The following e-mail was sent from State Rep. Clay Cox (R-Lilburn) on behalf of Perry McGuire's campaign for Georgia Court of Appeals.

Dear Fellow Georgian:

I want to take a moment during this busy political season to thank you for your ongoing support. Working with leadership, I am proud to support common-sense legislation that will protect our families, create and sustain jobs, and limit taxes and fees.

I also want to take this chance to let you know I am supporting Perry McGuire for Georgia Court of Appeals. As the 2006 Republican nominee for Attorney General – and as a conservative Republican State Senator – Perry has proven to be a reliable, predictable, and staunchly pro-family public servant. His campaign theme – Trusted Judgment, Proven Leadership – gives you a good idea about why I am supporting Perry, along with more than 80 state lawmakers, sheriffs, attorneys, and business and community leaders.

In this important non-partisan race, I believe that Georgians deserve to know about the candidates for the Court of Appeals.

The Georgia Court of Appeals plays a vital role in our system of justice. The vast majority of appealed cases go the Court of Appeals, which becomes the “court of last resort” for many criminal and civil cases in Georgia. That’s why it’s critical that we elect a citizen-judge who will represent our interests – and will respect the laws as written – and Perry McGuire is that candidate.

With two decades of experience in the law and business, working with Chick-fil-A and other prominent Georgia businesses, Perry is unique among the seven candidates for this office. He understands the decisions made in the courtroom have a direct impact on businesses, jobs, family budgets, and family safety. He has told me that he will pattern his judicial temperament on U.S. Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito, the two newest members of the highest court who have distinguished themselves as rule-of-law jurists.

Perry was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2007 to serve on the Board of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. As a Senator, he supported legislation to lengthen sentences for violent criminals, worked to toughen our sexual predator laws, and supported parole reform. We can rely on Perry McGuire to help protect our families and our jobs.

Please take a few moments to visit Perry McGuire’s web site at www.perrymcguire.com. I hope you will join with me and a growing list of Georgia leaders in supporting Perry for Georgia Court of Appeals.

Posted by Jason at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Insider Advantage has an article on the decline of Saxby Chambliss:

What went wrong with Saxby Chambliss’ campaign that his lead in a race he was expected to win handily now is within the margin of error in polling? Some Republicans already are blaming strategist Tom Perdue for an effort they claim lacked luster, organization and vision. Perdue, who acknowledged Wednesday that a runoff is “a possibility,” said the forces at play in this election were beyond anyone’s control.

“It has nothing to do with (Democrat) Jim Martin,” said Perdue. “Anybody who was on the ballot would be where he is right now.”

When the year began, no one took Chambliss’ re-election task very seriously, and, indeed, Democrats had a hard time coming up with a “name” candidate to put forward against him. One of them had such a tough time gaining traction that he hauled himself up a tower in the dead of winter to attract attention.

But this has been anything but a conventional year in national politics, and the battle for Chambliss’ seat has been exactly the same.

“Nobody knew that within 36 hours banks were going to start failing around the world, and that’s what happened. And for roughly 10 days, not only our country, but most of the countries in the world, were in free fall. And our campaign momentum came to almost a stop. And that’s when the national Democrats capitalized on it, and that’s when they took control of the Martin campaign,” the strategist said.

Perdue is catching part of the heat for the poor campaign Chambliss has run. He turned down help from the RSCC and the ads have been ineffective. According to the article, unidentified Republicans sources say it looks like Perdue is running a “running a bad state House race,” calling it “embarrassing campaign.” But check out these two comments:

“Saxby’s reputation is that he’s spent six years in Washington playing golf. He’s gone on lots of trips. He hasn’t done the down-and-dirty constituent work.
[…]
“Saxby bragged about it his first four years – how much golf he was getting in. It was a real problem and it irked a lot of people.”

IA closes the article with this comment from Perdue:

As for Chambliss’ affinity for the links, he said, “Saxby’s not played golf in this campaign – at least to my knowledge, he hasn’t. He’s worked as hard this race as in 2002. Where he’s catching the criticism from is from some who don’t feel he really should work with the Democrats – remember the “Gang of 10” and then the “Gang of 20” – to lower the price of oil.”

Posted by Jason at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Scare some neighborhood kids tonight.

Posted by Jason at 07:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I posted this last year. It's funny. Especially at Halloween.

Posted by Jason at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MARTA wants in on the bailout:

Top MARTA officials were in Washington on Wednesday trying to convince federal officials to include the transit system in the government’s massive economic bailout package.

MARTA could be on the hook for nearly $400 million after the collapse of a series of highly complex financial deals involving AIG, the huge insurance company recently rescued by the federal government, transit system officials said.

About 30 other large transportation systems are in a similar bind, industry experts said, sending officials scrambling to seek relief from what could be a $2 billion liability.

Posted by Jason at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is "Hybrid Moments" by the Misfits set to some cool, old horror flicks.

Just trying to get in the Halloween spirit.

Posted by Jason at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Grift Drift endorses Allen Buckley for US Senate:

One man will try to invade your pocketbook and your bedroom.

One man will try to invade your pocketbook but not your bedroom.

One man will do his damnedest to do neither.

Now, more than any time in your life, is the moment to make a stand. Send a message about the things that really matter.

VOTE Allen Buckley.

When the runoff gets here, we'll talk again.

Grift is one of the most reasonable bloggers in the Georgia blogosphere, he regularly drives both Republicans and Democrats crazy. I've only disagreed with him once or twice.

Posted by Jason at 06:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Who would have thought this race would even be a blip on the radar?:

“Emergency Funds Needed for Rep. David Scott,” blared the subject line of the Oct. 21 e-mail about Georgia’s 13th district race.

It’s a strange juxtaposition in a national environment that strongly favors the Democrats and a Democratic Congressman who represents a district that Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) won in the 2004 White House election with more than 60 percent of the vote.

But publicly and privately, Democrats are trying to focus attention on the Atlanta-area Congressional district.
[...]
According to new Democratic polling for Scott’s campaign, Obama is winning the district 56 percent to 35 percent. But in the Congressional ballot test, the Congressman is only ahead narrowly, 43 percent to 38 percent, over physician Deborah Honeycutt (R). The poll was conducted Oct. 13-14 by Cooper and Secrest Associates.

Posted by Jason at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

"If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." - Ronald Reagan

Ryan Sager points out the divide between libertarians and Republicans:

That coalition between social conservatives and economic libertarians (who tend to be socially moderate to liberal), served the GOP well from 1964 to 2006. It gave the party eight years of Ronald Reagan and 12 years of a Republican Congress. But the Bush years have proven to be one long pulling apart. And, in a matter of days, we may just see the final snap.

The Cato Institute has done excellent work over the last few years tracking the shift in the libertarian vote—the roughly 10 percent to 15 percent of the American public that can be categorized as fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

Based on an analysis of the American National Election Studies, Cato found that between 2000 and 2004, there was a substantial flight of libertarians away from the Republican Party and toward the Democrats. While libertarians preferred Bush by a margin of 52 points over Al Gore in 2000, that margin shrank to 21 points in 2004, when many libertarians—disaffected by the Iraq war, massive GOP spending increases, and the campaign against gay marriage—switched to John Kerry.

Polling on libertarian voters is somewhat sparse during elections, but there are a couple of data points and some broad trends that can give us an idea of where things stand now. An early October Zogby Interactive poll found that self-identified libertarians (about 6 percent of the poll's sample) give McCain only 36 percent of their vote, lower than the 45 percent and 42 percent Zogby found them giving Bush in the last two elections. The libertarian voters claim to be defecting mainly to Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr and other third-party candidates, not to Obama. A Gallup poll conducted in September, which identified libertarian-minded voters with a series of ideological questions about the role of government in the economy and society (pegging them at around 23 percent of the electorate), found that only 43 percent of these voters plan pull the lever for McCain, slightly fewer than did for Bush in 2004. The Gallup poll also finds a significant uptick in libertarians planning to vote third-party, with 3.5 percent supporting Barr.
[...]
Why would libertarians abandon McCain? After all, they believe in low taxes—and McCain is the one promising those. And if they're concerned about social issues, well, McCain's never shown much of a stomach for cultural warfare.

That is, of course, until now.

The real McCain, whoever that is or was, may still believe that major swathes of the Religious Right represent "agents of intolerance" in our politics. But he has decided to stake both his election and the Republican Party's future upon them—from the barely coded racial refrain of "Who is Barack Obama?," to the rallies with shouts of "terrorist" and "kill him," to the corrosive choice of pipeline-prayer Sarah Palin as his running mate and heir apparent.

Personally, I find it hypocritical to vote for a party that tells me they support less government and less spending but they don't show it when they're in office. Saxby Chambliss is a perfect example of that hypocrisy.

Posted by Jason at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Wilson Smith and I had a shoot out today on What Is Goin' On. You can download it here.

Wilson takes a bit further on his post for the interview. I'm going to dissect a couple of paragraphs piece by piece:

So what does “spread the wealth” mean? I guess only time will tell, but let me tell you what I think it means. It is nothing sinister or socialistic.

It is, however, "socialistic" to "spread the wealth." I don't need to dig deep to debunk that.

Hundreds of thousands of people work for hundreds of companies all across America. They are good employees. They work hard. In this day and age, they are thankful for their jobs. They can’t quit their jobs, at least, not for a better job. Let’s say they make more than minimum wage, $10 an hour or $20,000 a year. Hundreds of thousands of people work for hundreds of companies all across America. They are good employees. They work hard. In this day and age, they are thankful for their jobs. They can’t quit their jobs, at least, not for a better job. Let’s say they make more than minimum wage, $10 an hour or $20,000 a year. They have 2 or 3 kids and live in a rental apartment of house. After the subprime mortgage fiasco, they will never buy a house because they will never get approved for a mortgage, because they will never save the 20% downpayment. Now, as a society, we expect them to raise good kids, productive kids, educated kids. We expect them to be good parents and to spend quality time with their families so they don’t end in a divorce. They are living from pay check to paycheck. (PLEASE NOTE: I think they would be living from paycheck to paycheck if they may 2 or 3 times as much, which is what most of us do.) By the way, if this is not a fairly accurate depiction of American families (maybe even, too rosy), someone tell me, because this is what I see everyday as a lawyer.

Now this person, this family, is maxed out. Another bill, an unexpected illness, a tax increase is going to cost them a lot, maybe everything.

FEDERAL INCOME TAX PAID: I would guess no more than $1,500.00 a year.

According to the Tax Foundation, the bottom 50% of income earners, that is individuals making under $31,987, pay 3% of all taxes. Whereas the top 5%, individuals making $153,542, pay just over 60% of all income taxes.

Wealth is already being spread and Bush has done much to increase spending on social programs, non-defense discretionary spending is as high as it was during the the Johnson Administration.

And then there is the person that owns one of these companies. He is a good person, a good manager, comes to the office everyday and does his part to make the company successful. He lives well, his kids go to private school, he takes at least 2 weeks of vacation and flies across the country to resorts to show his wife and kids the good life. He has an IRA that he contributes to regularly. He has two houses. He is saving for college, the best college, for his kids. He invests conservatively in the stock market and every once in a while makes some money. His annual income is $500,000.00. Please note, this does not equal taxable income, which is generally lower.

FEDERAL INCOME TAX PAID: Let’s say $120,000.00.

Now, assume the government is $10 trillion in debt. (Contrary to popular disbelief, there is a rational basis for this assumption.)

Whose taxes should you raise? Whose minimum wage should be higher?

That businessman is successful because he has done the things necessary to be successful and taxing him, essentially putting a gun to his forehead and taking his money because after all everything government does is a the point of a gun, is nothing short of a penalizing that success.

Give both the successful man and the poorer family equal access to good schools by giving them school vouchers.

And for God's sake, cut spending across the board.

Posted by Jason at 09:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Mason-Dixon is out with a new poll in the race between Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Jim Martin and Allen Buckley.

Here is how it breaks down:
- Chambliss (R): 45%
- Martin (D): 39%
- Buckley (L): 5%
- Undecided: 11%

Chambliss must get 50%+1 to avoid a December 2nd runoff.

Posted by Jason at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Survey USA polled Georgia's 8th Congressional District for Roll Call. Sen. John McCain has a solid lead in the presidential race. The race is close, but Rick Goddard hasn't been able to catch on is what is, on paper, a Republican district.

President: (8th District Only)
McCain - 56%
Obam - 40%
Other - 2%
Undecided - 2%

GA-8:
Marshall (D) - 49%
Goddard (R) - 45%
Undecided - 6%

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.9% and is based on registered voters. Survey USA notes, "Democrat Jim Marshall edges Republican challenger Rick Goddard if black voters turn out as expected."

