Or so one would be led to believe. A recent press release from the Hodges campaign touts Hodges’ experience as a prosecutor and how that experience puts him in a better position to serve as Georgia’s Attorney General. The AG’s office represents the State in all appeals for death penalty cases – and Hodges believes having sought the death penalty before has prepared him to serve in that capacity as Attorney General.
Hodges is making an appeal, pun intended, to law and order conservatives – look at this excerpt:
“The case of Marcus Ray Johnson—who was sentenced to death 12 years ago—is a perfect example of one of the flaws in Georgia’s death penalty process. To fulfill our commitment to victims’ families and Georgia’s taxpayers, the appeals process must be expedited so that death sentences can be carried out more quickly,” he said.
Ken strongly believes that when the state sentences criminals to death, we ought to use all resources at our disposal—like DNA testing—to ensure justice has been done. And, in the interest of justice, these appeals need to be heard quickly and fully, and if upheld, the sentences carried out swiftly. It is the right thing to do for victim’s families, and Georgia’s taxpayers.
I really could care less about anyone’s stance on the death penalty, but I think we can all agree that the entire process is far more costly and drawn out than it should be. I’m not sure if the solution is to take the option off the table, or to speed up the process. The plain fact of the matter is the process is costly. Too costly. And guess who pays for it.
Hodges’ move does not surprise me. I think Hodges is one of the few Democrats in a Statewide election that has decent chance of winning. But Sam Olens is a formidable opponent in the general election.
h/t: Georgia Unfiltered
Full article can be found here.
Just months ago, Georgia’s Rep. Jim Marshall faced only faint headwinds as he sailed toward the midterm elections.
But in a reflection of his party’s fortunes nationwide, Mr. Marshall’s prospects have dimmed of late. The three-term congressman now faces an energized foe and the focus of the national Republican Party in a race that polls indicate is increasingly tight.
His change in fortunes is part of a larger trend in which eroding support for Democrats is roiling dozens of House races and boosting Republican confidence that the GOP will retake the House in November.
In Georgia, Mr. Marshall’s recent travails are emblematic of the struggles many Democrats now face. The former Army Ranger has made no particular gaffes or stumbles. His record—stiff opposition to the Democrats’ health-care overhaul, a ‘No’ vote on climate-change legislation—fits well with his majority Republican district.
But a recent Republican poll showed Mr. Marshall leading state Rep. Austin Scott by just five percentage points, within the poll’s 5.7% margin of error. His overall support was just 44%, a bad sign for an incumbent.
“Marshall is suffering from a lot of forces that are outside his control,” said Charles Bullock, a professor of politics at the University of Georgia who watches local races closely. “If there is a Republican tide this year, it will sweep Marshall out.” [click to continue…]
Georgia comes in 27th:
In its “Report Card on American Education: K-12 State Performance, Progress, and Reform” published Wednesday, the Peach State ranks 27th among the states.
The report ranks states based on student performance and their corresponding improvements on the fourth- and eighth-grade reading and mathematics National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which are nationally administered exams, from 2003 to 2009.
For state academic standards compared with the 2007 NAEP, Georgia got a grade of “F.”
For identifying high quality teachers, Georgia was given a “D+.”
For retaining effective teachers, Georgia merited a “D.”
For removing ineffective teachers, Georgia earned a “C+.”
And it got a reform grade of “C.”
You can read the full report here. The report for Georgia is available here.
According to their site:
The updated list can be viewed here.
ADDED TO THE TOP 50 LIST:
FL-02 Rep. Allen Boyd (D)
GA-08 Rep. Jim Marshall (D)
IL-11 Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D)
PA-11 Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D)
SC-5 Rep. John Spratt (D)
SD-AL Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D)
TN-4 Rep. Lincoln Davis (D)
Austin Scott seems to be closing in on the incumbent Marshall. This race is definitely one to watch in Georgia.
Not according to Jack Kingston who has legislation that would allow 18-year-old members of the U.S. military to purchase and consume wine and beer while on base.
From the Beaufort, South Carolina’s Gazette:
Purchases of beer and wine at base exchanges and convenience stores still would be prohibited, according to the bill.
Kingston, whose congressional district includes Savannah, believes someone mature enough to fight for the country in a time of war is mature enough to have a beer, said his spokesman, Chris Crawford.
“If we’re asking someone to risk their lives in defense of this country and they’re responsible enough for that, we ought to have enough faith in them to have a beer,” Crawford said. “By restricting it to on-post establishments and not allowing them to purchase alcohol intended to be consumed elsewhere, the bill would not impact local and state regulations. It also keeps the alcohol consumption from getting out of control as they would be in establishments with superior officers.”
The bill doesn’t call for hard liquor being sold to 18 year olds; my guess is to help push it through Congress. Our soldiers fight for our country and, in some cases, die for it; I really believe we should allow them to have a cold one when they so desire.
Barnes has begun to hammer Congressman Deal, alleging that Deal has “ethics issues.” Surprise!
