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Georgia Politics Unfiltered: Tommie Williams Named Legislator Of The Year By Consumer Rights Group

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:33:00 -0500

Georgia Senate President Pro Tempore Tommie Williams (R - Lyons) was named Legislator of the Year by consumer rights organization Georgia Watch for "battling the interests of big business and speaking up for the average Georgian."

"Sen. Williams worked closely with Georgia Watch to assure pro-consumer provisions were implemented" [...]

Georgia Politics Unfiltered: Hank Johnson: Use TARP Funds To Create Jobs

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:05:00 -0500

Tuesday, Congressman Hank Johnson (D - Georgia) introduced a resolution urging the House to allocate unspent Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds to create jobs.

“With unemployment in Atlanta and the nation stubbornly above 10 percent, we must do more to create jobs,” said Johnson. “Tapping unspent TARP funds [...]

Georgia Politics Unfiltered: Kingston To Introduce Legislation Auditing Use Of Stimulus Dollars

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:34:00 -0500

With media reports indicating major discrepancies and inaccuracies on the government web page tracking the use of stimulus funds, Congressman Jack Kingston (R - Georgia) is calling for an audit and is co-sponsoring legislation to achieve that goal.

Kingston, along with South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson and Indiana Congressman [...]

Georgia Politics Unfiltered: Don't Expect Dems To Capitalize On The Republicans' Recent Struggles

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:37:00 -0500

Thanks to the questionable ethics of the soon-to-be former Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R - Hiram), the state Democratic Party has been given a chance to make good government a major issue in the 2010 campaign.

However, if recent history is any guide, don't expect Georgia Democrats to' [...]

Lucid Idiocy (Politics): Good news on House meltdown: It continues

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:08:00 -0500

I'm just going to go ahead and post this again, because, in my mind, this is what is actually happened right now to the House GOP caucus.

Bonus points to you if you can predict which legislator should be equated to Wes Mantooth. Now, on to some' [...]

JasonPye.com: Emo Football

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:28:03 -0500

Want some of Tim Tebow's tears? Buy 'em here.

H/T: Brett Bittner

' [...]

Peach Pundit: A Bold and Safe Choice

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:04:52 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Dear House Republicans,

You want a bold and safe choice for Speaker?

Go with this guy.

Seriously. Not kidding one bit.

You signal that you are conservative, that you understand the internal problems, that you want to make serious amends, and as an added bonus you help cull the herd in the 9th [...]

Peach Pundit: A Festivus For The Rest Of The Caucus.

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:58:31 -0500

Number of comments: 1

So now we know there will be a meeting of the House GOP Caucus on Friday at 10 AM:

So a memo went out this afternoon, under the name of caucus chairman Donna Sheldon of Dacula, asking GOP lawmakers to set their GPS units for the Georgia Tech Research Institute [...]

Oconee County, Georgia Politics: Photo: Jekyll Island makeover under way || OnlineAthens.com

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:55:00 -0500

Wonder why Georgia Republicans are eating their own? This would be a good place to start.Photo: Jekyll Island makeover under way || OnlineAthens.com [...]

JasonPye.com: A Canadian speaks out against Canadian-style health care

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:32:25 -0500

Cheryl Baxter tells her story: [...]

Peach Pundit: Are House Republicans Retarded, Scared, or Shell Shocked?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:29:36 -0500

Number of comments: 8

“It’s common knowledge that the best and wisest piece of legislation stands no chance with the House GOP leadership in competition with short skirts and liquor.”

I have a hard time grasping at this one.

It’s funny, I was thinking about Denny Hastert and then got an email making the case. Then [...]

Peach Pundit: Did Hell Freeze?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:24:14 -0500

Number of comments: 4

Not really, but thanks Grift and Gray.

I won’t get preachy and I admit totally I’m a partisan, but I started doing what I was doing just for the love of politics. Somehow I’ve been blessed to get in a position where I have some clout, whether deserved or [...]

