Better late than never? Maybe.
Atlanta Councilwoman Mary Norwood has had a rough time with Democrats lately, what with the state party trying to cast the candidate for mayor as a closet Republican heading into the Nov. 7 election.
Now, her appearance at a fundraiser for arguably the Democrat with the highest profile in the city, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, has sparked another skirmish.
Norwood, who always describes herself publicly as an independent, tweeted a photo showing her and Lewis in the same frame with this message: “Celebrating with Atlanta’s beloved Civil Rights legend! Thank you Cong. John Lewis for 30+ years of getting into good trouble.”
That seemed to trouble Kristin Oblander, and not in a good way. The head of a prominent Atlanta fundraising outfit, she posted this on Facebook:
“Bad enough to have Norwood staffer call me to inquire how much tickets are to event ($100, $30 Seniors), then not donate, then show up and blow by our registration table, barge past doorman into private Sponsor’s reception with your professional photographer in tow, then be asked to leave….THEN to tweet about the event like you are a supporter!? All for your political gain, shows such a lack of respect and decorum.”
“IF you had made a contribution you would’ve been properly registered for event and we would’ve taken your picture with our professional photographer!”
Norwood’s team denied that the candidate was kicked out, saying that a packed schedule was behind her quick exit from the gathering.
After the dust-up became public, Norwood’s campaign sent this note to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
“Mary Norwood was gratified to attend the John Lewis birthday benefit this past weekend. Through an oversight on the part of Jamie Ensley, Campaign Treasurer, who was involved in Gay Pride weekend events on behalf of the campaign, the check was not delivered in a timely fashion. The check has now been delivered.”
It was for $500.
- Seeking a "bump stocks" bump: Republican state Sen. Michael Williams of Cumming has made many attempts during his campaign for governor to gain attention. He may have hit on something this past week when he came to the defense of the "bump stocks" that the Las Vegas shooter used to allow his semiautomatic rifles to fire off an automatic-like nine rounds per second.
The bump stocks, he said, made the rifles less lethal.
“Many firearms experts determined the Las Vegas shooter’s use of a bump stock actually prevented more casualties and (injuries) due to its inconsistency, inaccuracy, and lack of control,” Williams said in a press release. “There is zero evidence that banning bump stocks would prevent any gun violence deaths.”
Critics would argue a different point about how accuracy wasn’t a major concern to the Las Vegas shooter because the volume and rapidity of the gunfire were what caused the carnage. Even the National Rifle Association is supporting restrictions on bump stocks, but only if it’s done administratively through the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Meanwhile, Williams plans to give away a bump stock to a “lucky winner” who registers on an internet site.
- Still with the campaign? That would be a nyet: A deputy campaign manager in Democrat Stacey Abrams' bid for governor is now an ex-deputy campaign manager after promoting the candidate on a Russian government-funded media outlet under investigation by the FBI.
Marcus Ferrell was interviewed in August on Sputnik News. He discussed Abrams’ decision not to rebuke protests against her opponent in the race for the Democratic nomination, Stacey Evans, as well as Abrams’ call for removal of the images of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Rebel Gens. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the face of Stone Mountain.
Ferrell resigned, the campaign told the AJC after it posed questions about his appearance on the Sputnik program. The campaign also said Ferrell had violated protocol by speaking on the record without prior approval.
The FBI is investigating Sputnik and the state-sponsored Russia Today as part of a potential Kremlin-backed operation to influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Both were implicated in a declassified U.S. intelligence report that came to light in January and accused Russia of trying to help Donald Trump win the presidency. Sputnik and Russia Today call themselves legitimate news organizations.
Ferrell told Sputnik that Abrams’ Stone Mountain proposal would be a “wedge issue” that black voters would remember in the May primary.
“It’s not a popular issue. It’s not a pretty issue. It might not poll well right now. But it’s an issue that’s on the minds of African-Americans and defenders of freedom in America and our allies,” he said. “I do believe it will become an issue, and I wish it wasn’t. I wish they would just take it down.”
Ferrell had been on Sputnik at least two other times. Those other appearances came before the former outreach director for Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign had joined up with Abrams’ team.
Ferrell could not be reached for comment. Abrams campaign spokeswoman Priyanka Namtha called it a “distraction from the real issues Georgians deal with every day.”
- Money players: U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville, has been spared any major Democratic opposition since first winning election to represent the 7th Congressional District in 2010.
But a pair of Democrats bested him in the money game during the third quarter of the year, according to new federal filings.
Georgia State professor Carolyn Bourdeaux and businessman Ethan Pham both raised more than $125,000 in the period running from July 1 to Sept. 30. Woodall took in $106,000 over that same time.
It was a third Democrat, David Kim, who made a splash in the second quarter, when he raised $250,000 during his first month in the race. In the third quarter, Kim raised $32,000.
Woodall and Kim still have the most cash on hand at this stage of a race that features eight candidates. Woodall has $300,000 saved away, while Kim has $237,000.
- Stashing cash: Next door in the 6th Congressional District, rookie U.S. Rep. Karen Handel is starting to build a significant war chest, having put away roughly $482,000, according to federal filings.
Right now, Handel has two official Democratic challengers, neither of them named Jon Ossoff.
Former television anchor Bobby Kaple entered the race too late to file a campaign disclosure for the quarter. College professor Richard Keatley, who first ran against Handel and 16 others in April in a special election to replace Tom Price, ended the third quarter with a debt of $359.
Meanwhile, Ossoff still hasn’t said whether he will again run against Handel, who beat him by about 4 percentage points in a June runoff. Still, his campaign committee managed to bring in $294,000 in “other receipts” in the third quarter by renting its email list to the Democratic consulting firm Mothership Strategies.
- Candidates, endorsements, etc.:
— Vance Smith, after nine years away, wants to return to his former seat in the state House, according to The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Smith, who also was a state transportation commissioner, aims to replace state Rep. John Pezold, a Columbus Republican who has decided not to seek re-election.
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