In an interview with The Associated Press that touched on issues from immigration to predatory lending, Barnes said the lucrative arrangement Deal’s auto salvage business had with the state was a “serious error of judgment.”
“And we have the right to demand our highest elected officials that they not benefit themselves while in public office,” the Democrat told The AP.
“I’m disappointed and it pains me to say that, quite frankly, but I think it disqualifies him.”
This is a song and dance we will all be tired of hearing by November. It is my assumption that Barnes will cite Deal’s reluctance to release his tax records as an example of voters not being able to trust Deal. I point you to the sentence I emphasized – I think that phrase is very important. Former Governor Barnes released 25 years worth of tax records – I’d like to ask for the rest. By his own promulgated standard, we should be privy to a politician’s financial records while they have served in office. Herein is the problem: before two failed bids at the Governor’s mansion, and before his stint as a State Representative, Roy Barnes spent a few years in the State Senate. He was elected in 1974. The current year is 2010. I want the returns for your entire career as an elected official, Mr. Barnes – that is after all the standard you wish to hold others too.
I’m not finished.
This is the same Roy Barnes that bragged about not running negative ads in the primary and who stated that clean campaigns could be ran. Yeah, what happened there. I’m sure calling someone unethical and insinuating that they should be disqualified from running falls into the category of clean campaign tactics. But Barnes goes on to deposit this gem:
Barnes said he and Deal were friends when they served together in the state Senate for a decade in the 1980s. At the time Deal was a Democrat. He swapped parties in 1995 and became a Republican as the Republican revolution was under way led by fellow Georgian Newt Gingrich.
“I think he became Gingrichized,” Barnes said. “This is not the Nathan Deal I knew.”
Gingrichized. Really. I am not a gambling man. If I were, I would be willing to bet that Newt Gingrich is fairly popular in Georgia. Barnes had better be careful using language like this, he may cause Deal to gain more votes. Or is that the strategy now?
I haven’t seen Deal ads on the tv. I have seen plenty of Barnes ads. One told me that Nathan Deal was more of the same. But let me tell you about my favorite Barnes ad. It starts out talking about how we need a fresh start here in Georgia, then runs down Congressman Deal, and then talks about how we need Barnes’ experienced leadership.
This may be a Dodge County thing, but fresh start generally does not involve bringing back someone who has already been in power. Fresh start to me suggests a clean slate, something new – not a restoration of a previous status quo. Speaking of Dodge County – why don’t we talk about Governor Barnes’ judgement. He appointed a County Commissioner in Dodge County a few years back, that man is now in jail for buying votes. I accept that may be an isolated incident. But didn’t Barnes also endorse a man who was having an affair in last presidential election? Is this not the same Roy Barnes who was a character witness for Charles Walker?
I’m not sure we can trust former Governor Barnes. I invite him to come convince me we can, I’ll go buy a game of “Sorry!” from the local Walmart and we can play a game and have some sweet tea. Right now I remain unconvinced. I also remain unconvinced that Deal has done anything to disqualify him from office. So much rhetoric has been thrown around for the past six months – but we have yet to see any evidence of wrong doing. Unsubstantiated allegations make for good rumors, but for little else. The primary is over, it’s put up or shut up time.
Received via email:
Atlanta – Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced today that the State of Georgia is prepared to meet all requirements of the federal Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act, or MOVE Act, to increase voting opportunities for our approximately 200,000 military and overseas citizens.
For the first time in this year’s November General Election, Georgia’s military and overseas voters will be able to access an absentee ballot in electronic format 45 days prior to Election Day. To access their ballot, these voters will log on to a secure website, print and vote their ballot, and then mail it back to their county election office. This will save weeks of time previously lost to delivery of blank ballots by mail. Additionally, military and overseas voters may receive access to absentee ballots for an entire year’s election cycle, removing the need to submit multiple ballot requests.
In June, Governor Perdue signed into law House Bill 1073, which strengthened Georgia’s compliance with the MOVE Act.
[click to continue…]
The New American is remembering Rep. Larry McDonald, who was killed on this day in 1983 when Soviet fighter planes shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007:
Larry McDonald was born on April 1, 1935 in Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of 17, he was admitted to Emory University School of Medicine and in 1957 was graduated with his M.D. He then joined the U.S. Navy, serving on active duty for four years as a Navy physician and flight surgeon. For the duration of his life, McDonald remained in the Naval Reserve and was eventually promoted to the rank of Captain.
[...]
In 1974, after a tough primary battle in the Democratic Party, McDonald was elected to Congress, slipping by his Republican challenger Quincy Collins, by a margin of 549 votes out of the more than 95,000 votes cast.
On April 29, 1975, newly elected Representative McDonald addressed the floor of the House for the first time. He criticized the gradualist “no-win war” strategy in the Vietnam War, strongly emphasizing the Communist “bloodbath” that was to come to the people of South Vietnam.
