Your Sunday jolt: Tea party shirts, hats, buttons barred from Georgia voting sites
Tea party enthusiasts are livid over a ruling by Secretary of State Brian Kemp that shirts, hats and buttons with tea party logos won’t be allowed in polling places on Tuesday.
From the Chattanooga Times Free Press:
The loose organization claims to be nonpartisan, but its endorsements in several races are mostly Republicans and Libertarians.
James Groce, head of the Walker County Tea Party, said he was kicked out of a Chickamauga voting precinct last week for wearing a Walker County Tea Party shirt.
He said he was allowed to vote after calling the elections office and threatening to call U.S. marshals. He said the shirt does not promote any candidate or party affiliation.
“I said, ‘Where do you see Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Independent on my T-shirt?’” Groce said. “If you’re being told that you need to go change clothes before you vote … that is a violation of civil rights.”
Walker County Elections Supervisor Barbara Berry said that, when she first called the secretary of state’s office, she was told that allowing or disallowing tea party gear would be a local decision.
On Friday, however, the state office held a statewide web conference to explain that tea party paraphernalia should not be allowed.
“The word from the secretary of state’s office is that no one can wear the tea party shirts, buttons or hats into our polling places,” Berry explained.
Matt Carrothers, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, said state law covers more than just political parties and candidates’ names.
He cited a section of Georgia code that states: “No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign literature, newspaper, booklet, pamphlet, card, sign, paraphernalia, or any other written or printed matter of any kind” inside any polling place.
Debbie Dooley of the Atlanta Tea Party called last night to say that she’d just finished a long conversation with Kemp – and is demanding that all other clothing with messages from labor unions, the National Rifle Association and Georgia Right to Life also be banned.
***
That avoiding a runoff has become a central focus of Nathan Deal, the Republican nominee for governor, was made clear in the second of two televised debates on Saturday.
From the Fox 5 confrontation, via the Associated Press:
In something of a surprise, Deal tossed a question to John Monds, asking the Libertarian – who has said he supports decriminalizing marijuana – whether he would also support such a move for “harder drugs” and prostitution. Monds said he would not.
There is some concern the Libertarian could draw enough votes to send the race into a runoff and Deal seemed to have his eye on cutting into Monds’ support.
A poll published Sunday by the AJC and the Georgia Newspapers Partnership shows Monds drawing a crucial 6 percent of the vote.The survey shows Deal at 47 percent and Democrat Roy Barnes at 40 percent.
***
Democrat Roy Barnes’s top media guy gave a harsh assessment of his candidate’s chances to the New York Times on Saturday:
Georgia voters would be hard-pressed to recognize Raymond D. Strother. But as a veteran of political advertising — writing the scripts, editing the sound, directing the actors — he provides the most direct contact they may ever have with a Democratic candidate. It is the quintessential behind-the-scenes job, with Mr. Strother, 70, an avuncular Texan, working in a small recording studio beside a bowling alley and a strip club, with one assistant.
“No, I never even thought about running for office myself,” he said. “I’m too blunt.”
Blunt, for example, when he handicaps the outlook for Mr. Barnes: “All things being equal, it will be very hard for a Democrat to win Georgia,” he said. “In focus groups, people say, ‘Sure, your opponent’s a crook — but he’s a Republican and I’m voting for him.’ ” Polls show Mr. Barnes slightly behind his Republican opponent, Nathan Deal, a former congressman whom the Barnes campaign has tried — with limited success — to paint as corrupt.
***
U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall’s voting record and his efforts to separate himself from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been a focus of the contest for the 8th Congressional District. Mike Stucka had these paragraphs in Saturday’s Macon Telegraph:
Claims by the National Republican Congressional Committee that Marshall votes with Pelosi “almost 90 percent of the time” come from a Washington Post analysis of how often Marshall voted with his own party in the last two years. But a vote with other Democrats isn’t necessarily the same thing as a vote specifically with Pelosi. As speaker of the House, Pelosi, following tradition, votes only on select or major bills.
The Telegraph looked at how often Marshall voted with Pelosi — since she’s been House speaker — when Pelosi and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, cast opposing votes on substantive legislation. The Telegraph analysis — of 2.5 million House votes — shows that Marshall has backed Pelosi 60.6 percent of the time and Boehner 39.4 percent of the time when Pelosi and Boehner disagreed on a measure.
