Was Vernon Jones the victim of Obama campaign?:

Individuals in Washington and Georgia who are closely involved with Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign worked behind the scenes to steer Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff election to Jim Martin, InsiderAdvantage has learned.

According to extremely reliable sources, those individuals collaborated in the design of a mail piece sent late in the runoff period primarily to African-American voters, reminding them that Jones twice voted for President George W. Bush.

That, along with other efforts, helped steer the black vote away from Jones, who is black, to Martin, who is white.

Our information comes from several sources. We cannot identify one. The other is Rev. Kenneth Walker, who was a top strategist for Jones’ campaign.

Said Walker: “I know for a fact, as Vernon’s strategist, that there was a meeting in Sen. Harry Reid’s office with David Axelrod from Obama’s campaign, and there was an agreement Obama’s campaign would help Jim Martin with the direct mail linking Vernon and George Bush.”
[...]
Walker said he believes “the powers that be tried to drive a wedge between Vernon and Obama, and Jim Martin was the anointed choice of the Georgia Democratic Party. They put him in at the last minute and, for the runoff, they raised Jim over $300,000. So he was the anointed choice. There’s no way that Jim Martin should have received 35 percent of the African-American vote when Vernon was the top vote-getter (in the primary.) The Obama campaign was effective in their direct mail campaign against Vernon.”

Posted by Jason at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Some folks down at Mercer have started new blog called DownRight. Check it out and if you're a blogger, add them to your blogroll (something I'll do when I get a spare moment).

Posted by Jason at 06:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few words of congratulations may be in order. From an original field of six contenders, Elizabeth BJ Mathis won the Republican runoff election against Fred Auletta to become the next Chairman of the Henry board of commissioners.

Unofficially, she garnered 53.5 percent of the 8,349 votes cast. Mathis has become Henry County's first female chairman-elect for the Board of Commissioners.

A supporter celebrating with Mathis on Tuesday was Palm Beach Restaurant co-owner Cindy Steele-Kilen. Steele-Kilen lost a bid for the second district commission seat to Rick Jeffares in the July primary.

"B.J. Mathis is going to take care of us," said Steele-Kilen. "She's going to make sure this county is going to be a place where people want to live. We're just ecstatic, because she gives the individual person a chance."

Since Mathis began her campaign for chairman some voices have opposed her holding the office. Her record as a district commissioner was called into question because Nash Farm was acquired through eminent domain at a cost over $8 million. As 2008 progressed it seemed Mathis's misteps continued. She gave mixed signals to citizens concerning traffic mitigation while designating new SPLOST III roads to surround a proposed mall, and even sent a letter to the Georgia DOT calling a widened bridge on Jodeco Road her highest priority. At a time when additional lanes on I-75 was under discussion, the bridge project was promoted only because of the mall.

In April the board of commissioners renamed Nash Farm to remove the connotation of a battlefield. They also designated the park open to the public and setup a long range plan for extending its uses beyond Mathis's oversight.

Expansion of the Life Management department also came under scrutiny as the proposed spending would increase the county budget and remove drug education functions from the Juvenile Courts. The board took action to curtail Mathis's plan for the department by holding up the annual county budget until the confusion could be straightened out.

The very low voter turnout provided only 8% of registered voters. Mathis won the chairman seat with only 4,466 votes - about 4% of registered voters. The only people with a right to complain about taxes, waste in government or traffic are the ones who actually voted. Apathy among voters, while so many folks are not happy with the status quo, is puzzling.

There is great opportunity for the board of commissioners to unify for the benefit of the county. There is also great reason to believe that many votes will be tied, causing one stalemate after another.

As Dutch said:

The only hope we have is that the other commissioners will keep her under control. I'm actually more concerned about what happens in two years when we could get 2 Democrats on the board with Mathis. I've lived here almost 50 years and love this county, but I'm thinking in terms of an exit strategy.

It is a sure bet that Mathis will bring new perspective to the Chair. And she will face many challenges.

Posted by Larry Stanley at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

We haven't had a poll in a while. So...have at it:

Posted by Jason at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Americans are getting tired of Obama:

With Election Day still three months away, 48 percent said they're hearing too much about the Democratic candidate, according to a poll released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. Just 26 percent said the same about his Republican rival, John McCain.
[...]
Two-thirds of Republicans and about half of independents said they've heard too much about Obama, as did a third of Democrats, a significant number.

At the same time, nearly four in 10 said they've been hearing too little about McCain — about four times the number who said so about Obama. About half of Republicans, four in 10 independents and even a quarter of Democrats said they've not heard enough about the GOP candidate.

