Political Insider

No buckle-shoed Pilgrims were in sight, and to ask Native Americans to raise their hands would have been rude, but a small group of candidates and voters gathered this week for a Thanksgiving-style session on racial tensions bubbling up in Atlanta’s contest for mayor.

The verdict: We’re better than that, but let’s not examine ourselves too closely.

The topic of race has hung in the background since simple math and the city’s changing demographics both made it clear that, on Tuesday, Councilwoman Mary Norwood stands an even chance of becoming the first white mayor of Atlanta since “The Partridge Family” and bell-bottom jeans.

Even the candidates have been on edge. In a pair of televised debates over the weekend, Norwood and Kasim Reed, the former state senator, tiptoed to the edge of the abyss, peered over — then stepped back.

On Saturday, Norwood said her black supporters had been harassed and threatened. The next day, she said the election wouldn’t turn on …

Continue reading Stepping back from the divide in the Atlanta race for mayor »

Some significant messages are zipping around Atlanta, trying to penetrate the tryptophan haze that’s about to descend on the mayoral race.

The first concerns gay marriage and Mary Norwood. The second is an avalanche of videotaped endorsements about to appear on former mayor Andrew Young’s Facebook page.

A third is from state Rep. Ralph Long (D-Atlanta), he of the sign-stealing video.

Douglas Brooks is an Atlanta attorney, parent of two, and member of the gay community, upset at the state Democratic Party’s opposition to Mary Norwood, an advocate of marriage equality.

Georgia Equality, the state’s largest gay rights organization, has declared its neutrality in the contest. The state Democratic party, by declaring Norwood a Republican, has all but endorsed Kasim Reed – who favors civil unions, but can’t take that one step further toward gay marriage.

Atlanta’s Stonewall Democrats have also endorsed Reed.

Read Brooks’ entire message of frustration here, but these are a few …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Gay marriage in the ATL race for mayor, and another video from Andy Young »

While it sounds like something Georgia Tech might suggest, Tim Bryant with WGAU (1340AM) in Athens just posted this:

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals has a suggestion for the University of Georgia, which is looking for a replacement for Uga VII, the Georgia Bulldog mascot who died last Thursday in Savannah:

PETA says the University should use what it calls an “animatronic dog,” or use a person in a costume. PETA has sent its suggestion via e-mail to University of Georgia Athletic Director Damon Evans. The PETA e-mail follows…

In the wake of the untimely death of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) bulldog mascot, Uga VII, PETA has asked the school’s athletic director, Damon M. Evans, to replace the mascot with an animatronic dog–or to rely solely on a costumed mascot–instead of using another real bulldog. Bulldogs are prone to breathing difficulties, hip dysplasia, heart disorders, and other congenital ailments, and acquiring a dog from a breeder perpetuates the animal …

Continue reading Woof, beep! Replace Uga with a bulldog robot, says PETA »

Did you miss that Monday meeting of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s task force on the state’s water crisis? So did I. The mayor’s race got in the way.

But click here to see the governor’s Power Point presentation.

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.

Continue reading Sonny Perdue’s power points on water strategy »

One of the last political events in the city of Atlanta before turkey fever kicks in will happen at the Capitol City Club at 4:30 p.m. today.

The Committee for a Better Atlanta will host a gathering of candidates in all the city’s undecided races, from mayor on down.

It’s a semi-private affair, but organizers are attempting to draw the city’s blogging community into the session by hosting a virtual press conference, conducted via Twitter and such. Hash tag is #atlmayor.

Click here for the info. Give it a try and see how it works.

The CBA is a collection of business leaders who weigh in on city issues. It’s been around for more than a decade – it was started by former mayor Sam Massell and Metro Chamber president Sam Williams.

CBA rated mayoral candidates earlier in the campaign, giving top marks to Lisa Borders, who was eliminated in the Nov. 3 vote.

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.

