A 38-year-old charity that supplies food to Atlanta's poorest residents has decided to go forward with an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day dinner despite lowered donations and many volunteers leaving town for the presidential inauguration.
Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless organizers told The Associated Press Wednesday that a lack of donations - including corporate gifts of hams and turkeys - meant the dinner wouldn't take place. Spokeswoman Dee Dee Cocheta later got word that a donation of hams would come through after all. Combined with a modest gift of 216 turkeys Tuesday, it's enough to let the dinner go on.
But the group still faces a struggle. Organizers say many of the staff who would have worked at the dinner will be in Washington for the inauguration.
In related news, President-elect Barack Obama says the inauguration is about more than him, and that it should be about getting all Americans involved in community service.
Obama said Wednesday that his Jan. 20 inauguration should bring the country together to volunteer. He says if everyone rolls up their sleeves, the county will improve. Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden and their families will volunteer in the Washington area
Jan. 19.
Obama's aides have posted thousands of volunteer opportunities on a Web site, USAService.org.
(AP)
Click here for more GPB News reports about homelessness and hunger issues in Georgia.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Charity Battling Donor Fatigue, Obama Inauguration
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Dire economy led Georgia news in '08
The vast economic crisis has left scores of Georgia's houses empty, its banks shuttered and sent thousands of its residents searching for jobs even as its unemployment rate balloons to heights not seen since Ronald Reagan was president.
The nationwide recession was the top Georgia news story of 2008, according to state editors and news directors voting in The Associated Press' annual survey.
Other stories high on most lists included an energy crisis that sent gas prices on a roller-coaster ride, the U.S. Senate runoff that thwarted Democratic plans for a super-majority in the Senate and the months-long trial of courthouse gunman Brian Nichols.
Yet the economic doldrums was the top choice for seven of 12 Georgia AP members participating in the news cooperative's survey.
Georgia residents began feeling the economic fallout early this year as a growing number of homes remained unsold and credit grew tighter. Firms fired workers, governments furloughed staffers, foreclosures spiked and the state unemployment rate soared to 7.5 percent - the highest in 25 years.
The bleak economy forced regulators to close down five state banks, and led Gov. Sonny Perdue to order spending cuts of at least 6 percent to narrow a deficit that could top $2 billion in 2009.
The new year is unlikely to bring much relief. State economists warn unemployment will climb higher and housing prices will continue to plummet through the first half of 2009.
Volatile energy prices were the No. 2 story of the year. The topsy-turvy fuel market sent the price of crude soaring to as high as $150 a barrel in July before crashing to $33 this month.
The jump in prices, which soared after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike shuttered Gulf Coast refineries, sparked panic among Georgia drivers. Gas stations advertised fuel at $8 a gallon, while some drivers camped out at gas stations to be first in line for new deliveries.
Georgia's seemingly endless U.S. Senate campaign notched the No. 3 spot.
Residents headed to the polls four times to vote on the Senate contest, beginning with the July primaries and ending with a Dec. 2 runoff when Saxby Chambliss was elected to a second Senate term. The Republican's victory over Jim Martin deprived Democrats of a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority.
The conviction and sentencing of Brian Nichols for a deadly shooting spree that began in the Fulton County Courthouse was the year's No. 4 story.
After more than three years and a tangled trail of legal delays, a jury found Nichols guilty of murder. But it deadlocked over whether he deserves the death penalty, forcing a judge to sentence him to life in prison without parole. Now some legislators are intent on changing the state's death penalty rules.
The stubborn drought still squeezing parts of the state emerged as the No. 5 story of the year. While a soggy December helped elevate most of the region from the epic conditions, much of north Georgia - including devastated Lake Lanier - remains in a "severe" drought.
The No. 6 story was the deadly explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in February near Savannah that killed 14 workers and injured dozens more. Investigators determined the blast was caused by sugar dust that ignited like gunpowder in the plant's storage silos.
