Home > Thinking Right > Archives > 2008 > June > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USU.S. Senate primary could be Vernon Jones’ to lose
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This week’s question posed of all candidates for the U.S. Senate, without regard to whether they have primary opposition, is straightforward enough.
“What should the United States do to end the war in Iraq?”
Only U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss got it right. We win.
DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones came close. Except for the usual Democratic-candidate habit of misquoting John McCain on how long U.S. forces will be in a shooting war in Iraq, the position Jones advocates is awfully close to existing policy. Former State Rep. Jim Martin of Atlanta may be close, too, but his expressed position essentially allows the reader to conclude anything. That’s probably smart. Georgians may tire of the war but will never opt for defeat, however couched.
With less than a month to go before the July 15 primary, which pits Jones and Martin against three other Democrats, it does appear to be Jones’ race to lose. Here’s why:
Despite the Barack Obama surge in Georgia’s presidential primary —- 97,310 more Democrats than Republicans voted —- he’s not on the primary ballot next month. The driver of turnout, therefore, is local races and about 35 contested legislative races.
In Democratic districts, the contested races are heavily in the metro Atlanta area and predominantly in majority-black districts. About 25 House and nine Senate members have challengers. Senate races are in metro Atlanta, Savannah, Albany, Augusta and Columbus. The only white incumbent Democrat with opposition in the state Senate is Nan Orrock of Atlanta.
The point is that legislative races in the Democratic primary are in areas that likely favor Vernon Jones.
The other local race that can be expected to drive turnout is sheriff.
The advantage there likely goes to Jones as well. Democrats have contested primaries in 65 counties, including Bibb (Macon), Clayton, DeKalb, Dougherty (Albany) and Lowndes (Valdosta). The overlap of sheriff and legislative races creates voter-interest hot spots that, when combined with the racial-pride enthusiasm generated by Obama’s success, make Jones hard to beat in the primary.
Martin is relying on Jones’ words to sink him. Jones has said he voted twice for George W. Bush, causing state party chairman Jane Kidd to question his allegiance to the Democratic Party. Jones thinks Martin is “too liberal for Georgia” and has chastised the party for recruiting “losers.” Against Chambliss, Martin would be the stronger candidate, but I’m not yet convinced that he can get the nomination —- or that Jones can’t win without a runoff.
While the Senate campaign is not yet on the radar, Jones has a presence, with billboards or signs at least, in towns and cities with large black populations. They’re noticeable, and they were early, giving him exclusive claim to voter attention. See it half a dozen times and the name sticks. That’s important, because blacks represent almost half of the Democratic base, and since 2004, 160,000 blacks have been added to voting rolls, compared with 150,000 whites.
While he has his critics in metro Atlanta, Jones is a personable candidate with great potential to charm voters. His name is out there, and if he’s able to tap into the Obama groundswell, he’ll be hard for the Democratic establishment to beat.
By targeting his base in DeKalb and Clayton, the 34 House and Senate districts with primary challenges, and the 65 sheriff races in counties with large black populations —- something that’s manageable —- Jones could pull it off next month. No runoff. Could he win in November? Probably not.
Could Martin? I’d not bet against him, though he’d be a long shot. He’s likable, and that comes across in his television commercials. He’s a Vietnam veteran and a guy who probably can make the case that he’d be a centrist on most issues. He’d support ending some of the Bush tax cuts, but not all; capital gains, for example.
The Obama surge, the Gold Dome debacle that this past session represented and the low opinion voters have of Congress don’t bode well for Chambliss. He’s not a shoo-in —- though the race is his to lose.
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By Knight Fan
June 17, 2008 8:09 AM | Link to this
On July 15th, Georgians could vote for politics as usual, the continuation of the good-ol-boy network, or to increase the power of the self-interested opportunists. OR, we could vote for someone who cares about this state, the people, our economy, and our future.
We could vote for a candidate who wants to do what REALLY needs to be done in Georgia: bringing the industries and jobs of the future here, starting now. GREEN is the way to go! (Raise your hand if Georgia’s natural beauty and resources make you love this place. “Just an old sweet song….The road leads back to you….”)
Tomorrow’s robust economies will come from developing, building, and selling what people of the world need and will pay for: technologies and innovations that focus on conservation — both ecological and economical — and wean us from dependence on foreign energy and environmental toxicity. Georgia is filled with honest, hard-working people who need a better way forward, whose communities need more than a feed store, a Wal Mart, and a Hardee’s. We can vote for someone who cares about taking care of business here at home, not swaggering about Washington and posturing for personal power.
