It's On!

That's right. Sundown. City Hall. Macon. The second gubernatorial debate in a week will happen in Macon. This one is sponsored by the Democratic Women of Bibb County and is sure to be informative since I will get to ask some questions. :)

Join us, tonight at 6 p.m.

Check back here for updates after the party's over.

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Wonkette's Take on Ox's "YouPorn" Ad

Yesterday, I found Wonkette's filleting of Oxendine's "YouPorn" "ad" that was supposed to strike fear in the heart of Gov. Barnes. Go, there because it is so worth the read.

Among other things, she opines,

"Well we could dissect this, or we could use the time to back up this video,
because at some point today, someone in John Oxendine’s campaign will realize,
“Oh wait… Wait. Shit. We actually made this thing and invited people to watch
it. That was a thing that we did. Wow. We really just should have done the
opposite of that.”

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This Makes Me Sadder than Sad: Updated

Tom Crawford reports that the State Ethics Commission is widening the probe into Oxendine's donations. By the end of the day, will Ox or will Ox not send out an email blast alleging that he is the victim of a vast right wing conspiracy? Oh, wait...

I think Ox is the Ralph Reed of 2010, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Update: Read Galloway. They went for the right wing conspiracy before close of business.

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Cashing in on Bad Behavior

In politics, "sorry" no longer implies regret; it is simply the preamble to a coming fundraising appeal. With any luck, out-right celebrity will follow. It's the Joe "You Lie" Wilson road map to success and an indication that the line between shock-jock and politician gets thinner every day.

Last week Georgia Congressman and Republican candidate for Governor, Nathan Deal got caught on video using the term "ghetto grandmothers." Doesn't that make you just tingle with pride? Galloway reports that first Deal was sorry, then he was just misunderstood and mostly needed you to send him money to ward off the evil leftest media. Really, he was just trying to have a meaningful discussion about the importance of extended family support among the growing number of Georgians living in poverty.

No worries, Deal has plenty of company. Earlier this year, John Oxendine twisted himself into a figure eight to make himself a "victim" of the AJC "hit piece" (a.k.a. reporting) about his own questionable campaign contributions. Tuesday, Robert Lowery, a Floridian who hopes to unseat Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Shultz, joined fellow GOPers for an afternoon of fun with assault rifles. Lowery chose to shoot at a full-sized silhouette labeled "DWS." Nice. First he called it a joke, then, he called it a mistake. I'm betting that by Monday, he's calling himself a badly misunderstood supporter of the second amendment who needs your money to fight off the evil media. His buds, who were shooting a cut-outs depicting Muslims, were not about to apologize for exercising all of their constitutional rights, presumably including their right to stupidity.

One thing is certain, no one should confuse running for office, or even winning (see Mark Sanford, John Edwards, Charlie Rangel et. al) with public service, and certainly not with leadership. These guys seriously need to decide whether they want to govern or have their own radio shows (see Fred Thompson) because the choices are mutually exclusive.

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Some Bible Verses for Political Candidates

Last week, there was much to-do about whether or not cheerleaders in Catoosa County could burst onto the field through paper banners emblazened with Bible verses. According to Jim Galloway over at the AJC, some Democratic activist...I mean a mom who'd just finished an education law class at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University...had the nerve to call up the county school superintendent and question the legality of the signs.   But, never fear, John Oxendine is here. Oxendine called upon his super powers to issue a proclaimation, attend their next game and send an email blast to his list vowing to defend the cheerleaders from anyone who might try to strip them of their constitutional rights. Not yours and mine, so much.

In any case, I do find scripture instructive and think that perhaps as the candidates for Governor of Georgia qualify next Spring, perhaps they should also enter the room, bursting through scripture verse painted paper. Here, I'll even put my theological education to work and suggest a few appropriate verses:

1) "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16)

2) "You shall not commit adultry." (Exodus  20:14)

3) "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." (Matthew 22:21)

4) "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." (Matthew 19:30)

That'll do for starters.

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King Nut

Because deregulation worked so well for banking, and the FDA is so good at keeping us safe, Gov. Perdue wants prevent Georgians harmed by dangerous products from recovering damages from the Georgia makers provided the FDA has signed off on a product. This is the same agency that has handled the salmonella outbreaks so well, right? Even now, people are dying because of salmonella in King Nut Peanut butter. But, I get it. Protect business at all cost - even the cost of the lives of Georgians.

Who, I ask you, is the real King Nut? I think we know the answer to that. He also wants to go after "meritless" lawsuits. How about we go after meritless governance? Here's the King's statement on the issue:


This session, I will propose two pieces of legislation that will make Georgia more friendly to business. First, we will cement our position as a leader in the biotech industry by enacting laws that respect the role of the federal Food and Drug Administration as the regulator of the safety of drugs and medical devices.

