“Able” Mable pockets $1,500 from Norwood
November 2, 2009 at 4:32 pm by Scott Henry in News
Mable got paid, beeyatch!
Finally I’ve got an answer to my earlier question of what Mary Norwood had to spend to earn an endorsement from “Able” Mable Thomas.
Thanks to the most recent financial disclosures, filed Friday evening, we now know that the councilwoman’s mayoral campaign paid the mercenary rabble-rouser $1,500 for “consulting services.” Here’s the PDF.
Is it too cynical to wonder if Thomas’ services consisted of consulting with Norwood on what it would cost to buy her endorsement?
Frankly, unless there was some kind of “in-kind” compensation promised, “Able” Mable comes cheaper than I thought.
What proved more surprising to me is that Norwood paid City Hall hanger-on Dave Walker a grand for — snicker — “outreach.” Here’s that PDF. My guess is this largely meant Walker agreed to refrain from publicly heckling her during meetings.
(Despite Lisa Borders’ allegations, we couldn’t find an expenditure to ex-candidate Glenn Thomas.)
So, what have we learned? Namely, that the rest of us got shafted when Norwood was handing out the Benjamins! Oh, well, there’s always the runoff…
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
So $1000-$1500 is the going price of the Black vote these days, huh? This recession is hitting everyone hard!
What a shame to know that a once proud “community activist” can now be bought and sold for the price of a plasma TV? I hope she kept the receipt.
I just came from downtown Atlanta and caught that rabblerouser Dave Walker walking around shouting “Mary Norwood!” at the top of his lungs down at Five Points. I mean, those who know politics know how Dave Walker shakes out, but to the average passer-by, he just looked like a regular Five Points bum. How disgraceful!
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:13 pm
What was disgraceful? That Mary Norwood is buying endorsements? That Dave Walker was yelling “Norwood?” That Dave was at Five Points?
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:13 pm
You know, Scott Henry, it concerns me that you make these allegations against anyone. This blog is clearly not a journalistic effort. Drawing conclusions of all sorts via speculation based on “facts” is so unbecoming. Come on. You’ve got to know better. Really disappointing that you do not even attempt some modicum of objectivity.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Socrates, darlin’, the whole thing is disgraceful. It’s a disgrace that ‘Able’ Mable’s reputation and word can be bought for such a paltry sum. It’s disgraceful that worm Norwood has to stoop to these levels to endear the Black community she’s spent so much money trying to court and keep. And Dave Walker himself is just a downright disgrace.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Sort of getting tire of this Scott. Are you telling me that your man Reed — the person you and your paper have decided needs to be Mayor — does not do this same thing? Please… we know who you are voting for so really what is the point of all this?
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:59 pm
So, why exactly is anyone surprised at this? I’m on record for seconding Scott’s suspicion when Mary announced that Mable was “endorsing” her.
@Kristina: He posted the disclosure. There is nothing speculative about this. What else would you need to see? At the very least, Mary should explain what kind of consulting Ms. Thomas was doing. If Bill Campbell was on Kasim’s disclosure for “consulting”, I’d bet you’d have some questions.
Listen, folks around Atlanta know that there are some (often black) politicians that can be bought and sold. What does Mable do for a living? She chases “causes” and campaigns for dollars. These “activist” types run for office, chase grants for their nonprofits (or better yet their “consulting firms”) and get on election payrolls to pay their bills. Plain and simple. Mable is just one of many.
Further, the Glenn Thomas piece came from the Borders camp. How was that speculative again? Or as you put them, merely “facts?”
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
What part of endorsement don’t you people understand? Mary gave $1500 to Able for a service, $1000 to Dave W. for a consultation. And Reed gave CL an ad for his endorsement. What is the going rate for an ad in CL these days? That’s just how it works folks.
But I will say I’ve always enjoyed the Dave Walker show at City Hall. So I’m not sure how I feel about this just yet.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
@AH: You’re wrong. There was no quid pro quo between Reed buying ads and being endorsed by CL. They didn’t endorse him because he paid them; they endorsed him because apparently the writers felt he was the best candidate in the race. Similarly, do you think he had to pay Andy Young? Do you think Lisa had to pay anyone on the Concerned Black Clergy? No. You get endorsements because people believe in you, not because they paid you for “consulting.” Again, the quid pro quo is apparent here, and some of us are simply unwilling to admit it.
If that’s “just how it works” why haven’t we seen all of the major endorsers of the three leading candidates on their disclosures as “consultants?” If it’s as widespread as you make it seem, this should be a common occurrence, correct?
