Political Vine: The Insider's Source on Georgia Politics

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41 Responses to “Open Blogging Opportunity!”

1. John Konop Says:
   November 3rd, 2006 at 5:03 pm

   Why We Have Bad Elected Officials

   As many of you know I ran as a challenger to Tom Price in the Republican primary for U.S. Congress. I ran because I thought Congress has sold us out to the lobbyist money changers in Washington.

   I brought up issues about my opponent Tom Price like run away spending and Trade deals that promote illegal immigration, off shoring of jobs and disregard of our Constitution.

   My family and I where treated like dogs by some Party leaders and members because I spoke up against an incumbent.

   You would think the Party leaders would stop attacking my family and I with baseless lies. I will not repeat the numerous comments made toward my wife and kids, but your imagination could not take you to such a hateful place.

   C.C, Republican Party Executive Committee Member Conrad Quagliaroli has launched another baseless attack at me. The latest was an e-mail blasted around Cherokee County that says “TOM PRICE for Congress”. “Don’t believe the lies John Konop spread about him during the primary”…

   Conrad has no facts as usual to point out what I said that was not true. All Conrad and some Party leaders are doing are abusing their power to intimidate us who dare speak up while they cozy up to the politicians that are destroying our Country.

   http://controlcongress.com/uncategorized/why-we-have-bad-elected-officials

2. bill Says:
   November 4th, 2006 at 6:40 am

   John
   I’ve got a great idea for controlcongress.com. Every once in a while you could have an open blogging opportunity where people could say whatever.

3. John Konop Says:
   November 4th, 2006 at 6:54 am

   Good Idea

4. bill Says:
   November 4th, 2006 at 6:59 am

   Thanks. I came up with that one myself.

5. bill Says:
   November 4th, 2006 at 7:35 am

   John
   Sounds like you’re getting attacked by some “top down” conservatives. Same crowd probably mistakes any criticism of corporations with communism, or thinks Republicans and conservatism are one in the same, or attacks on the Christian Coalition are an attack on Chritianity. I’m glad I’m not locked in with any of that stuff. And I don’t think I’ve ever voted Democrat either.

6. Daniel N Adams Says:
   November 4th, 2006 at 11:18 am

   mirrored on jasonpye.com:

   Polls show 56% say the Nation is off on the wrong track, 57% disapprove of Bush’s job performance, 63% disapprove of Bush’s handling of Iraq and the Congress approval rating is only 29%.

   Anytime in history, if you saw numbers like these, one would expect every incumbent seat to be vulnerable. You would also expect to see the rise of a third or independent party. But poll after poll has said the same old same old, the conservatives are going to vote for the Republican Party candidate and the liberals are going to vote for the Democratic Party candidate. I couldn’t figure out what was going on.

   Then I saw the Strategic Vision polls. Especially the results of this one question: “12. Do you expect another terrorist attack within the United States in the next six months?” The results blew me away. Americans are afraid, they’re really afraid! Over 71% on average said “Yes.” Damn, I thought most were like me when we saw every news station wasting hours of TV time showing still camera shots of an unclaimed “mysterious” hand bag left beside a bench seat in an airport lobby while every pseudo terrorist expert made unconfirmed comments and other speculations. Only to find out it was just some absent minded persons pocket book. “What a bunch of idiots” I would think to myself. But according to this poll’s number most Americans were glued to their couches, eyes bugged out, expecting any minute that this hand bag was going to somehow come through the TV screen and GET’EM! (BOO!).

   Also, according to this poll, only 13% on average didn’t believe that it was likely there would be another terrorist attack in the US in the next 6 months. Well, my fellow libertarians, I hate to say this, but I am beginning to believe that this number also represents our ceiling. No matter how charismatic or filled with great ideas our candidate is, that’s it, 13%. That’s the best we can hope for, unless the people out there get angrier than they are afraid. Who would’a thunk, terrorism seems to actually be a viable political tactic in America.

   I really hope I’m completely wrong about this and the era of big government stops getting bigger.

