Georgia Republicans believe themselves invulnerable
In politics as in sports, it’s dangerous to get cocky.
And Georgia Republicans have gotten cocky. They have come to feel invulnerable and complacent, convinced that their constituents’ intense dislike of Democratic policies at the national level has given them a free hand to do as they wish here in Georgia, without consequence or backlash.
Ethical missteps, bad judgment, failure to govern — they believe that none of it matters as long as those magic words “Barack Obama” retain the power to distract and anger Georgia voters.
Want proof? Let’s review events just from the first eight months of 2011.
The year kicked off with the revelation that House Speaker David Ralston had taken his family and staff on a $17,000, all-expense paid holiday trip to Europe, courtesy of lobbyists for a high-speed rail company. In our much-reviled Congress, such behavior would result in severe censure or even removal from office, but here in Georgia it barely raised an eyebrow. In fact, Ralston continues to argue that limits on lobbyist gifts to politicians are not necessary given the fine, upstanding character of those we elect to public office.
There were also no repercussions when the chairman of the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, Jack Murphy of Cumming, was sued by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for being grossly negligent in his role as a director of a failed bank in Alpharetta. Murphy is now barred from involvement in any FDIC-insured institution, but inexplicably, he has been allowed by his fellow Republicans to retain his role overseeing the state’s banking industry.
Murphy’s counterpart in the state House, Banks and Banking Committee chair Greg Morris, was also fined $5,000 this year by the FDIC for violating regulations as a director of an Ailey bank. He too has been allowed to stay in his leadership role overseeing Georgia’s deeply troubled banking industry.
Not surprisingly, neither Morris nor Murphy has shown interest in investigating why Georgia continues to lead the nation in bank failures or whether the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, charged with regulating state-chartered banks, failed in its duties. Given that 17 of the nation’s 68 bank failures in 2011 have occurred here in Georgia, costing the FDIC a total of $1.549 billion so far this year, their studied avoidance of the problem is appalling.
But again, they feel no public pressure to do better, so why should they?
Then there was the scandal in June, when the executive secretary of the state ethics commission was given her walking papers and her sole investigator stripped of her job. Those events occurred immediately after the two sought to subpoena records from the 2010 campaign of Gov. Nathan Deal. Again, there were no repercussions. Overall, GOP leaders have slashed the commission’s budget by 42 percent since 2008, even as they have burdened the agency with new record-keeping duties. They have also stripped the agency of rule-making powers available to almost every other agency in state government, all the while claiming to be horrified at alleged abuses of power in Washington.
I haven’t even mentioned the coup against Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle by his fellow Republicans in the state Senate, which basically left that body rudderless, or the embarrassing financial shenanigans of Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers and his business partner, U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, or the continuing efforts of GOP legislators to empower themselves at the expense of local government officials. And who knows what the rest of the year will bring?
Once politicians feel themselves unaccountable, there’s no telling what they might do.
– Jay Bookman
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1,210 comments Add your comment
AmVet
August 23rd, 2011
10:31 am
JOE, as long as he is NEVER allowed to song the national anthem in public again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMHJxSYhrS0
Gator Joe
August 23rd, 2011
10:31 am
Jay,
No surprise, their [GA Republican politicians] supporters are, Big Business, ignorant white bigots, educated white bigots, and the Fox- brainwashed, a large and dependable Republican voting block in GA.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
10:32 am
Adam
Is it as much fun when you give them fair warning?
And Peter, those FEMA trailers are still being recycled for sale. I don’t think the Obama administration is knowingly trying to make people ill. It’s just another one of those “the career bureaucrats go on their merry way regardless of the party affiliation of the current administration.”
Paddy O
August 23rd, 2011
10:33 am
Adam – your time line on the gulf spill is horrendously inaccurate. Also, i did not attempt to meet your liberal high threshold of equivalency – however, they are comparative. The drill platform, which was authorized for operation by the Obama admin, burned for at least 3 days with very, very, very little press coverage. Then, like the old Monty Python skit, it fell over and sank into the swamp. You notion of prudent is what? 3 months? In Katrina, the local & state government failed the first 48 hours (they & the inept citizens); after that frame, the federal government was slow. PLEASE, from the time the well sunk until it was capped – how many days was that “prudently” addressed?
Peter
August 23rd, 2011
10:33 am
Paul as an Independent…….I am open to god ideas from either side, and frankly, I have very little to choose from in either party currently.
I am not just about basing Republican’s, as the Democrat’s have allot of blame to bear as well.
I do think the country’s current financial disaster was created during the Bush Administration……lack of over sight, and a real lack of concern for the typical American.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
10:33 am
Bosch
“Oh, here it is….yes, today, Paul, you are supposed to be an ass hole.
”
HEY!! Wait a minnit!!! That’s not a political party!!
oh…. wait…..
MPercy
August 23rd, 2011
10:34 am
Jay: “The errors of Democrats 10 years ago justifies GOP misbehavior today?”