We could work toward an America where we are in control of our own clean, renewable energy. The production, delivery, and consumption of energy grown and captured in the USA creates good jobs that pay a living wage that will enable men and women to support their families without working two or three jobs or asking for help from the government.
We could be working toward an America that produces goods and services within our own borders, manufactures quality products without poisons, and grows our own food from local family farms. We could work toward a balanced budget and reducing debt by sending dollars back into local economies instead of overseas factories, and toward moving all Americans forward instead of just a few.
We could VOTE FOR RAND KNIGHT! Thanks for listening.
By catlady
June 17, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this
Please, please stop citing the “100,000 more Democrats than Republicans voted”! Few of them were REALLY Democrats—you have heard of crossover voting in primaries, right? Until you have to show your tattoo to vote in one primary or the other, it does not mean much. (And even with a tattoo, as we have seen, many politicians will switch parties for any perceived advantage, claiming to “see the light”, so there is no reason to think regular folks feel much allegiance to “their” party).
By Evelyn
June 17, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
CEO Jones lost the good will of the people when he reversed his “irrevocable position” on the public’s right to open government. He squandered tax dollars on a needless open records lawsuits, and he is still playinng games with providing the publo access to government records.
By Evelyn
June 17, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this
CEO Jones lost the good will of the people when he reversed his “irrevocable position” on the public’s right to open government. He squandered tax dollars on a needless open records lawsuits, and he is still playinng games with providing the publo access to government records.
By AH
June 17, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this
Just go vote for yourself
By bfkaj or whatever I call myself now
June 17, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this
Good morning all. While the Iraq war question is not irrelevant – it is always possible that the leftist loons will pursue some unilateral withdrawal a la Vietnam – that one question does not truly qualify or disqualify a candidate for Senate. Perhaps a better measure would be a two-parter, “To what extent is reform of social security necessary, and what would you advocate?” The more critical immediate question would be, “Should the Bush tax cuts be allowed to lapse?” to see if the candidates have a clue of how the Pelosi-Reid policy would affect the economy. Or “How would you propose to address the Supreme Court ruling last week, creating a writ of habeas corpus for enemy combatants captured on battlefield?” Or “What is the best resolution for a Senate that refuses to vote on nominees?” (After all, the latter is their only Constitutional duty, seemingly on hold since the democrats took control of the senate. The screaming monkeys merely choose to jump on the shoulders of those doing the heavy lifting, rather than fill positions.)
To the point of the essay, Saxbe seems to be one of those marginally incompetent nonconservative repiublicans. Had he not been running against a democrat who voted the hard left line, he could not have been elected in the first place. I am unfamiliar with either Martin or Jones. I am unpersuaded that the republic would be strengthened if Harry Reid had more power, so they both start in a deep hole as far as I am concerned.
By Jeff
June 17, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this
Mr. Wooten:
I can only speak of the presence of the campaigns in terms of billboards and signs in areas with which you yourself are decently familiar. (Specifically Vineville Rd in Macon between 75 and Zebulon RD, 75 between Vineville RD in Macon and GA 300 in Cordele, 300 between Cordele and 19, and the general Leesburg/Albany area.)
Inside those areas, Jones is the ONLY Democrat I’ve seen with any presence. He has also had billboards and signs in FAR more locations and for a FAR longer time than Saxby has.
Of course, Saxby has also had campaign rallies throughout much of SWGA - including kicking off his campaign in his hometown of Moultrie, and then having two campaign rallies in the same day that bracketed me. (One a quarter mile from my house - after I had already left for work - and one AT my office. The one at my office was during work hours, but I did not attend.)
So based on THESE facts, I’m putting Jones as pretty evenly matched with Saxby come November.
Of course, I’m voting for Buckley…
Which brings me to my side point:
Elect a D or a R and you’re going to get what you’ve always got. There is ZERO actual difference between the two.
Want REAL change? Vote Libertarian
By tom ga hunter
June 17, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
bfkaj or whatever I call myself now
Saxby voted with Pelosi/ Reid to over ride the Bush/McCain Veto of the farm bill. Saxby is no Republican he’s a tool of out of state special interest. Vernon Jones is less bad for Georgia, he’d steal less.
By ###
June 17, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
But I thought we had already won the war? Isn’t that what the President told us years ago? If we didn’t win it when we said we did, then how do we know when we have won??
By Dale Cardwell
June 17, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this
Oh, bullshoot, Wooten, Chambliss, is too a shoo-in.
By Screen name No. 2,345,129
June 17, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
Here in the outback I haven’t had the notion to pay much attention to DeKalb. But, isn’t Jones a fruitin’ freakcake? That’s the impression I’ve gotten from skimming over headlines.
