Karen Handel finishes like she started — and Sarah Palin slams Georgia Right to Life
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks during a rally for GOP runoff for governor candidate Karen Handel. AP/John Bazemore)
If the tone of Karen Handel’s campaign of the last three weeks has surprised political veterans, perhaps it is because it has violated an unwritten rule – that frontrunners should present themselves as good cops.
Let the underdog play bad cop, and make the attacks.
But if Sarah Palin’s visit to Atlanta this afternoon did anything, it made clear that Handel would finish the runoff campaign as she started it – with a furious volley aimed at Nathan Deal and members of the state Legislature who back him.
Said Handel, after climbing the stage to appear with her husband Steve, Palin and her husband Todd:
“Governor Palin was underestimated, too. She took on the powerful career politicians. And no one thought she could win, but she did. And she pushed through real ethics reform that had the political elite screaming in their smoke-filled backroom. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this campaign.
“My opponent has virtually the entire political establishment working with him, for him, and attacking me. And they’re doing it because they’re terrified of change. They wanted to keep doing business with the state and having their secret deals and keeping the free trips and free meals. They are fighting with everything they’ve got to keep the status quo. Well, I’ve got some news. They’re going to lose.”
Now, just to keep in touch with reality – those attending the Buckhead event included Eric Tanenblatt, Gov. Sonny Perdue’s former chief of staff, and Fred Cooper, the longtime Republican leader and former party chairman. You will not find a pair of more influential members of the GOP in Georgia.
Palin also hewed to the anti-good-ol-boyism theme:
“Why do so many of us have an opinion on this race? Because it’s epic, it’s historic. The eyes of America are on you, Georgia, to see if you really do want that positive change – and to get rid of that good ol’ boy network that really gets in the way of doing the things that the people…expect from their government.
“When you take on the status quo, and career politicians – they have an entitlement mentality – they’re going to fight you, and they’re going to fight you really hard. And they’ll say some crazy things about you. And some of them, with buddies in the media, will hook up with them, and then – you never know – they may even make things up about you. They’ll make you sound so bad that even your own momma won’t want to vote for you.”
Palin also took a very specific shot at Georgia Right to Life. Handel was the only candidate in the GOP field for governor that the anti-abortion group refused to endorse – Handel favors the right to abortion in cases of rape and incest, and opposes restrictions that GRTL would place on invitro fertilization.
Georgia Right to Life actively campaigned against Handel in the primary. “[Palin] has a son with Down Syndrome (sic), and under Karen Handel’s laws, Handel would have felt like it was OK to go in and abort that child, ” the news website Politico quoted Melanie Crozier, the executive director of GRTL’s political action committee, as saying.
Crozier later said she regretted her remark.
Palin was not assuaged today — though she didn’t mention GRTL by name:
“I know that Karen Handel is pro-family. She’s pro-life. You’ve got really great pro-life organizations here in this state that make a positive difference…Unfortunately, a few – maybe one of these organizations, kind of crossed a line, using my baby Trig in a pretty disgusting, certainly unnecessary attack on your candidate.”
Palin said bringing her kid into the contest – specifically, she said it was a case of “drawing an innocent into a vicious smear” — was reason enough for her to make the cross-country trip to Georgia.
One last note: State Sen. John Douglas of Social Circle, who is in a runoff Tuesday with Tim Echols for a seat on the Public Service Commission, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Not bad face time on the day before a vote.
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92 comments Add your comment
Billy Joe Poteet
August 9th, 2010
6:30 pm
@Grandpa Right
“That’s a big post by the Deal Campaign.”
Exactly right. I wonder if the charge is by the number of words or if there is a different kind of payoff?
Donna
August 9th, 2010
6:43 pm
Vote for the REAL Deal…unless you want Barnes as your next Governor!
Aquagirl
August 9th, 2010
6:49 pm
“I wonder if the charge is by the number of words or if there is a different kind of payoff?”
Thanks to Jayne we now know: tickets to Pat Boone. Right up in the mosh pit. Deal is really calling in the favors.
GreatATLGuy
August 9th, 2010
7:27 pm
Hey Buckhead Betty — “speach??” Are you kidding us? You’re as educated as Karen is. And PS, Roy is going to blow the Repubs out of the water, it won’t matter who wins the runoff tomorrow.
Lynn
August 9th, 2010
8:55 pm
Karen Handel’s hometown paper comes out today with strong endorsement for Deal – very interesting read:
http://www.beaconcastmedia.com/opinion/Deal-is-Real–And-the-Best-Choice-for-North-Fulton-Voters-2440
Denise Hairston
August 9th, 2010
9:11 pm
I find it amazing that Ms. Handel who has taken every chance she could to slam GRTL and play the victim and tells Deal to put his big boy pants on. HHHMMM Where is your big GIRL pants? Now at the last hour wants to recruit an old (1987) GRTL president to make robocalls for her and has the audacity to use GRTL’s name. It they have no merit or no clout WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO ASSOCIATE your name with theirs. Just trying to confuse ppl. That is PRETTY DARN SAD!