No, they don’t. But after a century of Democratic control of the state, one is left to wonder just how in the world Republicans managed to gain control at all? I mean, the way you talk, if only Democrats were in charge again life would be all unicorns and puppies. The election of Rs at all signified that Ds were not living up to the expectations of the state’s population somehow. If Rs similarly lose that status, they will be shifted back to being the minority party. Somehow I doubt that either way it will have any real impact on actually making the state a better place (100 years of Democratic control and our schools were, what 49th?).
In any large enough body (e.s, statehouse) there will be some bad actors, no matter who is in control. We should focus on them and getting them out, regardless of party affiliation.
Paddy O
August 23rd, 2011
10:35 am
left wing – you have drank about a reservoir worth of liberal kool aid. Keep pushing that socialism angle, it is sure to eliminate ALL the wealthy at some point.
Peter
August 23rd, 2011
10:35 am
Paul one can really still purchase the original cancer causing FEMA Trailers ?
I did not know that…..can you point me in the direction, so I can see that for myself ?
(ir)Rational
August 23rd, 2011
10:35 am
Bosch – My outrage isn’t selective, and it isn’t limited. I don’t agree with much of the legislation that is being produced here in Atlanta or in Washington. There is too much legislation taking away my rights as an individual and not enough protecting them.
Philosopher – Yeah, it is completely rational for the government to bow to the demands of a certain group of people and bar me from doing things on my property, then not justly compensate me for the loss of my land. If they want to say to me “there is a protected species that lives there, you can’t build on that land” fine, but only if they then compensate you for the land that they have basically taken from you. Guess I should just be happy to give it up for the “greater good” though.
Oh-well. Who is John Galt?
Talking Head
August 23rd, 2011
10:37 am
Adam,
I’m suprised that you know so much about the Katrina situation, agree with my statement about the local government mishandling the situation…yet in your original post, you place all of the blame solely on Bush. Why?
Bosch
August 23rd, 2011
10:37 am
Paul,
You can not dismiss what the magic calendar says. It’s magic, and it’s what it said. So…
Left wing management
August 23rd, 2011
10:37 am
kayaker 71: “Liberals have a short attention span when it comes to reality. Bwarney Fwank has been elected gazillions of times, Maxine Waters doesn’t show any sign of being defeated anytime soon”
Implication being that corruption on the part of the political opponents of those you cite is a-okay?
By the way, what’s a “liberal” exactly? Just dying to know. Enlighten me, please!
Granny Godzilla
August 23rd, 2011
10:38 am
Granny Godzilla
August 23rd, 2011
8:40 am
Even a party of inclusion should not include fools and charlatans.
And yes, the Tea Party can go straight to hell.
All us socialist, communist, trailer park living, america-hating, business-hating, government teat sucking, caddy driving welfare kings and queens with I phones, food stamp getting, muslim, uppity,
half-rican, lonely, fat, RACE BAITING folks think so.
I knew I forgot some….
Please let me know if I left anything else out…..
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
10:38 am
(ir)Rational: I can wait for more cites. A SCOTUS ruling is definitely powerful evidence and I will read carefully and do more research on it.
However, your citing of Obama Cares and using the slippery slope argument is going overboard. If everything snowballed as you suggested every time something like this happened then we would be in a MUCH worse situation now and feel like we are in an Orwell novel.
But aside from the hyperbole, that law has been constitutionally challenged and the SCOTUS will hear it and we’ll see how they rule on that particular aspect of the law, the individual mandate. I can’t say I like the idea of being forced to buy insurance. I would much prefer to pay taxes to get health care for all, rather than subsidize private health insurance companies through the “not a tax” tax known as the individual mandate. Still, if I or others cannot afford it, there are avenues to take care of that. It’s a big mess and could be much simpler if we’d all agree that health care is something we all need and all should pay small amounts of taxes for.
That is all about the SPECIFIC issue. But you are asserting that this means the government WILL do it to anyone at any time. The fact is that no law exists in implementation right now that forces you to buy ANY goods or services, nor can a Congress that can’t agree to anything suddenly agree to force you to buy something else.
Paddy O
August 23rd, 2011
10:38 am
Adam – your were trying to push Obama’s leadership expertise up a hill – that was the subject, Mr. Blinders ON. The STIMULUS proved that neophyte elected leaders don’t know their ass from their elbow, and that applies to other areas of their agenda. You are rapidly losing credibility.
Bosch
August 23rd, 2011
10:39 am
“There is too much legislation taking away my rights as an individual and not enough protecting them.”
What rights have you had taken away irrational? I mean, recently.
“and bar me from doing things on my property”
There are lots of groups that do this, Homeowners Associations for one.
And what specifically have you been banned from doing on your own property? Curious minds would like to know.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
10:40 am
Peter 10:33
I was wondering if we’d agree on anything today!
There was a lot of mismanagement regarding contracting with the previous administration. Some of it nefarious, some not. But the sad reality is, there are only so many companies with the capability to perform, on a massive scale, the services or provide the goods our troops need. So we’re stuck with the devils we know.
Add to that Congress unwilling to fund enough people to do oversight, weak prosecution of those who impede investigations or retaliate against whistleblowers, and a host of other examples and you’ve got a recipe for big problems.
