Fresh Loaf

Millard Fuller, a deeply religious and successful entrepreneur who gave up his fortune to found Habitat for Humanity International, died unexpectedly last week near his home in Americus at the age of 74. The organization has built more than 300,000 homes for poor people across the world.

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Millard Fuller has literally revolutionized the concept of philanthropy.”

—Bill Clinton in 1996, after awarding Fuller the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“It’s not your blue blood, your pedigree or your college degree. It’s what you do with your life that counts.”

— Fuller to Time, in a 1989 profile.

“Millard would not want people to mourn his death. He would be more interested in having people put on a tool belt and build a house for people in need.”

— Fuller’s wife Linda, to the Associated Press.

(Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity International)

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Hey baby…

>> Bill Clinton calls Sarah Palin to chat. Maybe to discuss what a fan he is of her work in the infamous Nalin’ Palin?

>> WTF: Bill Gates freaks out a group of rich people by releasing a swarm of mosquitoes at a presentation on malaria.

>> The AP goes up against Shepard Fairey, the street artist responsible for the iconic Warhol-esque Obama campaign posters, alleging copyright infringement.

>> Somehow everyone continues to be SHOCKED! AMAZED! STUNNED! by each new round of layoffs. It may be time to start getting realistic, guys.

>> GOOD NEWS!: Not sure what this has to do with anything, but traffic fatalities are down in 42 states. And while most other retailers are fighting for their lives, Wal-Mart has a reason for their big yellow smiley face. Plus, a potential homebuyers’ tax credit is added to the stimulus plan. Sounds like change we can believe in.

>> OMFG: Scientists discover a boa the size of a city bus that ate crocodiles for snacks. Don’t worry, it’s dead.

>> All is not well at the Vatican.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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The list of important things I don’t understand is long, and growing.

Why, for example, do my dog Mathilde’s feet always smell like Fritos? My other dog Sarah’s feet never smell like anything. They live in the same house and go on the same walks. Their feet should smell the same.

And would anyone buy the Mamma Mia! movie soundtrack?

Fun movie, yes. But why would you listen to Pierce Brosnan singing ABBA songs if you’re not also looking at him. Why not just listen to ABBA?

On a slightly different topic, why oh why oh why did Barack Obama select Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State? And why did only two U.S. Senators vote against her confirmation?

I’m not a knee-jerk Hillary-hater. I sincerely believe that most of the public anger directed at her over the years is misogyny masquerading as informed opinion.

I nevertheless have two big problems with Obama picking Clinton to run the American diplomacy shop.

First, despite her obvious intellect, Hillary Clinton is a proven failure as a political leader. (more…)

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Braving bitter cold and gushing crowds, former President Bill Clinton stumped for U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jim Martin Wednesday night at Clark Atlanta University and urged the former state lawmaker’s supporters to return to the polls in the Dec. 2 runoff.

(Photos by Joeff Davis)

View the rest of CL’s Sideshow.

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STAR POWER Former president stumps for U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Martin

In the quickening cold on Wednesday evening, Augustine Smith, a wide-grinning middle-aged man from Duluth by way of West Africa, leaned against a railing in the crowded Arnett Quadrangle at Clark Atlanta University, Barack Obama hat perched atop his head, and waited for the man many of these people came out to see.

Not U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jim Martin, although the event was in his honor and Smith said he’d vote for the former state lawmaker again, but former President Bill Clinton. The president had visited Atlanta to stump for Martin in his runoff race against incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss before zipping off to a local fundraiser.

“This country does not need to build a firewall,” Clinton told the energetic crowd of 1,500 people, referring to how Chambliss has described his role in a Democrat-controlled Senate under Pres.-elect Barack Obama. “It needs to build a bridge to the future. Martin’s the bridge, Chambliss is the firewall.”

Clinton repeated this mantra over and over as he attempted to enthuse supporters to do what Republicans know best and Democrats have historically proven unable — the tricky task of getting the voters back to the polls in a runoff.