The presidential election, which dominated national headlines, was voted the No. 7 story in Georgia. Democrat Barack Obama's campaign recruited thousands of volunteers focused on turning the state blue, but Republican John McCain managed to claim Georgia's 15 electoral votes.
The No. 8 story of the year broke just hours after New Year's Day.
Meredith Emerson was abducted while walking with her dog that day in the north Georgia mountains, and police later found her body. Authorities soon arrested Gary Michael Hilton, who is now serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to her murder.
The Delta Air Lines merger with Northwest Airlines took the No. 9 slot, as the combination made the Atlanta-based carrier the world's largest airline. It completed a remarkable turnaround for Delta, which had filed for bankruptcy in 2005.
Clayton County's education woes was the year's tenth-ranked story. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools revoked the county's accreditation after it failed to meet a range of recommendations. More than 3,200 students have since bolted.
Stories close to making the list included convicted murderer Troy Davis' efforts to get a new trial and avoid execution, a legislative session that again ended in gridlock and an explosion at a Dalton law firm that killed the person responsible and injured four others.
(AP)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Martin slams Chambliss over veterans benefits
Martin shaking hands with supporters at Democratic Party headquarters in Columbus, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008. (Dave Bender)
The Senate candidates used the weekend to emphasize their messages and try to get out the vote for Tuesday’s runoff.
Democrat Jim Martin spent time in Macon and Savannah on Saturday, and met with about 50 people on Sunday in Columbus.
Martin tailored his Columbus appearance on what he said were Chambliss’ failings to improve benefits for veterans and military personnel:
“It troubles me that he voted 23 times not to increase health care benefits for veterans. “Well, we’re trying to balance our budget,” well, if you’re going to balance your budget, don’t give 700 billion dollars to Wall Street and refuse to give money to the veterans – don’t do it.”Columbus has a large veteran population, due to the Army’s nearby Fort Benning infantry post.
On the Republican side, Saxby Chambliss attended the Georgia - Georgia Tech game on Saturday, and on Fox News Sunday that the race would not be a referendum on President-Elect Barack Obama.
Georgia is one of only two Senate races still to be decided in this election cycle. Results of the Minnesota race are still in dispute.
Click here for more GPB News election coverage.
Chambliss vying for voters as runoff deadline nears
Chambliss speaking with reporters at a recent press conference at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. (Dave Bender/file)
Republican Saxby Chambliss likes to say he never expected to be at the "epicenter of the political world," but that's exactly where he finds himself as he battles for his political survival in the last big election of 2008.
Standing between Democrats and their long-sought 60-seat supermajority in the Senate, Mr. Chambliss heads into Tuesday's runoff against Democrat Jim Martin carrying the weight of the GOP establishment on his shoulders.
"Let's face it, the world is watching Georgia," the 65-year-old freshman senator said Wednesday at a rally in north Georgia. "We have the opportunity to make sure (President-elect) Obama doesn't move us far, far to the left."His political career began when he won a seat in the U.S. House in 1994. In 2001, he launched what many thought was a hopeless bid to oust Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, a triple amputee wounded in the Vietnam War. A bad knee kept Mr. Chambliss out of the Vietnam conflict.
Mr. Chambliss -- a virtual unknown statewide -- ran a tough campaign against Mr. Cleland, unleashing a TV ad that questioned the veteran's commitment to national security and flashed a photo of Osama bin Laden.
The ad infuriated Democrats, but Mr. Chambliss won the 2002 contest with 53 percent of the votes, helped along by shifting political winds in Georgia. After generations of Democratic control, the state began its swing Republican that year.
In the Senate, Mr. Chambliss emerged as a strong opponent of abortion and supporter of gun rights. He is also known as a reliably pro-business vote and was largely in lockstep with the Bush administration.
As a freshman senator, he rose quickly to become the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He has been the ranking Republican on the panel since the Democrats won control of the Senate in 2006.