By Inherit America
June 17, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
The Mouse That Roared.
Victory in Iraq. definition please.
An Iraq that can govern, sustain, and defend itself? (What about police itself)? Oh yeah, an Iraq that can govern, sustain, police, and defend itself. (What about feed and clothe and house itself. What about jobs)? Oh yeah, an iraq that can govern, sustain, police, defend, feed, clothe, house, itself and provide jobs.
(then the troops can come home)? no. we’d have to maintain a presence. (How large)? Cant say. (How long)? Cant say. (How expensive)? cant say. (what about american education and healthcare and jobs and infrastructure and domestic tranquility)? huh? (So you’re saying you want Iraq to become America and America to become Iraq? That’s your victory)? Gee, I’ve never looked at it that way but yeah, I guess you could say that. We’ll give Iraqis our army, the money for our social security, our healthcare, our roads, schools, and hospitals, our jobs. (Isn’t that surrendering? Isn’t that what they’d want us to do if we lost the war)? Huh?
McCain 08: He’s got the surrender terms in his pocket. But dont worry, he’ll profit from his term in office like bush and cheney did and he’ll be very rich after the election and so will Iraq. The mouse that roared was a documentary!
By Get Real
June 17, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this
“when combined with the racial-pride enthusiasm generated by Obama’s success, make Jones hard to beat in the primary.”
So based on your comment then, it’s safe to say that whites have been been voting for other whites for hundreds of years due to racial-pride enthusiasm. Why do you believe that blacks are so naive to vote for a candidate based solely on race. Tell me what do we do when there are two black candidates on the ballot then? The comment you made wasn’t racist, just completely stupid. Where did real journalism go???
By fearless fosdik
June 17, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this
By Inherit America
June 17, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
The Mouse That Roared.
Thanks..you processed all my thoughs perfectly.
By VAGuy
June 17, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this
Mr. Wooten. May I ask you a very pertinent question? Where are the weapons of mass destruction? That was the premise upon which the invasion was based. We knew that he had them when he gassed and murdered hundreds of thousands of his own people and we not do a thing about it. Now it is to fight terrorism. Which is it? You and your comrades do not even talk about that because we now are stuck in a situation where saving face is just as important as winning outright. After all, we cannot allow ourselves to lose another war based on false pretenses can we? We went to Vietnam to support the French. They, as usual, got their tails kicked out and we stayed to defeat communism. We lost; they are communist and are now trade partners - after the loss of 58,000 American lives. What does win mean? Iraq will never be able to ward off Iran or anyone else in the Middle East because your comrades decimated their fighting capabilities. Can you or anyone else who favors this war define what a “win” in Iraq will look like? Will it be when Iran and Syria humble themselves and see the error of their ways? Let me tell you something that you and those like you will never understand. Those who are motivated by hatred do not fear the power or authority of the hated. We are hated in that region and they will never stop fighting. With all of our military might, we still cannot lay claim to victory in a war that should have been won years ago. Also, why Iraq? Is it really to import our brand of democracy? Is it because they were exporting terrorism? Well, I have an idea. Let’s invade Russia. Under the Putin regime, they are “regressing” to the days of communism AND they are supporting the terrorist nation of Iran. How about China? They are communist AND support North Korea. And who exports more terrorism than Saudi Arabia? They teach that it’s okay to KILL “infidels” right here in the US and they are only “asked” to cease and desist. Excuse me? We won’t do it because we pick on the weak. We can’t touch on grain of sand in that nation because it is the home of their Prophet and doing so would incur the wrath of every Moslem on this earth. We invaded sovereign nation in the name of imposing our type of government on a people who didn’t ask for it. The may have asked for the end to Sadam but I do not recall it being said that they wanted our form of government. The only reason we did it was because he had very little, if any support in that region. Listen, Iraq deserved a butt whoopin’ in the early 90’s and they got one. The problem arose when Daddy Bush encouraged the Kurds to revolt against and bring down Sadam and didn’t deliver on the support he offered. They were defeated. We knew he possessed WMD’s then and did nothing and invaded the country when he had none. What sense does that make? This situation is a mess and it will take an act of the Almighty for us to extract ourself from it! This nation once took war seriously. It wasn’t based on what may be but on the absolute truth. And before I am labeled some kind of liberal, please know that I supported and voted for Bush. I’m just sorry I did.
By fearless fosdik
June 17, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this
I meant to write thoughts!
By VAGuy
June 17, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
Jones will never win. He’s too thin skinned and will implode in a heated campaign.
By bfkaj or whatever I call myself now
June 17, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this
Dear VaGuy @ 9:36, a couple of corrections. We did not “lose” Vietnam. We actually won on the battlefield, wiping out the Viet Cong. Our American Congress later surrendered, however, so you are not dead wrong.
