Join us as we live blog the “Georgia Gang.”

A friend has started an organization called the 1776 Project, which he’s kicking off today “hoping to inform and educate voters by promoting the values and principles of a Constitutional government.” Here’s press release explaining the motivation:

The 1776 Project stresses that our Constitution is the single most important civic document in governing our nation. Its provisions, protections and prescriptions are all that is necessary and sufficient to the operation of a good, just and efficient government.

Organizers of the 1776 Project reject the notion that rights are given by government, instead believing the Bill of Rights protects the basic, individual liberties that are derived from natural rights that promote the pursuit of happiness.

Further rejecting the idea that the Constitution can be interpreted and changed however any political party wants to suit their needs, the organizers of the 1776 Project believe the document that created this Republic can only be changed by the process specifically laid out in Article V of the Constitution.

“Government cannot provide happiness, that is not its purpose,” says Jorge Gonzalez, founder of the organization. “It is up to each one of us, as individuals, to pursue our own desires and versions of happiness. This is the only way that we can really be a country united in one purpose.”

The 1776 Project will be announcing more events and providing information, resources and offering solutions on how Americans can take back their government through peaceful revolution and community outreach. Organizers welcome anyone who agrees with these values, regardless of political party, to join the 1776 Project to bring back a Constitutional government.

Check out the organization’s website and get involved on Facebook and Twitter.

To keep news of Sarah Palin’s resignation from threadjacking other posts or if you want to share today’s July 4th news or yesterday’s July 4th memories, here’s an open thread for both.

I’m happy to say that I am not part of this group, but apparently more than 320,000 Georgia taxpayers who filed on time and are owed refunds are still waiting. What’s more, the State of Georgia, in the middle of a budget crisis with no end in sight, may have to shell out millions more in penalties if the refunds aren’t processed and mailed by the July 16 deadline. State law requires 1% interest be added for every month the refund is late.

According to the Associated Press article, “State tax officials say it’s not an issue of money, but an issue of staffing. Georgia Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham said the department had to cut about 280 jobs since October, including more than 150 processors who helped file refunds.”

Other states, including Alabama and California, are facing similar delays.

The Oxendine campaign may want to run campaign e-mails containing inaccuracies past Snopes first. Case in point, today’s e-mail about the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Great story, but it has some problems.

H/T: Amy Morton

Thanks to RomneyGingrich12 editing the Insurance Commissioner’s biography on Wikipedia, we know the Oxendines will welcome Jake Oxendine into the world on the 6th.

Congrats.

Because South Fulton Guy asked for it.

And if he lives in South Fulton, he’s already been punished enough.

Open Thread.

Since it was altered out of Sloppy Floyd, instead of Wikigate, I’ll go with Sloppy Wiki. Here is the WSB story with this quote from Tim Echols.

“We believe that the real story here is that a supporter of Karen Handel has initiated a negative attack without offering any evidence.”

Actually, the real story is that the Oxendine campaign has not to WSB or to me denied the Oxendine campaign changed the biographies on wikipedia.

The Oxendine campaign issued a statement and did not deny their involvement. You would think they would do that.

Morton Blackwell, the head of the Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., taught me a little trick. Roll out the story, wait for them to say you have no evidence, then present the evidence.

I rolled out the story. Tim Echols responses that I have not offered “any evidence,” and now we have the IP address coming from Sloppy Floyd with a host of positive changes to Oxendine’s biography from the same user. The Ox campaign did not know I knew the IP address before releasing their statement, which again attacked me but did not deny that they are involved.

Now, here are the competing theories, mine and those supporters of Ox in the comments who have come unhinged by this story — some of whom probably have a financial incentive to see Ox win.

MINE: An Oxendine staffer or volunteer, from the Sloppy Floyd Building, altered Karen Handel and John Oxendine’s wikipedia biographies.

OX SUPPORTER THEORY 1: You’re lying.

