Sonny Perdue takes himself out of 2014 race for Senate
Former Gov. Sonny Perdue has declared himself out of a 2014 contest to replace U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, but placed himself on the side of Republicans who believe the party has become too rigid in its approach.
In a statement e-mailed this morning, the governor declared himself “flattered” by the support that has been offered, but cited his reasons for avoiding the contest: A dozen grandchildren, business obligations and “a loving and devoted wife who has absolutely no interest in living in Washington.” From his statement:
Gov. Sonny Perdue has removed himself from the long list of Republicans considering a 2014 run for the U.S. Senate. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com
“Our country deserves more than the current dysfunction in Washington D.C. and our party needs to return to problem-solving conservatism. We have an opportunity, led by the examples of Republican Governors across the nation, to prove to the country that we are the party that can rise above the dogma and intransigence that dominates political discourse today. We need members of Congress who will stop playing political games and get to the business of addressing our real challenges, just as we have done here in Georgia.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Coweta County, is at least mildly interested in moving to the upper chamber. Here’s the quote from the Times-Georgian: “Over the next several days and weeks my family, friends, supporters and I will determine if I am interested in being a part of that discussion.”
Meanwhile, former congressman Jim Marshall, the middle-Georgia Democrat defeated by Austin Scott in 2010, ruled himself out during an interview with The Hill newspaper in Washington. But in the same article, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, who has close ties to both Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and U.S. Rep. John Barrow, offered this thought:
Johnson argued that Democrats’ best hope would be to find a ticket for governor and senator that “looks like Georgia” and avoids an expensive and divisive primary.
That’s usually Democratic code for a white/black ticket that keeps alive the beleaguered party’s biracial coalition.
***
Maria Strollo Zack, a longtime state Capitol lobbyist and Republican activist, told us Monday that she’s closing in on a decision to run for state GOP chairman. Here’s a little bit about her. Right now, it’s a one-man race – second vice-chairman B.J. VanGundy is the only announced candidate to replace current GOP chair Sue Everhart.
***
My AJC colleague Leon Stafford reports that last year’s boycott of Chick-fil-A by gay rights activists hasn’t touched the Atlanta company’s bottom line:
The fast food giant, the nation’s second-largest chicken chain, ended 2012 with $4.6 billion in sales — up 14 percent from $4.1 billion a year earlier. The company also opened 96 news stores, four more than the year before.
However, according to the Los Angeles Times, the company has also kept its promise to bow out of the same-sex marriage wars:
[A]ccording to gay rights group Campus Pride, the 2011 IRS 990 filings for Chick-fil-A’s charity arm WinShape Foundation show no sign of gifts to organizations such as Family Research Council or Exodus International, which advocate against same-sex unions and other privileges for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
The documents, filed Nov. 15, instead exhibit nearly $6 million in funding to beneficiaries supporting youth, education, local communities and what Campus Pride called “marriage enrichment.”
***
Fox5 has this tidbit on the continuing, behind-the-scenes negotiations over a new stadium home for the Falcons:
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed is warning city council members about business interests in Los Angeles who want to move the Falcons to the west coast. Team owner Arthur Blank shared that information with top city and state officials in their discussions about financing a new stadium in downtown Atlanta.
A spokeswoman for the mayor this morning sent this message via Twitter:
@KasimReed clarifies story re: Falcons: Arthur Blank & the team have never threatened to leave #Atlanta. But other cities are interested.
***
Speaking of Kasim Reed, the Atlanta mayor is in Las Vegas today, enveloped in President Barack Obama’s unveiling of his own proposals for immigration reform. An eight-member, bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Arizona’s John McCain and Florida’s Marco Rubio, launched their own effort on Monday. Both proposals are to include a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
The new dynamic in Washington has upset D.A. King, head of Georgia’s Dustin Inman Society and an immigration activist at the Capitol. From a press release sent out this morning:
“The anti-enforcement, open-borders coalition of the race-baiting La Raza network, the ACLU, the Chamber of Commerce, the Democrats, Big Religion, Big Academia and some shameful anything-for-a campaign-buck collaborators in the Republican party will never stop fighting against enforcement” warned King. “Amnesty-again will not change that fact. Americans must be ever vigilant and become aware and active in defense of our right to have and enforce borders and immigration laws” he said.