Mr. Chambliss also was handed the reins of the influential Republican Majority Fund, a political action committee that raises money for GOP candidates. Fundraising trips for the PAC have allowed him to indulge his love for golf. In Golf Digest's April ranking of Washington's top 200 golfers, he tied for No. 41.
Still, Mr. Chambliss has not always endeared himself to conservatives. He drew boos at a 2007 gathering of Georgia Republicans for supporting a compromise immigration package, which critics likened to amnesty. He later withdrew his support for the plan.
His work championing a bipartisan energy measure was lambasted by radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators.
This year, he co-authored the five-year, $300 billion Farm Bill derided by some for being loaded with giveaways and rich subsidies for wealthy farmers.
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will join Chambliss on Monday at several rallies across the state.
Click here for more GPB News election coverage.
(AP)
Martin in 11th-hour, cross-state voter race
Martin, speaking with reporters at a recent press conference at his campaign headquarters in Atlanta. (Dave Bender/file)
Democratic Senate challenger Jim Martin made an appearance in Macon and Savannah Saturday in his hotly fought Senate bid against incumbent Saxby Chambliss.
Martin, speaking in front of a now-closed tobacco plant in east Bibb County, told reporters:
“Economic prosperity is based on capital investment. We’ve had a financial situation where the financial sector has been virtually unregulated and it’s resulted in a disaster for American industry,” he said.
“We need to make sure that whatever stimulus package is passed will focus on creating jobs for Americans and stimulating the economy.”The press conference was Martin's second of the day: he'd appeared at a veterans rally in Savannah that morning, Macon.com reports.
Martin's 72-hour rally continues Sunday afternoon in Columbus.
The candidate and House Chief Deputy Whip G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina will host a veterans and military benefits roundtable at the Muscogee County Democratic Office. The two will hold a rally for supporters later in the evening, according to a statement released by Martin's office.
Chambliss speaking with reporters at a recent press conference at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. (Dave Bender/file)
Rival Chambliss will be joined by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on Monday at several rally around the state.
Both candidates have buffed the closing days of their campaigns with national political heavyweights in an effort to swing more voters, and convince the party faithful to actually get to the polls and vote on Tuesday.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the runoff race.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Voters flock to polls in Muscogee Co.
Muscogee Co. residents waiting to vote at the Columbus Public Library, September, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Columbus and Muscogee County voting officials report a high turnout in absentee ballots and early voting for Tuesday’s Senate runoff. Dave Bender reports.
Nancy Boren, director of Elections and Registration says the over 9,000 ballots her Columbus office has received since Monday is, in her words, “exceptional:”
"I think the biggest portion of it is you have all of the automatic ballots that we have to mail out anyway: all of the military, the elderly, and those that are disabled. The other reason is the mailer that was sent by the governor that enabled people to fill out the application for the absent ballot and receive it in their home with the holiday approaching – it just makes it an easy way to vote.”
Both parties have brought a bevy of national political heavyweights to Georgia to stump in the closely held race.
Voter turnout in runoff races is usually poor, but Boren says she expects to see higher than usual numbers this time.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the runoff race.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Giuliani's turn to stump for Chambliss
Giuliani and Chambliss. (Carl Zornes)
Incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss today welcomed the support of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani is just the latest in a series of national political figures coming to Georgia to support their party this run-off season.
Flanked by police officers and other first responders, Giuliani said Chambliss’ experience is needed back in the Senate:
"His understanding of our intelligence services, his understanding of terrorism, is really surpassed by no one in Washington. And we need people like Saxby Chambliss who has that experience. Having been a first responder himself, having been someone who, from the beginning of his career in Washington, took a great interest in intelligence and improving it."For his part, Democrat Jim Martin began sending out robo-calls featuring president-elect Barack Obama.
A new poll released by Insider Advantage puts Chambliss ahead of Martin by three percentage points – still within the margin of error.
