Georgia Pol Scuttlebutt.....

[MsTryska]

found this in my email system - it's apparently some sort of pay report....

"Political Notes ? The deadline nears
by Tom Crawford on 6/11/2005

Some of the most eagerly anticipated documents of the current election cycle are due to be filed in the state elections office within the week after June 30, the day on which campaign disclosure reports are required from candidates for statewide office.

Political operatives will be scrutinizing and analyzing the reports line by line to see which candidates are doing well ? or not so well ? in raising money for the 2006 elections. Politicians who aren?t able meet expectations on the fundraising front could be in danger of being dismissed as serious candidates.

In the governor?s race, Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and Democratic Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor have already established themselves as fundraising heavyweights. In the last disclosure reports that covered the period through Dec. 31, the Perdue campaign had more than $3.1 million cash on hand while Taylor?s campaign fund had a balance exceeding $1.7 million.

The unknown in this race is the fundraising effectiveness of Democratic Secretary of State Cathy Cox, who didn?t file the papers to start accepting contributions until late in December. If she reports raising $500,000 to $1 million by June 30, her campaign people will spin it as a promising start. If she raises in excess of $1 million, her campaign looks even more credible.

The experts will compare the amounts Taylor and Cox raised over the past six-month period, as well as the relative performance of the two candidates since the publication of an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll several weeks ago showing Cox with a lead among voters who self-identify as Democrats.

Another candidate whose disclosure reports will be thoroughly examined is state Sen. Casey Cagle (R-Chestnut Mountain), who?s running against former Christian Coalition chief Ralph Reed in the GOP primary race for lieutenant governor.

Reed is expected to be way ahead of Cagle at this point in the money race. In just one Cobb County fundraiser earlier this year that was hosted by Bernie Marcus and Nancy Coverdell, Reed?s campaign said it took in about $585,000. That was just one of the fundraising events Reed has held since announcing his candidacy.

?Look for Reed to blow Cagle out of the water at the June 30 filing,? predicted Macon attorney and GOP consultant Erick Erickson, who operates a lively political blog (link to it here).

Erickson also opined in a recent web posting: ?With June 30 coming soon -- the campaign disclosure time -- we'll be able to see how much Casey and Ralph have on hand. In particular, we'll want to see how much they have raised from third parties beyond themselves and their family members. If there is a huge gap, expect some who have been silent to jump into a particular camp (my bet is on the one whose numbers look best -- even though that may not be the guy with the most money).?

Cagle, as a member of the legislature, couldn?t legally begin soliciting funds until after the session ended March 31 (that same restriction applied to Cox and Taylor in the Democratic race for governor because of their status as elected constitutional officers). While it?s unlikely Cagle will exceed Reed in total dollars raised by June 30, it will be important for him to show he?s at least off to a strong start.

?Casey needs to show at least a half million to be competitive,? said a Republican operative. ?That?s $250,000 a month for each of the last two months.?

Cagle supporters say they?ve been encouraged by the kinds of people who?ve been attending recent fundraisers. At one event, Cagle?s guests included House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram), who has advised House Republicans to stay neutral for the time being in the lieutenant governor?s race because of the continuing controversy about money that went to Reed?s consulting firm from Indian casino gambling interests.

Another Cagle fundraiser held a few days ago at the 1818 Club in Duluth involved some of Gwinnett County?s leading political figures, including developers Wayne Mason and Tom Wheeler (who Sonny Perdue recently reappointed to the state Board of Natural Resources), former DOT Commissioner Wayne Shackelford, Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Loganville), former legislators Keith Breedlove and Emory Morsberger, lobbyist Joe Tanner, and business leader Richard Tucker (a Perdue appointee to the Board of Regents).

Cagle has another fundraiser scheduled for the Palm restaurant in Atlanta on June 28 that will involve more than half of the Senate?s Republican caucus along with Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine and the new Senate majority leader, Sen. Tommie Williams (R-Lyons).

Reed still has some big names of his own to roll out. He?s holding an event June 17 at the Cobb Galleria whose guests will include Fox news commentator Sean Hannity and former senator Zell Miller, who?ll be signing copies of his new book. A recent email invitation to the Reed fundraiser noted that tickets are ?now free for all.?

Coincidentally, a Washington, D.C. event that could have an impact on Reed?s candidacy will also take place just before the June 30 disclosure date. The Senate?s Indian Affairs Committee has scheduled its latest hearing for June 22 into tribal lobbying practices, particularly those on behalf of Indian gambling casinos.

?We are examining instances of potential defrauding of Indian tribes,? said the committee chairman, Arizona Sen. John McCain.

The committee will look into the activities of Jack Abramoff, a longtime friend of Reed who is the target of a federal investigation into the more than $40 million in fees that Abramoff and a partner collected from casino-operating Indian tribes. Some of that money flowed to Reed, who has voluntarily turned over business records from his Century Strategies consulting firm to McCain?s committee. It is not known whether Reed will be called to testify at any of the committee hearings.

Reed has been mentioned in numerous newspaper articles recently about the lobbying activities that the Indian casino funds paid for, although he continues to say that he is opposed to the expansion of casino gambling.

