Archive for the ‘Jason Carter’ Category

Crucial details – a name would be handy, for instance – are missing, but rumors are swirling that Friday could see an attempt by House members to impeach Attorney General Thurbert Baker for his refusal to join a legal challenge to the new federal health care law.

PeachPundit says a piece of paper is floating around with 30 names on it.

We’ll add some background to the mix: On Wednesday, a spokesman insisted that Gov. Sonny Perdue harbored no ill will toward Baker, a Democratic candidate for governor. Said Bert Brantley:

“We asked him to participate and go with us, and he has not chosen to do that. And that’s fine. That’s his — he’s been the attorney general for a long time. He certainly knows his stuff. He’s also a candidate for governor. And so we know there are multiple things that he’s thinking about, looking at. And that’s fine.”

Perdue and former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich have a joint press conference this morning. The governor is likely to announce that he’ll …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: The complications of impeaching Thurbert Baker »

One temporary casualty of the whiteout in Washington: the nomination of Georgia state Sen. David Adelman of Decatur as U.S. ambassador to Singapore.

Adelman and more than a dozen other State Department officials were to be voted on this afternoon by the Senate Foreign Relations committee chaired by John Kerry of Massachusetts – the final prelude to a floor vote. A spokesman for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee just confirmed that the meeting has been canceled.

It’s not clear when the committee vote will be rescheduled.

The nomination process is being watched closely here – Adelman’s formal approval by the U.S. Senate would set off a special election campaign for his Decatur-based seat in the state Senate.

Adelman made a first appearance before a subcommittee last week. See his testimony here.

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.

Continue reading Washington whiteout postpones Adelman vote »

On Wednesday night, the grandson of Jimmy Carter hosted a gathering in Decatur to launch his campaign for a state Senate seat that is not quite available yet.

Jason Carter, 34, is the first of the former president’s grandchildren to seek public office. “I think if I didn’t give politics a chance, then I would be leaving some opportunities on the table to make a difference,” the young attorney said. “That may sound canned, but it’s not.”

Jason Carter

The former president, who left his state Senate seat in 1966 to make a first run for governor, has endorsed his grandson’s venture. “He said, ‘You’re going to have to work harder than anybody else, and always tell the truth. And that’s all the advice you’ll ever need,’ ” Jason Carter reported.

But a legacy is one part wings and one part baggage.

Jason Carter aims to replace David Adelman, who has been nominated by the Obama administration as ambassador to Singapore — but who has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

Adelman is …

Continue reading The return of the Carter name to Georgia politics »

State Rep. Judy Manning of Cobb County has become one of the first House Republicans to openly call for the resignation of Speaker Glenn Richardson. From this morning’s Marietta Daily Journal:

As chair of the Children and Youth Committee, Manning said she’s worked closely on the subject of mental illness and suicide prevention.

Mental illness, Manning said, is caused by a chemical imbalance that prompts a person to have erratic behavior, make threats and have a negative self-perception.

“There are warning signs and unfortunately, I personally have seen that he has some of those symptoms, although I’m not a doctor,” Manning said.

Manning said given the kind of pressure the job entails, it’s “a recipe for disaster” for anyone with such an illness to serve as speaker.

“It’s not good for anybody concerned inside or outside. More particularly, it’s not good for Glenn,” Manning said.

Manning’s position is significant. As a committee chairman, she’s a formal part of Richardson’s …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: House Republican chairman calls for Glenn Richardson to step down »

In a carefully worded editorial this morning, the Brunswick News this morning has become the first newspaper in the state to publicly call for House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s resignation. The coastal enclave is a large source of Republican votes and cash.

Wrote the newspaper:

He’s telling everyone he can handle the stress of his job, of being the leader of the House and with his weighty personal issues.

Given the trauma in Rep. Richardson’s life, given his attempt at suicide just weeks ago and given the tremendous revenue problems pressing down hard on the state and its taxpayers in all 159 counties today, it would be best for all concerned for Richardson to resign as Speaker of the House.

And the sooner, the better. It’s difficult enough to deal with inner turmoil without the added load of having to deal with a grizzly bear of a budget mess because of a sick economy.

Just as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, there will be more budget cuts, more financial pain in the …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: A call for the speaker’s resignation, and the possibility of another Carter in the state Senate »

Here’s a multi-pronged rumor worth paying attention to:

We understand that representatives of the U.S. State Department have been in the Capitol, asking background questions about state Sen. David Adelman (D-Decatur). Republican and Democratic colleagues have been interviewed, we’re told.

Adelman, an attorney, was an early Barack Obama supporter, and helped spearhead the state effort that won 47 percent of the vote in November. He worked in the Iowa caucus for Obama as well.

Among those interested in replacing Adelman — should an appointment arise — is Jason Carter, an Atlanta attorney and grandson of the former president. Jason Carter’s dad, Jack, ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2006, from Nevada.

Jimmy Carter, of course, started his political career as a state senator from Plains in the 1960s. His grandson, Jason Carter, was spotted working the largest Democratic crowd of the season last month, the Jefferson-Jackson Day fund-raiser.

Jason Carter is a co-founder of …

Continue reading State Department types snooping around the Capitol — which could result in a Carter’s return to Georgia politics »