That’s right, today is December 25th, and that now means it’s Jason Pye’s birthday.

As you wind down your Christmas celebrations, please take a moment and wish our resident Libertarian and Peach Pundit Assistant Editor a very happy birthday.

Though I’ve been trying to start the rumor that he would be turning 45 today, he claims it’s his 30th. Regardless, he’s been celebrating for a week, and I hope being snowed in gives him one more day of Pyepalooza.

Happy Birthday Jason!

I don’t think I have to tell you that it’s been a crazy week around here. Nor will I belabor the point.

In the feeding frenzy that accompanies a power vacuum, it is easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. Yet if you run straight into the forest without proper perspective, you’re liable to have a huge oak impede your progress and give you a sizable cranial smack.

A friend of mine asked me to post a note about the Fulton GOP Prayer Breakfast And Toy Drive. I sent back a message questioning the timing of such a post, and asked if the comments about a GOP Prayer Breakfast would do more harm than good.

The response I got back, quite frankly, made me feel like the tool that I am. The response was incredibly professional and polite, even understanding. Those are the worst kind when you realize you’ve got your priorities messed up. A sample:

I don’t want to let the bad apples ruin it for everyone else. This is a grassroots event, and we’re expecting 100 grassroots activists and volunteers to attend. Many people have worked very hard to put this together including the knitters from the North Fulton Republican Women who stitched all those dolls and decorated the tree today. It’s going to be a great program.

Yep. There’s the huge oak, right upside my forehead. I see “Fulton GOP” and “Prayer Breakfast”, and I immediately think staged event to make a few politicians look good. We’re over a week into discussing a valueless leadership from the General Assembly and I’ve been worried about the Republican brand.

It’s not about the Republican brand, and it’s not about the people at the Fulton GOP.

The Marines support the annual Toys For Tots Drive as one of their largest charitable efforts. In a down economy, this drive is more important than usual. For once, it really is about the children. It’s just not about the government providing for them. It’s about charity, organized by grassroots members of a political organization. In reality, there is no political upside. This is a community event to help those who need it.

Likewise, the House Leadership org chart that currently appears to be written on an etch-o-sketch isn’t about the House, or even about Republican elected officials. It’s about the values they claim to represent which should translate into good, limited government for Georgians.

Abandoning those principles has hurt Georgians. Ignoring the Toys for Tots drive because we don’t want the negative comments that will surely want to point out some hypocrisy doesn’t support the Marines, and doesn’t get kids toys for Christmas.

It’s good to take a breath from time to time and remember why we’re doing this. It’s not about titles or power. It’s about how to best serve.

A nice first gesture would be a toy to the Marine’s annual Toy’s For Tots drive. Press release after the jump.

Christmas tree decorated with handmade “Izzy” dolls for U.S. troops to deliver to children in Iraq and Afghanistan

ATLANTA, Georgia – On Saturday, December 12, the Faith and Values Coalition of the Fulton County Republican Party hosts the Annual GOP Prayer Breakfast benefiting the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots and featuring Sue Everhart, GA GOP Chairman, and Chuck Berk, Co-Chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition, at the FCRP Headquarters located at 5920 Roswell Rd Suite B-115 Sandy Springs, GA at 8:30 am.

“It is an absolute blessing and joy to gather among friends to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah,” said Shawn Hanley, Chairman of the Fulton County Republican Party. “Our faith in God and Country remain firm, regardless of the trials we all face in our daily life.”

Event Details
Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Breakfast and program at 9:00 a.m.
Serving Honey Baked Ham, and breakfast side dishes
Admission per person: A toy for the kids or $5 donation
Please RSVP to RSVP@FultonGOP.org

Co-sponsors
GOP Faith and Values Coalition
Republican Jewish Coalition
North Fulton Republican Women
North Fulton Republican Breakfast
Chattahoochee Republican Women
BuckSprings Republican Breakfast
South Fulton Republican Women
South Fulton Republican Breakfast
Atlanta Young Republicans

The Faith and Values Coalition is meant to unite social conservatives whose values are built around faith and family. Through its grassroots movements, Fulton County can once again emphasize the restoration of the values needed to maintain strong, united families and focus on issues such as marriage, the right to life and family tax relief.

Today is the last day for the Peach Pundit Help Drive.

If you’ve forgotten what the goal of the drive is, click here.

What are (or were, depending on when you read this) your plans for Thanksgiving?

Best wishes to all our readers and their families. May today find all of you safe and happy!

May I take this moment to say, FSU will destroy the Gators.

On a more serious note…I’d like to take a moment of your time to highlight two very important things to keep in mind today.

Please, do not forget our brave men and women overseas on this holiday. You can still send a text message to a soldier through the end of the day today, or visit Any Soldier to find ways to help out individual troops.

Please, do not forget those who are less fortunate than us. The Peach Pundit Help Drive is one way to reach out, and the Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry program is another.

Friends, we know that during the holiday season you are bombarded by many different causes that help to make the holidays easier for families in need. We here at PeachPundit are happy to announce a holiday giving project that lets you combine one of your favorite activities (reading PeachPundit!) with some holiday cheer. A real win-win situation.

We are collecting donations now through December 31 for holiday meals and small gifts for families at The Drake House in Roswell, Georgia, as well as North Fulton Community Charities. Each recipient family is fully vetted for need by the folks at Drake and NFCC, and I will be personally involved in the funds distribution through my Sunday School class at Alpharetta Methodist. 100% of your donations will go toward the cause. This is a small, local, organic effort – and every little bit makes a big difference.

And here’s the special deal: with the exception of some sporadic sponsorship, we don’t carry frequent advertisements. This site started as a labor of love, and we intend to keep it that way. In order to add an interesting twist to this holiday giving project, we’re ready to set the following goal:

Would you please show your appreciation for PeachPundit by taking a few moments to donate to this cause? We’ll be using PayPal for online donations, so you can use your PayPal account, or alternatively a major credit card. We already have three families identified for the Thanksgiving holiday, and your donation will help us reach even more. If you’d like to make a donation via mail or other method, please contact us at gifts@peachpundit.com.

Clayton Wagar
Tanalach Media, LLC
Publisher, PeachPundit