Nathan Deal: ‘I understand Georgia’s pain’
The Insider offers you a quick-and-dirty transcript of the conference call that Republican nominee for governor Nathan Deal held with supporters this morning, to calm angst over articles dealing with his financial situation.
GOP nominee for governor Nathan Deal addresses reporters Wednesday. Aaron Gould Sheinin, asheinin@ajc.com
The message Deal was trying to send:
– The loans he co-signed on an outdoor store were made to support his daughter and her husband, which any voter should understand;
– He is not insolvent;
– Intimations that his debt, $2 million of which will come due in February, have any bearing on his ability to govern are out of line and of a political nature;
– If anything, his financial troubles mean that he understands the pain of the average Georgian;
Overall, the remarks are similar to what the Republican nominee told reporters on Wednesday. I’ve placed in bold the two paragraphs that are likely to quickly show up in news reports. Otherwise, Deal’s remarks below are untouched:
”Good morning. This is Nathan Deal.
“I want to thank all of you for being on the call this morning. I wanted to talk to you about something that has developed within the last week with regard to financial obligations that my wife and I have.
“It’s the kind of issue that sometimes, of course, surfaces in the midst of a political campaign. I believe that one of the responsibilities of parents is to help their children. And several years ago, our middle daughter and her husband, who – they’d both been traveling all across the country on their jobs – wanted to be closer to home, since they had the youngest of our grandchildren.
“My wife and I decided that we would help them in that venture. They were opening an outdoor store in Habersham County. Everything was going very well – as it was going with a lot of things in our economy at that time.
“But suddenly, of course, the economy turned. And that downturn is the worst we’ve seen in more than a generation. It obviously has taken down some of the largest banks. It has taken down some of the largest businesses, some of the largest insurance companies all across our country — and certainly hundreds of thousands of small business people across the country as well as right here in our state.
“Unfortunately, my children were caught in that same process. They’re store had to be closed. My wife and I had agreed to guarantee the loans for that undertaking. We’ve always believed that a responsibility of a parent is to help their children, and we certainly intended to do that.
“The obligations are certainly outstanding, and we are in the process of addressing those obligations. The press would have you believe we are insolvent, and that is far from the truth. We have assets that are going to be liquidated, including the place where the business was in operation, as well as other assets that we are willing to sacrifice in order to live up to our obligations.
“We believe that’s the responsible thing to do. Now, of course, on top of all of this is the implication that this in some way should have something to do with the governor’s race. I, quite frankly, don’t think that it has. I believe, if anything, this is an illustration of the fact that you need a governor who understands the pain that Georgians are facing.
“And certainly, many, many Georgians are facing the same kind of problems that my family has incurred in this business venture. Now, I’ve made investments over the years. Some have been good, some have been bad. This was an investment that was made on behalf of a child, and I think when you try to help your children, that’s probably always the right thing to do.
“Now, we’re going to live up to our obligations. It has nothing to do, in my opinion, with this campaign. The press would perhaps have you believe that this is an indication that I cannot govern this state. I tell you that it has nothing to do with that.
“In fact, I believe the fact that I understand the pain of Georgians is all the more important as I enter the governor’s office.
“Now, yesterday, I believe there was another article about another business venture that I’m involved in – a small business that is a very successful business. Something that my partner and I started from scratch.
“Like any small business, if you are a stockholder, you are sometimes asked to be guarantors on a loan for the corporation. That’s exactly what those loans are. The assets of the corporation and the assets that we own as individuals for the business far exceed any of those obligations.
“The loans are performing loans, and it is a profitable business. There again, this is simply an effort to divert attention away from the campaign for governor. And I want to tell you that I appreciate the fact that many of you have been reaching out to me and my wife, and to our family.
“We thank you for your prayers and your words of encouragement and support. And I want you to know that from the beginning of this campaign, that I’ve been attacked. And I think the reason is that the other party understood that I was the strongest candidate, the one most likely to win the governorship of this state.
“And, of course, the polls still continue to indicate that, and have consistently indicated it throughout the entire campaign. We intend to go forward with strength. We intend to provide the kind of leadership that Georgians will expect from a governor. We will do it on our personal level, and we expect to do it at the state level as well.