Sarah Palin is expected to come to Georgia next week to stump for Chambliss. The former vice presidential candidate will travel across Georgia with Chambliss just one day before the election.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Romney ties Martin, Democrats to socialism
Senate candidate Jim Martin with former President Bill Clinton at Clark Atlanta University on Thursday; former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney with Republican incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss at a rally in Atlanta on Friday. (Photos: John Bazemore /AP)
Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney lent his support to Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Friday, warning that a victory by the Democratic challenger in next month’s hotly contested runoff could be the first step toward a European brand of socialism.
Romney is the latest in a parade of GOP bigwigs who have flocked to the state in the weeks before the Dec. 2 runoff between Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin. Romney’s criticism is not unlike the line of attack Sen. John McCain used unsuccessfully against Democrat Barack Obama in the campaign for president.
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, told a crowd of about 200 cheering supporters that the general election showed that people wanted change in Washington. But the Georgia runoff, he said, could alter the very nature of the country.
"This election is about whether we want to change America. And I want to keep America America," he said to applause.
"I think in this race you have two different men who have two different views. One would take America down the course of becoming like Europe, big taxes and big government," said Romney. Chambliss, he said, "fundamentally believes in keeping America strong and safe and free."In a brief news conference after the speech, Romney added: "I want to make sure we don’t take a left turn toward Europe."
Martin, a former state legislator, dismissed the ideological labels and stressed his record of bipartisan cooperation.
"I was one of the most effective members of the state House. I worked across party lines, and I’m going to continue to do that in Washington," he said after appearing at a campaign office in Decatur. "I’ve been a person who has always worked to try to solve the problems people face."The Georgia race, one of two unresolved Senate races, has taken on national significance. The other is in Minnesota, where a re-count will help determine whether Republican Sen. Norm Coleman or Democrat Al Franken is the winner.
Victories in both races would give Democrats the 60 seats needed to fend off Republican filibusters.
The stakes are high, and both parties have rolled out their political heavyweights. McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee both stumped for Chambliss last week, and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to appear next week.
Former President Bill Clinton led a rally for Martin on Thursday and Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore, is set to appear Sunday. About 100 Obama field operatives have been helping boost turnout, and the president-elect recently recorded a radio ad supporting Martin’s campaign.
The national focus has helped the candidates fill their campaign coffers.
Chambliss raised about $1.9 million between Oct. 16 and Nov. 12, and has $1.4 million cash on hand remaining. Martin raised $2.4 million over the same time period, and has more than $600,000 left in the campaign bank.
Click here for more GPB News election coverage.
(AP)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Bill Clinton coming to stump for Martin
Chambliss and Martin squared off, along with Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley, at a Georgia Public Television debate on the Sunday before the Nov. 4th elections. (Dave Bender)
Former President Bill Clinton will headline a rally for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Martin in Georgia.
Clinton is the first big name Democrat to stump for Martin in his Dec. 2 runoff battle with Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss.
Republican U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss at a recent press conference at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. (Dave Bender)
Former Republican presidential candidate John McCain lent his star power to a Chambliss rally Thursday and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will stump with Chambliss Sunday.
McCain claimed Georgia's electoral votes on Election Day and Huckabee won the state's Feb. 5 presidential primary.
Clinton won Georgia in his 1992 presidential bid, the last Democrat to carry the state in the race for the White House.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Martin during a recent press conference at his headquarters in Atlanta. (Dave Bender/file)
Martin said Saturday that Clinton - who balanced the budget - would underscore the failures of Republican leadership in Washington when it came to the economy.
Click here for more GPB News election coverage.
(AP)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
McCain coming to stump for Chambliss
Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley, incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, Democratic candidate Jim Martin at the GPBTV pre-election debate. (Dave Bender)
Republican presidential candidate John McCain is coming to the aid of incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss in the upcoming runoff vote.
