Chambers Re-election

Rusty has some interesting thoughts on the upcoming campaign of Democrat Chris Huttman against incumbent Republican Jill Chambers.

I'm going to ponder the matter a while longer before I share my own thoughts, however expect something centering on my fondness for the north Dekalb Republicans - Weber, Chambers, etal. A character trait which vexes my friends in Democratic circles.

My Morning Wooten

Sara has it.

I will add that I love the decision. It's exactly how the court works at its best. The two ideological poles balanced by the reasoned middle - a middle which contained elements of both of the poles. The court works best when all voices are heard but the ultimate decision is based on the law and the evidence. Crawford vs. Marion County certainly fits the bill.

Of course nothing will prevent those on both sides from using it to further stir political doomsaying.

Stormy For Rhonda

Sen. Rhonda Storms (R-Valrico) is not having a good time in Tallahassee.

First, she can't get her "let's pretend like there's valid criticism of the Theory of Evolution" bill through the Senate. Now her colleagues have killed her effort to create the "I Believe" tag seen above. Again.

Maybe it's time for me to slip down to Florida. Things seem a whole lot more sane down there.

Evolution Ping Pong In Florida

The Florida House passed its version of the infamous "evolution bill". It now goes back to the Senate where so far the more reserved body has refused to let through similar legislation.

The bill requiring that teachers present a "scientific critical analysis" of the theory of evolution just passed the Florida House on a 71-43 vote, despite concerns from opponents who say it isn't necessary and will allow the teaching of religious theories like creationism and intelligent design in public schools.

The Sunshine State leg is in its last week and now looks to the upper house to use procedural magic to disappear the more controversial issues - politics which should sound very familiar to Georgians.

Cardwell On Martin

Look for more guerilla theater from the "outsiders" later this week.

I'm Not The Only One

Seems another big ol' "liberal" is a little fed up with the demogogic spew coming from some of the "true Republicans".

The question, of course, is whether this kind of crude, content-free racial and ideological demagoguery will backfire outside places such as Mississippi. I don't know. But if Republicans want to know why so many of us cannot stomach their politics any more, they don't have far to look.

Then again, those who also claim to know who the "true Christians" are probably mentally excommunicated Andrew Sullivan long ago.

Music

Caroline Monroe

Tonight at Red Light Cafe

553 Amsterdam Ave

7:30

My Morning Wooten

Jim's kinda all over the place today.

If a Katrina occurs on his watch, John McCain says he would immediately fly to the nearest Air Force base, presumably to direct operations. “Never again, never again, will a disaster of this nature be handled in the disgraceful way it was handled.” Once again, the locals and then the state are responsible for preparation and for first response to disasters. McCain shouldn’t use this dead time in Republican presidential politics to federalize those roles.

What McCain understands and apparently Jim does not is it is not about federalizing any role. It's about appearing to actually give a crap when people are suffering.

I have rarely been more embarrassed for my alma mater, the University of Georgia. Protesting the choice of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as commencement speaker, as some faculty members have done, embarrasses the institution. I’m not a vindictive guy, but those who are so intolerant of free speech don’t belong in the classroom.

The professors are wrong. But we shouldn't let a few bad apples spoil the barrel. Wait, why does that sound familiar?

OK, it turned out badly.but the decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to try to save taxpayers $138 — the cost of a metal pulley that’s part of the gauge measuring the water level at Lake Lanier — is hereby lauded. Imagine that. Bureaucrats who spend millions actually concerned about $138. Give ‘em a raise. On me.

A faulty gauge which led to an untimely release of water which led to millions of economic loss during a drought of biblical proportions and Jim wants to give them a raise? Do you still wonder why those of a certain political stripe saddle future generations with so much debt we may have to sell Oregon to the Chinese and call it sound economic policy?

Headline: “Donors generous just before session.”

Copywriter Jim strikes again! Maybe he just needs a transfer.

An 11-county poll for the Transit Planning Board, another of those groups involved in the process of talking about transportation fixes, finds that 58 percent of Metro Atlantans say they would support a 1 percent sales tax to fund a specific list of transportation projects. Me too — as long as it is the right fix and actually reduced traffic congestion.

Forget the will of the people. What matters is what Jim wants. Which is no rail or any of that hippie crap. PAVE! PAVE! PAVE!