I just don’t think it would have been all that different (on a large scale, not the specific examples) if someone other then Cheney had been VP.
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
10:40 am
Talking Head: You’ll have to reread. I didn’t say that ONLY Bush was responsible, I laid out the reasons he was rightly criticized, and then pointed out that situation and the oil leak are not equivalent.
JOE C00L
August 23rd, 2011
10:41 am
The Delaney Household:
Thanksgiving:
“Thank your mother for this cold azz Thanksgiving Dinner tonight”
Christmas:
“Thank your mother for the re-wrapped fruit cake kids”
lol
Left wing management
August 23rd, 2011
10:42 am
Paddy O: “left wing – you have drank about a reservoir worth of liberal kool aid. Keep pushing that socialism angle, it is sure to eliminate ALL the wealthy at some point.”
I don’t want to “eliminate the wealthy”. What I want is to return that wealth to those who actually produce it.
JOE C00L
August 23rd, 2011
10:43 am
“Please let me know if I left anything else out…..”
Hippies?
Gm
August 23rd, 2011
10:44 am
What do you expect from a bunch of hicks who run and vote against their interest, the sad thing is these idiots especially south Georgia were voting like this before Obama took office, rep dont care care about Georgia, as long as they keep voting the good old boys in the the same results will continue to happen.
I mean you have people living in trailors in some part of Ga ponding their chest pround to be a poor Rep, these idiots have no healthcare, unemployed,, while Sonny and Deal has raked them under the coals.
Granny Godzilla
August 23rd, 2011
10:44 am
Hippies….I forgot that one.
Thanks
Aquagirl
August 23rd, 2011
10:44 am
So, maybe you or Bosch or Jay or anyone can answer that question for me. Where does it stop? How do we make it stop?
(ir)Rational, MPercy has made the point that libertarian/tea party crowd allow people on board who trample the crap out of other people’s rights, as long as it’s not THEIR rights to line THEIR pocketbook, they show little concern.
Complaining you can’t dump toxic waste on your property while the Republicans regulate what a doctor can and can not say to a patient is massive hypocrisy.
Maybe we “make it stop” by dropping the pretense these groups are concerned about big gub’ment. They’re only concerned about big gub’mint when it reaches into their lives, and they’re all too happy using government to achieve their own wants.
getalife
August 23rd, 2011
10:44 am
“And yes, the Tea Party can go straight to hell.”
I am pretty sure that is where they are heading.
The suddenly fiscal cons are trying to clean up their mess for not stopping w’s destruction of our country.
Of course, they will never admit this fact because there is no personal responsibility or accountability from our cons.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
10:46 am
Peter
I’ve a daughter lives in Louisiana. Been looking for a trailer. Found a few on some lots. Really decent prices. Did some checking, found out where they originated. Dealers said “this is where we got them but all that gas stuff was overblown and FEMA said these were safe.”
Can I point you to the dealer(s)? No. Is it anecdotal? Yes. But given how desperate she was to have a place of her own, had the money to make it happen, and how good the prices were, yet she walked away from the deal, I’ve no reason to doubt what she told me.
sam
August 23rd, 2011
10:46 am
as long as they have the right letter next to their name, it doesnt matter what they do. there’s always someone to blame for our troubles.
Jay
August 23rd, 2011
10:47 am
“In any large enough body (e.s, statehouse) there will be some bad actors, no matter who is in control. We should focus on them and getting them out, regardless of party affiliation.”
Again, MPercy, I agree. My point in the column was not simply that Republicans are doing these things, but that they are doing them without consequence. It’s the “without consequence” part that is truly troubling, because it will encourage more and more such behavior.
kayaker 71
August 23rd, 2011
10:49 am
Left Wing Management,
Bookman’s point today seems to be that Repubs can do most anything they want because they feel secure in who voted for them. I am just pointing out that it works both ways. I just don’t see a white candidate defeating Waters, Johnson, Lewis or Bishop anytime soon. And each of these elected Congressmen/women seem to think that they are pretty secure in their position. Like Daniel Inouye in Hawaii….. he’s been re-elected every time to the Senate since WWII. Think that a Repub could win a mayorial slot in Chicago?
Talking Head
August 23rd, 2011
10:49 am
getalife,
what was the deficit for FY07? 160 billion
what was the deficit for FY11? 1.3 trillion
which party took over Congress in the 2006 elections? Democrats
which government body is responsible for spending? Congress
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
10:49 am
Bosch
“You can not dismiss what the magic calendar says. It’s magic, and it’s what it said. So…”
Sushhh! I’m halfway thru a case of these:
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-97565121716471_2167_63986450
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
10:51 am
Paddy O: Adam – your time line on the gulf spill is horrendously inaccurate.
No, it isn’t. The Coast Guard went out there immediately to help.
Also, i did not attempt to meet your liberal high threshold of equivalency – however, they are comparative. The drill platform, which was authorized for operation by the Obama admin, burned for at least 3 days with very, very, very little press coverage.