H/T: Political Insider

Posted by Jason at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'll toss my two cents in just to take Andy's cash.

Electoral Vote:
Obama - 353
McCain - 185

Popular Vote:
Obama - 52%
McCain - 45%

I'm betting on Indiana and Missouri to swing back to McCain.

Posted by Jason at 05:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Over at Below the Beltway, Doug Mataconis has a round up of comments from conservative legal scholars and commentators on Obama's "redistribution" comment.

Obama said:

[O]ne of the, I think, the tragedies of the civil rights movement, was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change, and in some ways we still suffer from that.

Obama absolutely believes in income redistribution, but these comments have been misconstrued and exaggerated.

Posted by Jason at 08:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here is the most recent electoral vote outlook from Real Clear Politics. This includes all recent polls in toss-up states.

Obama picks up Indiana, according to the RCP poll average. McCain is on top though in the most recent Zogby poll. I don't see Indiana going blue on November 4th, but anything is possible.

Posted by Jason at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

"The Warren Court did not break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers and the Constitution."

"The Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth. The Constitution does not say what the state or federal government must do on your behalf."

Posted by Larry Stanley at 07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) can forget about re-election:

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was convicted today on seven counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in improper gifts he received from 1999 to 2006, a stunning blow to a political career that has lasted more than 40 years and marked Alaska’s entire history as a part of the United States.

Stevens, 84, now faces a question over whether he will resign, and if he does not, whether he can win reelection Nov. 4 in an already tough race. At first, Stevens showed no emotion, holding his stomach as verdict was read. But a few minutes later, it seemed to sink in as Stevens sat quietly, hunched over with his hands covering his face. Stevens, visibly shaken, did not take any questions as he quickly slipped out a side door of the federal courthouse and left in a white van.

Stevens could also be sentenced to as much as five years in federal prison, although considering his age and lack of previous convictions, is unlikely to receive anywhere near the maximum sentence. Stevens’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25, and Stevens' attorneys have already told Judge Emmet Sullivan they would file motions to overturn the verdict by early December.

Me? I'm doing the happy dance.

Posted by Jason at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Scratch that idea, the Feds picked off BB&T too:

BB&T Corp. said Monday said the Treasury Department gave preliminary approval for it to receive financing as part of the government's $700 billion bailout of the nation's troubled financial institutions.

The Winston-Salem, N.C., bank said it will receive $3.1 billion. In return, the government will get preferred shares that will pay a 5 percent annual dividend rate for the first five years. The payout will increase to 9 percent in the subsequent five years, unless the government redeems the stock. The Treasury will also get 10-year warrants to buy BB&T common shares.

The financing will boost the bank's capital ratio, which is a measure of its stability. Many banks have seen that ratio fall sharply as the value of loans on their books declines.

The government program aims to give banks enough money so they will increase lending to each other and to other businesses, unlocking the credit markets that have slowed economic activity.

CEO John Allison said he supports the government’s efforts to stabilize credit markets and restore confidence in the financial system by injecting new capital into banks. Allison has said BB&T may use part of its new capital to fund acquisitions.

“For us, the additional capital will not only extend and strengthen our lending capacity, but provide other strategic options as well,” Allison said.

Allison just spit on Ayn Rand's grave.

Posted by Jason at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

I'll be closing my SunTrust accounts this week:

SunTrust Banks, metro Atlanta’s largest bank by deposits, said Monday that it would sell $3.5 billion in preferred stock to the U.S. government in an effort to weather the current economic storm and enable the bank to explore new lending opportunities as well as potential acquisitions.

The stock sale is part of the U.S. Treasury’s $250 billion program to stabilize the nation’s financial system by pouring cash into national and regional banks.

The move “enhances SunTrust’s already solid capital position and will permit us to further expand our business and take advantage of growth opportunities,” SunTrust Chairman James M. Wells III said in a statement. “In addition, we are pleased to support the Treasury in its ongoing effort to address dislocations in financial markets and spur the market stabilization that is in the public interest.”

SunTrust also announced that it would be reducing its dividend by 30 percent, to 54 cents per share.

Wells said he anticipated “prudent deployment” of the new capital, including an expansion of “careful lending” and other initiatives.

But, Wells said, “as long as the current uncertain and challenging economic environment persists, maintenance of capital at elevated levels is desirable.”

SunTrust’s stock was down nearly 4 percent in morning trading to $33.79 per share. The bank’s market capitalization is $12.4 billion.

Posted by Jason at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Halloween is on Friday. There are some decent horror movies on during the week, but this one is one of the classics and one of my favorites. Here is Night of the Living Dead.

Posted by Jason at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Despite $2 billion budget shortfall and the fact that Georgia legislators are actually talking seriously about giving up pork, Governor Sonny Perdue is pressing forward with his $23 million "Go Fish" project:

Amid state employee furloughs and calls for massive spending cuts, work is set to begin this week on the $23 million Go Fish Center down the road from Gov. Sonny Perdue’s home in Houston County.

Department of Natural Resources officials said Perdue signed the contract to get the project moving earlier this month. That was two months after he told state agencies to cut spending 6 percent to make up for a projected $1.6 billion budget shortfall.

But the cutbacks — which will affect everything from schools and health programs to veterans — didn’t include Perdue’s Go Fish Center, which was approved for funding more than a year ago. Perdue’s proposed cuts were for spending approved by lawmakers this year, not in 2007.

The facility, which will include a fish hatchery, welcome center, exhibits and public fishing ponds, is the most expensive piece of Perdue’s Go Fish program aimed at increasing fishing tourism in the state. It is being built in Perry.

Although many of them voted for the budget that included the Go Fish money in 2007, Democrats decried the decision to go forward with the project while the state faces a fiscal crisis.

Posted by Jason at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

During last night's debate, Sen. Saxby Chambliss said that he went against the Bush Administration on immigration. Really? That's not how I remember it.

I write this as a supporter of immigration, though not of this particular bill, but the statement is misleading. Chambliss supported the McCain-Kennedy immigration legislation, which was pushed by the Bush Administration. He flippantly dismissed criticism of the bill and was booed at the 2007 Georgia Republican Party Convention because of his support of it.

It is true that he voted against the plan, but only after a protests against him and thousands of phone calls to his Washington and constituents offices.

Russ Spencer, the moderator of the debate, pointed out that Chambliss had voted with the Bush Administration 92% of the time. Chambliss' response was pathetic to say the least. He said, "If you look at that 92%, I don't know that President Bush has ever voted. So when you say I voted with him, that's really not right."

That is an absurd response to a legitimate question. Sen. Chambliss should stop listening to Republican radio and answer the damn question.

You voted with the position of the Bush Administration 92% of the time. Seriously, this shtick, which can only been viewed as an attempt to run away from the big government record of the Bush Administration, is not going to fool voters.

Posted by Jason at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The long tenured Joe Biden shows his inability to hide from tough questions. For the first time a reporter poses the right questions and did not back away when Joe Plugs tried to dodge.

Listen here: Biden Angered By Tough Questions

Biden: “No relationship to ACORN.” I am embarrasd for anyone at ACORN who went out there and registered…

Reporter: Obama has been an organizer, attorney, in Senate has been benefactor for ACORN.

Biden: How has he been a benefactor?

Reproter: “Spread the wealth?” Is that a crushing political blinder?

Biden: Absolutely not. The only ones to spread the wealth are George Bush and John McCain.

Reporter: “From each, To each from Karl Marx. How is Obama not being a Marxist if he wants to spread the wealth around?”

Biden: Is this a joke? Obama is not spreading the wealth around. It’s a ridiculous comparison.

Reporter: In time of crisis, you ask people to “stand with Obama,” that he will be tested.

Biden: Any president will be tested. Obama is more ready than John McCain.

Reporter: What do you say to people who think Obama will want to turn America into a socialist country like Sweden?

Biden: I don’t know anyone who thinks that except the far right wing of the Republican Party.

In the common vernacular, this interview proved the purely unmitigated bovine scatology that is the Obama/Biden campaign!

Posted by Larry Stanley at 06:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Here is the video of last night's US Senate debate between Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Jim Martin and Allen Buckley.

Chambliss gave several misleading statements last night. Martin didn't fumble. Buckley did an excellent job and I was say he won the debate because Chambliss had no answer for his criticisms.

Posted by Jason at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Monds, the Libertarian Party's nominee for PSC District 1, was on the Herman Cain Show last night. You can listen to the interview here.

Posted by Jason at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following quotation was provided by Joel Hall, one of the young columnists at the Henry Daily Herald. As a staff member at the left-leaning Herald, Mr. Hall has taken on the mantle of political pundit, sociologist and purveyor of truth.

"While voting Republican does not make you ignorant, racist or xenophobic, it has become apparent in the last few weeks that the Republican party stands to benefit from white ignorance as much as the Democrat Party stands to benefit from black pride."

Mr. Hall wrote a high-level overview of American Bigotry, while pulling on a door he is unaware is already open. His call for a “truly tolerant nation” relies upon sound bite sociology and betrays an ignorance of US history.

Race, black and white specifically, has become a central theme in this year’s campaign conducted by the Obamatons. On every turn the glorification of the first black person to run for president is sung as from a church choir in the drive-by media. This type of pitch requires thinking people of any race to question whether a racially divided America could ever be healed by a race baiting president!

It does not matter whether the man is black, white or purple – or whether he is Muslim, Jew or Christian.

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

All people are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among them is Liberty.

There is not one jot or tittle difference separating the social and economic doctrine of the Obama campaign and the teachings of Marx and Engels. Every depiction of business, employers, capitalists… even those small companies earning $250,000 annually, has been used toward enlisting support from masses now convinced they are exploited.

Obama’s overt denunciation of personal responsibility in favor of dependence upon a benevolent government is a sham. The primary truth, hidden from those Obama prefers to keep ignorant, is the abject failure of socialism everywhere on earth it has been instituted. He will never reveal the emergence of socialism requires an enraged lower class AND a well-funded ruling class that will enslave them. History and political reality are the facts shielded by Obama’s celebrity.

Whether the candidate for office is black or white, Christian or Muslim, has no meaning outside the media’s sycophantic adoration of Their Messiah. All that matters – what we must clearly recognize – is Obama’s proclaimed mission to forever weaken and fundamentally destroy the greatest nation on earth.

Posted by Larry Stanley at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

This debate between Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Jim Martin and Allen Buckley was recorded last night at Fox 5's studios in Atlanta.

Posted by Jason at 06:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nothing like The Simpsons and politics:

H/T: Below the Beltway

Posted by Jason at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fox 5 will host a debate tomorrow night at 7pm between the three candidates for United States Senate here in Georgia.

Live-blogging will begin shortly before the debate.

Posted by Jason at 06:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Did you miss the SNL skit last night with Will Ferrell? If so, here it is:

Posted by Jason at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Taxpayers Union has released their national ballot guide, which includes the three ballot questions here in Georgia:

2008 Georgia Taxpayer-Related Measures

( + ) Proposed Amendment 1 would allow the state to assess and tax certain privately owned tracts of timberland according to their "current use," rather than to assess and tax based on a property's highest-valued use, in order to encourage forest conservation. This "conservation use" is only available to landowners who agree not to develop the land for 15 years. The state has agreed to provide funds for counties whose revenues might decrease significantly as a result. Despite this provision, Amendment 1 could result in a nominal tax cut for certain property owners.

( - ) Proposed Amendment 2 would allow schools to vote to participate in Tax Allocation Districts (TADs). Tax Allocation Districts enable local governments to fund developing a property because of the anticipated higher tax revenues that the development is expected to generate. The impact of this measure is highly debatable, and could be positive in some cases. Nonetheless, some of the measure's opponents are concerned that overuse of TADs can lead to subsidies for development that might have occurred on its own.

( + ) Proposed Amendment 3 would allow Infrastructure Development Districts to be created in rural areas. If this amendment is adopted, an area's landowner could agree to pay a developer a specific fee that would then fund the infrastructure necessary for development to take place.

Measures that could lower taxes or control government are listed with a plus sign ( + ), and measures that could raise taxes or expand government are listed with a minus sign ( - ).

The Georgia Supreme Court got it right. You don’t tax people for something and then spend the funds for something else.

I would encourage you to send this along to friends and family and encourage them to vote accordingly.

Posted by Jason at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two more polls have come out today for Georgia, both include the Georgia Senate and presidential races. These two polls plus the Rasmussen poll show Sen. Saxby Chambliss under 50%.

