December 2006

Another Road Named For A McKinney Would Be Largely Re-Branded Under A New Measure Pre-Filed For Session; 12/29/06
Rep. Rich Golick's bill would change the portion of "Billy McKinney Highway" in Cobb County, leaving Fulton segment alone

State Officials Alarmed By Road Deaths; Hope Comprehensive Plan Will Reduce Them; 12/29/06
State will end the year with troubling numbers

Sen. Saxby Chambliss Getting New Chief Of Staff; 12/28/06
A familiar name in Georgia politics and business circles

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: How Ford Was Used To Create A Bush Dynasty; 12/28/06
Revisiting the debate over what really happened at the 1980 GOP convention

Pre-Filed Bill Would Target Drug Rebates To Medicaid Managed Care Operators; 12/28/06
State official says that was part of the deal and warns contracts would have to be renegotiated if that passes

Updated: Georgians Remember Gerald Ford As An Uncomplicated Man Who Did What Was Right; 12/27/06
Howard H. "Bo" Callaway, Mack Mattingly, Chuck Clay, Bob Shaw reflect on the man they knew

Speaker Richardson Taps Top Isakson Aide For His Chief Of Staff; 12/27/06
Chris Cummiskey will replace the outgoing top staffer, Jay Walker

Joshua's Law Takes Effect In Georgia On Jan. 1 - A Major Change In Driving Rules For Teens; 12/27/06
Measure requires driver training course for 16 year olds, or makes them wait a year for license

Committee Releases More Details On Planning For Perdue Second Inaugural Celebration; 12/27/06
Put on your dancing shoes - there will be five bands at the ball

Dr. Charles Bullock: A Great Year For Democrats -- Except In Georgia; 12/27/06
A look behind the typhoon that blew down the Democrats big tent

Dick Yarbrough: New Year's Resolutions - More Painting, More Columns, More Corn-Fed Shrimp; 12/27/06
And an upcoming trip to Normandy to show grandson the cost of freedom

Pre-Filed Senate Measures Would Limit Mid-Year Spending, Require Zero-Based Budgeting Every Four Years; 12/17/06
Only education could get midyear spending increase without a two-thirds vote in both chambers

A Momentous Year In Review: Insider Looks Back At The World of Georgia Government and Politics in 2006; 12/26/06
A month by month review of notable events from our files

Georgia PeachCare Facing Another Cash Crunch? 12/26/06
Federal funding insufficient, agency says; crunch could hit in March

A Sidelight On The Death Of Soul Singer James Brown; 12/26/06
"Pickrick" and "Godfather of Soul" had a connection

Census Bureau: Georgia Now Fourth Fastest Growing State In Country; 12/22/06
State added 231,388 in 12 months ended July 1, 2006, according to latest population estimate

A Holiday Reading Gift: "Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus" 12/22/06
A reprint of the famous 1897 editorial from the New York Sun

InsiderAdvantage Editorial: Give Mora a Break; 12/21/06
Time to get off his back and support the team

Lawmakers Look For Ways To Fix Lagging Law Enforcement Salaries In Georgia; 12/21/06
"I did not realize the enormity of it," says committee chairman

Georgia Unemployment Rate Down In October, But Still Ahead Of National Figures; 12/21/06
Labor department says retail hiring for holiday season helped offset job losses

No Love Between AJC And Perdue; New Report Says Florida Land Deal Doesn't Add Up; 12/20/06
Was tax deferment he got from transaction justified, report asks

Delta CEO: "We Are Going To Fight And I Expect We Will Prevail; 12/19/06
Testifies at legislative hearing as lawmakers ask how they can help the carrier emerge from bankruptcy as a stand-alone

Who's Who In The New Secretary of State's Shop; 12/19/06
Incoming Secretary Karen Handel fills three key positions

Insider Interview With Sen. Saxby Chambliss: What He Sees For Iraq, Immigration, Power In Washington; 12/19/06
He wants the title "Mr. Chairman" but not at Sen. Tim Johnson's expense

Related Story: Outtakes From The Interview; 12/19/06
Chambliss on Bob Barr's switch, Newt Gingrich's future, Sonny in Washington, Cynthia McKinney and more

Lawmaker Proposing Grant Program For Low-Income Entrepreneurs; 12/19/06
Would help lift families out of poverty, help economy grow, says Teilhet

McKinney's Name A Goner From DeKalb County Road?; 12/19/06
Yes, if Republican state lawmaker has his way

Gingrich For President? An Insider's View; 12/18/06
Not hard to see how pieces could fall together by next fall, says Gingrich confidant

Updated: More Second-Term Changes For Perdue Administration: Craig Lesser Leaving Department of Economic Development; 12/18/06
Lesser heading to McKenna Long firm; will be replaced by director of forestry commission, Ken Stewart