“These are still difficult times for many Georgians. And I’ll be a governor who has a perfectly reliable understanding of those challenges that Georgians continue to face. And I’ll be a governor who will work very hard to help make their lives better.
“Theses are the kinds of things, unfortunately, that are the dark side of politics. I think it is extremely regrettable when anyone tries to bring a candidate’s family into a political campaign.
“My children have suffered and will continue to suffer the consequences of an effort where they put all of their strengths, all of their time, all of their energies into trying to be a successful small business. That’s what Georgia ought to encourage.
“That’s what has made our state and our country strong – people who are willing to invest their lives, invest their own fortunes, and invest their futures. I am proud that my children were willing to take this venture. My wife and I still stand behind them. We’ll live up to our obligations, and we will move forward.
“I thank you for all that you’ve done. I ask you to continue to work very, very hard. November 2 is coming quickly. This is the kind of campaign where people need to understand that our state has great strengths. Just as families and individuals have suffered the consequences of a downturned economy, so has our state.
“The lessons that all of us learn from that are the kind of lessons that will not only make families and individuals, but will make our state stronger. That’s the kind of leadership I’ll provide. Thank you once again for all of your support, thank you for your prayers. Let’s get out and work extremely hard. That’s what my wife and my family and all of us are going to do…..”
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303 comments Add your comment
The Other Shoe
September 17th, 2010
12:17 pm
Where is the leadership of the Republican Party now? Come on guys..it is time to call Deal off. AJC, could you report about what, if any, remedies are available if Deal drops out now. Who becomes the rightfully elected candidate.? Don’t wait until the election is over.
td
September 17th, 2010
12:20 pm
The Other Shoe, It is too late, early voting has started today and the ballotts have been printed.
YourDaddyWasRight
September 17th, 2010
12:24 pm
td
What are you going to do if either of these events occurs:
1. On the morning of November 3rd, Roy Barnes
is the Governor of the Great State of
Georgia? and/or
2. Before the morning of November 3rd, Nathan
Deal is indicted by the U.S. Dept. of Just- ice for failing to report on his congres-
sional financial disclosure statements over
$230,000 in additional income from the
state of Georgia and for the pressure he
put on GA Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham
(a Republican appointee of $onny Perdue)
not to put Deals’s no-bid, monopolistic
vehicle salvage business out for competi-
tive bids?
td – We’ve already had 8 years of mismanagement in state government by $onny Perdue, who has spent most of the time in his office on the 2nd floor of the Capitol making tons of money for himself and his friends. And you want Georgians to hand it over to Nathan Deal, who will do exactly the same thing? You must be ill!
catlady
September 17th, 2010
12:25 pm
If Deal drops out there I think he will still be on the ballot; votes for him cannot then count. Karen cannot pinch hit because she did not win the runoff.
What are the rules to change the nominee?
September 17th, 2010
12:28 pm
Can’t those ballots already cast in early voting be set aside? Is there now way to change the nominee at this point?
TD=Taking Drugs
September 17th, 2010
12:29 pm
No Deal is right. Nobody is going to vote for a crook. Roy wins by default, like it or not.
Dems are bad, GOP is much worse
September 17th, 2010
12:33 pm
td- We tried it your way with your partisan hacks and you almost broke the world. Give the President a chance, he’s hasn’t even served half a term yet for crying out loud.
By the way, I could consider voting some of these Congressmen out of office except that I’m scared to death of who they will be replaced by. This latest nut from Delaware is a prime example.
There has to be a way to switch nominees
September 17th, 2010
12:36 pm
There has to be a “Plan B.” Surely our rulebook has some exceptions or a contingency plan if the nominee is found to be in a situation like this.
Jonathan
September 17th, 2010
12:38 pm
Deals supporters are predomently in rural GA. The very poorest least eduated people in the state are voing for the guy who has hurt them off more than anyone with his crookedness and will deny them the most benefits in their time of need……………
People need to realize that all the money is made in metro Atlanta and its metro Atlanta that feeds the weath to GA. Either Handle or Barnes will help our state financially where as dumbass Deal will keep Georgians poor and uneducated.