Insider Advantage:

President:
McCain - 47%
Obama - 48%
Barr - 2%
Undecided - 3%

Senate:
Chambliss - 44%
Martin - 42%
Buckley - 2%
Undecided - 12%

President:
McCain - 51%
Obama - 45%
Barr - 2%
Undecided 2%

Senate:
Chambliss - 46%
Martin - 44%
Buckley - 5%
Undecided - 5%

Posted by Jason at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Rasmussen has the first poll in a week for the US Senate race here in Georgia. Chambliss is still under 50%.

According to Rasmussen:
- Chambliss: 47%
- Martin: 45%
- Buckley: 1%

Rasmussen always polls third party candidates low. Other polls are putting Buckley anywhere from 3% to 6% and historically the Libertarian polls at least 2%.

The margin of error wasn't mentioned.

Posted by Jason at 06:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those of you that missed Sunday's WSB debate for Georgia Senate candidates, you can watch it here.

Posted by Jason at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Head over to What Is Goin' On and listen to Grift Drift discuss the election.

Also, listen to the interview with Allen Buckley.

Posted by Jason at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Erick Erickson says that the Senate election reminds him of 1992:

Odds are beginning to look like Saxby will have one. I was talking to a friend yesterday about this and said it reminded me of the Coverdell race in 1992.

The Libertarian forced a runoff causing Coverdell to win then.

Of course if there is a runoff, we’ll see President-Elect Obama all over the state with Jim Martin. If Obama doesn’t win the state, and he won’t, I don’t know how much good that will do.

I disagree with Erick. I think Obama coming to Georgia and campaigning for Martin would be significant, if and only if minorities come back out to vote. I think it'll happen.

Posted by Jason at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Cause it's true:

Posted by Jason at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Prepare for hell in Georgia should the US Senate race go to a runoff:

There is always the possibility of a runoff in a three-way political contest. But the race between Chambliss, Democrat Jim Martin and Libertarian Allen Buckley carries an unusual dynamic in an election year when national Democrats are trying to cement a filibuster-proof 60-vote “super majority” in the U.S. Senate.

Some political observers believe Democrats could be close to that margin after the Nov. 4 balloting. And if the Georgia race is thrown into a four-week runoff, the national political spotlight will shine brightly on the state, no matter who becomes president.

Democrats and Republicans will almost certainly pour money and time into Georgia under that scenario. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has already pumped more than $500,000 into television ads backing attacking Chambliss.

“This becomes the center of the universe for the next four weeks if Georgia is the 60th seat,” said University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock said Wednesday. “You’ll have Barack Obama campaigning here. You’ll have Sarah Palin campaigning here.”

I haven't seen a poll for Georgia in a week. I'm curious to see if the DSCC ads have backfired as much as I thought they would. If polls stay where they have been, we'll see a runoff.

Posted by Jason at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I am thinking about starting a project on the history of Georgia politics and political parties. It's something I've wanted to do for some time, but never really gotten around to it. Basically tracking all of the presidential and congressional elections that have taken place in our state since the ratification of the Constitution, or at least what can be tracked.

I'm looking for help and funding. It's something I'd like to have done by this time next year.

If you're interested in giving me a hand. Shoot me an e-mail.

Posted by Jason at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Allen Buckley, the Libertarian nominee for US Senate, has made a pledge not to accept special interest or PAC money if elected in November.

Here is the video:

Note: Posted by request.

The Buckley for US Senate Campaign announced today that it has asked for the endorsement of every Georgia State House and Senate Member regardless of party. The request was sent via e-mail in the form of a short 90 second video.

“Career politicians in Washington have lost touch with America and with the fundamentals of basic economics.”

Posted by Jason at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm really digging this song right now. It's a song I've known for a long time, but I think Thrice's cover of it has gotten me back into it again:

Posted by Jason at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Some incumbents skipped the Atlanta Press Club debates:

While The Atlanta Press Club continued its series of election debates today, none of the incumbents attended. The debates were for House Congressional seats in districts 3, 6, 7, and 13.

The race for House District 7 in suburban Atlanta features Doug Heckman (D) and incumbent John Linder (R). Linder declined the Press Club’s request for a debate. Heckman, a retired army colonel, used the opportunity to paint John Linder as right wing politician on the fringe of the GOP.

Bill Jones (D) stood next to an empty podium as well in the House District 6 debate. The incumbent Tom Price (R) said he had to attend congressional hearings in Washington, D.C. Jones directed a hypothetical question to Price, who is a doctor, about why he would take contributions from tobacco companies. GPB has confirmed that the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company donated a total of $2,000 to the Price campaign.

Incumbent Lynn Westmoreland (R) did not attend the debate, and his challenger attorney Stephen Camp (D) took the opportunity to paint him as an “incompetent congressman.” He stated that the four bills that Westmoreland introduced while in Congress were not enough for the constituents in District 3. One panelist made Camp recite the 10 Commandments. He did so with ease. It was a stab at Westmoreland who was unable to name them during an interview with Stephen Colbert this year. At one time Westmoreland had proposed posting the commandments in some public buildings.

The race for District 13 puts physician Deborah Honeycutt (R) against incumbent David Scott (D). Scott also declined the Press Club's request for a debate. Honeycutt claimed that Scott was "divorced from the community" because he used none of his political connections to stop Clayton county from losing its SACS accrediation. When a panelist asked Honeycutt if she was going to put her race or politicial affiliation first on November 4, Honeycutt said that she would vote for the person whose ideals more closely matched hers - John McCain.

Most of these guys are polling high enough to avoid a debate, but that doesn't mean they should. They should welcome an exchange of ideas. Then against, who wants to stand and in listen to insults for half an hour.

Posted by Jason at 06:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's all this talk about 60 seats for Democrats in the Senate:

Despite both sides using the prospect of a 60-seat Democratic majority to motivate donors, with two weeks to go in the 2008 election, Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) have both set the bar for the 111th Congress at the 57-seat mark.

Ensign on Tuesday repeated something Schumer has said previously — that a 57-seat majority is effectively filibuster-proof, because the majority party can pick off three votes from across the aisle on a given issue with relative ease.

Experts say it isn’t quite that simple, because Democrats will likely have unseated a number of GOP centrists in order to get to 57, and they would also have some centrist and conservative-leaning members who might buck the party frequently.
[...]
Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority. Most experts see three or four races clearly favoring Democrats, with another half-dozen as toss-ups.

“It’s not even the 60 number that is going to be the magic number, I think,” Ensign said. “I think if the Democrats get to 57 or 58 seats, on a lot of issues they will be able to override the Senate filibuster.”

Those remarks track closely with what Schumer told The Hill in March, when he said that if Democrats got “55, 56, 57, 58, you will pick up enough Republicans on any single issue.”

Posted by Jason at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over at Cato @ Liberty, Chris Edwards lays six ways to prevent another depression:

As I note in this summary of the causes of the Great Depression, the U.S. economy experienced a sharp contraction in 1921 with the unemployment rate rising to 12 percent and output falling 9 percent. But the economy bounced back quickly as the government stood aside and let prices adjust and profits recover.

A decade later, the government adopted vastly different policies, which prevented the economy from adjusting and recovering from the monetary contraction that precipated the Great Depression. As I discuss, there were six key reasons for the severity and duration of the Great Depression:

1) Monetary contraction and bank regulations.
2) Tax increases.
3) International trade restrictions.
4) Mandated high prices.
5) Mandated high wages.
6) Harassment and demonizing of businesses.

This 2004 study by UCLA economists provides recent academic support for a number of these points. The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes also provides interesting insights into the depression.

Today, policymakers are starting to make some of these same mistakes again. Will they stop before they turn today’s recession into a full-blown depression?

Posted by Jason at 07:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The setting is wrong, but otherwise, this is a great cartoon:

Posted by Jason at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

No. Family Guy did not go too far. Neither did South Park.

Posted by Jason at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)

Speaking of legislative elections, Ballot Access News reports that 78% of races for the Georgia General Assembly have only one candidate:

Georgia elects all 180 members of its State House in every election year. This year, of the 180 races, there is only one candidate on the ballot in 141 of the races.

There are no minor party candidates on the ballot for Georgia legislature this year, but there are two independent candidates for State House. Georgia requires a petition signed by 5% of the number of registered voters, to place a minor party or independent candidate on the ballot for district office.

Republicans failed to run anyone in 61 of the State House races, and Democrats failed to run anyone in 82 of the State House races. In the case of the two independents who managed to get on the ballot, they are each the only opposition to an incumbent.

Posted by Jason at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Republicans in the State House are predicting a loss in the election:

The Republicans currently hold a 107-73 lead over Democrats in the state House.

“Obviously the Obama factor is in play this year,” said House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island). “Everybody knows that, so you might as well say it.”

But Keen isn’t expecting Republicans to lose more than three or four seats.

“In this election cycle, in this environment, with all that’s going on, I think if that’s the worst-case scenario, we’d be happy with that,” he said.
[...]
Charles Bullock, a UGA political scientist, said Democrats blew a big opportunity by not fielding candidates against dozens of House Republicans in a year that should be very good for Democrats.

Only 23 incumbent Republican House members face Democratic or independent opposition.

“It doesn’t look like there is going to be much [change] because there aren’t a lot of Democratic candidates,” Bullock said.

Still, Democrats are hoping to pick off some incumbents. Among those mentioned as targets are Reps. John Heard (R-Lawrenceville); Rich Golick (R-Smyrna); Steve “Thunder” Tumlin (R-Marietta); Jill Chambers (R-Atlanta); and Mike Jacobs (R-Atlanta).

Five or six seats won't be that big of a deal for the GOP, but it does send a signal that all is not well for Republicans in Georgia.

Posted by Jason at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"People will look back at 2008 as the year that Barack Obama once and for all destroyed public financing as we know it," said Todd Harris, a Republican strategist who worked on McCain's 2000 presidential campaign. "It will be very difficult four years from now for any candidate to make the case that they should participate in public financing given the obvious financial advantage that Obama has received by opting out."

The approximated $650 million in Obama's coffers prove that elections can still be bought -- even when the funding comes from unidentified "internet sources."

Campaign watchdog groups and newspaper editorialists all hoped Obama would help salvage a broken campaign finance system.

Instead, he created a whole new one, and he destined the current system of public financing to the trash heap.

Check out the article.

Posted by Larry Stanley at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Did anyone catch 20/20 on Friday night? John Stossel put together another great program. This one is called the "Politically Incorrect Guide To Politics."

You need to watch this. The video is divided into six parts. Part 1 is below, the other five parts are available after the cut.

H/T: Liberty Maven

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Part 6:

Posted by Jason at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Candidates for the United States Senate will debate today at 12:30pm on WSB-TV. WSB anchor John Pruitt will moderate. WSB says the candidates will "face tough questions on the state of Georgia’s economy, education, and drought."

There is no audience in this debate. I would expect Allen Buckley to do better. He performed very well in this type of debate in 2004.

Posted by Jason at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hawaii just ended it's new universal child health care program. I love the quote that leads the story.

Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the country just seven months after it launched.

Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.

"People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I don't believe that was the intent of the program."

No one in Hawaii thought about this when discussing the program? Did they not have any economists in the room? It almost reminds me of Gov. Perdue's decision to implement de facto price controls on gasoline after Hurrican Ike. Are there any politicians out there who seek out economists' advice when formulating policy?

Posted by Doug at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

As I’ve mentioned a few times over the last couple of weeks, we could see a runoff between Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin if, as recent polls suggest, Chambliss fails to receive a majority of the vote on November 4th.

As a libertarian, I have a unique perspective on political issues. You see, I am a fiscal conservative and an advocate of personal liberty social issues. I care deeply about lower taxes and spending, but I also care about protecting the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss has showed at nearly every opportunity given that he is no friend of the taxpayer. I’ve laid out this case previously, but his support of the pork-filled farm bill, the Medicare prescription drug benefit and most recently, the bailout for Wall Street are the most blatant examples.

On privacy issues, Chambliss has partnered with the Bush Administration to effectively gut the Constitution. He voted for the USA PATRIOT Act and FISA laws that expand executive power far past its constitutional limitations and to undermine the Bill of Rights. He also refuses to admit that the war in Iraq was a mistake and that our interventionist foreign policy has been damaging has been counter-productive.

Meanwhile, Republicans are resorting to fear tactics in hopes of scaring the base back into the fold, nevermind the monumental failures and dramatic growth in government under the Republican-controlled Congress under the Bush Administration.

