Fresh Loaf

— A year ago, Amy Morton was in Iowa campaigning for John Edwards. On Georgia Women Vote,  she recounts her trip and a tender moment with Elizabeth Edwards.

— Speaking of disgraced political types, who gave Ralph Reed a ticket back into the party? ATLmalcontent looks at John McCain’s association with Reed and smells a “sell-out.”

— The Atlanta PD plans to use undercover officers in the ever-continuing quest to get rid of panhandling downtown. At Terminal Station, B King wonders if that is the wisest use of manpower although he agrees something has to be done about the situation.

— Dave gives his Sunday AJC  a final read at Rather Than Working and shares the email he sent to Julia Wallace, the paper’s editor. In short, he’s disappointed with the cutbacks and isn’t renewing subscription.

— Over at Reporter-Cub, there’s a break from the usual snarkiness for an essay on how our inner-child helps define us as adults.

— And finally, Ashley at Random Atlanta has discovered just how rough times are: God is selling real estate. Ouch.

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— Georgia has its own Montauk Monster, and it’s called, simply, Bigfoot. Details will be unveiled Friday, so says Peach Pundit.

— Despite evidence to the contrary, Georgia Politics Unfiltered claims, “There is no sex in the courtrooms of Cobb County Superior Court (or the judge’s chambers for that matter).” Does lesbian sex count?

— Georgia Politics Unfiltered also updates a post from yesterday that hyped today’s political forecast from CQ Politics. CQ’s shocking revelation: In the presidential election, Georgia is “Republican Favored”!

— According to Lucid Idiocy, the food crisis is over. Gov. Sonny Perdue supports biofuels. And the Montauk Monster was spotted drinking margaritas at the Jekyll Island Club. (OK, I made that last one up.)

— Georgia On My Mind has posted photos of the ancient Etowah Indian Mounds. No apparent news there, seeing as how they were built nearly 1,100 years ago. They’re real purty, though.

— Media Matters‘ SpaceyG says she isn’t all that bummed about waking up with John McCain. Political Insider’s Jim Galloway says McCain isn’t all all thrilled about waking up with Ralph Reed. No word on who John Edwards is waking up with.

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— As Clayton County tries to rebound from four years of chaos, B. King over at Terminal Station writes a thoughtful analysis on how Eldrin Bell borrowed from his experience in Atlanta politics to put together a successful coalition of candidates.

— After a long absence, DriftGrift offers up yet another “Morning Wooten”. Fortunately, he saved up all those lost Morning Wootens and combines them all into one.

— Over at Going Through The Motions, Sara treats us to a few of her random thoughts. Most notably, she’s not happy with John Edwards. Especially because he was cheating on his wife as she battled cancer. Sort of like a former Georgia politician of note handed his wife divorce papers while she was in the hospital being treated for cancer. Call us, John; we’ll put you in touch with Mr. Gingrich so the two of you can commiserate.

— Mingaling is getting married in a DIY ceremony, and she’s sharing with us. Today’s topic: How to make a Boutonnière for the boys.

— Most have applauded the city’s recent crackdown and people hanging out in Barbara Asher Square at Five Points. But Arc of Time has a different perspective, arguing that it gives the city character and diversity.

— And, finally, it turns out we’re not the only ones confused by this Russian invasion of Georgia. On the Georgia (that’s state, not nation) feed for Lefty Blogs, are such headlines as: “Cheney: Russian aggression must not go unanswered” and “Russia versus Georgia; the reality of Obama’s candidacy” and, our fav, “Is Georgia the last Iraq casualty?” Time to get the hell out of here, ya know?

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JOHN EDWARDS: Endorses Obama.

TB LAND: Georgia’s reputation for rogue tuberculosis patients is bolstered by a Covington man arrested and quarantined for not obeying doctor’s orders to stay at home after TB diagnosis.

TAKE A MULLIGAN: Marietta racist Mike Norman has ordered 100 more of his blatantly race-baiting “Obama in ‘08″ T-shirts to sell at his bar, Mulligan’s, despite widespread protests, mockery and death threats. The worst part may be his rationalization.

REMINGTON STEAL: A northeast Georgia man’s Remington 16-gauge shotgun, stolen in 1986, is returned 22 years later after being discovered Monday in Maynard, Tenn. Good timing, too, because now he can take it into restaurants and on public transit.

TRUST NO ONE: Antitrust review is the last hurdle for the Delta-NWA merger, and experts doubt the Dept. of Justice will block the deal on antitrust grounds.

TAKING A SCRAP: Bad economy and rising global copper prices are increasingly driving thieves in Cartersville, and around the country, to steal copper wiring and cables.

C1AL1S BUST: Feds and local police raid a Roswell home where they say a couple was making up to $30,000 a day selling drugs such as copycat Cialis via mail order.

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The Drake Diner stops breakfast at 11. A diner! Further proof Iowa sucks.

— Shebinator, one of two local bloggers I know of who was actually in Iowa last night. If there were others, please educate me.