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
AH,
We have no clue who’s buying ads. We find that out when the issue comes back from the printer. And from what I can remember, Reed has never purchased an ad in CL.
I’ll have to check his disclosure. Lisa Borders has purchased several ads. But she didn’t receive CL’s endorsement.UPDATE: Scott checked Reed’s disclosures. He has never purchased an ad from us.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Mary claims to be for change. Buying Able Mable seems like changing back to the worse old days, not exactly what most of Mary’s supporters think she offers. Her judgment is terrible. She’ll be a real embarrassment if she makes it into office.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Slimy and lame, but I’m sure all the leading candidates are guilty of the same sort of thing.
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I think it’s interesting how Glenn phrased his response to what Lisa Borders said about him coming to her (and other campaigns) to pay to play. He said that he did not take any money for any “endorsements”. But surely Glenn had campaign debts after not only running a miserably failing campaign, but while he was in the middle of planning a wedding.
He dropped out of the race and went silent, but c’mon…
Kasim, step up and say that Thomas approached you as well so this story can get some legs. We already know Mary has no problem buying up Black people’s support. Don’t split the vote brotha!
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:28 pm
State Rep. Rashad Taylor pocketed $6K per month from Reed. I guess his endorsement costs a wee bit more.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 pm
@ Ricky: I was waiting for someone to come out with that one. He actually is one of Kasim’s political directors — an employee of the campaign — and not a mysterious “consultant” who pops up on the disclosure after an endorsement.
Again, the differences here are significant. It’s one thing to work for a campaign and be paid as such, but something entirely different to present oneself as an honest broker, endorse a candidate and then be on the payroll as a “consultant.” Key difference between an employee and a consultant.
Taylor’s services are for sale; not his endorsement.
Ricky, the better question is this: who has ENDORSED Senator Reed or Lisa Borders that has subsequently been found to be a “consultant” or on the campaign payroll? I’d bet you can’t name anyone.
Endorsements (not employment though) are supposed to be free. Mary is trying to buy black support, and I’d hope that voters of every color in the City find this reprehensible and vote accordingly.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:47 pm
@Morehouse Guy: you’re so boring . . . yawn.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Betsy: Dave Walker is a citizen-politician in the vein that George Washington wanted. Dave is brash, loud, and speaks truth to power. One might not agree with him, but you have got to give Dave credit for raising the roof. That is what democracy is designed to be. Plus, wouldn’t it be spectacular if Dave got enough votes to put Muller and Mitchell into a run-off? Those two lazy, bland politicians would be furious!
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:53 am
I knew something was up the moment I saw Mary Norwod setting up her campaign shop in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward on Edgewood Ave. She knew from the beginning that she didn’t have to worry about Buckhead and zeroed in on the the black vote. It appears as though it was a good strategy.
She also notoriously used her city council accounts to “unofficially” campaign throughout the city well before she threw het mayoral hat into the ring. Anybody who saw her many many flyers, mailers advertising her meetings around the city knew what she was up to.
She’s been bad for small Atlanta businesses and hostile to the things that made this city attractive to young people. She is not an effective legislator and has no real vision.
So now we know that she paid for support…Surprise!!!! Whatt’s going to be an even greater tragedy is that if there’s no runoff, noone wil be able to even call her on it.
The other front runners may not be stellar alternatives, but they aren’t Mary Norwood at least.
Cathy Woolard…You so fcuked up by leaving council and running for Congress. This would have been your election to lose. I can’t even bear the fact that we might have Mary Norwood as Mayor instead of you…..
November 4th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Mary Norwood has a HUGE amount of support in the Black Community, because she has been there. Norwood was active in the community long before she decided to run for Mayor. She just may be the 1st White Mayor in a long time.
Maynard Jackson was “hands-down” the BEST Mayor Atlanta has ever had, and no one will probably ever compare.
Jackson’s daughter has come out in support of Kasim Reed. Unfortunately, every candidate she throws her weight behind, ends up losing!
November 12th, 2009 at 1:01 am
The caption on the picture is totally inappropriate & completely offensive.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Lets compare…
Mary Norwood paid $2500 to a couple of “rabble rousers”.
Kasim Reed receives campaign contributions from 19 airport vendors that likely owe their contract to his brother who works at city hall.
Which one of these situations is most ripe for corruption if that person is elected mayor.
I’ll take Mary Norwood paying a couple of people to do some work for ANY DAY OF THE WEEK if it allows this city to break the Maynord Jackson – airport lease deal- machine.