That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character. And wave an old photo of the President’s girlfriend and you scream about patriotism and you tell them, she’s to blame for their lot in life, and you go on television and you call her a whore. -The American President
Earlier this week, Karen Handel did just this at a “Women for Handel” event when she characterized the entire General Assembly as corrupt, saying that there was a “culture of “sex, lies and lobbyists”" under the Gold Dome, and implying that the entire General Assembly was a part of it.
What Karen doesn’t know is that I have actually known one of the Representatives in particular for the vast majority of my life. His wife taught in the class next door to mine in 4th grade, and she was my teacher in both 8th and 9th grades. This particular Representative, Paul Battles (R-Cartersville), was once a pastor, and I attended Vacation Bible School at his church several times as a kid. I can drive you through the boonies outside Cartersville and show you where Rep Battles and his wife once lived, about a half mile down the road from the elementary school I first met Mrs. Battles at.
I have never known Rep Battles to be anything but a man of true honor and integrity, though it is possible he has skeletons I do not know about. He has always been kind to me in every interaction I’ve ever had with him, including when I ran into him last year when I went to the Gold Dome for the first time in my life.
There are others that I have met or have heard of in the past year that among their peers are known as men of honor, even to the near “Untouchable” level. Men like Bobby Franklin and Bill Hembree. Many disagree with Franklin on the issues, but I’ve never heard anyone question his honor or integrity. Hembree has been described to me as “the kindest man you will ever meet” by several people. There may be things about Austin Scott that I am not aware of, but based on my own interactions with him I would place him among this crowd as well in terms of honor and integrity.
Yet Karen Handel wants to paint these men as corrupt and participants in a culture of “sex, lies, and lobbyists”?
Point blank: Karen Handel is attempting to tell the public that these men are to blame for their lot in life, and that she is the answer – even though she has been DEEPER in the culture of “sex, lies, and corruption” than these men would ever get in their worst nightmares!
As one person told me recently, “No one is a saint, and we all fall short in the eyes of God”, but yeah, the culture of “sex, lies, and corruption” under the Gold Dome is MUCH smaller than Karen Handel wants you think it is. Men like Battles, Franklin, Hembree, and Scott are proof of that.
I’ll both open and close with a line from The American President:
“If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I’ll show up. This is a time for serious people, [Karen], and your fifteen minutes are up.“
Totally agree. There are some good guys at the Capitol…not many, but some.
I agree also that there are others in our legislature who are great family people and serve their constituents faithfully. I have high regards for my state representative “Tom McCall” of Elberton.
Danny Richardson
She slandered a bunch of folks and should apologize.
Karen Handel has proven once again why she is not fit to serve as Governor of our great state. Many of our state Represenatives on both sides of the isle have served honorably and represented their constituents with integrity. To call them ALL corrupt is disrespectful and ludicrous. It shows what an amateur Handel truly is. She has no record to stand on and has never finished a job she was elected to do. It is time for Mrs. Handel to take her marbles and go home. Karen Handle- Quitter. Liar. Loser. Pathetic.
I heard her say that last week and could not believe it. Does she even know members of the Georgia Legislator? There are some very good and decent men (and women) who do nothing but try to do their very best to help the citizens of this State. I am terribly disappointed that a woman would say things like that. Talk about throwing out the “sexist” card! Her lack of education, polish, and finesse shows! She owes these men (and women) an apology; of course, I don’t plan to hold my breath until she makes one.
All Handel did was what every Republican official in the state (as far as I know) has done–take a lowbrow swipe at opponents (Democrats for Republicans, male politicians for Handel). She was pandering to her audience as do most politicians. She ignored the few politicians who aren’t ethically or morally challenged and engaged in a generalization. Shame on her for doing what pretty much every politician does! The only difference is she’s a woman and, apparently, women are supposed to have higher standards.
momnotmrs:
I’ve made it a habit of pointing out when pretty much anyone pulls a similar stunt in GA Politics – have you not seen the Ox coverage I’ve done, or some of the rest of the 2010 Campaign Coverage page?
No, Karen Handel called for a ban on anything above $25 less than a month after accepting a $900 meal from lobbyists. She decried a “culture of sex, lies, and corruption” after having been in the very heart of that culture for three years without saying a WORD about it.
The men I named in this post have been talking about the need for reform for a while now – Karen is simply trying to use the fact that she doesn’t have a penis to somehow show that she is different than a VERY few men in the General Assembly who have had sex scandals recently. Meanwhile, her record shows her to be more of the same.
Jeff,
Let’s not discuss details of Handel’s anatomy or for that matter any other candidate please. It’s just too scary for some. I am curious to know how you came by the “fact” about what she does or doesn’t have though.