Archive for the ‘Newt Gingrich’ Category

Two days after receiving a nod from Sarah Palin, 9th District congressional candidate Martha Zoller has picked up another big endorsement – this time from Newt Gingrich. From the press release:

“For years, Martha Zoller has been a clear, clarion voice for the conservative movement here in Georgia and around the United States,” said Gingrich. “In Congress, Martha will lead the force that fundamentally changes ‘business as usual’ in Washington and will work tirelessly to implement conservative solutions to our nation’s most pressing problems.

Zoller explains that Gingrich is a long-time friend who, in the past, often served as a guest on her radio talk show. This was no doubt important to Gingrich, especially when he was trying to make sure that Georgia didn’t stray during his GOP presidential primary bid.

But this must have been a difficult choice for Gingrich. Gov. Nathan Deal has made no public declaration in this race. One daughter has endorsed Zoller; another is raising …

Continue reading Newt Gingrich endorses Martha Zoller in 9th District race »

With a mere two weeks to go before voting concludes, the dirty-trick season is upon us.

Late last night, a reader sent a scan from a glossy mailer she’d received, which attacked Republican state Senate candidate Brandon Beach of Alpharetta, who is challenging Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers of Woodstock.

You can see the mail piece below. It includes two bogus newspaper headlines and this claim: “Paid for by TrafficTruth.net”.

If the sponsorship claim is true, it means that the anti-TSPLOST organization has begun targeting specific candidates on record as supporting the transportation sales tax. Which is an important development.

But here’s the thing: In its most recent, 15-day-out financial disclosure, which can be found here, the organization reports no expenditure that might match the Beach mailer. Moreover, the Transportation Leadership Coalition, which operates the TrafficTruth.net website, reported only $1,254 in cash on hand.

Production costs on a mail piece like the …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Is anti-TSPLOST campaign targeting candidates? Maybe »

Jonathan Krohn, 17, is once again making news after going public with his changed his political views. In 2009 the then 13 year-old penned a book , "Defining Conservatism" endorsed by the likes of Newt Gingrich and Bill Bennett. Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com

Marla Krohn’s cellphone rang Tuesday, with a friend of 34 years on the other end.

“Have a nice life,” the friend said. It was a breakup call.

Krohn’s sin? Her 17-year-old son Jonathan, a former child prodigy of the Republican political circuit dubbed “Little Mr. Conservative” by the New York Times, had strayed into unforgivable territory.

That’s right. Last week, Jonathan Krohn declared, to the same national media that had marveled at him as a miniature Newt Gingrich, that he was something other than conservative. And that he was headed to New York University to study Friedrich “God Is Dead” Nietzsche and filmmaking.

It gets worse. Marla and Doug Krohn’s teenager, in full rebellion, has endorsed both gay marriage and …

Continue reading No more ‘Little Mr. Conservative’ »

In 2009, there was no hotter commodity than 13-year-old wunderkind Jonathan Krohn at the annual CPAC meeting in Washington D.C. Check out the video if you need a reminder:

The surprisingly eloquent Duluth, Ga., home-schooler penned a book endorsed by the likes of Newt Gingrich and Bill Bennett, and was generally feted as GOP presidential fodder, albeit not until 2032. But at 17, the world seems much different to a college-bound Krohn. No so Republican.

From Politico.com:

Gay marriage? In favor. Obamacare? “It’s a good idea.” Who would he vote for (if he could) in November? “Probably Barack Obama.” His favorite TV shows? “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” His favorite magazine? The New Yorker. And, perhaps telling of all, Krohn is enrolling this fall at a college not exactly known for its conservatism: New York University.

“One of the first things that changed was that I stopped being a social conservative,” said Krohn. “It just didn’t seem right to me anymore. From …

Continue reading Jonathan Krohn: Three years later, a Barack Obama fan »

Chances are, this isn’t what people had in mind when they ask about Plan B. From the Associated Press:

A consultant’s study for Georgia transportation officials found that high-speed passenger trains connecting Atlanta with Jacksonville, Fla.; Louisville, Ky; and Birmingham, Ala.; would be economically feasible.

Morris News Service reports that consultant HNTB presented the study’s findings to Georgia’s State Transportation Board on Wednesday.

The study identified possible train stations in Griffin, Macon, Savannah and Brunswick on the route through Georgia.

Officials say the feasibility study was the first of many steps in setting the final course of the train routes and securing funding.

The routes discussed Wednesday were studied after an earlier study showed the feasibility of a route from Atlanta to Charlotte, N.C. That project is now in the stage of estimating the environmental impact of possible paths.

