Attorney in ‘birther’ action jumps into state Senate race

State Rep. Mark Hatfield, who raised eyebrows as the attorney in an effort have the name of President Barack Obama stripped from next Tuesday’s presidential primary ballot, became the first Republican to announce that he’ll seek the Senate seat now occupied by Greg Goggans, R-Douglas.

Goggans, citing economic pressures, has decided not to seek a fifth term in the Senate.

Hatfield, who has feuded with the leadership of House Speaker David Ralston, was drawn into the same district as state Rep. Jason Spence, R-Woodbine, in the last redistricting session.
From Hatfield’s press release:

“I will be running for the Senate to provide conservative, independent leadership for South Georgia,” said Hatfield.

Hatfield will be running in the newly-reconfigured Senate District 7, which includes all of Ware, Coffee, Bacon, Pierce, Atkinson, Ben Hill, Irwin, Atkinson, and Berrien counties, and a portion of both Charlton and Tift counties.

Hatfield has represented large portions of the new Senate District 7 during his time in the House, and he said that uniquely prepares him to represent those same people in the State Senate.

“I know the people of South Georgia want an independent person who stands up for everybody. They want a conservative, pro-life, pro-family senator who stands for his principles even when it is not popular. I have kept that commitment while serving in the House, and I will keep that commitment if elected to the State Senate,” said Hatfield.

Hatfield drew up the complaint filed by a parties who question Obama’s birth in the United States and challenged Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s placement of Obama as the sole name on Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary ballot. (Hawaiian state officials have provided, time and again, documentation of Obama’s birth.)

An administrative judge recently dismissed the complaint, which Hatfield has appealed to a Fulton County Superior Court judge.

As soon as I posted the above, I went downstairs to the basement of the Legislative Office Building, only to find Hatfield in the snack bar — delighted at being able to escape the dilemma of whether to run against a House colleague. He pointed to this piece in the Waycross Journal-Herald.

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

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110 comments Add your comment

Sparks

February 29th, 2012
3:42 pm

Hatfield nutty? Okay. Only in America could a nut job like Obama get elected to public office either…we the people, got to love it.

Ashamed to Be a Southerner

February 29th, 2012
3:44 pm

A. The Case had no MERIT.
B. Never would have been an issue to Mr. Hatfield and the rest of the “Birthers” if the president had been white. (I am a middle-aged white woman, by the way.)

Sparks

February 29th, 2012
3:46 pm

Delta is ready….you know the rest. :-)

UGA 1999

February 29th, 2012
3:50 pm

A 40 year musical legend dies today. RIP Davy Jones. It barely makes the front page.

A crack addict in Whitney Houston dies and it becomes a two week parade.

A great sign of the times.

Carole

February 29th, 2012
3:52 pm

td
There is only one state court that has heard the issue about the qualifications and rules that “natural born citizen” was the same as citizen.

You do know that the case in Georgia has been appealed to the Superior court in Fulton county?
+++++++
Which proves my point. There have been discussions on the issue on both sides. Obviously the court that ruled believes like most people who usually hear the term.

The fact that it’s going to Superior Court doesn’t mean the party feels they have a valid case. I’ve seen people waste their money on court cases purely for spite. Or to try to make the other person waste money and time defending themselves.

DannyX

February 29th, 2012
3:54 pm

“A 40 year musical legend dies today. RIP Davy Jones.”

A legend! LMAO! Ok maybe if you are a 55 year old women shattered by the death of her teenage first crush.

WOW

February 29th, 2012
3:55 pm

@ UGA

Are you seriously trying to say that Whitney Houston is not a musical legend? Really? Come on!

Bernie

February 29th, 2012
3:56 pm

In the words of fomer Governor Lester Maddox ” honest businessmen should be protected from the unscrupulous consumer. ”

I would update that quote with “Honest Politicians should be protected from the unscrupulous consumer. “

BRW

February 29th, 2012
3:56 pm

td and UGA Embarassment, This will be settled once and for all after President Obama’s 8th year in the White House. The necks just can’t stand that he’s not their color. Period.

Rex Dogma

February 29th, 2012
3:56 pm

What a joke!!!