***
The AJC’s Politifact Georgia today takes a look at three claims made by Gov. Nathan Deal in his recent state-of-the-state address, including his statement that “spending of government money is 17 percent less than it was a decade ago.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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125 comments Add your comment
Hollis
January 29th, 2013
10:44 am
CHIPPER JONES for SENATOR!!!!!!!!
Voter
January 29th, 2013
10:46 am
@WOW – “I guessed you missed the memo? All of us who voted for Obama are now considered communists/and or socialists. There actual definitions are no longer relevant.”
What’s your definition of a socialist?
Hollis
January 29th, 2013
10:47 am
CHIPPER JONES for SENATOR!!!
D.C.
January 29th, 2013
10:56 am
Face it, Georgia. Sonny’s tenure in office was not good for this state. The man sat on his ass and did nothing until the legislative session rode into town and, even then, all he did was glad hand, smile big and have his photo taken with every marching band, eagle scout, 4 H Club/Oganization, and dentist association that visited or had a “day at the Capitol” designated in their honor.
BUT! To be fair, he did wage war against Snickers Bars (anyone remember that?) and became the first elected official to apply the words “Eco-Tourism” to Bass Fishing while managing not to laugh.
And someone believes he should represent this state in the U.S. Senate???
Jon Lester
January 29th, 2013
11:03 am
I hope Westmoreland decides to go for it, and announces from a Chik-fil-A. We’ll then have a national audience for the ensuing hilarity, especially when it’s time to debate.
Voter
January 29th, 2013
11:06 am
@D.C. – “Face it, Georgia. Sonny’s tenure in office was not good for this state”
Apparently at least 50% of the Georgians felt different since he was re-elected for a 2nd term.
Alphare
January 29th, 2013
11:09 am
Voter,
can you say the same thing for Obama? Nathan “the most corrupt” Deal? or Victor Hill of Clayton county?
td
January 29th, 2013
11:11 am
Look before I leap…
January 29th, 2013
10:10 am
“Looks like there has been a backlash against the militant leftest and their politically correct crap. Keep up the good work America. These communist need to be punched in the nose more often.”
Just gotta ask – are the Chik-fil-A protesters “communists” because they called for a boycott, or because they represent a view that differs from yours td?
They are communist because they attack religion and advocate secular humanism and as Karl Marx said the destroying of religion in favor of self is a key element that must be accomplished before communism.
Voter
January 29th, 2013
11:17 am
@Alphare – “Voter, can you say the same thing for Obama? Nathan “the most corrupt” Deal? or Victor Hill of Clayton county?”
Unfortunately, obama,and hill both were re-elected. I really don’t know how, was it corrupt voting? (141% turn out in some precincts) If you look at the break down of every state, the majority of the counties in each state voted for Romney, the inner city’s voted for obama. More counties voted for Romney but there are more people in the inner cities. The break down in almost every state was either 51-49 for obama or 51-49 for Romney. We’re headed in the wrong direction when they re-elect a president who did nothing but make things worse.
td
January 29th, 2013
11:19 am
WOW
January 29th, 2013
10:40 am
@ Look
I guessed you missed the memo? All of us who voted for Obama are now considered communists/and or socialists. There actual definitions are no longer relevant.
Socialism:
a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or REGULATED by the community as a whole.
(in Marxist theory) a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of Communism.
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/socialism
Must be nice to walk through live and not have a clue as to what is going on around you and to not actually realize what your vote means for the nation as a whole.
Voter
January 29th, 2013
11:23 am
@td – Well said td.
I remember when the LGBT tried to stage a boycott of Chick-Fil-A and Mike Huckabee called for a Chick-Fil-A day. 10x more people showed up in favor of Chick-Fil-A than against. Then, when it was apparent they(LGBT) lost, the name calling began and the attack on religion.
People should remember, If God be for us, who can be against us?
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
January 29th, 2013
11:24 am
Just because he didn’t legislate Drag Queen Day into a state holiday doesn’t mean he wasn’t a good governor, libbies.
D.C.
January 29th, 2013
11:26 am
@ Voter
Obviously he was… and Adolf Hitler was twice named Time Magazines “Man of the Year.”