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: The Dying Dollar; 12/21/06
Most lethal "trigger" for our enemies isn't the bomb; it's mastery of monetary-system imbalances

Dick Yarbrough: Dear Congressman Kingston - Suck It Up!; 12/20/06
Columnist says: let's hear no more whining about work week

Transcript Of The Zell Miller Speech That Wowed Lawmakers At Biennial Institute Last Week; 12/18/06
Athens speech a must-read for those who love history, politics; includes two extended sound clips

Vernon Jones Files Paperwork To Form Exploratory Committee For Possible Senate Bid; 12/18/06
DeKalb County CEO weighing possible run against GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss

Walter C. Jones: What's On Sonny's (Budget) List? Few Clues Offered So far; 12/18/06
Governor didn't open a window in either of two speeches last week

Staff Memo To Perdue Showed He Would Benefit From Retroactive Tax Break, Newspaper Says; 12/18/06
Issue from gubernatorial campaign lingers on

Constitutional Amendment Is Pre-Filed To Limit Property Reassessments For Tax Purposes; 12/15/06
Measure would limit annual increase to 3 percent or rate of inflation, whichever was less

PSC Weighing Sanctions Against Phone Company Accused Of Preying On Seniors; 12/15/06
Could be banned from doing business in Georgia

Early Christmas Gift For Sonny: His Sixth Grandchild; 12/15/06
That makes three boys, three girls, and a lot of Christmas stockings to hang

Insider Flash Poll: Strong Support Statewide For Sunday Sales Of Beer, Wine; 12/14/06
Support grows when respondents learn Georgia is one of few states in which Sunday sales not allowed

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: Gingrich On Iraq - Forget The Establishment; 12/14/06
His idea: a hybrid of FDR's New Deal and Harry Truman's Marshall Plan to create jobs, rebuild infrastructure in Iraq

Guest Column: Sen. Eric Johson On His Proposed Scholarship Program For Special Needs Children; 12/14/06
Program would improve opportunities by giving their parents a choice, he writes

Chambliss Retains Seats On Ag, Intelligence, Armed Services Panels; Isakson Gets Foreign Relations Committee; 12/13/06
New assignments out today

Vernon Jones Will File Papers This Month To Explore Possibility of Senate Bid Against Chambliss; 12/13/06
Insider poll shows he leads other Dems whose names have been mentioned as possible Chambliss challengers

Updated: Perdue Again Cautions Against Using Polls, Focus Groups To Set Tax Policy, But Says It's Not Aimed At House Proposal; 12/13/06
Seeks to calm fears among state retirees about possibly losing health benefits or paying more for them

Brad Alexander Will Be Casey Cagle's Chief Of Staff; 12/13/06
Was aide to former Congressman Bob Barr, key adviser to Cagle in his successful bid for lieutenant governor

Reporter's Notebook: A Few More Items From The Biennial Legislative Institute; 12/13/06
Current per diem doesn't cover costs in Athens, either ... A new Black Caucus chairman ... The future is ahead ... Sonny and the press

Jane Kidd In Race To Succeed Bobby Kahn As Democratic Party Chair; 12/13/06
Outgoing state representative is heir to political legacy of Vandiver, Russell

State Leaders Weigh-In As Delta Workers, Families Stage Anti-Takeover Rally; 12/13/06
Isakson, Chambliss speak; Perdue, Cagle send letters of support

Certificate Of Need: Panel Says Restrictions On Medical Facilities Should Be Loosened; 12/13/06
Preliminary recs follow 18-month study of hot issue

Insider Interview With Glenn Richardson: State Retirees Needn't Worry About Losing Health Coverage; 12/12/06
"We'll take care of the retirement system," he says of topic that's caused major buzz among lawmakers

Updated: Chief Justice Tells Lawmakers Supreme Court Not A Gang Of Activists Seeking To Usurp Their Policy Role; 12/12/06
"If it's a law I don't like and it's Constitutional, it's still going to be the law."

Related Story: Perdue Says He's Not Formed Opinion Yet On Adding Judges To Court; 12/12/06
But criticizes Justice Sears for court's latest budget request

Perdue Urges Lawmakers To Stay Focused, Cites Education, Affordable Health Care and Quality Jobs As Priorities; 12/12/06
"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing," he says

Legislative Per Diem Rate Bumped From $128 To $173; 12/11/06
Leaders say lawmakers were "going in the hole" for living expenses at old rate

Updated: Voucher Legislation Pre-Filed In Senate; 12/11/06
Would allow parents of disabled children to move them to public or private schools

DOT Launches Campaign Among Lawmakers To Make The Case For Tax Changes; 12/11/06
New website shows lawmakers which projects in their districts being deferred

Plunging Into The Unknown With A New Tie-Breaker On The PSC; 12/11/06
What will Chuck Eaton be like when he assumes his post on the utility-regulating panel?

