Fresh Loaf

Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton

Remember how sad it was to watch Sen. John McCain grovel for right-wing votes during the presidential race, such as when he made nice with Jerry “Agent of Intolerance” Falwell? Well, get ready for more of the same here in the State that Time Forgot. Georgia is so far behind the political curve that Republicans running for statewide office feel they’ve got to act like the ink is still drying on the Contract for America in order to make it through the GOP primary alive.

And maybe they do, but it’s still sad to watch. Take Secretary of State Karen Handel. She apparently felt as if her responsible, reasonable stint as Fulton County Commission Chairwoman didn’t effectively position her to compete with fellow Republicans for higher office, so she’s behaved like a partisan harpy ever since — trying to kick Democrats off the ballot, attempting a wholesale voter purge in clear violation of the Voting Rights Act, publicly reassuring Republicans that a surge in Obama-friendly voters was “a myth, ya’ll.” Yow.

The latest GOP soul-seller is Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, another gubernatorial hopeful who reminded attendees of the state GOP convention this past weekend that he was the one who caused the big ruckus the last week of the General Assembly by blocking a resolution by black Democrats to make Pres. Obama an “honorary lifetime member of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.” Said Scott:

In the House, I was proud to lead the charge to kill the Obama Resolution that proclaimed him as a man of unimpeachable character. We are still one nation under God and no Resolution saying the president has unimpeachable character is going to pass as long as I have anything to say about it. In this race our party must be the party that offers the next generation of voters a governor that they believe in.

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Embarrassing national headlines about stem cell research. A bald-faced sweetheart deal for the state’s largest utility company. The usual assortment of divisive bills.

The mantra going into the 2009 Georgia General Assembly was “do no harm,” but the state’s most powerful lawmakers proved they can’t do anything but.

And because their foibles and foul-ups deserve to be preserved in perpetuity, and no stupid deed should go unnoticed, we hereby proudly present the 20th annual Golden Sleaze Awards.

If the list seems short on (um, devoid of) Democrats this year, consider it a reflection of the minority party’s lack of clout – and corresponding ineffectiveness at inflicting damage.

View our list of the legislative session’s dunderheads — as well as some lawmakers who did some good — here.

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I heard this rumor down at the Capitol last week, but brushed it off, having temporarily forgotten the first rule of thumb of the Gold Dome: Lobbyists know the score.

Dick Pettys, however, apparently followed up the tip I ignored and now reports that state Rep. Austin Scott is planning to run for governor.

Who, you may ask, is Austin Scott? Well, the Tifton Republican’s relatively low name recognition is part of what made me dubious of the scuttlebutt. Another factor is his status as something of an outsider to the current GOP power structure.

Otherwise, I’d have to say that Scott is one of the most level-headed, reasonable and conscientious members of the Georgia House — although, considering much of the competition, that may sound like faint praise. (Certainly, you shouldn’t confuse him with Rep. Martin Scott, R-Rossville, who is an evangelical whackadoodle.)

In fact, Austin Scott has managed to pull down a couple of our coveted Arnie Awards for pursuing fairness and moderation in the face of peer pressure — such as when he took the well to argue against a mean-spirited tax on wire transfers targeted at immigrants. And Scott has been one of the very few lawmakers to consistently push for a meaningful expansion of Georgia’s open-records laws, which endears him to journalists.

Now, that said, few of these qualities — with the minor exception of being liked by reporters — is going to be of any help in running for governor. Good luck, Austin — you’ll need it.

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