Fresh Loaf

State Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, filed legislation today that urges the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN.

If you recall, the grassroots organization pissed off cable news pundits and right-wing Internet trolls during the 2008 presidential election for alleged voter fraud.

From the state Senate press office:

“An organization that chooses to undermine the integrity of our nation’s election process should not be entitled to tax exemption benefits,” said Sen. Mullis. “The excessive amount of evidence against ACORN engaging in fraudulent activity demands that the organization to be held accountable for taking advantage of hardworking taxpayers, and I call on the IRS to ensure that justice is executed in this case.”

The grassroots organization runs a large voter registration drive focused on minority and low-income communities, and during the 2008 presidential election came under fire for submitting voter registrations to 11 states with false information. ACORN has been accused of submitting the names of deceased persons and the names of 15 members of the Dallas Cowboys on registration forms in Nevada. In Ohio, one person stated that he signed 73 voter registration applications over a five-month span through ACORN, and in Connecticut, ACORN submitted a registration card for a seven-year-old girl that contained a false birth date.

Sen. Mullis is calling on the IRS and the Secretary of the Treasury to launch a full-scale investigation into ACORN’s fraudulent activities, and is urging the IRS to remove the organization’s tax exemption status.

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HOT SEAT: Veeps

The playful history bookVeeps: Profiles in Insignificance proves that the vice president typically holds far more importance as an election-year campaign symbol than any real authority once in office. Despite the recent fuss over Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, the vice president traditionally holds so little influence that the U.S. government scarcely notices if he’s gone. Throughout history, the veep office has been left vacant 16 times when vice presidents have either died in office or succeeded a president, for a total of 37 years with no occupant.

Published by Marietta’s Top Shelf Productions and featuring a hardback cover design that resembles a weathered high school text, Veeps offers puckish profiles of all the vice presidents, from John Adams through Dick Cheney. Writer Bill Kelter reveals a keen instinct for juicy anecdotes, while illustrator Wayne Shellabarger provides realistic but less-than-flattering portraits as well as amusing editorial cartoons of historical low points. (more…)

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The blog Strange Maps lays a map of southern cotton production in 1860 atop a map of county-level Presidential election results from November 4:

(Hat-tip: Andrew Sullivan)

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It was hard to breathe last Tuesday night on the campus of Morehouse College. The election season often felt like someone was pushing our head into and out of water. But then the time came to sit back and watch the tide of electoral votes come in. This community of black men was confident that the right thing would happen. However, no matter how beautiful we saw the potential waves of change, we feared being yanked down by the undertow of history and deep-seated inequality.

Thankfully, the only threat of drowning that we faced that night was the inundation of tears by even the most manly of men — black men who are usually depicted as devoid of emotion.

We have a unique culture on our campus. No matter the individual’s socioeconomic background, we live with a reminder of how far we can fall if we slip on any side of the narrow path. We assume our cool and sometime violent posture to save face in a hostile world. We live embattled from all sides. Hope is not a campaign slogan. Hope has a more significant meaning for us who everyday look at the face of nihilism, sometimes in our peers, sometimes in the mirror. The tension broke when we saw the electoral count tip in Obama’s favor. I have never in my life seen such eruption of pure elation that broke out on the Atlanta University Center campuses. This was not just an election. For us, Obama’s win was a victory for the affirmation of human dignity. And for the first time we took off our “face” and our cool, and some of us cried.

November 4, 2008, 11:26 p.m, at Fredrick Douglass Hall, Morehouse College

(Photo and Text by Wendell Hassan Marsh)

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As results came in election night, some conservatives were warning that Barack Obama’s presidency would prove a disaster for America. The morning after, talk-radio hosts and bloggers echoed those concerns.

“To me, it feels like the devastation of 9/11 again. And I feel like I just want to say to everybody, ‘Welcome to the end of America as we know it.’”