A person can be elected to the same office twice and still not be good for their office or the constituents they serve. Anything else?
Look before I leap...
January 29th, 2013
11:28 am
“They are communist because they attack religion and advocate secular humanism and as Karl Marx said the destroying of religion in favor of self is a key element that must be accomplished before communism.”
Quite the logical fallacy there.
It may be true (and I do not concede that it is) that all communists are humanists.
But even if true, it is not true that all humanists are communists.
Nor is it proven that all gay marriage proponents are humanists. They simply believe something different than you.
Voter
January 29th, 2013
11:29 am
@D.C. I agree.
Voter
January 29th, 2013
11:31 am
@Look before I leap – Clear this up, are you for gay marriage? Are you for socialism?
JSH
January 29th, 2013
11:31 am
All you that voted for Obama are not communist and or socialist, just idiots.
GaBlue
January 29th, 2013
11:31 am
Chick Fil A’s owner is a big bully. Why, it simply is not enough to make a bazillion dollars selling chicken sandwiches. What’s REALLY FUN is sicking your unlimited supply of corporate lawyer hours on a small businessman, in a remote corner of the country, to try to prevent him from making a lousy $5 or $10K a year selling T-SHIRTs. Yes, t-shirts. Not shirts with cows spelling badly, or touting the virtues of deep-fried, sodium & fat-laden chicken sandwiches, but t-shirts that say, “Eat More Kale” — promoting the products of local produce growers. “Give us your name! Give us your website! I am Dan Cathy, and the words EAT and MORE belong to ME! HAHAHAHA!”
What a colossal JERK. This bully cares nothing for free enterprise.
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/chick-fil-as-bullying-is-a-boon-for-eat-more-kale-t-shirt-maker
Voter
January 29th, 2013
11:32 am
@GaBlue – Ouch, you sound personally offended. Was it your T-Shirt business?
Voter
January 29th, 2013
11:33 am
@JSH – “All you that voted for Obama are not communist and or socialist, just idiots.”
Well said.
D.C.
January 29th, 2013
11:46 am
@ td
“They are communist because they attack religion and advocate secular humanism”
Attacking religion doesn’t make or even imply one is a communist and I think its fair to say that religion is alive and well and certainly NOT being destroyed. Catholics often have attacked their own church and Pope over many issues (even assassinations) in the course of their history.
Were our founding fathers communists for believing there should be a high wall between religion and state? Were they destroying religion?
Also, Ayn Rand, Warren Buffet, Andrew Carnegie, Carl Sagan, George Carlin, Bruce Lee, Stephen Hawking, Mick Jagger, David Gilmore, Steve Wozniak??? All atheists who did not believe in god… Who among they do you count as communists?
WOW
January 29th, 2013
11:47 am
TD:
I am well aware of the actual definition of socialism, which is not going on in American. Its just the way of the right, to express themselves with the majority of the country who disagree with them. If you don’t have a sound argument, call names. Which is what is done on this blog quite often.
Alphare
January 29th, 2013
11:47 am
What about those who voted Nathan “the most corrupt” Deal? are they idiots?
Look before I leap...
January 29th, 2013
12:01 pm
@Voter
I am totally for gay marriage.
I am not a socialist – I am all for responsible capitalism.
The real question you should have asked, am I a humanist?
Don't Tread
January 29th, 2013
12:01 pm
Mrs. Perdue has absolutely no interest in living in Washington? Can’t blame her…I wouldn’t either. That would be like moving into a NYC apartment infested with roaches and rats. I’ll pass.
Proud Voter
January 29th, 2013
12:01 pm
Good grief! Why does our private preferred sexuality have to be brought into every matter of public discourse? It’s a very small percentage of our daily activity and certainly should not dominate our every decision. Such discussions should remain among the consenting adults. When I order steak, or chicken, or vegetarian pizza, it isn’t because the restaurantuer is gay or straight, it’s because that’s what I want for dinner. This is getting way out of hand. Social intercourse obviously needs to be redefined for many. I’m so tired of this.
Voter
January 29th, 2013
12:06 pm
@Proud Voter – “Good grief! Why does our private preferred sexuality have to be brought into every matter of public discourse?”
It came up because they were discussing Chick-Fil-A.
