Fresh Loaf

Rasmussen reports that John Oxendine still leads candidates battling to become the GOP’s gubernatorial nominee. According a telephone survey conducted by the pollster, 27 percent of likely Republican primary voters favor the state insurance commissioner.

The Ox’s© lead, however, has shrunk by four points — and the number of undecided voters has grown. Rasmussen says many likely voters still haven’t formed an opinion about the candidates — which isn’t surprising for a contest that’s still 10 months away.

Here’s how the other pachyderms stack up:

Twelve percent (12%) prefer Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, while nine percent (9%) like Congressman Nathan Deal. Handel and Deal were tied at 13% each in the previous survey.

Rounding out the list is State Senator Eric Johnson, State Representative Austin Scott and conservative businessman Ray McBerry, each with three percent (3%) support among primary voters.

Seven percent (7%) favor some other candidate, and 35% are not sure. The number of undecided voters climbed four points from two months ago, suggesting that the race is far from decided.

That “other candidate” favored by seven percent of poll respondents could easily be a Libertarian. Pray to God it’s not this guy. Rasmussen will release details on the Democratic gubernatorial candidates tomorrow.

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1. The Cheetah, one of Atlanta’s favorite strip joints, is a patriot (More patriotic than the National Museum of Patriotism? Maybe.)

2. Georgia is South Korea (At least when it comes to sizing up human development. And yes, Georgia ranks above Mississippi and Alabama — and even Florida!)

3. CL’s Thomas Wheatley is a finalist for national journalism award (Wheatly’s on the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies’ shortlist for “Sober.” Hooray!)

4. Ga. GOP primary: A sad and soul-crushing spectacle (State Rep. Austin Scott apes McCain at the state GOP convention.)

5. Huey Lewis — err, Mike Evans — calls for Pelosi’s resignation (Congressional wannabe issues unexpected and hilarious press release. U.S. House Speaker doesn’t blink.)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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It’s been posted elsewhere, but deserves a mention here.

Democrat gubernatorial candidate David Poythress released a video yesterday that’s sure to squelch the macho man talk about Georgia seceding from the Union (can’t believe I just typed those words). Poythress, who adds that he’s the only announced gubernatorial candidate to have served in the armed forces, whacked several GOP candidates for entertaining the notion of bringing the Peach State back to the Dark Ages.

(more…)

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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.

(more…)

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Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has announced he will drop out of the 2010 governor’s race for health reasons.

“Often times we’re dealt certain cards we have to face,” Cagle told reporters today at a press conference at the Capitol before choking up and leaving the rotunda.

“It is a degenerative spinal condition and treatment will entail significant recovery,” spokesperson Jaillene Hunter later told reporters. She did not elaborate on the name of the condition or the course of its treatment.

In other words, the treatment — which involves surgery — would likely require Cagle to stay off the campaign trail.

Dick Pettys reports Cagle told members of the Senate Republican Caucus that he would run for another term as lieutenant governor in 2010. If so, he’ll face Sen. David Shafer, R-Duluth, and Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah — assuming they remain in the race following this news.

Cagle, a Gainesville Republican, was considered the front-runner to become the GOP nominee for governor. Remaining Republican candidates now include Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, state Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, and Ray McBerry. Possible candidates include Cobb County Chairman Sam Olens, whom Jim Galloway reports is expected to make an announcement on Friday.

(File photo by Joeff Davis)

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Georgia’s newest Public Service Commissioner, Lauren McDonald — better known to his longtime fans and followers as “Bubba” — is already facing up to $25,000 in fines by the State Ethics Commission related to shoddy record-keeping during his losing 2002 campaign to keep his seat on the PSC.

Now, former AJC investigative editor Jim Walls reports on his Atlanta Unfiltered blog that McDonald may also have some problems with his filings during last year’s PSC race to regain his old seat, specifically a $15,000 campaign loan of uncertain origin.

What makes all of this more than usually ironic is that McDonald had been working behind the scenes to change the rules for how the PSC chairmanship is determined, presumably so Bubba could ascend to that position. Currently, the five commissioners take turns serving as chairman, based on a regular annual rotation.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

(more…)

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Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton

Several Republican state representatives on Thursday opposed a privileged resolution to make President Barack Obama an honorary member of Georgia’s Legislative Black Caucus. Members of the caucus called the move political, offensive and bizarre — the state House has passed “thousands” of honorary resolutions without objection, one lawmaker said.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the color of his skin. It has to do with his policies being inconsistent with our core beliefs as Republicans.”

— State Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, and 2010 governor candidate, after stating that the legislation read as if the entire Legislature endorsed the president.

“We pass [other] resolutions about people we know nothing about. It’s a matter of respecting the office.”

— State Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta

“In my 35 years I’ve seen many resolutions. And I’ve never seen this type of action taken on the floor of the House. Now there’s a dark cloud over Georgia. And somebody has to remove it. This is a political act.”

— State Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Macon, the Black Caucus’ national chairman, who had planned to deliver the resolution to Obama at the White House on March 20.

(Courtesy House Communications)

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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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They’ll do it every time. One of the great ironies of our democracy is that we leave election law up to politicians.

We figured it was only a matter of time until Georgia Republicans, distraught over last week’s elections, began suggesting tweaks to voting guidelines. It’s the political equivalent of Monday-morning quarterbacking – except that, instead of second-guessing failed plays by the losing team, you day-dream about how the rules might have been changed to produce a different outcome.

I should note that both parties do this – in fact, the Democrats may have started it after Wyche Fowler lost the 1992 Senate runoff – and it’s pretty scuzzy every time it happens.

You’ll remember, of course, that state Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, started the ball rolling back in October when he called early voting “a mistake” after the GOP noticed that the wrong people seemed to be going to the polls. Then, only a day or so after the election, attorney Stefan Passantino, who heads the political law group for McKenna Long & Aldridge, Georgia’s most politically influential law firm, wrote an op-ed for the AJC in which he brazenly lambasted early voting as “uncontrolled voting.” Trust me, it’s got to be read to be believed. (more…)

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