Fresh Loaf

1. Ludacris, T.I., Young Jeezy stump for Jim Martin in Atlanta

2. Annals of Bizarro: Sugg dishes on the Loaf in the Sunday Paper

3. SNL parodies Zell Miller and Georgia U.S. Senate race

4. Rapper, Diddy’s cousin sentenced in BMF sting

5. Saxby supporters are at it again

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— The state’s in financial distress, the city’s in financial distress and just about everyone I know has either been laid off or else walks around in fear of being laid off. So what’s to be done? How’s about we wipe out all the black colleges and merge them with integrated colleges? Erick at Peach Pundit thinks it’s an idea whose time has come.

— DriftGrift weighs in on that prospect and discovers what he thinks is a rare branch on the political motivational tree: Insanity. Or else a really clever Trojan horse ploy to put the Democrats back in charge.

— The election season’s finally over and the Big Sax Machine was peacocking on Fox News about how he’s single-handedly put the Republican Party back on course and how Obama’s reign of terror is really over before it hardly begun. Whew, talk about insanity. Decaturguy at Atlanta Public Affairs points out that Big Saxy is giving a self high-five. After all, he was the incumbent, he was up in the polls and he had more money; why is anyone surprised that he won? Doesn’t the fact that he was pushed into a run-off despite those advantages say more?

— Did Caribou Barbie carry the day for our shameless one? Hardly, but she did look hot in those campaign outfits that she was supposed to have returned weeks ago to the RNC. Over at Live Apartment Fire, Doug takes a deeper look into the infamous dead turkey video. It turns out the cameraman alerted her to the, er, work going on behind her. “That’s OK,” she replied. “Let people see where their food comes from.” Uh, no.

— Thankfully, as Andre notes at Georgia Politics Unfiltered, Mr. CEO is ready to rescue the Georgia version of the Democratic Party. Wow, I feel better already.

— And, finally, Gray at Left On Lanier has another lurid edition of the “world’s most inappropriate candy” Disney-style. Have a great weekend, bloggerheads.

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— Congratulations Georgia. We continue to go against the mainstream and managed to save democracy last night by withholding that 60th Democratic vote in the U.S. Senate. Where from here? Amy at Georgia Women Vote has already turned her eye toward the next big vote: Is there a Democrat in the house worthy of being Georgia’s next governor?

— Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered notes that two years ago, with virtually no money in his war chest, Martin got 42.3 percent of the vote when he ran for lieutenant governor. This year, with a substantial war chest and Obama’s troops behind him … he got 42.6 percent of the vote. That’s what happens when the only viable candidate you can find has to be pushed into the election like leading a mule to water.

— The esteemed Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight wonders if the shameless one hasn’t found the new path for Republican candidates. They can’t run on Bush’s record, they can’t run against Obama’s record yet. The Big Sax Machine spotlighted his “bi-partisanship” and Silver says Republicans may have realized it doesn’t promote their cause to act like assholes.

— At What Is Going On?, Wilson Smith offers his own post-election analysis and also has a podcast chat with DriftGrift.

— The author of the Daly Briefing is home from his stint in Iraq and pondering fate. There were certain things he didn’t blog about from the war zone, sometimes to protect his fellow soldiers and other times to keep friends and family members from worrying. Today, he discusses one of those episodes in which fate seemed to lend a hand to protect him from a mine.

— And, finally, Reporter-Cub notes the passing of one of America’s great singers, Odetta. It’s worth a look because he has a sound clip of my favorite Odetta song, the best version of “Midnight Special” I’ve ever heard.

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Hindsight’s 20/20 and all that, but here’s a thought.

Even with all his faults, could DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones — who lost to Martin in the Democratic primary — have beaten Saxby Chambliss in a runoff?

Vernon Jones and admirers earlier this year at Manuel's Tavern

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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The Associated Press says Saxby Chambliss has convinced voters to send him back to Washington, D.C. for six more years.

Six. More. Years.

Saxby supporters election night November 4

(Photo By Joeff Davis)

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Subscription-based news service Insider Advantage has time traveled back to the present after a heady trip to tomorrowland. Upon exiting its gullwinged timemachine, the site called the U.S. Senate race for incumbent Saxby Chambliss.

Note the time:

BULLETIN

6:30 p.m.

