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12.1S5. ITIILIED9E RUE
RACE TO REPLACE SAXBY IS ON
Sen. Saxby Chambliss sent Georgia politicos into a tizzy
Friday when he announced that he wouldn't seek a third
term in 2014. He's now free to work on a deal addressing the
national debt???his pet issue???without worrying about the
political ramifications, like a tea party primary challenge. He
also set off a mad scramble to claim his seat.
Speaking at UGA on Monday, Chambliss said he had no
doubt he'd be re-elected but was too frustrated to continue.
Now that he's is out of the way, it's a virtual certainty that
our very own Rep. Paul Broun will be among the contend
ers. In fact, by the time you read this, he may have already
announced (if so, you can read about it at Flagpole.com). "I'd
be shocked if Paul Broun and Tom Price didn't jump into this
race immediately," GOP consultant Joel McElhannon said.
Don't count out Broun. Even though wide swaths of the vot
ing public believe he's a buffoon, he's subsisted on a steady
diet of better-funded, more moderate Republicans for the last
six years. "This would be the perfect time for Congressman
Broun to make a run for the Senate, a lifelong dream of his,"
said his former campaign spokesman and treasurer, Public
Service Commissioner Tim Echols. "Broun's campaign work ethic
is unsurpassed, and he really connects with voters. Add to that
the fact that he is a medical doctor and a Marine, and you can
see why conservative Republicans love him."
Of course, there will be plenty of competition. Every
Republican from the statehouse on up is looking in the mir
ror right now and fantasizing about being a U.S. senator. Tom
Crawford runs down the list of
potential candidates on p. 5.
On the other side of the
aisle, one intriguing candidate
would be former Athenian
Rep. John Barrow (D-These
Are My Guns), the one Georgia
Democrat who's proven he can
win in a red district. If the
Republican nominee is too far
right, Democrats could pick
up the seat, like they did in
Indiana and Missouri last year.
Barrow has no plans to run "at
this time," his spokesman told
Flagpole.
Of course, all this specula
tion would be moot should the
formidable Pete McCommunist
toss his beret into the ring. "I
am greatly appreciative to all
those who are urging me to run
for the United States Senate,
to succeed the Hon. Saxby
Chambliss," McCommunist said
in a statement. "I must say,
however, that any such specu
lation is highly premature. Let
me just say that my advisers
and I will be following the
situation closely, and at the end of the day, when it is time to
move forward, I will do what is best for Georgia."
REDISTRICTING: Speaking of Barrow, he recently introduced
a bill that should be of particular interest to Athens voters
who've been sliced and diced into all kinds of crazy districts.
The John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting
Act would set up nonpartisan commissions to draw new district
lines and prohibit changing those lines except after a census.
Barrow says the current partisan redistricting process is silenc
ing moderates in favor of extremists.
He's right. Redistricting is about the party in power taking
even more power. In Georgia, for example, two-thirds of the
state legislature and 10 of 14 congressmen are Republicans,
even though about 45 percent of the state is Democratic.
Athens is more than 60 percent Democratic, but four-fifths
of our delegation to Atlanta is Republican. And in lopsided
districts, candidates have to worry more about primaries than
appealing to the center in a general election.
New maps are drawn every 10 years. But the state GOP
has???over our objections???changed Athens' lines mid-decade
in an attempt to oust Barrow in 2004 and to ensure state Sen.
Bill Cowsert's election in 2006. Cowsert, to his credit, intro
duced a bill to create a nonpartisan redistricting panel at the
state level, but it never even got a committee hearing, even
with the support of then-Gov. Sonny Perdue. Barrow's bill prob
ably stands about the same chance.
OVER HEARD: Clarke County Democrats may have ousted
former state Rep. Keith Heard in favor of Spencer Frye last
year, but in a classy move, they honored Heard for his 20
years of service at a reception last Thursday. The location was
Multiple Choices???a nonprofit that serves disabled Northeast
Georgians???a fitting spot given Heard's lifelong commitment
to social services. "I always tell people, 'You might be an
accident away, a stroke away from needing these services,"' he
said. And it's true.
Heard helped preserve Multiple Choice's $141,000 grant
("We serve 10 counties," executive director Bill Holley said.
"You do the math.'') when it was on the chopping block. Such
expenses are the "low-hanging fruit" of the budget process,
said Heard, who served on the Appropriations Committee.
But that vote was just one of the more than 30,000, by a
House clerk's count, that Heard cast during his 10 terms. "I
know you probably didn't agree with all 30,000, but I hope you
agreed with most of those 30,000," he said. "I'd be happy if
you did."
Heard also declared that "I'm not through yet" with poli
tics. "Don't get that idea," he said.
NEW PRESIDENT: As Flagpole was about to go to press, the
Board of Regents announced that Provost Jere Morehead is
the sole finalist to replace UGA President Michael Adams. We'll
have more coverage online at Flagpole.com and in next week's
print edition.
ADAMS UNCHAINED: Adams gave his final State of the
University address last Thursday before he retires in June, and
he didn't hold anything back. In addition to listing his accom
plishments and offering advice to his successor???including
to rein in the football program???Adams accused some in the
Athens community of expecting too much from the university
financially at a time when money is tighter than ever in his
16-year reign. "Some have forgotten that the University of
Georgia is a charity, not a donor," he said. And the frequent
grumbling that UGA keeps too much land off the tax rolls is
creating ill will among the state legislators who send $400 mil
lion in tax revenue our way every year, he said.
The In the Loop blog at Flagpole.com has more on Adams'
comments.
Blake Aued hews@flagpole.com|
Martha DeHart thanks former state Rep. Keith Heard (D-Athens) at a reception honoring him last week.
4 FLAGPOLE.COM ??? JANUARY 30, 2013
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