Quiz the school kids: Do they know more about Earth Day or the Declaration of Independence or World War II. I’m guessing Earth Day.

Instead of guessing let's bet. Jim, let's take ten 5th graders and ask them. I'll bet you a sawbuck it's not Earth Day. Despite the myth spinning of some our public schools aren't birkenstock's required communes.

Till next time....

Songs In My Head

10th District Republican Debate

For months I've sought an elusive beast - an actual Republican event. They skitter into the brush whenever I got close but now I've got one spotted and I'm going to hogtie this one!

The UGA College Republicans will host a debate for 10th District Congressional Candidates.

Please join the University of Georgia Chapter of the College Republicans for the first debate between Congressman Paul Broun and Representative Barry Fleming. It will be an exciting event designed to help voters get to know the candidates better. The 90 Minute debate will include questions from the panelists, from members of the College Republican, and from the audience. The University of Georgia College Republicans will host a reception at the conclusion of the event. Seating is first come first served. The doors will open at 1:45. Please plan to park in the North Campus Parking Deck.If you have any questions, contact Josh Findlay at jfindlay@uga.edu

The debate will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, 03 May, at the Dean Rusk Center on UGA's North Campus (in the Larry Walker Room on the 4th Floor).

Finally! I get to see real live Republicans up close and personal!

Gonzo Athens

Random notes of a deranged blogger who attended the YDUGA Senate Debate:

Cardwell used an analogy of cigarette packs to PACs.

Josh Lanier on a politician's need to know the audience: "I'm Rand Knight Saxon"

Apparently there's been a lot of defacing of Senate desk 32 over the decades.

Rand Knight: "We can't continue to live on coffee shops and condominiums".

Cardwell after Lanier explained his theory of universal healthcare: "I loved that."

Rand Knight on the environment: "We're defecating in our own house."

Josh Lanier: Looks forward to the day we "tax bad things like pollution and stop taxing good things like working".

Republican like moment of the night - Josh Lanier calling for an end to capital gains taxes on entrepeneurs.

Careless allegiances moment of the night - Dale Cardwell bragging about a Georgia Tech professor less than a mile from Sanford Stadium

Campus police ask me if I know who had put all the signs out front. It's Rand Knight.

Dale Cardwell referencing the Gene Hackman "Posiedon Adventure" which was released before most of the audience was born. Should have gone with the Kurt Russell "Posiedon".

Asked how they would show young people appreciation Knight jokes he'll forgive all student loans.

Although he couldn't resist taking a poke at the lowly blogger's alledged immunity from libel suits, Athens Banner-Herald boy reporter Blake Aued agreed to join me for a beer in the future.

Selah

Outsiders In Athens

Sometimes, it is about who ain't there.

Although a resident of Athens, Democratic Party Chair Jane Kidd was not. Despite resigning his party post the previous day, former Vice Chair of Constituent Services Virgilio Perez-Pascoe was.

U.S. Senate candidates Dale Cardwell, Rand Knight and Josh Lanier were. Coy Vernon Jones and apparent Democratic Party of Georgia darling Jim Martin were not.

The "greasers" showed up for the rumble but the "socs" were nowhere to be seen.

Although the absence of the putative front runners was not the only topic at Wednesday's debate sponsered by the Young Democrats of UGA, the three attendee politicians took quite a few swipes at the big bucks boys as well as the party they are vying to represent.

Josh Lanier, whose campaign has been defined by campaign finance reform, pondered the possibility that Martin and Jones were too busy raising funds. Given, he said, a sitting Senator uses 1/3 of the day to raise money, the absent candidates were acting like "Saxby Chambliss with a blue tie".

Dale Cardwell was more blunt. He noted a study which showed 99.7% of the U.S. population does not contribute to political campaigns and said he believes Martin and Jones count on voters to choose the person they "dislike the least".

"Young" Rand Knight called forth the ghosts of elections past comparing the $330,000 Jim Martin raised in the first ten days of his campaign to an alledged $310,000 debt from his last campaign. He also noted Sonny Perdue beat Roy Barnes in 2002 despite an 8 to 1 money disadvantage.