FYI td my company in Atlanta has over 20 jobs paying way over 100k in base and we cannot get skilled people. Seems to me that some of the dumbass tea people would be better served getting an education than blaming Obama for everything. Then again the ‘personal responsibility” that is talked about seems to only apply to Demoncrats.
gm
September 17th, 2010
12:38 pm
TD: You and your hick conservatives thinking is why the world looks at Georgia as a bunch of rednecks dating their cousins.
I love it when I hear people like you and 3 time college drop out Sean Hannity predicts a land slide, believe me liberals are comming out to vote in numbers, before we let Scum like Nathan Deal win Georgia.
Deal wish he had half the class Obama has. Most of you Tea Bag would not know it being under Georgia Oil for 8 years.
Us vs Us
September 17th, 2010
12:38 pm
If the GA GOP wanted any shot to be in the running they should pull all support for “Real Done Deal” and throw it all at Monds citing conservative synergies. It could be a brilliant move.
td
September 17th, 2010
12:39 pm
YourDaddyWasRight,
1: Not going to happen. Please see my above post to Sick&Tired for reasons.
2: If that happens then Casey Cagle will be governor and that is a heck of a lot better than Roy (we need illegals to vote) Barnes.
I will not defend Sonny (RINO), who was a Dem., and BTW Roy’s floor leader, 2 years before he won the Governorship. I pretty much agree that he ran this state like a Democrat.
No Deal
September 17th, 2010
12:43 pm
Nathan Deal said “I understand Georgia’s pain”. He should have said, stupid investors like me are the primary reason behind Georgia’s pain.
EL TIGRE
September 17th, 2010
12:44 pm
why do people always blame immigrants dont tell me that the debt of nathan deal is the fault of immigrants . its the fault of people like nathan deal who prefers to blame immigrants, thats why i made my self a us citizen
Georgia female
September 17th, 2010
12:46 pm
TD, I definitely support your viewpoint. You however are preaching to a deaf earred audience. They are products of the same audience who put Obama in office.
Regardless of what Mr. Deal says, it is anti and wrong in their eyes.
Yes, I will support Mr. Deal. He is real and he sacrificed for his family. And by the way, I am not in a rural area or a country bumpkin.
No Deal
September 17th, 2010
12:49 pm
Advice to Roy Barnes: Don’t do anything that would bump this issue from center stage. Sit back and accept your victory in November. Nathan may concede in the next few days.
Shady DEAL
September 17th, 2010
12:49 pm
Once again here is a Politician that claims an OVERSIGHT on not filing a factual financial disclosure report. Deal is as crooked as they come. His problem is that he got caught. But I am sure that if he is eleceted all of the “BAD” loans will disappear and be forgiven. Which will probably be done even if he is not elected. The Banks will forgive scum like him but refuse to help someone who has loat their job because Deal and his other Washington crook friends took payoffs and passed legislation to send more jobs to China.
td
September 17th, 2010
12:49 pm
Jonathan, I think you left off North Fulton, Cobb, Gwinn., Paulding, Cherokee and Hall or should I say everything north of 285. They will vote overwhelmingly for Deal.
Barnes is just as crooked as Deal is. He had 4 years as Governor how did he change Education or effect anything? I think it was the teachers that gave him the boot because they knew his education plans were not in the best interest of the children.
You have one of those $100,000 jobs, or does this mean you are a carpetbagger that came to Georgia for the money? If you really think we are all “dunbassess” then we will not be sad if you leave and go on back to NY or Mass.
Aquagirl
September 17th, 2010
12:50 pm
td: the last pathetic stand of the Deal Staffers. You go, girl, we need the entertainment of a good Poe.
Someone should inform td’s boss that these issues wouldn’t come up during the campaign if Deal told the truth about them long ago. Like, maybe when he filled out the ethics paperwork. But then he couldn’t have stolen the nomination, could he?
Jonathan
September 17th, 2010
12:52 pm
Its crooked businesses like Nathan Deals that hire illegal aliens and avoid tax.
Nathan Deal also voted against raising the fines on business that hire illegals.