Fresh Loaf: Photo of the Day: Standing vigil

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:00:38 -0500

Another life lost to crime in Atlanta is mourned [...]

Dora-Blog: Northwoods History Project – Wednesday Dec 9

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:36:32 -0500

A few months ago, I had an e-mail exchange with Rebecca Crawford — a graduate student at Georgia State University who is doing a research project on Doraville’s Northwoods neighborhood. She is looking at the neighborhood as a good example of the ranch-house communities that sprang up around the country [...]

Cracker Squire: The late U.S. Sen. Herman Talmadge comments on the Democratic Party's nominating process.

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:13:00 -0500

The above clip from YouTube comes courtesy of the blog Peanut Politics.

The system that McGovern's committee put in place and that got him nominated in 1972 continues intact. It is not designed to elect a candidate who runs from the middle (such as my candidate [...]

Peach Pundit: CBS Cancels ‘As The World Turns’

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:48:04 -0500

Number of comments: 6

…I guess they finally realized they couldn’t compete with what was going on under the Gold Dome.

[...]

Peach Pundit: A barometer for the Cagle campaign?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:39:11 -0500

Number of comments: 20

It can never been good for a campaign when you go to Google, type in your candidate’s name, and the number one “helpful term” which appears as you type includes said candidates name and the word “affair.”

Consider this an evening and overnight OPEN THREAD to ponder [...]

Peach Pundit: Appreciated

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:23:01 -0500

Number of comments: 4

Thank you.

[...]

Peach Pundit: Ed Lindsey Enters Race For Majority Whip

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:11:09 -0500

Number of comments: 5

With Jan Jones now running for a higher leadership position, there is an opening for Majority Whip.

Edward Lindsey has decided to run for this position, and is in the process of gathering support. One of the legislators I spoke with earlier today is an “exurban Atlantan” who traditionally wouldn’t be [...]

Peach Pundit: Mark Hamilton Endorses Kemp For SOS

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:08:19 -0500

Number of comments: 9

See, the problem when you try to stay on message is that the opponant has to then respond to you staying on message, and now we have two posts out of the last three that are not about adultery or which guy from East Bumble will form an exploratory committee [...]

Fresh Loaf: Historic Westside Village Publix to close, community on edge

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:42:43 -0500

Number of comments: 9
After Christmas Eve, west Atlanta residents will lose their only grocery store [...]

Peach Pundit: Austin Scott Touts Record Of Ethics Reform

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:31:59 -0500

Number of comments: 20

Austin Scott today issued a statement calling for a state wide grand jury to replace the current method of politicians self policing themselves (or not) and shift this responsibility to an independent body.

The thing I would like to first point out before getting into generic press release stuff is that [...]

JasonPye.com: Ox doesn't want to debate other candidates

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:23:22 -0500

John Oxendine, an avid Peach Pundit reader and Republican candidate for Governor, has Republican Party that he will not participate in a debate with other candidates polling under 5 percent.

Depending on which polls you count (polls available here), that would only include Oxendine, Nathan Deal and [...]

JasonPye.com: Tea Party v. Republican Party: GOP would lose?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:10:29 -0500

How do you know the Republican Party still has a lot of problems to solve before they can regain a majority in Congress?Rasmussen has the answer:In a three-way Generic Ballot test, the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds Democrats attracting 36% of the vote. The Tea Party candidate [...]

JasonPye.com: Harry Reid compares opponents of ObamaCare to supporters of slavery

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:08:10 -0500

How do you know Democrats are losing the health care debate? Because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid compared opponents of ObamaCare to supporters of slavery:Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday, comparing Republicans who oppose health care reform to lawmakers who clung [...]

Fresh Loaf: Reed campaign rejects Norwood allegations

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:57:18 -0500

Number of comments: 4
Reed team refutes allegations of election fraud [...]

