That’s the word from our Lieutenant Governor. Apples and oranges. One office you can run for with crippling back pain, or while recovering from surgery, and the other you can’t. Being Lieutenant Governor is evidently so easy even a caveman can do it!
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle raised eyebrows when he said mounting back problems forced him to drop out of the 2010 governor’s race but that he still felt healthy enough to run for re-election to his current post.
The Republican says comparing the two contests is like comparing “apples and oranges.” The governor’s race is already under way and could take a $10 million war chest.
What an outstanding way to make his office look utterly unnecessary if someone who is wracked with pain and facing paralysis is still able to handle the responsibilities incumbent in holding the second highest office within Georgia.
Cagle says he decided to drop out of the race after roaming the grounds of Augusta National with his family last week. He says he suffers from growing numbness in his left arm and the possibility of paralysis.
He says the pain “never goes away. It only worsens. Even when I lay down.”
Okay, I’ll take him at his word. It’s the horrible pain. The horrible pain that no one has heard a whisper about for months. The horrible pain that isn’t on display in these recent videos. The horrible pain that his physician, who is on “double secret probation” and mysteriously can’t be identified in the first ever case of “reverse physician confidentiality,” says surgery is needed for. The horrible pain that, as a result of walking around The Masters tournament in Augusta and not 40 long days and nights during the recent session of the General Assembly, convinced him about the need for surgery.
But he can still run for re-election and remain an effective Lieutenant Governor. Really?
{ 46 comments }
In defense of Casey’s doctor. If you were a small practitioner in Gainsville with other patients to see, would you really want the Atlanta News Corps camped out in your waiting room? I think its perfectly reasonable for Casey’s doctor to request anonymity.
I agree with Chris.
Except I’m told his doctor is at Emory, which makes sense. If I were the LG I’d want the best, and the best is probably not in the backwoods of Gainseville.
And if his doctor is at Emory, I’d think that doctor would relish the publicity of operating on the sitting Lt. Governor.
I had back surgery in 2004, for a herniated disc that pinched my sciatic nerve. I had very similar symptoms to what the Lt. Gov is describing, though it was isolated to my left leg.
It was sort of hit and miss with what I could and couldn’t do; so I’m not so quick to dismiss his explanation.
No one believes these RIDICULOUS stories. Cagle digs himself a deeper hole each time he talks to the news media. He is now calling Senators pleading for them to sign an endorsement letter. PITIFUL. Cagle is making the calls himself because he could not convince Tommie Williams to make the calls for him. Many Senators have told Johnson to remain in the race. They know that Cagle is finished. Cagle is a ghost who does not realize that he is politically DEAD.
Hey Chris –
Gainesville is not backwoods. We’ve got a great hospital up here, Northeast GA Medical. It may not have had the kind of specialist he needed though.
We have roads too.
I will also say that it is not uncommon for people to try to make things look alright while they are suffering some physical ailment. They just work through the pain.
Then I guess it’s super we’re all taking him at his word!
Funny comments from a lia—–errrr…lawyer, Pete, about taking a person at their “word.”
All this reminds me of when Lt. Gov. Pierre Howard was going full steam ahead in his Governor’s campaign, when he suddenly and with lame excuses, announced that he had a change of heart and dropped completely out of Georgia politics. Whoever had the pictures didn’t want him as Lt. Gov. or anything, I suppose. Makes me think that either the Ox or Handel had a hand in all this subterfuge, since they have the most to gain from getting Casey out of the Gov’s race. And as Lt. Gov., they could continue to blackmail him if he ever crossed them. Am I nuts?
Yes. And, slimy.
Why speculate?
The man’s out of the governor’s race, and according to the Georgia Gang, he’s seriously hurt his chances at re-election to LG. Whatever is going on is painful for him and his family. I’m sad for all of them whether it’s actually a physical ailment or something else.
I don’t mean to be mean-spirited here. But no sane person I know believes Casey about his sudden urgent back ailment. I am only pondering the serious consequences of this mess. What if Pierre Howard had been “allowed” to run again as Lt. Gov. instead of leaving politics altogether. Were he re-elected, we would never have had Mark Taylor to kick around, would we? These things have domino effects that can be far and long-reaching.
Holy cow… I’m 100% in-sync with Rogue/Pete on an issue? Cats and dogs, living together… mass hysteria!
Hey Steve Perkins
I was nice meeting you on Saturday.
You know things are getting out of hand when people (The Truth) are “accusing” a candidate of making endorsement calls. Next thing you know, he’ll ask a registered voter for their support.
Some people are really reaching on this one.
So what’s the deal then? You guys are implying that he either a) will never have surgery or b) is having spinal surgery for the sheer recreation of it. And what doctor conducts spinal surgery if it isnt necessary? Seriously.
If he pulls into the hospital and has someone dig into his spinal cord, then I believe him and we should all feel like crap for making up all this other garbage.