OX SUPPORTER THEORY 2: Someone showed up at Sloppy Floyd with a laptop, took advantage of an internet connection, and went to town on both hoping to inflict damage to Handel by negatively altering her biography and positively altering John Oxendine’s biography.

OX SUPPORTER THEORY 3: Karen Handel did it. This, of course, appears to be the official position of the Oxendine campaign.

OX SUPPORTER THEORY 4: Someone routed their computer through the internets to make it appear that their IP address came from the Sloppy Floyd building, then went to work altering John Oxendine’s biography to clean it up and make it look really good and alter Karen Handel’s biography. That person could have just been having fun, been a Deal/Johnson/Scott/McBerry supporter, or been a Democrat.

OX SUPPORTER THEORY 5: It’s the lying liberal media of which Erick Erickson is a part and it is somehow related to Paul Broun still not having been sworn in. This, of course, is the fall back theory for the Oxendine campaign.

Meanwhile, the Oxendine campaign has yet to actually deny they are behind it.

The Israelis have shown tremendous restraint by not subjecting the cute little communist to enhanced interrogation:

The father of detained former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney said he spoke briefly with her on Thursday.

McKinney and 20 other passengers were on a ship bringing supplies to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade when it was intercepted Tuesday. They are presently in Israeli custody.

“I just got off the phone with her an hour ago,” Billy McKinney of Atlanta said. “We didn’t have a conversation. She just said she was all right, and that was about it.”

The former Georgia legislator and political figure admitted he was worried despite her assurances.

“I’m always worried about her,” he said. “I’m a father. I’m a parent. I’m always worried.”

The other day I received an email from Tim Echols with the Oxendine campaign that he was aware of the problem involving Karen Handel’s wikipedia biography and would be dealing with it.

That’s the only communication I have received from the campaign.

A WSB reporter made me aware today that Brian Laurens, who I speculated could be RomneyGingrich12, has not only denied it, but issued a sworn affidavit to that effect.

I wish the campaign had bothered to contact me, but apparently they’ve decided to attack me as a Karen Handel “operative.” I’m glad, though that the campaign has cleared up the issue with Brian. As I laid out, I thought it was plausible based on the circumstantial evidence at the time, but was wrong. I apologize for the error.

So while I realize the Oxendine supporters will use this as a forum to go after me again for daring to speculate based on the circumstantial evidence at the time, as the Oxendine campaign seems intent on doing, the Oxendine campaign is not out of the woods by a long shot.

I now have the IP address from which RomneyGingrich12 made the changes to Karen Handel’s biography.

That IP address is a State of Georgia IP address that, I understand, connects from the Sloppy Floyd building. Unfortunately, it is also my understanding that it is pretty difficult to tell from there which computer, in fact, uses that particular IP address or it may rotate.

Here, though, is why it is most logical that the IP address is connected to someone working for, in a paid or voluntary capacity, John Oxendine:

1. The IP address was that address used by RomneyGingrich12 to alter Karen Handel’s biography.

2. RomneyWalker 12 altered Ray McBerry’s biography to point out that McBerry lost a straw poll to John Oxendine.

3. In a review of the last 100 changes to John Oxendine’s wikipedia biography, RomneyGingrich12 is extremely prevalent. Those changes include such things as

• noting Oxendine is a conservative;
• noting Oxendine is both Insurance Commissioner and a businessman;
• noting Oxendine at the Office of Insurance Commissioner “brought change to the OIC by creating a culture of customer service, by keeping the office open eleven hours a day (8am-7pm), and reorganizing the Consumer Services Division-to date more than 182 million in disputed claims has been recovered for the Georgians, changing the culture to a “consumer friendly” atmosphere, and creating the Georgia Telemedicine Program in Georgia”;
• noting Oxendine is an “entrepreneur” and giving the full and proper name of his campaign;
• adding a “W.” to John Oxendine’s name;
• noting he has served for 15 years;
• noting without attribution to any outside sources that the Oxendines “are expecting their fourth child, Jake Oxendine on July 6th“; and
• changing the fact that Oxendine is running for Governor to noting he is leading the race for Governor.