(more…)

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Huffington Post reported this afternoon that former Veep Al Gore will campaign here Sunday for Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin. I’m sure Young Thomas will be getting us more details later.

Meanwhile, here are details on former President Bill Clinton’s visit tomorrow (or today by the time you read this) at Clark Atlanta University on behalf of Martin. For those keeping score, John McCain and Mike Huckabee have campaigned for Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss, while this gun-totin’ man joins him Wednesday and investment banker Mitt Romney stumps for him Friday.

The AJC’s reporting that both candidates aren’t planning to participate in a debate the Atlanta Press Club was to tape on Sunday — Martin because he’ll be campaigning with Gore, Chambliss apparently just because he’s a big ol’ scared-y-pants.

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No worries, it’s still at Clark Atlanta University. But event organizers have moved it to:

Clark Atlanta University
The Quad
James P. Brawley Drive and Fair Street
Atlanta, GA

“The Quad” sounds like it’s outdoors to me. Be sure to wear your mittens.

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Signs! They make us think! They make us laugh! They’re great tools for pranks!

No outside signs are allowed at tomorrow’s Bill Clinton rally for U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jim Martin. And this afternoon you’ve got a chance to make some authorized ones at one of the campaign’s satellite offices in Fulton County.

Here are the details from the Martin HQ:

ATLANTA – This afternoon Jim Martin for Senate supporters will gather at one of the Democratic Party’s Campaign For Change Offices located in Fulton County for a sign-making party in preparation for the Bill Clinton rally. Afterwards, supporters will phone bank to get out the vote for Jim Martin. Martin will work with President-elect Barack Obama to fix the economy and cut taxes for middle class families in Georgia.

WHO: Jim Martin for Senate supporters
WHAT: Host sign-making party and phone bank
WHERE: Fulton County
Morris Brown Office
643 Martin Luther King Drive Atlanta, GA 30309
WHEN: 4:30 PM, Tuesday, November 18, 2008

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From the Martin campaign:

EVENT DETAILS FOR BILL CLINTON RALLY FOR MARTIN AT CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY
Former President will tout Martin’s ability to work with President-Elect Obama to Fix the Economy, Change the Direction of the Country

UPDATED EVENT DETAILS:

LOCATION:
Clark Atlanta University
Vivian W. Henderson Gymnasium
650 Fair Street SW
Atlanta, GA

DOORS OPEN TO PUBLIC:
4:00 PM

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Former President Bill Clinton will visit Atlanta on Wednesday to rally for U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jim Martin.

From the Martin campaign:

Clinton and Martin will appear together to tout Martin’s ability to work with President-elect Barack Obama to fix the economy and change the direction of the economy for middle class Georgians. Clinton has been a strong supporter of Martin’s from the start, joining him in Georgia during the general election and now stumping for him in the runoff.

…

Additional details about the president’s visit to follow.

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So what if Libertarian Allen Buckley got enough votes to keep both Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin from topping 50 percent in the Nov. 4 election? They’d face each other in a Dec. 2 runoff. But which candidate would have the advantage?

It depends on the conventional-wisdom theory you go with.

CW theory #1: Incumbents often lose when they’re forced into runoffs, because people who supported the other candidates are more likely to swing their support to another challenger than to support the status quo.

CW theory #2: Republicans generally win runoffs in Georgia because whites go back to the polls in higher proportions than blacks. (more…)

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— Over in Iraq, the Daly Briefing is getting ready to come home. Which means it’s no time for complacency because that can get you killed. He makes a final trip down into a bunker when they hear explosions near their compound. When they emerge, they learn that a convoy with an Iraqi official was bombed. From the way the walls of the bunker shook when the bomb went off, he instantly knew people had died.

— On the local front, Georgia has become a battleground state as the polls show “that one” and Jim Martin have closed the gap on J-Mac and the Sax Machine. How’d that happen? While we all sat in gas lines — when there was gas — Sonny went on vacation (oops, I meant to say he went on an economic development trip) to Spain. And as Raleigh at Inside The Sprawl notes, Republican numbers had to go down every time Glenn Richardson opened his mouth.

