A Statement from Nathan Deal (4/1/10)

To my friends and supporters:

You will be reading media reports about the release of a preliminary report from the Office of Congressional Ethics.

This is a politically motivated witch hunt. I have done nothing wrong and am not going to let this tarnish my 30-year record of public service.

Our campaign will not miss a beat and we continue our quest to become the next governor of Georgia.

Thank you for the confidence you have expressed in me.

The statement released Monday by the campaign:

This has always been a political witch hunt fueled by Democrats who fear that Roy Barnes will lose the governor's race to Nathan Deal.

In its own report, the Office of Congressional Ethics admits that its efforts were incomplete and it does NOT conclude that Mr. Deal did anything wrong.

That's because Nathan Deal did nothing wrong.

This is a business Nathan was involved with before he went to Congress and was approved by the House ethics committee every year. There were never any tax dollars involved and there was never a contract with the state of Georgia.

This is an attempt by Nathan's political opponents to drag his good name through the mud.  The complaint was brought by a liberal, George Soros sponsored group, fueled by the Democrat party of Georgia.

The only shred of truth in this political attack is that an innocent accounting error was made and subsequently corrected.

From Roll Call, a Capitol newspaper:

Deal's attorney Randy Evans dismissed the report Monday as inaccurate and reiterated that Deal had tied his retirement date to the House vote on health care reform, which occurred March 21.

"I think there were things that were obviously incorrect in the committee's report. We pointed that out. I was disappointed that the committee didn't take more time to get it right," Evans said. He added: "There were affidavits and other information that were submitted that made it clear that nothing in appropriate or improper had happened."

Contact Information
Deal for Governor
info@nathandeal.org
770.297.0011

Update from Kathy Cox for State School Superintendent

Greetings from the campaign trail!

The Kathy Cox campaign team is excited to announce our new website for Kathy Cox for State School Superintendent: www.VoteKathyCox.com. This website will allow you to interact with the campaign and learn more about Kathy, her achievements as your State School Superintendent and her plan to continue improvements in student achievement in the state. From this site, supporters will be able to view recent updates from the campaign and stay informed about upcoming campaign events. You can also show your support for Kathy by offering to volunteer on the campaign.
About Kathy

Kathy is currently finishing her second term as Georgia’s State School Superintendent. During her tenure, Kathy has visited over 700 schools and every school system in Georgia. She had previously served two terms in the Georgia State House of Representatives. Kathy received her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Emory University, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Kathy started her public service as an award winning classroom teacher, and as the mother of two sons, she continues to be a strong advocate for public education.

Achievements

As Georgia’s State School Superintendent since 2003, Kathy has made great strides in improving student achievement, including:
Georgia’s Graduation Rate has improved 16.5% since 2003
Georgia’s Curriculum is ranked fifth best in the nation by the Fordham Institute
Georgia has been home to a National Principal of the Year for the past 3 consecutive years
Georgia is 1 of 15 states that showed Significant Improvement in 8th Grade Math NAEP Scores
A total of 74 Georgia schools came off the “Needs Improvement” list in 2009.
Georgia is 12th in the nation for Students Who Have Success in AP Courses
Georgia’s Workforce is ranked #1 in CNBC’s Top States for Business 2009
Education Week ranked Georgia #1 in the nation in the Use of Technology in the Classroom.
Georgia’s Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education program has been realigned to help prepare our students for high skilled, technology based careers.

Kathy is proud of the accomplishments of Georgia’s students and teachers. With another term as Kathy as our State School Superintendent, Georgia can expect continued improvements in test scores, graduation rates, and overall student achievement.
Upcoming Events
Saturday April 3rd – Houston County GOP Meeting (8:00 am – 811 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA)
Tuesday April 6th – Towns County GOP Meeting (6:00 pm – 273 Big Sky Drive Hiawassee, GA)
Saturday April 10th – Chatham County GOP Low Country Boil (11:30 am – Honey Park, Thunderbolt, GA)
Latest Headlines

NAEP Scores Show Great Progress in Higher Reading Levels

Superintendent Cox Preaches Commitment to Education – Gwinnett Daily Post

Georgia Has 12th Highest Percentage of Students Scoring 3 or Higher on AP Exams
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Doug MacGinnitie Launches "Mac Mobile"

Doug MacGinnitie, Republican candidate for Secretary of State, is the first statewide candidate from either party in Georgia to launch a mobile texting campaign. By texting Doug to 57375, supporters are directly connected to the campaign and can be instantaneously informed of updates and breaking news.