You err throughout your essay in your suggestion that the US went to war against the murderous Hussein regime for a single reason. There were a large number of reasons. The primary reason that leftists focus on WMDs, of course, was that the Clintonistas also held that as their focus. It was only after the hand-wringers whined that “50,000 brave soldiers would return from Iraq in body-bags” that President Bush made disarming Hussein his primary reason for destruction of the regime.
By woody@aol.com
June 17, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
You forget blacks hate Vernon Jones almost as much as whites.
Im voting for Vernon so he gets the hell out of Dekalb county.
By tom ga hunter
June 17, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
bfkaj or whatever I call myself now
I was in Viet Nam from 1968-1969, we lost thye war on the ground because of poor leadership on the ARMY. Among us grunts a common saying was “war between the crooks from the north & crooks of the south”.
If you have any doubts about our loss in Viet Nam just ask Saxby, OH I forgot he had a bad knee, sure hasn’t slowed his jogging any has it?
By woody@aol.com
June 17, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this
You forget blacks hate Vernon Jones almost as much as whites.
Im voting for Vernon so he gets the hell out of Dekalb county.
By TW
June 17, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this
Republican Saxby Chambliss cheered the White House on as they lied to us about the danger in Iraq. His actions spit in the faces of those who’ve lost loved ones in Iraq.
Bit then, why should we have expected anything else from one who ridicules the Vietnam vet?
The new millennium republican is nothing but a silver spoon frat boy with an empty puffed out chest. His eight years of ‘leadership’ have qualified him only as a loser.
And the only thing worse than a weak-kneed liberal is a loser.
Nobody likes a loser.
It’s time for the conservatives to reclaim the GOP.
By Get Real
June 17, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
bfkaj or whatever I call myself now @ 9:46 Your entire premise of Sadaam being an evil dictator and thats just another reason we went to war is completely flawed. You can’t disarm Hussein if there was nothing to disarm, as we now know. And may have known back then. There were plenty of other evil leaders in the world that were more of a threat than Iraq at that time, as we also now know. (Iran, North Korea). Bush didn’t want to use diplomacy with Iraq, because he wanted their oil. But he sure as hell negotiated with North Korea after he saw them testing rockets within earshot of Alaska. Funny how his foreign policy works. Democrats, Republicans, and even crazy old farts like Wooten know that Bush will go down as the worst President in modern history. “For a large number of reasons,” as you put it. Can’t dispute that now. Too many people that were in his administration early on, have all come to the same conclusion: right after 9/11 he wanted to invade Iraq, UN be damned. Until things went bad, then he begged them for help after turning his nose up at them. You Republicons voted for him, can’t disown him now!
By catlady
June 17, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this
Can’t stand Chambliss. He’d sell us out for political gain. Don’t trust Jones at all. He is impulsive and needs polishing. Neither of them should be considered by thinking voters.
By itsme
June 17, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this
Run, Vernon, run… far away from DeKalb County. He has been a horrible CEO. I can’t believe that people would be so uninformed as to think he might be a good U. S. Senator.
By ray
June 17, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
the dumb rednecks of georgia deserve chambliss, just like they deserved bush and deserve mccain. the dumb rednecks of georgia should continue to vote republican until they have to knee walk back to the democrats and beg for help. the dumb rednecks of georgia have lost their homes and their jobs and can’t fill their fords, but they’re not on their knees yet. so vote mccain/chambliss, dumb georgia rednecks, you deserve it.
By bfkaj or whatever I call myself now
June 17, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
Dear Tom @ 9:58, thank you for your service. You are correct that the war went badly during the time the White House micromanaged Vietnam; that ended around the time your service ended. The American military destroyed the Viet Cong in the Tet offensive by the latter. The Tet result, coupled with Nixon’s willingness to pursue (i.e., bomb) the communists wherever they ran, prompted the North Vietnamese to go to the Paris Peace talks. The North Vietnamese correctly read the cowardice of the American Congress, and thereafter took what they could not win in a shooting war.
The parallel to Iraq is staggering. The enemy seemingly is nearly totally wiped out, all over the world, and yet democrats seemingly wish to surrender.
By DaveD
June 17, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
GA: ALWAYS last in education and it always shows (crystal clear as to why the state still votes Republican)….nothing more needs to be said.
By P-Low
June 17, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this
Thank you Get Real. I wondered if anyone caught that remark. It is yet another sign that old-70somthing year olds have to stop running the Country. They are out of synch with the rest of the world. They are the only ones who see color as an issue and will get us all killed in the process. Vernon does say what everyone wants to hear but put aside the fact that you don’t like him and list accomplishments in the County. Then call me back.
