Fresh Loaf

Much like its subsidiary Georgia Power did under the Gold Dome with its controversial Plant Vogtle bill earlier this year, Atlanta-based Southern Co. has cranked up production in its lobbyist factory and ordered more than 60 well-dressed foot soldiers to march through the halls of Congress.

Their mission: Twist lawmakers’ arms about the global warming bill that last week narrowly passed the House and is on its way to the Senate.

From the Center for Public Integrity:

Southern Company, the nation’s largest electric power generator, also had the largest force of lobbyists among the hundreds of businesses and interest groups that were seeking to influence the landmark climate change legislation that just passed the House.

With 63 lobbyists, the Atlanta-based energy giant had nearly twice as many climate lobbyists as any other company or organization, according to registration statements filed with the Senate Office of Public Records for the first quarter of 2009. (The second quarter filings won’t be available for a few weeks.) Eleven of Southern’s climate representatives were in-house, while the rest came from a dozen different lobbying shops.

It’s for good reason, too. The center reports that “more than 80 percent of the 200 million megawatt hours of electricity [Southern Co.'s] plants generate annually is fired by fossil fuel — the main source of greenhouse gases.” Should the bill pass, it could greatly impact Southern Co.’s — and in the process, your — bottom line.

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Republican Rep. Lynn “Uppity” Westmoreland of Newnan is standing in a nearly empty U.S. House and addressing his fellow lawmakers as I write this. About 12 guys — two of whom I think are really just cardboard cutouts — have stuck around to listen to each other talk about President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan. (The House passed a bill 244-188 earlier today.)

Westmoreland kicks off his speech with:

“When I watch Scooby-Doo with my grandchildren and he runs into some unexpected trouble, he says ‘ruh roh.’ Well, there’s been some ‘ruh roh’s’ lately.”

He goes on to say “ruh roh” about five more times. This isn’t politics, this is poetry, brah.

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Don’t count on Georgia’s candidates for Congressional and state offices to tell you what they think on the issues.

That’s what Project Vote Smart, a national research organization founded by Newt Gingrich, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and numerous other political leaders of all parties, concluded in its regular survey of the bunch.

According to the organization, only 30 percent of Georgia’s Congressional candidates and 13 percent of state legislative candidates were willing to give their views on such issues as budget, taxes, environment and energy, health care, immigration and foreign policy. (Keep reading to find out who’s among them.)

A 10-year study conducted by the organization shows candidates and incumbents have been less likely to respond to the test.  Why are those who want to remain in office or get there so apprehensive? Says Project Vote Smart:

Since 2000, Project Vote Smart has found that party leaders and consultants from both major parties are advising candidates not to respond to the Test for two primary reasons: it will limit the candidates’ ability to control their campaign messages, and it will expose them to opposition research.

Richard Kimball, president of Project Vote Smart responds to this cynical attitude. “While Project Vote Smart doesn’t need the candidates’ cooperation to get the goods on them, the public is always interested in finding out which of their candidates have enough courage to expose themselves to their opponents in order to help voters. One campaign consultant told us, ‘Our campaign only answers issue questions if they come with a campaign contribution or endorsement.’”

After the jump, view the names of and download the attachments to see where your elected official stands.

(more…)

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The Augusta Chronicle has published an endorsement of 10th District Congressional candidate Barry Fleming that, in its breathless admiration and over-the-top prose, is nothing short of an editorial blowjob:

Fleming, a former assistant district attorney, has led an exemplary personal and professional life. Besides his unassailable credentials, Fleming flashes the eloquence of a prosecutor and the moral persuasion that made Charlie Norwood a legend here and in Congress.
It shows in the accolades Fleming has earned in just a few years in the halls of power – awards from Georgia’s cities, hospitals, district attorneys, family advocates and more.
And if anyone in Athens is wondering about his loyalties, he has two degrees from the University of Georgia.

Urp. I think I’m going to be ill.

Fleming became majority whip in the state House when the Republicans took over because Majority Leader Jerry Keen wanted a reliable henchman to help him carry out dirty work, such as Keen’s draconian – and unconstitutional – sex-offender bill.

The Chronicle cites Fleming’s support from the Medical Association of Georgia as a sign of his leadership. Well, of course MAG endorses Fleming – it’s payback for his role in the “tort reform” legislation that’s helping the insurance giant line its pockets.

And the paper touts Fleming for trying to “empower prosecutors.” That’s a nice way to describe one of the most shameful and irresponsible bills of the last few years. Here’s how we described it when we gave him a Golden Sleaze Award last year:

The Kill ‘Em All, Let God Sort ‘Em Out Award
To Rep. Barry Fleming, R-Harlem
At a time when other red states are announcing moratoria on executions and DNA evidence is being used left and right to spring people from death row, Barry “Widowmaker” Fleming wants to grease the path to Georgia’s electric chair.
The majority whip offered a bill to scrap one of the fundamental tenants of American criminal justice – unanimous juries – in order to allow folks to be put to death even if not one, not two, but three jurors were opposed. The Headsman of Harlem made it obvious that his bill was tailored to soothe his discontent with the recent case of convicted murderer Wesley Harris, who received a life sentence instead of a date with Old Sparky because of two holdout jurors.

Anyway, the most interesting part of the Chronicle piece is the reader commentary that follows the editorial. A number of folks have been turned off by Fleming’s slime campaign against incumbent Paul Broun’s distant personal past, as typified by his debate attacks. Just judging from the online debate, it seems increasingly as if this race is up for grabs.

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It’s a wallet, you perverts!

The Associated Press reports that Atlanta-based Southern Co., parent company of Georgia Power, Alabama Power, God-We-Have-So-Much Power, and other utilities, spent more than $14 million last year on lobbying the U.S. Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Energy Department and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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