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138 comments Add your comment
Last Man Standing
October 31st, 2010
7:59 pm
td:
Caught the last half of the debate. Deal was clearly the best of the three. Have a good night. I sure am looking forward to Tuesday night/Wednesday morning!
khc
October 31st, 2010
8:02 pm
joey m if you dont understand that sonny increased real estate taxes because he eliminated the homeowners relief grant….about $450m…..then you were not paying attention…..
Bobby Kahn
October 31st, 2010
8:43 pm
The King and I are somewhat at a loss. We have had to resort to the “Deal wants to rape you all over again” ad campaign just to insure a runoff.
The labor unions are out of ideas. What should we do for the runoff?
I would offer up some more ideas, but I am too busy picking out my carpet and drapes for my corner office at the Capital.
Joey M
October 31st, 2010
8:54 pm
khc: I was under the impression HB 1055 passed. Gradually over the next five years, Georgia property owners will see the state’s portion of their county property tax bills eliminated. Sounds like a tax cut to me. As far as finding blame on tax increases, look to local cities. Property values are decreasing, yet millage rates are increasing. It couldn’t have anything to do with Georgia having the10th largest population of welfare recipients, could it? It also couldn’t be because 21% of Georgia’s children are below the poverty line could it? These children are going to school. That school is paid for through property taxes. If you remove the trash from Georgia that doesn’t work, doesn’t contribute, that feeds off of Georgia’s workers, than property taxes will go back down.
Joey M
October 31st, 2010
8:58 pm
John, the sales tax holiday idea was first implemented in New York. Georgia implemented the same idea 5 years later. A statewide sales tax holiday was first enacted by the New York Legislature in 1996 and enabled the first tax-free week in January of 1997. Local governments in New York were given the option of whether or not to participate. Still want to try to convince me that Barnes and all his infinite wisdom came up with this idea?
John
October 31st, 2010
9:06 pm
Like I said, Roy Barnes started the sales tax holiday in Georgia, Sonny and friends killed it. Are you that dense?
It’s really sad how you spin the elimination of a grant as a tax cut when it is the opposite of reality.
John
October 31st, 2010
9:09 pm
I do have to give it up to Sonny, all of the education cuts, raised taxes and fees have built us some nice fish ponds.
Joey M
October 31st, 2010
9:13 pm
Sonny did not kill the Tax Day. The sales tax holiday was not enacted because three bills (HB 951, 952, and 953) were proposed, but none of them were passed during the legislative session. The Democrat’s did not vote for those Bills so they never made their way to Sonny’s desk. This is like you owe somebody money, than you criticize them for not buying presents for their kids because they need the money you owe them. Sonny could not keep the tax holiday going because those Bills were never voted on, hence they never passed. You can scream and moan all day that Sonny Purdue should have passed the bills anyway, but that would be impossible.
I bet you believe that Guam was one soldier away from capsizing don’t you?
khc
October 31st, 2010
9:15 pm
joey m my taxes have gone up with the elimination of barnes’ homeowners tax relief program by perdue about 200 dollars while hb 1055 will cut state re taxes about 30……..you need to go back and take a math class……barnes gave me 200, sonny took it away but will give me 30 maybe……even a repub could follow that
the rest of your answer was not to the point that sonny raised my real estate tax which you asked for proof then you get on some diatribe……your a dumb arse
John
October 31st, 2010
9:27 pm
Yeah it’s really sad that Sonny can push fish ponds but he can’t push tax relief.
Cutty
October 31st, 2010
9:41 pm
Yeah Joey M, like the republican-led General Assembly actually needed any votes from democrats to pass anything these last 8 years. If they wanted to pass anything, it would. Perdue got the legislature to pass him a retroactive tax break, if he could do that you’d think he’d be able to give you and I a tax break for a weekend at least. Let’s be real man.
John
October 31st, 2010
10:10 pm
Matt Towery’s Southern Political Report has dropped a ghastly treat for us all.
“SPR agrees that the 8th Leans Republican, but believes the 2nd Leans Democratic.”
Final days: Barnes needs a small miracle: It may be that for all he talk of a runoff, Barnes will not find the miracle he needs. On the other hand, I remember the eve of the 2002 governor’s race. A little-known Republican by the name of Perdue needed a miracle as well. He got it, and stunned Georgia’s political establishment.
