently when they’re staring right at you. Why is that.
By Jim Davis
May 6, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this
I have observed many individuals at the State Capitol over the years as a lobbyist. I must say that Rep. Richard Royal was one of the best I had the honor to work with. He was honest, a listener and always wanted to do the right thing. He will be missed.
By munchi
May 6, 2008 3:45 PM | Link to this
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this
Wouldn’t this blog just be a riot if everyone had to post using a verifiable e-mail address as their name. I wonder if that would affect the things some people currently feel so comfortable posting. It would be like moving one step closer to a “face-to-face” meeting. Many people behave a lot differently when they’re staring right at you. Why is that.
YOU FIRST….
By George Washington
May 6, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this
munchi - I make little effort to hide my IP address, if the ajc had reason, I am easily identifiable…at the sametime, there are free and commercial annonymizers available that will cover your tracks with a fake IP address…as for email, yahoo, gmail, even the microserfs all offer free email accounts in any name you want to use. Identifying bloggers is dangerous, as there have been murders and assults with large law suites for the blog owners who have identifed their users….My preffered weapon for home defense is the hatchet, chop chop…heh heh heh - what fun—-
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this
munchi,
I would have no problem repeating those very words to anyone’s face. Unfortunately, the only way to prove it is to impose the e-mail address requirement at the administrator level. The “you first” thing is reserved for starting wars and such. It’s like the game of chicken that G.W played with Saddam. Obviously, the Bushes were either more skilled at the game or else they simply had better resources at their disposal — so far.
By Dusty
May 6, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
jbmlaw@2:59
Are you saying that HIDT is PoFo is my best friend? Please explain further before I do something frantic like eating spinach or squid for dinner. A PoFo Preceptor as a clever attribute? Well….thank you but.. please..with compliments like that who needs.. etc. etc..etc….
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this
George Washington,
ROFL. I mean, you just kill me. No, No, No. I didn’t mean it. I’m not a cherry tree and besides, you should use oak if you need a new set of molars. Come to think of it, you should use either willow or dogwood for a more soothing set of teeth. They’re good for eating most apples. Avoid the mayapples unless fully ripened though. I ran across a batch on my property and I noticed a skeleton (possibly a deer) nearby. I wonder if the poor critter did not know better or if some other animal took it down for a meal.
You are right about the Internet. It has spawned a whole new generation of people — good and bad. However, my previous comments were really just an offshoot of Dusty’s past comment. You know the one — she asks if an annoying blogger is posting on someone else’s dime.
By Redneck Convert
May 6, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this
Well, this guy that wants our addresses printed about ruint my appatite. There’s real nuts on this blog. I could just see me stepping out of the trailer to use the bathroom and just getting my pants down when some wild-eyed librul comes running at with a big knife or maybe a gun on account of what I wrote. I would have a awful choice on my hands. Either messed up pants or let him do his worst.
No sir, Wooten better keep a tight lid on them addresses.
By Glenn
May 6, 2008 4:35 PM | Link to this
Mr. Davis,
May I ask, have you been a single-interest lobbyist or a contract lobbyist?
By Craig
May 6, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this
Always enjoy your comments about Georgia political history, Jim.
By munchi
May 6, 2008 5:09 PM | Link to this
Are you saying that HIDT is PoFo is my best friend? Please explain further before I do something frantic like eating spinach or squid for dinner. A PoFo Preceptor as a clever attribute? Well….thank you but.. please..with compliments like that who needs.. etc. etc..etc….
Dusty, haven’t you done enough damage to our environment with two straight days of CHILI chow down?
Give it a rest … have a green salad
By dirty harry
May 6, 2008 5:23 PM | Link to this
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
Dear Dusty @ 2:46, our friend Humble Identity Thief is a low key and exceedingly clever parodist. When he borrows my identity, he will write something that you will reasonably believe is mine. I think he does an even better imitation of Redneck. On those rare occasions he writes under his own name, he presents as a libertarian, and deeper in thought than he represents himself. Like PoFo he is looking for laughs. Around six months ago there were three or four times he posted something outrageous in my name, to which the leftists responded haughtily and which you then declared, correctly, was not my writing. Thus, via HIDT, you proved yourself, several times, the more perceptive thinker in your confrontations with our leftist friends. HIDT is your best friend, whether you know it or not.
JBM .. Ain’t you two special!