7. Brad F Says:
   November 4th, 2006 at 1:29 pm

   Things have gone crazy in the Public Service Commission 5th district statewide Race

   The AARP excluded Libertarian candidates from their voter’s guide.
   http://www.aarp.org/issues/state_elections/race_display.html?race_id=7398
   They also left us out of their Candidate Forum Oct 20th, Specifically “Libertarian Kevin Cherry was not invited…”
   http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news756598.html

   The Cherry Campaign responded with a press release and story in a local paper on Oct 25th
   http://www.neighbornewspapers.com/articles/2006/10/25/318/10235570.txt
   http://cherryforpsc.com/joomla/libertarian-kevin-cherry-responds-to-aarp-questionnaire.html

   Cherry then turned on the Republican’s platform touting $1Billion in reduced electric rates.
   http://cherryforpsc.com/joomla/stan-wise-the-big-lie-1-billion-claim-discredited.html

   The AARP responded to the Cherry Campaign asking them to change their website to say Randolph wasn’t a lobbyist.
   The Cherry Campaign responded on Thursday with this press release to prove she is still a lobbyist, and that she keeps plagerizing his campaign.
   http://cherryforpsc.com/joomla/aarp-wants-cherry-campaign-to-retract-statement.html
   ***At the time this press release went out, The events described in the Saturday AJC article below happened***

   Friday Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) Stan Wise says he doesn’t have to defend his record against someone who would campaign at gay pride and pose for pictures with bare-breasted women.
   http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2006/11/02/1103metpsc.html

   Last paragraph in Southern Voice on Friday says that in the group formerly known as the Georgia Christian Coalition’s Voter Guide, Cherry is the only candidate who supported gay rights with support for domestic partnerships
   http://www.sovo.com/2006/11-3/news/localnews/localnews.cfm

   Saturday in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) The story of how the Stan Wise campaign sent the barebreasted women photo to elementary schools across the state of Georgia. said his young staff member was disciplined…
   Oh and that people should know what kind of clowns are on the ballot.
   http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2006/11/03/1104metnotebook.html

   Saturday on the Cherry Site Cherry campaign unveils a “Stick it to Stan” voodoo doll.
   http://cherryforpsc.com/joomla/psc-campaign-resorts-to-stan-wise-voodoo-doll.html

8. Josh Says:
   November 4th, 2006 at 9:33 pm

   Anybody know where I can get some good popcorn?

9. bill Says:
   November 5th, 2006 at 10:59 am

   Bill S.
   I had wonna dem der deep thoughts and I figured this was the place:

   How come they put staircases in construction cranes?

10. bill Says:
    November 5th, 2006 at 1:17 pm

    Bill S.
    I’ve located a video which shows the horrors of genetically modified corn. This is why I might vote for Tommy Irvin. (played by Ultraman) http://youtube.com/watch?v=6LOizZpJNVA

11. Loren Collins Says:
    November 5th, 2006 at 5:53 pm

    Loren Collins here, conservative-libertarian write-in candidate for Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District.

    Seeing John here, I thought I’d mention that he had me on his show just yesterday. You can listen to the show here: http://mywebpages.comcast.
    net/eeevilc/Ee
    evil_11_04_2006.asf . I’ve even written some follow-up on my blog. My thanks to John for the opportunity.

    So if you’re in Cynthia McKinney’s district, and you want to vote for someone other than Hank Johnson or Catherine Davis, then please write my name in on Tuesday. And if you know anyone else in the Fourth District, then please help me in my last minute push, and spread the word to others.

    Thanks.

    http://www.VoteLoren.com

12. David Says:
    November 5th, 2006 at 8:42 pm

    In an issue not related to feuding Republicans, wasn’t it nice to hear that Democrat lawyer Ramsey Clark called the Saddam trail and verdict a “travesty?” And you wonder why the Dems are thought of as soft on national security. Simply unbelievable!! To those of you who will comment that he was doing his job defending his client, I’ll say he never should have been defending a known butchering son of a bitch like that in the first place! Dems never met a dictator they didn’t love! Krushchev, Gorbachev, Castro, Saddam, Kim Jung Ill, Chavez. Way to go!

13. Charley Levinson Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 7:31 am

    Predictions:

    U.S. House D:230 R:205
    U.S. Senate D:50 R:49 I:1
    Governors D:29 R:20 Und:1

    Democrats go +27 in the House, losing at most one currently held D seat (and it won’t be in GA; Marshall and Barrow hold on). No Senate pickups for the GOP, with losses in MO,MT,OH,PA,RI and VA. Lamont beats Lieberman, in tomorrow’s most prominent upset. GA Libertarians take heart; you’re going to force some runoffs – including the big one. Perdue will not get 50%.