By the end of his first term in the House he earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues in Congress; “Mr. Conservative” Senator Barry Goldwater said that Larry McDonald had “contributed more to the Congress than … any other freshman who has ever come here.” Goldwater’s remark wasn’t the only conservative approval McDonald garnered — he was universally respected by consitutionalists inside and outside of government.
During his tenure in office, Congressman McDonald always scored a solid 100 percent in “The Conservative Index,” then published in The Review Of The News (the predecessor to The New American). McDonald also scored a 100 percent rating from Americans for Conservative Action and 100 percent “rating from the National Conservative Political Action Committee’s (NCPAC) “Conservative Index.”
Larry McDonald was known for his staunch constitutional conservative principles and fervent anti-Communism. He was an advocate of a constitutionally limited government, school prayer, sound money (i.e. Austrian economics), the reinstallation of the House Internal Security Committee, and America’s mutual defense alliances with the anti-Communist governments of Taiwan and South Korea.
Apparently folks in Buckhead have helped make August a really good month for Matt Drudge.
Sent in by a reader:
FLASH: AUGUST 2010 IS LARGEST AUGUST IN DRUDGEREPORT’S 16 YEAR HISTORY. PAGE VIEWED 772,638,752 TIMES [UP FROM 669,392,126 IN '09 AND 614,577,960 IN '08]. FROM NEW ZEALAND TO NORWAY, BUCKHEAD TO BERLIN, AND BACK AROUND, THANKS A BILLION!
Bob Barr, a former Republican Congressman who served with Johnny Isakson in the House, has endorsed Chuck Donovan for US Senate:
Former U.S. Congressman and 2008 Presidential candidate Bob Barr today announced his endorsement of Libertarian Chuck Donovan running for U.S. Senate. The Donovan for Senate campaign is proud to receive such an endorsement. Bob Barr is well known figure in third party politics ever since he left the Republican Party in 2006 to join the Libertarian Party.
“Both our basic liberties and prosperity are increasingly at risk because of policies implemented by both of the two major monopoly parties.” said Barr. “Instead of giving us free markets, Washington puts taxpayers on the hook for bailouts. Instead of reforming crippling entitlements, Washington expands them.”
“There is not only a budget deficit in Washington, but also a severe deficit of leadership, and unless we start electing people like Chuck Donovan, our Constitution and Bill of Rights will become nothing more than footnotes in history.”
State Rep. Alan Powell (D-Hartwell) recently gave a candid interview to Blake Aued of the Athens Banner-Herald:
“If Roy Barnes doesn’t win it in November, you can probably stick a fork in the Democratic movement, because we will not be able to come back for a generation or more,” Powell said in a phone conversation today.
If Barnes loses, Powell said he would “seriously consider” switching parties because Democrats would not only have no influence, but no hope regaining power. He also said he thinks he could halt the Republicans’ drift to the right and bring it back toward the middle.
[...]
Barnes has a good shot at winning, Powell said, but he ought to be talking about the economy and the state budget more. The legislature has cut spending from more than $20 billion to less than $17 billion in the past two years, in addition to filling gaps with bond debt and federal stimulus money. Powell predicted an additional $2 billion to $3 billion hole next year.
Barnes is “going to have to branch out,” Powell said. “He can’t just talk about education.”
Barnes is going to have a fight on his hands, even though Georgia’s race for governor is listed as a toss-up. He should heed Powell’s warning.
Great news for the South West region of Georgia and parts of Alabama.
Beginning late in September, Hyundai’s Santa Fe midsize SUV will be assembled alongside the related Kia Sorento at the automaker’s new assembly plant in West Point, Georgia.
Santa Fe production in Georgia will begin on September 27 and a full second shift will commence a few days later on October 1. Hyundai says that a total of 7,000 assembly and related workers will grow out of the current 1,700 that currently work in the region’s booming auto industry once the plant reaches its full capacity.
While this will surely draw a number of workers from Alabama, some will go to Georgia citizens – and hopefully they all choose to spend their checks here. No matter how you slice it, this is good news – unless you fervently believe cutting taxes is a bad thing. Or if you are from Alabama.
h/t Left Lane News
This “Race to the Top” money is bad news.
By the end of September, $400 million in federal Race to the Top funding will be allocated to Georgia, but a breakdown of how the money will be divided still is up in the air, state officials say.
“The only thing we know for sure is that half will come to the state and half will come to the districts,” Gov. Sonny Perdue’s spokesman, Bert Brantley, said of the distribution among the 26 state school systems that signed agreements to participate in Race to the Top reforms.
We shouldn’t take it.
While most of us are gearing up for a long-awaited college football season, supporters of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are faced with a crisis of conscience:
DragonCon will be in town this weekend.
This explains the shortage of 12-sided dice and Magic the Gathering cards in the Atlanta area. I honestly feel bad for the Tech “football” players. It’s already hard enough to fill the seats in Bobby-Dodd Stadium as it is.
Maybe you can get these guys to show up at halftime:
Image courtesy of PWD at Georgia Sports Blog
30-24. Go Dawgs!
Consider this an open thread.
