It's time to pay some attention to the Democratic presidential candidates. The party with the youngest constituency has a field that can best be described as geriatric.
Which is why, when it comes to rumors of Vice President Joe Biden’s interest in the race,
struck a chord:
"One thing that I keep hearing about Biden is that if he were to declare and say -- because age is such a problem for him if he does, 'I want to be a one-term president. I want to serve for four years, unite Washington. I've dealt with the Republicans in Congress all my public life.' I think there's a conversation going on to that effect among his aides and friends. It could light fire to the current political environment."
***
The fallout over William Perry's ouster as head of the Georgia chapter of Common Cause has deepened.
As you'll recall, Perry was pushed out as head of the watchdog group this week as its focus shifts more toward policy aims, such as voting rights advocacy.
The group's board met Thursday night for the first time since Perry's departure, which national Common Cause president Miles Rapaport said was needed for the group to pursue a "broader policy agenda."
One member, Sam Bacote, has turned in his resignation since Perry moved on. (He would not immediately comment on why). Another, McCracken Poston, is raising questions about what led Common Cause's national president to ask for Perry's resignation.
"As a board member, I was not consulted," said Poston. "The local Georgia board is merely an advisory board. I don't think that's a problem as long as you're allowed to be in on things and advise. Rapoport promised that would be the case. But personally, it put a bad taste in some board members' mouths."
Poston said the group should live up to its own billing as a watchdog group.
"We demand transparency and accountability and an open process from public officials," he said. "I want us to abide by that as well."
***
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who this week found herself second to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in a New Hampshire poll, is apparently taking no chances in Iowa, where she's headed today. The Des Moines Register today features an op-ed from former Iowa senator Tom Harkins, endorsing Clinton.
***
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has found himself caught in the backwash of those Planned Parenthood videos. From the Washington Post:
That inspired Jen Gunter to excavate a 1992 paper, co-authored by Carson, in which doctors described how they applied "human choroid plexus ependyma and nasal mucosa from two fetuses aborted in the ninth and 17th week of gestation." That, wrote Gunter, was quite the contrast from Carson's 2015 denunciation of fetal tissue research.
Carson was on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" last night to tamp down this latest twist:
"You know, my part is to do the operation and supply the tissue. At that point, I move on to the next operation. So, to suggest that I'm in the laboratory actually doing the research, or retrieving fetal tissue, is nothing but propaganda."
***
Todd Rehm of Georgia Pundit says Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who last week put U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, at the top of his Georgia presidential campaign, is fleshing out his operation here with more names:
-- State Sen. Judson Hill;
-- State Rep. Matt Ramsey, (R-Peachtree City) Georgia House Majority Caucus Whip;
-- State Rep. Christian Coomer, (R-Cartersville);
-- Julianne Thompson, former co-chair of the Atlanta Tea Party;
--- and Rachel Little, former Gwinnett County Republican Party chair.
***
Erick Erickson, the RedState guy and WSB Radio provocateur, says he's continuing to get some rather harsh reaction for refusing to give The Donald a stage last weekend. The content is worse than the usual screeds from the trolling community, so be advised.
***
On WABE (90.1FM)'s "A Closer Look" on Thursday, Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May denied that investigators Mike Bowers and Richard Hyde, whom he hired to look at government corruption, have been stonewalled by some county officials. Said May:
"There has been no resistance. I've told everyone in DeKalb County that we are to work with their requests, and that includes me as well. So there's been no pushback on the work that they're doing….
"What I'm interested in is that detailed report, to give us direction on what that next step should be."
***
Former U.S. senator Saxby Chambliss is going back to school. Specifically, Athens. From the press release:
Second, Senator Chambliss will hold a lecture series for undergraduate students on critical areas of public policy facing our nation today. Chambliss will share his first-hand knowledge of the impacts of public policy on U.S. global leadership and national security, among other topics.
The final component of the Chambliss Leadership Forum is the establishment of the Chambliss Fellows Program whereby, each semester, five students selected through a competitive application process will participate in the Washington Semester Program as Chambliss Fellows and intern in Washington, DC in various positions.
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