Chambliss campaign officials have confirmed that McCain will come to rally voters here before a December second race against Democratic challenger Jim Martin.
A campaign official says they were nailing down a date for the visit.
Chambliss’ campaign is also trying to cadge an appearance by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
Martin campaign officials say they’re hoping for a visit by President-elect Barack Obama.
Obama had not confirmed an appearance as of Friday.
Click here for more GPB News election coverage.
Chambliss, Martin rev up for runoff
Republican incumbent Senator Saxby Chamblis and Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin and at the GPBTV pre-election debate. (Dave Bender/file)
Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin were in full campaign mode this weekend, trying to coax enough votes to prevail in a Dec. 2 runoff election.
Republican incumbent Senator Saxby Chamblis talking with reporters at a press conference held at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. (Dave Bender/file)
Chambliss’ camp is preparing for a visit from former GOP presidential candidate John McCain. Martin is meeting with Cobb County Democrats and planned to visit a party phone bank operation in Decatur.
Democratic Senate race candidate Jim Martin, talking to reporters at a press conference in downtown Atlanta. (Dave Bender/file)
With less than four weeks until they face voters again, neither campaign was waiting for Secretary of State Karen Handel to make it official when she certifies election results next week.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting throughout Georgia, neither Chambliss nor Martin accumulated enough ballots to pull above the needed 50 percent plus one of the vote. The Moultrie Republican is just short, with 49.8 percent. Martin, a former state lawmaker from Atlanta, has 46.8 percent. The race also included Libertarian Allen Buckley, who drew 3.4 percent.
Military and overseas ballots were among the last to be tallied by county officials. To be counted, they had to arrive by Friday.
The state’s most populous county had been set to certify its results Saturday. But a spokesman for Fulton County’s Board of Elections said problems with a faulty memory card delayed the effort.
Voters register to cast their ballot in advance voting at the Fulton Co. Government Center polling station in downtown Atlanta. (Dave Bender)
Fulton County Board of Elections spokesman Mark Henderson said the problem had been resolved but officials decided to audit the process before making the elections results official. The certification is now expected to take place Sunday or Monday, Henderson said.
Handel’s office has criticized Fulton County for being slow to count thousands of absentee ballots and her office is investigating. Henderson said county workers were exhausted after a marathon Election Day and were sent home for a few hours to rest.
The expected Chambliss-Martin contest is already drawing a national spotlight to Georgia.
The race is one of three unresolved Senate contests nationwide, along with Minnesota and Alaska. All involve Republican incumbents. If Democrats capture all three, it would give them a 60-seat majority in the Senate, a margin needed to block Republican filibusters.
Chambliss’ campaign said they’ve also been in touch with McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, about a possible Georgia visit.
McCain carried Georgia on Election Day by 52 percent to President-elect Barack Obama’s 47 percent.
Nonetheless, Martin has asked Obama to help out, but no word yet on whether he’ll stump for Martin.
Then President-elect Bill Clinton came to Georgia to campaign for Democratic Sen. Wyche Fowler in his 1992 runoff race. But even with the high-profile help, Fowler went on to lose to Republican Paul Coverdell in what was the last U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia.
Martin and Chambliss arguing a point during the GPBTV pre-election debate. At bottom is Libertarian candidate Allan Buckley. (Dave Bender/file)
Click here for more GPB News election coverage.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Election Day: Down to the wire reminder
An elderly voter casts her ballot at the Fulton County Government Center, Tuesday Oct. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel reminds voters:
Voters participating in the election on Election Day will be required to show one of the following six forms of photo ID:
- A Georgia driver’s license, even if expired;
- Any valid state or federal government issued photo ID, including a free Voter ID Card issued by your county registrar or Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS);
- Valid U.S. passport;
- Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority, or other entity of this state;
- Valid U.S. military photo ID; or
- Valid tribal photo ID.