Joey M
October 31st, 2010
10:18 pm
I guess Sonny Purdue is now the tax man for each county too. Can’t wait for Tuesday.
Cutty
October 31st, 2010
10:25 pm
He ain’t the tax man, but thanks to the legislature he got a better ‘deal’ than you or I would.
Sad
October 31st, 2010
10:27 pm
Gosh what is to become of our great state??!? Today’s mason Dixon poll says that only 20% of us think that character / integrity matters. Many say our choices in the Gov’s race are the lessors of evils. But isn’t the lesser of evils still evil? We will get what we get on Tuesday. But going forward we should we must demand of those who will represent us. Georgia, step up!!!
Sad
October 31st, 2010
10:29 pm
That’s demand “more” of those who represent us
redneck woman
October 31st, 2010
11:50 pm
***###
rooster
October 31st, 2010
11:54 pm
Call your I.T. person, Jim. The idiot filter is down again.
Jason
October 31st, 2010
11:54 pm
ACORN! ACORN! ACORN!!!
Oh no, not ACORN!
Guess what uninformed partisan lackies, ACORN doesn’t exist! It disbanded in March. There is no ACORN! What does that say about you that you think it still does and even fear it?
1) If you honestly believed ACORN still existed, then it means you’re not very well informed on things you have very strong opinions about. Do the rest of the nation a favor and stop voting until you can get even the most basic facts correct.
2) If you actually knew that ACORN went away but you are trying to use them to win cheap political points, remember that one of the Ten Commandments forbids bearing falses witness. You’re not endangering your ever lasting soul just to win a few points for your favorite political team, are you? Perhaps some time in prayer with the big guy upstairs would do you some good.
And while you’re at it, pick a sports team to mindless follow. The nation has been damaged enough by blind partisans who get their egos so wrapped up in their team winning that they can’t see the damage they’re doing. If one sports team isn’t enough, find more sports and teams to follow until you get all of that blind loyality out of your system. Politics is NOT a team sport! Stop treating it like it is!
Ralph
November 1st, 2010
12:27 am
These posts turned into name calling. I merely want to expose the liberal bias of the AJC, and point out the information they exclude. Here is some:
Deal is holding a 10 point lead over Barnes in almost all of the polls. That is considered a “landslide”, but the AJC won’t ever use that term for a Republican.
Deal has gained significant endorsements throughout the state, including from The Augusta Chronicle, The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, The Savannah Morning News, The Gainesville Times, The Chattanooga Times-Free Press and The Thomasville Times-Enterprise.
The Athens Banner-Herald reports: “If recent polls are correct, Deal probably will win outright, University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said. Barnes has virtually no chance to win and little chance to force a runoff, he said.
captguitarman
November 1st, 2010
1:17 am
Handel Republicans: We DO have the power to make this a run offf, or worse, for the Shady Deal. It’s no surprise that ultra-conservative and Tea Party Republicans are saying that they know their guy is a crook, but they will vote for him anyway because of like mindedness on social issues. But, you would have to be deaf, dumb, blind, and stupid not to see what is happening here. Keep in mind that Deal and his cohorts would not have supported Handel if she had won the primary, no way no how — and they said so. We owe them nothing. We must think only of Georgia now, not party loyalty. Can we afford another 4 or 8 years of “What, Me Worry?” Sonny Perdue’s non-leadership — while the new Gov is busy doing bidness and stuffing his pockets?? Can we afford another Richardson-type state house? Georgia has stagnated, and we cannot afford another 4 or 8 more years of this stagnation. Our gal represented change and progress, and she lost. But, who feared her the most? The entrenched Gold Dome Richardson type Republicans, the lobbyists who don’t want to see their bidness threatened, and Nathan Shady Deal Republicans. They will not sign the proposed Tea Party pledge stating that neither they, nor their family members will hire relatives or friends for state jobs. They do not want to limit themselves, relatives, employees, etc. from state jobs and lobbying positions after they leave office. They do not want travel and hotel stays and meals and gifts and other perks supplied by lobbyists reported to the public. They will never sign such a pledge . . . never. Wake up!!! Handel Republicans, the Tea Party is too conservative and they will support a crook just based on his social values and saying the right things about his faith, etc. despite his previous actions. It is up to us. Ask yourself. Which is better? To send a governor in huge financial trouble, who desperately needs to do bidness and who needs to win to even have a house to live in — into that go along, get along nest of lobbyists and Deal supporters under the Gold Dome? Or is it better to have a Democrat governor? The answer is easy. Better to have King Roy, as difficult as that is to consider, in there throwing sand into the wheels and gears of bidness for the next 4 years than a financially strapped Governor in there oiling them up every chance he gets — looking out for every interest except the State of Georgia’s. We can make a difference. Don’t vote Deal or Barnes . . . VOTE GEORGIA on Tuesday.