"It's exciting to launch a mobile campaign that will allow me to personally interact with supporters and volunteers statewide," stated MacGinnitie. "There is an increasingly mobile population, and our campaign has taken cues from the private sector to utilize this new technology and to improve efficiency."

Along with his texting campaign, MacGinnitie was the first statewide candidate to introduce a campaign iPhone App in early December to allow supporters to get the latest information concerning the campaign linked to their iPhone. The application allows supporters to sign up to volunteer, donate and receive news alerts from MacGinnitie and his campaign for Secretary of State. The application is available for free at the Apple App store or can be downloaded from MacGinnitie's campaign website at www.macginnitie.org.

"Through our mobile campaign, I can also encourage voters to get involved in other forms of social media," stated MacGinnitie. "Supporters can become engaged with the campaign through texting, the iPhone App, Facebook and Twitter."

We need your support to keep our momentum going strong. Please get in touch with our office and learn more about what you can do to help! Call us anytime at (770) 350-6222, or write to campaign@macginnitie.org.

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Jeremy Jones Switches Races

Jeremy Jones, candidate for Georgia’s 9th congressional district, is announcing his drop from the 9th district race, and his entrance into the race for Georgia Senate District 53, currently held by Jeff Mullis.

After careful thought and consideration, Jones decided to switch to the 53rd district state race believing he can do more good at the state level than at the national level. Given the current bills being passed at the national level, it is past time to elect state senators who will uphold the constitutions of both Georgia and the United States. The hands of the citizens of Georgia have been pointed at Washington D.C. as elected officials trampled upon the Constitution, but it is time to hold the state senators and representatives fully accountable for their votes and actions as well. It is now more important than ever to elect a state senator who will support every effort to block the unconstitutional laws that are coming out of Washington D.C. and protect the freedoms the good citizens of Georgia.

Jones is committed to protecting your God-given rights enumerated in the U.S. Constitution as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, or as the Georgia Constitution states, “to perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty.” When elected, Jones will only vote for legislation that will provide for these things, and if he compromises on these issues, he freely invites you to vote him out of office.

On the switch, Jones said, “I equate the federal government to the school yard bully, and it time we stand up to him. Sure, we might lose sometimes, but if enough us stand up to it often enough, we will prevail.”

For more information on Jeremy Jones, or to become involved in his campaign, please visit jonesforus.com.
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Political Insider Don Balfour pulls out of race for Congress — and [GA] state Senate

Huge news. State Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) just announced that, not only is he pulling out of the race for Congress, he’s done with the state Senate. Here’s the press release:

This afternoon, Senator Don Balfour, from the 9th District, announced that he will no longer run for John Linder’s 7th Congressional seat.

http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/03/18/don-balfour-pulls-out-of-race-for-congress-and-state-senate/

via Jeffrey Meeks via Jim Galloway (thanks Jeffrey)

Reminder Ringgold Lunch Bunch, Karen Handel Guest Speaker

Just a reminder that Karen Handel, Republican Candidate for Governor of Georgia will speak to the Lunch Bunch on Wednesday April 7, 2010.

Lawyers for Olens for GA Attorney General Coalition and Website Launches

Three former State Bar Chairs Spearhead Lawyer Coalition Efforts

(3/8/10) Last week Sam Olens was again named one of “Georgia's Super Lawyers.” Today, the campaign launches the Lawyers for Olens coalition with a dedicated website www.lawyersforolens.com whereby lawyers statewide can endorse the campaign by entering their name on the website.

