Archive for August, 2010

From the Associated Press:

House investigators have recommended that three lawmakers be further investigated to determine whether political contributions were improperly linked to votes on the huge financial overhaul bill.

The independent House Office of Congressional Ethics recommended that the member-run House ethics committee pursue potential rules violations by Republicans John Campbell of California and Tom Price of Georgia and Democrat Joseph Crowley of New York.

U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Roswell

The ethics office recommended no further investigation of five other lawmakers in the same probe: Democratic Reps. Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota and Mel Watt of North Carolina, and Republicans Jeb Hensarling of Texas, Chris Lee of New York, and Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.

All offices of the lawmakers had received letters from the OCE by Tuesday and made the conclusions public.

President Barack Obama signed the financial overhaul bill into law July 21. It aims to restrain Wall Street …

Continue reading Investigators recommend more questions for Tom Price, two others in Congress »

The Republican Governor’s Association today cut loose a second TV ad against Roy Barnes – clearly a campaign to establish a Pavlovian relationship between the Democratic nominee for governor and President Barack Obama.

The RGA accuses both Obama and Barnes of ruling with “an iron fist.”

Not details have yet come from RGA, but we’re told that the 30-second spot will see a significant amount of play in metro Atlanta and beyond – through Thursday. And then will pick up again next Tuesday, after the Labor Day holiday.

Update: Nick Ayers, the former Sonny Perdue aide and RGA executive director, just sent a message indicating the new TV spot will stay up through the Labor Day weekend — the cash was sent yesterday — and has been joined by a 60-second radio ad, also playing statewide, on the same theme.

RGA TV Ad: Roy Barnes, Georgia “Iron Fist” from Republican Governors Association on Vimeo.

The script:

“One man ruled with an iron fist, giving us politics and laws we did not …

Continue reading The latest RGA ad: On the ‘iron fists’ of Roy Barnes and Barack Obama »

When Congress finishes its August hiatus, look for U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, to take up an argument that will be achingly familiar to anyone who lived through the Vietnam years.

U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah. Cox News.

He’s got legislation that would allow 18-year-old members of the U.S. military to purchase and consume wine and beer while on base.

The legislation was dropped last month, just as House members walked out the door.

From the Beaufort, S.C., Gazette:

Purchases of beer and wine at base exchanges and convenience stores still would be prohibited, according to the bill.

Kingston, whose congressional district includes Savannah, believes someone mature enough to fight for the country in a time of war is mature enough to have a beer, said his spokesman, Chris Crawford.

“If we’re asking someone to risk their lives in defense of this country and they’re responsible enough for that, we ought to have enough faith in them to have a beer,” Crawford said. “By …

Continue reading Old enough to fight, old enough to drink: Jack Kingston wants on-base imbibing-age lowered »

Over at Georgia Report, Tom Crawford addresses a familiar cycle of life:

One of the surest signs that a governor’s administration is nearing the end is when the chief executive starts appointing his aides and supporters to well-paid positions in the government bureaucracy.

Political scientists call the process “burrowing in” and you will see it going on at the federal level when a president nears the end of his term in office and tries to shelter his people by placing them in regular government positions.

Gov. Sonny Perdue, whose administration will end in January, has been taking care of his people for several months now.

Heidi Green, who was one of Perdue’s policy advisers early in his administration, was named commissioner of the Department of Economic Development in June, a $140,000-a-year job formerly held by Ken Stewart.

Last Friday, Perdue appointed Green’s husband, Cobb County attorney Reuben Green, to replace Ken Nix when he steps down in October from his …

Continue reading Sonny Perdue aides begin the process of ‘burrowing in’ »

Please allow us to suggest the results-oriented CPA firm of Auric Goldfinger & Associates, well-known for its 46 years of experience in the inventory of precious metals. This news from The Hill, a Washington newspaper:

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said he plans to introduce legislation next year to force an audit of U.S. holdings of gold.

Paul, a longtime critic of the Federal Reserve and U.S. monetary policy, said he believes it’s “a possibility” that there might not actually be any gold in the vaults of Fort Knox or the New York Federal Reserve bank.

The libertarian lawmaker told Kitco News, a website tracking news about precious metals, that an audit was necessary to determine how much the U.S. maintains in gold reserves in case the government were to use gold to back the dollar.

“If there was no question about the gold being there, you think they would be anxious to prove gold is there,” he said.

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter, or connect with me on …

Continue reading Ron Paul calls for an audit worth all the gold in Fort Knox »

Earlier this month, Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky, the U.S. Senate minority leader, was asked about a poll that indicated that nearly one in five Americans believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim.