BehindEnemyLines
November 1st, 2010
5:05 am
re: “Handel Republicans” … you mean the RINO’s who still haven’t gotten over their heroine’s abominable social policies being revealed? She’s not fit to be dogcatcher & relegating her to the rubbish bin is one of the better moves this state has made, I’m just thankful she was unmasked before the state made a horrible mistake.
Sharia Lawyer
November 1st, 2010
6:55 am
@Jason:
I agree. Not only that, Acorn was engaged in legitimate voter registration drives. People signed up using fake names and others used their names but their place of residence could not be varified. Acorn identified these names and unverified addresses to the various election boards and then told them there might be more. People still don’t get it that adding names in a voter registration drive means that all those “names” are voting.
the mehlman rings twice
November 1st, 2010
6:58 am
So in Delaware, if I stop to vote on my way to a costume party dressed up like a witch, that costume can be interpreted as an endorsement of a specific candidate?
Tech Geek
November 1st, 2010
7:01 am
Just read an article in the Atl Business Chronical. From 1963 to 2009, Massachusets was 3rd in patents issued and Georgia was 23rd. Zell Miller must be turning over in his grave over that stat.
Disgusted Republican
November 1st, 2010
9:26 am
To BehindEnemyLines. You Deal people are just ugly individuals. You won and yet you continue to trash Handel. No wonder those who supported her don’t want to vote for your guy. It was bad enough that you and the deal campaign spewed lies about her. (Yeah the runoff flyer y’all put on cars in church parking lots was lower than low.). But you can’t even let it go in victory. Says a lot about the man and it ain’t good.
TnGelding
November 1st, 2010
10:04 am
Oops, looks like I’ll have to withdraw my endorsement for Mr. Monds. Seems he does approve of government running our lives, after all. Make it legal and as safe as possible. If fools want to abuse God’s temple and kill themselves, get ‘em in the ground before sundown!.
AngryVoter
November 1st, 2010
11:28 am
Tech Geek – Ummm, not sure why this news would cause the much alive Mr. Miller to dig his own grave and start spinning within that grave. I’m also not sure what the number of patents filed from within the state says about anything, but given that Mr. Miller left the State in pretty good shape, it likely doesn’t say anything negative.
Then again, the comment comes from someone who doesn’t appear to know the difference between living and dead, so I’m not going to spend any time trying to understand what point there might be.
emack06
November 1st, 2010
12:10 pm
I voted early. I voted for Roy Barnes and Carol Porter. They seem to be the most qualified to do the job. Deal is shady and so is Cagle.
Your morning jolt: Casey Cagle, Carol Porter and a certain delicate matter | Political Insider
November 1st, 2010
12:23 pm
[...] Secretary of State Brian Kemp objected to the wording of an Insider post Sunday, stating that he had ruled that tea party enthusiasts could not wear their T-shirts, hats and buttons to the polls on Tuesday. [...]
You Asked
November 1st, 2010
12:44 pm
The state code (O.C.G.A. 21-2-414) is very clear about no display of paraphernelia within 150 feet of the polling place. At the polling place where I work we do not discriminate between parties when this is enforced. We are also very polite about asking people to remove buttons or turn t-shirts with slogans inside out for the 15 minutes when they are in the polling place.
We had one woman during early voting make a scene because she was asked by my wife to remove her button, stating very clearly that she did not disapprove of the womans message but that she was fairly enforcing the rules for all people. The Tea Party woman made a scene saying she’d “read the law” and was within her rights to wear the button. I don’t know which law she read but it wasn’t the Georgia code pertaining to elections.