— Republican Zoe Walker, interviewed by GPB News at Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ campaign party

“Some of you people really drank the Kool-Aid. This guy is just a shyster who was born in Kenya. I’m not going to partake in this affront to my sensibilities. I refuse. Kumbaya my ass.

— Election-night comment left by “gamefan” on PeachPundit.com

“If you look at Nazi Germany, how many Jews said, ‘Oh, c’mon he won’t do that?’”

— Radio host Glenn Beck, warning listeners about Obama’s agenda

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The New York Times, with much gravitas, and Gawker, with much faux-condescension, are reporting that, in politics, the South no longer matters.

Says Gawker:

Good news, Fake America—we’ve marginalized The South! The New York Times reports today that based on the totally conclusive 2008 election results, no longer will The South have any impact whatsoever on National Politics, and we can safely ignore them.

Best Gawker comment:

Well, if Florida is America’s penis, it’s the “balls” of the Redneck Riviera that has the rash.

Most reasoned Gawker comment:

This is not the south that went Red. This is the really, really, really racist part of the south. Missississippi, Ga and SC went more blue.

Most obvious display of Deep South stereotyping by a Times photographer:

This guy.

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— Tuesday is history and history was made. Obama wants to unite us, but can he? On the one hand, one Republican-leaning friend confided yesterday that he’s now glad Obama is the president-elect. He was won over by Obama’s speech Tuesday night. On the other hand, someone else I know was gleefully showing off an email on his cellphone that had a picture of the Obama family set to the soundtrack of The Jeffersons theme song. Tacky, tacky, tacky. At Politits, DCup notes that she feels a bit bad for Caribou Barbie, but her tongue is firmly in her cheek.

— ATLMalcontent has a few random observations of the vote Tuesday and its aftermath. He notes the right-wing attacks have already begun. Rush has already referred to the president-elect as a “Chicago thug.” And I’ll bet he has that Jeffersons theme song on his cellphone as well. Yes, unification is a noble ambition, but …

— Still, Obama made “hope” one of his themes. When he mentioned the 106-year-old Atlanta woman who cast a vote for him, it reminded Amani at My Urban Report of his own 101-year-old grandmother.

— DriftGrift is back with a new edition of his “Morning Wooten.” He says Tuesday’s election seems to have brought back the conflict between “reasonable Jim and wacko Jim.” Uh-oh.

— Of course, on the local front is the stunning rise of J-Mart in the U.S. Senate race to push the Big SaxMachine into a run-off. Predictions are the Democrats are going to come in full throttle after Big Saxy. And he’s going to bring his own heavy ammo. Reports are Johnny Mac and Caribou Barbi may come to the Peach State to campaign for him … if she can figure out which continent Georgia is on. And Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered notes that the Savannah Morning News has already endorsed the Sax Man in the Dec. 2 run-off.

— And finally, one reason the Republicans got clobbered is they are selling fear rather than hope. And at the Wren’s Nest, they remind us that people once feared electricity. Even Joel Chandler Harris was worried that if he wore a wristwatch on the streetcar, the combination of the two might make him explode. So he came up with a very unique solution that involves a secret desk compartment. Don’t worry, Joel, your secret is safe with me.

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Peach Pundit has a post about the death of Zoo Atlanta’s pregnant elephant, likening the tragedy to the devastation that befell the Republican Party on election night.

In other news, a donkey assumed dead in a catastrophic 2004 landslide (well, not really) was discovered alive and grinning late Tuesday.

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Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress

Black Man Given Nation’s Worst Job

Republican Party, Average Working Joe Bid Each Other Adieu Until 2012

Hillary Clinton Resumes Attacking Obama

John McCain Gets Hammered At Local VFW

Voting Machines Elect One Of Their Own As President

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Could the actual votes cast in Georgia really be as close as AJC readers perceive? Could Obama and McCain be neck-and-neck? Or are all those big-city liberals skewing the numbers to make the state appear more blue?

Hmmm …

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By the time Georgia polls close at 7 p.m. tonight, we here at CL will already be snookered on Diet Coke and moonshine, liveblogging in this digital Utopia about all the races up for grabs.