I want to encourage all of my readers and friends to vote for Allen Buckley for United States Senate in the General Election. He is the only candidate that understands the looming fiscal disaster we face because of excessive spending by the current and previous administrations.

I have no illusions about Jim Martin. He isn’t what I would call a fiscal conservative, but he seems to be there on issues relating to privacy, Iraq and reigning in executive power. Saxby Chambliss has proven himself incapable of voting for less spending or legislation that would steer us in a small government direction.

I had already written what I planned to do in the case of a runoff, but because of the scare tactics pushed by Republicans, I will vote for Jim Martin, gladly put a sign in my yard and campaign for him in my community.

Buckley first, then Martin.

Posted by Jason at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Another reason why we should open trade with Cuba:

The state-owned Cuban oil company says the country may have more than 20bn barrels of oil in its offshore fields - more than double the previous estimate.

Cubapetroleo's exploration manager said drilling in the offshore wells would begin as early as the middle of 2009.

Such reserves would place Cuba among the top 20 oil producing nations.
[...]
If correct, Cuba's oil reserves would be almost the same as those of the US - 21bn barrels, according to the Oil & Gas Journal - and nearly twice the size of Mexico's - 11.7bn barrels.

Posted by Jason at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Using the Real Clear Politics Senate polls, here is a chart of the 35 Senate races and where they currently stand. The current party is in either blue or red.

Despite the fear tactics you're hearing, a 60 seat Democratic majority, is unlikely, though not necessarily impossible. Democrats would need to sweep all toss-up seats for that to happen.

Safe Democrat:
- Arkansas
- Colorado**
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New Mexico**
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Virginia**
- West Virginia

Lean Democrat:
- Louisiana
- New Hampshire

Toss-Up:
- Alaska
- Georgia
- Minnesota
- North Carolina
- Oregon

Lean Republican:
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Mississippi*
- Texas

Strong Republican:
- Alabama
- Idaho**
- Kansas
- Mississippi
- Nebraska**
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Wyoming
- Wyoming*

* special election
** open seat

Posted by Jason at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jim Martin outraised Sen. Saxby Chambliss in the last quarter:

Would you rather be the Democrat with $92,339 in cash on hand, at the crest of a Barack Obama-driven wave, or the Republican incumbent, with $1.2 million left in the bank and dependent on enthusiasm for John McCain?

Both Jim Martin and Saxby Chambliss have released the top lines — i.e., not lists of individual contributors — from their Sept. 30 campaign disclosure reports.

The big news is that Martin actually outraised Chambliss, who had been a money machine, in the third quarter. Martin raised $1.3 million. Chambliss raised $1.13 million.

Posted by Jason at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Caption this:

Posted by Jason at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Sen. Saxby Chambliss called into the local Republican talk show this morning to join in the bashing of Jim Martin.

Chambliss said the attack on the FairTax was to be expected because it’s all they have. He called Obama a socialist, something I don’t disagree with. Boortz interjected that Republicans have done a lot to grow the government, including the nationalization of financial institutions. Chambliss responded that the spending has been defense related to prevent future terrorist attack.

Wrong, Sen. Chambliss.

Non-defense discretionary spending skyrocketed under the Bush Administration and a Republican-controlled Congress. You can cut taxes all you want, but it doesn’t mean much if you aren’t balancing it with spending cuts. That’s the reason we are running $450 billion deficits and why the dollar has gone to hell. I want the tax cuts, but I want spending cuts too. You failed that test, Sen. Chambliss.

Sen. Chambliss has crowned himself as a small government conservative. That is absurd. Chambliss has never gone against the Bush Administration on spending. He voted to add another entitlement to Medicare, which was already a ticking economic time bomb because of massive unfunded liabilities, with the prescription drug benefit. Chambliss voted to add another $9 trillion in unfunded liabilities to it. That burden will ultimately come down on taxpayers. This entitlement was referred to as “the most fiscally irresponsible piece of legislation since the 1960s,” by former Comptroller General David Walker.

He voted for and supported the veto override of the pork-laden farm bill. This bill hurts Americans by jacking up prices at the grocery store. He supported the Gang of 10 plan to increase taxes by $30 billion on oil companies. And, let's not forget the gift $812 billion gift he helped send to Wall Street.

If Saxby Chambliss is the model of a small government conservative, then Barack Obama is a moderate. Really, Democrats should love Saxby Chambliss. He has helped bring the big government that Clinton and Cleland promised.

Posted by Jason at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I mentioned this early in the live-blog last night, but the DSCC has release its first ad in Georgia, attacking Sen. Saxby Chambliss in the FairTax:

Boortz, Georgia’s most well-known Republican talk show host, is already attacking Jim Martin and the DSCC this morning. He is saying that Martin’s campaign is failing and they are resorting to lies and demagoguery. Boortz should check his own facts. Chambliss is the candidate dropping in the polls.

The FairTax has some serious flaws. The prebate, which would become our largest entitlement, and the fact that it would not be enough to cover the spending coming out of Washington. But misrepresenting it will only come back to hurt Martin, considering how rabid FairTax supporters can be.

Posted by Jason at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Tax Foundation has fact-checked last night's debate. It's worth a read, especially the summary of the debate.

Posted by Jason at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

About "Joe the Plumber":

Two readers with access to the Ohio voter file say that Joe Wurzelbacher's inluence on this cycle will be limited in one way: He doesn't appear to be registered to vote.

Posted by Jason at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's significant:

Posted by Jason at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight is the third and final debate between Sen. John McCain (R) and Sen. Barack Obama. The debate will be held at Hofstra University in New York and will be moderated by Bob Schieffer.

McCain needs to win this debate. He cannot afford anything less. He has already signaled his intent to bring up Obama’s connection to William Ayers. Obama has already prepared for it with this new ad.

Live-blogging will begin around 8pm.

Posted by Jason at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bob Barr will participate in a counter-debate tonight in Newport News, Virginia on the campus of Christopher Newport University.

Posted by Jason at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Another brilliant piece from John Stossel:

Is deregulation is the culprit? It can't be. There was no relevant deregulation in the last 25 years. Meanwhile, highly regulated institutions eagerly bought risky government-guaranteed mortgages, stimulating excessive housing construction and an unsustainable price bubble.

Deregulation wasn't the problem, and reregulation isn't the solution.

It's intuitive to assume that regulation prevents problems, but it's rarely true. First, how would regulators know what to do? Leaving aside the bias they might have and the brutal fact that regulation is physical force, how can a small group of people understand the workings of a market sufficiently to regulate sensibly? Markets, especially financial markets, are far more complicated than any mind can grasp. They consist of many millions of participants making countless decisions on the basis of unarticulated know-how and intuition. To attempt to regulate such activity requires knowledge no one can possess.

To seriously regulate those markets you'd have to impose the "precautionary principle," a favorite idea of some environmentalists, especially in Europe. The principle prohibits any product or activity not proven 100 percent safe. It sounds so reasonable. But Ron Bailey of "Reason" points out what it really means: Don't do anything for the first time.

Bad idea. The world needs innovators and inventors. We need people who try things for the first time.

Nobel Laureate F.A. Hayek emphasized that government planners suffer from a "knowledge problem" because "the knowledge of the circumstances of which [they] must make use never exists in concentrated or integrated form but solely as the dispersed bits of incomplete and frequently contradictory knowledge which all the separate individuals possess."

In other words, the planner or regulator can't possibly know what the multitude in a market "knows." So what regulators really do is straitjacket market participants, preventing innovators from creating prosperity for us all.

Posted by Jason at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nearly 500,000 voters have cast their ballots in Georgia:

Georgia voters have already cast more early ballots than in the 2004 presidential election and there’s three more weeks to go.

Voters have cast 499,582 early ballots as of Monday, state officials say.

“That’s excellent,” said Matt Carrothers, a spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

Secretary of State Karen Handel hopes that one million voters will cast ballots early this year to take pressure off precincts on Election Day. So far more women than men have cast ballots.

Here’s a breakdown of the ballots cast through close of business Monday:

Number of early ballots cast: 499,582

Number of ballots voted in person: 436,579

Number of mail-in ballots returned: 63,003

Black: 184,453 37 percent

White: 297,333 59.5 percent

Hispanic: 2,451 0.5 percent

Asian: 1,798 0.36 percent

Posted by Jason at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

In a follow up from yesterday, the DSCC will spend $500k in Georgia:

By late Tuesday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had bought about $500,000 worth of advertising time on at least five metro Atlanta television stations for spots to support Democratic senate candidate Jim Martin in his uphill battle against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Moultrie. The spots begin running today
[...]
As of late Tuesday afternoon, Atlanta’s five network affiliates: WSB, WXIA, WAGA and WGCL and WATL had not received copies of the ad, which is slated to run Wednesday morning. The ad will run largely during news broadcasts and in prime time, during such popular programs as “Dancing with the Stars,” “House” and NFL Sunday pre-game show.

The size of DSCC order is substantial. At $514,950, it is much larger than any weekly TV ad buy made by Martin since of the start of his campaign. The ad is scheduled to run 369 times by next week.

Posted by Jason at 07:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is video from last week's Senate debate between Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Jim Martin and Allen Buckley that took place in Perry.

Posted by Jason at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We need a reminder of our liberties in these times when our government has abandon the free market:

Posted by Jason at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has placed an ad buy in Georgia, according to Bill Shipp.

One can only wonder how much they'll pour into Georgia.

H/T: Georgia Politics Unfiltered

Posted by Jason at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Rothenberg Political Report is predicting a 25 to 30 seat pickup for Democrats in the House of Representatives.

The Eighth Congressional District here in Georgia, represented by Jim Marshall (D), is listed as "toss-up/tilt Democratic." That race will be close, but I think Marshall wins.

H/T: Club for Growth

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

The plunge toward socialism continues as the federal government will forcibly buy stakes in nine banks:

The U.S. government is expected to take stakes in nine of the nation's top financial institutions as part of a new plan to restore confidence to the battered U.S. banking system, a far-reaching effort that puts the government's guarantee behind the basic plumbing of financial markets.
[...]
Some of the big banks were unhappy about the government taking equity stakes, but acquiesced under pressure from Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson in a meeting Monday. During the financial crisis, the government has steadily increased its involvement in financial markets, culminating with a move that rivals the breadth of the government's response to the Great Depression. It intertwines the banking sector with the federal government for years to come and gives taxpayers a direct stake in the future of American finance, including any possible losses.

Other elements of the plan, which will be announced Tuesday morning, include: equity investments in possibly thousands of other banks; lifting the cap on deposit insurance for certain bank accounts, such as those used by small businesses; and guaranteeing certain types of bank lending. It builds on an earlier plan to buy up rotten assets dragging down banks, which failed to calm investor fears, and follows similar moves by major European countries.
[...]
Treasury will buy $25 billion in preferred stock in Bank of America -- including Merrill Lynch -- as well as J.P. Morgan and Citigroup; between $20 billion and $25 billion in Wells Fargo; $10 billion in Goldman and Morgan Stanley; $3 billion in Bank of New York Mellon; and about $2 billion in State Street.

You do not preserve the free market with with socialist policies.

No Republican can complain about the policies that Barack Obama will bring when George W. Bush has done just as much to destroy capitalism.

Posted by Jason at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

It turns out that Obama's tax cuts aren't really tax cuts:

One of Barack Obama's most potent campaign claims is that he'll cut taxes for no less than 95% of "working families." He's even promising to cut taxes enough that the government's tax share of GDP will be no more than 18.2% -- which is lower than it is today.

It's a clever pitch, because it lets him pose as a middle-class tax cutter while disguising that he's also proposing one of the largest tax increases ever on the other 5%. But how does he conjure this miracle, especially since more than a third of all Americans already pay no income taxes at all? There are several sleights of hand, but the most creative is to redefine the meaning of "tax cut."
[...]
The Tax Foundation estimates that under the Obama plan 63 million Americans, or 44% of all tax filers, would have no income tax liability and most of those would get a check from the IRS each year. The Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis estimates that by 2011, under the Obama plan, an additional 10 million filers would pay zero taxes while cashing checks from the IRS.

The total annual expenditures on refundable "tax credits" would rise over the next 10 years by $647 billion to $1.054 trillion, according to the Tax Policy Center. This means that the tax-credit welfare state would soon cost four times actual cash welfare. By redefining such income payments as "tax credits," the Obama campaign also redefines them away as a tax share of GDP. Presto, the federal tax burden looks much smaller than it really is.

