Drifting Through The Grift

• Winging On Kyle

  Global warming. Again. Kyle is in a froth over the stolen CRU emails currently causing the "we don't need no stinking global warming" crowd to spasm in orgasmic glee.
  
  Instead of going point by point over Kyle's rehashing of tired arguments (we're cooling, Al Gore exaggerates, blah blah [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 2:54pm EST
  

• Virtual Mayor's Forum

  The Committee For A Better Atlanta is hosting a virtual forum today with the the mayoral candidates as well as others in next Tuesday's runoff.
  
  The event is from 4:30pm to 7:00pm.
  
  Drop by here for more information.
  
  Originally I had not planned to attend but' [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 11:55am EST
  

• Georgia Politics Podcast Episode 23

  The podcast is back!
  
  Jason, Catherine, Rusty, Joseph and myself revive the Georgia Politics Podcast with an episode ranging from the Atlanta Mayoral race to the saga of Glenn Richardson.
  
  Listen here.
  
  It's a good one. [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 8:16am EST
  

• Saxby's Georgia: Atlanta, The Mountains and Moultrie

  
  Oh jeez. National Geographic asked Senators to submit a hand drawn map of their home state and Saxby Chambliss (R-My Hometown) pulled out a sharpie and a napkin or something for an easel.
  
  I suppose I should be happy our mutual hometown is [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 2:46pm EST
  

• Behind The Scenes In the APN/ Reed Battle

  As we approach the final lap of the 2009 Atlanta Mayoral Race, tempers travel where they wont and usually arrive in the land of hyperbolic outrage.
  
  It is no secret Atlanta Progressive News has targeted the campaign of the Kasim Reed. In the past week, APN's Matthew Cardinale [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 5:55pm EST
  

• A Point Of View But Fair

  
  A point of view but fair. It could be the organically evolved creed of this three year exploration of citizen journalism.
  
  Long have I held the view that media as a whole is shackled by the unattainable goal of "objective reporting". (Having said that, [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 9:42am EST
  

• The Morning Line - Atlanta Mayor's Race

  We're down to the two candidates and this means the Morning Line changes it's methodology. Instead of a Horse Race parimutuel set of odds, we now shift to football game style "line". For those not familiar with the concept, a minus means the team is favored, a plus means the' [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 8:47am EST
  

• Franklin Ready For A Fight

  
  It's been a while since we've ventured into the fetid swamp that is the mind of Rep. Bobby Franklin's (R-The Other Side Of Mars).
  
  Jeff at SWGa Politics captured the above facebook posting where bombastic Bobby appears to advocate armed insurrection right' [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 8:59am EST
  

• Crist And Jeb?

  Daniel Larison of the American Conservative asks a reasonable question.
  In policy, Crist is hard to distinguish from the tradition of former Gov. Jeb Bush, who angered a lot of conservatives with his liberalizing views on immigration but who has otherwise been widely respected and admired by many rank-and-file [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 8:45am EST
  

• My Morning Wooten

  Compare and contrast.
  
  A conservative writes a thoughtful essay about not rushing to judgment on the Ft. Hood shootings and its larger implications.
  
  A "so-called" conservative writes an essay filled with leaps of logic and heaps of talk radio screech.
  
  In the deranged world of [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 9:47am EST
  

• Perspective

  Take five minutes today and read this. [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 10:15am EST
  

• Git The Stimulus Tar And Feathers!

  
  
  Fresh off their "victory" in NY-23 the Club For Growth is venturing down to Florida.
  
  Their problem with centrist Charlie Crist? He was fer the stimulus. Well, you see that just won't do, cuz any good libertarian was agin the stimulus.
  
  Charlie's sin gives these "conservative" [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 12:27pm EST
  

• The Evolving Blog

  Andrew Sullivan nails it.
  It's a clearing house for views and ideas and videos and art and argument and anecdote and reporting that create a community of discourse. It's as much your blog now as mine. The posts from readers are just as informative and often more enlightening than [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 12:04pm EST
  

• Lisa Borders Supported Micro-loans?