State Legislative Leaders Get A History Lesson And Perhaps Some Subtle Advice From Zell Miller; 12/11/06
Former Democratic governor and senators draws two standing ovations from GOP-dominated audience

No Surprises At Senate Republican Caucus; 12/11/06
Eric Johnson re-nominated for Senate president pro tem; Tommie Williams re-elected majority leader

Perdue Announces Staff Changes; Here's The List; 12/11/06
Bert Brantley from Department of Economic Development is new press secretary

Lieutenant Governor-Elect No Fan Of Expanding Supreme Court Or Returning To Partisan Judicial Races; 12/10/06
"Don't have a real strong appetite for that," Casey Cagle says in Part Two of Insider interview

No Discussion At State GOP Meeting Of Changing Rules To Let Governor Name Next Party Chairman; 12/10/06
Topic wasn't on the agenda at state committee meeting in Macon

Insider Flash Poll: Public Has Not Been Shown Tax Changes Are Required To Fund State's Transportation Needs; 12/8/06
Public is indifferent and distrustful toward those involved with transportation

Related Story: Lt. Gov.-elect Casey Cagle Cool To Idea Of 1-Cent Sales Tax Hike For Transportation; 12/8/06
But wouldn't stand in the way if counties wanted to ask their voters for permission to raise tax for regional road projects

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: Christmast Bells Toll For A World In Turmoil; 12/8/06
Perhaps the biggest potential crisis in modern history

Business Groups Assembling Agenda For '07 Legislature; 12/8/06
Health insurance expected to top agenda for NFIB

Updated: The New Order Cometh For The State Senate: A Look At Who Will Do What Next Year; 12/7/06
Interesting patterns will emerge after Senate caucus on Sunday

Gold Kist Merger Not Setting Off Alarms For Image-Makers Worried About State's Reputation As Corporate Center; 12/7/06
One lawmaker offers his take on why: state's focus should be global, not on inter-state squabbling

Tom Cousins, Visionary Developer, Retiring Today On His 75th Birthday; 12/7/06
Left a mighty mark on Atlanta's skyline, heart and politics

Lawmaker Proposing To Merge State Departments Of Human Resources, Community Health; 12/7/06
Rep. Ron Stephens says DCH no longer needed after handing off Medicaid to managed care

Eaton Upsets Burgess In Runoff To Claim Spot On PSC; 12/6/06
Win boots the lone Democrat off the utility-regulating panel

Congressman Norwood Undergoing Chemo In D.C. Hospital; 12/6/06
Tumor was discovered after he returned from November election

Dick Yarbrough: A Hard Lesson Learned - Say "Thank You" To Those Who Help You While You Can; 12/6/06
Reflections on the passing of a friend

Cherokee County Approves Rental Restrictions For Illegals; Makes English The Official Language; 12/6/06
Problem "out of control," says one commissioner

Updated: Pressure Building For Tax Increase To Fund Road-Building Needs? 12/5/06
Several groups pushing idea but Senate Transportation Chairman says a flat "no"

PSC Runoff Update: Election Night Blog; 12/5/06
Repulbican Chuck Eaton bidding to oust panel's last remaining Democrat, David Burgess

Eaton, Burgess Hoping To Turn Out Base For PSC Runoff Today; 12/5/06
Areas with local races on the ballot could be the key

An Early Look At How '08 U.S. Senate Races Are Shaping Up Across The South; 12/5/06
Southern Political Report's founding editor Hastings Wyman surveys the field

Rep. Calvin Smyre Will Head National Caucus Of Black State Lawmakers; 12/5/06
32-year veteran of Legislature was floor leader for Joe Frank Harris, headed key committees under Democrats

Cagle Names Three To Head His Inaugural Planning; 12/5/06
Sen. Jeff Mullis, BellSouth's Phil Jacobs, Dr. Bobby Bailey will head up planning for inaugural revents

TABOR-Type Spending Limits For Government Under Consideration Again; 12/4/06
And there's more talk of eliminating the state income tax

Got An Idea For Legislation? Georgia Senate Republicans Want To Hear From You; 12/4/06
Website will allow citizens to suggest, comment on proposed legislation

Lonice Barrett Retires; Gave 36 Years To State Of Georgia; 12/4/06
"Hardest working man in state government," governor says

Updated: It's Official Now: Ayers and Bennecke Will Go To Republican Governors Association; 12/4/06
Ayers will be executive director, Bennecke is deputy and political director

Related Story: Klein Replacing Bennecke As Executive Director of Georgia GOP; 12/1/06
Will double as party's press spokesman

Dr. Charles Bullock: Handicapping The PSC Runoff; 12/4/06
The political backdrop on runoffs in Georgia and why runoffs in judicial races may play a role in PSC outcome

On Background - By Dick Pettys: Paying A 'Convenience Fee' To Pay A Tax ... And, A Report On The 'Real ID' Issue; 12/4/06
To pay your car tag tax online, you've got to pay a 'convenience' fee; State lawmakers, Bob Barr, concerned about national ID mandate

Walter C. Jones: A Pair Of Recent Rulings And The Push To Pack The Court; 12/4/06
Supreme Court has been pretty business-friendly, despite Hunstein's re-election

Home Depot Stock Rises On Speculation About Possible Buyout; 12/1/06
Nardelli dismisses report, says, "It's simply not true."