By P-Low
June 17, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this
p.s. Mr. Wooten, you’re a hole.
By catlady
June 17, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this
Can’t stand Chambliss. He’d sell us out for political gain. Don’t trust Jones at all. He is impulsive and needs polishing. Neither of them should be considered by thinking voters.
By Dennis
June 17, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
“Only U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss got it right. We win.”
Saxby Chamblis, a man booed by his own party, is corporate brown.
If he ever represented anyone in Georgia rather than special interests, it doesn’t show.
You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
By Get Real
June 17, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this
* How about we all boycott Wooten until he gets with McCain and BushCo to define what ‘win in Iraq actually meants!!!*
By ron
June 17, 2008 10:57 AM | Link to this
Good morning,Vote for whichever candidate that says we stay in Iraq until we’re no longer needed.
Peace with honor by Henry Kissinger.How did we make out?
Are thumbsrews torture?Apply them to Rumsfeld until he tells us why we went to Iraq.The answer might surprise everyone. Never met a Viet Nam vet that wouldn't like to go back and finish the job.By tom ga hunter
June 17, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this
bfkaj or whatever I call myself now
The unit I was in was over run during Tete, We did not have the support of the people, I know because we Herded Gooks, so we could not win. By the way the Republicans got us out of Viet Nam. I have 2 cousins in Iraq, 1 a flag officer they are not as optimistic as you are about the outcome over there.
I don’t deserve any thanks, I was drafted & just did my duty like a man. Chickenhawks like Chambliss should be required to send their childeren to Iraq but he became a lobbiest instead.
By Inherit Iraq
June 17, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this
The Mouse That Roared.
Victory in Iraq. (definition please).
An Iraq that can govern, sustain, and defend itself? (What about police itself)? Oh yeah, an Iraq that can govern, sustain, police, and defend itself. (What about feed and clothe and house itself. What about jobs)? Oh yeah, an iraq that can govern, sustain, police, defend, feed, clothe, house, itself and provide jobs.
(then the troops can come home)? no. we’d have to maintain a presence. (How large)? Cant say. (How long)? Cant say. (How expensive)? cant say. (what about american education and healthcare and jobs and infrastructure and domestic tranquility)? huh? (So you’re saying you want Iraq to become America and America to become Iraq? That’s your victory)? Gee, I’ve never looked at it that way but yeah, I guess you could say that. We’ll give Iraqis our army, the money for our social security, our healthcare, our roads, schools, and hospitals, our jobs. (Isn’t that surrendering? Isn’t that what they’d want us to do if we lost the war)? Huh?
McCain 08: He’s got the surrender terms in his pocket. But dont worry, he’ll profit from his term in office like bush and cheney did and he’ll be very rich after the election and so will Iraq.
The mouse that roared was a documentary.
By Now ain't that sumthin'
June 17, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this
To VA Guy, I never thought that I would ever agree with ANYTHING anyone who voted for bush could say in a million years. You have proved me wrong. Your post is the most well versed that I have seen on, well maybe any blog. Very well said, and more importantly..,totally correct. Have a great day!
By bfkaj or whatever I call myself now
June 17, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
Dear Tom, I think my optimism arises from where you correctly identify the core problem in Vietnam. “We did not have the support of the people.” McCain’s “surge” emboldened the locals; while the US has done the heavy lifting to date, the tide turned when the locals began to rat out the terrorists. That was where we never got in Vietnam. 20,000 dead terrorists later, in Iraq, the terrorists are routed. Does not mean that Iraq will be the country we would have built, but it is unlikely to fall back into a Sadaam-style rule by terror.
By Will
June 17, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
Dear Mr. Wooten:
While watching tributes to Tim Russert this weekend, I saw an old interview with Senator McCain in 2000 where Russert asked him if he was interested in being Vice-President.
Senator McCain said no because all the Vice-President does is attending Third World leaders’ funerals and check on the health of the president (maybe if Vice-President Cheney had stuck to these responsiblities, the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld mess that Senator McCain helped to straighten out would have never happned).
Next time you see Senator McCain, will you please ask him if this is what he intends to do with his VP and, if so, why would it take more than an hour or so to pick someone!!
By No way on Vern
June 17, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this
First off, Jim Wooten doesn’t write a column like this unless he thinks it is to the Republican’s advantage to have Vern as the Dem candidate this fall.
Anyone who lives in DeKalb County has lived with years of scandal after scandal by Vernon Jones, whether his “legitmate adult encounter”, firing beloved longtime police chief Eddie Moody via a surrogate, shady land purchases, etc., etc., knows that Mr. Jones is in no way qualified to ever serve in a public office again.
