Thurbert Baker tells Maria Saporta that he’s a) not going to be appointed a Federal Judge, and b) not going to drop down to the Lt. Governor’s race.
“That’s absolutely not true,” Baker said today before the meeting of the Atlanta Kiwanis Club where he introduced keynote speaker U.S. Rep. David Scott. “I’m in the race for governor. I intend to win the race for governor, and I hope to move Georgia forward in a very positive way.”
Asked after the lunch about the source of those rumors, Baker said: “I suspect that some of my opponents might have started those rumors.”
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Unless something major happens between now and the primaries (maybe Shafer jumping back into the Lt. Gov. race), I’m probably going to take the Dem primary ballot this time… and as things stand now I would back Baker over Barnes. Baker has been an effective attorney general, and isn’t weighed down with any real baggage. The people bothered by his race are people who would never vote for a Dem anyway.
Steve:
Genarlow Wilson.
Many think he was too harsh there, others think he wasn’t harsh enough.
The AG’s office isn’t even in the same branch of government as the DA’s office that prosecuted Wilson. Baker’s job on appeal as the State’s lawyer was to put forward his best argument in favor of enforcing the literal wording of Georgia’s aggravated child molestation statute and to let the chips fall where they may. He did his job. If people are going to disqualify Baker just for doing his duty then that’s a shame.
Ehh… as I recall, Baker just argued that a Superior Court lacks the power to change the charges after a conviction has already been entered. I’m not sure this is incorrect… I would think you’d have to go to an appellate court and have the conviction reversed or commuted.
Do I agree with the outcome morally or politically? No. But the guy took an oath to uphold the law as it is, and I think he might have done just that here. It would be a different issue if Baker had continued to pursue the matter after the appellate court stepped him (he instead quickly dropped it).
Dash and Steve,
I’m hardly the local expert on this case, but while what you are saying is correct with regards to his actual job, the political realities of his job are not the same.
As I recall (again, can’t claim I followed that closely), Baker took some heat in the AA community for not being more aggressive in finding a way to get Wilson out of jail sooner. Speculation is that will hurt him in a Democratic primary.
[Pete Randall]In that case, the AA community needs a civics lesson.[/Pete Randall]
Ehh… Baker angered some AA’s years ago, Barnes angered the schoolteachers. If I were a wagering man, I’d count on the former group coming back under the tent for Baker moreso than the latter group coming back to Barnes. But we’ll see.
Then again, I don’t see Baker capturing much of the angry flagger vote.
Steve and Dash, you are right.
And Icarus, you are right.
The legal and political issues can be viewed discretely. On the legal side, although it is the AG’s job to defend the state position, there is such a thing as prosecutorial discretion and it was the zeal with which Baker pursued the Wilson case that surprised many.
On the political side, I doubt it will hurt him that much, although if I was an opponent, I’d certainly pound on it. But ultimately, it may be irrelevant because Baker is being left in the dust even without the issue being raised.
Jeff,
A lot of my left-leaning friends are still upset with Baker about the Genarlow Wilson incident. I do hear that many in the black community are still angry with him, but, it does not seem that way outside of the metro area.
Also, a friend of mine made a great point a few days back when we were discussing the Alabama Gubernatorial race. Remember that President Obama was not considered a serious candidate by the black community when he first announced his run for the Presidency. However, after the first primary victory, black voters realized Obama could win.
Granted there is only one Primary in Georgia, I think Thurbert Baker (like Artur Davis next door in Alabama) might be in a similar position. The historical significance of electing a black Governor might move black voters towards a black candidate if that candidate ends up being a serious contender.
Out of all the Democratic candidates, I personally think Baker is the only one that can bring back (if only temporarily) the old Democratic coalition. He’s got the law and order credentials that conservative democrats support, he cannot be pegged as being an out of touch liberal. Law enforcement has backed him, the NRA has backed him, etc. I’d hope my liberal friends will realize that a left leaning Democrat will not become Governor in this state.
Barnes might be traveling around rural Georgia, but in the end I think it won’t matter. Voters in these parts (middle and south GA) have not forgotten what he did when he was Governor.
I disagree. There are plenty of bigots I have met that vote straight ticket Democrat. Unfortunately, that kind of stupidity is bi-partisan.