  Who knew Lisa Borders supported micro-loans? Well, Kasim Reed did and according to the Political Insider, he used it this morning on V-103 as a not-so-subtle come hither attempt at Border's endorsement.
  She talked about making small loans – certainly to women-owned businesses, and small businesses, to really get' [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 10:23am EST
  

• Fearless Predictions Sure To Be Wrong!

  Mary Norwood will not get a majority and will face Kasim Reed in a runoff.
  
  Hoffman will easily win NY-23.
  
  Erick Erickson will be a pompous ass today.
  
  Actually, I'm pretty damned sure 2 of those 3 will play out. I leave you to figure which ones.[...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 11:57am EST
  

• I Want The Truth

  
  Flush with victory over the evil DeDe Scozzafava, The Witches Hammer opines in Politico on how NRCC Chair Pete Sessions and RNC Chair Michael Steele have strayed from the one true way.
  Their “level of disingenuousness ... is disgusting,” Erickson said.
  With the NY-23 [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 12:35pm EST
  

• Atlanta Mayor's Race - The Morning Line

  Is this the final morning line? Will we have a runoff? With Mary Norwood showing solidly in the 40s in every poll, the likelihood of a runoff decreases, lengthening the odds to even. Given this strange last minute shift of the winds, The Morning Line returns to the meta question [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 8:57am EST
  

• Democrats On The Mayors Race

  
  It started with a spilled box of legos. The audience tittered; some probably thinking they had seen an unfortunate omen, some a symbol of the last year, some both. ~griftdrift, 2007
  
  It took them a while, but they've started acting like Democrats.[...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 8:48am EDT
  

• Spock Beard Day

  
  
  The episode introduces the alternate reality "Mirror Universe" concept in Star Trek for the first time. The episode has a transporter mishap swapping Captain Kirk and his companions with their evil counterparts [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 12:02pm EDT
  

• My Morning Wooten

  Reasonable Jim returns and I'm glad for it. Doesn't mean we're going to sip lemonade on the porch and speak only kind words.
  
  Instead of cribbing his essay as usual, I will summarize that Jim argues the so-called "commuter tax" bandied about at the last Mayor debate would' [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 11:20am EDT
  

• The Divining Witches Hammer

  The Witches Hammer has added fortunetelling to his repertoire.
  Just a day after the Augusta Chronicle noted the racial dynamics at play and at stake in the Atlanta Mayoral election,Shirley Franklin comes out to attack the cracker.When I noted Franklin never mentions race and Peach Pundit front pager Icarus [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 9:04am EDT
  

• The Morning Line - Atlanta Mayor's Race

  Runoff Edition! The Morning Line will hand out odds of the candidates making it to the inevitable runoff. Are we guaranteed a runoff you ask? The Morning Line sets the odds of a runoff occurring at 1 to 4. Wager wisely. Now on to the field!
  
  Mary Norwood - [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 11:25am EDT
  

• Millelou Speaks!

  Mayor Millielou has been coy about supporting any of the mayoral candidates.
  
  But one thing's for sure - she ain't gonna support Norwood.
  
  Perhaps it's time to update the Morning Line.' [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 11:23am EDT
  

• Lisa Borders Wants Your Property

  I don't have a vote in the City of Atlanta election but if I did, Lisa Borders just lost it.
  Atlanta mayoral candidate Lisa Borders says she'll use eminent domain powers to take land from owners who poorly maintain their property..."We need to take it from them," said Borders, [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 2:58pm EDT
  

• Pundit Flip

  David Frum answers an interesting thought experiment - what if certain conservative pundits were offered oodles of money, longevity and fame to harp the exact opposite of their current "views".
  
  I think he's pretty spot on.
  