Angel Macaroni

February 29th, 2012
3:57 pm

A UGA soccer player got caught trying to steal a dollar’s worth of taters from the cafeteria. She is from a “christian” school before getting paid to kick a ball at Football U. Is she the spawn of the prolix and retarded post-er who calls himself “UGA 1999″? OTOH, this character might actually be a GT alum with a sense of humor.

WOW

February 29th, 2012
3:58 pm

@ angel

It was a prank.

UGA 1999

February 29th, 2012
3:59 pm

DannyX….Yes because he was. And he died of natural causes unlike the late Whitney Houston. I never said she was not a legend but she killed herself.

gooberville

February 29th, 2012
3:59 pm

td and ‘Centrist’ you two are prime examples of the phrase that opinions are alike a******s, everybody has one and you both try to monopolize every posting jumping on it within minutes. Don’t either of you have any productive to do or just sitting around collecting your gov’t welfare handout (social security)?

Carole

February 29th, 2012
4:00 pm

UGA 1999
A 40 year musical legend dies today. RIP Davy Jones. It barely makes the front page.
++++++
Are you serious. I have obviously let you know what I think of Davy Jones, but he is by no means the equivalent of Whitney Houston.

How many #1 records did he have? How many Grammys? How many movies did he star in. Come on dude, you don’t have to like her, but don’t do this. You lose a lot of credibility over stuff like this.

Angel Macaroni

February 29th, 2012
4:00 pm

Davy Jones was a “musical legend”? He could neither sing nor play an instrument. His qualification was that he was British –so he could plausibly impersonate a faux Beatle on a tv show. Is every graduate of UGA brain-dead?

WOW

February 29th, 2012
4:01 pm

Both are news stories, but the Houston one is a bigger story, one because she was more popular and two the way in which she died.

The media chases the story.

Emmanuel Hall

February 29th, 2012
4:02 pm

These Republican controlled state legeslatures, including Georgia are as dangerous to this country as any terrorist. Oh no, Just take a look at what laws they have proposed. However, none of these nuts are as insane and dangerous as the idiots who vote for them.

WOW

February 29th, 2012
4:04 pm

@ Angel

No all graduates of UGA are not brain dead. The guy on this blog is no way a representative of all of us either.

UGA 1999

February 29th, 2012
4:06 pm

Carole they had 2 number one hits in 1967 alone.

UGA 1999

February 29th, 2012
4:07 pm

Over a drug addict killing herself…versus a man who led a good life and had a 40 year musical career. NICE!

JRev

February 29th, 2012
4:13 pm

So Hatfield is “pro-Family”? What the heck does that even mean? I guess it’s a thinly-veiled insult to pro-choice people? So, if you’re pro-choice, then you’re anti-family? I just love how supposed conservatives rail against gov’t intrusion, except when it furthers their own “morales” or agenda. I’m pro-life for myself and pro-choice overall because I don’t think that is a personal decision. I guess that makes me neither pro or anti-family then. Meh.

DannyX

February 29th, 2012
4:20 pm

“So Hatfield is “pro-Family”? What the heck does that even mean?”

I always thought “pro-family” was code for anti-gay.

Michael

February 29th, 2012
4:32 pm

Can’t say I’m surprised but I can say I am disappointed that Mark is a birther.

Bernie

February 29th, 2012
4:32 pm

Mark Hatfield’s decision reminds me of a quote by Former Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, “That’s part of American greatness, is discrimination. Yes, sir. Inequality, I think, breeds freedom and gives a man opportunity.”

McCoy family

February 29th, 2012
4:37 pm

Trust us. This man ain’t no good.

McCoy family

February 29th, 2012
4:39 pm

uga,

Judgment belongs to the Lord not your pompous tush. Leave Whitney alone. Drugs took alot of talent: Joplin, Hendrix, ect…No need to attack the dead.

td

February 29th, 2012
4:41 pm

WOW

February 29th, 2012
3:55 pm

@ UGA

Are you seriously trying to say that Whitney Houston is not a musical legend? Really? Come on!

Legend, no. Great voice, yes. She could have been a legend if she did not become an addict.

DannyX

February 29th, 2012
4:46 pm

“She could have been a legend if she did not become an addict.”

That’s just silly. Every year fans flock to the grave of Elvis Presley. His birthday is still noted in the media.

Rush Limbaugh is still a legend in the minds of many crazy Republicans.

