Fresh Loaf

Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine took to the Twitterverse earlier to announce he’d raised about $420,000 in his quest to become the GOP gubernatorial nominee. His campaign says he’s raised a total of $1.45 million to date and has “slightly over one million” cash on hand.

“John Oxendine’s positive message offering real solutions for the issues facing Georgia is clearly resonating with people all across the state,” said Tim Echols, campaign manager. “John Oxendine’s Contract with Georgia offers specific policy solutions the people of Georgia are looking for from a leader.”

Hmmm. Positive messages.

Last Thursday, Oxendine’s supporters heard a little bit of that positivity. In an email to fellow members of the Ox Army, the candidate asked supporters to scrounge up whatever coins they had in their couches, seal them in an email, and fax them to his campaign. The deadline for fund-raising reports was drawing near, Oxendine wrote, and he wanted to frighten his fellow elephants fighting for the nomination.

Sure, Oxendine touted the “Contract with Georgia” you’ll be hearing a lot about. But he also looked into the future, saw that former Gov. Roy Barnes had won the Democrat nomination, and decided it was time for some scare tactics!

(more…)

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Pat Swindall, a former state representative from DeKalb County who served a year in prison for perjury and had since moved on to manage downtown Atlanta real estate, has been indicted in Fulton County for making illegal campaign contributions.

A Fulton County grand jury indicted Swindall and two other men for making illegal campaign contributions to Atlanta Ciy Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd. It also indicted them for making false statements through concealing the fact that Swindall was the actual source of the contributions made in the names of other people to Sheperd’s 2005 campaign committee.

Shepard, who says she plans on returning the funds, released a statement today saying she was “pleased” with the grand jury’s decision. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard and frat-tastic Swindall could not be reached for comment, the paper says.

Atlanta Unfiltered’s Jim Walls recently recalled Swindall’s past legal foibles. Click the link and scroll down to view Swindall’s entry on the blogger’s “Crooked Politicians Registry.”

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Jim Martin doesn’t have to get his hands dirty just yet — the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is happy to do it for him.

I pass the mic to the Internets!

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From the website OpenSecrets.org, here are some of the notable Georgians who’ve donated to Sen. Barack Obama’s ‘08 presidential campaign. $2,300 is the maximum legal donation.

To clarify, by “notable” I mean people whose names stand out to me when I look at the list.

David Adelman, $2,300 — Adelman is a big-deal lawyer and a state senator. He’s been on Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Who’s Who In Law and Accounting” list, which is kind of like People magazine’s Most Beautiful People list, only less beautiful.

Lisa Borders, $2,300 — Borders is Atlanta City Council president and a senior VP at Cousins Properties. William Holmes Borders Drive, in the Sweet Auburn district, is named after her grandfather. Borders Books is not. We sat at the same table at a wedding reception last year, so she has seen me drunk.

Harold A. Dawson, Jr., $2,300 — Dawson is a real estate developer. So was his father. I wish I could remember his father’s name.

Leo Mullin, $2,300 — Former CEO of Delta. He’s best-known for securing tens of millions of dollars for himself and fellow execs while laying off thousands of employees. Delta emerged from bankruptcy this month. His wife also gave $2,300.

Rodney K. Strong, $2,300 — That has to be a made-up name. Rod Strong? Seriously?

Samuel Jackson, $1,500 — Jackson is the president of Economic Empowerment Initiative, Inc. Sources say he’s “had it” with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane.

Arthur McClung, Jr., $1,000 — McClung is the director of Georgia Power’s Atlanta operations. If the electricity suddenly goes off during John Edwards’ May 18 Atlanta fundraiser, you’ll know why.

Caesar Mitchell, $500 — Atlanta city councilman, Post 1 at-large

H. Lamar Willis, $500 — Atlanta city councilman, Post 3 at-large

Bryan Adams, $500 — Not the Bryan Adams who bought his first six-string at the five-and-dime, playing it until his fingers bled in the summer of ‘69. It’s actually a guy who lives in Virginia-Highland.

(previous posts: Georgians For Mitt Romney and Georgians For Hillary Clinton)

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From the website OpenSecrets.org, here are some of the notable Georgians who’ve donated to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s ‘08 presidential campaign. $2,300 is the maximum legal donation. On Tuesday, I listed some of the notable Georgians who’ve donated to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaign.

To clarify, by “notable” I mean people whose names stand out to me when I look at the list. If I missed any significant names on the list, please let me know.

Michael Coles, $2,300 — Coles isn’t just the namesake of Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business; he is the CEO of Caribou Coffee. Clinton’s voting record is centrist, so don’t try to characterize Coles as just another Latte Liberal. Mocha Moderate is probably more accurate. Coles’ wife Donna also gave $2,300.

J. Allen Maines, $2,300 — Maines is a partner at the Atlanta office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker. In 2007, Maines was named a Super Lawyer by the legal trade publication Super Lawyers. His superpowers include producing billable hours while he sleeps and showers, and the ability to name every U.S. Supreme Court justice, living and dead, in ascending order of height. The previous sentence is a lie.

John R. Paddock, $2,300 — Paddock is a psychiatrist and an adjunct associate professor at Emory. He is the co-author of a 1999 research article titled “When guided visualization procedures may backfire: imagination inflation and predicting individual differences in suggestibility.” An amateur psychologist might wonder if Paddock is drawn to Clinton’s candidacy because she’s even more long-winded than he is.

Keith Mason, $2,300 — Mason was a White House staffer during that other Clinton’s presidency. He is now a partner at McKenna Long & Aldridge, where one of his co-workers is Zell Miller. The company Christmas party is no doubt a hoot.

Mukesh Patel, $1,000 — Mukesh “Mike” Patel co-owns 14 hotels. He is also a member of MARTA’s board. Rumors that his donation to Clinton’s campaign arrived in the form of crumpled $1 bills and quarters have proven entirely unfounded.

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From the website OpenSecrets.org, here are some of the notable Georgians who’ve donated to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s ‘08 presidential campaign. $2,300 is the maximum legal donation.

To clarify, by “notable” I mean people whose names stand out to me when I look at the list.

Clark Dean, $2,300 — Dean is a managing director at the Atlanta office of Studley, a fancy-panted commercial real estate brokerage firm.

W. Thomas Haynes, $2,300 — Haynes is executive director of the Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association.

Nancy Coverdell, $2,300, — Nancy Coverdell is the widow of Republican Sen. Paul Coverdell, who died in 2000.

Sam Kellett, $2,300, — Kellett is the founder of Kangaroo Bob’s, a commercial recreational facility for kids where children apparently “hop from fun to learning!” Gov. Perdue just appointed Kellett to the Jekyll Island State Park Authority. Kellett’s wife, Jennifer, also donated $2,300.

Julian LeCraw, $2,300 — LeCraw is the founder of developer Julian LeCraw & Co. LeCraw & Co. owns several prominent intown developments, including M Street (at Marietta and Northside) and the Buckhead Grand high-rise. His wife Joanne LeCraw also gave $2,300.

Hartley “Buddy” Blaha, $2,100 — Blaha is Newell Rubbermaid’s president of corporate development. The company is building its new corporate headquarters near Perimeter Center. Rumor has it that the building will be the only air-tight, completely see-through office building in Atlanta.

Jeffrey Fuqua, $2,100 –Fuqua is president of the Sembler Company, whose Edgewood Retail development is where I’m having lunch today!

Sunny Park, $1,000 — I have no idea who Sunny Park is. I just think it’s a delightful name.

Over the next few days, I’ll peruse the other donor lists as well.

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