Two inaccuracies. First, the two are not comparative. One is a completely man-made disaster, and the other was a natural disaster. One involved need of evacuation and assistance by the federal government that was woefully inadequate, and the other involved no need of evacuation and was addressed by the federal government as quickly as was possible at the time given the size and scope of the man-made disaster. Second, I knew about the oil rig blowing up less than 12 hours after it happened due to press coverage, local, national, and yes, Facebook.
You notion of prudent is what? 3 months? In Katrina, the local & state government failed the first 48 hours (they & the inept citizens); after that frame, the federal government was slow.
The only mishandling on the government’s part was to go with the Republican idea that the corporation that CAUSED the disaster should also ADDRESS it, without any oversight. They tried the same methods tried in the Gulf of Mexico decades earlier, when ANOTHER oil well that wasn’t drilling as deep blew up and all of those methods failed then too. The idea that the government, and Obama, was responsible for the actions of those in BP who allowed the rig to blow up, and THEN responsible for any cleanup efforts, is intellectually dishonest. The government did finally, in the end, step in and take the lead in approving any efforts to clean up the leak and cap it. Skimmers were out there pretty quickly making sure that as little oil as possible reached the shores of the Gulf. Underwater plumes that existed made this difficult, and those were caused by the initial BP initiative of spraying the ocean with chemical dispersant.
You like to lay blame at Obama’s feet for this one, but all you can do is say “he didn’t act fast enough” when you didn’t even know all the facts. You also seem to think it would have made a difference if he had done something even faster. I agree. He should have ended the deregulation on oil rigs in the Gulf before this happened. Failing that, he acted as quickly and as prudently as was possible. Now, the federal agency that issues permits has a better plan, and they can get a spill of that magnitude capped within 20 days. That is still not good enough, and more needs to be done, but now there is a REAL plan for this kind of thing instead of a carbon copy plan issued to each oil company by a contract company.
Seriously, do you want me to go on? Really? Bring it.
Good little liberal
August 23rd, 2011
10:51 am
Adam
“A positive GDP growth of 3.x% is “Driving our economy into the ground.” Got it.”
So please be clear: Do you think that this is an economy that Democrats should be proud to have engineered?
Bosch
August 23rd, 2011
10:53 am
Paul,
Those things are really effective and smell nice too. I couldn’t exist without them.
Peter
August 23rd, 2011
10:53 am
Paul…. I am happy your daughter walked on the Trailer deal….best for her and all in your family !
Somethings ” too good ” are exactly that !
dixiedemons
August 23rd, 2011
10:53 am
We know the state of Georgia is not loaded with intellectual heavyweights. These wannabe Boss Hogg
republicans are guided by low morals and misguided value systems. The only thing Georgia can attract is drug cartels and GOP politicians. Both seem to be cut from the same piece of wood. Who voluntarily deals with them besides other criminals ?
JOE C00L
August 23rd, 2011
10:54 am
“I just don’t see a white candidate defeating Waters, Johnson, Lewis or Bishop anytime soon.”
Do any “white” candidates even go to these districts, live in these districts, contribute to these districts?
Steve - B.
August 23rd, 2011
10:54 am
If the politicians have no accountability then the job of accountability the voters of Georgia.
Zedd
August 23rd, 2011
10:55 am
“And the Tea Party can go straight to hell!”….Rest assured if w get there first we’ll be sure to stoke the fires for you Liberal puke stains arrival as the main course. Nothing like a good BBQ! “We cooking PIG in the ground, got some beer on ice, and all my rowdy friends are coming over tonight”
Left wing management
August 23rd, 2011
10:55 am
kayaker 71: “Think that a Repub could win a mayorial slot in Chicago?”
One just did. Effectively.
Peter
August 23rd, 2011
10:56 am
Hey Adam.. My feeling on the Gulf oil spill disaster is…..”They discussed this issue in the Energy for America Meetings”…and did zero about it.
They knew there was a chance this issue would arise……thus the strict laws in Europe.
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
10:56 am
GLL: So please be clear
OK, here’s clear: You are wrong that the economy has been driven into the ground right now, regardless of who is to blame for it. It is growing positively. That’s pretty clear.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
10:57 am
Talking Head
2007?!!?
What was the final deficit number for the last year of the Bush budgets? 2008?
’bout the same a the FY11 number.
I read once if you shut off the engine on an aircraft carrier, it’ll take 5 miles to slow down and stop.
Pres Bush was the captain of the ship, he jumped ship and Pres Obama’s the new captain trying to restart the engines. But the ignition switch wasn’t properly maintained and the fuel’s contaminated, so he has a lot of repair work to do.
But he was able to steer the ship so it didn’t end up on the shoals.
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
10:58 am
Peter: My feelings on the disaster are multi-faceted. It brings a whole host of issues being handled badly, on the local, state, and federal level, as well as illustrating that if you give companies an inch they WILL take a mile.
Granny Godzilla
August 23rd, 2011
10:58 am
added to the list so far today….
race baiters, hippies and “Liberal puke stains”
sim
August 23rd, 2011
10:58 am
Georgia is a poster child for failed Republican policies. Our bank failures lead the nation (as per the article), but we also have more people in prison per capita than any nation on earth. Filthy coal-burning plants, highest unemployment in the nation, among the lowest in education (as always)–the list goes on and on. Everything the Republicans touch goes not just wrong, but disastrously wrong. Yet, they continue to be elected. This leads me to conclude that Georgia votes Republican for other reasons.