Three former State Bar Chairs are spearheading Lawyers for Olens: Robert Ingram (State Bar Chair 2005-2006); Jimmy Franklin (State Bar Chair 2001-2002) and David Gambrell (State Bar Chair 1967-68)

"Sam Olens will be an effective and strong Attorney General for our state. He is an experienced, tough litigator and proven leader and administrator—he will serve us well as the state's top lawyer," said Jimmy Franklin, Franklin, Taulbee, Rushing, Snipes & Marsh, LLC, of Statesboro.

Committee Members for Lawyers for Olens include:

Brad Carver, Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover, PC
Robert S. Highsmith Jr., Holland & Knight
Ben Johnson, Alston & Bird, LLP
Steve Labovitz, McKenna, Long & Aldridge, LLP
Benton Mathis, Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP
Cecil McLendon, Jr., Riley, Rosner & McLendon, LLC
Oscar Persons, Burr & Forman LLP
William F. Riley, Riley, Rosner & McLendon, LLC
Carolyn Roddy, Rosner & McLendon, LLC
Ray Smith III, Joyce, Thrasher, Kaiser & Liss
John Sours, Wasson Sours & Harris
Frank Turner, Greer Stansfield & Turner, LLP
Mark VanderBroek, Troutman Sanders LLP
Joe, Whitley, Greenberg Traurig, LLP

“I am grateful for the support these fine lawyers and their efforts to spread the word to all attorneys statewide that they believe I will serve the state well as the next Attorney General.” said Olens.

MacGinnitie Wins Reagan Day Dinner Straw Poll

Doug MacGinnitie, Republican candidate for Secretary of State, won the Union County Republican Party straw poll on Saturday at the Reagan Day Dinner held in Blairsville, Georgia. MacGinnitie defeated Brian Kemp, the appointed Secretary of State, receiving 62% of the 265 votes cast.

"I am honored and excited to have won the straw poll in Union County," stated MacGinnitie. "It is affirmation that our campaign is continuing to build momentum and strong grassroots support across the state."

The Reagan Day Dinner straw poll marked the first straw poll of 2010, and the first to label Kemp as an incumbent on the ballot. The significant win for MacGinnitie further illustrates that the grassroots party activists have made their decision and want MacGinnitie in the office of the Secretary of State.

"This win reaffirms the belief that Georgians are not looking for another career politician, but rather a successful businessman with private sector experience," stated MacGinnitie. "Our straw poll victories are a testament to our campaign's ability to organize a network of dedicated citizens who believe in our vision for fair and honest elections and job growth."

The effort that MacGinnitie's campaign has put into traveling the state has paid off. MacGinnitie has won eight of the last nine major straw polls conducted by local GOP organizations. Doug won the straw polls held in Cobb, DeKalb, Glynn, Henry, Muscogee, Union and Walker County sometimes by a 2-to-1 margin. The one poll where Doug fell short was in his opponent's old senate district where he still managed to earn 40% of the vote.

"At this point, grassroots party activists who go to these events have already met both candidates on several occasions and are familiar with each," said campaign manager Brandon Phillips. "Even with our opponent now having the advantage of incumbency, the grassroots of our party still continue to stand with Doug. If we learned anything from this win, it's that when voters are educated about the candidates they choose Doug hands down. Our advantage is that we'll have the resources necessary to make that happen come July."

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Mitt Romney to Speak at Emory Law Event March 30

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will present "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness" and discuss United States courts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, in Emory University's Glenn Memorial Auditorium, 1652 N. Decatur Rd. The Emory Law Federalist Society and Emory College Republicans are sponsoring the lecture.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue will introduce Romney. A question-and-answer session will take place from 8 to 8:30 p.m., and a book signing will follow.

The event is free and open to the public. No ticket is required, but attendees are encouraged to register. Seating is first-come/first-served with reserved seating for law students. Admittance for students begins at 6:30 p.m. Free parking is available at Fishburne Parking Deck, 1672 N. Decatur Rd., and Lowergate South Parking Deck, 1705 Lowergate Drive.