As other states have decided, I believe that FDA approval should mean something … It certainly should imply protection from tort lawsuits. This legislation will say that companies with a significant presence in Georgia will not be subject to product liability claims within this state if the FDA approved the medical device, drug or the labeling along with it. The legislation will make Georgia an even more attractive environment for biotechnology companies.

Secondly, Georgia's courts are crowded with nuisance lawsuits, but unfortunately, they are often cheaper to settle than to litigate. Current law provides almost no deterrent for frivolous lawsuits and that must change.

I'm asking the General Assembly to pass another tort reform bill that will provide relief to individuals and companies wrongly sued. In short, if a claim is dismissed at the earliest possible stage, the litigant bringing the claim will be responsible for the prevailing party's attorneys' fees.

If the attorney fails to notify the client of this provision, that attorney could pay the award. Lastly, the bill will make sure that the costly discovery process will not begin until the legal merits of a complaint have been tested.

This will free up our courts to pursue justice in cases with merit, protect our existing businesses that provide jobs for Georgians and attract new investment. With the help of the General Assembly, we'll make plain that the threat of meritless litigation is not a viable business strategy in Georgia.

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Far Be it From Me to Be Giving Barnes Advice...

But, please, Governor, if you're going to run, tell us sooner rather than later. You really the only democrat who could start late and still finish, so if you're not in, tell us so that those who are in will have the time they need to raise the money and build the name id. In analyzing Martin's race, folks sort of brush over the fact that he did not start until about March. Let's not do that again. And, please, God, let the bloody primary happen on the republican side this go round. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again.

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Poll Question: Who Should Be the Next Governor?

Why am I doing this today? Because there's always the next race.

Rumors abound about who will throw their hat in the ring for the democratic nomination for Governor of Georgia. As of now, the only candidate I know is "officially" in the race is David Poythress, but once the run off is done, expect the announcements to come fast and furious. In 2004, this was just about the time of year when Cathy Cox called to say she was getting ready to run. And, I've already had a couple of those calls this year, and no, I'm not saying who. But this list represents some who are rumored to be thinking of running. Who's your primary pick? If he or she is not on the list, go ahead and add their name. Play nice.

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But Will Estrada Run for Lt. Gov.?

So, we know that Oxendine will run for Governor. I think that's great, in fact, I hope the Republicans have ten or twelve candidates in the race. But the burning question, no pun intended, is whether or not Oxendine's best bud Erick Estrada will move to Georgia to run for Lt. Governor? And, will there be a bulldog in Oxendine's ad campaign?

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Porter for Governor?

Can I just say that Rep. Porter sounded an awful lot like a candidate for Governor this weekend at the County Party Chairs' dinner? I have no scoop, mind you , and no inside information, but should he decide to run, I think he'd make a good candidate. I do have one concern. I'm just not sure Dubose is arrogant enough to be Governor. I mean, after all, he's accessible, responsive, down to earth, smart. The question is, can a nice guy, or gal, win?

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Georgia Republicans Are Eating Their Young

Georgia Democrats may have perfected the art of the circular firing squad, but we have nothing on the Republicans. Over at Peach Pundit, they are bashing the Governor and one another with vigor.

Right now, on the heels of a legislative session that redefined the words "intra-party battle," they are working as hard to lose as they once did to win. There was a time when the Georgia GOP was masterful at having their fights behind closed doors and then presenting a united front. No more. And who gets to pay the price for their fight? The Governor and the taxpayers. The taxpayers get to pick to the quarter of a million dollar tab for the special session, and the Governor has officially assumed the position of the Georgia GOP whipping boy. Well, sometimes love affairs do end badly.

But, are they being more calculating than we suspect? What do they have to lose by making Gov. Perdue their punching bag? The answer is other than looking like hypocritical idiots, not a whole lot. Perdue doesn't ever have to worry about getting elected again in Georgia, and whoever thinks that Sonny will get the VP nod from the Republicans is reading my personal wish list. I mean, does the GOP really want to bring Sonny and his Oakey Woods baggage to the Presidential race? I doubt it. Besides, the South is not the place the Republicans need help. At least not yet.

No, it makes a world of sense that party insiders are beating up the Governor, and in the process hope to save the reputations of their future gubernatorial candidates, Richardson and Cagle. Sounds like vintage Rove/Reed to me.

The question is, what will Democrats do in response? We have taken some positive steps. This session, with a few exceptions, we did a good job of holding our caucus together. We managed to look positively sane as Richardson, Cagle and Perdue engaged in their threesome. Now, Georgia Democrats need to seize the moment, plan the strategy and walk through the giant fissure the GOP has created. Nationally, in the November elections, the Republicans did a good job of beating themselves. The same thing can happen in Georgia if we are willing to work together, raise money and allow them to implode.

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