By findog
June 17, 2008 11:45 AM | Link to this
bfkaj, The problem with blaming congress for Viet Nam is that President Nixon just used the war for his election in 1972. Everyone on the wall from 1969 until we redeployed in 1973, and finally left in 1975, is a testament to a republican’s insecurity. His secret plan to end the war was no secret at all; nothing changed between what was on the table in 1969 and later in 1973. Congress was doing the peoples’ business by forcing an end to the quagmire. If Iraq is that important I will vote for whoever states he/she will declare war on OBL; following the Powell doctrine of overwhelmingly kicking his a$$!
By Hillbilly Deluxe
June 17, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this
Why does Wooten cut this blog off before the working stiffs have time to get home from work?
By tom ga hunter
June 17, 2008 12:34 PM | Link to this
bfkaj or whatever I call myself now … We see things differently about our support from the people of Iraq. The government of Viet Nam was just as corrupt as the governmet of Iraq is. I hope you are correct but I have that been there done that feeling..Anyway support for the war is about the same now as it was before the surge. A war not supported by the people will not last. Did you see the article about KBR in the morning Washington Post, looks like they are going to need Saxby’s help, more money for the lobbiest son, IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?
By getalife
June 17, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this
Ah, the corporate fascist gop Senate. They do not even try to hide it.
You get what you vote for and deserve high gas and food prices, more wars, lost jobs and liberty.
The voters of Ga. deserve it all.
Insane.
By tom ga hunter
June 17, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
By bfkaj or whatever I call myself now If you get a chance run by the library & pick up “Bright Shinning Lie” aside from the fact I’m in it you will learn a lot about what it was like to work with PF’s & RF’s.
By Pat
June 17, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
No Experience.
No Substance.
NObama ‘08.
http://www.cafepress.com/NObamaforPres
By lc
June 17, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this
Here we go again. Reporters have nothing else to write about but race. I am so glad that when we go behind the curtain on election day they don’t ask us what our race is. Vernon Jones is the best candidate hands down. He has done more and has more experience than any other candidate. Lets finally take race out the race.
By bfkaj or whatever I call myself now
June 17, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this
Dear lc @ 12:54, “Vernon Jones is the best candidate hands down.” Stealing my guy Fred’s line? I can be persuaded. Do you know Vernon’s answers to my 8:46 questions? I know Saxbe’s answers, a mixed bag.
By tom ga hunter
June 17, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this
Gerald Seib writes in the Wall Street Journal with the solution to a riddle: “How can a record percentage of Americans say they disapprove of the job the Democratic-controlled Congress is doing — yet at the same time say, also by a record margin, they want this year’s election to produce another Democratic-controlled Congress? …
“The answer, in fact, reveals a great deal about the depth of Republicans’ problems and the impact President Bush is having on an election in which, technically speaking, he isn’t a participant… .
“Call it the Bush overhang, and it is a big factor for Republicans from presidential contender John McCain down to state legislative candidates this year. The new poll findings suggest that a fair share of voters are blaming President Bush not just for things he has or hasn’t done, but for things Congress has or hasn’t done, even while led by the opposing party.”
By Inherit Iraq
June 17, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
Surrender Monkeys, Loose cannons, and nincompoops.
McCain 08: Elect him commander in chief, cause that’s the only way the navy lets him back on an aircraft carrier after what he done did in nam. (he blew the whole thing to smithereens, and wont apologize or take responsibility, in fact when he was captured, the N. Vietnamese made a holiday in his honor for what he done did to that whole carrier. I mean, when they first brought him in, his jailers bowed down and cried, “we’re not worthy”.)
McCain 08: McCain was the N. Vietnamnese’s top ace with like 50 U.S. jets blown up. What a total schmoe, you know?
bwa
By DaveD
June 17, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this
Rebulicans have been WRONG about EVERYTHING!….-‘nough said….
By Peter
June 17, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this
Hey Dusty do you still back the Republican Government that use American Soldiers for Drug trials like guinea pigs?
Great job of protecting American soldiers!
By Get Right, Yeah Right
June 17, 2008 2:05 PM | Link to this
Retire Wootie. Theres nothing you can say or write that will save your party this time around. Just admit it, write it, and say to Georgians that the Republicans have screwed things up so bad, they deserve to lose a record number of seats in Congress and the Presidency. Time to let the Dems run things for awhile. And if they screw things up as bad as you guys have, its time for a 3rd Party!!