MPercy
August 23rd, 2011
10:59 am
Bosch @10:26 am MPercy, “This hijacking saddens me and means they have lost my more fervent support, and forces me to me more careful in my support” I think it’s safe to say that most of us would have problems with some of handlings in the Federal government, and would like to see a more efficient system. To blame it on one person, administration, or party is complete ignorance or just plain bigotry in the sense that the person is unwilling to see fault in themselves or their own beliefs.
I bitched through Mr. Bush’s term (although didn’t have “blogs” through most of that) and kept right on bitching when Mr. Obama took office.
I think you’d be truly surprised as to what TEA party supporters like myself would cut (personally, I’ve been advocating a hard spending-level freeze combined with a 5% across-the-board cut for each and every federal agency, followed by 2% the next year, then 1% cuts until we reach a balanced budget). Only after a balanced budget is in hand can any program be allowed to even consider increasing spending. I firmly believe that we spend more than enough across the board and that government spending is nowhere near 100% efficient. Force some waste out of the system will be a start.
For military spending, let’s end the wars. We can start with ending WWII and Korea and work our way up from there. We are still occupying and providing military coverage for Western Europe, Japan, and South Korea! No wonder Western Europe can afford to be socialists, we’re paying for much of their defense.
I would also be willing to support a return to Clinton-era tax rates for everyone (circa FY2000) if we at the same time returned to Clinton-era spending levels (FY2000 spending was 18.2% GDP). In FY2011 we’ll spend $2T (adjusted dollars) more than Clinton spent in FY2000 ($3.818T vs $1.789T). That’s 25.3% of GDP.
Matti's Annoyance
August 23rd, 2011
10:59 am
Aquagirl:
“They’re only concerned about big gub’mint when it reaches into their lives, and they’re all too happy using government to achieve their own wants.”
Let’s be fair. The Pekoe Heads are willing to step in and handle matters when there’s no gub’mint officers around to do it. Remember the young woman carrying a sign outside the Rand Paul event — a sign that the Pekoe Heads didn’t like? Remember how the guy wearing a “Don’t Tread On Me” button pushed her to the ground to help another man step on her head? They proved they don’t need gub’mint to tread on another US citizen’s Constitutional rights. They’re more than willing to take personal responsibility for being community thugs and bullies.
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
10:59 am
Paul: The Republican plan: Make a mess and let the Help clean it up.
Good little liberal
August 23rd, 2011
11:00 am
Adam
The world’s largest skimmers were offered by several different governments to help contain the oil spill, but the Obama administration took weeks to just return their emails offering the help. Instead, they required BP to “flock” the pollution, causing it to sink to the bottom of the ocean to keep the oil from washing ashore. After locals, (not environmental groups) had started to dive down and see ow the oil was coating the bottom, then the Obama administration began to require BP to use a flocking agent that was not toxic, but of course the actual oil was toxic as hell.
I personally traveled to Grand Isle to videotape the beaches and even with all the press credentials, I was chased by the National Guard like I was a terrorist, while they allowed TV Sat trucks to set at specific places on the beach and only allowed even the network shooters access to only small section of the beach where there was little pollution. Is that a government that you are proud of?
n
August 23rd, 2011
11:01 am
For decades Georgia has operated on the principle of freewheeling greed. Republicans and Democrats sought elected office only to find new and more efficient methods to bilk the taxpayers and line their pockets. Cronyism and self-dealing were standard operating procedure, and elected officials who didn’t play the game were considered hopelessly naive and stupid.
The Democrats were awful, the Republicans are equally awful, but so new to power and so heady with their own omnipotence and importance that they don’t even bother to cover their tracks.
If we operate like a banana republic, where insiders profiteer and neglect all other aspects of rational governing and the public’s business in favor of their own enrichment, we will slide into economic oblivion. It has already happened.
We need several high profile prosecutions to convince folks that running for office means something other than working day in and day out to line your pockets and those of your cronies.
Dirty Dawg
August 23rd, 2011
11:01 am
Hey, I got a question…since nothing that Republicans typically do seems to p-off their constituents enough to turn ‘em out of office around here (other than not being conservative enough) – I mean, when you’re red, you’re red, right? How about if we came up with one that, under whatever passes for ‘normal’ circumstances, would be considered as most heinous and worthy of, virtual, banishment to an entire political party for having done it – namely, overtly stealing an election, or elections as the case may be. Fact is there is evidence a-plenty that the ‘02 Governor’s and Senate races here were ‘manipulated’ by the ‘Diebold Diode’…the ‘00 Presidential race was ‘won’ by geedubyabush through voter suppression and out-right fraud in Florida – along with a right-wing ‘Supreme’ Court – and we now know that Ohio was also ’stolen’ through the use of Diebold machines in the ‘04 Prez race that gave us another four years of bush, and the man behind the cretin, cheney. What I’m asking is that if there were incontrovertible evidence that these things took place…if the people responsible were to admit to it (probably to save their hides from some other kind of crime or to sell books when the ‘hush money’ runs out)…what would the reaction be from the ‘Right’? Would you guys be ’shocked, shocked, to hear that election fraud was going on around here?’…Would you be sickened to know that your leaders had rigged our fundamental right to vote and be willing to do something about it? My bet is that you would simply say – to paraphrase Huey Long (yeah, I know a Democrat, but one that got his in the end, or head, I don’t recall which) – ‘Sure, they stole it but they stole it for us’?