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Harold Logsdon, Candidate for GA Insurance Commissioner: Insuring Georgia's Uninsured

One of the biggest challenges facing Georgia's next Insurance Commissioner is finding a way to insure the 1.7 million Georgians without health insurance, and finding ways to cut in the $6.6 billion negative impact these uninsured have on Georgia's economy.

With innovative ideas, and by working with insurance companies through free market and free enterprise, I believe we can find ways to insure about one-third of these people. If we can do that, insure about 500,000 of these 1.7 million, it would mean a $2 billion economic boost to Georgia's economy.

This may include coming up with incentives to encourage the young and healthy to purchase insurance now. Georgia has been a front-runner in Health Savings Accounts, which could also be one solution to help the uninsured become insured.

On thing is certain, the answer is through free market and free enterprise, not some public option plan being pushed on us by Washington.

It's also time for Georgia to sell insurance across state lines.

This idea is part of the solution to healthcare.

SB 407 provides for this and answers all of my concerns about selling across state lines.

It allows states to form consortiums, allowing for a larger market -- which in turn, allows for lower insurance rates.

Not only does it allow for agents outside the state to sell insurance to Georgia residents, but SB 407 also allows Georgia agents to sell into other states -- increasing their market area.

SB 407 also gives Georgia's Insurance Commissioner the authority to protect Georgia's citizens, to go to bat for them when they have insurance disputes.

Georgia needs SB 407.


Harold Logsdon
Peachtree City
Candidate for State Insurance Commissioner
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Belle Isle for Senate Update - Invitation to St. Patrick's Day Brunch

This Saturday David will be speaking at the North Fulton Republican St. Patrick's Day Brunch. Come out and let's have an engaging discussion on LOCAL CONTROL, LIMITED GOVERNMENT AND CONSERVATISM! What: North Fulton Republican St. Patrick's Day Brunch Where: Horseshoe Bend Country Club - 2100 Steeplechase Lane Roswell, GA 30076-3547 When: Doors open at 9:15 AM Program from 10:00 - 11:15 AM Cost: $10.00 online $12.00 at the door We look forward to seeing you there! If you can't make it but would like to contribute to the campaign use the button below.     Thanks! Belle Isle Campagin

www.belleisleforsenate.com The gift limit is $2,400 per person or company, but all contribution levels are welcome! Checks should be made payable to "Belle Isle For Senate" and mailed to:                                                  178 South Main Street  Suite 250  Alpharetta, GA 30009

Warner Robins Debate a huge success for Scott

Update from Austin Scott Campaign:

Warner Robins Debate a huge success for Scott

Tuesday night's debate in Warner Robins was a great success for the Austin Scott campaign. As the only major candidate not to abandon his elected position, Austin offered a unique perspective on the challenges facing Georgia. He distinguished himself by offering clear, concrete solutions to the problems facing Georgia citizens.

He expressed his strong fiscal conservatism, his unwavering commitment to quality public education, and that he is the GOP candidate most likely to win the general election in November.

"I haven't had the privilege of serving in a district that's 90% Republican like some of my opponents. I've gotten elected in the same district that (Democratic congressman) Jim Marshall wins," he said. "Think about who can carry the day for our party in November. It's all about that."

At one point, Austin had the whole crowd in laughter when he directed a question to the only candidate who declined to attend the debate. The event hosts had placed an empty chair on stage bearing the absent candidate's name.

The debate was hosted by the Warner Robins Patriot. Click here to read the Patriot's coverage of the debate.

Legislative Update

Georgians can count on Austin Scott, who has continued his commitment to those who elected him through his ongoing work in the legislature. Austin's work to balance Georgia's budget in this time of crisis will be an enormous benefit to the citizens of this state during his term as governor. He has introduced bills that will bring jobs to Georgia and hold our elected officials to higher ethical standards. He is also working to eliminate wasteful spending so we don't have to cut valuable programs like 4-H and the agricultural extension.