The list of RomneyGingrich12’s changes to Oxendine’s biography, some of them of a quite personal nature and they are positive mentions.

My speculation based on the evidence I had at the time has been denied by the campaign. That’s very good and I certainly apologize for being wrong in that speculation.

But here is undeniable fact: someone negatively altered Karen Handel’s biography from the Sloppy Floyd building and that same user account is tied to a multitude of positive changes to John Oxendine’s biography, some of which are of a person nature not sourced to outside media, see e.g. the birth reference and his “office transformation.”

I think it is reasonable to conclude that someone in a paid or voluntary capacity for John Oxendine using the name RomneyGingrich12 made the changes to Karen Handel’s and John Oxendine’s biographies. And it is an ascertainable fact that at least one of the changes RomneyGingrich12 made, that to Karen Handel’s biography, was made from government property.

*Title updated to be clear on Brian at GPB’s suggestion.

Roy Barnes and David Poythress are speaking out on a fight among some Atlanta-area Masons.

The suit, which was filed in DeKalb Superior Court, seeks a restraining order against the Grand Lodge of Georgia, whose Grand Master – the top official in Georgia – had referred to a Masonic “trial” the charges brought against Atlanta’s Gate City Lodge #2 by the heads of two other lodges for admitting a “non-white man” to the organization.

The suit contends there is no prohibition in the Masonic rules against the admission of a black man and that the charges spring from “racial animosity and hatred.” It also contends the Masonic “trial” was being rushed toward a “Star Chamber” proceeding in “bad faith,” and questioned why the case was even proceeding when the Grand Master, himself, had declared just a few months earlier that the black Mason “is a regular Mason and should be received as such.”

Among the remedies it seeks is an injunction prohibiting the Grand Lodge from proceeding with the original charges or “under any subterfuge whatsoever” that could result in expelling the lodge, its officers or members from the order.

Poythress, a Mason for more than a decade, told InsiderAdvantage Wednesday afternoon he spoke to the Grand Master after the charges hit the media. “He authorized me to say that he is preparing a public statement that will definitively eliminate the question about whether a person of any race can be a member of Masonry – they can.”

Poythress said he is certain that are some individual Masons in Georgia who are racially biased, but does not believe they represent the bulk of Masonic membership or the precepts of the organization.

“Are there individuals who have a 19th Century attitude? Of course, just like in church there are so-called Christians who have socially unacceptable ideas. But Masonry as an organization is far from it. Its principals are very much egalitarian,” Poythress said.

Barnes said in an e-mailed statement to Insider: “As stated by Grand Master Ed Jennings … there is no color or racial prohibition to be a member of the Masons. As he further noted, Mr. (Victor) Marshall was correctly admitted as a member of the Gate City Lodge. This is correct and I agree with it. I would not be a member of an organization that would exclude persons on the basis of race.”

Asked why he thought the Grand Master would first issue a declaration stating that Marshall was a “regular” Mason but then refer to a Masonic trial the charges attempting to assert that he wasn’t, Barnes, a lawyer, wrote: “I don’t know enough about Masonic law to be able to tell you whether it was correct. He may have had no choice. I simply don’t know.”

I find it odd that Barnes and Poythress would comment on this. Outside of the Masonic community would anyone know or care they were Masons? Why not just stay out of it all together?

Austin Scott, State Rep. and GOP candidate for Governor is taking it to the street. Here’s an update I received from him via email:

Good morning,

I’m beginning the sixth day of my 1,000 mile Walk of Georgia, and I want to update everyone on my progress and share some of the highlights of the journey so far. Passing through Walker, Chattooga, and Floyd counties, I’ve met many remarkable people and have witnessed the beauty of some of the more remote corners of our great state—above all, I’ve listened and heard the voices of the people who make Georgia a place to be proud to call home.