By getalife
June 17, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
“General Clarke ….but on the other hand, he’s changed his position on torture. One point he says he was against it and now he’s in favor of it, He’s even come out against the Supreme Court decision that was made yesterday on the prisoners in Guantanamo, so you know, what does John McCain really believe? Who is he? Is he this straight talk express maverick that people thought he was in the late nineties or is he just a guy that wants to be president and he’s say what’s necessary to get the job.”
McTorture, McFlipflop,McBush, etc….
Lets get real, both candidates and both parties suk, so shove your partisan ideologue bs.
Where are the freaking solutions?
There are none, the government is broken stupid.
By McCain Unable
June 17, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
Surrender Monkeys, Loose cannons, and nincompoops.
McCain 08: Elect him commander in chief, cause that’s the only way the navy lets him back on an aircraft carrier after what he done did in nam. (he blew the whole thing to smithereens, and wont apologize or take responsibility, in fact when he was captured, the N. Vietnamese made a holiday in his honor for what he done did to that whole carrier. I mean, when they first brought him in, his jailers bowed down and cried, “we’re not worthy”.)
McCain 08: McCain was the N. Vietnamnese’s top ace with like 50 U.S. jets blown up. What a total schmoe, you know?
bwa
By yelladawg
June 17, 2008 4:06 PM | Link to this
You Bush/McCain Party idiots still haven’t got the message. Iraq is a Civil War. The US cannot “win” that war. The only part of the Iraqi Army that is capable of fighting now for “our” interests is the recently trained Sunnis from Anbar. When they were sent to Basra to clean up the mess there, they were met with little to no opposition because Moktada al Sadr’s people did not engage. The Bush/McCain Party people claimed “victory” in Basra! for a fight that didn’t happen.
So, now what are we doing? We’re training up Sunnis for Iraqi Army duty. For what? So that they will have equal footing with the Shi’a when we leave. It won’t happen. The Iraqi Army is Shi’a for the most part. Many of whom are also members of Moktada al Sadr’s Mahdi Army using the Army for money to hold body and soul together until the time is right for the Shi’a to take over on behalf of Iran.
We won’t win. We can’t win. We don’t have what it takes to win. So, why continue the charade? It’s over for the US and has been over for several years.
Anybody who thinks that we can “win” in Iraq is a fool. Wooten is a Bush/McCain Party loyalist over-dosed on the lies of yesterday still distorting today’s facts in order to justify a continuance of a bunch of inept pooch-screwers.
As for you idiots still fighting the Vietnam fiasco, get over it. There are not many lessons to be learned from that experience that can be put to use by the Bush/McCain screw-ups!
By DK
June 17, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this
Inherit Iraq,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967USSForrestal_fire
An electrical surge in an F-4’s electrical system caused one of its Zuni rocket to ignite. This ignited rocket struck fueled and armed A-4 aircraft; one of which was John McCain’s plane. This is what caused the fire on the U.S.S. Forestall. How could he have caused the accident when he was in the plane being struck? All activity on a flight deck during flight operations is recorded by high quality video cameras, and the footage of this incident is contained in a movie called “Trial by Fire” As a Navy Veteran I’ve seen Trial by Fire many times. It’s apparent from the video what happened.
John McCain actually performed heroically during the incident, as he was injured while trying to save a fellow pilot. A few weeks later he volunteered to transfer to the U.S.S. Oriskiny; the platform he was operating from when he was shot down. He could have ridden his injury all the way home, yet stayed to fight another day, and ended up as a POW.
So In the name of petty politics you’d slander an American hero. These tactics were deplorable when practiced on John Kerry, and they deplorable now. If you disagree with his politics, fine, don’t vote for him. Encourage others not to vote for him. But why don’t you leave the slander at home. America deserves better than having her hero’s trashed by uninformed idiots with an agenda. Better yet, why don’t you do us a favor Inherit Iraq and stay home on Election Day yourself. We’ve already have too many uninformed idiots casting votes as it is. No wonder good people don’t want to be politicians. Scumbags want to trash them personally rather than debate their ideas.
BTW, I’m a Democratic supporter who will probably vote for Obama.
By Algonquin J. Calhoun
June 17, 2008 4:31 PM | Link to this
Georgians will accept defeat in Iraq! It’s the only option. The war, which was undertaken upon the basis of evidence manufactured by Bush, is lost. That is altogether fitting and appropriate. Bush will be brought to justice for his many crimes. It’s time to withdraw from Iraq and end this criminal behavior by the United States.
By bo
June 17, 2008 4:40 PM | Link to this
Well, yes, it’s a civil war, but it’s not as simple as Iran Shia joining up with Iraqi Shia. (to make the Shia Superstate which I predicted and which every think tank in the world stole, the rats), You see, Iran and Iraq only share sectarian bonds (shia). Dont forget the older ethnic rivalry between Persians and Arabs.
