The outgoing director of the National Security Agency went on FoxNews with a message for former President Jimmy Carter: We're not snooping around your emails.
You may recall that Carter told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he's resorted to old-fashioned letters to communicate “
.”
Gen. Keith Alexander told Carter he can abandon the stamps and ink if he wants. From the Fox interview:
"We're not [monitoring the emails]," Alexander said. "So he can now go back to writing emails. The reality is, we don't do that. And if we did, it would be illegal and we'd be ... held accountable and responsible."
Carter continued his national media tour on Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" last night and responded to Alexander with what appeared to be tongue firmly planted in cheek.
"It seems to me a few weeks ago the NSA director told Congress that they didn't monitor anybody in the United States . ... So we're all fine."
Asked by Colbert when he will become Catholic after ditching the Southern Baptists, Carter said he'd join if Pope Francis stayed in office and if a female priest asked him to join. Carter then revealed that he had corresponded with Francis about his new book.
In the second segment, Colbert pulls out a classic: Billy Beer. Carter sadly declines to crack one.
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The sweeping gun bill that passed on Sine Die as the clock ticked toward midnight was made available online and in hard copy days after lawmakers voted on it with more than a few surprises.
When we caught up with Gov. Nathan Deal earlier this week, Deal pronounced himself satisfied with many of the changes. Said the gov:
"I have not made any final determinations on any legislation. We have not done a thorough review, but I will say I was pleased with the reforms that were placed in it at the end of the session. That made it a lot more palatable."
One of the changes? The elimination of language that would legalize the carrying of guns on college campuses.
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One of Gov. Nathan Deal's favorite pastimes? Bush hogging.
The Republican Governor's Association came out with a feel-good video spot of the former congressman this morning where he talked of the benefits of being in an executive office instead of in Washington "talking about things and platitudes."
And for those of you who don't know what bush hogging is, check out the clip.
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Over at Fox 5, Dale Russell questions a proposal by state Sen. Buddy Carter, a pharmacist running for Rep. Jack Kingston's open seat, that could benefit his industry.
The Republican lawmaker told the station he probably wouldn't do it again and legislative counsel issued an opinion that found no conflict of interest. A watchdog group and an ethicist beg to differ.
Carter's GOP rivals seized on the revelation. Ryan Reynolds, the campaign manager for Bob Johnson, called Carter "liberal and ethically challenged."
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Our AJC colleague Johnny Edwards had a lengthy investigative piece in Sunday's newspaper about thousands of dollars in questionable expenses rung up by DeKalb County Commissioner Elaine Boyer on her county Visa card.
Boyer, a Republican who is the commission's ranking veteran, is a crusader for cutting government spending and a prominent supporter of Republican Senate candidate Karen Handel.
We wouldn't be surprised if Handel, locked in a tight race for the GOP nomination, now moves to distance herself from Boyer.
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The Daily Beast caught up with Rep. Paul Broun to talk about the U.S. Senate race. Of the other two Republican Congressmen in the race, Broun says: "They all want to be me. They do!" He adds, "They've even changed votes to what I voted, multiple times. Members of Congress are laughing about it."
Broun refers to Michelle Nunn as “this extremely liberal lady that Barack Obama has recruited.” And he comes up with a new border security acronym:
"OTMs, that means "Other Than Mexicans," he told me later. "We have people from the Middle East, from Asia, from all over the world that are coming through the southern border. Some are coming to work. But it's a porous border that would allow terrorists, al Qaeda and other entities to come in this country who want to do America harm. That's the reason securing the border is a national security issue. We've got to do whatever we can to secure the borders."
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Things one shouldn't do when running for U.S. Senate in Iowa: Badmouth farmers. Witness Democrat Bruce Braley commit, in Slate's estimation, gaffe of the year.
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