Cleland Says 'No' To '08 Rematch With Chambliss; 12/1/06
Former Democratic senator says battle for seat not in his plans

Two Lawmakers Have Tax Troubles, Newspaper Reports; 12/1/06
AJC says one is a House chairman facing a tax lien of $347,318

Perdue Succeeds Romney As Chairman Of Republican Governors Association; 12/1/06
Campaign aide Nick Ayers and Georgia GOP's Paul Bennecke will play key roles for Perdue at RGA

Watch For Push In '07 Legislature For New Road-Funding Mechanisms; 12/1/06
One group pushing statewide sales tax hike to meet needs, another pushing regional SPLOST

InsiderAdvantage Editorial: State Owes Debt Of Gratitude To John Watson; 12/1/06
Brought style and grace to job as governor's chief aide; helped ensure governor's first-term success

Around Georgia By Tim Darnell: On Michael Vick, Sanford Bishop, Highway Extensions, Much More; 12/1/06
Columnist's weekly survey of news around Georgia

Governor's Mansion Holiday Schedule Announced; 12/1/06
Christmas tree lighting is Sunday, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Merle Temple, Ex-Schrenko Aide, Heads To Federal Prison Today; 12/1/06
Faces eight years in embezzlement scheme

November 2006

Privacy Concerns Over Federal "Real ID" Law Are Behind Bill Introduced In Georgia Senate; 11/30/06
Measure would allow governor to delay compliance with standard - dubbed by some a national ID - until concerns resolved

Cagle Hitting The Road Next Month For 11-City "Thank You" Tour; 11/30/06
Won't hurt to keep his name ID numbers up if 2010 governor's race is his goal

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: Showmanship and Justice; 11/30/06
If Allred sues comedian Richards, who's left to sue football's Vick?

Four Lawmakers Headed For The Mexican Border Next Week On Fact-Finding Tour; 11/30/06
Three House members, one senator will join anti-illegal immigration activist D.A. King on the mission

One More House Democrat Weighing Switch To GOP In Georgia; 11/29/06
Would boost GOP majority in House from 106 to 107

Rep. Mickey Channel, Who Switched Parties in April, Lands Plum Post In House With His Adopted Party; 11/29/06
Go-to guy for Democrats on health care issues is now go-to guy for Republicans in new budget post

More Turnover Coming To Capitol Hill, This Time On Speaker's Staff; 11/29/06
Chief of Staff Jay Walker planning to leave; State GOP's Clelia Davis will be new press secretary

Tanenblatt Will Lead Georgia Finance Team For Mitt Romney's PAC; 11/29/06
Others on the team: Nancy Coverdell, Fred Cooper, Joe Rogers Jr.

Ed Holcombe's Selection As Chief Of Staff Earning High Praise For Perdue On Capitol Hill; 11/29/06
Ex-utility lobbyist may help governor have a smooth second term, some say

Dick Yarbrough: More Conversations With Former Gov. Carl Sanders; 11/29/06
Columnist pulls no punches on the battle between Sanders and Jimmy Carter in the 1970 gubernatorial campaign

Guest Columnist Steve Anthony On What Happened To The Democratic Party In Georgia; 11/29/06
Democratic strategist and former executive director of party offers his thoughts on why the party lost control and what it now must do

Johnny Isakson Calls For Major Investment In Illegal Immigration Reform; 11/29/06
Outlines five-point plan he will push in the new Congress

Will John Watson Be Next Chairman Of Georgia GOP? 11/28/06
No definite answer yet; a number of factors said to be at play

Battle Over Georgia Supreme Court Didn't End With Election; 11/28/06
One side wants to add more members; another wants public financing of judicial campaigns

House Democrats Complete Leadership Team, Elect Rep. Rob Teilhet As Chief Deputy Whip; 11/28/06
Minority Leader DuBose Porter rips proposal to "stack" Georgia Supreme Court

Inaugural Committee Releases Details Of Swearing-In Ceremonies For Perdue's Second Term; 11/28/06
Oath will be given on Monday, Jan. 8, at 2 p.m. at Philips Arena With Inaugural celebration at 7:30 p.m.