The Persians will never trust the Arabs. They’ve only been slaughtering each other for 10k years.
Here’s what I think will happen in Iraq: Our troop presense will make it too costly for any competing element within Iraq to continue hostilities. Oh, there’ll always be the occasional tragedy of a IED, or a suicide bomber, but they’ll not interfere with the overall general national progress that Iraqis will make. We’ll draw down to about 75K troops but it will cost more, because reconstruction requires bribes, and Iraqis are mainly not fighting now because we bribe them not to fight.
So, thus drained of our resources, we’ll continue our economic spiral until the enemy of the USA will show itself. I have seen the enemy and it is just us. We will revolt. Ballots not bullets, but if we dont get justice, then who knows.
Justice for just us, (richard pryor)
Obama 08: the ballot first, then we’ll see.
By getalife
June 17, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
“Baghdad Car Bomb Kills More Than 50”.
Geez.
By Algonquin J. Calhoun
June 17, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this
Martin is the only one in the race that’s worth a damn. Jones is a rapist, gangster chump whom no race could be proud of. Chambliss is a cowardly liar who portrayed Max Cleland as a friend of terrorists. Seeing him kicked out of office is going to be sweet!
By TW
June 17, 2008 5:54 PM | Link to this
getalife - relax, it’s not as if God created Iraqi’s. Can you imagine if he did? Holy cow! Boy, them evangelicals with the glossy ‘w’ on the mantel would be in for a rude turn if that was the case.
Mr. Wooten - ever heard that silly thing about above big minds talk about ideas, average minds talk about events, and small minds talk about other people? Well, it seems as though, for the last eight years at least, the rightwing has defined itself solely by pointing a finger at the ‘lib’(i.e. your column most of the time). You don’t suppose the country might be in the toilet because we have been taking the advice of small minds, do you? Because, you’re not alone. The others who’ve had this country’s ear, rush-hannity-o’reilly-etc., all do the same thing.
Maybe the mess in which we find ourselves has less to do with partisan politics and more to do with having let stupid people tell us what to do?????
By Obwama 08
June 17, 2008 6:33 PM | Link to this
Obama 08: A Man. An American. A President.
By JeepersCreepers
June 18, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
Could you liberals please tell me what a victory is….What an enemy is? The definition of “won”? I guess most of you liberals were sitting around the table listening to the intelligence briefing. Or you just got all that accurate information from the drive-by- media. I say ELECT ALL THE left wing dingbats. Let them take us to brink of utter collaspe. Then we can all be vegetarians, were the same clothes, drive the same cars, live in neighborhoods that look the same, and most of all BE JUST LIKE EUROPE. Maybe then the liberal media will lose out and be replaced by media that reports the news instead of shaping the news. And hopefully politicians will be afaid not to represent their constituents.
I will vote stictly for the most wack bunch of liberals our there. I want to bring on dooms day.
By JeepersCreepers
June 18, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
Could you liberals please tell me what a victory is….What an enemy is? The definition of “won”? I guess most of you liberals were sitting around the table listening to the intelligence briefing. Or you just got all that accurate information from the drive-by- media. I say ELECT ALL THE left wing dingbats. Let them take us to brink of utter collaspe. Then we can all be vegetarians, were the same clothes, drive the same cars, live in neighborhoods that look the same, and most of all BE JUST LIKE EUROPE. Maybe then the liberal media will lose out and be replaced by media that reports the news instead of shaping the news. And hopefully politicians will be afaid not to represent their constituents.
I will vote stictly for the most wacky bunch of liberals our there. I want to bring on dooms day.
By Chiquita 4 Obama 4 Life '08
June 18, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this
Obama ‘08: A Dumb@$$. A Condescending Snob. An America Hater. A Racist Coon. A Presidential Disaster.
By Terry
June 18, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this
You can’t trust Vernon Jones and HIS KIND with that type of political power. If you want the whole country to look like South Dekalb, just go ahead and vote for THOSE PEOPLE.
By JoAnne
June 18, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this
Vernon Jones has destroyed DeKalb County for all but his pet people and suck ups, by multiple tax increases and assessments, profligate spending and lack of accountability. I guess now he is ready for Congress where he can be even more of a disaster.
By Fulton
June 18, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this
Sad to say but, I wouldn’t trust Vernon Jones to cut my lawn…and I know him personally! As far as you other people here on this blog, you are the real problem with America moving forward because your minds are still functioning backwards…
By ha ha ha
June 26, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this
Vernon Jones is going to win no questions ok.