Archive for the ‘John Oxendine’ Category

Former state senator Eric Johnson this afternoon called on his rival Republican candidates for governor to cease their attacks on each other – declaring that they were playing into the hands of Gov. Roy Barnes.

Former state senator Eric Johnson of Savannah

Addressing himself to state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, former secretary of state Karen Handel and former congressman Nathan Deal, Johnson called on the trio – who are ahead of him in most polls – to knock off the bitter TV spots and aggressive mail pieces.

Said Johnson:

“Negative ads don’t create one job. They don’t stop one teacher from a furlough day. And they certainly don’t prepare the Republican nominee to be able to take on former Gov. Roy Barnes, the likely Democratic nominee.”

It’s early, but so far, no swords have melted into plowshares.

“Since we’re the ones being attacked, we’re all for it,” said Handel spokesman Dan McLagan. But Handel’s not waiting for it to happen.

In robo-calls sent out to …

Continue reading Eric Johnson says ‘Pull down those attack ads,’ and Sarah Palin makes a robo-call defense for Karen Handel »

From somewhere in cyberspace on Monday, perhaps over lunch at her desk, Sarah Palin typed a few words in praise of Karen Handel and hit the “share” button on her Facebook page.

Sarah Palin, left, speaks at a June event in Duluth; and Republican candidate for governor Karen Handel. Associated Press.

Within hours, the GOP’s polite race for governor of Georgia cracked wide open.

Republicans are free to dispute the former Alaskan governor’s judgment when it comes to choosing a favorite in Tuesday’s primary.

But they cannot question the political phenomenon that Palin has become in the otherwise dead air of a sultry primary season — especially in Republican races for governor.

Nikki Haley of South Carolina in May. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma and Terry Branstad of Iowa in June. And then Palin singled out Handel — “this good conservative reformer.”

Last week, Handel’s three main rivals — state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, former congressman Nathan Deal, and …

Continue reading The power of a Facebook post by Sarah Palin »

One day after Sarah Palin endorsed Karen Handel in the Republican race for governor, Nathan Deal has produced his own champion. From the Associated Press:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is throwing his support behind Republican Nathan Deal in the GOP primary for governor.

Gingrich on Tuesday called Deal “a solid conservative with a solid record.”

He made the remarks after a Georgia Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Atlanta. He arrived wearing a Deal lapel pin.

Gingrich served in the U.S. House with Deal and called the Republican from Gainesville “an old friend.”

Seven Republicans are vying for their party’s nomination in Georgia’s July 20 primary. Gingrich said he is “not against any candidate. I’m for Nathan Deal.”

Gingrich’s support comes the day after former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin endorsed Karen Handel, one of Deal’s rivals.

Gingrich had already cut a video spot for Deal, a former Democrat, vouching for his ex-colleague’s Republican credentials.

For …

Continue reading ‘I’ll see your Sarah Palin and raise you a Newt Gingrich’ »

Here’s the Fox5 story by Dale Russell mentioned earlier today, reporting that state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, a Republican candidate for governor, “was promoting a business whose top corporate officer can be linked to thousands of dollars in campaign contributions:”

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Continue reading The Dale Russell story on John Oxendine and the owner of a hospice chain »

Ladies and gentlemen, I need some help.

The Insider has been invited to pose questions in three debates for governor this weekend – two Republican, one Democratic.

But the question well is dry. Yes, I’ve opened an old cask of interrogatories from 1990 that are slightly stale but still relevant – “Do you think a lottery would take advantage of the poor?” But fresh would be better.

So I’m soliciting three hours’ worth of questions for Democratic and Republican candidates – individually or as a group. Use the commenting process below to submit them.

If you include your own, real name, I’ll do my best to use it when I pose the question.

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter, or connect with me on Facebook.

Continue reading A call for questions in the debates for governor »

This morning’s endorsement of Karen Handel by former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin has already ratcheted up the tension level in the Republican race for governor.

A formal response by the campaign of Nathan Deal, the formal congressman, expresses disappointment – and immediately accuses Handel of voting to fund gay “outreach” to “kids.”

No doubt, the Deal campaign is hoping that, if it can’t make Palin rethink her endorsement, then perhaps it can discourage the former GOP vice presidential candidate from making a personal visit.

The full Deal statement:

It’s disappointing that Sarah Palin has chosen to back the most liberal Republican in this race.

