Home > Thinking Right > Archives > 2008 > May > 09
Friday, May 9, 2008
Proud Georgians, justice, Hillary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thinking Right’s weekend free-for-all. Pick a topic:
No Johnny for governor in 2010? Whoa. The field just got very crowded.
From the Do Georgia Proud department: U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Grantville is the Georgia congressional delegation’s “strongest supporter of responsible tax and spending policies,” according to the National Taxpayers Union. Close behind are Reps. Nathan Deal of Gainesville, Tom Price of Roswell and John Linder of Duluth, all Republicans. No Georgia Democrats made the list. Westmoreland, Linder and Phil Gingrey of Marietta were among eight House members ranked as “most conservative” by National Journal magazine.
From the High-Class Company department: Atlanta-based James magazine names U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and State Sen. President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) as Georgians of the Year and State Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), chairman of the House Rules Committee, as Legislator of the Year, selections on which I concur.
From the Little Guys Win Too Department: Up-and-comer Tom Graves, a state representative from Ranger, who was unceremoniously bumped from leadership, packed up and marched out of his Capitol office to digs across the street for bucking House Speaker Glenn Richardson on a transportation board election, is one of six conservatives honored in Washington. The Legislative Entrepreneur award was presented by FreedomWorks, a nationwide organization led by former House Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas. Others honored included Congressman Jeff Flake of Arizona and U.S. Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Jim DeMint of South Carolina, fiscal-conservative blue-chippers all.
Natives of Lesbos, an island in the Aegean Sea, who are Lesbians, take a gay rights group to court for usurping their identity. If successful, Gay, Ga., will follow suit.
Was that a Republican running in Clayton County? Whatever for? Not one, but two, did. Both qualified for the school board.
From the corrections column: “A story published on May 3 incorrectly identified the political party affiliation of four incumbent congressmen the GOP hopes to defeat in the 2008 elections. The incumbents are Democrats.” Seems obvious, but you had to correct it. It’s not a given that they were Democrats. Republicans carry the county convention and caucus squabbles that were the staple of their out-of-power years into public office. It may be the only behavior they know.
Lisa Clark Gonzalez, 39, and her 17-year-old husband, Adrian, should get their child back —- and be allowed to move on with their lives.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle says now that voters should decide whether the beer stores that are driving the agenda are allowed to sell booze on Sunday. Voters should decide, too, whether they want to cap state spending and cut taxes —- but they don’t have paid lobbyists working for them on that case.
Twenty years ago William Lynd killed two women. This week the victims got justice. Twenty years. It’s cruel of the state and of the courts to delay justice that long. Jack Alderman, another death row inmate, murdered his wife 34 years ago.
Earlier this week, in noting the influence Mitchell County legislators wielded under the Gold Dome for more than six decades, I should have mentioned Frank Twitty, a Talmadge stalwart who served as House floor leader for Gov. Ernest Vandiver, 1959-1963, the father of current state Democratic Party chairman Jane Kidd.
When faced with the choice of integrating the University of Georgia or closing it, Vandiver sought advice from about 60 of the state’s political leaders. All but two —- Twitty and Senate floor leader, and later governor, Carl Sanders —- advised him to close UGA. Ten days later Vandiver went on television and urged the General Assembly to keep the university open.
- Hang in there, Hillary. You’re the trouble we know. And can live with. The moment Obama appears inevitable, the stock market tanks 200 points. Watch the sell-off when investors think he may actually win.
Permalink | Comments (99) | Post your comment | Categories: Column