I really don't care much about all this talk about race over the last couple weeks. Since these are the only two candidates that the national media will let us hear about I'd like for both of them to talk about some issues.

Posted by Jason at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well, last night was pretty interesting and there were some surprises. I spent most of the evening cutting my much neglected grass and chatting with a neighbor, so I didn’t catch election returns until almost 9pm (most everything was over by that point) and then I read Josh’s very good live-blog this morning.

Here are some thoughts about the run-off.

Newton County: I was glad to see Stacey Cotton lose. No offense to the guy personally, but his mailer just before the primary scared the hell out of me. I actually drove by my precinct on my way home from work, but realized that I left my wallet at home and would not be able to vote. Does that mean I am a disenfranchised voter?

The results of the Third District Democratic Primary must be pleasing to local Democrats who were using Jimmy Clark's race as an issue. Word is, and I've got a good source on this, that local white Democrats were urging voters to vote for Nancy Schulz, since the district is very likely to go to a Democrat, to prevent the BOC from having three African-Americans. References to Clayton County was apparently used as a scare tactic.

Clayton County: Congrats to Give ‘Em the Boot. Seriously. I have to believe that you guys played a role what happened last night with Walking Small and Jewel Scott. A tip of my hat to Clayton County for doing something right for once. Anyone have thoughts on the school board elections?

Henry County: I knew it would be close, but I had a feeling that this result was likely. The Chamber of Commerce is definitely a loser in the primary and runoff. As long as there are three votes there to counter Mathis and Stamey, and I believe there are, then she will be marginalized. Basler is very much a question mark. I would expect quite a few 3-3 votes.

SD-44: I was sort of torn here. I can’t stand Gail Buckner and Gail Davenport is not a very bright person and clearly did not have a mind of her own. The good news is that Emanuel Jones no longer has a puppet, but the alternative isn’t that much better.

SD-50: Another incumbent went down here as Jim Butterworth beat Nancy Schaefer. I don’t think this is a surprise.

U.S. Senate: Jim Martin beat Vernon Jones with ease. I heard some commentary this morning about a possible divide in the Democratic Party’s coalition in Georgia over this. Unlike the race in Newton, that claim is baseless. Didn’t Georgia go for Obama in the Democratic primary? Jones did this to himself because he was a bad candidate that voted for George Bush twice and openly bashed liberals and the counties that presumably should have been Jones’ base of support went for Martin. His defeat has nothing, absolutely nothing, with the color of his skin.

Posted by Jason at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

On April 18, 2006, the Henry Board of Commissioners voted to freeze their pay at the current levels. Of course, they advertised it as a fiscally conservative move, but that is only if you are too lazy to read between the lines (and most people probably are, with 9% voter turnout).

But, as Jason later explained, they were merely locking their pay in advance of Chafin's retirement. Well first of the year, McBrayer (OK or Joe Mack because he reads this blog) is going to come in with a significantly lower salary, which would lower the pay of the BOC. I don't know how much, but any percentage decrease would be multiplied by the 6 commissioners. If it was a 3,000 dollar decrease each, multiplied by all six, we could pay for the raise that BJ gave the daughter of her campaign treasurer.

Every dollar counts, I hope that the BOC will take it upon themselves to do the right thing and unfreeze their pay. On the live blog last night, we ran a poll posing the question of unfreezing the pay, and 71% of respondents said the pay should be changed, and 29% said no. Perhaps the most important vote was that of Commissioner Reid Bowman, who can actually do something about this. He voted yes, and added, "By all means we should unfreeze the pay. It is the right thing to do!"

And that is why I can't wait to help Reid win reelection.

Posted by Joshua Patterson at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

You got rid of both of the Scotts and Walking Small!
To the editors of give-em-the-boot.com who sometimes stroll over here, job well done!

Update: Great article here

How long until one of the losers says or does something stupid? My bet is that it will happen today..

Posted by Joshua Patterson at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Download file

Posted by Joshua Patterson at 09:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is the spreadsheet I will use to track the results so I can have a one page rundown.
Download file

You can see results here: http://www.co.henry.ga.us/ElectionResults.shtml

Posted by Joshua Patterson at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Pick out a freedom necktie and treat yourself to a new pair of shoes. Tickets are on sale now for “An Evening With Bob Barr And Friends,” a Libertarian Party of Georgia banquet and fundraiser. Plan on joining us Saturday, August 23rd at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia to mingle with Bob Barr and our other candidates. You’ll also get to meet and visit with other Libertarians and freedom minded people from all around Georgia. We’ll start with a cocktail reception and social hour at 6:00 PM, then sit down for a banquet dinner at 7 o’clock. Entertainment will be provided, and Congressman Barr will make an address.

