but this doesn’t seem to be taken out of context at all:
Anyone who has seen this site knows that we are in NO way a fan of nearly-as-corrupt-as-Nathan-Deal Ken Hodges. That said, the full context of this particular clip, as provided by Jim Galloway:
The comment from Olens came during his closing remarks, when he was recapping his accomplishments as chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners and the Atlanta Regional Commission:
“I’ve proven that I can work within a managed budget, and in fact I had surpluses every single year. In fact the main reason that I seriously considered running for attorney general rather than staying head of the ARC and Cobb County was that I was getting bored. It was not a challenge any more. The attorney general’s position provides a great opportunity and a dream come true for any trial lawyer. The ability to mix 27 years of civil litigation with 12 years of public service, to take on issues such as the water litigation that seems to go on ad nauseam, to be involved in redistricting….”
As I said on twitter last night, if this meme really catches on in the next couple of days, Sam Olens is toast.
That said, between the Bored One or the Corrupt One, I urge you to give the two-party system the third finger and do the Smart thing: Vote Don Smart for Attorney General! “The Taxpayers’ Best Friend and the Criminals’ Worst Enemy”
In this video, note the repeated reference to following the “European Model”. While he is specifically speaking of transportation, if he is so interested in following the “European Model” in one area, will he be similarly interested in following it in other areas? [Continue Reading]
Last Thursday Rob Teilhet released an ad in the Democratic race for the Attorney General nomination that could well be a knockout blow if it gets enough airplay – though I have yet to hear about the size or location of the TV buy for it.
Over the weekend, some “conservatives” on Facebook brought to my attention this link. It is a video of the opening of a Cobb County Commission meeting nearly a year ago where then-Chairman (and now Attorney General candidate) Sam Olens calls the meeting to order and has the invocation.
What is different about this invocation is that it isn’t exactly your typical “christian” prayer. Heck, it isn’t even jewish, muslim, wiccan, hindu, or Branch McBerryan. No, it isn’t even a prayer, because the speaker is an atheist. Specifically, he is Ed Buckner, the President of American Atheists – who happens to live in Cobb County. In it, he invoked “the 700,000 people who live in this county — especially the majority (yes, over half) of those 700,000 who are not members of any church, mosque, temple, or other religious organization.”
Now, these “conservatives” that brought this story to my attention are using it to attack Olens, saying that he shouldn’t have allowed this “anti-God speech in front of Boy Scouts and a Little League team”.
Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. … The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. … The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.
I told y’all Saturday night I would reveal its source this morning… [Continue Reading]
Last Saturday, the 2nd Congressional District GOP got together for a BBQ and Congressional Debate at Lee County High School. I’m trying to adopt a general policy that if it is a political event in Lee County, I intend to be there with my video camera, so I was there. Heck, I even voted in the straw poll!
While there, I had a chance to meet with a few of the candidates that were present. Maria Sheffield was the late arrival, but she was also the most engaging with this political blogger. Seth Harp, one of her competitors who has sponsored at least one thing in the State Senate I am strongly in favor of (local referendums on Sunday alcohol sales), was rather dismissive. I also had a chance to speak with Gary Black for a few moments, as well as Mike Keown, Rick Allen, and Lee Ferrell. Harold Logsdon was there, but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to speak with him.
Overall, the event went well. Quite a few people there were in campaign t-shirts of various campaigns, but Lee Ferrell was the only one I noted with any real “contingent” of what appeared to be staffers. The others had brought along a staffer/area volunteer or two, with the rest of the t-shirts for their campaign appearing to be simply supporters from the area. I did not personally witness any mass vote buying, nor did I hear any rumors of it. It appears that this was a genuine one person/one vote straw poll, so take that for what it is worth. (Still not very much, but relatively better than polls with mass vote buying.)
All four candidates were there, including Albany’s Big Mistake Ken Hodges, former Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, State Representative Rob Teilhet, and Max Wood.
U.S. Rep. Mac Collins endorses Max Wood for Attorney General
MACON – Former U.S. Rep. Mac Collins – a beloved political veteran from Middle Georgia – has endorsed Max Wood to become the state’s newest attorney general.
Collins, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005, said he respected Wood’s work during the eight years Wood served as the U.S. Attorney for Middle Georgia. Collins described Wood as professional and hard working. He said he was happy to offer the endorsement.
“I like Max, he’s a fine man,” Collins said Tuesday. “I feel very confident he will make a fine attorney general, which I consider to be the top law enforcement officer in Georgia.”
Wood said he was honored and privileged to receive the endorsement of someone as esteemed as Collins – a small businessman, a good Christian conservative and a man who has served Middle Georgia well while living the American dream.
“Mac is a solid, true conservative who shares the same cultural values that I share and that I raise my children to adhere to,” Wood said.
In Congress, Collins represented much of Middle and Western Georgia including Monroe, Bibb, Jones, Henry, Butts, Lamar, Upson, Baldwin, Fayette and Troup counties. Collins also served as the chair of the Butts County Commission and was a member of the Georgia State Senate. He is a native of Jackson.
This year’s race for Georgia attorney general is truly historic. For the first time in more than 40 years, the voters of Georgia will pick their attorney general – without a seated incumbent and without a governor’s appointment.
Max Wood, through presidential appointment, served as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia beginning in 2001. He served as the Chief Prosecutor and law enforcement officer for the United States in the 70 county Middle District of Georgia.
Max Wood’s professional record, which best qualifies him to serve as Georgia’s next Attorney General, includes:
Justice Department Attaché, Baghdad, Iraq (2005 – 2006)
Appointed by President George W. Bush as United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. (2001 – 2009)
Personally prosecuted cult leader Dwight “Malachi” York in one of the largest child abuse cases in Georgia history.
General Practitioner, Macon, Georgia (1997 – 2001)
Special emphasis on criminal and civil litigation and bankruptcy.
Assistant District Attorney, Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit (1994 – 1997)
Prosecuted felonies and misdemeanors throughout an eight county judicial circuit. (Ultimately appointed Chief Assistant DA)
Staff Attorney, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (1992 – 1994)
Assisted District Attorney’s offices in the prosecution and asset seizure of major illegal drug operations throughout middle Georgia.
U.S. Air Force, Judge Advocate General’s Dept. (1987 – 1992)
Served as prosecutor or defense counsel in over 50 courts-martial and administrative boards. Advised commanders on a variety of legal issues including but not limited to, military justice, the law of armed conflict, international law, environmental law, labor law, and tort litigation.
26 years of active and reserve military experience. Currently serving as a Colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard.
Wood graduated from LaGrange College in 1981 and from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1985.
