Republicans' 'Real Jobs for Georgia' bus tour rolls through
COLUMBUS — Judith Cummins waited in the shade of the Lakebottom Park band shell Monday afternoon for the Republican “Real Jobs for Georgia” bus tour to arrive.
The Columbus resident came to the rally to hear from candidates including gubernatorial hopeful Nathan Deal, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland and others who are touring the state touting a message of jobs, and asking people not only to vote but to get their neighbors to vote.
“I didn’t want to miss it,” Cummins said. “Any opportunity we can get to hear the candidates speak, it gives me a better opportunity to make a better choice as to who I want to vote for.”
Mike Keown, who hopes to unseat U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, told the crowd of about 100 that no one thought he had a chance of winning 15 months ago. Now, he said he’s in a dead heat with Bishop.
“How many of y’all are ready for me next week to take out Sanford Bishop?” Keown asked.
Deal, who faces Democrat Roy Barnes in the Nov. 2 election, said every Republican running for office would work as a team for the state’s betterment. He said the state didn’t need to repeat its past mistakes and argued for tax reforms that would put Georgia ahead of any other southeastern state in terms of a business tax climate.
“We’re on the cusp of a victory, come November 2nd,” he said.
Isakson, who faces outgoing Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond, echoed the message on one of his television ads: The country is on a collision course in terms of political philosophy, and that he wanted to stop deficit spending and have regulation that’s fair, instead of the government picking winners and losers.
“We’re going to make Congress do what you have had to do over the past two years,” Isakson said. “You can’t spend more than what you take in or you go bankrupt.”
Westmoreland, who faces Democrat Frank Saunders, thanked the Tea Party movement for what he said brought the Republican Party back to its grass roots.
“America’s finally come alive,” he said. “We’re awake to what’s going on.”
After the rally, as the crowd began to disperse, Cummins said she was glad she’d attended..“I feel more positive about the decisions that I’m going to be making,” she said. “They reiterated what I’ve read about them, and it makes me more confident voting for them.”