(12/2/08) Based on our early evaluation of turnout in the Georgia runoff, it appears Republicans have successfully defended Saxby Chambliss’ U.S. Senate seat against Democrat Jim Martin. The four-week campaign focused national attention on the Peach State and brought John McCain, Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton and Al Gore to the state to help their parties’ respective candidates drive up turnout. Barack Obama cut an ad and a robo-call tape for Martin but didn’t risk his prestige on the race through a personal appearance.

As I write this, both the U.S. Senate and Public Service Commission races show Republicans leading 60-40. Results from Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton Counties are just now rolling in.

(DeLorean photo from Newsgroper)

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Depending on how these races turnout, they could either be celebrations or a wake. Roll the dice and decide which you’d like to attend.

• U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and most of the state’s Republican usual suspects will hold court at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead, the same place the incumbent Republican partied at on Nov. 4. Cash bar and what looked like good food were at that shindig. Believe it or not, there was hummus. The public’s invited and doors open at 7 p.m.

• The Democrats, including Chambliss’ Democratic opponent Jim Martin and Georgia Public Service Commission candidate Jim Powell, will be at Park Tavern. Doors open at 7 p.m. and it’s also open to the public.

• Manuel’s will undoubtedly be serving beer and wings. If this turns out to be the night Republicans Strike Back, you’ll want to be among friends.

If you know of any others, leave ‘em in the comments.

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VOTERS IN DIFF'RENT AREA CODES Democratic nominee Jim Martin, supported by T.I., Young Jeezy and Ludacris (not pictured), on Monday night at the Gold Dome.

Let it be stated: You will never again see Jim Martin walk out to bodyshaking bass and shake hands with three hip-hop stars. Absurd moments like these only happen on the eve of a runoff where a Democrat-controlled Senate is at stake.

On Monday night in front of the Capitol, standing at a podium underneath a statue of one of Georgia’s most perplexing racists, the U.S. Senate Democratic nominee addressed a bundled-up crowd of nearly 1,000 people that braved the cold to see Ludacris, T.I. and Young Jeezy. (Martin admitted as much.)

But Democrats hope those supporters will return to the polls on Tuesday to vote for the Party’s candidates — and tell their friends and families to do the same.

Flanked on stage by more than 30 city, state and federal Democratic notables, Martin repeated the phrase he’s used to describe his role if voters send him to Washington — to be a “bridge” to Pres.-elect Barack Obama’s initiatives, not a “firewall,” as Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss has branded himself.

“You did the right thing,” Congressman John Lewis told the crowd. “You did it. And we must do it again… I’ve served in Congress for a little while. Saxby is not our friend. I tell you, he’s not our friend. If you really want to help Barack Obama, let’s do it.”

(more…)

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Remember this Thanksgiving  video of U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss? Well, someone’s focused on the more, uhm, confusing part.

(Hat tip to Buzzfeed)

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From Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered:

Georgia Politics Unfiltered has confirmed with state Democratic Party officials that the director of the Illinois Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Tammy Duckworth, will campaign with Jim Martin throughout the day Monday including stops in Atlanta and Macon.

Duckworth is a veteran of the Iraq war where she suffered severe wounds that cost her both legs along with damage to her right arm. In 2006, Duckworth was a candidate for Congress from Illinois’ sixth district. She continues to serve as a Major in the Illinois Army National Guard.

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— How do you know it’s a Christmas season in hard times? When folks start tabulating the cost of all the items in “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Jason Pye has the expensive details for this Blue Christmas.

— And what is Christmas without local news stations covering the first official day of shopping? At Live Apartment Fire, Doug critiques the wall-to-wall coverage, including the reporter who did a story on finding a certain gift for her son. But is he gonna watch and figure out that his mom bought the gift, and not Santa?

— At Politits, DCup and her family are spendng the season dealing with financial calamity. They are looking for a new house and she frets over whether a landlord will rent to a couple in foreclosure. And, of course, who’s going to feed the birds that congregate around her country crib?

— Before we get to the real Christmas cheer, we have to elect a U.S. senator. Caribou Barbie comes to Georgia to stir up some good feelings about the Big Sax Machine. Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered notes that Palin’s hometown newspaper has criticized her for campaigning for such a “reprehensible Republican chicken hawk.” Ouch.