From the start, our goal for this walk has been to meet the citizens, listen to their concerns, and ask for their support. Please take a look below at some of the media we have generated throughout our journey. You can follow my walk on www.WalkingWithAustin.com.

According to his email, he’s been receiving quite a bit of local media coverage, which of course for a campaign is pure gold.

Too bad Rep. Nathan Deal decided to take a partisan shot here, but it’s understandable considering the Fred Thompson-like campaign he is running in the GOP primary for Governor:

“I had voted for the previous farm bill that was drafted by Republicans, Saxby Chambliss being chairman of the ag committee at that time.

“The last farm bill, though, was heavily laden with social programs — in fact, about 73 to 76 percent of the farm bill [is] basically social welfare-type programs. I just didn’t think it was right to expect the American farmer to carry those programs on their backs, and that’s what the Democrat agenda called for.”

I hate to break it to Rep. Deal, but all the farm bill is a welfare program, both social and corporate, and it hurts consumers by driving up prices. The 2002 and 2008 farm bill are no different from one another. Deal apparently prefers the Republican agenda of expanding already unfunded entitlement programs by $9 trillion.

And before Deal goes on rants about Democrats, he need look no further than Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who not only defended and voted for the 2008 farm bill, he led the opposition to override one of the few spending bill George W. Bush vetoed.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Poythress sent out an email to supporters Wednesday afternoon pleading with former governor Roy Barnes to end his campaign for the good of Georgia’s Democratic Party.

Here’s a snippet:

Sometimes it takes a friend to speak the truth, even when that truth is hard to hear. Roy Barnes and I have been friends for many years, but I believe I have to say out-loud what is being uttered in hushed tones all across the state: Roy, you shouldn’t run.

Democrats are worried that he’ll bring the Party down – again. All the groups of people that Roy offended before – including all the teachers who still feel insulted – are ready to vote against him. And the Georgia Republican Party is lying in wait to slam-dunk his attempt to get back in office. Meanwhile, Roy remains completely out of touch with ordinary Georgia voters, touring Atlanta socialites through his new mansion last weekend so they could admire the state seal buried in the floor, while record high, double digit unemployment struck the state.

Poythress also accused Barnes of leaving the state Democratic Party “high and dry” after his loss to Gov. Perdue seven years ago writing that, “Instead of helping re-build the Democratic Party so it was prepared for victory after he lost to Sonny Perdue, Roy sat silent.”

“Instead stepping in to stop the Mark Taylor v. Cathy Cox bloodbath in 2006, Roy sat silent. Instead of speaking out against Sonny’s ‘austerity cuts’ to Georgia’s public schools, Roy sat silent,” the Poythress email reads.

Recent polls show Barnes leading the field of Democratic gubernatorial candidates by a substantial margin while those same polls show Poythress stuck in single digits.

Below is the full text of the Poythress email:

FOR THE GOOD OF THE PARTY, ROY SHOULDN’T RUN AGAIN

Sometimes it takes a friend to speak the truth, even when that truth is hard to hear. Roy Barnes and I have been friends for many years, but I believe I have to say out-loud what is being uttered in hushed tones all across the state: Roy, you shouldn’t run.

Democrats are worried that he’ll bring the Party down – again. All the groups of people that Roy offended before – including all the teachers who still feel insulted – are ready to vote against him. And the Georgia Republican Party is lying in wait to slam-dunk his attempt to get back in office. Meanwhile, Roy remains completely out of touch with ordinary Georgia voters, touring Atlanta socialites through his new mansion last weekend so they could admire the state seal buried in the floor, while record high, double digit unemployment struck the state.