Posted by Jason at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A message from Monroe Roark:

"One of the most popular features on Monroe Roark's newscast on SCB-TV 15 is his weekly roundup of restaurant health scores. A number of viewers have inquired about an alternative method of receiving this information since they often tune in during the middle of the newscast. Also, a large percentage of the county does not receive Charter cable and thus is unable to watch the newscast at all.

For these reasons, the restaurant scores will be sent via e-mail to anyone who requests them. Send an e-mail to monroe@scbtv.com and put "restaurant" in the subject line."

Thanks again.
Monroe

Posted by Larry Stanley at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Survey USA has a new poll in the Georgia Senate race. It's still very close and Sen. Saxby Chambliss is still under 50%. Four weeks ago, Chambliss lead by 17%.

Here is how it breaks down:
- Chambliss: 46%
- Martin: 43%
- Buckley: 6%
- Undecided: 5%

Most of the undecided voters are women, probably giving Martin an advantage. This is not where Chambliss wanted to be a few weeks before the election. I think there is still a decent chance at a runoff.

Posted by Jason at 06:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Over at the Mises Institute, Robert Prechter explains the gas shortage in the Southeast. It's worth a read.

H/T: Club for Growth

Posted by Jason at 08:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Economist Russell Roberts talks about the bailout with reason:

At McCain-Palin rallies the crowds are chanting Sarah!, Sarah!, Sarah! Even after McCain begins speaking, the attendees want to hear the fiery tones and straight talk that Sarah Palin has brought to the campaign.

At the Waukesha, Wisconsin rally last week a man said,

I'm mad! I'm really mad. And what's gonna surprise you is, it's not the economy. It's the socialists taking over our country. (cheers and applause) I think it's so important in today's country, what we're really missing and what's going on. When you have an Obama, Pelosi, and the rest of the hooligans up there gonna run this country, we gotta have our head examined. It's time that you two are representing us, and we are mad. So go get 'em! (wild cheers)

I'm a realtor witnessing firsthand the effect the mortgage crisis has had on many people's lives. Will you assure us that, as president, you will take immediate action to investigate, prosecute, and name the names of the people actually responsible?

I will. And it is already a matter of record that Democrat members of Congress fought against reform, and it's a matter of record and hearings that they said everything was fine. Senator Obama, a year ago, said, these kinds of subprime loans are, quote, "fine with him." And the fact is that the same people that are now claiming credit for this rescue are the same ones that were willing coconspirators in causing this problem that it is, and you know their names, and you will know more of their names. Congressman Barney Frank and Senator Chris Dodd are two of them. (wild applause)

The media blast against excited and motivated McCain-Plain supporters apparently shook him. And then Georgia’s Rep. John Lewis reinforced RACE as a campaign issue.

- Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and veteran of the civil rights movement, says the negative tone of the Republican presidential campaign reminds him of the hateful atmosphere that segregationist Gov. George Wallace fostered in Alabama in the 1960s.

"George Wallace never threw a bomb," Lewis noted. "He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama."

While Sarahcuda is on the stump telling the truth about Obama/Ayers, the Dems have no way to refute the facts. Yet the "irresponsible charges" are challenged along with saying fears and concerns of American voters are "hateful rhetoric." So, McCain feels an obligation to placate the very people over which American's express concerns.

And then, on Friday McCain returned to appeasement. McCain's penchant for avoiding 'partisanship' is exactly what the Democrats want! Why cannot John McCain understand his opponents are hitting on all sides, and he is still trying to 'cross the aisle?'

Kumbayah

In another exchange, a woman told McCain that she didn't trust Obama because "he's an Arab." Shaking his head and taking the microphone from her, McCain replied: "No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about."

McCain returned to that note of civility on Saturday as his quandary became clearer: He needed to excite his party's base without inciting them, challenge Obama while being an honorable opponent, and find a game-changing strategy for his faltering campaign without crossing the line.

Mixed signals, inconsistent strategy and a pesonal desire for so-called high ground deflates the base. That explains the roller coaster for McPalin and Obama's rise in the polls. McCain's stated objective "to let the voters decide" depends far too heavily on core values of the American voter, and far too little on his ability to stand and lead the charge!

Posted by Larry Stanley at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Here is the Electoral College outlook from Real Clear Politics. This includes all recent polls in toss-up states.

The McCain strategy of winning Minnesota, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin doesn't appear to be going all that well either.

The McCain campaign's attempts to have Bob Barr thrown off the ballot in Pennsylvania are also likely to fail.

The outlook in the Senate isn't that much better. Thirty-five Senate seats are up this year. Republicans hold 23 of them. They could lose as many as eight.

The races to watch are in: Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia.

Republicans hold 11 out of 12 of those seats. The Republican candidate currently trails in eight of them (Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia).

House polls are available here. Some Republican strategists are predicting a 20 seat loss.

Posted by Jason at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

"This much seems certain: Whoever wins, "Free Minds and Free Markets" lose." - Nick Gillespie

Posted by Jason at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I just got connected to the internet after about 30 minutes of cussing at my laptop. Anyway, there are a lot of speakers lined up for today. Among them will be Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Erick Erickson, Herman Cain, John Fund, John Stossel and Grover Norquist.

I'm going to head out and look at some of vendors.

[9:01am] I'm debating buying George Will's book. It's autographed. Hmmmm.

[9:03am] Thrashers beat the Capitols last night to open the hockey season.

[9:05am] Georgia takes on Tennessee today. I'm predicting a win, but not a blowout.

[9:06am] Insider Advantage has new polls out showing that Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) and Jim Martin (D) are tied at 45%.

[9:13am] Christopher Buckley explains his endorsement of Barack Obama.

[9:18am] I have been asked several times in recent days who I would vote for if Bob Barr was not on the ballot and I could not write a name in. I've had a very difficult time answering that question. After thinking it through, I'd probably just stay home. I cannot vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

[9:25am] Benita Dodd from the Georgia Public Policy Foundation just came by to tell me hello.

[9:28am] Tim Phillips, the AFP director, is giving welcoming the crowd. There are 1,800 people here this weekend.

[9:49am] Just picked up a couple of bumper stickers from the Accuracy in Media table. Both related to guns.

[9:56am] Fred Barnes is about to speak.

[10:04am] Barnes is way too hopeful about Republican prospects in the election.

[10:10am] Barnes is pinning the future of the Republican Party on Sarah Palin.

[10:24am] Herman Cain is taking the stage. I wonder if he'll talk about the bailout "rescue."

[10:26am] By the way, Mr. Cain read a letter from me on air this week. I have been disappointed with his support of the bailout. His excuses for supporting it are weak.

[10:35pm] Herman Cain is talking about the American Dream. He says our earnings belong to us and no one else. That's why he supported giving $812 billion to Wall Street.

[10:37am] You can read the AFP Twitter feed here.

[10:40am] Stephen Moore is the next speaker. I am a fan of this guy. Moore called for the impeachment of Gov. Sonny Perdue for raising taxes in 2003.

[10:49am] Just talked with Mr. Cain briefly. I still like him, I'm just disappointed.

[10:55am] Erick Erickson and I may visit the Jefferson Memorial later.

[11:07am] I've been in Virginia for less than a day and I've seen five Obama ads on TV. Nothing for John McCain.

[11:15am] Bureaucrash is here. I need a couple new t-shirts.

[11:24am] The NRA gets mentioned. I shake my head. The NRA has no principles.

[11:24am] Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform is the next speaker.

[11:28am] Norquist: "Republican elected officials that vote for a tax increase are rat heads in a Coke bottle."

[11:30am] Norquist was talking about how one bad event can ruin a brand.

[11:31am] John Fund from the Wall Street Journal is next.

[11:33am] Fund is talking about voter fraud. ACORN has been in the news lately over this.

[11:36am] Fund is talking about Obama's ties to ACORN.

[11:41am] Stephen Moore just walked into bloggers row.

[11:46am] Former Virginia Governor and current candidate for US Senate, Jim Gilmore, is out in the foyer.

[11:47am] Erick Erickson is speaking.

[11:563am] Rep. Tom Price is up now. I've been promised an interview. We'll see how it goes.

[11:58am] Price slams earmarks, calls them a "gateway drug." He adds, "prosperity comes from people, not government."

[11:59am] Price calls for a Taxpayer Bill of Rights that includes a line-item veto and balanced budget.

[12:01pm] John Stossel is the final speaker of the morning.

[12:08pm] Stossel is talking about how government cannot produce the same results that can be achieved in the private sector.

[12:14pm] Stossel says that places or countries with economic liberty prosper, like Hong Kong. While countries like India don't because of massive bureaucracy and the lack of free markets.

[12:17pm] Stossel: "We take capitalism for granted."

[12:18pm] Lunch break.

[4:56pm] Erick and I went over to DC and saw some of the sites. My pictures are here.

[5:43pm] Supposed to meet up with Dave Weigel for dinner at 6:30pm.

Posted by Jason at 08:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I got into Washington, DC a little over an hour ago. I slept for most of the flight, which was quite a feet considering how bumpy it was.

I am at the Defending the American Dream Summit. This is put on by the Americans for Prosperity. Tonight is the "Tribute to Ronald Reagan Dinner." Speakers will include George Will, Dinesh D’Souza, former Attorney General Ed Meese, Sen. James Inhofe and David Koch.

I'm hanging out on "bloggers row." Getting my drink on. No Newcastle. I had to go with Sam Adams.

I'll be writing about the conference as it goes along.

[6:17pm] Leslie Graves, a contributor to Ballotpedia, sat down with me to discuss some of the ballot measures around the country. You can check out the ballot measures for Georgia here. I didn't know it, but I am listed as an opponent to the TAD amendment.

[7:50pm] Listening to Ed Meese. Meese served in the Reagan Administration as Attorney General (one of three).

[7:58pm] Sahar Hekmati and Allie Gelineau were kind enough to bring me dinner. They rock.

[8:02pm] I'm working on getting an interview with Rep. Tom Price tomorrow.

[8:10pm] David Koch is taking the stage. He is the founder of the AFP. He is also a businessman, billionaire and former Libertarian Party vice-presidential candidate.

[8:16pm] Keith Olberman was just mentioned. His name was met with resounding boos.

[8:17pm] Koch is presenting Sen. James Inhofe with the "George Washington Award" for his work in fighting global warming alarmism.

[8;35pm] George Will is taking the stage. I really like George Will. I don't always agree with him, but he is a straight-shooter.

[8:37pm] Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley, Jr., has endorsed Barack Obama.

[8:50pm] Bad news for the McCain campaign. A commission has found that Sarah Palin abused her authority when she fired the Alaska Public Safety Commissioner.

Posted by Jason at 05:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I thought this was timely:

“Freedom is something that cannot be passed on in the blood stream, or genetically. And it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. Every generation has to learn how to protect and defend it, or it’s gone and gone for a long, long time. Already, many of us, particularly those in business and industry, there are too many who have switched rather than fight. And it’s time that particularly, some of our corporations learned, that when you get in bed with government, you’re going to get more than a good night’s sleep.” – Ronald Reagan

H/T: GPPF

Posted by Doug at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Over at the American Conservative, Daniel Larison takes issue with Sarah Palin's record on taxes and spending:

Palin supported tax increases on oil companies, which ultimately impose costs on consumers, so that she can give away more money in Alaska and buy her extraordinarily high levels of support. While I do not consider earmarks to be the grave evil that the McCain/Palin ticket claim them to be, Alaska under Palin remains the leading recipient of per capita federal earmark funding. She embraced the bridge boondoggle until it became politically radioactive, and now she pretends that she was its mortal foe. She left Wasilla under a mountain of debt, and also bungled the management of purchasing the land where the athletic facility was to be built so badly that it has imposed additional costs on Wasilla. Spending has skyrocketed under her administration. Now for good measure she has demonstrated a woeful lack of understanding of many major national and international issues, which drives home how unprepared she is, but would anyone on the right honestly look at her record as an executive before this and say, “Yes, this is the sort of thing I want to see at the federal level”? If conservatives don’t care about this, I suppose that’s their business, but can we stop pretending that this critique is based purely on whether or not she has done well in a couple of interviews? Whether judged “superficially” or on substance, there is not much there that conservatives can find that is very encouraging.

Just the same though, Palin's nomination shows that Republicans do not take themselves seriously anymore as a national party. McCain's campaign has been a disaster thus far. He is perceived as being another George W. Bush. That image is largely his own doing because he refuses to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home. He proposes another bailout at a cost of $300 billion and then runs around telling everyone, "it's my proposal, it's not Senator Obama's proposal, it's not President Bush's proposal." Congratulations, Sen. McCain. You are now running to the left of your opponent.