The Crowne Plaza Ravinia is at 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE, across from Perimeter Mall.

What with Bob Barr appearing on TV talk shows and polling as high as 9% in some states, there is a lot of interest in this special event. Reserve your seats now for “An Evening With Bob Barr and Friends” at the Libertarian Party of Georgia website.

Posted by Jason at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To Henry Voters:
I understand that some of you may have some questions regarding a small flyer that came in the mail either on Monday or Tuesday, regarding Nash Farms. If you look, you will find the name of a private citizen who sent the mailer out in small print at the bottom. I did not ask for this mailer, did not approve this mailer, and have not seen this mailer. For the past seven months I refused to run a campaign in the style of this mailer and regret that this was sent out.
Please don't forget to vote today for a better Henry for the next four years.
Fred Auletta

Posted by Joshua Patterson at 04:41 PM | Permalink

Michael Tanner highlights recent comments by Peter Orszag, director of the Congressional Budget Office, on the financial burden presented by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid:

According to Mr. Orszag, without dramatic reform, the cost of those three programs alone will rise from 18 percent of GDP today to 28 percent by the middle of this century and as much as 35 percent soon thereafter.

That means that just three federal government programs will be consuming between a quarter and a third of everything this country produces.

Paying for those programs would require raising both the corporate tax rate and top income tax rate from their current 35 percent to 88 percent, the current 25 percent tax rate for middle-income workers to 63 percent, and the 10 percent tax bracket for low-income workers to 25 percent. The impact on workers, businesses and the economy at large would be catastrophic.

Posted by Jason at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I won't be following runoff results tonight. I have too much going on to sit down and watch. I had a conference call last night, another one tonight and one more tomorrow. I may not even get a chance to vote in the runoff in my county.

The big race today is Jim Martin and Vernon Jones but I couldn't even begin to guess who will win. Jones has a good shot, but Martin is probably the better candidate to take on Saxby Shameless.

As a friend recently told me, "When turnout is low, it means crazy people are voting."

Posted by Jason at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I have been looking for this everywhere:

H/T: Talking Chop

Posted by Jason at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

With an expected light voter turnout the runoff election will end tomorrow.

BJ Mathis has maintained a "From My Heart to Yours" series of mailers addressed to women of the county. Her glossy mailers portray the family values candidate.

Auletta has provided mailers that highlight his qualifications as a businessman, CPA and fiscal conservative. One mailer pointedly listed his experience and planning, while showing "None" beside Mathis's name.

Yesterday and today I received mailers from Auletta. One documented Mathis's vote against $5 million in state DOT funds for the East Lake Extension. The other shows Mathis's waste of $8 million on Nash Farm, the use of eminent domain and loss of all future property taxes on that "bogus battlefield."

Facts and qualifications may not produce the winner we expect. A runoff election at the end of summer hangs on two factors: the number of voters who will return to the polls and the effectiveness of each candidate to drive their supporters to vote.

Tomorrow the path will be set and Henry County will have a new chairman.

Posted by Larry Stanley at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

Robert Novak is retiring:

Robert Novak has announced his immediate retirement following the diagnosis of a brain tumor, a prognosis the Sun-Times' political columnist describes as "dire."

"The details are being worked out with the doctors this week, but the tentative plan is for radiation and chemotherapy," Novak said.

Posted by Jason at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

State Sen. Chip Rogers is running for Majority Leader:

It is with this commitment that I officially announce my intention to serve our State Senate as a candidate for the position of Majority Leader. After consultation with the Lt. Governor and many of my Senate colleagues, I am confident of their support and honored to be a voice for our shared conservative principles.

Posted by Jason at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Braves announcer Skip Caray has passed away:

The Atlanta Braves said Sunday longtime broadcaster Skip Caray died in his sleep at his Atlanta home Sunday.

"Our baseball community has lost a legend today," said Braves President John Schuerholz. "The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children."

This season marked the 33rd year Caray had been calling games for the Atlanta Braves, a majority of which were for TBS, which gave Caray a national audience and fan base.

Posted by Jason at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, an ex-Soviet dissident, has died. Solzhenitsyn was the author of The Gulag Archipelago, which told the story of life in the Soviet Gulag.

Posted by Jason at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)