Thursday, July 13, 2006

Taylor Mailer: Sleaze of the Season




The Big Guy has stepped in it Big Time and from what I am hearing from friends in the African American Community, Taylor’s recent deceptive campaign mailer, shown here, will not just hurt him in the primary election but will impact their willingness to support him actively in the General, were he to win.

Yesterday, this Big, slick mailer from the Taylor Campaign appeared in the mailboxes of African American voters. The mailer ignores the facts (Big Surprise), regurgitates unfounded accusations (Big Lies) and distorts Cathy Cox’s record on the Republican Photo ID bill, accusing Cox of taking us “back to Jim Crow and voter suppression.” My friend’s response? “He thinks we’re ignorant.”

The mailer blatantly disregards Cathy Cox’s consistent strong voting record on civil rights and voting rights. She has always opposed the Photo ID bill, and just recently twisted the arm of the current Republican administration to get the data to prove that hundreds of thousands of Georgians risk disenfranchisement this year if the law is enforced. Just yesterday, the very same day this mailer hit, she again gave testimony in federal court in front of Judge Murphy. Based on the evidence he heard, Judge Murphy ruled that the Voter ID Law could not be enforced for this election. Where was Mark Taylor? Rehearsing for the debate?

Based on Cathy Cox’s efforts to insure that voter’s social security numbers did not randomly fall into the hands identity thieves and her vote to require this Republican administration to pay its own legal fees to defend the ill-advised bill, the Taylor Team accuses her of attempting to suppress the vote. What a stretch. The truth (something with which the Taylor team seems increasingly unfamiliar) is that of the two candidates, Cathy Cox is the only one who has consistently fought the draconian Voter ID Laws. Taylor failed to lead early on. Consider this history.The Photo ID bill was first proposed several years ago by former Senator Joe Burton. At the time Mark Taylor was a Senator and had control of the Georgia State Senate, and he allowed this bill to move right on through. Cox was in the House and worked tirelessly to stop the bill and fortunately she succeeded.

Cathy Cox has been on the right side of this fight since day one. Mark Taylor is the one who was late to the party, and it is Mark Taylor who cozies up to a lawyer who fought federal desegregation orders and who himself recently said that when it comes to whether to consider race as a factor in drawing school district lines that it should be up to “local school boards” to decide. Yet, when he’s called on his inconsistent positions, he and his supporters cry fowl and he plays the victim. I guess Big Guys just can’t be held accountable in the same way the rest of us can.

For the record, I didn't like the piece attributed to Cox yesterday either, but when it comes to playing the race card, it pales in comparison to this expensive, long-planned mailing. This kind of high quality printing does not appear overnight. But garbage is garbage no matter what it's printed on.

I have just two questions: Does Mark Taylor have any regard for the truth? And why do he and his supporters think that there is one set of rules for Big Guys and another set of rules for everyone else?

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6 comments:

Amy Morton said...

You're dead wrong, Jo. I can't believe that you would stoop so low. You know as well as I do that Cathy is pro-choice. She is WIN endorsed. I am on that board, and being pro-choice is an endorsemment criteria. I expect as much from the Taylor Campaign.

Amy Morton said...

Do you believe everything you're told Jo? Name your source.

Amy Morton said...
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Amy Morton said...
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Amy Morton said...

Let's try the spelling again.

Of course, Jo. Don't fret. We believe everything you say because you have never done anything to call your credibility into question.

Tina said...

Good grief! I will be glad when the primary is over!