H/T: Below the Beltway

Posted by Jason at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Despite the fact that I need to pack for my flight tomorrow, I want to see this debate.

As I wrote earlier, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R), Jim Martin (D) and Allen Buckley (L) will debate tonight in Perry at the Georgia Fairgrounds. The debate can be seen at WMAZ.com.

Live-blogging begins at 7pm.

Posted by Jason at 06:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Who in God's name are you gonna vote for? You basically have four choices.

(1) Vote for Barack Obama and risk being burned at the stake by the Inquisitors of your Holy GOP.

(2) Vote for John McCain and risk be correctly referred to as someone without principles.

(3) Vote Third Party, lose, but at least have your principles.

(4) Sit it out.

I would suggest 3 or 4. Big-government socialist Barack Obama is gonna crush his big-government socialist opponent John McCain. I'm suprised that Bernie Sanders didn't endorse John McCain. They share an identical ideology.

Posted by Jace Walden at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R), Jim Martin (D) and Allen Buckley will debate tonight at the Georgia Fairgrounds in Perry. The debate will begin at 7pm.

Chambliss' lead has shrunk considerably from a double-digit lead in early September to as little as two points at the end of the month and his support falling below 50%. You can view polling data for this race here.

WMAZ will stream the debate live on its website.

US Rep. Jim Marshall (D) and Rick Goddard (R) will also debate at 8:30pm. It will also be streamed on WMAZ.

Posted by Jason at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The South-Metro Friends of NRA will be holding their annual NRA Fund Raiser Supper & Auction. It will be held at McDonough United Methodist (151 Macon Street, McDonough, GA) Saturday, October 18th at 6pm.

There will be a live and silent auction, special drawings, custom knives, limited edition firearms and art. Many items created especially for this event.

Tickets are $25 each. For ticket information contact Mr. Tim Wilson at (770) 954-0217 or by e-mail.

Posted by request.

Posted by Jason at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Bush Administration is moving to nationalize banks:

The Bush administration is considering taking ownership stakes in certain U.S. banks as an option for dealing with a severe global credit crisis.

An administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been made, said the $700 billion rescue package passed by Congress last week allows the Treasury Department to inject fresh capital into financial institutions and get ownership shares in return.

Posted by Jason at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Burn the new alternate jersey. They are hideous.

H/T: Uni Watch

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

John McCain has altered his latest bailout proposal:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) made an overnight change in the homeowner bailout he proposed at Tuesday’s presidential debate, making it more generous to financial institutions and more costly for taxpayers.

McCain's staff says it was always meant that way.

When McCain sprung his surprise idea at the start of the debate in Nashville, his campaign posted details online of his American Homeownership Resurgence Plan, which would direct the government to buy up bad home mortgages, allowing strapped people to keep their property.

The document posted and e-mailed by the McCain campaign on Tuesday night says at the end of its first full paragraph: “Lenders in these cases must recognize the loss that they’ve already suffered.”

So the government would buy the mortgages at a discounted rate, reflecting the declining value of the mortgage paper.

But when McCain reissued the document on Wednesday, that sentence was missing, to the dismay of many conservatives

McCain is now promising a balanced budget. How? McCain will increase spending by around $93 billion. He is proposing another bailout with a price tag of $300 billion. He seems to believe in endless war, costing taxpayers billions. How will he balanced the budget?

Posted by Jason at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

AIG has received another "loan" from the government:

The Federal Reserve has agreed to provide the insurance giant, the American International Group, with a loan of up to $37.8 billion, on top of one made to the troubled company last month.

Under the new program, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York will borrow up to $37.8 billion in investment-grade, fixed income securities from A.I.G. in return for cash collateral. These securities were previously lent by A.I.G.’s insurance company subsidiaries to third parties.

Last month, the Fed provided an $85 billion line of credit to the company, which was on the brink of filing for bankruptcy protection.

Posted by Jason at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sen. Barack Obama's told a very big lie last night when he said this:

[W]hat I've proposed, you'll hear Senator McCain say, well, he's proposing a whole bunch of new spending, but actually I'm cutting more than I'm spending so that it will be a net spending cut.

As I posted a couple weeks ago, the National Taxpayers Union has analyzed spending plans of three presidential candidates. They found that Sen. Obama is proposing $292.954 billion in new spending.

Sen. John McCain is just as much a liar when he says he'll cut spending, which he did during the first debate. NTU found that McCain is proposing $92.437 billion in new spending.

Posted by Jason at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Monds, the Libertarian Party’s nominee for Public Service Commission District 1, has filed a residency complaint against Doug Everett, the Republican incumbent.

The complaint alleges that Everett lives in Clarkesville and Atlanta, but not at any of the addresses provided in official filings to the State Ethics Commission.

The Atlanta residence is rented, though paid for with campaign funds since 2006. The home in Albany that Everett has used in filings is actually owned by his son, Michael C. Everett. A homestead exemption has been filed to this effect as well.

Monds writes, “It is very reasonable to ask Mr. Everett to come forward and provide evidence of his residency. I ask that you use all means within your power to expeditiously resolve any questions that exist concerning this matter.”

It may be too late to file a challenge. I'm not sure. Otherwise, it'll be interesting to see how the Secretary of State's office handles this. Especially since there is no Democrat running in this race and the questions over partisanship in the Jim Powell residency case.

C/P: Peach Pundit

Posted by Jason at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sen. John McCain proposed another bailout last night:

The US government would snap up 300 billion dollars of bad home loans, Republican John McCain vowed Tuesday unveiling a new plan to help struggling homeowners if he is elected president.

"People are no longer able to afford their mortgage payments," said McCain as he laid out what he billed as an original proposal for addressing the grassroots impact of the Wall Street credit crisis.

"As president of the United States, I would order the secretary of the treasury to immediately buy up the bad home loan mortgages in America and renegotiate at the new value of those homes, at the diminished value of those homes," he said.
[...]
"Is it expensive? Yes," he said. "But we all know, my friends, that until we stabilize home values in America, we're never going to start turning around and creating jobs and fixing our economy.

Posted by Jason at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Welcome Instapundit readers!

Tonight is the second presidential debate between Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). The debate (townhall format) will be held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and will begin at 9pm. Tom Brokaw will moderate. Live-blogging begins around 8pm.

The transcript for the first presidential debate can be found here. You can watch it here.

Posted by Jason at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Saw this in Henry County today:

C/P: Peach Pundit

Posted by Jason at 07:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I wrote about taxpayer funded golf courses around this time last year. My issue was that taxpayers should not be subsidizing golf course and I urged privatization. Well, given the current budget crisis here in Georga, one of the worst in the country with a $1.8 billion deficit, legislators are looking to cut the support:

Two weeks ago, at a budget hearing, senators questioned whether the state could continue to pay for the money-losing golf courses it runs. Most of the courses are in rural parts of the state and are near and dear to small-town lawmakers.

The Department of Natural Resources is talking about closing a seldom-used course in the far southeast Georgia town of Fargo, and letting private companies bid to run most or all of the rest of the state-owned courses.

“We would be severely criticized, when we’re cutting Medicaid and education, if we keep these golf courses afloat when they are losing money,” said Sen. George Hooks (D-Americus), former long-time chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

On Monday it was state-subsidized halls of fame (Music, Sports and Golf) that got the treatment from senators, according to my AJC colleague James Salzer, who was there.

“I don’t know why we continue to give taxpayer dollars to these halls of fame,” said Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), during a budget hearing. “We ought to put them on notice that on Jan. 1, we aren’t going to have the money to given them operating funds.”

The halls for music and sports, located in Macon, have long been the pride of middle Georgia lawmakers, while the Golf Hall of Fame was brought to life by Augusta’s legislative delegation. For years, the legislators from those two areas were among the most powerful in the state, and the halls have always been heavily subsidized by taxpayers.

At least they'll cut them out of the budget. Let's hope they don't magically appear again when the economy recovers.

Posted by Jason at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The national debt clock has run out of room.

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

I'll be live-blogging tonight's presidential debate. Last week, Cover It Live had some problems and became overloaded. I was informed yesterday that this wouldn't happen again.

Also, overnight we hit 19,000 comments here at JasonPye.com. Many thanks for continuing to read and discuss.

Posted by Jason at 06:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I asked this question a couple months back. With the election less than 30 days away, I thought it may be a good time to see what everyone is thinking. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

Posted by Jason at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jim Wooten speaks out against Amendment No. 2 (the TAD amendment) and all of its problems:

The route to the amendment you’ll see on the November ballot started with an opinion by the Georgia Supreme Court on Feb. 11. The court ruled unanimously that taxes levied to educate school children cannot be turned over to private developers and businesses to be spent for other purposes. The other purposes are development, presumably of blighted areas. The concept is not totally without merit.

The law at issue allows the creation of Tax Allocation Districts or TADs. The presumption is that developers won’t go to certain blighted areas without financial inducements from taxpayers. If taxpayer subsidies lead them to redevelop blighted areas, higher property tax revenues will flow. So governments freeze property values for say, 25 years, borrow money on the expectation that higher property taxes from the improvements made will pay off the debt, and hand the cash over to preferred developers.

That’s the concept.

The problem is, though, that there’s no good definition of blight. So the definition includes areas in the path of growth that’s already occurring — around Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, for example. When not used in a truly blighted area, it’s corporate welfare given by politicians who pretend, to themselves and each other, that they’re moving and shaking, making things happen.

The further problem is that somebody has to pay for educating the school children brought into TAD developments. The Supreme Court declared unequivocally that property taxes intended for that purpose can’t be handed over to developers for something else. Politicians, under pressure from developers and bond lawyers, invite you to change the Constitution to negate the Supreme Court ruling. But again: Somebody has to pay for those children. That somebody is others who own homes and businesses in the city or county. You.

Posted by Jason at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over the weekend Sarah Palin took some long overdue shots at the Messiah. Talk radio pundits covered it as the proper role for the VP candidate, but also listed the opportunities McCain has allowed to slip away.

In this report McCain finally calls Obama out.

Truth matters. Who Obama really is, who are his friends and associates, what he will accept and overlook -- all these go to his judgement and character.

Going negative in this manner should have begun months ago. And then again at the first debate. But along with the candidate McCain telling what is wrong with Obama, McCain the candidate must also tell Americans why he is the right man for the office. It must be a two-pronged message.

In the message McCain must also detail why he voted for the Socialism Act of 2008. He must say it was wrong for the nation to pay for the sins of greed and corruption -- and still go through a financial meltdown. With reactions of the US and worldwide markets after the bailout vote passed, McCain can and must distance himself in some way.

Posted by Larry Stanley at 08:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

A couple races that are always under the radar are for Public Service Commission. We have two PSC races this year (1st and 4th districts). The PSC is drawn into five districts across the state, but are elected statewide:

In the 1st District race, neither incumbent first-term Commissioner Doug Everett nor Libertarian John Monds opposes the nuclear expansion. But they take diverging stances on how involved the PSC should be in deciding whether the expansion should go forward.

Monds, who echoes his party's call for less regulation, says the state's energy market should be made more competitive, allowing smaller power companies to gain a foothold, which would give customers more options on where to buy power. That would leave most decisions to utilities and their customers, he said.

Everett says it would be impractical for the PSC to play less of a role in regulation, as there would be no oversight of the limousine, moving and telecommunications industries, which the panel also oversees.
[...]
The 4th District contest pits former commissioner Republican Lauren "Bubba" McDonald against Libertarian Brandon Givens and Democrat Jim Powell, whose candidacy is currently in question before the Georgia Supreme Court.

While Powell wants to provide incentives to develop and spread use of renewable energy and promote energy efficiency, McDonald would let green energy producers develop naturally, as more renewable sources and technologies develop. He opposes mandates for renewables, and says nuclear energy is key to reliability. Powell said he is devising a plan that would allow customers to pay lower rates if they improve their energy efficiency.

Givens says the energy market would benefit under a deregulated set-up similar to the natural gas market. Marketers sell their energy directly to customers over the same electrical grid. Customers would be free to choose their producers, which could bolster small renewable energy companies entering the market, he said.

Posted by Jason at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Last month Secretary Paulson and President Bush went before the American people and said (I'm paraphrasing) "OMG, the world is about to end. Drastic action is needed. There is no time to look at alternatives. There is no time to build consensus among experts. My small cadre of experts tell me the world is about to end, therefore we must ignore all the other experts who say otherwise and pass the brash and expensive bailout package NOW NOW NOW or the world will end".

And by and large, the fools in the GOP, both elected leaders and grassroots, fell for it.