— At Blog For Democracy, lpackard takes us on the campaign trail with Jim Martin who, unlike Mr. Shameless, actually served in the military instead of ducking out of the draft because of an old football injury.

— Who’s going to win? Big Saxy has the money and the big-name Republicans shilling for his cause. FiveThirtyEight’s Sean Quinn is on the ground in Georgia and reports one major difference in the two campaigns: Martin’s local headquarters in Savannah were beehives of activity over the weekend while the headquarters of the Republican incumbent were open but virtually empty.

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Today’s the last chance for Georgia’s U.S. Senate candidates to campaign, and they’re both playing to the base.

Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss hosted Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin last night at a private fundraiser at the W Hotel in Midtown; today she’ll stump for the candidate in Augusta, Savannah and Perry before finishing the day at the Gwinnett Arena at 4 p.m.

Democratic candidate Jim Martin is scheduled to receive well wishes from rapper Ludacris and U.S. Congressman John Lewis today at a rally in front of the Capitol at 5:30 p.m.

Martin, whom many political pundits said needed a visit from Pres.-elect Barack Obama to rouse voters back to the polls against Chambliss, is trying to energize turnout among African-American voters. That demographic turned out in record numbers for the Nov. 4 General Election, but statistics for early voting in the runoff election show fewer numbers are returning to the polls. Obama did lend his voice to robocalls and a radio ad for Martin, it looks like he won’t be stopping in the Peach State to rally for the former state lawmaker.

And before I forget. Matt Zencey, the editorial page editor for the Anchorage Daily News, has some kind words for Palin as she makes her way across our gee-golly-this-place-is-neat-ya-know state.

Gov. Palin’s eldest joined the Army and has been deployed to Iraq. As a justifiably proud military mom, she might ask herself why she is using her conservative star power to support such a reprehensible Republican chicken hawk.

OK then! We’ll have info later in the day about voting tomorrow as well as the usual list of who’s partying where. If you attend any of these rallies — I’ll most likely try to get some face time with America’s sweetheart — feel free to send in photos.

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U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Jim Martin released a new ad today that says incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss voted against bills that would help military veterans.

Since taking office in 2003, the ad says, Chambliss has voted 23 times against increasing funding for veteran’s health care programs. The ad also says the senator voted against the latest GI bill for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan that would provide full educational benefits to soliders upon their return.

I’ll update the post when I hear back from Chambliss’ campaign. Expect a blitz of these ads leading up to Tuesday’s runoff.

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I’ll let them say it:

Is it just me, or has our state’s senior Senator been going to a tanning bed? On my computer it looks like he’s got a goggles tan.

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— It’s Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving hangover where we begin the annual ritual of creating creative ways to use leftover turkey. Hopefully, we’ll be so tired of turkey by next Tuesday that we won’t elect one to the U.S. Senate. Sean Quinn of the great FiveThirtyEight site, did a compelling analysis before the Presidential election, based on what he saw at local campaign headquarters that he visited across the country. In short, Obama’s swirled with activity while J-Mac’s were largely either closed or deserted. Quinn is in Georgia and stopped by Martin’s office in Gwinnett County — Obama’s field workers were there with a beehive of activity. Can Jim Martin shock the world?

— The folks at Down Right remain confident the Big Sax Machine will roll to victory. He’s got the money, he’s got the world’s greatest Tina Fey impersonator coming down and there’s the annoying fact that Martin has all the charisma of a rock.

— All that has served to make the Sax Machine’s people more than a little arrogant. As Amy at Georgia Women Vote notes, the incumbent’s chief strategist has labeled Martin as “insignificant.” He also compared Martin to his dog. But does that dog have any bite?

— The media was all over the water shortage last year, but now it’s yesterday’s news. Funny thing, though. As Chad at Atlanta Water Shortage notes, Lake Lanier is about to reach an all-time low, which isn’t good news for those of us who consume its waters.

— And, finally, for those of you who still get your music from the radio, Gray at Left On Lanier has discovered a cool site for you. Type in your favorite station’s call letters, and the station’s play list is a click away.

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If the idea of listening to a redheaded journalist on Thanksgiving Eve sounds appealing, you’re in luck.