The original article by Walter Jones of Morris News Service can be …

Continue reading Birmingham-Atlanta-Jacksonville rail line ‘economically feasible’ »

Last night, Doug Collins sent out a list of endorsements in his GOP race for the new 9th District congressional seat.

Former U.S. senator Zell Miller, left, and state Rep. Doug Collins of Gainesville/SPECIAL

Topping the roll call was 80-year-old Zell Miller, the former governor and U.S. senator, who now appears only rarely on the political circuit. Loree Thompson, spokeswoman for the Collins campaign, says Miller will appear with Collins at “a few events” before the July 31 primary.

But Thompson did toss us a photo of the pair, taken last week.

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At last night’s fund-raiser at Cobb Energy Centre, one pool reporter, Trip Gabriel of the New York Times, was allowed in to witness Newt Gingrich’s introduction of former Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney. Gingrich first flayed President Barack Obama, then patched things up with the man who skewered him in Iowa and Florida, according to Gabriel’s report:

“You have I think a tremendous nominee. I can say this from personal …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Zell Miller dips into 9th District race »

The Associated Press has cobbled together a report from the closed-press event at the Cobb Energy Centre:

ATLANTA — Mitt Romney says he hopes the Supreme Court does “the right thing” and strikes down President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee [told] donors at a fundraising reception in Atlanta that the health care law hurts small businesses and costs too much.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the law’s constitutionality later this month.
Romney said Monday that he hopes the justices, in his words, “do the right thing and turn this thing down.”

As Massachusetts governor, Romney signed into law a measure that forces state residents to purchase health insurance. The so-called individual mandate is at the heart of the Supreme Court case.

The Romney campaign says it raised more than $3 million Monday night in Georgia.

Interestingly, the report includes no mention of Newt Gingrich, who was to give a “special introduction” …

Continue reading Mitt Romney campaign quietly raises $3 million in Georgia »

Atlanta markets itself as the ATL. A better nickname would be the ATM.

Four major GOP fundraisers will be draining cash from the area today. And unless you’ve got a well-stocked wallet, you’re not invited.

U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss are hosting a fund-raiser for their Republican colleague Scott Brown, who’s attempting to fend off a challenge from Democrat Elizabeth Warren. And Georgia’s House Republicans will have Speaker John Boehner of Ohio in town.

But neither Brown nor Boehner will be at the largest event, a 6 p.m. bash at the Cobb Energy Centre that will feature a “special introduction” by Newt Gingrich of Republican presidential champion Mitt Romney. So far as we know, it’s the first joint stage appearance for the pair since that long-ago debate in Arizona.

It will also be a very private moment, limited to those willing to shell out at least $1,000 for the privilege. The Sunlight Foundation tells us that donors are being asked use the bundler code of …

Continue reading Newt Gingrich’s ‘special introduction’ of Mitt Romney will be a private affair »

Nine years after he threw his last pitch, former Atlanta Braves closer John Rocker – whose stunning, single interview with a Sports Illustrated reporter in 1999 overshadowed his entire career – has turned to political punditry.

You can probably guess his general take.

John Rocker on a final pitch in October 1999. AJC file

The former pitcher, who now dabbles in real estate, is in the midst of plugging a new book, “Rocker: Scars and Stripes,” that delves into his thoughts on the American Dream. From an interview posted on the conservative site, World Net Daily:

On the presidential campaign:

”I won’t necessarily be voting for the Republican candidate as much as I will be voting against Obama. America has been the greatest nation this earth has ever known over the last 150 plus years. In my strong opinion Barack Obama does not hold a single core value or belief consistent with the principles that created this amazing country we call the United States of America….

“I have always …

Continue reading John Rocker pitches political punditry, endorses Mitt Romney ‘by default’ »

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle on Tuesday became the latest figure at the Capitol to declare his support for a $100 gift cap for state lawmakers, vowing to build support for ethics reform in the General Assembly. From the Gainesville Times:

“It’s a process, and the legislature’s got to get comfortable with it,” Cagle said.

Cagle, who spoke to the Kiwanis Club in Gainesville Tuesday, said he supports a measure like the one [Sen]. Josh McKoon proposed last session that died….

The lieutenant governor said a July 31, non-binding ballot question is likely to push GOP lawmakers to embrace stronger ethics rules:

“I think there’s going to be a lot of support — a lot of support,” Cagle said.

Senate President pro tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, last week pledged his support for a gift cap. At this month’s state GOP convention, House Speaker David Ralston declared it to be the wrong approach.

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The Associated Press has pinned down a location for President Barack Obama’s visit to Georgia next …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Casey Cagle joins call for $100 gift cap on lawmakers »