- If a voter does not have one of these forms of photo identification, the voter can obtain a free voter ID card at their county registrar’s office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
Anyone with additional questions about Georgia’s photo ID requirement can visit www.GAPhotoID.com or call toll free (877) 725-9797.
Election Day marks 101st birthday for Ga. man
As Americans flock to the polls for a historic Election Day, Ellis Joel Daniel of Snellville will make a bit of his own history.
The World War II veteran and former U.S. postman turns 101 on Tuesday, and he knows a thing or two about voting in presidential elections.
Daniel, who voted absentee a month ago, has cast ballots in every race since 1928.
In 1932, Daniel threw his support to Franklin Roosevelt. That support ended because he believed Roosevelt allowed the Russians to take control of eastern Europe after World War II.
Daniel grew up in the small town of Millen in east Georgia. He served 24 years in the Army Reserve and three years of active duty during World War II.
Daniel says despite Sen. Barack Obama's lead in the polls, he thinks Sen. John McCain will pull out a victory.
Click here for more GPB News elections coverage.
(AP)
2 Ga. counties consider extended voting hours
Voting instructions at the Fulton County Government Center. (Dave Bender)
Fulton County elections officials decided against asking for federal permission to extend voting hours on Election Day.
But officials in Clayton County are still considering whether to ask for expanded hours because of the heavy turnout in early and advance voting.
The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections said Monday that the number of voting machines is enough to handle the crush of voters.
Polls are normally open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Georgia.
More than 2 million people have voted so far - or about 36 percent of the state's 5.6 million registered voters.
Click here for more GPB News election coverage.
(AP)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Officials: few problems in final days of early voting
Muscogee Co. voters line up outside the main branch of the Columbus public library, Friday, Oct. 31, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Voters throughout Georgia lined up under sunny skies on Friday and Saturday to cast a ballot on the final days of advance voting.
Voters patiently waited an average of 40 minutes to 1.5 hours to cast their ballots in one of the libraries' reading rooms, Friday, Oct. 31, 2008. (Dave Bender).
In Columbus, long, but fast moving lines greeted some 5,000 Muscogee County residents casting early ballots at the Columbus Library, according to election technician Tamika Booker:
“We’ve been having about 1,200 a day here at the library, as well as at one of our other voting sites. Two of our other ones have had a little bit less than that – maybe about 800.”
Jimmy Morris, a security guard at the Troup Co. Government Center assists voters waiting to cast their ballots, Friday, Oct. 31, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Further to the north, at the Troup County courthouse in Lagrange, Chief Registrar Donna Williams reports a similar turnout:
“It’s been a tremendous, great turnout. We’ve voted almost 13,000 people so far, and we’re steady going.”Officials say that statewide, the longest wait times during the past week have averaged two to three hours.
In Coweta County, polls were open on Saturday from 9 to noon at the county administration building in downtown Newnan. Some 200 residents cast their ballot, according to the Associated Press.
Residents got a federal ok to hold Saturday voting there, in 1986.
State elections officials say over a thousand lawyers will oversee Tuesday’s voting. The attorneys will represent the parties, the state and federal government, special interests and voting rights groups.
Polls for the presidential election open across Georgia at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Click here for more GPB News elections coverage.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Supreme Court: Powell is on PSC ballot
The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously ruled today that Democrat Jim Powell is eligible to run for the Public Service Commission seat in District 4.
Secretary of State Karen Handel challenged Powell's eligibility a month after he filed his intent to to run for the post earlier
this year. Handel claimed that Powell was ineligible to run for the seat in District 4 because he claimed a homestead exemption on his
However, aside from the homestead exemption, the state residency law lists 14 other rules for determining a candidate's residence. The Supreme Court ruled that “the Secretary’s decision did not take into account any of the applicable rules other than the homestead exemption rule.”
“It is the role of the judicial branch to interpret the statutes enacted by the legislative branch and enforced by the executive branch,” writes Justice Robert Benham in the 8-page opinion.