Marlboro Man
January 29th, 2013
12:09 pm
Chicken is a very low cost meat, Chickfila makes a killing selling their products to white soccer moms and people who don’t know the value of a dollar. More power to them.
td
January 29th, 2013
12:11 pm
D.C.
January 29th, 2013
11:46 am
@ td
“They are communist because they attack religion and advocate secular humanism”
“Were our founding fathers communists for believing there should be a high wall between religion and state? Were they destroying religion?”
Another of the uninformed that have not been taught the real history of this country. Our founders placed the wall for the GOVERNMENT not to interfere with our religious freedom. There is absolutely no prohibition against religion being in government.
Look before I leap...
January 29th, 2013
12:12 pm
“Why does our private preferred sexuality have to be brought into every matter of public discourse? It’s a very small percentage of our daily activity and certainly should not dominate our every decision”
You see the issue as something to to with a physical act of intimacy.
That is NOT the issue (though as far as law it was THE issue for a couple of hundred years).
The issue is that some citizens in this country do not enjoy equal protection for the right to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as others.
td
January 29th, 2013
12:16 pm
WOW
January 29th, 2013
11:47 am
TD:
“I am well aware of the actual definition of socialism, which is not going on in American”
With the passage of Obamacare to go along with Medicare and Medicaid means that the Central government now controls, through regulation and rule making, the total means of production of 20% of GDP of this nation. If this is not socialism then please explain to me what is socialism?.
td
January 29th, 2013
12:20 pm
Look before I leap…
January 29th, 2013
12:12 pm
Marriage is not a protected right (like the right to keep and bear arms is) so there is NO equal protection claim that can be made. Marriage is a states issue.
Carol
January 29th, 2013
12:26 pm
We have an opportunity, led by the examples of Republican Governors across the nation, to prove to the country that we are the party that can rise above the dogma AND BUILD A FISH TANK TO NOWHERE.
TiredOfIt
January 29th, 2013
12:26 pm
“People should remember, If God be for us, who can be against us?”
++
Please explain 911 then
honested
January 29th, 2013
12:28 pm
td,
Do you have a complete compendium of warped mis-characterizations of history, political science and the ‘true’ appropriate thought?
If so, it might be the funniest thing I ever read!!
The very idea of having to apply religious, collectivist and conserrrrrrvative filters to each and every action in one’s daily life must be, well, taxing!
WOW
January 29th, 2013
12:30 pm
Single Payer would be closer to the socialism model of Health Insurance, which the only socialist I know of in Congress, Sen. Sanders has proposed.
Carol
January 29th, 2013
12:32 pm
td
“The fast food giant, the nation’s second-largest chicken chain, ended 2012 with $4.6 billion in sales — up 14 percent from $4.1 billion a year earlier. The company also opened 96 news stores, four more than the year before.”
++++++++++
What you fail to realize in pointing out the success of the Company is the economy must be going in the right direction. As Conservative as they are, shouldn’t they be part of the “we’re concerned about the uncertainty” crowd. No, they are Capitalist who apparently are more interested in making money as opposed to giving all of it away to Karl Rove and crew.
Look before I leap...
January 29th, 2013
12:34 pm
@td
Read article IV, Section 1 of the US Constitution, then please feel free to come back and admit you are wrong with respect to marriage being a state’s issue that enjoys no federal protection.
And once again, you personally are on extremely thin ice with this issue.
MiltonMan
January 29th, 2013
12:35 pm
“This great state has been in the hands of republicans for more than a decade now, be it governor or legislature.
Where is the state ranked in the nation? education, unemployment, poverty rate, foreclosure, etc.”
…and where was the state ranked when dems controlled the state for 130+ years???
td
January 29th, 2013
12:37 pm
WOW
January 29th, 2013
12:30 pm
Single Payer would be closer to the socialism model of Health Insurance, which the only socialist I know of in Congress, Sen. Sanders has proposed.
Under the definition of Socialism, from Oxford, Obamacare is pure socialism. Single payer would be the next step and it fits into the category of communism where everything is totally equal.
HOBO JOE
January 29th, 2013
12:37 pm
There you have it, folks… all Democrats / Progressives / Gays are communists. On top of that, probably at least 30% of the Republican party are also communists, like Saxby Chambliss. So you see that we now have a de facto communist majority.
