Fresh Loaf

Some of the state’s top Republicans are getting together at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, September 13 at the Renaissance Waverly in Cobb County for a McCain-Palin “Countdown To Victory Rally.”

Neither Sen. John McCain nor Gov. Sarah Palin will be there, but state GOP stalwarts Gov. Sonny Perdue, Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Sen. Johnny Isakson, Secretary of State Karen Handel, School Superintendent Kathy “Smarter than a 5th Grader” Cox, Rep. Tom Price, Rep. Phil Gingrey and state GOP chairwoman Sue Everhart are scheduled to appear.

Conspicuously absent from the bill is Rep. Lynn Westmoreland. Perhaps the Renaissance Waverly is too uppity for him.

Contact georgia@johnmccain.com for details.

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U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland referred last week to Barack and Michelle Obama as “uppity” — a word used in the past by Southern racists to criticize blacks who rose above their station. It wasn’t the first time the Republican congressman from just south of Atlanta put his foot in his mouth, particularly on a racially charged issue.

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3673, the Second Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet Immediate Needs Arising From the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina.”
— Westmoreland’s 2005 statement on the House floor against a Katrina relief bill

“Well, there’s one other do-nothing-er. I don’t know who that is, but they’re a Democrat. So there’s one Democratic do nothing-er, and one Republican.”
— Westmoreland, asked in 2006 by Comedy’s Central’s Stephen Colbert if he was a “do-nothinger” for failing to sponsor any legislation (more…)

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From The Hill:

“Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they’re a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they’re uppity,” Westmoreland said.

Asked to clarify that he used the word “uppity,” Westmoreland said, “Uppity, yeah.”

Keep it classy, sir!

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Just as political junkies were busy swapping predictions about the 2010 governor’s race – Is Johnny really getting in? Will Richardson stay out? – our unpredictable state Insurance Commissioner jumps in with both feet. Republican John Oxendine tells Insider Advantage that he’ll make a formal announcement in a few weeks.

Isn’t it a bit early to actually declare one’s candidacy for a race that’s two years off? It would be, unless one’s main goal is to spook Sen. Johnny Isakson into backing off from a run, says one GOP strategist we spoke to. While Isakson would be considered the man to beat in the GOP primary, he’s also a fairly cautious pol. You would be, too, if you had a cushy Senate seat in your back pocket.

Oxendine may be something of a political maverick who hasn’t made a lot of friends within his party, but he’s got a formidable donor base in the insurance industry that can help him bridge the name-recognition gap. And although he began his time in office as something of a buffoon known for wrecking state vehicles, Oxendine has lately earned points by criticizing some of the less consumer-friendly measures coming out of the Statehouse.

What this means for the rumored candidacies of fellow Republicans, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland or Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, remains to be seen.

If Isakson does decide to run for the Governor’s Mansion, then stand back as the political dominoes begin to fall. We’ve heard that GOP Congressmen Jack Kingston of Savannah and Phil Gingrey of Marietta might be interested in moving up to the Senate. Gov. Purdue, too, would be available to run.

And among the Democrats? Too soon to guess, but whoever it is better have the full backing of the party. Says one Dem insider: “The only way for us to get back in the game is to have a unified ticket that everyone can get behind.”

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