By that logic, we should pass a massive Carbon Tax. We should not question whether or not carbon is causing climate change. We should not have debate. We should not study the effects of this Carbon Tax to see if it will make the problem better, or hurt our economy in such a way that we'll be unable to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels. We need not listen to the climatologists who say that Carbon is not responsible, or that the issue of Climate Change is not the impending doom that other experts say it is. If we don't act NOW NOW NOW the world will end as we know it. Therefore Senator Obama, when you take office in January, the GOP will be solidly behind whatever hair-brained scheme of carbon-taxation your administration proposes. The consequences of inaction are too grave. Senator Isakson & McCain will support you. You might have to make your case to Senator Martin though.

While I'm thinking about it, Governor Perdue, you should pass a massive tax hike. Georgia faces at catastrophic budget shortfall of almost 1.6 Billion dollars. Tapping our reserves will weaken our AAA bond rating. All you have to tell the Georgia GOP is that the consequences of losing our AAA bond-rating are so dire, that it would be the end of life as we know it. Georgia Republicans will be happy to support your massive tax hikes. You don't need to worry about finding so-called experts to make your case. Just sound really scared at the prospect, and have your budget director sound really confident that his tax-hikes will work. Lt. Governor Cagle and Speaker Richardson will fall right it line.

Finally, to the Commissars on the Gwinnett County Soviet. The ignorant masses on Peach Pundit don't seem to be too willing to pass the Constitutional Amendments on the ballot allowing for TADs and IDDs. You need to quickly tell your subjects that failure to approve those amendments will mean that their property values will fall. In fact, the reason their property values are so low right now is the fact that those amendments haven't already passed. The people who elected you are too stupid to understand the concept of causation vs correlation. They will believe that lie if Comrade Bannister repeats is enough times. If the voters of Gwinnett County don't approve TADs and IDDs then there will be nothing stopping 10 billion Mexicans from taking up residence in Gwinnett. All the street signs will be re-printed in Spanish, and all the phone menus will say "Press 1 for Spanish and press two for English". The terrified bigots in Gwinnett will gladly pass whatever emergency measures you need.

We no longer need rational debate in this country. We no longer need to consider alternative proposals. As long as our elected leaders scream the sky is falling, the GOP will fall right in line.

See you all in the labor camps. Obama Macht Frei

Posted by Chris at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My new favorite website...FireSaxby.com.

Posted by Jason at 06:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Georgia has one of the largest budget deficits in the country at $1.8 billion or 8.7% the FY 2009 budget.

Rumors are going around about a special session to address the budget woes in November or December. A tax increase of some sort is possible, perhaps even the withholding of property tax relief if Governor Perdue gets his way.

This is what happens when government grows. Georgia has had an exploding budget, especially since Republicans took control of the legislature. Out of the 107 legislators that make up the Republican caucus, only six or seven have taken a stand on this outrageous growth.

We heard last week that California is asking for a $7 billion bailout from the federal government. If things get worse, Georgia could be next.

H/T: Reason Foundation

Posted by Jason at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This is hilarious:

This morning on news sites, the McCain campaign appeared to be in need of a copy editor when it attributed a positive review of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's debate performance last night to a "Famous Person."

The ad -- viewable here -- couples a photo of a smiling Palin with the quote: "She killed. It was her evening. She was the star. -- Famous Person (10/2/08)"

Now, there was one famous person who actually did say that about the GOP vice presidential candidate, though it's not clear from the campaign's ad: Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan. Who also previously has ripped into Palin's selection as the vice presidential nominee.

"She killed. It was her evening. She was the star," said Noonan last night on NBC, according to a round-up of debate reactions posted online by the McCain campaign this morning.

It makes the ad very suspect. Very much like they handed over talking points to a talking head who was just read what she was told to read. She even looked like she was repeating talking point. See for yourself.

H/T: Radley Balko

Posted by Jason at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I'll be attending the Defending the American Dream Summit, an annual event put together by the Americans for Prosperity, next weekend in Washington, DC.

I'm looking forward to hearing Stephen Moore and John Stossel and I plan on asking Herman Cain why he defended the bailout proposal.

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

Doug Deal sent this along to me:

Posted by Jason at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by Joshua Patterson at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

That is the total cost of government bailouts.

Oh, and the Dow finished down 157.47 points to 10,325.38. It's was up over 10,785 shortly after 1pm today. That's a more than 400 point drop. It started to fall shortly after the House voted today.

Gee, I thought this bill was supposed to send a message to the markets.

C/P: United Liberty

Posted by Jason at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

"Capitalism without loss is like religion without hell." - Dan Mitchell, Senior Fellow from the Cato Institute

Open Market has twelve articles, stories and papers that show how government created the mess we're in. The articles target everything from how Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae created an artificial housing boom to how populism has exacerbated the problems to problems with the Community Reinvestment Act to how government intervention will only make things worse.

Each and every article is a must read.

Also, check out this video from the Cato Institute on the bailout:

Posted by Jason at 04:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is the first campaign ad from Bob Barr:

Posted by Jason at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is video of the O'Reilly/Frank argument from last night:

Posted by Jason at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I don't know if I'll be able to follow what is going in the House today. I've heard the pressure on House members that voted against the bailout on Monday.

Word is that John Lewis and David Scott will switch and vote for the bailout. Only 13 Congressmen need to switch in order for it to pass. WSB says that the votes are there.

Kingston remains against the proposal. The same with Westmoreland. I've heard that Paul Broun is leaning against it.

If you know how you Congressman is voting, please leave it in the comments.

[12:28pm] Dave over at Reason has a short list of vote-switchers.

[12:29pm] The Hill is keeping a tab as well.

[3:04pm] As you probably know, the bailout passed the House 263 to 171. Here is the roll call vote. Four Congressmen from Georgia voted for it (Bishop, Lewis, Marshall and Scott).

[3:07pm] Bush has already signed it into law.

Posted by Jason at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

The Atlanta Press Club has released its fall debate schedule.

I'll record as many as a I can and post them here.

H/T: Georgia Politics Unfiltered

Posted by Jason at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Given the fact that Sen. Saxby Chambliss has now dropped to under 50% in the polls, it seems there is a chance that he may face a runoff. I cast my vote for Allen Buckley in the general election. Several people I know who are typically solid Republican voters are either voting for Buckley or Jim Martin. I've gotten a ton of requests for Buckley signs and bumpers stickers over the last couple days.

If this race goes that route, I will vote against Chambliss. If Jim Martin is his opponent in a runoff, then so be it.

Just so you know, I voted for Sandy Thomas, the Libertarian nominee, in 2002.

Posted by Jason at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The House will take up the bailout today. The Senate passed it Wednesday after stuffing it with "sweeteners" and pork that caused the measure to increase from $700 billion to $812 billion:

The special provisions include tax breaks for:

* Manufacturers of kids' wooden arrows - $6 million.
* Puerto Rican and Virgin Is- lands rum producers - $192 million.
* Wool research.
* Auto-racing tracks - $128 million.
* Corporations operating in American Samoa - $33 million.
* Small- to medium-budget film and television productions - $10 million.

Another measure inserted into the bill appears to be a bald-faced bid aimed at winning the support of Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who voted against the original version when it went down in flames in the House on Monday.

That provision - a $223 million package of tax benefits for fishermen and others whose livelihoods suffered as a result of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill - has been the subject of fervent lobbying by Alaska's congressional delegation.

Some of the pork-barrel measures buried in the financial rescue package had been contained in a bill that previously passed the Senate, but died in the House.

The Congressional Budget Office said the package of breaks - including obvious pork and some more defensible tax-relief measures - will add about $112 billion to budget deficits over the next five years because the bill doesn't contain enough offsetting revenue hikes to keep the budget balanced.

Posted by Jason at 06:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The Georgia Public Policy Foundation has launched a new website that provides transparency in school spending around the state. You can find the site at reports.gppf.org.

Here is the story on the site from WSB-TV:

Posted by Jason at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight is the vice-presidential between Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE). The debate will be moderated by Gwen Ifill.

Live-blogging begins at 8pm.

Posted by Jason at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I heard about this yesterday afternoon when someone e-mailed me an Insider Advantage article, but with the bailout bill begin voted on it in the Senate, it sort of got pushed to the side.

Legislators will give up their personal pork projects, referred to as “Local Assistance Grants,” in January due to the budget shortfall:

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson issued separate statements Wednesday announcing the fate of the grants, mostly for school systems and local governments. The items are pet projects of lawmakers who select them for inclusion in the budget package.

"As we face a significant budget shortfall in our state, the Senate is working to identify essential government spending, prioritize that spending and find further efficiencies," Cagle said. "Local assistance grants should not be exempt from consideration, and I look forward to working with senators on this issue."
[…]
While communities are counting on them, both Cagle and Richardson said the state can’t afford them right now.

"Although local assistance grants are important to local communities, we cannot ignore the budget shortfall and must hold back this money until January when we will re-prioritize based on the limited resources available." Richardson said.

I like what State Sen. Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) said about the grants, "I believe that we should eliminate all of them. The critical needs of the people of Georgia should come first. These are 'wants' and not 'needs'.”

The move is largely symbolic. These grants, which are not the only pork in the budget, should be eliminated. They are things that either should be funded by local government or provided by the private sector. They are used by legislators to say to constituents that they are bringing home the bacon.

I have no doubt that once the economy recovers LAGs will make their way back into the budget. If they do, leadership in both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly should provide greater transparency to taxpayers as to which legislator is requesting the LAG.

Taxpayers deserve no less than to know how their money is being spent and who is spending it.

You can read some about the pork in the budget here and here.

Posted by Jason at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is the e-mail I received this morning from Chambliss' office. He attempts to justify why he voted for the bailout and why it is not the same as the original proposal. In actuality, it is different from Paulson's original proposal. But, socialism is socialism, know matter what color you paint it.

I really hope Westmoreland stands firm again and rejects this massive government intervention. A friend summarized the situation really well though, "You can't count on the House to keep doing the right thing."

Below is the letter I received.

Dear Mr. Larosa :

Thank you for contacting me regarding the turmoil in our financial markets and the actions taken by the United States Treasury as they pertain to several leading financial institutions. It is good to hear from you.

This is the most serious and critical domestic issue I have dealt with in my 14 years in Congress. We have been betrayed by many people and by abuse of the system. Now we have two significant choices to make - do nothing or take action.

I strongly believe that doing nothing will destroy the financial security of millions of Americans and possibly lead us into a depression. I just as strongly believe the bill as now negotiated will arrest the crisis and begin to turn our economy around.

The bill that I voted for is not a bailout. H.R. 1424, "The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act," is crafted to address the crisis; restore security for the American taxpayer; and return our nation to the strongest economic power in the world. And in the process this bill enables us to root out and punish those who cheated us all.

I know that my vote in favor of this package was not the politically popular thing to do, but this is not a popularity contest. This is about the future of our country and the future that my children and grandchildren will inherit. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind or my heart that my vote in support of this measure was the right thing for our economy, for Georgians, and for our country.

My first reaction was one of anger and frustration. How could this happen in the strongest economy in the world? How could the best financial system in the world fail? After calming down, I realized the seriousness of the situation and the consequences of Congress failing to act.

The Treasury Department submitted a proposal to Congress requesting authority to purchase troubled assets from financial institutions. This program was intended to address the root cause of the market stresses by removing these assets from the financial system.

I did not support the original proposal submitted by the Administration because it did not address the critical needs of the American taxpayer, community banks, retirees, and small businesses and it concentrated too much power in a small group to administer the plan.

As the conversations in Washington and across the nation continued over how to address the challenge before us and as the details of the problems in our financial sector were revealed daily, I became convinced that something had to be done and done soon.

Moreover, when the House rejected the plan, the economy suffered a $1.2 trillion dollar blow in the stock market, which only made more apparent the impact this credit crunch is having on Main Street . Specifically, in some cases, Georgia community banks are unable to make auto loans.

Below are details of the legislation:

TAXPAYERS ARE PROTECTED. In its current form, the legislation before the Senate protects taxpayers in many ways. Accountability, safeguards, and oversight measures are numerous. There will be transparency, public reports, and triggers to end the program if, for some reason, it is not effective or end the program early if it is more successful. Moreover, I worked to negotiate a mechanism to stop all transfers of taxpayer funds if necessary. That said , I believe this legislation will be effective.

