Rumors have it that since the Democrats have failed to regain the State Senate AND lost the House last night, State Democratic Party Chairman Bobby Kahn is feeling just a wee bit depressed.

But, there is still one election that he is keenly interested in that both he and former governor Roy Barnes have a political and a personal interest in: the run-off election for Court of Appeals on November 23 between Debra Bernes and Howard Mead.

We have previously discussed the qualifications of the court of appeals' candidates (Why Howard Mead is Completely Wrong for This Position).

We can now update that report with the news that, in-between the time of his September 30 disclosure and his October 25 disclosure, Mead has put in an additional $1.3 million of his own money into the race. This makes a total of $2.3 million of Mead's own money that he has shoved into his own judicial race. This means that of the $2.7 million total that Mead has raised, he has personally financed his campaign to the tune of 85% of the total.

Not only has Mead financed his own campaign, but illustrious Democrats like Roy Barnes and Bobby Kahn have also shoved personal and business funds Mead's way.

Barnes, through himself and his Barnes Law Firm, has given $26,000 to Mead, maxing-out on the primary, general and run-off. Kahn, through his wife and himself, has given $20,000 to Mead. If Bobby Kahn decides to financially help Mead in this runoff, between him and his wife, he could give Mead a total of $6000 more.

On Monday, November 1, Mead got Roy Barnes to make phone calls to Atlanta voters claiming that the Republicans were looking to takeover the judiciary and that everyone should vote for Mead. That was the first time that Mead officially designated himself as the liberal democratic hack that he is.

So far, Debra Bernes has never injected politics into this race because it is supposed to be a non-partisan, non-political race. Roy Barnes, Bobby Kahn, and Howard Mead have no intention of leaving politics out of this race. Since Mead is stupid enough to inject politics into this race, we will as well, except in a much smarter manner.

The GOP has just taken over the State House and maintained control of the State Senate. We have the Governorship. Now, while there will be much fanfare about the new conservative agenda being promulgated in the next session, the fact is that while all sorts of laws can be passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor, these laws will be tested in the courts. And, the losers in the lower courts will file to the Court of Appeals for relief. These are matters that run the legal gamut of civil and criminal law.

We make this recommendation to those legislators who have a desire to see their laws, and the interpretation of their laws, to remain as being guided by the Rule of Law. Simply put, if you allow a non-qualified, Democrat political hack like Howard Mead to get elected without helping prevent it, then you prove to us (and everyone) that you really have no concept of what your role is as an elected legislator.

In fact, over the next few days, we will be reviewing the campaign coffers of every elected conservative to see how much cash-on-hand is left in your kitty. If, say, you're like Senator Eric Johnson, who had something like $300,000 plus of cash on hand as of September 30 or Senator David Shafer who had in the neighborhood of $130,000 on October 25, and you do not see the point of cutting a check for $3000 to send to the Bernes' campaign to help her get out her message in the run-off, then we will interpret that to be a direct endorsement of Howard Mead for the Court of Appeals. And, as well, a direct act that supports the agenda of Roy Barnes and Bobby Kahn.

For that matter, there are several members of Congress in this state who, we know from reviewing their disclosures, have more than enough personal finances to max-out to Bernes in the run-off. You folks live in this state too...do your part to help prevent a disaster like Mead getting elected to the Court of Appeals.

Yes, you state legislators now have the House, the Senate, and the Governor's Mansion. If you want to make sure that everything you pass gets a fair hearing before the court system, then you better make sure Debra Bernes is the candidate elected to the Court of Appeals. No promises that she will interpret the law according to your personal wishes, but, at the very minimum, she will examine and interpret the law according to the Rule of Law and the Constitution, which is the best any American should wish.

Howard Mead will take direction from Bobby Kahn and Roy Barnes if he is elected because he has ZERO qualifications to be a judge. He has never litigated in court. He has never written an appellate court brief (Bernes has written 400 of them). Mead has never served as an Assistant District Attorney, and Bernes has for 20 years. Mead has no Website that presents any of his legal accomplishments while Debra Bernes has enough and then some.

The differences between the two candidates are that different and the importance of this run-off is this clear-cut.

This is Bernes' campaign contact info. Get off your euphoric high and write checks (and, we don't mean no $300 ones...max-out if you can...$3000 for the run-off and $5000 for the general to help her pay-off personal debt), call your supporters and make sure they get out and vote on November 23...and help make sure Bobby Kahn doesn't experience one happy day this election year.