Just how much has the tenor of the gay marriage debate changed in the last decade? Plenty.
In our dead-tree Sunday edition, two of your Insiders explore that question. With the help of Brian Basinger, a local attorney who pulled together archival video of the 2004 debate, you can revisit the rhetoric from that pivotal moment.
We also caught up with Sadie Fields, who was then head of the Georgia Christian Coalition and the organizing political force behind the same-sex marriage ban. Fields was in the national news after her gay daughter wrote an editorial, urging Georgians to reject what she called the "bigotry" of her mother.
Fields said last week that she and her daughter have reconciled after a few visits, but that her stance hasn’t changed an iota.
Here's a little more from that interview:
"You know what I think is going on in the culture? The gay and lesbian lobby has been doing a wonderful job of insinuating themselves in every aspect of our culture, predominantly TV and movies. I will give them credit for that. They have certainly persevered in making their case. But I believe a majority of people, especially many whom I believe to be moderate to conservative, are looking more at the sinner as opposed to the sin. And for people to affirm them if they're in a relationship that's sinful, that's in no way doing them any favors."
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Over at the Washington Post's "The Fix," Georgia has been nominated for the stat of the week, indicating -- thanks to gerrymandering and polarization -- a dearth of swing voters:
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The halls of the Capitol will be even quieter today as Georgia marks Confederate Memorial Day.
State offices are shuttered for the holiday, which Georgia and a handful other Deep South states still commemorate. For Georgia, April 26 marks the end of the Civil War, with the surrender of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to Union Gen. William T. Sherman.
It also signifies a more unusual tradition: On this day the only known final copy of the Confederate Constitution is unfurled at a University of Georgia library for the only time each year. It makes for quite a scene.
Here's a snippet of a 2009 story from one of your Insiders:
The Confederate constitution is displayed only once a year around Confederate Memorial Day so that more exposure doesn't further fade the flowing handwritten cursive. But perhaps there's another reason: Avoiding a perpetual debate over the Civil War.
Jim Stockton, who was at the University of Georgia in Athens on a road trip from Berkeley, Calif., was trying to keep his voice down as he argued the Confederate movement — and by extension, the document — has contributed to a legacy of hate.
"And it's a legacy that's still being repeated today," he says.
John Maxey, who said his great-great-grandfather died during a Civil War battle in Virginia, was arguing that the Confederacy's motives should be reviewed without the "emotional" context of slavery.
"I wouldn't defend slavery for a minute," he says, giving an impromptu course on states' rights.
Here's the backstory on just how UGA obtained the document. And here's a link to a few images of the Confederate Constitution.
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One of your Insiders in the premium edition over the weekend delved into the free-trade fight that's pitting Georgia's Democrats against the Obama administration.
One of the beneficiaries of increased trade under a Trans-Pacific Partnership would be the Port of Savannah, but it is not applying any pressure to the state's congressional delegation to support a bill to give the administration "fast track" authority for the pending deal, curtail Congress' ability to amend it.
Curtis Foltz, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, sent this along in response to our query:
"Expanding global trade and opening up new market opportunities is a positive for ports in general. We trust our delegation in DC to the mechanics of making sure the conditions are not only good for ports but more importantly good for the US economy."
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Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson took his Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to Denver on Friday to look into cost overruns there. From the Associated Press:
But they joined other members of Congress from both parties in vowing to complete the medical center and demanded that those responsible for massive cost overruns be punished. ...
Congress has been pressuring the VA for weeks to find out what went wrong and fire those responsible.
"We're going to hold them accountable," Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, the committee chairman, said Friday.
Isakson and Blumenthal criticized the VA's plan to finish the hospital by siphoning $830 million from a $5 billion fund Congress set up to improve veterans' access to health care with construction, hiring and efficiency measures. ...
After touring the construction site, Isakson said that not finishing the hospital "would be a stupid mistake."
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Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue is due to give his first Senate floor speech today around 6 p.m. He told us a while back he was considering wearing the famous jean jacket for his "maiden speech," and we're not entirely sure he was joking.
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The much-discussed highlight from Saturday night's White House Correspondents Dinner (no, we did not attend) was President Barack Obama performing with Comedy Central star Keegan-Michael Key as "Luther, the anger translator." Enjoy:
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On the Democratic presidential front, this shows no sign of going away. From the Associated Press:
Maura Pally posted the statement Sunday on the foundation's website amid swirling questions about its financial support as Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton embarks on her presidential campaign. The former secretary of state in recent weeks has sought to dismiss the scrutiny as "distractions and attacks" by Republicans seeking to discredit her, but on Sunday, Pally acknowledged the foundation had made some errors.
Pally said the Clinton Foundation expected to refile some of its tax forms, following a voluntary external review, because it had "mistakenly combined" government grants with other donations. She stressed the total revenue was reported accurately and that grants were properly broken out on audited statements on its website.
"Yes, we made mistakes, as many organizations of our size do, but we are acting quickly to remedy them, and have taken steps to ensure they don't happen in the future," she said.
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In Florida, prospective Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush told supporters that he believed his political action committee has raised more money in the last hundred days than any modern GOP operation.
The problem, the Washington Post points out, is that other GOP candidates are also raising Citizens United cash at a furious pace:
"There could be as many as a dozen candidates that have a threshold amount of money in their campaigns and super PACs to compete vigorously in the early states," said Phil Cox, a Republican strategist who runs America Leads, a super PAC supporting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie that has the backing of at least two billionaires.
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Michelle Nunn won't formally take the reins of Atlanta-based CARE until July 1, but it's clear that this weekend's earthquake in Nepal will still be on a front-burner when she does. CARE said it had 150 workers on the ground before the quake, and is ramping up.
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State Sen. P.K. Martin IV, R-Lawrenceville, has been named an "emerging leader" by GOPAC, the Republican leadership outfit founded by Newt Gingrich.
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So it's not just happening in DeKalb County. From the Cherokee Tribune:
Janet Munda, 56, of Cumming was also sentenced by Cherokee County Chief Superior Court Judge Jackson Harris to pay a $1,000 fine and will pay back $864 in restitution to the Cherokee County Board of Elections.
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