Right now the news is breaking across the state that Karen Handel is resigning as Secretary of State to focus solely on the gubernatorial race. WSB just broke the news despite an alleged 2pm embargo on the story.
Given all the ethical issues of the guys sticking around relating to fundraising [...]
Good rebuttal from Doug Richards regarding my criticisms of his piece on O’Neal and the lobbyists.
*Sorry, should never be reading stuff by Doug and Dale at the same time. Name corrected. My apologies.
[...]“The Senate has stepped up its communications into modern-day technology and we are now on Twitter. Our Twitter name is @GASenatePress and I welcome you to follow us. Each time the press office posts a release, audio or video to the Senate web site, we automatically Tweet. If you have [...]
If before you leave your meeting today you do not also hold an election for Majority Leader, the rest of us will remember.
We need all new faces. So far, so good.
[...]They chose wisely, it seems. At least most of the unaffiliated people tend to be telling me that.
Also, I’m told several legislators are smirking today feeling like they delivered a blow to the Governor in the process of electing David Ralston as Speaker.
[...]I have now seen the Larry O’Neal story. Pete has captured the gist of it accurately.
I think the story, upon further reflection, seems to be a bit of dirty pool or amateur journalism — perhaps we should have run it here as opposed to 11 Alive.
What I mean is that [...]
I have dug into Bill Hembree’s district and I think he may need to reconsider running for Speaker.
Let’s admit that he will be target number 1 for the Democrats were he Speaker and, frankly, may be target number 1 anyway. His district demographics contrary to a number of reports are [...]
If you are in the Atlanta media market, I’m being flooded with calls asking what Channel 11’s exclusive will be at 6pm.
I suspect they are going with Larry O’Neal. Has the audit been released?
Actually, a better guess would be his involvement with the Speaker and a lobbying issue. At [...]
My Friends -
I open this by noting it is an unfortunately lengthy email, but its contents are vital because they involve my good name (which I guard jealously) and a complicated piece of tax legislation. Please review this entire email so you can be fully informed in your decision for [...]
Dear Friends:
In less than 48 hours, we will meet to choose the Republican candidate for Speaker. We face a challenging decision in a political climate that has changed rapidly in just a few short weeks.
Reform of our House rules and improvements in our ethics laws have suddenly become very fashionable [...]
This is only going to get worse. The media is going to dribble these stories out over the next several months.
[...]I really could care less who the House GOP elects since Tom Graves is not among the nominees. Two of the candidates have called me. Surrogates of the others have called. I have talked to none of them. I’m actually tied up in some business that has distracted me.
In any [...]
One of the candidates in the GOP field is considering shutting down his campaign due to poorer than intended fundraising and storm clouds on the horizon.
Yeah, hate me because it is so vague. Think I care? Deal with it.
[...]First, there is a common talking point shaping up this morning from legislators at various county GOP meetings — don’t read Peach Pundit.
I personally [...]
As I write, the House GOP is going into conference. The Governor will address them. David Ralston, Bill Hembree, Larry O’Neal, Jerry Keen, and others are all fighting now for the top job.
The danger is that several of the guys negate each other and help get someone unacceptable elected Speaker.
I [...]
WSB is reporting that Falcon player Jonathan Babineaux has been arrested in Gwinnett County for possession of marijuana.
(H/t @pkelly99 on twitter)
[...]Here is my newspaper column on the present messiness.
St. Augustine said, “Lord make me chaste, but not yet.” That has fast become the motto of Republican legislative leaders in Georgia.
[...]Everyone is paying attention to the problems in the House, but the Senate GOP is not off the hook.
Allegedly, the alleged eye-witness to the alleged and long rumored incident with the Lt. Governor is going to speak publicly an deny having seen what everyone says she originally said she saw. [...]
I hear a lot of positive things about Hembree and he seems like he would be a fresh face outside the status quo.
But everyone keeps telling me his district is trending Democrat. If so, do we want a vulnerable Speaker who might be tempted to use caucus resources to keep [...]
Larry O’Neal is definitely in, according to Travis Fain at the Telegraph.
I’m sorry, but I read these two paragraphs and was struck by a profound sense that O’Neal is fine with all the scotch and strippers, but Glenn’s ex-wife turned Glenn into a distraction.
O’Neal promised a different style than [...]
Jason Carter is following in his grandfather, President Jimmy Carter’s famous footsteps and entering politics with a state Senate run.
The Atlanta lawyer and Democrat says he will run for a seat representing part of DeKalb County. The District 42 post is currently held by David [...]
The man shows no interest in running for Speaker, instead being content to be one of 435 members of the United States House of Representatives.
I think it is impressive how many people overnight jumped in the prior post to say he would be a terrific Speaker.
You might want to [...]
Dear House Republicans,
You want a bold and safe choice for Speaker?
Seriously. Not kidding one bit.
You signal that you are conservative, that you understand the internal problems, that you want to make serious amends, and as an added bonus you help cull the herd in the 9th [...]
I have a hard time grasping at this one.
It’s funny, I was thinking about Denny Hastert and then got an email making the case. Then [...]
Not really, but thanks Grift and Gray.
I won’t get preachy and I admit totally I’m a partisan, but I started doing what I was doing just for the love of politics. Somehow I’ve been blessed to get in a position where I have some clout, whether deserved or [...]
