Thursday, April 16, 2009
Greene gets Honor.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Response from David Poythress.
Former Adjutant General David Poythress, a Democrat running for governor, said, “Casey Cagle would have been a formidable opponent in the general election but we all know that state-wide political campaigns can be volatile. Candidates may come and go, but I’m in the governor’s race until the last vote is counted and expect to be the next governor of Georgia.”
Former Gov. Roy Barnes, another likely candidate for governor, was unavailable for comment.
GOP Dominoes are starting to fall.
House Majority Leader Jerry Keen of St. Simons Island, who had passed on the governor’s race months ago, has just scheduled a 10 a.m. Thursday press conference in the state capitol.
Word from the Sam Olens camp is that the withdrawal of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle makes it far more likely that the Cobb County Commission chairman will enter the 2010 Republican race for governor next week.
Cagle Quitting Governor's Race
Barnes has early lead among dems: Cagle leads GOP FIELD.
Q: If the Republican primary for governor in 2010 were being held today, who would you vote for if the choices were:
Casey Cagle (28%)
John Oxendine (14%)
Karen Handle (6%)
Austin Scott (4%)
Sam Olens (2%)
Undecided/No opinion (46%)
The poll was conducted April 13 by InsiderAdvantage among 650 registered voters, for a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6%. Respondents were screened for whether they would vote in the Republican or Democratic primaries. All data have been weighted for age, race, gender and political affiliation.
Q: If you were voting in the Democratic primary, who would you vote for if the choices were:
Roy Barnes (35%)
Thurbert Baker (11%)
Dubose Porter (3%)
David Poythress (2%)
Undecided/No opinion (49%)
This question was conducted among 490 registered voters, for a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.
Among Republicans, Cagle’s stature as lieutenant governor clearly boosts him ahead of his nearest rival, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine. All the more is Cagle boosted by whatever statewide publicity was generated by the recent regular session of the General Assembly.
One might doubt how prominent the legislature’s recent activities made Cagle, but the mystery is lifted somewhat when it’s considered that nearly half of the poll respondents have yet to decide. That means that despite Cagle’s statistical two-to-one lead, the race for the GOP nomination for governor is wide open as the bell rings to get it underway.
Karen Handel earns her 6% largely from the name ID she has in her native Fulton County and environs. Whether top-level support will boost her into serious contention remains to be seen.
On the Democratic side, Roy Barnes’ decision whether to run is the wheel that is turning the cart of the 2010 governor’s race. He has far more name ID than any Democrat or Republican running, and it shows in his numbers. Were he to run, he would be the clear favorite on the Democratic side. The only negative for him is that half of the respondents were unwilling to commit to him – or anyone – despite the knowledge of Barnes they have from his four years as governor.
Thurbert Baker’s chances would seem to hinge on cobbling together a coalition of black voters and those unhappy with Barnes. But black voters, like white and other ones, aren’t paying much attention to the race right now. If and when the time comes, Baker’s race will become more widely known among blacks, and his percentage of the vote would rise correspondingly. If Barnes does not run, Baker could dramatically become the favorite, thanks largely to the huge proportion of blacks that make up the Democratic electorate in this state.
The minimal early support shown for Dubose Porter and David Poythress say less about their qualifications than it does about the relative obscurity that lesser state officials operate under. If Barnes does not run, Porter and Poythress could probably be expected to split the white vote, potentially leaving Baker victorious in the primary.
Marshall: Getting an education is a service to one's country.
MOULTRIE — U.S. Representative Jim Marshall told a packed house of students at Withers Auditorium Tuesday about the value of education and service. His theme was to not drop out of school — that getting an education is actually a service to the country as well as one’s self.
Marshall told the group of high school freshmen and sophomores he realized the need to speak with high school students about education and service about three weeks ago. It was then his son, Robert, said he wanted to join the U.S. Army and get into the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When he was a senior in high school, Marshall said he almost went to West Point Academy to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. His father, however, told him not to enroll there if he did not want a career in the military, which he explained to Robert and looked at all of his options.
It was because of that decision that Marshall went instead to Princeton University but did join the U.S. Army while there, serving a tour in Vietnam, he said. It was the decision then after the talk with his own son that Marshall knew he had to speak to his young constituents about their future.
“I couldn’t say at 17 what I would do with the rest of my life,” Marshall said.
Taking the lead from President Barack Obama, Marshall said he found education was the most important issue Obama discussed in his State of the Union address. He believed, like the president, that students need to stay in school, which is beneficial to both the student and the country.
“You’ve got a lot of decisions to make,” Marshall said, “but it’s a big mistake to drop out. You should see this all the way through. It’s not only a failure to yourself but to your country to drop out.”
Along with obtaining an education, Marshall told the students it is also very important to find a way to serve others, whether it be in the military or other avenues. It was through his own military service that Marshall learned about himself and that there is much more out there than what he wanted for just himself, which he passed on to the students.
“It’s not really a me, me, me world,” Marshall said. “What’s important is how people view you. It starts with not dropping out & embracing the idael of service.
After speaking to the students, the students were given a chance to ask Marshall questions, and he received a wide variety of requests. Several students asked him about his political career, including his salary, and about serving in the military, should they decide to enlist.
One student asked Marshall about his position on Iraq and how he felt about talking to students about joining the military and going to war. He said he went to Vietnam voluntarily because he felt it was what he needed to do, and he feels the same way about his son. He would not want his son, or any young person, to get involved in something if he did not think it was a worthwhile cause, he said.
“If democracy doesn’t have the support of its youth and are willing to serve,” Marshall said, “it won’t last.”
One student asked Marshall about our society becoming socialist because more and more people are supporting that kind of move. Marshall said the U.S. will never became a socialist country because history has shown that type of society and economy does not work.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Longtime Dublin resident to seek Porter's House 143 seat.
Warnock, 40, has been practicing law in Dublin since 1997.
After more than a decade as an attorney, Warnock said he felt like now was the time to broaden his ability to help others.
I just think there are too many things that are wrong, he said. It seems like the legislature and representatives forget who they work for. Number one, I like advocating for my clients as an attorney. (And) I feel like I can advocate for our residents in Atlanta, and exercise the same good judgment and common sense.
The list of potential candidates is expected to grow in the coming weeks and months, with several prominent Dubliners still debating runs for the soon to be vacant seat
Many of the issues in these types of cases, such as healthcare, transportation, education and jobs, are the kind that the citizens of our district will face, Warnock said. My experience with these issues will serve our district well.
According to the release, he has extensive courtroom experience and represents clients in both state and federal courts. His practice includes contract disputes, insurance claims, property disputes and acquisitions.
Warnock graduated from Charlton County High School. He received a B.B.A. in Finance from Georgia Southern University prior to obtaining his Juris Doctorate from Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University.
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With degrees in finance and law I am equipped to represent our district, and I will be a faithful steward of our taxpayers dollars during these tough economic times, Warnock said. I intend to use my skills as a lawyer to stand up for the needs of all the citizens of our district.
In 2007, Warnock was elected to the State Bar Board of Governors by members of the Dublin Circuit Bar Association where he served as a delegate. He currently serves as the President of the Dublin Circuit Bar Association.
My work ethic is recognized state wide, and I intend to continue that same dedication as a representative. I'm asking for your support and help in becoming your next State Representative with a promise that I will stand up for District 143.”
Warnock is the son of Barbara and Charles M. Warnock. He and his wife, Karen Carswell Warnock, attend Pine Forest United Methodist Church.
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