CL Editor Ken Edelstein will hold court at Manuel’s, staff writer Scott Henry will report from Jim Martin’s party at Park Tavern, and senior writers Mara Shalhoup and Andisheh Nouraee will monitor results and send dispatches from undisclosed locations. I’ll be in Stepford — oops, Buckhead — at the Intercontinental Hotel where the Georgia GOP is holding its fete. If you have any questions you’d like me to ask lawmakers, leave ‘em in the comments or send me an e-mail here.

Here’s a good list of key states to watch and what time their polls close. Here’s a neat-o map of the United States that shows where the presidential race stands. Here’s a place where you can win $20 of Andisheh’s money. And here’s a picture of a kitten dressed as a pirate.

Be sure to return and join us in a liveblogging celebration of America and insomnia. And if you haven’t done so already, go vote.

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When it comes to characterizing the way Georgia might swing in tomorrow’s presidential election, the state alternately has been depicted as sure-fire red, demure pink, ever-ambiguous gray, wishy-washy yellow and half-assed red-striped.

How close do you think it’s gonna be?

a) Toss Up

b) Leaning McCain

c) Strong McCain

d) Leaning Obama*

*Not pictured, ’cause I couldn’t find a map with Georgia painted baby blue

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FiveThirtyEight, one of the most entertaining and informative online resources for this Presidential election, posts an excellent Georgia-centric rundown on the state’s demographics and political dynamics — and how the combination of the two may determine who runs the country come Jan. 20.

From the site:

Since native son Jimmy Carter was on the ballot, Democrats have found Georgia tough sledding. But with African-American turnout soaring to unprecedented levels, Georgia may be a state where the public polling models are off, and indeed Barack Obama has put last minute advertising resources into the state in an effort to both go over 400 electoral votes as well as help a rising tide lift Jim Martin’s boat against Max Cleland-smearing incumbent Saxby Chambliss.

It’s a long read, but it says Georgia’s may be one of the closest races we’ll see on Nov. 4. Definitely worth checking out.

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One of the quirkiest traditions of this time of year is watching “The Simpsons” annual new “Treehouse of Horror” episode — after Halloween. Because Fox currently owns the broadcast rights to the World Series, and November is a ratings “sweeps” month, “The Simpsons” Halloween episode almost always airs after All Hallow’s Eve, when it’s horror-themed slapstick proves a little out of date. The show doesn’t even make self-deprecating jokes about it any more, it’s been this way for so long. This year the 19th installment airs on Sun., Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. and, as usual, features three segments: “How to Get Ahead in Dead-vertising,” “Untitled Robot Parody” and “It’s the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse,” which satirize, respectively, AMC’s “Mad Men,” Transformers and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and other Peanuts specials. The amusing titles for the “Mad Men” spoof are already on-line:

“Treehouse of Horror XIX” seems unusually, uh, leaky this year. The episode’s election-themed prologue, involving a faulty voting machine, has been on-line for several weeks already. (In a sign of just how long “The Simpsons” has aired Halloween specials, one of its most amusing political-themed chapters dates to 1996. “Citizen Kang” featured slobbery aliens Kang and Kodus impersonating Bill Clinton and Bob Dole.) Anyway, here’s the new prologue, which at least airs ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day.

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In the last of its Jawja polls of the day, Rasmussen says John McCain still leads Barack Obama by five points in Georgia.

Interesting tidbit:

In the latest poll, Obama now leads 53% to 44% among unaffiliated voters in the state. Last week, McCain led those voters by an identical margin. McCain leads 73% to 26% among white voters in Georgia while Obama earns overwhelming support from black voters. While men favor McCain 55% to 45%, women are split between the candidates at 49% each.

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With just days left before votes are to be counted, Barack Obama is rolling out a new ad about the economy that’s slated to air in Georgia and North Dakota .