First, you can participate in a virtual climate summit on Wednesday at noon.
Second, is their Patriots Christmas. The event will be December 11th at 7pm.
[...]A while back a Mercer professor scheduled a debate, locked in the time and day, then notified all the candidates of the day of the debate asking them to attend.
Unfortunately, all the candidates except Ox had events that day and they weren’t going to drop everything just to drive to [...]
The Ox was at the Newton County GOP Party tonight along with multiple Peach Pundit spies. According to several, the Ox recounted all the stuff on Peach Pundit today about Mark Burkhalter then told the audience that they should all avoid Peach Pundit themselves as it is not a credible [...]
I left David Ralston out of my post this morning as his name had dropped off any consideration for Speaker.
I’m happy to do a separate post if need be. I hope that won’t be necessary. Needless to say, if you are a Republican in the State House of Representatives thinking [...]
In 2002, Republicans took over the Georgia State Senate and Governor’s Mansion for the first time since the Civil War.
In 2004, the GOP took over the State House of Representatives.
In 2006, [...]
That would be Eric Johnson. I’ve confirmed that Fox 5 is going to review the handling of the ethics investigation into Glenn Richardson and allege that Eric Johnson has some responsibility in letting it go on.
[...]It is pretty obvious now that the GOP is in the whirlwind of scandal and running scared. Everyone is convinced more shoes will drop and more lives destroyed. People are nervous. The media is circling.
The bright side: adults are now paying attention and headed to a room to seek [...]
UPDATE: No go. A sign of the paranoia that Republicans and reporters are all trading on the same rumors, which then becomes so established that a competing network’s reporter would call to get my take on an 11 Alive story that did not even run.
———-
The rumor of the evening [...]
The Speaker has not resigned. Yet. Insider Advantage reported last night and I received several phone calls from legislators all saying the Speaker would be resigning.
He lingers on. I think, though, that it is time for the Speaker to go. I had hoped he would be able to stay [...]
Like in Atlanta, no surprises.
Chuck Shaheen became the city’s next mayor Tuesday night, besting opponent Chuck Chalk by less than 200 votes.
Shaheen, 49, took 2,927 of the 5,664 total votes cast for mayor in the runoff election. Mike Daley won the City Council Post 1 seat, receiving 3,317 [...]
I’ve been fielding calls all evening from House Republicans jockeying for position with Speaker Richardson resigning.
The money is on Burkhalter by virtue of his present position, but a lot of guys are saying we need to look at Jerry Keen, who they think will convey a more grown up demeanor [...]
There is a damage control meeting under way.
I think with confirmation of the existence of the communications as alleged by the wife, it is going to be very hard for the Speaker to continue.
By the way, there’s another story coming soon about another Republican. Ugh.
[...]It is looking like House Republicans are becoming convinced this morning that there are texts, voicemails, etc. from the Speaker to his wife that will do the Speaker and, indirectly, the caucus no favors.
Consequently, I’m told there is a growing desire for the leadership to see the Speaker retire from, [...]
It remains a sleeper campaign.
In October, the Newnan newspaper dutifully reported Eric Johnson’s talk to the local Rotary Club.
That’s about as much notice the Savannah candidate for governor has received since he resigned from the state Senate on Sept. 15.
Johnson, the former Senate president pro tem, is running a [...]
Glad they could get together and talk across the aisle, so to speak, about this.
Republican State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox and state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan (D-Austell) come from opposite sides of the political spectrum, but both agree that teacher quality needs improvement in Georgia.
I remain amazed [...]
Was he fired? The AJC says it sounds that way.
Baseball broadcaster Chip Caray and Turner Sports parted ways on Monday, a move that was termed a mutual decision but seemed in every sense a firing.
[...]No luck at SCOTUS for Carlton Gray.
The United States Supreme Court for the third time has declined to hear the appeal of Carlton Gary, moving the “Stocking Strangler” closer to execution in Georgia’s death chamber.
The latest decision by the high court came Monday without comment. Gary had appealed the [...]
The Savannah Morning News reports today that hurricane season ended with a whimper. Everyone else is reporting the weather’s gonna suck today.
[...]Glenn Richardson’s wife has decided to speak out.
In a nutshell, she thinks the suicide was a cry for attention designed to bring her back to him and she hates his guts and wouldn’t mind if he died and wants the world to know all about it and this is' [...]
I think Kasim Reed wins tomorrow in Atlanta. He’s got Roy Barnes’s support, a black community that doesn’t want to lose the Mayor’s Office, Shirley Franklin, etc.
Also, in my neck of the woods, i am leaning toward saying Shaheen wins in Warner Robins, but I am less sure of that [...]
A funny thing happened in Georgia after state lawmakers in 2008 required local governments to add an extra second of yellow light on traffic signals using cameras to catch drivers running red lights.
The number of camera-initiated tickets plummeted. So did enforcement revenues. As a result, some towns [...]
So reports the Athens Banner-Herald.
“Everything’s fine,” said state Rep. Terry England, R-Auburn. “Everybody’s supporting him. We’re going to go back and work for the people of Georgia.”
England and colleague Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, were part of a failed effort in 2008 to install state Rep. David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, as [...]