Can The Democratic Party In Georgia Re-Invent Itself? 11/27/06
Thoughts from some who've been mentioned for the chairmanship's race

Blank Will Lay Down The Law Today To Falcons; 11/27/07
Team owner unhappy with lackluster performance, Vick's obscene gesture

Cynthia's Not Bowing Out Quietly; 11/27/07
Lameduck congresswoman wants Justice Department probe of DeKalb police-involved shootings

Walter C. Jones: We May Yearn For A Time When There Were Only "Two" Georgias; 11/27/07
We could become a state divided by age

Lawmaker Proposing Bill To Require Candidates To Prove Residency; 11/27/07
Rep. Burke Day's proposal inspired by Mell Traylor issue

Are Social Issues Worn Out? Depends On Who You Talk To; 11/24/06
Some say Legislature has gone as far as it can; others disagree

Income Tax Check-Offs Brought In Extra Bucks This Year For Key Causes; 11/24/06
Wildlife conservation fund, cancer research were key beneficiaries

Georgia Power's Ed Holcombe Is New Perdue Chief Of Staff; 11/22/06
He replaces John Watson, leaving for private sector; spokeswoman Heather Hedrick Teilhet also leaving

Dick Yarbrough: Carl Sanders Reflects On His Career And The Current State Of Politics; 11/22/06
He wasn't thinking about history then but says, "Some of the work I did has stood the test of time"

Jim Beck, Who Was Aide To Former Lt. Gov. Pierre Howard, Is New Chairman Of Christian Coalition; 11/22/06
He will chair organization formerly headed by Sadie Fields, who broke away from national group to form Georgia Christian Alliance

What A Difference Four Years Makes - Another Look At The Election Numbers; 11/21/06
In 2002 angry rural voters helped lift Perdue to victory; in 2006, his re-election knew no geographical boundaries

GAE Pushing For 6 Percent Teacher Pay Raise Next Year; 11/21/06
But teacher's group worked against re-election of Perdue, who will make the call on pay raises

High Court Allows Bill Campbell To Voluntarily Surrender Law License; 11/21/06
Even so, court says former mayor's step is tantamount to disbarment

On Background - Analysis By Dick Pettys: Lame Ducks, Cagle vs. Richardson, Redistricting Reform; 11/20/06
Early steps may set the tone for the next four years

Republican Efforts To Woo Southern Black Voters Paying Off; 11/20/06
An election analysis from Southern Political Report

Constitutional Amendment Requiring Photo ID For Voters Is Pre-Filed In Senate; 11/20/06
Sen. Cecil Staton says measure will give voters the final say-so on provision

Retailers May Ask Lawmakers To Allow Sunday Sales Of Beer And Wine; 11/20/06
Radio station poll suggests idea may be popular in metro Atlanta but lawmakers not rushing to embrace idea so far

GOP's Loss Of U.S. Senate Helping Fuel Talk Of Isakson Candidacy For Governor In 2010; 11/17/06
His term expires same year Perdue's expires - that's not gone unnoticed

Around Georgia By Tim Darnell: Atlanta As A Corporate Ghost Town, South Georgia Peanuts Not A Menu Item, And More; 11/17/06
Columnist's weekly offering looks at news and newsmakers around the state

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: With Friends Like Rangel, Pelosi Needs No Enemies; 11/23/06
Ragtag collection of liberal, loudmouthed chairpersons may be bane of her existence

Battle In 12th District Is Over; Burns Won't Ask For Recount; 11/16/06
Congratulates Barrow, says "we came up just a few votes short"

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: Trent Lott Avenges Media Double Standard; 11/16/06
Sweet redemption for having been lynched by opportunistic media

Dhawan: Georgia Economy Will Begin Slowing Down During Next Couple Years; 11/16/06
National factors impacting he state's economy, says GSU economic forecaster

State Unemployment Rate Up Slightly In October; 11/16/06
Labor Department cites layoffs and new jobs not keeping pace with numbers entering the job market

Fundraiser Tuesday Helps Guard Support Program Close In On Million-Dollar Goal; 11/16/06
Business community pitching in to help support the families of the troops

First Two Senate Pre-Filed Bills Aimed At Sex Offenders, Illegal Immigrants; 11/16/06
One would ban convicted offenders from taking photos of minor; other would deny property tax exemptions to illegals who own property

Guest Columnist D.A. King: Recent Media Exit Poll On Immigration Created False Choice; 11/16/06
Left Out "attrition by enforcement" option

Libertarian Endorses Republican Chuck Eaton In PSC Runoff; 11/16/06
Eaton challenging incumbent Democrat David Burgess in Dec. 5 rematch

Barrow, Marshall Declared Winners In Certified Vote; 11/15/06
Barrow the winner by 864 votes; Marshall wins by 1,752

Updated: US Air Makes Surprise Bid For Larger Delta; 11/15/06
Grinstein: plan has always been to emerge from bankruptcy as stand-alone carrier, and plan is working