Peach Pundit: MacGinnitie Announces Support For Bill To Ease Military Voting

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:50:36 -0500

Number of comments: 4

Because I need a break from the fire hydrant of news coming out of the goat rope that is the Georgia House of Representatives, I bring you a reminder that there will actually be bills voted on in the Georgia Legislature in about 30 days. And apparently, Doug MacGinnitie likes [...]

Peach Pundit: Tommy Smith in the hunt for the Speaker’s seat

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:45:30 -0500

Number of comments: 17

I’ll help with your first question of “who?” Tommy Smith is from the 168th District and was sworn into office in 1979. He also is a blueberry farmer and has no problem sponsoring legislation that will benefit him…like to create the Georgia Blueberry Commission. Precisely [...]

Fresh Loaf: Last week’s top posts: Runoffs, runoffs, runoffs … and Richardson

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:32:14 -0500

The never-ending mayoral runoff election — and the ever-imploding career of fallen House Speaker Glenn Richardson. What a week! [...]

Peach Pundit: Please pray for Senator Shafer’s sister.

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:07:27 -0500

Number of comments: 4

I’ve just received word that Senator David Shafer’s sister has been diagnosed with stage 2 brain cancer. Apparently Doctors operated recently to remove what was thought to be a non-cancerous tumor. Unfortunately it was not.

My thoughts and prayers are with Senator Shafer, his sister and the rest of his family. [...]

Peach Pundit: Daily Race Update: O’Neal Still In Lead, Jones Has Pro Tem Position As “Hers To Lose”

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:54:52 -0500

Number of comments: 20

Consensus seems to be building around Larry O’Neal as the Republican caucus choice to be Georgia’s next Speaker of the House. His election is not a lock, but members from various constituencies within the caucus tell me that he still is viewed as the person who can bring the house [...]

Peach Pundit: Linger Longer Left

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:53:35 -0500

Number of comments: 10

I have to wonder if Linger Longer’s pet legislator has gotten caught with his pants down or something.

From The AJC:

The company hired to help redevelop Jeykll Island’s beachfront has pulled out of the partnership.

Linger Longer Communities said Tuesday their decision was “due to the uncertainty of the economic [...]

Lucid Idiocy (Politics): Scott: We need statewide grand juries

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:39:00 -0500

From state Rep. Austin Scott, who is also a GOP candidate for governor:HR 75, introduced by Scott on January 16, 2009, would allow the State Attorney General to empanel a state-wide grand jury to investigate “corruption in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the state, any political subdivision or [...]

Oconee County, Georgia Politics: Photos of new North High Shoals officials being sworn in

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:25:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
Photos of David Lawrence, Violet Dawe and Stephen Arnold being sworn in at last night's meeting where Eddie Cape pulled yet another no-show to prevent a quorum, but no of Judge Dave Anglin swearing in the newly elected (or re-elected in Violet's case) town officials.
North High Shoals, GA [...]

Peach Pundit: “Downtown liberals in the media” and a “palace revolt” took out Burkhalter.

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:19:58 -0500

Number of comments: 13

The Beacon has some interesting notions about what exactly caused the departure of Mark Burkhalter from the Speaker’s race.

Rumors are swirling around the Internet blaming “ethical” problems Burkhalter may have faced as House Speaker as contributing to his decision to withdraw. None have been confirmed or substantiated.

“He can’t [...]

Capitol Updates: Breaking: Linger Longer ends Jekyll Island agreement

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:06:21 -0500

Number of comments: 10

The company hired to help redevelop Jeykll Island’s beachfront has pulled out of the partnership.

Linger Longer Communities said Tuesday their decision was “due to the uncertainty of the economic environment and the difficulty that this uncertainty imposes on a workable development schedule.”

The Jekyll Island Authority, the state entity responsible for [...]

Capitol Updates: Scott renews call for grand juries to investigate corruption

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:54:57 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton), a 2010 candidate for governor, said Tuesday he will renew his push to create a statewide grand jury to investigation corruption in all branches of government.

