Archive for the ‘Stuart Rothenberg’ Category

In the Republican runoff to face down U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Augusta, state lawmaker and farmer Lee Anderson has created a manure storm with final-round TV ad accusing businessman Rick Allen of spreading, um, lies about him:

A quick transcript:

Narrator: Watch out. Rick Allen’s brought out the manure spreader. Allen’s lying, waging a negative campaign to distort Lee Anderson’s record. A wealthy government contractor, Rick Allen doesn’t want you to know he gave thousands to liberal Democrats, thousands more to support Obama’s failed stimulus, and even Democrat John Barrow.

Lee Anderson, the proven conservative who’s cut taxes, slashed spending and balanced budgets. Conservative. Republican. Lee Anderson for Congress.

The Augusta Chronicle takes up some of the charges that Anderson has made, on TV as well as through direct mail:

The mailer, which features “Rick Allen’s Democrat Dream Team” with photos of Charles “Champ” Walker, Barrow and President …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Manure flies in 12th District race for Congress »

The 2008 refinery explosion near Savannah still has a few aftershocks left.

In today’s Savannah Morning News, reporter Larry Peterson has this:

Imperial Sugar Co. prepped U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss to rebut testimony by a whistle-blower witness at a Senate hearing last year, a lobbyist’s memo indicates.

In addition to Chambliss being given hundreds of pages of documents, the senator, Imperial’s CEO and its lobbyist discussed the July 29 hearing in advance of the session itself, a Chambliss spokeswoman confirms.

The hearing focused on the causes of the explosions and fires that ultimately killed 14 at the Port Wentworth refinery. One of the key witnesses was former Imperial executive Graham Graham, who testified that Imperial Sugar hindered his efforts to make the plants safer, a claim the company denies.

Peterson writes that Chambliss received a package of documents from Imperial lobbyist George Baker. In a cover memo:

Baker wrote that Imperial disputed what Graham was going …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Chambliss coached for refinery witness »

In a roundabout fashion, the high-school education of Secretary of State Karen Handel became a focus of discussion Monday.

In a column posted on his web site today, Washington political analyst Stuart Rothenberg focused on the comeback chances of former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes. Rothenberg made this note of two GOP rivals, Nathan Deal and Handel:

Observers see Deal as a more formidable general election candidate, though they agree that his service in Washington, D.C., may not be an asset given Congress’ image.

Handel, who earned a GED and worked in the nation’s capital for Hallmark Cards and later in the Bush-Quayle White House before moving to Georgia and being elected to the Fulton County Commission, is regarded as less prepared to stand toe-to-toe with Barnes in a debate.

A Handel staffer saw the column late last week, when it originally appeared in Roll Call. Matt Carrothers said he told Rothenberg that Handel graduated “with her classmates” in May 1980 from …

Continue reading On the high-school education of Karen Handel »