I find it very disingenuous for Roy to claim the title “white knight” of the Democratic Party galloping to the rescue especially since it’s his late entry into the race, after an overdramatic 6 month Hamlet routine, which will cause a long and expensive Democratic primary. But this isn’t the first time Roy has put the Democratic Party through pain. Here are three glaring instances where he left our Party high and dry:

• Instead of helping re-build the Democratic Party so it was prepared for victory after he lost to Sonny Perdue, Roy sat silent.
• Instead stepping in to stop the Mark Taylor v. Cathy Cox bloodbath in 2006, Roy sat silent.
• Instead of speaking out against Sonny’s “austerity cuts” to Georgia’s public schools, Roy sat silent.

Simply put, the new Roy sounds a lot like the old Roy.

His late entry into the race has strengthened my resolve and made victory twice as important as it was in January. Not only do Democrats have to stop Roy Barnes in the primary, we have to then come together to win the general election so we can solve some of the toughest policy challenges in the history of our state.

For the good of the Party, I hope that Roy Barnes realizes that there’s still time for him to change his mind so we can avoid a divisive primary. Ironically, the only sure-fire way to prove that he has changed is for Roy to put Georgia’s needs before his own ambition and stay out of the race for Governor.

I have from three different sources the same nine names:

Stephen Louis A. Dillard, Attorney, James, Bates, Pope & Spivey
James P. Kelly, III, Atlanta solo practitioner
David E. Nahmias, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
James R. Osborne, Paulding County Superior Court Judge
Samuel D. Ozburn, Alcovy Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge
William M. Ray, II, Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge
Craig L. Schwall Sr., Fulton County Superior Court Judge
Mary Staley, Cobb County Superior Court Judge
Benjamin W. Studdard III, Henry County State Court Chief Judge
Rocco E. Testani, Litigation partner at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan in Atlanta

I am told Governor Perdue is leaning toward Ray with Nahmias as a fall back.

*I was told it was Osbourne, but Samuel D. Ozburn, Alcovy Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge, had been nominated by Sen. John Douglas.

I’m actually not sure which, but, again, was told it was “the judge in Paulding County.” We’ll see on that one.

It is Ozburn, not Osbourne. Sorry for the error.

All but the rich, at least.

Homeowners in Atlanta are starting July with a 12.5 percent raise in their water and sewer rates.

It comes on the heels of Monday’s Atlanta City Council 8-7 vote to raise property taxes.

The council voted in June 2008 to raise water rates in each of the next four years to keep afloat Clean Water Atlanta, the city’s $4 billion program to overhaul its aging sewer system and improve water quality.

Anybody else notice that Cynthia McKinney is now the Captain of the S.S. %*@! the Jews and America and sailed her vessel through — or at least tried to — an Israeli blockade?

They didn’t sink it though so we can continue to enjoy her comic hijinks for years to come.

He’s all in.

Brian Kemp, Republican candidate for Georgia Secretary of State, said Tuesday during a visit to Tifton that his experience as a senator and small business owner make him the best choice for the job.

“I think it is a good fit for me,” Kemp said.

This again is another statewide position that could be appointed and spare us the costs of an election.

Here you go.

State Sen. Ralph Hudgens, R-Hull, officially announced his candidacy for state insurance commissioner Tuesday and said he has assembled a campaign team that includes the head of the state Transportation Board.

I still think the Insurance Commissioner should be an appointed position. The powers and office in the wrong hands could just be a hotbed of corruption and ethical issues.

No clue when Sonny will announce the pick.

Possibly as soon as Wednesday, Gov. Sonny Perdue will have a short list of nominees who want to be Georgia’s next Supreme Court justice.

Last year, Chief Justice Leah Ward infuriated state Democrats — and some key supporters — when she announced she was retiring at the end of June, letting Perdue pick the next justice. Sears’ term would have run through 2010, but she is leaving to practice law, work for a think tank and teach at the University of Georgia law school.

There are nine names on the short list, which does not sound like a very short list to me. In any event, they are now off to Sonny. Some of the names are surprising. All are conservative.