On the other hand, if Cagle comes back in a week that it was all a false alarm/all healed up and this was just an old injury flaring up dating back to his days in roller derby, then he’s full of it and deserves whats coming to him.
It’s that simple.
oldcapitolguy –
I think you’re dead on with this one.
I want to see some gruesome pics of the Emory doctor slicing into the back. Not really.
But I think we can tell a lot by what really happens with his surgery. I’m not sure if there is a person on this planet who would go through back surgery for a political fake out.
From personal experience, it is not a joyride to have back surgery. Nothing “recreational” about it.
fishtail: You’re not nuts. Just an anonymous idiot.
Isn’t one of the duties of being lt gov inquiring about the health of the sitting governor on a daily basis? If he is too unhealthy to run for the position, is he then capable acting as governor if the need arises?
Chow Down
I guess we’re in for 18 months of Republican’s eating their own.
The Truth,
Are you John or Karen?
Or are you a Johnson staff member? Sorry if I got mixed up.
Pete, I would say “benefit of the doubt” rather than necessarily “taking him at his word.”
What an unfortunate situation the Lt. Governor finds himself in. Regardless of the truth versus rumors out there, I feel bad for the man. I have heard the rumor and various variations of it. Just as most people heard a similar rumor about Pierre Howard in 1998, Pierre didn’t turn around and run for reelection, realizing that what he was trying to hide would eventually come out if he remained in the public eye.
I think that we must take the Lt. Governor at his word for if there were any truth to the rumor, surely he would not be running for reelection. I think his own actions speak louder than any rumor or speculation.
Perhaps the Lt. Governor was given bad political advice on how to handle this situation. After all, April 15 was Tea Party Day. The Lt. Governor’s hastily arranged “emergency press conference” came out of nowhere. If anything, he has blundered the entire process of deciding not to run for higher office and in the process weakened his footing for reelection.
Making Sense is making sense.
This is why you dunb*** ‘s have nothing better to do than speculate on a second rate blog. Most of you were hall monitors at best. Erick one hell of a following….some of us don’t have to be upgraded, can’t wait to see you take your medicine you wimp.
SB – If it’s so bad around here than why do you waste your time? You won’t even post your real name. It’s easy to rant behind an Alias.
Well I’m happy to see that I’ve been promoted to Hall Monitor.
Is it any wonder why so many of the intellectual giants on this board hide behind a monicker…… Fish, “Makes me think that either the Ox or Handel had a hand in all this subterfuge,”,,,, you are correct on this statement. In fact, I was a recipient of a phone call from one of their campaign hierarchy wanting to gather support. Frankly, I find it disgusting either way.
In all my affiliations and contacts with the LG, his office and staff, they have been completely professional, competent and thoughtful. My best goes out to the Lt. Gov. and his family. I wish him a speedy recovery.
Cagle is FINISHED and everyone knows why. I wish him the best in his “back surgery” but not his campaign. Eric Johnson will be the next Lieutenant Governor. He is getting an amazing response. Cagle and Shafer supporters are defecting right and left. He will roll them both up and dump by the curb. He will make Georgia PROUD, not EMBARRASSED.
Cagle’s fate will be determined by next year’s session. His plan is to have surgery as early as the first week of May. We’ll know something by fall. All this baseless speculation is laughable.
It is not speculation, it is FACT. Cagle is finished. Look at the convention straw polls. He has no support among the Republican activists. It has EVAPORATED. Everyone knows the SORDID reasons why.
The Truth???? hilarious that you hide behind a monicker proclaiming, the truth….. Truth is a valuable commodity that holds itself up for all to see. When it is hidden behind a curtain it is cowardice, rumor and smear. One only needs to speculate on the rumor monger’s motive.
(Un)Truth, do you believe every rumor you hear?
dude, i am an EJ supporter–and think he would be a great ltguv–but you need to turn the amps back down off 11 and chill out a little–you are not winning friends and influencing people right now…
Just speaking THE TRUTH. Sometimes the truth hurts. Do not shoot the messenger and do not blame Eric Johnson. I am not connected in any way with the Johnson for Georgia campaign.
I’m thinking “TheTruth” is the new “GodHatesTrash”. Just here to get a rise out of the dummies.
TheTruth has an interesting use of caps. Thats THE TRUTH.
“TheTruth” is:
A: 15 year old kid from Pooler
B: Fat 32 year old bloke in his spiderman PJs eating cereal in his
parent’s basement.
C: Eric Johnson
A, B or C – “TheTruth” has high blood pressure, likes to lie in the name of “truth”, and has an erratic caps lock key.
I vote “B”
Fish, in case you’re wondering, the call didn’t come from the Handel campaign. Go fish.
I disagree Kellie. I think it’s “A.”
I 2nd “A”
Jason and Bill would rather he be a kid than a creepy man but I know a 15 year old is more reasonable than that.
One thing we probably can agree on – he’s so much cooler online.
Comments on this entry are closed.