Same here… it’s just that I met them in 1985.
Get outside of the metro area Steve. Walk up to a house that has a Confederate Flag flying somewhere and you’re just as likely to find they voted Democratic as they didn’t vote at all.
Are you aware that I’ve spent the majority of my life in Crisp and Sumter counties, my Ga. Tech friend?
Well that explains a lot.
i have found recently there is a weird dichotomy in a lot of the sort of counties y’all are talking about–they do in fact have a dem sheriff, the county commission and school board are dems–there state senator is someone like jb powell–but they go gop in prez races–the number of such counties in ga has been declining as the old school yellow dogs die off–of course if the gop screws up well enouh the yelow dogs could always reassert themselves in such places…
Bingo Jay.
It reminds me of 2004 when some Democrats started chirping about certain North Florida counties voting overwhelmingly for Democrats down ticket but then voting for Bush. I had to explain to the softheads that this was occuring because Sheriff Buford was a Democrat because his diddy was a Democrat and his diddy was a Democrat and so and so forth.
Baker is a good attorney but only a average politician.
I would not count out a federal appointment just yet.
Baker is a strong DEM candidate. The tale will be told at the end of this year when the Gov candidates have to disclose how much money they have raised. I would think that Baker will have a large amount of contributions in the bank, and he needs to, as he cannot raise campaign dollars while the General Assembly is in session. That goes for Dubose Porter, too, as well as GOP candidates Eric Johnson, Austin Scott, Karen Handel, and the OX. Not sure about Nathan Deal. So Barnes and Deal will be free to raise campaign money while the rest of the field is prohibited from doing so. My point here is that fundraising in the next 4 months will be the determining factor in the Gov’s race for several of the candidates. If, for example, Dubose Porter hasn’t had a successful time raising money and he is faced with not being able to accept contributions for 3-4 months, then he might want to re-consider his options.
Will he continue to raise (and report) money after the deadline for the disclosure like he did this last time in order to make himself look better?
Can one be honest to the point of dishonesty?
My whole contention there is that the official deadline for those reports is midnight of the night before they are officially due. The 7 day grace period was intended to allow candidates a period to compile the reports – not to report additional contributions, which should rightfully be reported on the NEXT report.
It doesn’t change the fact that you’re effectively accusing Baker of being too forthcoming. The information is all there for you to parse as you see fit. That story had no legs. If it happens again, the story will again have no legs.
Oh please, Jeff. If I file a 2009 tax return, and slap a Post-It Note on top telling the IRS how much money I made in January 2010… it may be silly, but it isn’t tax fraud. The only potential harm is that bloggers (the kind who post about their own candidates having a a GED) will be too lazy to read.
It’s also important to remember that while the disclosure law is obviously used for political score-keeping purposes, that’s not the purpose of the law. Therefore Baker violated neither the letter nor the spirit of the law by over-reporting. If there were a there there, that there Roy fella would have gone there already.
I’m not saying this is illegal or even unethical. Just saying I like people to play fair, and padding your numbers by adding in numbers from after the deadline just, to me, reeks.
Legally, it’s the propriety of each contribution that matters. It’s not about the forest. It’s about the trees.
so based on this, whne can we expect a federal appt. for baker? or maybe a decision to run for ltguv
notice he doesn’t say he won’t decide to run or reelection instead…hmmmm
drjay,
Did you read the article? He clearly says he is in the race to become Georgia’s next Governor.
right, and brett favre is retired….
Ah gotcha.
So, are you running for City Council in Pooler?
I mean, I heard a rumor you were not going to run, and you have not specifically stated on your website that “these rumors are lies and I am running for Pooler City Council and nothing else”.
See how silly?
clearly, my attempt at a little ironic humor has not translated well to the internet…
I got it. But then again, I’m an urban sophisticate.
Not at all.
Thurbert Baker is the biggest Uncle Tom, Georgia will never vote for Baker or Barnes. Its time for both to hang it up and retire. Georgia needs new leaders and new direction in the Democratic Party.
Just so you know, I voted you down because you called Baker an Uncle Tom. I would have been fine if you had called him a lightweight, or something else non-racially biased.
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