You can follow Austin's progress in the legislature by joining our Facebook page.


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Karen Handel E-Update 3/5/10

Thank you for all the hard work you are doing for Karen in her campaign for Governor. Your efforts are paying dividends!

In fact, in a new poll released yesterday by the independent organization Public Policy Polling shows that Karen has closed the gap against John Oxendine, and the race is quickly developing into a two person contest.

The poll was conducted February 26 - 28. In the head-to-head match-up the numbers are:
Oxendine 27%
Handel 19%
Deal 13%
Scott 3%
Johnson 3%
Chapman 2%
McBerry 2%
Undecided 32%

This shows that the momentum is clearly on Karen's side as this is just the latest of several polls that have shown growth and movement for her campaign.

Karen's message of reform, cutting spending and job creation is clearly resonating with the voters. While the numbers have stayed stagnant for the other candidates, Karen has shown tremendous growth over the past several months.

Help Karen continue to spread her message across Georgia with a donation today. Thank you for your support of Karen!

- The Karen Handel for Governor Team
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Jeremy Jones: Open Letter to 9th District Congressional Candidates

GFP commentary: Refreshing.

Sent via Facebook:
Fellow Candidates,

It has been wonderful to meet and get to know each of you. I truly believe we have learned a lot from each other and I consider all of you new friends. Please understand, this letter is from the heart. There is nothing to back it up except my word.

Last week we were all working our campaigns with the full intention of having a successful election in July. The actions of Congressman Deal appear to have thrown all of that out the window, or at least have sped it up a great deal. Each of us believes we are the best candidate to serve the people of the 9th district, or we would not be running.

However, I ask that each of you consider the ramifications of the upcoming special election. I have decided to run in the special election as I know some of you will as well, and the others are most likely considering it. However, I know one of the reasons you would run in the special election is to be sure you are not faced with running against an "incumbent" in July. I have publicly made this promise, if I win the special election, I will not run for the seat in the upcoming primary/general election.

I make this promise because I know how busy the campaign season will be in May, June, and July. I also know how busy the person holding the office will be. It will not be fair to the people of the 9th district to attempt to serve in what we all agree a most critical point in our government's history, and devote the needed time to run an effective campaign to adequately present yourself to the citizens of the 9th district.

It was my every intention to serve the people of the 9th district next year, and for the years to come. However, as I know most of us believe, this election is not about me, you, or any other candidate. It is about our country, Georgia, and the people of the 9th district.

I ask you consider what I have said, and I humbly ask for your support to ensure a Democrat does not win this special election. If I win the special election, you can devote the time required to run the campaign that will illustrate to the people who you really are, and also allow the people of the district to be well represented for the next 9 months in Washington. It truly is a situation where the real winners are the citizens of 9th district.

Thank you and God Bless,

Jeremy Jones

PS - Not all candidates were tagged in this note, for some refuse to accept my friend request. I have sent this letter to them where possible.
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Bert Loftman, MD for US Congress, statement re: Nathan Deal

Nathan Deal is leaving his Congressional office in order to run for the Governor and this will greatly effect the current Congressional race. There will be a special election probably sometime in April. I have a number of reactions:

I believe that it is wrong for politicians to leave their elected office in order to run for another office. I pledge that I will never do this.

The advantages for the career politicians is that they already have name recognition and have accumulated large amounts of special interest funds in their war chests with which to begin a media advertising blitz.

The advantage for non career politicians is that the political tide is against career politicians. Their large media blitz will likely backfire and turn off the voters. Also, there will not be other competing races so concerned voters will be better able to concentrate on the candidates and issues of the Congressional race.

My advantage is that the issues of the FairTax, Controlling the Fed, and Honoring the Constitution returns us to our American Heritage. These time proven solutions will solve most of Americas problems such as job-creation, improved education, health care reform, lower taxes, less government, and campaign finance reform.

A vote for me is a vote for a healthy America and healthy Americans.

LoftmanForCongress.com
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