ThePhoenixPearl
August 9th, 2010
9:42 pm
THis is scary. Two uneducated women. One who resigned from her governship to support the other who does not even have a formal degree. Besides, any woman (Palin) that has a dead moose head hanging over her infant baby’s crib… This is scary the GOP are these uneducated people trying to destroy this country.
Scott
August 9th, 2010
9:49 pm
“Palin said bringing her kid into the contest – specifically, she said it was a case of “drawing an innocent into a vicious smear” — was reason enough for her to make the cross-country trip to Georgia.”
Way to go GRTL!!!!
kindergarden math
August 9th, 2010
10:11 pm
Please take a moment and consider Mrs. Handel’s educational fitness to be Governor. I know many decent, principled people without a college education. While they are great people, they would have no business being Governor of the State. Consider that for many, if not most state jobs, the State agencies require a college degree .For all of you undecided voters, please realize that she would not even be eligible to appy for such State jobs as GBI agent, crime lab scientist, park ranger, parole officer, probation officer, revenue agent, teacher, etc. , due to her lack of education. Nevertheless, her supporters feel that someone who could not obtain such an entry level position with our government should be our Governor ? How ironic that someone who proposes to layoff 10,000 state employees is not even qualified for their entry level positions. Yet she feels that she knows which of these employees should lose their jobs ! Consider how you would feel if you went to work tomorrow and your company brought in a CEO with tremendous power in your organization, yet they were not even qualified to apply for an entry level job. What level of confidence would you have in your company ? The Atlanta media is making every effort to elect Mrs. Handel as the Republican nominee for Georgia, just as the national media picked John McCain to run against Obama. If Handel becomes the nominee, watch what the Atlanta media will then do to expose her inexperience and lack of education against Roy Barnes. The contrast of understanding of our state government in any debates between them will startling . A Republican win for Handel will result in another term for Roy Barnes. Do you really think that the teacher vote will go to someone who did not value education enough to even obtain her Associate’s degree ? Were her secretarial diuties for Mrs. Quayle so exhaustive that she could not have gone to school at night to obtain an education ? There are plenty of colleges in Washington, DC that she could have utilized. If Republicans nominate Handel, then they will have to live with a Barnes repeat and will have themselves to blame. Isn’t it ironic that McCain’s former running mate is Handel’s media star in the week before the election ? The National Republicans messed up bigtime skipping over Huckabee for McCain, and the Georgia Republicans will be repeating history if they skip over Deal for Handel. It’s your decision Republican voters. Please weigh your decision carefully. My point has nothing to do with her gender,race or her stands on social issues. I am simply talking about basic competence to govern this State and electibility in November.
Donna Taylor
August 9th, 2010
10:12 pm
I do not approve of Deal’s negative ads and hate emails. I took the time to research every negative statement about Ms. Handle and he used parts of statements and quoted the rest out of context, so I truly believe he is the one lying. NO more Good Ole Boys for me I admire Karen Handel for what she’s accomplished on her own merits and hard work. She will get my vote tomorrow for those reasons, not because Palin or any other politician endorsement!
Informed
August 9th, 2010
10:18 pm
@Donna Taylor, Im sorry where did you do your research? You called the Handel headquarters? She had truly misquoted and took things out of context.
Donna Taylor
August 9th, 2010
10:42 pm
What has all these highly educated seasoned politicians really done for our state and country, we have the worse schools, we allow Illegals to live in our state, our unemployment is over the national average, our transportation system is awful, we have a huge water issue, our budget isn’t balanced, the solution to the state’s revenue problem should be about creating new jobs-not expanding the state’s payroll and she has already proven that she did protect Georgia’s ballot box.
Furthermore, the majority of Handel’s campaign funds are from contributions that came from individuals, thats us the forgotten Americans.
I also agree with her statement:
Republican gubernatorial hopeful Karen Handel on Tuesday said the culture of “sex, lies and lobbyists” at the Gold Dome has to end, but said the men running against her can’t clean it up because they “created the mess.”
Jesse
August 9th, 2010
10:42 pm
Deal and Handel are too worried about “Gays” to be concerned about Georgia’s real problems. And sadly many Georgians are buying it.
College Man?
August 9th, 2010
11:11 pm
Our Sarah P. was just great today. She spoke the truth that it is a time for change and the nation is looking at GA to see if we continue with the status quo good-old-boys or go into the future with a new leadership team.