Cagle Names Five To Transition Team To Help Set Policies, Procedures For Lt. Gov.'s Office; 11/15/06
Tom Gilliland, Philip Wilheit, Richard Tucker, Anne Lewis, Charles Tarbutton on team

House Dems Keep Bi-Racial Leadership Team In Place; 11/15/06
Porter re-elected minority leader, says Dems must be watchdogs for voters

First Day For Pre-Filed Bills Brings Proposed Ban On Abortion, Other Items; 11/15/06
Rep. Bobby Franklin's abortion bill tagged as HB 1

More Reaction Trickling In To Far-Reaching Redistricting Proposal; 11/15/06
Minority Democrats willing to give it a shot, majority Republicans not enthusiastic about it

Dick Yarbrough: Atlanta Politicians Show That Racism Is Alive And Well; 11/15/06

Updated - Task Force: Place Redistricting In Hands Of Independent Commission; 11/14/06
Legislature would have up-or-down vote; Republicans not rushing to embrace proposal from panel created by governor

Republican Lt. Gov.-elect Casey Cagle Reaching Out To Democrats; 11/14/06
He was guest speaker at Senate Democratic Caucus

Georgia Power Seeking $416 Million Rate Increase For Fuel Cost Recovery; 11/14/06
PSC Chairman says commission politics left the company's last recovery effort artifically depressed

A Democrat Joins Republicans In Criticizing Controversial Ad In Fulton County Commission Race; 11/14/06
"Didn't just cross the line," says Rep. Mike Jacobs. "The line was nowhere in sight."

Rumors That Watson Leaving Are Pure Speculation, Governor's Spokeswoman Says; 11/14/06
One rumor reported on some websites has him going to GOP

Updated: House GOP Sets Sights On Eliminating Personal Income Tax; 11/13/06
Perdue says senior tax cut his top priority but willing to look at it; Cagle ready to work with House on meaningful tax cut

Related Story: House Republicans Pay Tribute To O'Neal For Standing Tall Against Campaign Attacks; 11/13/06
No one took more or bigger bullets in battle with Dems, says Speaker Richardson

Insider News Break: DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones Considering Challenge To Saxby Chambliss In 2008; 11/13/06
Exploratory committee will be registered this week, Insider has learned

Mixed Signals Coming Out Of Legislature On Social Issues For Next Year; 11/13/06
Senate's Johnson says Legislature has gone about as far as it can go; Speaker Richardson not prepared to say that

It Was A Rout For Mark Taylor, But Numbers Still Tell An Interesting Story; 11/13/06
He beat Barnes' vote totals in only 36 counties, trailed him in 123; Perdue's percentages improved in 118 counties vs 2002

Walter C. Jones: You Could Be Your Party's Next Leader; 11/13/06
Dems bereft of leaders; Republicans seem to lack new ideas for upcoming session

"Your Life May Depend On It" Ad Continuing To Draw National Attention; 11/11/06
Karen Handel, outgoing Fulton County chairman and incoming Secretary of State, says on national talk show it was incendiary, despicable

Controversy Continues To Swirl As Atlanta Mayor Defends Role In Racially-Oriented Ad But Apologizes For The Stir It Has Caused; 11/10/06
Ad in Fulton County Commission race appeared to urge black voters in particular to vote and included line: "your very life may depend on it."

May Be A Week Before We Know Whether Barrow-Burns Contest Headed For Recount; 11/10/06
Burns says it's still too close to call; Barrow says it's over and he won

Mike Vollmer, Go-To Man For Five Governors, Leaving State Government Dec. 1; 11/10/06
Was first director of HOPE scholarship program, currently commissioner of technical and adult education

Tim Darnell's Around Georgia: Rumsfeld Won't Be Missed Around Marietta ... A Witness To History ... Much More; 11/10/06
Columnist's weekly comments and analysis on news from around the state

Cagle Names Transition Committee To Recommend Changes To Restore Lieutenant Governor's Powers; 11/9/06
Committee composition offers a look at who's close to lieutenant governor-elect

Related Story - Transition In The Senate: Current GOP Senate Leaders Support Restoring Power To Lt. Governor; 11/9/06
Eric Johnson tells reporters there is no dispute - - incoming Republican lieutenant governor have powers GOP took from Mark Taylor

Message In Fulton County Race - "Your Very Life May Depend On It" - Still Causing Stir; 11/9/06
John Lewis comment termed "disgusting" and "offensive" by Georgia Republican spokesperson

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: Rumsfeld Was About Brown; Gates Is About Brain; 11/9/06
Elders of the Bush dynasty hoping to end 43's Vietnam

Former CNN Anchor And Perdue Spokeswoman Loretta Lepore Joining McKenna Long; 11/9/06
She will work in law firm's government affairs practice