Folks, please don’t make a scene. The people working those polling places are non-partisan volunteers who work very hard to provide a pleasant and fair voting environment for you.
John
November 1st, 2010
1:22 pm
^ Proof that tea partiers are tea baggers.
Tech Geek
November 1st, 2010
1:42 pm
@AngryVoter
In the interest of accuracy I went back and checked by source and saw where Massachusetts was actually the 9th highest leader in patents issued between 1963 – 2009. With that being said, during his speech at the Republican National Convention in 2004, Zell said no 2 people have been wrong more than John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. Apparently they were not wrong on the need to educate their fellow citizens. Those patents garnered more income for people in Massachusetts which, along with New York, Conneticutt, and Illinois, provided more tax income to the federal government and thus aid to states like Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina who are not even listed. The point is, Zell is politically dead.
Tech Geek
November 1st, 2010
1:43 pm
But at least they have good football teams.
AngryVoter
November 1st, 2010
2:02 pm
Tech Geek – I’m not sure why I’m even going to bother, but when you indicate “patents garnered more income…” what do you mean? More income than what??? I have more peanuts. Does that mean I have two peanuts or two million? It’s meaningless.
And what does Zell’s statement have to do with the State of Mass having state universities? These two men are Federal Govemment officials. That’s like saying Coke is right because Pepsi makes Mountain Dew. These are two different organizations, and one has nothing to do with the other.
Besides, Zell did more for education at the college level than just about any Gov of any state ever. By pushing through the Hope Scholarship, Zell created a reason for talented students in our State to stay on our State for college. Before Hope, our best students went out of state. This has made our made our state universities better academic institutions. It’s saved the best students millions of dollars. That is something Zell did directly for education at the university level. Exactly what has Kerry done, other than donate some of his wife’s first husband’s family’s money to universities in his state?
Next, when someone retires from politics, that does not make them politically dead. It makes them inactive. Zell still maintains lots of respect in this State, as he should. He is correct that Kerry and Kennedy were very wrong about many things. What we’ve experienced in the past two years backs that up. Even though most of the free-spending policies the two of them always wanted have yet to actually start, the mere fact these policies have been enacted has choked business spending and kept the economy from recovering. The present state of things pretty much proves Zell was right.
AngryVoter
November 1st, 2010
2:05 pm
And, BTW, even the State of Mass has come to the conclusion the leftist policies of Kerry and Kennedy are wrong. They elected Scott Brown, a Rep, to replace Kennedy. They are about to elect yet another Rep Gov and even Barney Frank is probably going to lose tomorrow. How right could Kennedy and Kerry be if their own constituents are rejecting their party?
Tech Geek
November 1st, 2010
7:42 pm
@Angry Voter
You don’t need to bother but the facts remain:
1. Because of the investment in education and high tech research made by states like Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Illinois, companies in those states and their employees earn significantly larger incomes than most. If you own 1,000 patents (as with peanuts) you will probably earn more income that someone with one.
2. The federal government has for years transferred income from high achieving states to low achieving states. The taxes to do this come from those higher achievers and income earners.
3. John Kerry and Ted Kennedy while they were both state and federal office holders emphasized education at a level that many other states couldn’t even imagine.
4. While politicians in states like Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina were worried about who was eating at lunch counters and insulting one-third of their constituents with state flags; and politicians like Zell Miller were fooling people with lotteries; Massachusetts’s students were designing and patenting medical devices and micro surgery procedures which they then exported around the world for profit.
Mr. KnowitAll
November 1st, 2010
8:45 pm
Notice to Brian Kemp: I will be wearing my “Don’t Tread on Me” Gadsden Flag T-shirt to vote tomorrow. Marine General Christopher Gadsden designed the flag as a motivational act and was part of the 1st Marine mission. It was based upon Benjamin Franklin’s “Join or Die” commentary on Unifying the individual colonies.
The Gadsden Flag is a part of US history and the initial mission of the Marine Corp.
It will NOT be telling others what candidates or party to vote for.
Sec. of State Brian Kemp: If you want to make an issue of my 1st amendment right to wear any damn shirt I want—Bring it on!
If you challenge me, then you will have to stop ALL partisan identifiers like the SEIU, AFL/CIO, AFSCME who are DIRECTLY partisan and contributed with time and money for the Socialist Liberal DemocRats.