Some Folks Who Deserve a Pat on the Back

There are some folks who make things tick but are rarely recognized for their efforts. Below are some of my picks for 2008. These are among the unsung heroes who make the trains run on time, but they are not the only ones. I invited you to add your nominations in the comments.

1) Matt Caseman: Thanks to Matt's morning clips, I can pick up my blackberry and know what's going on in Georgia politics before the shower is warm.

2) Randy Lewis: Same props as Matt Caseman. If you have not checked out Randy's site, FitzLew's Georgia Political and Policy Digest, you should. There you will find a daily summary of Georgia's most important political, business, and general news headlines, plus so much more.

3) Jim and Joan Martin: Jim ran and ran honorably, especially for someone who had not planned to run and who had many, many other things he could've spent the last year doing.

4) Steve Leeds: Many of you know Steve; some of you don't. Steve is one of those folks who works quietly behind the scenes to raise the money, support the causes and in general, make things happen. He's on a short list of people who have always done exactly what they have told me they would.

5) Martin Matheny: Communications director for the DPG who always takes my calls, listens to me rant and effectively talks me down.

6) Lynn Farmer: My friend and current president of the Bibb County School Board and director of the Leadership Macon program. Lynn does an outstanding job with the very difficult task of trying to improve our schools despite having fewer and fewer dollars to spend.

7) Duke Groover: That would be Denmark's son, for those of you not from Macon. Duke's one of those folks, again, who is always there ready to work, whether in politics or community service, when the cause or the person is right.

8) Caroline Moise: Longtime board member of Georgia's WIN List who always follows through elegantly with whatever task she takes.

9) Melanie Goux: You may know Melanie from Blog for Democracy, but what you may not know if how many Georgia candidates she bailed out with last minute help. You know who you are.

There are so many more people who deserve be on this list - folks who seldom get the public pat on the back they deserve. These nine are now, officially, patted, and I invite you to add to the list in the comments.

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On the Phone With Gov. Howard Dean

Right now, on his birthday and mine, DNC Chair, Gov. Howard Dean is doing a conference call for bloggers, and he's spending the majority of the time taking questions. I asked him about the DNC efforts with regard to Jim Martin's race in Georgia. He said that all of the Obama campaign offices are re-opening or remaining open, and that the DNC is investing significant money in the race, along with the DSCC. Gov. Dean praised Jim Martin, saying that he is a great person and a great candidate who anyone supportive of Barack Obama should be pleased to vote for. Dean correctly noted that this runoff election is all about turn out and stressed the importance of grassroots efforts, especially knocking on doors, to get those all important voters to the polls.

There were also questions from bloggers in West Virginia and Louisiana about how those of us in 'red' states could work to improve chances for Democrats. Again, Dean pointed to both the national trends, the gains made in those states this cycle and said that his eye was on Texas as a prime target for Democrats over the next two election cycles. (Just so we're clear, I'm making it my personal mission to make Georgia a prime DNC target, and we'll talk more about that later.)
In response to a direct question, Dean essentially said that he could not explain why President-elect Obama's overall performance was better than Gore and Kerry, yet in some areas of Appalachia and the "inland South" Obama did not preform as well as they did. Of course, the question essentially raised the issue of to what degree race was a factor in some areas of the country.

I really appreciated the fact that Gov. Dean did this call today, drawing in the bloggers in a substantive way. Thanks, and Happy Birthday, Gov. Dean!

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Loved That

Last night, with about 24 hours notice, we hosted a Happy Hour event for Jim Martin here in Macon. The candidate didn't have to come. It didn't cost anything. And, about 50 people showed up. Many volunteered for Jim, and we raised some money for the campaign. Looks like they will be re-opening the Obama office in Macon. Some who came said that they were there for Max. It was Veteran's Day, after all. This was part of a nationwide effort to support Martin, and while I don't know the overall figure in terms of fundraising, I would guess that it was significant. Loved all that.

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Macon for Martin

We have an opportunity to elect a new democratic senator from Georgia, Jim Martin. Though the press had written him off on election night, when all the votes were counted, Martin forced Chambliss into a runoff. There's no doubt that the runoff will be expensive and that volunteers will be needed. To that end, tomorrow, on Veteran's Day, Georgia Women Vote is joining with bloggers all across the country to host a Happy Hour for Jim Martin. I hope that you can join us tomorrow night as we help Jim raise the money and the volunteer power Jim needs to win in December. If you can't make the event, you can donate to the campaign here, and your can sign up to volunteer here.

What? Macon for Martin

Where? The Hummingbird Stage and Taproom
430 Cherry Street
Macon, Georgia 31201

When? Tuesday, Nov. 11th at 5:30 p.m.

Cash Bar

Everyone is welcome, and while there is no admission charge, we hope that you will come, give what you can and/or volunteer to help the campaign. See you tomorrow!

By the way, tomorrow is Veteran's Day, so let me just say: Do it for Max!!

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