“The president says he’s a Christian. I take him at his word,” McConnell said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

This morning’s editorial in the Augusta Chronicle doesn’t even cut Obama that tiny bit of slack. The first two paragraphs:

Much has been made recently over questions of the president’s religious views.

In reporting a poll that says 18 percent of Americans believe Barack Obama is a Muslim, national media have condescendingly added the words “mistakenly” and “incorrectly.” Yet, it’s quite possible Americans aren’t as dumb as the media think: Maybe they’re aware of Mr. Obama’s Christian affiliation — and just don’t believe it.

We are beginning to tread some very shaky ground, ladies and gentlemen.

***

Thousands of Tea Party activists gather for a "Restoring America" rally at the …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Questioning Barack Obama’s religion »

It’s not easy being green. Especially if you can’t bring yourself to use the word.

One of the biggest surprises of the summer primary season was the victory of Christian conservative activist Tim Echols of Athens in the Republican race for a seat on the utility-regulating Public Service Commission.

From left to right, Lauren "Bubba" McDonald, member of the Public Service Commission; U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson; and Tim Echols, Republican nominee for PSC at a unity breakfast following the August runoff. John Spink/jspink@ajc.com

Echols’ opponent in the GOP runoff was veteran state Sen. John Douglas of Social Circle, who enjoyed strong support, financial and otherwise, from members of the Legislature and two of five PSC members.

Echols’ church-based, grass-roots experience gave him some advantage. He is the founder of the nonprofit TeenPact, an organization that introduces kids — often home-schooled — to the workings of government and political campaigns.

Echols also, …

Continue reading Conservation and conservatism: How to be ‘green,’ but without the word »

Here’s the complete, updated version from Shannon McCaffrey and the Associated Press:

Republican Nathan Deal created a stir when he said earlier this month that he was willing to keep an “open mind” about the possibility of casinos in Georgia, drawing the ire of the state’s politically-powerful Christian conservatives who oppose gambling.

After at least one prominent Christian activist voiced concerns to Deal, his campaign for governor had a different message.

“He personally opposes casino gambling,” Brian Robinson said in an interview this week. “Nathan does not believe gambling is the best way to create jobs.”

Robinson quickly noted that Deal has voted against online gambling bills in Congress but would not say whether Deal, as governor, would sign or veto a bill legalizing casino gambling. Robinson said the issue was moot since permitting gambling in the state would require a constitutional amendment which does not need the governor’s signature to become law.

Deal won his …

Continue reading Nathan Deal backpedals on support for casinos »

Democratic nominee for governor Roy Barnes picks up where Karen Handel left off this afternoon, with a double-barreled TV attack on Republican rival Nathan Deal for alleged ethical shortcomings.

And we’re still 10 days away from Labor Day.

The toughest ad – call it “Fresh Start” – is so close to the public musings of former Handel spokesman Dan McLagan (now working for the state GOP) that royalties might be in order:

The script:

Male voiceover: It’s time for a fresh start in Georgia. But not with Nathan Deal, whose ethics are under investigation. We can’t afford a governor who might spend months in court trying to save himself rather than working every day to save Georgia.

Our choice is between the proven experience and competence of Roy Barnes or ethical questions about Nathan Deal.

Can we afford to gamble? Nathan Deal. Just more of the same.

The second ad is a shorter, and focuses on Deal’s failure – so far – to release income tax records. (Deal campaigners say …

Continue reading Roy Barnes pulls trigger on a double-barreled TV attack on Nathan Deal »

We’ve snagged an e-mail that shows some of the pressure being applied to beat back a challenge to the leadership of the Atlanta school board and, in turn, Superintendent Beverly Hall.

Below is a note that Aaron Turpeau, a veteran of the Maynard Jackson administrations, sent to several leaders of the city’s African-American community, thanking them for their help in tamping down last week’s rebellion.

In this day of PDAs and very tiny keyboards, we deduct no points for spelling or lack of punctuation. To wit:

From: Aaron Turpeau
To: ‘Albert E. Love’ ; ‘Elson J. Mcgee’; ‘Gerald Durley”H.J.A Alexander’ ; ‘Helen Butler’ ; ‘Jamaal R. Brown’ ; ‘Joe Beasley’ ; ‘Noble Benefield’ ; ‘Richard Cobble’ ; ‘Rita Samuels’ ; ‘Sharita M Edwards’; ‘Sharon J. Hill’ ; ‘Tillman Ward’ ; ‘Tyrone Brooks’ ; ‘W E Burns’

Sent: Wed Aug 18 12:16:57 2010

Subject: School Board MESS

Just wanted to thank those of you who met with me to try to persude 3 members of the School Bd. Not to change policy that …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: A behind-the-scenes peek at the Atlanta school board rebellion »