  But it is Andrew Sullivan who provides the closer and' [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 2:35pm EDT
  

• Millar On Marta

  Rep. Fran Millar (R-Land of Reasonable Republicans) has a fantastic AJC opinion piece laying out the reasoning for a state takeover of MARTA.
  This is our one chance to get away from a department of highways and have a meaningful department of transportation. With this new MARTA financial data, [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 10:37am EDT
  

• Saturday Funny

  
  
  I once asked Spacey how she could call everyone in Atlanta media freaks and bastards and still get invited to all their fancy parties. She muttered something about them all being masochists. [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 1:07pm EDT
  

• My Morning Wooten

  Jim is on a mostly fiscal conservative rant this morning and as is usual I find myself not necessarily agreeing but not disagreeing vehemently.
  
  But there's one item which tickles my commentary bone.
  It will be an outrage if National Football League owners reject a group’s bid to' [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 11:15am EDT
  

• An Odd Silence

  Screams of "PRIMARY" ring across the land when poor Saxby Chambliss votes for a single farm subsidy. Yet, when a fellow Georgia Republican congressman does this:
  They called on the sergeant at arms to investigate whether, as Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) put it, a group that "is" [...]
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  Posted: October 15, 2009, 1:08pm EDT
  

• The Witches Hammer's New Job

  Erick "The Witches Hammer" Erickson has a new moniker - salt salesman.
  I’m going to ship this 5 pound bag of rock salt to her office in Maine. It’s only $3.00. You should join me.
  As Outside The Beltway points out, there's more than just a few problems with' [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 2:08pm EDT
  

• A Question For Chairman Ehrhart

  Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Land of Nodding Know-nothingness) is piping up on Peach Pundit again, proudly bragging about the latest twist of the screws to MARTA.
  
  I have a question for you Chair Ehrhart.
  
  How do you justify spending my tax money laying down an infinite number of [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 2:01pm EDT
  

• How Things Work

  Want to know how shoe leather journalism works in TV land?
  
  Live Apartment Fire is always a good resource, but this week Doug Richards hits it out of the park with his behind the scenes description of how he got the Judge Oxendine story. Read the whole thing. [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 4:10pm EDT
  

• Winging On Kyle

  Finally, Wingfield gives me something to work with!
  
  Of course, it would be a denial of global warming.
  The latest sign that the “consensus” about global warming is falling apart: The BBC is finally reporting that global temperatures have leveled off since 1998, and that there maybe, [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 2:20pm EDT
  

• Over The Line

  We've had a previous discussion about Tom Crawford. One of my regular readers quite correctly chastised me for not calling him out on his latest wild ravings.
  
  Well that stops now.
  I am confident that Congressman Lynn Westmoreland (R-Dachau), who considers Obama to be too "uppity" for his' [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 2:12pm EDT
  

• The Right Question

  I really want to lay into Galloway for continuing to ignore hard working, honest voices in the Georgia political blogosphere while continuing to link, thereby passing along legitimacy, to the voice that called a sitting Supreme Court Justice a goat f*cking child molester and the voice who is [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 1:52pm EDT
  

• My Morning Wooten

  I know everyone is currently distracted by the story that makes me wonder if I've stumbled into some Fringe-like alternate universe, but tear your eyes away from Sweden for a moment to ponder this jewel.
  One wonders how it is possible at this late date for anybody' [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 9:02am EDT
  

• DecaurMetro Hosting City Commission Debate

  DecaturMetro is hosting a forum for Decatur City Commission candidates. Visit the site for full details.
  In what is surely a first in Decatur, if not metro Atlanta, Decatur Metro will host an online debate/forum on this site between the four city commission candidates on wednesday, October 21st from [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 12:41pm EDT
  

• The Favorites

  They march down the tiled halls of power, boldly into the very heart of Democracy and drag their shockingly docile victims into side rooms for the figurative beat down. ~griftdrift
  
  My ten favorites from over the years.
  