There are some seriously unedcated people here who seem to prefer the fox news opinion as opposed to facts.
gm
September 17th, 2010
12:53 pm
Georiga Female: You are product that supported Kill over 4 thousand Americans George oil Bush.
Aquagirl
September 17th, 2010
12:54 pm
Georgia female: the last, pathetic stand of td’s sockpuppet.
GaBlue
September 17th, 2010
12:54 pm
td: “should I say everything north of 285. They will vote overwhelmingly for Deal. ”
Why do YOU think the people of the northern suburbs (of which I am one), if you are correct, are so UTTERLY unconcerned with the character of a man who would withhold this kind of information from his own loyal party supporters — and trash our very own Karen Handel to win the nomination? Or why we would not care that he’s either very BAD at math and financial planning, or simply does not care about how his actions affect others in the future?
Just curious.
Peachy
September 17th, 2010
12:54 pm
td, you should be worried about what the next Governor is going to do for this State. We as Georgians need to get our state in better fiscal shape then we can worry about what’s going on in Washington. Vote for the best man, Governor Roy Barnes, not your favorite party. And vote for no incumbents. You can’t change government if you don’t change the senators and represenatives who have been in office for the past 8 years.
EL TIGRE
September 17th, 2010
12:56 pm
who makes more damage illegal aliens or political liars?
Georgia female
September 17th, 2010
12:57 pm
Aqua girl, you must be Karen Handel or her staff in disguise.
You need to move to DC and worship President Obama. You are just a brick wall because your candidate lost.
Go, Nathan Deal!!!!!!!!!!!
gm
September 17th, 2010
12:58 pm
This Just In: Nathan Deal said his finance troubles were caused by Obama, illegals, frosty the snowman, the florida gators,
EL TIGRE
September 17th, 2010
12:59 pm
i compare the tea party like radical islams group
Drago
September 17th, 2010
1:03 pm
Nathan Deal. Just too Crooked for Georgia.
GaBlue
September 17th, 2010
1:04 pm
Georgia female,
Bless your heart.
td
September 17th, 2010
1:05 pm
gm, So being a socialist or communist is better. If this is not true then why are so many Dems running as far away from Obama as they can right now. This state and for the most part this country is center- right and you freaking intellectual elite freaking progressives just can not stand it. Get over it order will be restored shortly.
Joe, Atlanta, GA
September 17th, 2010
1:05 pm
I’d rather have a candidate who knows first-hand what some 13% of Georgians are going through on some level, than one who has no clue. In any other time, this would be a negative but it’s a positive now.
JustMe
September 17th, 2010
1:07 pm
“I feel Georgia’s pain”.
Yeah, some how I doubt that. Politicians (especially Republicans) are completely incapable of feeling anyone’s pain other than their own.
It’s all about them, i.e., “Me, me, me, me, me”.
Raquel Morris
September 17th, 2010
1:07 pm
I bet Nathan Deal had illegal immigrants working at his daughter’s store. Wonder if he paid the taxes for his illegal immigrant housekeeper?
td
September 17th, 2010
1:09 pm
Peachy, Best man for what? What did he do with his last term in office? Oh Yea, got run out of office because he lied to the teachers. What has he done since being out of office? Oh yea, cost the state millions because he sued it to allow illegals and convicted felons access to the voting booth.
I do not think so. I will hold my nose and take my chances with Deal. At least I know he will not block every thing coming out of the conservative legislature.
Howard
September 17th, 2010
1:10 pm
What a crock…I guarantee that if Deal is elected governor is financial problems will disappear. He will use his political influence to play “Let’s Make A Deal” while the rest of us will still be “dealing” with ours. I still say if he can’t manage his own financial affairs why would we put him in charge of those of our state….He is broke so NOW he wants to be Governor of Georgia so we can take care of him….RIGHTTTTT.
All Full Up on Crazy
September 17th, 2010
1:12 pm
Hey td – remember when Deal was a Democrat and said if he ever switched parties he would resign and run as a Repub in a special election? Well he did switch, but seems he forgot the little piece about resigning….
professional skeptic
September 17th, 2010
1:12 pm
I continue to be amazed. Stunned! This man has borrowed so many millions that he can’t even keep track of it all. Either that, or he deliberately did not disclose everything.