Look before I leap...

February 29th, 2012
4:46 pm

Absent the final toxicology results, we do not know what killed Whitney Houston.
UGA is assuming it was drugs. Unless he has sources at the LA Medical Examiner’s office, he does not know either.

McCoy family

February 29th, 2012
4:47 pm

Charo’ is legendary.

McCoy family

February 29th, 2012
4:49 pm

DannyX,

Excelllent rebuttal with limbug’s pill poppin’ arse.

Gaywad for Jesus

February 29th, 2012
4:50 pm

Hate is the simplest way to deal with fear.
Simpletons like UGA 1999 will always run straight to hate when confronted with a confusing situation.

yuzeyurbrane

February 29th, 2012
4:53 pm

I want to see his long form birth certificate.

Sweet Melissa

February 29th, 2012
4:54 pm

Truer words have never been spoken, Gaywad. I think we can all agree uga is a major league pud.

Michael

February 29th, 2012
4:57 pm

You all do realize on an anonymous blog you could be arguing with a 15 year old who reads a lot.

Look before I leap...

February 29th, 2012
5:05 pm

@td

“Legend, no. Great voice, yes. She could have been a legend if she did not become an addict.”

Legend and addict are not mutually exclusive terms.
I’d say that Whitney’s 100 million plus in record/album sales puts her much closer to legendary status than that of the Monkee’s and their 20 million in sales.

double

February 29th, 2012
5:35 pm

I do not know Mr Hatfield,or anything about him.One thing I do know is we do not need any more Lawyers in our government.Also I think one should let the dead rest in peace.

Rod

February 29th, 2012
5:59 pm

Caroline we have proof john mccain was not born in the united states but in the panama canal zone you heffa and i dont mean heifer

Attack Dog

February 29th, 2012
6:13 pm

Someone referenced that Hatfield questioned if Obama was a natural-born citizen, which is a valid point. That said, Romney’s grandfather disavowed his U.S. citizenship and moved to Mexico where George Romney was born, thus making him a Mexican. Even though Although Ronmey’s mother was an American, this means that Willard is not a “natural born” either. True that!

Lakedawg

February 29th, 2012
6:31 pm

I’m not a birther and think the whole issue is moot- but there have NOT been birth certificates produced to prove Obama’s HI birth that I couldn’t fly over, complete an affadavit, and get for myself.

This IS an opinion column and the left can’t disagree without calling the other side names. Does that make them ignorant, or backwards, or “nutcases”? I won’t call them that, that would be wrong.

Alabama Communist

February 29th, 2012
6:37 pm

More Breaking News On Jim Finding birther Hatfield In State Snack Bar….A reported fight broke out when Jim asked Hatfield that he wanted to see his Birth Cert and that he was a American Citizen instead of being a Confederate Citizen since he was wearing a want to be Stonewall Jackson Uniform at the Snack Bar complaining about the poor service from the Government Slaves..

Lakedawg

February 29th, 2012
6:37 pm

Lefties-

Go back to the beginning and read this blog, and then tell me from where the hate is gushing. Why do you people hate those who disagree with your worldview so much?

honested

February 29th, 2012
6:57 pm

As one who is about as far left as one can be, I can state that despite his position on this particular issue, Representative Hatfield is an honest and principled individual.
Why else would the CofC and the GA republican party wish to draw him out of his district?

td

February 29th, 2012
7:35 pm

honested

February 29th, 2012
6:57 pm

You and I actually agree on the fact that Hatfield is an honest politician. Is the world coming to an end?

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Shine

February 29th, 2012
9:13 pm

I am glad Hatfield is running and he will probably be the only Republican I vote for. We need more reps and senators that aint arse kissers to the leadership.

Shine

February 29th, 2012
9:23 pm

..and I will be voting for President Obama a second term as president along with Hatfield for my Ga State Senator.

BRW

February 29th, 2012
9:38 pm

Lakedawg, You obviously do not read this blog when the name calling starts against Obama. Open your eyes and ears. And learn how to spell D.O.G. homer…

big george

February 29th, 2012
9:50 pm

re John McCain’s U.S. citizenship having been born abroad, it has long been the law of the U.S. that a child born abroad and EITHER parent is a U.S. citizen, then the child is also a U.S. citizen.