Until the people that vote Republicans into office around here can, finally, be repulsed by the kind of crap that their party engages in (like intentionally tanking the economy to make sure Obama is beatable in ‘12), we’re doomed to have this bunch running the show for the foreseeable future.
MPercy
August 23rd, 2011
11:02 am
Jay, I’m supporting you here. I expect there to be consequence. But you saying that the lack of consequences is the focus of your article, rather than the fact they’re Rs is a bit a of a stretch, in my opinion.
What do you suggest we do to get some create some consequences (except waiting for the next ballot)?
P.S. I’ll look forward to your full coverage of the next Democrat’s foibles.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
11:02 am
Peter
Yeah, and given her current living arrangements, she’d trade just about anything to have a place of her own.
a reader
August 23rd, 2011
11:02 am
“But again, they feel no public pressure to do better, so why should they?”
well, yeah….
jm
August 23rd, 2011
11:03 am
Jay 10:23 – feel like you’re playing “whack a mole”? I know the feeling.
AmVet
August 23rd, 2011
11:03 am
“…got some beer on ice…”
No you won’t.
You’ll have cheap, undrinkable swill called Bud. And not just because Beelzebub is cheap, but because your manipulated rubes really do think it is the King of Beers.
Drink up, Johnny…
MPercy
August 23rd, 2011
11:04 am
Bosch @10:30 am
I usually disagree with you, and don’t know Paul (haven’t been her eon Jay’s for awhile), but that was a good one. I liked the muzak especially.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
11:04 am
Adam
“Paul: The Republican plan: Make a mess and let the Help clean it up.”
Yeah, well, since Bosch told me what I’m supposed to be today, they can have my wipes when they pull them out of my…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3FnpaWQJO0
The Leg Lamp is a “major award”….
August 23rd, 2011
11:05 am
More accomplishments from the Obama administration:
POLL: OBAMA APPROVAL INDEX HITS LOWEST EVER…
New home sales on pace for worst year ever…
NATIONAL DEBT RISES BY $3 MILLION EACH MINUTE…
Obama sets record: $4,247,000,000,000 debt in just 945 days…
$500,000 federal stimulus grant created 1.72 jobs…
kayaker 71
August 23rd, 2011
11:06 am
Left Wing Management,
Rham Emmanuel is a Republican?
Joe Cool,
Do any of these candidates live in these districts,etc.
Wouldn’t do them any good if they did. Some places are predestined. Hawaii has not had a Republican Congressman or Senator since Aug 21, 1959 when they became a state and it doesn’t look too promising for Repubs anytime in the future. Bookman’s premise today is that politicians who feel secure in their positions become “cocky” and feel like they can do most anything without consequence. Sort of like Charley Rangel. Oops, he’s a Democrat. Works both ways, Joe.
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
11:06 am
GLL: While you are technically correct that there was a delay in accepting foreign aid, it wasn’t as bad as the talking point would portray: http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2010/jun/16/george-lemieux/white-house-refused-international-oil-spill-aid-fl/
This may not be the best link to show you what I mean, but my point is that foreign aid was accepted, even if bureaucratic mess made it have delays.
As to your freedom of the press thing, well I think that was wrong, but also not at all what I was talking about. That was not right, and not something that should be tolerated. It also was common. They didn’t want anyone getting close at all for any reason, least of all documenting the event. So yes, wrong there. But that does not negate that this situation is NOT Obama’s “fault,” and does not negate that the situation is not equivalent to Katrina.
Talking Head
August 23rd, 2011
11:07 am
Paul @10:57,
Dems were in controll of all spending from Jan 07-Jan11…all you have to do is look at a spending chart and you will see that spending exploded during these years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Total_Deficits_vs._National_Debt_Increases_2001-2010.png
Don't Tread
August 23rd, 2011
11:07 am
…evidence a-plenty that the ‘02 Governor’s and Senate races here were ‘manipulated’ by the ‘Diebold Diode’…
…Ohio was also ’stolen’ through the use of Diebold machines in the ‘04 Prez race…
…intentionally tanking the economy…
Got Links? This would make interesting reading.
Good little liberal
August 23rd, 2011
11:08 am
Adam
“It is growing positively”
Really? So the incredibly unstable stock market and sustained unemployment are good signs? Declining home sales is good news?
I would like to think that is was improving, but I’m just not seeing it.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
11:08 am
okay, got a boatload of work (trying to split time between here and work is why I was up at 0430 to work yesterday and I don’t want a repeat tomorrow).