Dick Yarbrough: In America, It's Still Possible For The Little Guy To Win One; 11/9/06
How the Boy Scouts of America forced Bank of America to back down

Burns-Barrow Race Headed For Recount As Election Officials Prepare For Dec. 5 Runoff for PSC Race; 11/9/06
Congressional battle within threshold for recount; Burgess-Eaton battle will be only statewide runoff

Updated - Election Odds 'n Ends: Extracts From The Exit Poll, Stats On The Dems' GOTV Effort; 11/8/06
Also: what Georgians said when asked if Newt would make a good president

You Have To Give Voters A Reason To Turn Out A Sitting Governor - And Sonny Didn't; 11/8/06
Neither did Taylor - an analysis of what happened

Taylor Concession Part Conciliatory, Part Defiant; 11/8/06
After 20 years, he says he's through with politics

A Look At The County-By-County Numbers - Perdue '06 vs. Perdue '02; 11/8/06
How the governor's electoral performance changed from one election to the next

Bitter, Brutal Fight Over Supreme Court Seat Puts Hunstein Back On The Bench; 11/8/06
She's second top court justice to face such a fight in the last two years

Updated: Casey Cagle Makes History; 11/8/06
And what happens next in a Georgia Senate soon to be under the gavel of a Republican lieutenant governor

Age No Barrier To Re-Election - Irvin Wins Again; Karen Handel, Kathy Cox Also Win; 11/8/06
Other winners: Thurbert Baker, Michael Thurmond, Stan Wise; David Burgess could face PSC runoff

Democratic Incumbents Ahead In Two Closely-Watched Races For Congress; 11/8/06
But outcome won't change control of Congress next year

Updated: Georgia Legislature: All In All, A Very Good Night For Incumbents; 11/8/06
Several targeted incumbents of both parties fend off challengers

Updated: Fulton County Continues To Elude GOP; 11/8/06
GOP's Morris and Loughrey lose to Dems

Final Update: The Election At A Glance; 11/8/06
Winners, losers in top statewide races and key congressional contests

Updated - Insider Bulletin: Perdue Wins Re-Election; 11/7/06
Numbers will narrow but showing in key counties better than four years ago.

Related Story: Taylor Concedes, Perdue Claims The Victory; 11/7/06
Taylor concession part conciliatory, part defiant; says his public service now over

Insider Bulletin: Cagle Elected First Republican Lieutenant Governor Since Office Was Created; 11/7/06
Defeats Democrat Jim Martin.

Insider Bulletin: Hunstein Wins Re-Election In Supreme Court Race; 11/7/06
Insider calls it at 8:25 p.m..

Updated - Insider Bulletin: Irvin Wins Another Term; Handel Is Next Secretary of State, Baker Returned To Office As Attorney General; Kathy Cox Wins;11/7/06
Irvin turns back Gary Black, Baker defeats Perry McGuire.

Updated: Two Hard-Fought Congressional Races Going Down To The Wire; 11/7/06
Burns-Barrow, Collins-Marshall remain tight

The Legislative Races: A Pretty Good Night For Incumbents; 11/7/06
Our rundown on who won, who lost - so far

Barnes: Perdue Will Win Without A Runoff Tonight; 11/7/06
Former governor, defeated by Perdue four years ago, offers prediction shortly after 8 p.m.

Georgia Elections At A Glance; 11/7/06
A quick glance at Tuesday's results in statewide and key congressional races

Election 2006: What To Watch For, What We Expect; 11/7/06
Every polling number suggests a big Perdue victory; Cagle will win but Martin may out-poll Taylor

Updated: Rain? What Rain? Early Turnout Somewhat Heavier Than Expected Today; 11/7/106
Appears to be better than expected across the state, Secretary of State's office says

Governor's Campaign Says It's Being Hit Today With Dirty-Trick Robocall Campaign; 11/6/106
It's a variation on the tactics being used by RNCC against Democratic congressional candidates

Hunstein Leads Wiggins 43 Percent To 34 Percent For Supreme Court, InsiderAdvantage Poll Shows; 11/6/106
But poll also shows nearly a quarter of voters are undecided

Latest Insider Poll: Perdue Now At 51 Percent, 11 Points Ahead of Taylor; 11/6/06
Friday-Sunday tracking shows Taylor land deal allegations have done all the damage they can do

Election-Day Polls Aren't Open Yet, But 9 Percent Of The Vote Is Already In; 11/06/106
Almost 400,000 Georgians have cast absentee ballots or participated in early voting

A Slugfest To The End As Perdue, Taylor Meet In Final Debate; 11/06/106
Instant analysis: Taylor stayed on message, but it's not one that can win him more votes

State Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Redistricting In Senate District 46; 11/06/06
Court says Legislature not limited to drawing maps just once every 10 years

