Hard evidence has arrived of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed helping Democrat Jason Carter's gubernatorial campaign. Our AJC colleague Katie Leslie passes along the invite for the fundraiser at the Buckhead penthouse of Peter Conlon, of Music Midtown fame.
Reed and Carter, for those just tuning in, have not been the best of chums. Reed recently quipped that this event means: "I'm getting ready to do more for Jason Carter than he ever did for me."
Leslie points out that the host committee includes a long list of Atlanta City Council and Atlanta Public Schools board members.
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in DeKalb, according to the Associated Press:
Officials said in a statement Thursday that in-person voting will be allowed Oct. 26 at the Voter Registration and Elections Office and the South DeKalb Mall in Decatur. The Chamblee Civic Center will also host Sunday voting in the north end of the county.
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The National Republican Senatorial Committee followed through on its $2.5 million television pledge, with another buy this week to pound Democrat Michelle Nunn. And that might be all we see from the committee.
Here's what Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, the NRSC's vice chairman for finance, had to say about the national landscape, via Politico:
"I don't think any Republican seats are in great danger. I think, in fact, Pat Roberts is doing fine, Mitch McConnell's doing well in Kentucky … in Georgia we're doing well, trending in the right direction," Portman told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor Breakfast on Thursday. "I'm hopeful that we won't have to expend NRSC resources in those states."
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, meanwhile, has not spent any independent expenditure money on TV in Georgia. It put down $3.5 million across eight states this week, all of which are currently held by Democrats.
As of December, Nunn's campaign had projected -- in a "highly competitive" race -- to have the DSCC and NRSC each spend $8 million on independent TV ads, according to the campaign's internal memos.
Georgia was the NRSC's first TV strike of the general election, but the national parties might not carry a sustained monetary interest in the state, with so many close races out there that could decide control of the Senate.
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LGBT leaders in Atlanta have been pressing Nunn to be more forceful on gay rights issues, and they recently went to her camp with a formal list of demands. Via GAVoice, they are:
- Commit to vote for the full repeal of DOMA
- Support comprehensive employment non-discrimination legislation without religious exemptions broader than for any other group of Americans under current civil rights laws
- Express the view that equality for any group of Americans is never something that can be left up to the voters
- March in the upcoming Atlanta Pride parade
"The campaign asked for some time to consider our request and promised to respond within a week," [attorney Dan] Grossman said. "We look forward to hearing back from them within the next few days."
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In The Hill, political consultant and "rural strategist" Matt L. Barron writes about Nunn's need to woo rural voters in order to pull off the upset victory. He passes along some advice from Keith McCants, who writes the Peanut Politics blog:
"Nunn and Democrats in general have to over-perform in voter registration and expand the voting base in order to win in November. She is going to have to invest time outside of her big county strategy and into smaller counties such as Crisp, Tift, Ben Hill, Laurens, Tattnall, Troup counties, for example, in order to compensate for a low-expected turnout," said McCants.
"While some of these voters from these areas that have been hit hard by job losses and closing of factories may not choose [Republican nominee] David Perdue because of his role with Pillowtex and his image as a country club, elitist Republican, they will need to be persuaded to turn out and turnout for her."
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Site Selection magazine just got some company. Area Development magazine ranked Georgia the No. 1 state in the nation to do business, and Gov. Nathan Deal wants to tell you about it. Via an official news release:
"This is the third time in less than a year that objective judges have named Georgia the top state for businesses," said Deal. "Since taking office, I've made it my top priority to make Georgia the No. 1 place in the nation to do business and create jobs. We've accomplished that goal three times over, and will continue working to cultivate a business environment where companies can grow and succeed. These successful policies have allowed us to create nearly 300,000 private sector jobs; that translates directly in better lives and better communities for the people of Georgia. This recognition, alongside our previous national rankings, will build on our momentum and keep the jobs engine humming."
The New York-based magazine covering corporate site selection and relocation is published quarterly and was founded in 1965.
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The Michael Boggs boomlet didn't last long. We told you Thursday that Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., had said he would support Boggs' controversial nomination to the U.S. District Court in Atlanta in committee, out of deference to Georgia's senators.
Whitehouse was quickly roasted by NARAL Pro-Choice America, which has been one of Boggs' most active foes, and backtracked, via email, to the Huffington Post:
"I share the concerns of many about Michael Boggs' record as a legislator in Georgia, and I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has taken. For District Court vacancies, there is a long tradition in the Senate of deferring to the judgment of home state Senators, when both Senators agree on the nominee -- as is the case with Mr. Boggs. I have expected this deference when it comes to nominees in my own state, and I generally hold myself to the same standard to which I have held others."
A spokesman for Whitehouse did not immediately respond when asked if the Roll Call report was wrong.
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New York City and Washington were the targets 13 years ago, but the chaos was very real in Atlanta. Then-Gov. Roy Barnes recalled the Sept. 11 attacks at the Kiwanis Club in Marietta. From the Marietta Daily Journal:
"You tell any employee that leaves I'm going to fire them. Nobody is going to leave, and we're going to stay and operate the state in some way."
Adding to the chaos was a bomb scare at City Hall. Demolition crews discovered it was just a bag of dirty clothes.
"A young lady was distraught with her boyfriend who worked at City Hall, and she decided to take this very inappropriate time to return his clothes," Barnes said to laughter.
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Neurosurgeon and tea party favorite Dr. Ben Carson spoke to a big crowd at Valdosta State University on Thursday night. Whether he runs for president, he said, is up to the people of this great land. From the Valdosta Daily Times:
That statement was met with thunderous applause.
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