Later -
Peter
August 23rd, 2011
11:08 am
Hey sim… You forgot to mention the last Republican Governor doubled his personal wealth while in office, and changed laws so he could pay less taxes personally.
You also failed to mention he got involved personally in DOT projects that were going on on the streets in front of his own personal property.
You also forgot to mention that the GA 400 toll was never taken down as promised…… gosh when there is no one to run the ethics department, then who cares ?
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
11:08 am
Dems were in controll of all spending from Jan 07-Jan11
There it goes again! NO THEY WEREN’T!
Zedd
August 23rd, 2011
11:09 am
AmVet….oh you know me eh? Not likely. My taste buds are a bit more sophisticated than drinking Butwiper beer, but to each his own. Personally I like Michelob Ultra. If you weren’t a Vet, I might be inclined to up the ante a little more. But as such, I’ll give you a pass. Don’t try to paint with such a broad brush, it makes it harder to stay within the lines.
Doggone/GA
August 23rd, 2011
11:10 am
“And what specifically have you been banned from doing on your own property? Curious minds would like to know”
Try asking what he thinks his NEIGHBOR should be allowed to do on THEIR own property.
Paul
August 23rd, 2011
11:11 am
Talking Head
Pres Bush signed the budget, then almost a third of the fiscal year was gone before Pres Obama took office.
As Pres Truman said ‘The Buck Stops Here.”
And here was Bush’s desk when he signed it.
Out -
Adam
August 23rd, 2011
11:11 am
GLL: So the incredibly unstable stock market and sustained unemployment are good signs? Declining home sales is good news?
No, but those are also not reliable metrics that determine all economic growth.
For one thing, the UI number will go down rapidly once the Agree-To-Nothing Congress doesn’t extend UI. Will the economy immediately become even better because that number went down? no. Will the economy become immediately better if we have day-to-day increases in the Dow? no.
Normal
August 23rd, 2011
11:12 am
Always remember folks, there are two kind of Republicans…Millionaires (real Republicans) and Suckers (Tea Party).
killerj
August 23rd, 2011
11:12 am
WAAAAAAA!WAAAAAAA!WAAAAAAAAAA! Bookman,s view.Go Tea Party.
Zedd
August 23rd, 2011
11:13 am
“Always remember folks, there are two kind of Republicans…Millionaires (real Republicans) and Suckers (Tea Party).” Still beats a jack-ass any day of the week!
carlosgvv
August 23rd, 2011
11:13 am
sim
A majority of Georgia Republican voters are just dirt-road dumb and will vote for whoever is best at brainwashing and propaganda. We’re not in last place for nothing. We work at it!!!!
Gm
August 23rd, 2011
11:13 am
As long as we have poor whites thinking it is a badge of honor to support rep who care less about Georgia and continue to live in the 20th century this state will continue be the state that sleeps with their cousins around the world.
Good little liberal
August 23rd, 2011
11:13 am
Adam
I need to get back to work. It’s funny that we are discussing this because I am having a hard time with a client that is a small city government that is actually pretty well ran, but after dealing with private business all these years, it is like wading through knee deep mud to get things done. It’s great that they have a big budget, but I’m thinking that I will be making about 5 bucks an hour after spending all this time with meeting after meeting and all these proposals.
Have a good one.
Matti's Bowel Movement
August 23rd, 2011
11:14 am
Could some one direct me to the nearest place to get some of that Obama money?
Normal
August 23rd, 2011
11:16 am
Matti’s Bowel Movement
Are you calling yourself a turd?
carlosgvv
August 23rd, 2011
11:16 am
Granny
How about Fascist pig scum. Haven’t seen that one in a while.
kayaker 71
August 23rd, 2011
11:17 am
Rasmussen is brutal to Bozo today. Only 19% strongly approve of him…… 45% strongly disapprove, a difference of -26. In Bush’s worst times, his strongly disapproval was only in the low 30s. Only 26% approve of the way he is handling our economy. Foreclosures at an all time high. Unemployment still more than 9%, more like 14 or 15% if you are realistic. Maybe he can find some kind of solution a Maaatha’s Vineyard.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
August 23rd, 2011
11:17 am
Wow, this blog really is turning ugly.
Gotta respect Democrats though, they’re like Chicago Cubs fans, no matter how bad their team is, no matter how terrible they are doing, in their eyes they are the best and they don’t make any mistakes.
Normal
August 23rd, 2011
11:18 am
Ha, ha…more GOP history lessons…
http://www.thenation.com/article/162875/rewrite-sugarcoat-ignore-8-ways-conservatives-misremember-american-history
WOODSTOCK MIKE
August 23rd, 2011
11:18 am
“A majority of Georgia Republican voters are just dirt-road dumb”
But I thought most poor people vote Democrat?? Something isn’t adding up, LOL!!
Talking Head
August 23rd, 2011
11:19 am
I see Normal enjoys a good fiction tale.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
August 23rd, 2011
11:20 am
Remember that girl when Obama was running for president??
She was asked why she voted for Obama and replied…
“Obama gonna pay my mortgage!!!”
That was classic!!