Shelby’s feelings about Iowa might be colored by the fact that his favorite Democrat, Sen. Joseph Biden, dropped out of the race after his poor showing.

Or maybe Iowa just really, really sucks.

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The Clinton machine will do its best to slime Obama in the coming days, but — and I’ve been waiting to say this for years — their time has passed. The race is clearly defined now, and I don’t see voters opting for polarization over real change.

— ATLMalcontent on the perhaps fatally wounded candidacy of the senator he likes to call Hillbot.

Mr. Malcontent also lavished praise on Obama’s victory speech (which really was amazing), noting the similarities between Obama’s gift for rhetorical uplift and the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s.

Sen. Clinton also evokes RFK’s memory, but not in the same way. Like RFK, Clinton is attempting to return her family to the White House via a carpetbagged New York Senate seat.

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It’s clear that the voters want change-now they have to look hard at Edwards and Obama and decide just what sort of change they really want.

— Amy Morton at Georgia Women Vote was in Iowa last night. As you might have gathered from the order in which the names appear, she’s an Edwards supporter.

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Therefore, I support Mike Huckabee because he wants to get the federal government out of my pocket by endorsing the “Fair Tax”.

— The Oracle of Winder, posting at BuzzBrockway.com, supports Mike Huckabee for no other reason, he says, than because Huckabee supports the national sales tax scheme known as the Fair Tax.

You may recall in September 2007 that Osama bin Laden released a video in which he called the U.S. tax system “insane” and bragged that, under Islamic law, Americans would not have to pay it.

Expect to see Huckabee/bin Laden ‘08 yard signs popping up in Winder any day now.

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Rush spent most of the program bashing Huckabee, like most conservative pundits have taken to doing.

— Peach Pundit commenter John Konop, posting the blog’s Iowa caucus open thread, notes the Republican punditocracy’s failure to drive a wedge between Huckabee and Republican voters.

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The stupid and superstitious have spoken - they said “Give us the televangelist. GIVE US THE HUCKLEBERRY!”

Yeehaw!

— Peach Pundit commenter GodHatesTrash in the same open thread.

If you haven’t guessed, Peach Pundit’s open thread on Iowa is great, great reading.

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Online environmental news site Grist partnered with Outside and produced a succinct rundown of where the 2008 presidential candidates stand on global warming, energy and the environment. Grist also hosted a global-warming debate with the Democratic candidates on Saturday. Well, with three of ‘em — John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Dennis Kucinich. They’re the only ones who accepted the invitation. I’m looking for a link to the debate but am coming up short — if anyone has it, please post it in the comments.

Here’s a LiveBLOG (Part I, Part II) from DailyKos detailing what went down.

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The entire evening was a Georgia politico and media who’s who. I was at the dinner table alongside Jim Galloway of AJC’s Political Insider; bless their hearts, they were live blogging!

– Grayson at The Spacey Gracey Review on last night’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, the Georgia Democratic Party fundraiser. John Edwards was the star attraction.

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The Peach Pundit Gathering will be at the Loafing Leprechaun starting at about 5pm on Friday going till whenever. Erick, Buzz, Jason Pye, Jeff and myself will be there. Even you democrats are welcome to show up.

– Chris Farris on the Peach Pundit blogger gathering this afternoon in Duluth, coinciding with the Georgia GOP Convention. I’ll be there. Please don’t let that stop you from attending.

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At approximately 8pm on June 8, the annual Atlanta community event, CAMP SPRINGFEST, will end with one lucky $100 raffle ticket holder being announced as the grand prize winner of a newly renovated 3 Bedroom 2 Bath house valued at approximately $200,000 (two-hundred-thousand dollars).

– With run-onning sentences, DryerBuzz.com says there’s going to a be raffle for a house, a $200,000 house in southwest Atlanta, on Dill Avenue, and if you read the whole blog post you’ll see that there’s a public viewing of the house this weekend, from 2 to 5, on Sunday, if you’re interested.

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4.5 presidential candidates are coming to Atlanta this week.

Why 4.5?

Newt acts like he’s running, but he hasn’t declared.

Check them out while you can. Georgia is solidly Republican, so the likelihood of seeing them in 2008 outside the doors of a high-dollar fundraiser event is pretty low.

In strictly nonpartisan, alphabetical order:

Hillary Clinton: Sat., May 19, 7 p.m., at the home of Michael Coles ($1,000 to get in)

John Edwards: Thurs., May 17, 5:15 p.m., Georgia World Congress Center (free)

Newt Gingrich: Fri., May 18, Borders bookstore in Buckhead at 4 p.m., GOP Convention at Gwinnett Civic Center at 7 p.m.

Rudy Giuliani: Wed., May 16, noon, Emerson Student Center at Oglethorpe University (free)

Mitt Romney: Fri., May 18, 3-3:30 p.m., Gwinnett Civic Center (free, for those in the convention hall)

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