Early in the 2009 legislative session, Scott introduced House Resolution 75, a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the attorney general [...]

Peach Pundit: Olens puts forward ethics proposal.

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:44:44 -0500

Number of comments: 12

There’s a silver lining in every crisis and it seems ethics reform may be Zippergate’s silver lining. GOP AG Candidate Sam Olens issued a press release with his ideas for ethics reform:

“While every candidate for State office is now talking about ethics, I’m proud of the fact that our campaign [...]

Peach Pundit: Jerry Keen needs to get out of the way, as well

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:40:09 -0500

Number of comments: 15

With the departure of Glenn Richardson, after he gobbles up several more thousand tax dollars to sit on his rear and do nothing through the end of the month, and now with Mark Burkhalter saying he is interested isn’t interested is interested in the GWCC Executive [...]

Peach Pundit: Hank Johnson Battling Hepatitis C

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:22:14 -0500

Number of comments: 1

Slipping in under the radar with all the news coming out of the Gold Dome is word that U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) has been battling Hepatitis C. His weight change has been noticed by many for quite a while now.

From WSB Radio:

He tells the [...]

JasonPye.com: Clay Cox to run for Speaker Pro-Tem

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:31:25 -0500

I got word this morning that State Rep. Clay Cox will run for Speaker Pro-Tem, which is being vacated by Mark Burkhalter. Here is the letter he sent to the House Republican Caucus:
It’s been a tough couple of weeks, and we are now faced with not just finding [...]

Peach Pundit: Clay Cox to run for Speaker Pro-Tem

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:27:59 -0500

Number of comments: 10

We got word this morning that State Rep. Clay Cox will run for Speaker Pro-Tem, which is being vacated by Mark Burkhalter. Here is the letter he sent to the House Republican Caucus:

It’s been a tough couple of weeks, and we are now faced with not just finding new [...]

Fresh Loaf: Morning Newsdome: Climate summit brings about pollution

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:09:55 -0500

A round-up of the day's news from around the world [...]

Lucid Idiocy (Politics): State Rep. Clay Cox offers for speaker pro tem

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:50:00 -0500

First off: State Rep. Larry O'Neal apparently has the flu and is home sick. He's been feeling awful for several days now, according to his law office, so I don't expect to get confirmation from him one way or another today on whether he'll seek the speaker's chair.

What' [...]

Peach Pundit: A woman for Speaker?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:49:42 -0500

Number of comments: 13

As the House GOP tries to sort things out, ideas are being floated left and right. One idea that’s popped up this morning is of a woman for Speaker of the House:

One female Republican veteran this morning is suggesting that, given the current zipper situation, House GOP members consider [...]

JasonPye.com: Marshall opposes "war tax"

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:30:27 -0500

My Congressman, Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA), opposes a war tax to fund a surge in troops for Aghanistan:Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., will not support a proposal by several of his House Democratic colleagues to fund President Obama’s troop increase in Afghanistan with a 1 percent income tax increase.

Marshall spokesman [...]

Fresh Loaf: House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s resignation could spell peril for state GOP

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:01:14 -0500

Number of comments: 1
The problem with keeping Richardson wasn't that he had a mistress-- it was who she worked for' [...]

Peach Pundit: Americans for Prosperity Has Two Upcoming Events

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:46:23 -0500

Number of comments: 4

First, you can participate in a virtual climate summit on Wednesday at noon.

Second, is their Patriots Christmas. The event will be December 11th at 7pm.

[...]

Peach Pundit: Ox Won’t Debate

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:54:16 -0500

Number of comments: 20

A while back a Mercer professor scheduled a debate, locked in the time and day, then notified all the candidates of the day of the debate asking them to attend.

Unfortunately, all the candidates except Ox had events that day and they weren’t going to drop everything just to drive to [...]