14. bill Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 8:25 am

    If Lamont wins he can thank my man Alan Schlesinger a.k.a. “Casino Royale”. Outsiders on both sides should thank him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLxrpWgqgVU&eurl=

15. bart brannon Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 8:56 am

    What are you smoking Charley? If your prediction comes true, we might as well go ahead and buy copies of the Communist Manifesto, Koran and It Takes A Village for future reference as America relinquishes what little liberty it still offers.

    Burns beats Barrow, Collins has a good chance against Marshall if turnout is strong and there is no way the GOP loses the senate.

16. Josh Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 10:08 am

    Predictions:

    Perdue. Cagle, Handel, Black, Baker, Thurmond, Wise, Eaton, Cox, Hunstein

17. John Konop Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 11:35 am

    Bart,

    If we have a run-off for in the Perdue race your newspapers’ endorsement of Hayes could be the key. And if Taylor becomes Governor you could become famous. You and Charley might become friends.

    http://www.peachpundit.com/2006/11/03/endorsement-for-hayes/

18. Bill Simon Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 11:58 am

    Bill,

    Thanks for the link on the genetically-engineered corn problem. You’re right..that IS a result I never would have considered. 🙂

19. Innocent Bystander Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 5:07 pm

    Perdue won’t grab 50%?!

    If you believe that you’d believe that Mark Taylor has a 32 inch waistline.

20. Josh Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 7:20 pm

    You see today’s strategic vision poll

21. Josh Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 8:44 pm

    Talk about playing the race card.

    http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2006/11/06/franklin_lewis_young_on_fulton.html

22. John Konop Says:
    November 6th, 2006 at 9:32 pm

    Would Barry Goldwater vote for Sinton or Price?

23. Former teacher Says:
    November 7th, 2006 at 12:53 am

    Kudos to the DeKalb County School Board! They do a great job at spending over $800 million of our tax money EVERY YEAR, plus an upcoming vote for a half-billion in SPLOST sales tax!!! And they can’t even keep the schools clean…

    http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=87177 http://www.11alive.com/video/player.aspx?aid=61179&bw=
    Parents: Mold Making Kids Sick

    http://www.wsbtv.com/news/10258263/detail.html
    Students Say School Making Them Sick – Literally

24. Charley Levinson Says:
    November 7th, 2006 at 6:18 am

    I agree, Bill. Schlesinger polling 15% or better is key to a Lamont victory. If the Republican nominee is under that, Lieberman wins.

    The Georgia polls we’re seeing are using 2000, 2002, and 2004 voter models. We will see a very different voter turnout pattern this year, both in Georgia and nationwide. That is the basis of my belief that the governor’s race is far closer than we are to believe. As an aside, I’ve met Mark Taylor many times. The guy is big. Real big. No question.

    Bart, I do not smoke anything, nor do I drink alcoholic beverages. I am neither a Communist, nor a Muslim, nor a Hillary Clinton fan. Why don’t you try to get to know me, rather than make infantile atempts to define me? “….what little liberty it [America] still offers”? Hardly a ringing endorsement of the last 6 years, at least to these eyes.

    John, Goldwater would vote for Sinton, if the late Arizona senator was someone who genuinely believed what he spoke. I tend to beleive that was the case. My best to you and your family.

25. John Konop Says:
    November 7th, 2006 at 1:22 pm

    Charley

    If Barts’ newspaper pushes a run-off for Perdue, you might owe Bart a BIG THANK YOU!

26. Innocent Bystander Says:
    November 7th, 2006 at 10:35 pm

    2230 hrs – the Taylor Concession rave
    ————————————–

    “Perdue won’t grab 50%?!

    If you believe that you’d believe that Mark Taylor has a 32 inch waistline.”
    ————————————–

    Innocent Bystander is good….Innocent Bystander is wise.

27. Charley Levinson Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 5:03 am

    Yeah, I was talking some pre-election s**t. I’m a Taylor supporter, what did you think I was going to say? My national predictions weren’t too far off, other than Lieberman/Lamont. Webb and Tester have narrow leads in the two outstanding Senate seats. The good guys have locked up 224 in the House, with about 11 still too close. We’ve got 28 governors, with another 2 possible pickups, though Democrats trail in both. No Democrat seats for either Senate, House, or Governor flipped….including Marshall and Barrow here (both lead, though the races may not have been called as of 5am)

    I just hope Sonny gives Cathy Cox a big hug for all her help. Senate Bill 5, Round 2, begins January 2007.