Continue reading A virtual press conference for ATL runoff candidates »

Break out the mariachi band. This from Politico.com:

Former CNN host Lou Dobbs fueled already rampant speculation about his political future Monday, sending the clearest signals yet that he’s mulling a bid for president—and leaving third-party political operatives salivating over the possibility of a celebrity recruit for the 2012 campaign.

Less than two weeks after announcing his departure from the cable network—and following a series of interviews in which Dobbs encouraged speculation about his political plans—the anchorman known to fans as “Mr. Independent” finally made his presidential ambitions explicit on former Sen. Fred Thompson’s radio show Monday.

Asked if he might make a run at the White House in 2012, Dobbs answered flatly: “Yes is the answer.”

“I’m going to be talking some more with some folks who want me to listen in the next few weeks,” Dobbs told Thompson. “Right now I’m fortunate to have a number of wonderful options.”

The story behind the video shot by …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Lou Dobbs considers a White House run »

Did you miss the Atlanta Press Club debate between mayoral candidates Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed on Sunday night?

The video has been posted on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s web site. See it here.

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.

Continue reading Watch Sunday’s Norwood/Reed debate on GPB »

The crazy season has arrived a few days early.

State Rep. Ralph Long of Atlanta, the only elected official now supporting mayoral candidate Mary Norwood, has handed to WXIA a video recording that he says shows someone removing Norwood yard signs – then handing them to a Kasim Reed field office for what appears to be payment.

Long told the TV station that his car was pounded on and he was chased by another vehicle after the African-American lawmaker, armed with a video camera, showed himself to Reed supporters

Here’s the teaser to its 6 p.m. broadcast offered by the TV station.

Long isn’t identified on the video by name, but the WXIA web site does make use of his name. The signs were allegedly removed at the Adamsville natatorium on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, an early voting location. Long allegedly followed the man removing the sign to a shopping center at Linhurst and MLK.

Paul Crawley says that, afterwards, a “shaken” Long came straight to the TV station.

“And frankly, …

Continue reading Ralph Long and a video of yard-sign theft »

The race for mayor of Atlanta became quite snippy over the weekend, with each candidate leveling attacks against the other – Kasim Reed by air, Mary Norwood on the ground.

On Friday, the Reed campaign put the following TV ad in circulation:

The script and sourcing for the claims can be found by clicking here.

The two attacks are linked by the Atlanta budget. The basic Reed claim is that Norwood voted against two property tax hikes that resulted in the furlough of Atlanta police and fire fighters.

“Norwood voted to allow police furloughs. Twice. She made Atlanta less safe,” the ad says.

Over the weekend, the Norwood campaign sent an oversized mailer – large enough to draw the attention of voters. (And hard to scan, too, so that part will take a while.)

“Kasim Reed voted to increase the sales tax and repeatedly supported property tax hikes,” the mailer says.

The Norwood attack gets just as personal as the Reed TV ad, accusing Reed of neglecting to pay property taxes. …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Ground and air attacks in the ATL race for mayor »

A contentious exchange on race relations marked the beginning of Saturday evening’s debate between Atlanta mayoral candidates Kasim Reed and Mary Norwood on WAGA-TV.

Fox 5’s Diedra Dukes opened up the topic by asking Reed whether the mayoral campaign had divided the city by black and white.

Reed responded optimistically:

“I think that the city has made outstanding progress. I think that we both received support both from white citizens and from black citizens. My support in the white community has actually been growing significantly.

“Elections are tough. But I think now that the campaign is down to two individuals, you will see more support that is cross-racial. And I think that is important. Both Ms. Norwood and myself are working toward the best Atlanta – the Atlanta that Dr. [Martin Luther] King talked about.

“I think that we have both conducted ourselves in a way that makes the citizens of Atlanta proud. And as long as we don’t get bogged down in trying to win an …

Continue reading ATL mayoral candidate Mary Norwood says her African-American supporters ‘have been threatened’ »