I have read these blogs since the primary and it is really educational how many people are on here whining about Karen – no college, no plan, no etc.
She has been available since Feb 2010, have any of you ever attended any of here events? She has outlined her plans over and over.
A few special interest groups have tried to hijack this election, like GRTL, which has spewed the most hateful lies in the national press. Immediately, you sheeple repeat everything.
Can you not understand that these groups just want to get publicity for themselves; they do not care one iota about what you think, as long as you repeat their lies.
And you Deal appologists – yes, Mr. Deal has now said on two occasions, that he may not support Karen if she wins. Yea, he is showing real “deal” leadership there.
He needs to put on his “big boy” pants and suck it up like any politician who looses.
At least he can spend his time fishing with the kids; living on his gigantic retirement income, free medical care, etc
Go Karen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Ted
August 9th, 2010
11:27 pm
Hey Denise:
The reason Karen is talking to former GRTL leaders is because the current leadership is a bunch of wackos. Like many organizations which start out with a honest mission, they get taken over by zeloits. The original leadership (whom I don’t know) usually can tell the truth about what they wanted to accomplish.
There is a gigantic difference between being anti-abortion (actually asking women not to abort) and todays GRTL leadership running around picking on Sarah P’s child and telling the national press that an embrio in a petrie dish is a “baby”.
Go Karen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
chamblee54
August 9th, 2010
11:40 pm
Karen Handel is a boring speaker. Having her on the same show with a powerhouse like Sarah Palin made that very clear.
Jackson Phong
August 10th, 2010
1:39 am
Ya’ll need to review the facts before posting on here. Seriously. Its like some of you dont even read. You sit and criticize the candidates for negative campaigns and misleading statements yet your own posts spread rumors, innuendo, and complete mistatement of facts.
A couple things I have read on here:
1. Deal mentioned Palins child. NOT TRUE. That was GRTL which is completely seperate organization. Deal is no more responsible for what they say than Handle is what the Log Cabin Republicans say.
2. Deal attacked Karen Handel for not being Christian. Not True. Where? I recieved the same mailer with the bible on it. It had a picture of lipstick/purse and a bible and constitution. It said, what matters more? what you wear or what you believe?
While this is not a true/false statement, it hilarious that you think that Karen Handel will somehow get rid of the “good ol boy” network in Georgia. Really? Is she going to support primary challenges against all the members of her own party that run the General Assembly? Is she going to say she doesnt want their support if she runs against Barnes?
Its even funnier that she called Eric Johnson a Crook, law breaker and good ol’ boy, but then wanted his Endorsement after the primary. Why would you support someone you REALLY thought was a crook? It doesnt pass the laugh test, sorry.
I think Handel supporters have some valid arguements against Deal (and vice versa). But to say that a woman who has tried to make her own career in politics for the last 15 years, serving Sonny Perdue and in various offices — and on top of it has one of the most powerful lobbyists in the state helping to run her campaign — to say that she is a “reformer” when she’s never reformed anything is just ludicrous.
Jackson Phong
August 10th, 2010
1:41 am
Oh, and PS: Name the first candidate in the primary that used negative mailing and tv ads, weeks before their opponents. HINT: It’s a she.
moderate
August 10th, 2010
7:22 am
Dont you judge a politician on the last thing they did? Palin quit the governers office 1 and a half years before her term was up. Right before that she lost her bid to be vice-president. Instead of acting all offended about the GRTL comment about her son, she never says what her stance is on this subject. People, didnt we learn something when everyone fell in love with the idea of a black man as President that we forget experience, leadership, and vision really matter
checktothepower
August 10th, 2010
7:41 am
The good ol boys and the Liberal Media are trying to pick winners and losers.
VOTE FOR KAREN HANDEL TODAY,STOP THE CORRUPTION!
LaLaLa
August 10th, 2010
9:08 am
If you are voting for Handel because you like Sarah Palin then you should look into who Britney and Lindsey like, because they have about as much political expertise as a half-term second place beauty queen from the biggest welfare state in the world.
Peachy
August 10th, 2010
9:47 am
Kindergarten Math, well put. If there was a job description for Governor, I am sure it would include an associates degree at minimum. Most of the state jobs do these days. No state employee who values their job should vote for Karen Handel. And citizens who don’t want to stand in the line at the driver’s bureau again for hours on end, or wait for birth certificates for days, etc. should vote for her either.
Larry Craig
August 10th, 2010
9:53 am
hANDEL COULD GET A JOB IN MY SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DIPLOMA, OR GED, AND MUST PROVIDE IT PROIR TO EMPLOYMENT.
