The tea party challenge to House Speaker David Ralston just crossed the line from caustic to downright weird.
We told you Monday that, in a TV ad, the Republican incumbent and north Georgia native complained about the influx of "a bunch of crazy radicals from outside our district talking sleaze and nonsense."
We’re pretty sure that one of those the House speaker was talking about is Ray Boyd, a real estate millionaire who has been a financial backer of primary challenger Sam Snider, the Gilmer County High School wrestling coach.
Late yesterday, a press release from Boyd arrived with this unusual pitch for a 2 p.m. Saturday press conference on the courthouse steps of Ellijay:
Ray Boyd, who has said publicly that he will put his money where his mouth is, will PUT UP $100,000.00 IN CASH to be paid to anyone who can prove the facts he reveals at the …Press Conference are not unequivocally TRUE.
But no, that wasn’t enough. Perhaps fearful that he might not attract a crowd, Boyd revised his comments this morning, adding this:
Simply showing up will entitle someone to leave with $5,000.00 in cash. No one is excluded, from the youngest baby to the oldest journalist. Bring family, friends, and Grandma. This is a nonpartisan political event, but you current politicians cannot bring a dead person. The "someone" who leaves with the cash must be breathing.
We should add here that no one at the AJC -- or any other legitimate news organization that we know of -- would be permitted to accept a gratuity for showing up at an event.
Our AJC colleague Aaron Gould Sheinin this morning rang up Boyd and tried to squeeze some inkling of what the purpose of the Saturday event might be. But no luck. Said Boyd:
"I'm not going to spill the beans. You're one who is probably close to putting two-and-two together. This is an important issue. It's important to me. I tried to get other people in elected office to show some interest in this and for whatever reason it hasn't gotten traction. It's an issue"
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