When asked if all three would support any eventual Democratic nominee, Knight proclaimed "any Democrat is better than Saxby Chambliss". Cardwell levelled the harshest criticism of the night, openly alledging his belief Vernon Jones is being paid by the opposition to run. Cardwell flatly refused to support Jones but agreed he would support any of the other candidates. Lanier demured, reserving judgment, but agreed somewhat with Cardwell that everything he read supported allegations of Jones supporting Republicans in the past.

As the three insurgent candidates move on to future confrontations, they find themselves only two months away from the fateful primary day where voters will deterimine if they are Johnny slowly slipping away in a hospitial bed or Ponyboy surviving and striving to "stay gold".

Senate Debate In Athens

The Young Democrats of The University of Georgia and Athens-Clarke County will host a forum for the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate on Wednesday, April 23 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in the North Psychology-Journalism Auditorium on the UGA campus. Confirmed attendees are Josh Lanier, Rand Knight, and Dale Cardwell, and tentative is Jim Martin. Josh Lanier is a retired Vietnam War veteran from Statesboro, Georgia. He has worked in business for several years, and at one time served on the staff of U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge (D-Ga). Rand Knight is an ecologist and businessman from Atlanta. Dale Cardwell is a former investigative reporter for WSB-TV in Atlanta, and currently resides in DeKalb County. Jim Martin is a former state representative and Commissioner of Human Resources, and was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2006.

I'll be there if I can slog my butt through the Gwinnett County traffic.

Should We Trust The AHSA?

According to Erick Erickson, of course not! They support Democrats!

Who is the AHSA? It is the American Hunters and Shooters Association.

You can find an alternate viewpoint from Erick's "we're all going to soon be gulaged away by the Godless communists gun takers" worldview by reading what I wrote nearly two years ago on the AHSA . I leave you to your own judgment.

In the meantime, I have a question for Erick.

Should we gun owners instead trust an organization which promised failing grades to any legislator who refused to succumb to the strong arm tactics of mercenary lobbyists on a single local issue which even its local chapter deemed foolish?

I guess the grade only matters when the curve goes in favor of the class pets.

Carter and Hamas

There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Georgia these days over the latest actions of one of our native sons. President Jimmy Carter recently visited Hamas, the enigma which is the simultaneously a terrorist organization and the ruling party in the Palestinian Authority.

So why would Carter visit this group? To lavish them with hugs and kisses? To continue to prove to the world that he hates Israel?

Not really.

In his talks with Hamas leaders, Carter sought to persuade the group to declare a unilateral, 30-day cease fire in Gaza as a good-will gesture. But Hamas was having none of it. Early Monday, Carter said, he called Mashaal one last time to try and convince the Hamas leader to accept the idea. “I told them, ‘don’t wait for reciprocation,’” Carter later told reporters. “Just do it unilaterally. This will bring a lot of credit to you around the world, doing a humane thing.

Of course Hamas turned him down. So naturally Carter, named by Georgia blogger Erick Erickson as "history's greatest monster", flashed his famous grin and patted the misbehaving killers on the head.

Not really.

They turned me down. I think they’re wrong. I did the best I could on that. I don’t understand their rocket decision.

Another part of Carter's Hamas trip you may not hear from the Pharisees intent on dragging his heretical ass to the Sanhedrin was his attempt to attain the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

In this he was also unable to sway Hamas.

There will be those who dwell on these failures, but it is doubtful in their crowing on the lesser accomplished they will whisper their apparent wisdom on how to accomplish the greater good.

Brothers

From our neighbors to the east.

Pastor Roger Byrd said he just wanted to make people think when he put up a sign reading “Obama, Osama — humm, are they brothers” in front of the Jonesville Church of God on Thursday.

Perhaps this fine man of God was inspired by the good works of Redstate nee' Erick Erickson.

h/t: Andrew Sullivan on McTruthyism

Abraham Receives Reprimand

Just heard on WSB and now it's on the AJC. DOT Commissioner received a written reprimand from the board but keeps her job.

For background listen to the podcast below.

Georgia Politics Podcast Episode 16

The gang once again joined together at Manuels Tavern to discuss the recent session, bloggers mixing in politics and the mating habits of political staffers.

Listen in on the thoughts of myself, Decaturguy, Catherine and Jen from Blog For Democracy and our always gracious host JosephG.

And yes I know it's Abraham not Abrams. I always screw up that name for some reason.

Songs In My Head

Songs In My Head