More words from the web

On his ?Confessions of a political junkie? website, Erick Erickson also offered this recent observation on the governor?s race: ?In still other Georgia news, word has spread throughout the GOP grassroots that the Governor's team is smelling danger. Governor Perdue has not been able to keep a lot of deep loyalty in the grassroots and is taking steps, as best he can, to correct that. Subtle dread has been seeping into Republicans across the state that Cathy Cox just might get the Democratic nomination and toast the Governor. Sensing that, the Governor's office has started aggressively courting Republicans that have not had a great deal of direct contact with the Governor lately.? (Link to it here.)

John vs. Saxby

Sen. Saxby Chambliss has gotten crossways with Rep. John Lewis over a recent vote to confirm a federal judge.

Chambliss, who voted for the confirmation of controversial Court of Appeals Judge William Pryor, gave a speech in the Senate on Thursday defending Pryor, who was opposed by Democrats in part because of Pryor?s criticisms of the federal Voting Rights Act.

"Some of my colleagues on the other side have tried to characterize Bill Pryor as being out of the mainstream because, as you have heard, he?s called for the amendment of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act," Chambliss said.

"Judge Pryor is not out of the mainstream on this issue,? Chambliss contended. ?Judge Pryor has established a very impressive record as a fair, diligent and competent public servant. Two of my fellow Georgians, Congressman John Lewis and Attorney General Thurbert Baker, have expressed concerns with Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, just as Bill Pryor did and just as the late Justice Lewis Powell did. This is not out of the mainstream thinking. It is thoughtful analysis."

Lewis is disputing that characterization of him by Chambliss, however.

"I strongly disagree with the views of Judge Pryor," Lewis said. "Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act must be renewed. There is a continued, proven need for preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act, which ensure that local and state jurisdictions do not develop laws that intentionally or unintentionally discriminate against groups who may have little or no voice in the establishment of those laws."

Lewis added, "I regret that my colleague, the senior senator from Georgia, would use my support of a redistricting plan to justify the confirmation of William Pryor."

Regents leadership

Columbus attorney Joel Wooten relinquished the chairmanship of the Board of Regents this week and he is probably happy to let someone else have the job. Wooten?s year as chairman was dominated by a long-running feud between the regents and the University of Georgia Foundation that was sparked by UGA President Michael Adams? decision not to renew the contract of former athletic director Vince Dooley.

The regents eventually cut the official ties between the University System and the UGA Foundation and oversaw the formation of a rival money-raising group, the Arch Foundation. The continuing controversy over the foundation affairs and the backlash from Gov. Sonny Perdue over a proposal to raise tuition in the middle of the academic year, however, eroded the position of Chancellor Tom Meredith.

A divided Board of Regents recently voted to extend Meredith?s contract for another year, but the chancellor is widely expected to take another job before that year is over ? possibly as early as this fall at an organization like the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

?I?d say this was the most dangerous year for the System since 1945? ? when the Board of Regents was created ? a University System official observed.

With all of that recent history behind him, Wooten gave a very diplomatic goodbye speech when he stepped down as chairman at last Wednesday?s meeting of the regents.

?This has been a very challenging year for this board,? he said in something of an understatement. ?We?ve been through some growing pains in the past year.?

Wooten will be replaced as chairman by J. Timothy Shelnut, an Augusta financier who was appointed to the Board of Regents by then-governor Roy Barnes in 2000. The vice chairman will be Patrick S. Pittard, the retired chairman of the executive recruiting firm Heidrick and Struggles.

If the chairmanship rotates to Pittard next year as expected, he will become the first Perdue appointee to lead the Board of Regents.

Richardson award

House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) received the Wayne Shackelford Excellence in Government Award at the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) annual meeting in Savannah.

Richardson ?has a deep understanding of county government, having spent most of his legal career as a county attorney for Paulding County," ACCG Executive Director Jerry Griffin said. "We very much appreciate that an individual who holds such a high position in the General Assembly is not only knowledgeable about, but also sensitive to, the roles and responsibilities of county government."

Editorial surprise

In a column appearing in Friday?s Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jim Wooten included this statement about former legislator and convicted felon Charles Walker: "This was a guy, incidentally, who was entrusted with $20 million in public money that no state or local government ever audited --- for performance or spending."

Wooten was referring to $20 million that Walker, when he was Senate majority leader, asked to have put in the state budget, with the money going to the Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corp.

If, as Wooten says, that money was never audited, it is going to be a surprise to State Auditor Russell Hinton. Hinton?s staff reviewed that $20 million appropriation three years ago and a report on their findings was released on Aug. 2, 2002.

Wooten?s statement will come as a surprise to the Associated Press?s capitol reporter Dick Pettys. He wrote an article about Hinton?s audit that ran in some Georgia newspapers.

It will also come as a surprise to Jim Galloway of the Journal-Constitution news staff, who wrote an article about the audit that appeared in the AJC on Aug. 3, 2002.

It may even come as a surprise to Wooten. He wrote a column in which he critiqued the audit?s findings that ran in the AJC on Aug. 6, 2002."