Here it is:

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My brother-in-law just sent me this, possibly the funniest and most ingenious get-out-the-vote advertisement that I’ve ever seen, courtesy of CNNBC Video. Obviously, it can be customized to anyone to whom you think it would benefit (although I wonder if there’s a version for voters on the other side of the political spectrum, too).

The bit with Bill O’Reilly really hurts. I guess I’d better pack a couple of meals and get in one of those early voting lines.

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The headline’s a bit misleading, sure, but this sounds like it’ll be just as interesting.

Grady High School’s award-winning Speech and Debate Team is hosting “The Final Showdown,” a U.S. presidential debate tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s Main Theater. Seniors Mike Robinson and Demarius Wilson will portray John McCain and Barack Obama and debate healthcare, the economy, foreign policy and other issues. The fundraising event will be moderated by members of the press and Emory University’s Barkley Forum. Students and audience members will be able to pose questions to the “candidates.”

Can’t make it out to the event? No worries, you can watch the debate from home — the team will streamcast it live on its website here.

A chili dinner will be offered at 6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Tickets cost $12 and can be purchased at the door or online here.

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Almost everyone is surprised at how well Democrats Barack Obama and Jim Martin are faring in Georgia against their Republican counterparts John McCain and Saxby Chambliss.

One political commentator who isn’t: Matt Towery.

On June 19, the former state rep. and principal of Southern Political Report wrote the following about the 2008 election in Georgia:

“My view is that Georgia, the 9^th largest state in the nation with 15 electoral votes, will remain a major new battleground state through November. This changes the landscape of electoral politics as Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and perhaps another surprise southern state, join Florida as potential “swing states,” that cannot be presumed to vote Republican in 2008.”

Towery’s comments accompanied a June Insider Advantage poll showing McCain and Obama almost tied in Georgia.

(Hat-tip to Fresh Loaf commenter Poverty Wench, whose recent comment prompted me to dig through Towery’s archives.)

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This is going to be an interesting week. And a busy one.

Pollster, a website that somehow eats every single political poll IN THE WORLD and then burps them out in color-coded maps, says Georgia is now a “toss up” between John McCain and Barack Obama. Yep, Georgia.

Wonkette says no way, but we’ll see.

Pollster’s also calling “toss up” about Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat. Nearly everyone thought incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss would easily win a second term in his race against Democratic nominee Jim Martin and Libertarian challenger Allen Buckley. Turns out all of ‘em — me included — were wrong. Signs point to a run off in that race.

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If you’re stuck at college in Atlanta or Macon without a car and those damn campus buses don’t go anywhere near the polls, the Barack Obama campaign is here to save you.

Workers from the presidential nominee’s Hope Depots© will offer free bus rides for students from select colleges and universities next week for advanced voting.

Full list with details follows after the jump:

(more…)

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The latest Strategic Vision poll has Republican John McCain beating Democrat Barack Obama in Georgia 51 to 45. The margin of error is 3.

The same poll has Sen. Saxby Chambliss with a two-point lead over Democratic challenger Jim Martin. Libertarian Allen Buckley is at 5%.

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Pittsburgh police say the McCain volunteer who says she’s robbed by black man who then carved the letter “B” on her face after he saw a McCain sticker on her car has admitted her claim is a lie.

Right-wing race-baiters have been trying since yesterday afternoon to associate Obama’s campaign with the incident.

Don’t hold your breath for apologies.

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The latest poll from Rasmussen is the fourth straight snapshot that shows John McCain with more than 50 percent of the vote.

From the polling organization:

The race for Georgia’s Electoral College votes is getting closer.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows that John McCain’s lead over Barack Obama is down to five percentage points, 51% to 46%. In September, McCain led by 11. Earlier in October, that lead had slipped to nine points.

However, while Obama continues to gain ground, this is the fourth straight poll of Georgia voters to find McCain at the 50% level of support or above. In August, McCain led Obama 50% to 43%.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of voters in the state expect McCain to win Georgia on Election Day.

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