I’ll be on 1420 AM at 6:05 p.m. tonight — and until God knows when — to talk about Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff between incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democratic candidate Jim Martin. Also up for discussion will be my most recent piece about the race.

If you want to participate, call (404) 292-1420.

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— The day before the best meal of the year, the feast that kicks off the season that inspires millions of diets each January. It feels strange to still be in the midst of an election cycle, but it’s heating up in Georgia. Or is it? Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight lends his expertise to the Georgia Senate race, and says Jim Martin is stuck in neutral. He started the run-off three points down, and he remains three points down. In order to take down the Big Sax Machine, Silver concludes, Martin needs at least one of three things to happen.

— Who to vote for? Jen B. at Blog For Democracy has already decided, as have most of us. But her reasoning includes the outrageous, an L.A. Times report on the treatment of U.S. soldiers who were injured in Iraq.

— Travis Fain brings that story a little closer to home at Lucid Idiocy. Meet Thomas Roach, 80, who is having to leave the Georgia War Veterans Home in Milledgeville because the state has decided to shut it down. That’s scandalous. Thankfully, we still have Sonny Boy’s “Go Fish” project to give us hours of fishing pleasure catching bass and brim soaked in our chemical-filled rivers and lakes.

— In the spirit of thanks, Reporter-Cub offers a compelling list of the things he’s thankful for, not the least of which are gasoline prices way under $5 a gallon and that Caribou Barbie is back in Alaska where she belongs.

— Doug at Live Apartment Fire gives thanks to television’s November sweeps, where local news directors go a little crazy with the gimmicks to get us to watch the six o’clock news. He has a YouTube gallery of some of the more insane reports, from here and beyond, that have polluted our airwaves.

— And, finally, the lovely Sara at Going Through The Motions is over her flu, although she’s still apparently suffering from delusional hallucinations. For example, she thinks the greatest 4th quarter comeback ever involved FSU and Florida. Of course, everyone knows it’s really the “Run, Lindsay, run” game when Georgia stomped Florida’s hearts in Jacksonville in 1980. But she’s a FSU alum and she saw the game when she was a sophomore, so we’ll have to excuse her on this one. Have a great Thanksgiving all you bloggerheads!

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A new InsiderAdvantage/Politico poll shows U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss with a three-point lead over Democratic candidate Jim Martin.

From Politico:

The poll shows Chambliss leading Martin by 3 percentage points, 50 percent to 47 percent, with 3 percent of respondents undecided. The first-term GOP senator’s lead is within the poll’s four-point margin of error. The Politico/InsiderAdvantage poll surveyed 523 likely voters on Nov. 23.

The poll numbers are almost identical to the general election results, when Chambliss fell just short of the 50 percent necessary to win the seat outright on Election Night. He led Martin 49.8 to 46.8 percent, with a Libertarian candidate taking three percent of the vote.

“This thing’s going to be a nail-biter. We don’t know who’s going to turn out and we don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but it’s going to be a close race,” said InsiderAdvantage CEO Matt Towery.

Towery says a visit from Barack Obama could change the race. Chances of such an event happening before the Dec. 2 runoff, however, seem increasingly unlikely.

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Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will rally for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Monday, Dec. 1 at 4 p.m. From the Chambliss campaign:

4:00 PM
METRO ATLANTA
Gwinnett Arena
6400 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth, GA 30097

Doors will open one hour before each program begins. The events are FREE for the general public but in order to attend, you must RSVP at www.procatalog.com/saxby or by visiting the ‘Action Center’ at www.saxby.org

For her full Georgia itinerary, click after the jump.

John McCain and Sarah Palin at the 2008 Republican National Convention. (Photo by Joeff Davis)

(more…)

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Sorry for the back-to-back videos, folks, but this one just arrived via e-mail.

In this ad titled “Go to Work,” U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Jim Martin responds to incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss’ claims that the former state lawmaker voted for the largest tax increases in Georgia’s history while he served in the state Legislature. Martin says he actually voted for tax cuts to Georgians. The ad’s running statewide.

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It’s finally on Youtube, but hurry quick before it gets pulled. On last weekend’s Saturday Night Live, Zell Miller — the former Georgia governor and U.S. Senator who’s all about the gunplay — was played by Will Forte.