  Thugs
  
  The In Between
  
  The Response
  [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 10:35am EDT
  

• Wren's Nest In Atlanta Magazine

  Yeah. I'm still around. Not much to inspire lately. I've even thought about converting from politics to some sort of southern life theme. Maybe I'll get Grayson to contribute opinings about sweet tea or something.
  
  Anyway, not converting yet, but here is a good ol' fashioned southern story, layered [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 11:59am EDT
  

• Congrats Local Blogs

  The Loafies are out and as Dave at inDecatur points out, Decatur in general won big.
  
  Dave's competitor/cohort in covering the Decatur happenings DecaturMetro won the coveted Local Blog of the Year. To my brother in semi-anonymity, I say, well done, sir, but now with great power [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 2:15pm EDT
  

• Welcome To The Flood My Friends

  All flood, all the time.
  
  This is reminding me too much of Alberto. [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 2:59pm EDT
  

• Deets On The Eagle Raid Rally Tomorrow

  They be a rallyin' at city hall tomorrow. Here's the details:
  
  Date: Saturday, September 19, 2009 Time: 12:00pm - 3:00pm Location: City Hall Downtown Street: 68 Mitchell Street City/Town: Atlanta, GA
  Our intent is to show the City of Atlanta and the APD the vast number of community members' [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 12:03pm EDT
  

• My Morning Wooten

  We're going to have some fun today. The plate is full.
  No, it’s true that President Obama is not “ignoring calls for tort reform and changes in medical malpractice laws.” Trial lawyers are a key constituency of the Democratic Party, which largely explains why party leaders have chosen to' [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 10:13am EDT
  

• The Buzzman Calls Me Out

  Peach Pundit's Buzz Brockway called me out. Let the second round of the spin war begin.
  
  I've been trying to put my finger on something for a while now. My gut has been telling me there is something different about what is happening with Obama and what happened' [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2009, 10:36am EDT
  

• APD Releases Complaints Filed In Eagle Raid

  The APD has released the complaints filed against officers involved in the Eagle raid. Southern Voice has excerpts.
  
  Here's the one that jumped out at me.
  An employee who lives in an apartment over the Eagle, who said he was not working that night, said someone started pounding [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2009, 9:54am EDT
  

• City Council Meeting Brings More Questions

  Creative Loafing's Thomas Wheatley attended yesterday's City Council meeting and as expected, supporters of The Eagle were present.
  
  The meeting may have answered some questions but may have raised more.
  
  If the sole source for the raid were two anonymous complaints and undercover work which alleged [...]
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  Posted: September 16, 2009, 9:01am EDT
  

• Creative Loafing Asks Questions About The Eagle

  Creative Loafing attended the Atlanta Police Department's presser on the Eagle raid and left unfulfilled. He has additional questions and they are good ones.
  
  I would add one that was posed by someone else.
  
  If this was about public sex and not drugs (of which none were' [...]
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  Posted: September 15, 2009, 11:19am EDT
  

• My Morning Wooten

  Just a brief note today.
  
  Jim actually argues his own profession shouldn't do its job.
  The conflicting interpretations about whether illegals could gain coverage and about whether federal funds would be spent to cover abortions, are examples of why news organizations and supposedly non-partisan public interest groups should' [...]
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  Posted: September 15, 2009, 8:36am EDT
  

• Why The Eagle Raid Matters

  
  It should matter because our Founders graced us with the Fourth Amendment.
  
  It should matter because it exemplifies the ongoing struggle in Midtown between neighborhoods and businesses they deem unacceptable.
  
  It should matter because the public perceives crime as out of control, yet, [...]
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  Posted: September 14, 2009, 12:37pm EDT
  

• Atlanta Libertarians Condemn Eagle Raid

  The Atlanta chapter of the Libertarian Party has issued a press release regarding the raid on The Eagle.
  The Libertarian Party of Atlanta is deeply disturbed by the actions of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) when they raided popular Atlanta gay bar, The Eagle on September 10th. . In [...]
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  Posted: September 14, 2009, 10:53am EDT