Left wing management
August 23rd, 2011
11:21 am
kayaker 71: “Rham Emmanuel is a Republican?”
Probably somewhere comfortably to the right of Richard Nixon or Dwight Eisenhower. As I said above, the two parties in America today are just two faces of the same coin of Big Business. Emmanuel is a classic example, the cynical mastermind behind Obama’s attempted triangulation who hated the idea of health care reform and loved cozying up to his buddies in banking and high finance. Big money is in his bones.
Dave R. - 3k/4k/5k
August 23rd, 2011
11:21 am
“Fact is there is evidence a-plenty that the ‘02 Governor’s and Senate races here were ‘manipulated’ by the ‘Diebold Diode’… – and we now know that Ohio was also ’stolen’ through the use of Diebold machines in the ‘04 Prez race that gave us another four years of bush, and the man behind the cretin, cheney.”
Actually, there is no credible evidence that any of these things occurred. Just conspiracy website after conspiracy website dedicated to absolute nonsense regarding Diebold machines.
Citizen of the World
August 23rd, 2011
11:21 am
The man who questions opinion is wise; the man who quarrels with fact is a fool — Frank A. Garbutt
Jay
August 23rd, 2011
11:24 am
Talking Heads, those charts tell you nothing directly about spending.
They tell you about the deficit and debt, but a huge chunk of the increased deficit can be blamed not on spending but on much lower revenues thanks to the recession.
For example, in fiscal 2009 and 2010, revenues were less than 16 percent of GDP, considerably below the historical range of 18-20 percent. And when you consider that GDP itself was down in those years, you get a picture of just how much revenue shortfall plays into the deficit problem.
Paulo977
August 23rd, 2011
11:24 am
carlosgvv
A tid-bit for your info
http://www.suntimes.com/opinions/letters/7036422-474/perry-wants-to-secede–and-be-president.htm
DawgDad
August 23rd, 2011
11:25 am
“Corporations are sitting on enough cash to put every single unemployed American back to work for years on end. Which means the following:
Our problem is not economic, it’s political and ideological. ”
Doing what exactly? Corporations wouldn’t be in business long if they spent or invested the cash unproductively. Sure, we could dream up any number of national infrastructure investment projects to be funded by Government as make-work projects, but Government is leveraged to the hilt and can’t afford them. You’re absolutely right, it’s ideological. Sure, government can confiscate cash and wealth or pass laws directing corporations (people) to use it in certain ways. Where do think that leads? If that’s where you want to take us (Marxist or Fascist State, moreso than we already are), I want no part of it.
Mary Elizabeth
August 23rd, 2011
11:28 am
- I am for a party that supports public education in Georgia because it knows that education will enlighten all of Georgia’s young. It, also, knows that placing a priority on education will elevate the citizens overall because the public’s values will change toward common good interests, and not simply self-interest.
- I am for a party that looks at the great need by so many Georgians for dental care in Woodstock, and asks how can this be in Georgia. That party would want medical attention for all of Georgia’s citizens through government to ensure that all have needed care, and not simply be given care haphazardly through churches, here and there. That party would believe in the value of government to serve the common good medically.
- I am for a party that can foresee a positive coalition of business interests and public government interests to serve both interests fairly and equitably, and it would not be a party that supports condemnation of all government.
- I am for a party that seeks a social safety net for its elderly, and formerly productive citizens, simply because it is the right thing to do, and not simply because its members know that they, too, will be elderly one day.
- In other words, I want a party that knows the value of service more than it values power. Call that party by any name you choose. “A rose by any other name is still a rose.”
- A party that supports those values will have less corruption within its membership than a party that has grown to value power and self-interests, above all. And, that is because the values of that party will emphasize looking outward to the common good, and not simply inward toward self-interests.
And maybe, just maybe, that party would also help our overall economy grow because it would not be programmed to cut, cut, cut, thus, programmed to pull inward economically more and more, instead of growing outward in ideas that foster growth and development.
Aquagirl
August 23rd, 2011
11:30 am
Actually, there is no credible evidence that any of these things occurred. Just conspiracy website after conspiracy website dedicated to absolute nonsense regarding Diebold machines.
When Dave R. is your voice of sanity, it’s time to worry.
Peter
August 23rd, 2011
11:31 am
Sorry Mike… with the education here in Georgia…….the GOP is probably dumber.
But I thought most poor people vote Democrat?? Something isn’t adding up, LOL!!
Normal
August 23rd, 2011
11:32 am
Here’s another good “Tale”…
http://www.thenation.com/blog/162907/cognitive-dissonance-conservative-media-respond-libyas-liberation
Peter
August 23rd, 2011
11:32 am
Hey MIke…….Gotta respect Democrats though, they’re like Chicago Cubs fans, no matter how bad their team is, no matter how terrible they are doing, in their eyes they are the best and they don’t make any mistakes.
I imagine you didn’t like the Bush years then ?
Manchurian-Kenyan Candidate
August 23rd, 2011
11:32 am
Jay, funny how you charachterize misdeeds of Democrats from 10 years ago as “errors” and current Repub actions as “wrongs”……got bias??