We have a word for President Donald Trump's tendency to fire his cabinet secretaries. We call it "Wednesday."
Even so, the most remarkable aspect of Trump’s decision to sack David Shulkin, his Veterans Affairs secretary, is that the only Obama-era holdover in his administration was also responsible for the president’s only steady stream of legislative success.
Shulkin's partner in those reform efforts was Johnny Isakson, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee – who, as posted late Wednesday, had urged Trump to keep Shulkin on.
Isakson’s response to the president’s decision to go in the opposite direction was cool. He heaped praise on Shulkin: “He has been instrumental in all that we have accomplished in the last year.”
And Isakson made clear that Trump’s personal physician, 71-year-old Dr. Rodney Jackson, whom the president has named to replace Shulkin, is a cipher to him: “I look forward to meeting Admiral Jackson and learning more about him.”
But Shulkin is under no similar obligation of self-restraint. He has an op-ed in this morning's New York Times that lays out what he says was the underlying motivation for his ouster:
"It seems that these successes within the department have intensified the ambitions of people who want to put V.A. health care in the hands of the private sector. I believe differences in philosophy deserve robust debate, and solutions should be determined based on the merits of the arguments. The advocates within the administration for privatizing V.A. health services, however, reject this approach. They saw me as an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed. That is because I am convinced that privatization is a political issue aimed at rewarding select people and companies with profits, even if it undermines care for veterans."
That was the wind-up. Here’s the fastball:
"I came to government with an understanding that Washington can be ugly, but I assumed that I could avoid all of the ugliness by staying true to my values. I have been falsely accused of things by people who wanted me out of the way. But despite these politically-based attacks on me and my family's character, I am proud of my record and know that I acted with the utmost integrity. Unfortunately, none of that mattered.
"As I prepare to leave government, I am struck by a recurring thought: It should not be this hard to serve your country."
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Today is Sine Die Day, the 40th and final working day of the 2018 session of the Legislature. That is, unless state lawmakers are called upon to return to Atlanta to approve an incentive package in the contest for a second Amazon.com headquarters.
Georgia has kept the details of that incentive package under tight wraps. Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland has not – publicly pushing through a huge lure through his legislature. From the Washington Post:
Hogan administration officials say the $5 billion package would give the state a clear advantage over others trying to woo the second headquarters and its anticipated 50,000 jobs, and they're bullish on their odds. They call it a once-in-a-generation economic development opportunity.
But for us, the key piece of information in that piece is the statement from Hogan’s policy director, who said Amazon “expects to make a decision by year’s end.”
If that’s the case, Georgia’s candidates for governor and other statewide offices could be forced to behave themselves all the way to the Nov. 6 general election – a terrible strain that could leave permanent marks on the psyches of voters.
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Our AJC colleague Tia Mitchell has the details on DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond's unprecedented state-of-the-county address at Stone Mountain Park on Wednesday. But here are the opening lines from his prepared text:
"On this chilly, spring day, we of differing racial, ethnic, religious and political persuasions have gathered on common ground, under a common roof, for a common purpose.
"On this historic day in DeKalb, the amazing diversity that defines our county is on full display in this ballroom. Among the 500 people seated before me are corporate executives and start-up entrepreneurs. The Phds and the no "d's." Democrats, Republicans and independents have gathered here in the very shadows of a granite mountain that was once a foreboding symbol of racial intolerance and bigotry.
"Your presence, our presence represents an inspiring realization of Dr. King's dream: On this day, the descendants of slaves and the descendants of slave owners are literally sitting down together at the table of brotherhood."
That begins Thurmond's effort to expand the history told at the largest Confederate memorial in the nation. His reference to Stone Mountain as a "foreboding symbol" wasn't restricted just to the Civil War – but to the mountain's less publicly discussed history as the birthplace of the second iteration of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915.
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One of three Democrats running for a competitive seat Smyrna-based House seat has withdrawn from the race.
Justin Gorman qualified earlier this month to run for the Democratic-leaning District 40, now held by retiring Republican state Rep. Rich Golick. But on Facebook, Goreman posted Wednesday that he had developed second thoughts.
The first involves his infant twins. The second involves the likelihood of a divisive July runoff should all three Democrats stay in the race.
“It has become clear to me that the best outcome is an outright nominee on May 22 who can turn their attention to the November general election rather than having another intraparty battle through July,” wrote Gorman.
He endorsed consultant Erick Allen over Sandra Bullock (no, not the actress -- this one lists herself as a retiree) in the contest. Two Republicans, Matt Bentley and Taryn Bowman, are running for the GOP nod on May 22.
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