NOT A BLANK CHECK. I opposed the President's initial request to simply give a blank check to Secretary Paulson. I also opposed the second version submitted by the President and Congressional Democrats that would have given taxpayer money to liberal groups such as ACORN. Let me be clear - this current bill, the bill in the Senate, is not a blank check for anyone. First, it allows the release of $250 billion to purchase these toxic loans. Then, Congress can release another $100 billion but only with Presidential involvement and certification that it is necessary. And only if absolutely necessary and again with Presidential certification and Congressional approval, the remaining $350 billion could be released. However, I do not believe the entire $700 billion authorized will be necessary or used.

NO GOLDEN PARACHUTES. CEOs and other executive officers who drove their companies into the ground will not be able to walk away with millions leaving taxpayers holding the bill. Those companies that choose to participate in the program will be subject to strict compensation limits.

NO NEW GOVERNMENT SPENDING. The language is clear - all revenue generated through the repayment of any assets purchased and any sold must be used to pay down the national debt. No money will go to pork projects, new government spending, or liberal groups such as ACORN.

HELP FOR MAIN STREET . As this crisis continues, community banks are being affected more and more. Car loans and home loans, even to those with good credit, are drying up. People are losing their retirement savings. Small businesses are now having difficulty getting loans to make payroll or grow their business to create new jobs. If we allow this to continue, jobs will be lost, more retirement accounts will be impacted, and credit will get even tighter.

PUNISH CRIMINALS. The Federal Government is actively investigating cases of fraud and abuse. Where wrongdoing is found, the perpetrators, including, if implicated, members of Congress will be brought to justice. We have already seen subpoenas issued for records at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This bill demands cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and I expect we will see more subpoenas and criminal prosecution.

ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CAUSE WHILE WE TREAT THE SYMPTOMS. We are seeing the symptoms now - lack of trust in the banking industry, daily tightening of the credit markets, losses in personal retirement accounts - and while this legislation addresses those issues, it also goes further to treat the cancer that got us here. This legislation authorizes the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to modify the 'mark to market' accounting procedures that magnified this crisis by forcing banks to mark down the value of assets they had no intention of selling in the near future. This mark down of value caused a corresponding loss of value to the institutions. The SEC has already begun the process to modify this procedure.

RETURN TRUST IN THE BANKS. By increasing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) protection on bank accounts from the current $100,000 to $250,000, taxpayers and bank customers can once again trust that their money is safe in the bank of their choice.

DEBT REPAYMENT. Toxic loans will be purchased at a discount and 100% of the monies repaid to the government will go to reduce the debt we incur in this process. While we shouldn't expect full repayment, it is possible that all of the money expended will be repaid.

PROTECT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. If we do not act and this crisis spreads like a cancer to every segment of our economy, it will destroy not only taxpayer savings but it will erode our ability to fund our military, supply our troops with the resources they need, and protect our homeland.

NO TIME FOR POLITICAL FINGER POINTING. There is plenty of blame to go around but now is not the time to throw stones, now is the time to address this crisis and get our economy moving again.

FOR THE COUNTRY; NOT POLITICAL POPULARITY. This is not a popularity contest, this is a crisis. And since this crisis began, I have had numerous conversations with economists, community bankers, small business owners, and taxpayers. I have weighed the costs of inaction versus the costs of unpopular action. I support this bill because it is good for the country, it is the right thing to do today for taxpayers and tomorrow for my children and grandchildren, and it is necessary to get our economy moving again.

Strong capital markets are vital to a prosperous U.S. economy and given the renewed focus of our regulators and market participants, I remain confident in our financial markets and our overall economy.

However, history warns us against inaction by hard lessons learned. Delaying to act would be a repeat of the mistakes of the 1920s, when thousands of banks failed before significant confidence was restored to our financial markets.

If you would like to receive timely email alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, please sign up via my web site at: www.chambliss.senate.gov . Please let me know whenever I may be of assistance.

Posted by Ryan Larosa at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) received 91,000 calls and e-mails on the bailout. She says that 85,000 (93% of callers) were opposed to the measure. She voted against them last night and said they were confused and that they "don't understand" the situtation.

Senators have been responsible to the people since 1913, They are our the direct representatives.What is the good in calling to voice an opinion, especially so overwhelmingly, when it will just be ignored?

H/T: United Liberty

Posted by Jason at 06:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Sarah Palin doesn't make any sense:

COURIC: Why, in your view, is Roe v. Wade a bad decision?

PALIN: I think it should be a states issue not a federal government-mandated, mandating yes or no on such an important issue. I’m, in that sense, a federalist, where I believe that states should have more say in the laws of their lands and individual areas. Now, foundationally, also, though, it’s no secret that I’m pro-life that I believe in a culture of life is very important for this country. Personally that’s what I would like to see, um, further embraced by America.

COURIC: Do you think there’s an inherent right to privacy in the Constitution?

PALIN: I do. Yeah, I do.

COURIC: The cornerstone of Roe v. Wade.

PALIN: I do. And I believe that individual states can best handle what the people within the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see their will ushered in an issue like that.

Palin says she believes that there is an inherent right to privacy in the Constitution (which happens to be something that most conservative critics of Roe v. Wade disagree with vehemently), and then she says that this Constitutional right is something best handled by the states ?

If you’re shaking your head at that one, I’m right there with you.

Of course, Palin’s seeming endorsement of a right to privacy will probably end up being dismissed as another example of “gotcha” journalism, just like her endorsement of unrestricted warfare inside Pakistan.

The other extraordinary part to me is that Palin couldn’t name a single Supreme Court decision other than Roe that she thought was wrongly decided. Is she serious ? Heck, I can name six such decisions off the top of my head without even thinking about it.

She can’t name one ? And even when she does she claims to support the very idea that made it possible, only to suggest that a Constitutional right is subject to interpretation by the states ?

Republicans need to stop being so dismissive of the criticism directed at Palin. There is merit to much of it. I can agree that her family has no place in the discussion, but her actions as Governor, political positions, lack of knowledge on issues and policy and her outright bizarre interviews are completely relevant.

Posted by Jason at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The Senate will vote on the $700 billion bailout for Wall Street today:

Senate leaders scheduled a Wednesday vote on a $700 billion financial bailout package after accepting tax breaks and a higher limit for insured bank deposits in a bid to win House approval and send legislation to President Bush by the end of the week.

Top lawmakers said the Senate proposal, worked out after a day of behind the scenes maneuvering, would include tax breaks for businesses and alternative energy and higher government insurance for bank deposits.

CALL YOUR SENATOR AND TELL THEM TO VOTE AGAINST THIS PLAN:
- Sen. Saxby Chambliss: (202) 224-3521
- Sen. Johnny Isakson: (202) 224-3643

By the way, Sen. Chambliss, loans are still being approved. Stop making excuses, protect the taxpayer and vote against this bailout.

[12:29pm] Isakson will vote for the bailout.

[5:23pm] Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is giving an impassioned speak on the floor against the bailout. He says he isn't convinced that the economy is in trouble if a bailout isn't passed. He says intervention will make things worse and Congress has caused our current situation, not capitalism.

[5:25pm] DeMint: "Congress is being dishonest and arrogant."

[5:28pm] Sen. Bernie Sanders ("I"-VT), an self-described socialist, is speaking against the bailout.

[5:30pm] Sanders blames deregulation.

[5:35pm] Socialist Sanders is playing the class-warfare game.

[5:45pm] Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), the leading recipient of campaign contributions from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, was just on the floor after Sen. Sanders.

[5:46pm] Sen. Jeff Session (R-AL): "I'm not gonna vote for the thing."

[6:03pm] I had to take a break to wash dishes.

[6:04pm] Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) is discussing the bailout. He is voting for it.

[6:07pm] He really believes the government will make money off this.

[6:10pm] Sen. Domenici doesn't understand precedent. The actions taken by this Congress will be used in the future.

[6:11pm] Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is up next. He is preaching doom and gloom.

[6:12pm] Sen. Menendez says the American dream is in danger.

[6:16pm] Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) is speaking now. He says legislation put together in a back room isn't going to fix the problem.

[6:30pm] Shelby: "[This bill] does nothing for ordinary Americans."

[6:32pm] Shelby cites concerns about the rush for action.

[6:33pm] Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) says the bill rewards banks.

[6:34pm] Nelson's issue is with the CEO pay provision. He also blames Wall Street CEOs for the crisis.

[6:36pm] Nelson wants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to refinance loans on their books.

[6:37pm] Here is a copy of the bailout bill. It went from six pages to 451 pages.

[6:38pm] Nelson will not vote for the bailout.

[6:39pm] Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is up next. I really hope this guy loses re-election.

[6:43pm] Graham is preaching doom and gloom as well. He says we could face a depression.

[6:48pm] Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): "Obviously, there's an extraordinary amount of anger here."

[6:49pm] Kerry also blames the free market.

[6:53pm] Kerry also believes taxpayers will get their money back.

[6:58pm] Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) supports the bailout.

[7:02pm] I just don't like Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). She supports the bill.

[7:05pm] Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) says Congress fails if it doesn't act.

[7:07pm] I am so tired of hearing the phrase "Main Street."

[7:09pm] Neal McCluskey at Cato@Liberty says the market isn't to blame.

[7:12pm] Gregg says that any revenue made from the bailout will go to the national debt. First, you have to believe they'll make money off this. That is unlikely. If it does make money, do you really believe it'll go to pay off the national debt?

[7:16pm] Gregg says the country will experience "a great period of trauma" if the bailout isn't passed.

[7:17pm] In 1930, Congress passed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act as somewhat of a response to declining labor markets. The unemployment rate dramatically increased from 7.8% in 1930 to 16.3% in 1931. It is generally regarded as one of the main causes of the Great Depression.

[7:34pm] The Senate is taking up another bill. Members of Congress are still getting calls on the bailout. From what I've heard the calls are still overwhelmingly against the bill.

[7:37pm] We've lost Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ).

[8:50pm] Back to the bailout. Sen. Bernie Sanders is proposing an amendment.

[8:52pm] The amendment offered by Sanders was defeated.

[8:58pm] I tense up whenever I hear the word "bi-partisan."

[9:00pm] The United States Senate is supposed to be the "World's Greatest Deliberative Body." It should from this point forward be known as the "World's Largest Circle Jerk." I can't believe what Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) just said.

[9:04pm] Reid is giving a speech repeating over and over the word I hate..."bi-partisan."

[9:08pm] The Senate is voting on the bailout.

[9:25pm] The bailout has passed the Senate by a vote of 73 to 25. I'm working on list of who voted against it.

[9:34pm] The 25 Senators that voted against the bailout: Wayne Allard (R-CO), Barrasso (R-WY), Jim Bunning (R-KY), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim DeMint (R-SC), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), David Vitter (R-LA), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Wyden (D-OR).

[9:37pm] Tom Coburn (R-OK) voted for the bailout. Wow. His credibility just went out the door with me.

[9:39pm] Chambliss and Isakson voted for the bailout. No surprise there though.

[9:53pm] Twelve possible votes for the bailout that originally voted for it.

[9:54pm] The House will take the bailout up on Friday.

[10:07pm] Here is the roll call vote.

Posted by Jason at 05:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

Bob Barr debates McCain and Obama...sort of:

The counter-debate was put together by Reason.

Posted by Jason at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Congress has bailed out out RomneyCare at a cost of $4.3 billion:

Massachusetts received the Bush administration’s seal of approval for its universal health care plan on Tuesday when it reached agreement with federal officials on financing a three-year continuation of the landmark experiment.

Gov. Deval Patrick announced in Boston that the state and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had negotiated the extension of a waiver that enables federal financial support for the state’s subsidized coverage plan. The agreement will allow the state to spend up to $21.2 billion on the program over the next three years, an increase of $4.3 billion over the initial three-year period.
[...]
The plan’s rapid growth has generated fiscal pressures. The legislature and Mr. Patrick filled a health care spending gap that approached $200 million for this fiscal year by increasing the tobacco tax by $1 a pack, levying one-time assessments on insurers and hospitals, and raising more money from businesses that do not contribute to their employees’ insurance. The state expects to spend $869 million on subsidized coverage this year.

Posted by Jason at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

George Will says Palin was a bad choice:

Appearing at a Senate Press Secretaries Association reception at the Cornerstone Government Affairs office, Will offered a harsh assessment of John McCain's running mate.

Palin is "obviously not qualified to be President," he remarked, describing her interview on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric as a "disaster."
[..]
Last week, Kathleen Parker of the National Review penned a column calling on the Alaska Governor to be dropped from the ticket. New York Time's columnist David Brooks and former Bush speechwriter David Frum have also expressed their doubts about Palin's capacity for the vice presidential post.

H/T: Below the Beltway

Posted by Jason at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)