Gov. Nathan Deal's staff took offense when a certain state senator running for Congress ducked out of a state Senate budget vote.
Chris Riley, Deal’s chief of staff, noted that state Sen. Mike Crane, who is a subcommittee chair on the budget-writing committee, “walks on budget vote after sitting on Senate floor during debate. Really?”
Two other Deal allies chimed in with some heavy snark after the Senate approved the spending plan with few changes.
"Wait, Chris, you must be mistaken. Are you saying a principled outsider is playing 'politics as usual'?" tweeted Brian Robinson, the governor's former top spokesman. His successor, Jen Talaber, termed it a "real profile in courage."
Crane wasn't the only one who missed the vote. Four other lawmakers, including Democratic state Sen. Vincent Fort, were excused from the vote. And two others also didn't cast a ballot.
But Crane, who did not immediately return a message seeking comment, is under more scrutiny after announcing a run for the ultra-conservative U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Lynn Westmoreland.
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