In the clip, Miller gave the real reason he endorsed incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss in his U.S. Senate race against Democratic candidate Jim Martin — names.

Elect Goolsby Scroggins!

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Oh, man, this is gonna be rich.

Sarah Palin — governor of Alaska, John McCain’s former running mate, aerial wolf hunter — is coming to Georgia on Monday to stump for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss in his Dec. 2 runoff race against Democratic candidate Jim Martin.

Jim Tharpe with the details:

Palin, who drew large crowds while running for vice president with Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain, will appear at Chambliss rallies in Augusta, Savannah, Perry and Atlanta on Monday, the day before the Dec. 2 senate runoff between Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.

Sarah Palin speaking at the 2008 Republican National Convention.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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— No paper likes to generate its own news, but CL did that this morning when longtime editor-in-chief Ken Edelstein was fired. Edelstein was the editor for 10 years. At his Cityscape blog, Steve Fennessy says Edelstein was let go after he protested additional cuts to “an already decimated editorial staff.” The loss of Edelstein is certainly a blow to Atlanta journalism, while CL owner Ben Eason struggles to bring his publishing empire out of bankruptcy. Former CL senior editor John Sugg also weighs in to Fennessy on what this says about the paper’s management and its future.

— There was also a major blow at the Weather Channel from their new bosses at NBC — as the struggling network was promoting its “Green Week,” the corporate beancounters fired the entire environmental unit at the Weather Channel. As pitiful a state as print journalism is in, television news is hurting as well. At Live Apartment Fire, Doug laments the death of whimsy, the kind of reports that Leroy Powell used to do so well. Stories that had no real news peg, but simply invite viewers see the world from a different perspective. And even when there is the occasional stab at it, such as WAGA’s piece on city dwellers who raise chickens in their backyard, it’s so “serious” that it’s no longer interesting.

— Speaking of inner-city chickens, the fine ladies at Peccane Log note that they used to see chicken bones up and down DeKalb Ave. as they walked their dog. Now, the bones have disappeared and all they see are discarded lottery slips. It appears that people have traded eating chicken wings for a wing-and-a-prayer lottery ticket. Another sign of the times?

— There are too many harsher reminders. At Politits, DCup writes very openly and movingly about walking the financial razor’s edge. Last week, her family filed for bankruptcy protection, and one of her initial emotions was a feeling of shame. That’s OK; the ones you have to worry about are the ones who feel no remorse. Let’s hope “the one” can turn around the economy once he takes office and stop the bleeding.

— And what of the legacy of the fellow in office right now? In his “My Morning Wooten,” DriftGrift gives wider context to a couple of more absurd claims proffered by the AJC’s resident conservative columnist. And says he can’t wait until Wooten attempts to define W’s legacy in positive terms. Perhaps it’s telling that Wooten hasn’t made a stab at that yet.

— Let’s not forget that we have a Senate run-off coming down to the wire. The Big Sax Machine had some heavy-hitters come into the state over the weekend and Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered has some of their fear quotes for our enjoyment. Doesn’t anyone discuss their own vision of the future these days? Or is it that they don’t have a vision, thus the fear tactics?

— And, finally, Dave at Rather Than Working gears up for the media’s obsession with all things Obama once he takes office. Like where Obama’s kids are going to school. But he leaves unanswered one burning question: which President served hot dogs to British royalty who visited the White House? Does anyone know?

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It’s not a visit from Pres.-elect Barack Obama to help U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jim Martin, but it’s something. Below, listen to the ad that’ll brainwash every single Georgian over the age of 18 to visit the polls on Dec. 2 and vote for Martin in his runoff against incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss.

It might now be safe to say the Peach State won’t be getting a visit before the runoff. The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza interviewed several anonymous Democratic operatives who say that a visit to Georgia may just not be worth the political risk.

I know, I know. I too am feeling a little…I don’t know…empty. But we’ll carry on, my fellow Atlantans. Be strong. Take comfort in this photo of a kitten.

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Jim Galloway reports:

Neither Democrat Jim Martin nor Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss would commit — each citing scheduling conflicts. Martin pointed to a visit from former Vice President Al Gore, and the Chambliss campaign said it had a fund-raiser on its calendar.

Press club debates involving two other runoffs, for Public Service Commission and the state Court of Appeals, will be held Sunday

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