If he can’t keep track of millions, why trust him as Governor with the state’s billions?
It boggles the mind that this man has made it this far. Then again, this is Georgia, where the letter coming after a candidate’s name is all that matters. Unbelievable!
Aquagirl
September 17th, 2010
1:12 pm
Ga girl, at least we agree on one thing–Go Nathan Deal—to the Federal Penitentiary!!!!
And no, I’m not Karen Handel, she’s probably laughing too hard to type right now. She should run for Governor next time with the slogan “I told you so!”
Tired of this
September 17th, 2010
1:14 pm
I am so sick of being lied to by these “leaders”.
a simple man
September 17th, 2010
1:15 pm
my only wish is this could have surfaced before the primary. i am still a handel fan.
td
September 17th, 2010
1:15 pm
GaBlue, Because he does not have a “D” beside his name for one and the other reason is he did not sue his own state to allow illegals the access to the voting booth. The financial stuff will be forgotten in a few days and the “R” will be the only thing that matters after his team goes on the tube and shows Barnes and Obama as one in the same.
professional skeptic
September 17th, 2010
1:16 pm
td
September 17th, 2010
11:18 am
Your best response to this joker is “rich people do this all the time, so that makes it all A-OK, so let’s keep voting for them?”
I hear Bernie Madoff was a pretty rich guy, some time ago…
Fed-up with you
September 17th, 2010
1:18 pm
Yeah, we’re all perfect, huh… And thhere is not a single blogger on this site that has never been in debt… never been upside down on a load… never had a venture go bust… I hate waiding through your self-rightous crap…. Go ahead and elect another democrat and give the rest of the country away to this socialist bovine excreetment you seem to enjoy!!!!!
gm
September 17th, 2010
1:18 pm
Save the socialist comments for Tea party people who have no clue what that means, Bush was the bigest socialist ever, but you people were to stupid to investigate it.
Hannity, Beck scared people like you to believe Obama a communist, while you fools go out and buy their books, pay to seem and they collect their millions.
By the way we are comming to the polls and vote, so please tell that to Beck, another one never went to college and Rush another one.
Drago
September 17th, 2010
1:18 pm
Let’s see. He flipped on the party that helped him get elected, so loyalty is out. He wrangled an illegal contract with the state and is under some heavy duty investigation, so honesty is out. He poured millions into an bottomless pit of a business, so competency is out.
But, he says he is like me—somehow, because he feels my pain. Right. He may have a mental condition.
Jonathan
September 17th, 2010
1:19 pm
td what a dumbass you are,
if it wasn’t for out of town investment GA would be as poor as Alabama,
and yes you would be sad if all the “carpetbaggers” left as all that would be left is people like Nathan Deal who would have you all working for minimum wage in Walmart,
BTW I was born here but I understand economics, actually run a business and understand how Purdue and Deal have hurt Atlanta in trying to attract quality businesses to town.
You should be more concerned about attracting business rather than a percent here of there in the tax rate. Facts are low tax is not much help on a low wage………..
jj
September 17th, 2010
1:20 pm
Georgia female: It is apparent that you worship at the alter of W (for the Worst President in history), Dick Cheney (the torturer in chief) and Sarah Palin ( the serial quitter). What a triumvirate!
Liberal on a Red Island
September 17th, 2010
1:23 pm
td – Thanks for admitting what we all already knew. Republicans are counting on the uneducated, uninformed masses to give them a majority back. They will stoke the fears of those who as you said “don’t read the paper or watch the news” with any lies they can think of so long as it helps them get back in power.
And here you are defending this practice? Grand Old Party my @@@……….
Buck Necked
September 17th, 2010
1:23 pm
My question would be: If you liquidate these assets to cover the 2 million. Who is buying them? Are they political friends helping you out? Special interest looking for you to return the favor should you be elected? It seems that most Georgians are not able to liquidate their assets on demand. It takes someone that would be interested in these assets. I lost a property to foreclosure simply because I couldn’t find a buyer or renter that would pay he price I needed to stay out of the red. Best of luck to him, but I’m sure that there are some special interest that would love to bail him out in exchange for favors later.