Larry Craig
August 10th, 2010
9:53 am
EVEN AS A JANITOR.
Bob
August 10th, 2010
9:56 am
Wow, that was really funny. “Why do so many of us have an opinion on this race? Because it’s epic, it’s historic. The eyes of America are on you, Georgia, to see if you really do want that positive change – and to get rid of that good ol’ boy network that really gets in the way of doing the things that the people…expect from their government.”-Palin. As someone not from Georgia, I can assure you that the majority of Americans could care less about you guys.
I’ve been following these campaigns for a little over a month, and I sure don’t know what Palin thinks is historic about them. Because you have a woman running against a man? Because you have managed to find two incredibly unqualified options? Nope, nothing historic here. It’s all been done before. And Katie, that’s setting the bar a little low. I would be more worried if you didn’t think you had a better grasp of the issues than Palin…
Denise
August 10th, 2010
10:12 am
@Ted. That wasnt what I said. Why is she trying to connect herself to the GRTL name at all at the 10th hour if “THEY” are a bunch of wackos?
As for embryos, well only human people can have babies and just because it starts as a speck doesnt mean that it isnt human or a baby. Ultrasounds have proven that. Clear scientific evidence has proven that.
Informed
August 10th, 2010
10:14 am
No one answers things around here…. @Donna Again the question was where did you do your research? I would love to know that you do.
Ted
August 10th, 2010
10:21 am
Waiting on the ultrasound of an embryo in the petrie dish!!
Denise
August 10th, 2010
10:29 am
Still haven’t answered the real question.
Mugwump
August 10th, 2010
10:36 am
I was terribly nauseated after voting this morning. It was gut wretching.
Mugwump
August 10th, 2010
10:41 am
Maybe it was the coffee.
big john
August 10th, 2010
11:03 am
I think its all over and Deal is the Winner. He will beat King Roy..We don’t need king roy again for sure.
Election Day – Sales Tax and Huckabee v. Palin in Georgia | The Tolbert Report
August 10th, 2010
11:09 am
[...] between Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. Huckabee supports former Congressman Nathan Deal while Palin supports former Secretary of State Karen Handel. Handel has been leading in the poll but Deal has seen a momentum shift in the past few days. [...]
T Knight
August 10th, 2010
3:40 pm
Really Jim….. don’t you think that’s a little over dramatic?
Snowbilly Trash
August 10th, 2010
3:48 pm
Dumb and Dumber.
BehindEnemyLines
August 10th, 2010
6:13 pm
Actually Jim, Handel started out posing as a conservative, she finishes as a completely tarnished social liberal whose true colors were exposed by her shameful links to gay activism. She isn’t an acceptable candidate today, she won’t be an acceptable candidate in November.
MsWoman
August 11th, 2010
12:52 am
Is Karen Handel a Democrat? I don’t live in GA but reading this blog makes me think she is a Democrat. It would be stupid for Sarah to endorse a Democrat so I must have gotten it wrong. But something tells me that like Sarah Palin gave a good speech and could not back it up when she campaigned with McCain, Ms. Handel, only having a GED education won’t be able to back up her speeches either if she wins. It’s going to be an embarrassment to those who vote for her. Sarah Palin does nothing free as an American, you darn skippy she’s getting paidl, all expenses included. I am with you – Go HOME SARAH!!!!!
Left wing management
August 11th, 2010
8:26 am
“Governor Palin” she says? Technically correct, I guess.
turnerBroadcasting
August 11th, 2010
11:26 am
Deal is the better of the two candidates. Palin comes into our state just so she can get her picture taken, but she ended up about as successful here as she was – trying to be vice president.
Elections are all about picking the right person – and Sarah seems to be all about sound bytes and entertainment and lobbyism – who else would have hired lobbyists and paid them huge sums, for a small town in Wasilla, Alaska? Do we need someone who does stuff like this? Sorry. Georgia’s small towns are the stuff made of stories by Flannery O’ Connor , and Carson McCullers – not reality TV.
middler and so tired of all the rhetoric :
August 11th, 2010
2:51 pm
Pallin is an idiot. And yet she draws a crowd and influences some. Even when her sentences are convoluted and she makes no sense. I am against whomever she campaigns for. She helped McCain lose badly and couldn’t even finish a single term as governor yet has the gall to tell people across the country how to vote! Maybe instead of a citizenship test we should have an intelligence test at the polls.
Fake Conservative
August 11th, 2010
3:57 pm
Beyond the Rhetoric. The Left and Democratic machine is holding onto a treasure trove? The sad thing is that there is a treasure trove and is another reason neither candidate if ti for office. get off the high horse and get bacl to reality.
Fake Conservative
August 11th, 2010
4:01 pm
College man you’re a tard.