By DublDawg
May 6, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this
Jim:
Since so many on here pan commentary on Georgia politics and suggest that you spend time on more worthwhile endeavors that are national in scope, why not do a piece on Nancy Pelosi’s progress on the “common sense” energy plan she promised.
To those who do not care about Georgia politics, how about packing up and going back from where you came. Georgia was a much better place before your ilk arrived.
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 5:29 PM | Link to this
Dear Dusty @ 4:17, no, I apologize for clumsy language. PoFo and HIDT are two different clever guys. PoFo leans left and HIDT is more conservative although libertarian. Neither is as committed to ideology as he is to humor. PoFo’s humor is wilder, and embraces a wide range. HIDT is so clever that I cannot always identify his posts.
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 5:34 PM | Link to this
Dear Taxpayer @ 3:19, you can reach me at jbmlaw@lycos.com. I use that as my junk mail address, whenever any company asks for an email address, but I actually do look at it every week or two.
By Dusty
May 6, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this
Dear munchi 5:09
How do I love thee..
Let me count the ways
Your repetitious repartee
and your environmental craze.
Good night, mon munchi ami.
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 5:38 PM | Link to this
Every time I try to picture our elected officials deliberating, I get this image of Patrick Star with drool pouring out his mouth. What can I say. My daughter likes Spongebob. Besides, he sure beats that purple dinosaur from years past. What was his name? I was most saddened when the road runner retired though. I still miss that coyote and his crazy antics. Beep. Beep.
By Taxpayer
May 6, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this
jbmlaw,
Good for you. By the way, what on earth gave you the impression that I wanted to communicate with you on a personal level. I just come here to play.
By Student's t
May 6, 2008 5:47 PM | Link to this
One way of discerning original individuals from those who steal blog IDs is by their expressed political opinions.
For example, the rational, benefecent Christian jmblaw is on record as stating that he is in favor of letting sick children die rather than treating them if their parents have no health insurance. (He had the obscene taste to link the taxation voted by the elected representatives of the people for a public good like children’s health care to “slavery”).
Worse than that, he believes Ayn Rand is a great novelist!
No parodist/ID thief can possibly lampoon someone as morally and intellectually grotesque as he.
Jmblaw, your identity is safe vis. all intelligent readers of this blog. Just keep citing the “free market” for those who are unsophisticated about economics (or anything else) and you might get six people to think you are halfway intelligent — despite the evidence to the contrary.
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 5:49 PM | Link to this
Dear Taxpayer @ 3:07, God was looking down at Earth on New Year’s Eve and saw all the rascally behavior that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to Earth to check things out.
When the angel returned, he told God, “Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95 percent are misbehaving and only 5 percent are not.”
God thought for a moment and said,” Maybe I had better send down another angel for a second opinion.”
When that angel returned, he went to God and said, “Yes, it’s absolutely true. The Earth is in a ravaging decline! Ninety-five percent are misbehaving and only 5 percent are being good.”
God was not pleased. So He decided to e-mail the 5 percent that were good, because He wanted to encourage them and give them a little something to help them keep going! Do you know what the e-mail said?
Just wondering. We didn’t get one either.
By Dusty
May 6, 2008 5:50 PM | Link to this
Now you’ve done it, jbmlaw 5:29
I don’t know who’s who or what’s what. dirty harry, make my day! WHO R U ???
Ah well, I think I will go throw squid in the spaghetti.
By dirty harry
May 6, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this
By jbmlaw
May 6, 2008 5:29 PM | Link to this
Dear Dusty @ 4:17, no, I apologize for clumsy language. PoFo and HIDT are two different clever guys. PoFo leans left and HIDT is more conservative although libertarian. Neither is as committed to ideology as he is to humor. PoFo’s humor is wilder, and embraces a wide range. HIDT is so clever that I cannot always identify his posts.
Noooo….nooo. JBM, I apologize to you!
Dear sweet Dusty.Please, it is I who must apologize..
Oh, dear JBM where have I gone wrong?
Dear, Sweet….Sweet Dusty Please accept my sincerest apology>
Hey! You two..knock it off…GET A ROOM! OK?
By James Lee Adams
May 7, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this
Jim: You forgot another power—Frank S Twitty Sr—several times a floor leader for several governors and the “man who saved public education in Georgia.” While we Mitchell County folks have lost seniority, don’t underestimate jay Powell, past head of the GMA. He will rise to the top.
James Lee Adams