In past races, Karen Handel endorsed taxpayer-funded domestic partner benefits and gay adoption — and she’s been caught lying about it. Just last night, Handel finally admitted she’d written a check to a gay rights group — when previously she said the check was a forgery and she never lived at that address.

“As Fulton Commission …

Continue reading Nathan Deal ‘disappointed’ by Sarah Palin pick — and accuses Karen Handel of supporting gay ‘outreach’ »

You didn’t need a poll on Sunday night to see the terrain in both the Republican and Democratic debates for attorney general. You just had to watch.

Both contests received 30-minute airings on GPTV, courtesy of the Atlanta Press Club.

In the three-man Republican contest, the question is whether the late entry of state Sen. Preston Smith of Rome will push the race into a runoff.

By way of attacking him, both Smith and former federal prosecutor Max Wood of Macon conceded front-runner status to Sam Olens, the former Cobb County commission chairman.

Smith immediately showed off his endorsements by the National Rifle Association and Georgia Right to Life, asking Olens:

“Why aren’t you endorsed by those organizations?”

Said Olens:

“You were a legislator and that gave you an advantage in regard to getting their endorsements. But I candidly think there’s little if any difference on those issues, because frankly we agree on them.”

But Smith trumped Olens with a …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Rolling in the mud with candidates for attorney general »

The consortium of 11Alive and V103-FM are out today with a Survey USA poll that shows former secretary of state Karen Handel within reach of a runoff berth with state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine in the Republican primary race for governor.

But both former congressman Nathan Deal and state senator Eric Johnson of Savannah are close enough for concentrated TV campaign to change the line-up.

In the Democratic contest, former Gov. Roy Barnes has a 56 percent lead that – if it holds through the next 12 days – would allow him to claim the nomination without a runoff.

The GOP standings:

Oxendine, 32 percent;

Handel, 23 percent;

Deal, 12 percent;

Johnson, 12 percent;

Ray McBerry, 5 percent;

Jeff Chapman, 4 percent;

Otis Putnam, 1 percent;

And undecided, 17 percent.

The automated poll, on the Republican side, has a margin of error of 3.2 percent. Survey USA has a workable crosstab feature here that shows Handel – who went up on TV only today – with a potential (but not …

Continue reading 11Alive/V103 poll: Karen Handel moves up on GOP side, Roy Barnes above 50 percent »

In her first TV ad of the GOP primary for governor, former secretary of state Karen Handel goes after all three of her major rivals – using ethics and lipstick.

Marilyn Quayle, wife of former vice president Dan Quayle, serves as narrator. Handel served Marilyn Quayle as deputy chief of staff.

The script:

Narrator:Three with iffy ethics. One wears lipstick. Three who look after themselves. One who looks after you. Karen Handel: Moved out of an abusive home at 17. Worked herself all the way to the White House. Karen’s tougher than an ox, but with a heart that comes from a life of beating the odds. Intelligence. Reform. Leadership. Handel.

Though the back end of the ad is laden with biography, this is the first attack ad of the GOP race for governor – though Handel would surely say that it’s only comparative.

And with a female voiceover, there’s no doubt that Handel is aiming at GOP women to give here a berth in a runoff.

Production quality is high – the ad is the …

Continue reading Karen Handel’s first TV ad: Ethics, lipstick, and a mystery voiceover »

On Thursday, the Georgia chapter of the Sierra Club issued a list of primary endorsements that included Carol Porter in the Democratic race for lieutenant governor, plus eight Democratic and two GOP state lawmakers.

But the conservation group made no endorsement in the contest for governor – deadlocked between two Democrats, former Gov. Roy Barnes and House Minority Leader DuBose Porter of Dublin.

How do we know? Here are excerpts from a letter penned by Mark Woodall, vice chairman of the group’s executive committee, summing up the dilemma:

It’s unfortunate that the two best environmental office holders we have seen over the last 20 years in Georgia are both running in the Democratic primary for Governor. Here is some history on the record of Roy Barnes and DuBose Porter.

Roy Barnes as Governor gave us some good appointments to the DNR Board, although he didn’t fire EPD Director Harold Reheis.

As Governor, Roy was against the mining of the Okefenokee by DuPont which led …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Behind the Sierra Club deadlock over Roy Barnes and DuBose Porter »