JSS
January 29th, 2013
12:38 pm
@ Jeff Galloway…
Has Leah Ward-Sears completely divorced herself of running for a political office? That Senate race just screams having someone like her that can’t be painted as a die-hard “liberal” by Georgia’s hard right…
Carol
January 29th, 2013
12:39 pm
Voter
Apparently at least 50% of the Georgians felt different since he was re-elected for a 2nd term.
++++++++
Remember that when you bash the President.
Voter
January 29th, 2013
12:45 pm
@TiredOfIt – “Please explain 911 then”
911 the Emergency Phone Number? I assume you mean the first 9/11 of 2001? Usama bin Laden helped plan and fund, with funds from Saddam Hussein, the terrorist attack on the Towers in New York, the Pentagon and probably the White House. If your asking why God allowed it, how should I know? That doesn’t change what I said, “People should remember, If God be for us, who can be against us?” God has a plan, He sent his Son, to be our Savior, a gateway to Heaven. All this on earth is our doing, some people said “we know better than God and we will do it our way” and God said ok, go ahead.
honested
January 29th, 2013
12:47 pm
Now appropriate availability (by virtue of means other than control of capital) of health care services is ‘leaning communist’.
You just can’t make this stuff up!
Voter
January 29th, 2013
12:50 pm
@Carol – “Remember that when you bash the President”
I don’t bash the president, I hold him accountable for his promises and his actions. As of yet, he hasn’t kept them, the lone exception being healthcare, which you will all see soon enough will be a disaster for this nation. His actions show him to be acting like dictator and emperor instead of a president. He lashes out at against any media that disagrees with him, he lashes out against anyone who disagrees with him. I, as a United States Citizen hold him accountable, period.
td
January 29th, 2013
12:50 pm
Look before I leap…
January 29th, 2013
12:34 pm
@td
Read article IV, Section 1 of the US Constitution, then please feel free to come back and admit you are wrong with respect to marriage being a state’s issue that enjoys no federal protection.
And once again, you personally are on extremely thin ice with this issue.
If marriage was a guaranteed right under the constitution then you would have a valid argument for the full faith and credit clause. It is not because states regulate marriage like how old you can marry, the degree of relationship you can marry and what can and can not be done when a marriage is broken. Some states have common law marriage are they recognized in other states? One of the states state that you can marry your first cousin but that marriage is not recognized as being valid in the other 49 states.
Your argument is not valid in practice as of today. The SCOTUS is taking up the matter and it could be in the future but not today,
“And once again, you personally are on extremely thin ice with this issue.”
Why am I personally on thin ice?
Look before I leap...
January 29th, 2013
12:50 pm
“Central government now controls, through regulation and rule making, the total means of production of 20% of GDP of this nation”
Please! The government has its sticky fingers in virtually 100% of US commerce.
They regulate car emissions, mandate seat belts and air bags, they set limits on the amounts of types of pollution allowed in manufacturing and energy production. They regulate air travel, when and where we can fly, standards for pilot training and aircraft. There are federal minimum wage laws. Standards for nursing home care. Food production and handling, cleanliness requirements for restaurants. Building codes and flammability of clothing materials.
20%?? HAH.
TiredOfIt
January 29th, 2013
12:51 pm
Voter
January 29th, 2013
12:45 pm
@TiredOfIt – “Please explain 911 then”
911 the Emergency Phone Number? I assume you mean the first 9/11 of 2001? Usama bin Laden helped plan and fund, with funds from Saddam Hussein, the terrorist attack on the Towers in New York, the Pentagon and probably the White House. If your asking why God allowed it, how should I know? That doesn’t change what I said, “People should remember, If God be for us, who can be against us?” God has a plan, He sent his Son, to be our Savior, a gateway to Heaven. All this on earth is our doing, some people said “we know better than God and we will do it our way” and God said ok, go ahead.
++
What is Jesus didn’t die for our sins, but died from being nailed to a cross?
WOW
January 29th, 2013
12:59 pm
He lashes out at against any media that disagrees with him, he lashes out against anyone who disagrees with him. I
That’s funny considering the names he is called daily, just look to this blog for evidence.