— And, as Jason Pye points out, the Republicans do idiotic things. A prime example is how the AJC busted Sonny over the weekend because while state agencies are under a mandate to cut costs by six percent, he’s going full steam ahead on his own pet project: the $23 million “Go Fish Center” in Perry.

— With the races closing in Georgia, Bill Clinton came to Atlanta Saturday night on behalf of Martin, and Amy at Georgia Women Vote was there. She got up close and personal with Clinton, and was awed by his charisma.

— At Georgia Politics Unfiltered, Andre takes note that the daily papers in Macon and Columbus each endorsed “that one.” I ventured out into 770 territory over the weekend, and was surprised by the sparsity of political signs for Johnny Mac and Caribou Barbie. Is Georgia going to go Democratic in this election?

— And, fiinally, Amber Rhea checks out the new Waffle House museum so the rest of us don’t have to. And she wants to go back. Check out her report here.

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CLINTON: Addresses the Democratic National Convention by pleading for unity in supporting Obama, telling her supporters, “I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me?” Bill speaks tonight, along with Biden.

GLITCH, PLEASE: A computer glitch at an FAA facility south of Atlanta is blamed for delaying hundreds of flights across the country Tuesday.

SAXBY ON THE BEACH: Saxby Chambliss, who helped secure federal funding for the pork project, attended a coastal ceremony on Tybee Island Tuesday to announce a restoration plan for its eroding beaches. “I’m a beach bum,” he announced. “I love the beach.”

KOTSAY: The Braves’ center fielder may be headed to Boston, with Atlanta unlikely to get much besides a free roster spot in return.

SPELMAN: Gets an anonymous donation of $17 million.

ROCK YOU LIKE A TROPICAL DEPRESSION: Fay flooded Helen, Ga., and battered Hall County, but she also put a dent in our drought and raised Lake Lanier by a foot.

NO. 1 WITH A BULLET: UGA’s offense and defense say they’re ready to live up to the hype, but the loss of OL Trinton Sturdivant and “sloppy” blocking in practice has raised some nerves.

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Since 1972, no Democratic candidate for president has won more than a third of the Southern white vote with two exceptions: Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. And in the last two presidential elections, the Republicans made a clean sweep of the South.

Barack Obama plans to put the South into play, according to this story in today’s New York Times. Obama’s campaign notes there are 600,000 blacks in Georgia alone who aren’t registered to vote, and a pool of progressive, younger white voters.

Obama is already running television spots here, and will come to Atlanta on July 7 for a fund-raiser at 103 West in Buckhead.

Smart move: One recent poll shows Obama and John McCain are in a statistical dead heat in Georgia. One released this week, however, shows McCain with a 10 point lead.

Emory University’s Merle Black explained to the Times why Obama’s strategy is smart: When the Democrats give up the South, they need to win 70 percent of the rest of the electoral votes.

It’s no coincidence that Carter and Clinton also happen to be the only two Democrats elected president since the Johnson administration.

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It’s long been speculated that Mayor Shirley Franklin would go to Washington, D.C., if a Democratic president is elected. The rumor is she would be on the Cabinet as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. And, as a post-Atlanta move, it makes perfect sense.

Franklin waited before she endorsed Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. Hillary Clinton. And at a service yesterday celebrating the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., she added fuel to the fire when she tossed in a well-placed barb at Bill Clinton. Clinton happened to be sitting a few feet away and was not amused.

She’s taking a big gamble that Obama will win the Democratic nomination. If he doesn’t, Franklin may have just barbed her way out of a Cabinet position. The Clintons are known to have a long memory. But if Obama wins, Franklin would seem to have earned herself an inside track.

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Even though CL’s Andisheh Nouraee has left for his European vacation, he’s still informing us of political rumblings. Here’s the latest he heard:

“Bill Clinton is going to be at a private event tonight at Midtown Arts Cinema at 7:30P. A screening for a military-themed film. Supposedly it’s very hush-hush.”

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