The court held that it was the interpretation of the law, not the facts of the case,that was in dispute.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Nunn: Georgia no longer a red state - now purple
“I think we may be a purple state in this election. I don’t believe we will go back to being purely red. And I think that’s true whether Sen. Obama carries or loses by a very short, small percentage.”
“When you are basically around them a good bit and you look and see which one would have the better judgment, which one would be calmer, and cooler and more collected when there’s a real crisis… I come down on Senator Obama’s side on that."
“… There are Republicans, Independents people who, on the conservative side of the ledger, who normally would not vote Democratic… but I think given this economic situation and given the competency that Senator Obama has displayed, and the capable leadership he’s displayed, and the calm demeanor that he’s displayed… all of those things are making a real impression on people.
Nunn uninterested in VP spot with Obama
Former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn is frequently mentioned as a possible member of Democrat Barack Obama's administration.
But on Wednesday Nunn said he's "not interested in getting back into government."Nunn is a top national security and foreign affairs adviser to Obama. His name crops up as possible secretary of defense.
Nunn told reporters in Atlanta that he's had no conversations with Obama about serving in his cabinet. Nunn said he's happy in the private sector and expects that's where he'll remain.
(AP)
Handel: no mechanism for Saturday voting
Sign at the Fulton County Government Center, explaining early voting procedures, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Secretary of State Karen Handel -- a Republican who oversees Georgia elections -- says state law doesn't provide for weekend voting and prohibits voting on the Monday before Election Day.
Democratic Party Chair Jane Kidd on Tuesday called on Handel to request that the Department of Justice allow polls to remain open longer during the week, over the weekend, and on Monday, November 3:
“We have known that both the Democratic and Republican parties, their candidates, and even your office itself are encouraging voters to avail themselves of advance and early voting. And, we have known since advance voting began that large numbers of voters are doing just that. I am just mystified that your elections division is seemingly so unprepared for the wave of voters we all knew was coming."Handel responded saying that county officials will be working through the weekend to prepare for the crush of voters.
Lines at the ballot box were down to under four hours in most places by Tuesday.
(AP)
Click here for more on this story.
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Kidd calls for longer polling hours over delays
Upwards of 1,500 voters a day are casting their ballot at the Fulton Co. Government Center Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Jane Kidd, Democratic chair of the Georgia Democratic Party has complained to Secretary of State Karen Handel, over delays and technical problems during the first two days of advanced voting:
“We have known that both the Democratic and Republican parties, their candidates, and even your office itself are encouraging voters to avail themselves of advance and early voting. And, we have known since advance voting began that large numbers of voters are doing just that. I am just mystified that your elections division is seemingly so unprepared for the wave of voters we all knew was coming.In a letter sent to Handel's office Tuesday, Kidd called on her to request that the Department of Justice allow polls to remain open longer during the week, over the weekend, and on Monday, November 3.
Meanwhile, long lines of voters snaked through polling stations in many parts of Georgia.
Signs instructing voters how to cast their ballot at the Fulton Co. Government Center, Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Voters turned out in droves Tuesday to c
ast their ballots for over 60 elections at the Fulton County Government Center, according to spokesman Bob Giordano: "We've estimated 1,500 a day, sometimes more, sometimes less.
Voting officials check voter registration at the Fulton Co. Government Center, Oct. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender).
While most voters patiently waited in line in the glassed-in atrium, elderly and handicapped voters were allowed to cast their ballots separately, on another floor, where they received special assistance from voting officials.
An elderly voter casts her ballot at the Fulton County Government Center, Tuesday Oct. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Although there were some snafus on Monday, Giordano says voters were patient, as officials worked out technical problems:
"There were some problems at the state level, or in some cases at the local or county level, but generally everyone has been very understanding and kept their patience and cool and went through the system pretty easily - except for having to have patience and wait."
Elderly woman voter waits out the crowds at the Fulton Co. Government Center, Oct. 28, 2008. (Dave Bender)
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