28. Charley Levinson Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 5:22 am

    Update: GOP incumbent governors scored razor thin wins in MN and RI, making the final number 28-22 in favor of Democratic governors.

    Also, MSNBC is projecting 235-200 Democrat majority in the House, though they have not called GA-08 or GA-12. They must be thinking if all current leads hold…..

29. caroline Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 5:57 am

    Charley,
    Your predictions were pretty good outside of GA.

30. bill Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 6:20 am

    Awsome
    http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/15956230.htm?source=rss&channel=macon_politics

31. Charley Levinson Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 6:27 am

    Thank you. As for Georgia, we must keep the faith, no matter how difficult. When developers invoke eminent domain to take whatever house or apartment complex they want, maybe then people will wake up. Sadly, it will take that happening before people realize the venomous nature of Perdue, Inc. We can also expect a “budget crisis” forcing renewed cuts in education and health care, and a new round of insurance premium increases, the latter courtesy of Oxendine, Inc.

    Those who would attack my lack of grace in this post would do well to imagine their comments in the wake of Mark Taylor or Guy Drexinger victories.

32. pulease Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 8:37 am

    Bart,

    Looks like maybe Charley wasn’t smoking anything. Looks like the numbers (and the GA races he mentioned) have gone exactly as he said.

    Guess Barnes and Noble will be awaiting your orders for the Koran, Communist Manifesto and It Takes A Village. If I had to guess, you never took the time to read ANY parts of ANY of those books…you know…in the interest of expanding your knowledge…

33. bart brannon Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 12:02 pm

    pulease…studying up, already understand the basic premise — from each according to their ability, to each according to their need. Charley was right so America will get a good dose of Pelosi/Rangel/Conyers/Hastings/Reid/Kennedy liberalism over the next couple of years…ought to be a real eye opener.

34. John Konop Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 1:25 pm

    Bart,

    You like BIG spending bills like Highway, Energy, NO Child…. that Tom Price supported that put us 9 trillion in the RED.

    Bart you should feel right at home!

35. bart brannon Says:
    November 8th, 2006 at 3:21 pm

    Konop, are you still whinning? You lost, your candidate Sinton lost, Congressman Price won…get over it.

    Still waiting to hear who you supported and since Sinton apparently did not pay you (according to his FEC filings), there is no reason other than your own cowardice to avoid fessin’ up.

36. John Konop Says:
    November 9th, 2006 at 5:50 pm

    Bart,

    I did not give him a free ad, he has not paid me yet.

    You are the hypocrite who calls himself a fiscal conservative. What a JOKE. You attack the schools for being wasteful and you support the HIGHWAY BILL, ENERGY BILL, NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND………

    Dr P is a miser COMPARED TO TOM PRICE. Bart, IT WAS LEADERSHIP LIKE YOU AT THE PARTY LEVEL THAT WAS THE DOWNFALL OF THE GOP. You guys supported PORK CONGRESSMAN LIKE PRICE IN SAFE DISTRICTS. AS LONG AS THE BACON CAME BACK, BART BRANNON SAYS WHO CARES ABOUT THE COUNTRY!

    BART YOU CAN BLAME YOURSELF FOR SELLING OUT THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT!!!!!!

37. Josh Says:
    November 25th, 2006 at 7:05 pm

    Sorry, Bill. Was a heck of a game. even better if your a UGA fan!

    Go DAWGS

38. Bill Simon Says:
    November 25th, 2006 at 9:44 pm

    Josh,

    Thank you for proving the value of a UGA degree… “your”…..sheesh!

39. Josh Says:
    November 26th, 2006 at 9:05 pm

    I guess when you’re 0 for the last 6 you have to resort to picking on grammar.

    The DAWGS should be sending a huge holiday gift the Reggie Ball. He was kind enough to keep/let the DAWGS stay in it.

40. Bill Simon Says:
    November 26th, 2006 at 11:34 pm

    Nonsense, Josh. I can always pick on grammar! 🙂

41. Josh Says:
    November 27th, 2006 at 8:08 am

    LOL