Walter C. Jones: Taylor Should Be Grateful For A Little Unintended Help; 11/6/06
Changing runoff threshold back to 50 percent, depressed voter turnout from negative ads leave him with some hope

Latest Insider Tracking Poll: Perdue At 50% Going Into Final Weekend of Campaign; 11/3/06
Undecided voters and those flirting with a Libertarian ballot appear to be swinging into Perdue camp

McKenna Long Strategists Now Putting Georgia Governor's Race In "Safe Republican" Column; 11/3/06
Friday report shifts state in report from law firm's government affairs unit; it had been listed as "Leans Republican"

Updated: Charges And Counter-Charges: An Update On Four Legislative Races From Our "House Watch" and "Eye On The Senate" Reports; 11/3/06
A reprimand from Project Vote Smart in HD 81, controversy over a flyer in HD 26, money questions - again - in HD28, TV ad in SD 50

Wiggins, Hunstein Air New Ads In Fierce Supreme Court Race; 11/3/06
Wiggins radio ad asserts Hunstein released a felon who hired someone to kill the witness who put him in jail; a distortion, Hunstein says

At Least 8 Percent Of Georgia Voters Have Already Cast Early Or Absentee Ballots; 11/3/06
No waiting in line next week for some 350,000 voters

Tim Darnell's Around Georgia: Perry In The News, Fox Vs. CNN, Much More; 11/3/06
Columnist looks at events in Georgia and elsewhere during the past week

Guest Column - Sen. Eric Johnson: Voters Need To Approve Constitutional Amendment #2; 11/3/06
Author of measure says it will protect outdoor sports from animal rights extremists

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: "Halp Us Jon Carry" 11/2/06
Question now is whether Kerry's goof will rescue election for GOP

Dr. Charles Bullock: Fortune Smiles On The Governor, But Potential For Disaster Still Exists; 11/2/06
All the advantages have been with Perdue so far, but contest isn't over yet

Updated: Perdue And State GOP Lead Taylor And State Dems By $12 Million In Fundraising Efforts; 11/2/06
Republicans have comfortable cash advantage going into Nov. 7 elections

The Latest Campaign Disclosure Reports: A Summary Of Where Statewide Candidates Stand; 11/2/06
At-A-Glance chart shows money raised, money spent, cash on hand

McKenna Long & Aldridge Is Expanding Its Stable Of Political Veterans; 11/2/06
Veteran of New York and national Dem added to roster that already includes noted political power players

Funeral Today For Greta Dewald, Democratic Party Stalwart; 11/2/06
Member of Carter's Peanut Brigade, former DeKalb Dem Chairman; she was top aide to Manuel Maloof

How The Controversy John Kerry Stirred Could Impact Southern Elections; 11/2/06
Could fire up wavering independents, get previously un-motivated Republicans to the polls

Mell Traylor Gets Heave-Ho From Ballot In Georgia Senate Challenge To Eric Johnson; 11/1/06
No credible evidence he lived in district, says Cathy Cox

Taylor Wants Investigation Of Perdue Over 'Oaky Woods;' GOP Files Ethics Complaint Against Taylor; 11/1/06
Perdue spokesman calls Taylor move "ridiculous;' Taylor says complaint an effort to distract

New Zogby Poll Mirrors InsiderAdvantage Findings In Georgia Governor's Race; 11/1/06
Zogby puts Perdue at 48 percent, Insider puts him at 49 percent; both show unusual support for Libertarian

Latest Insider Tracking Poll: Governor's Race Continues To Bounce Around With Perdue Nearing 50 Percent Mark; 11/1/06
Perdue up a point in rolling, tracking poll; with low turnout predicted, race still bears watching

Irvin Sells More Stock To Pump Big-Time Money Into Re-Election Campaign; Rival Again Raises Questions; 11/1/06
Stock sale nets $460,000 for longest-serving state official; Black campaign says ag official should reveal what stocks he held and sold

Supreme Court Race Will Be Brutal To The End; Now Wiggins Has "Fact Check" Website Up On Hunstein; 11/1/06
Step comes a day after Hunstein releases letter from Wiggins' sister who contends he threatened her

Dick Yarbrough: A Letter To Mary Perdue; 11/1/06
Ex-advertising man gone straight says her ads are dynamite, but she might want to give some advice to her hubby

Bush Stumps In Middle Georgia For Collins, Georgia Ticket; Fires Back At John Kerry; 11/1/06
"We're driving toward victory," President says of mid-term elections next week

Secretary of State Predicting 48% Turnout For General Election; 10/31/06
That's below the 54 percent turnout of last gubernatorial election year - 2002

October 2006

Dems Continue Pounding 'Oaky Woods' Issue, Hoping To Score Points Against Perdue; 10/31/06
Perdue campaign says governor would have encouraged state purchase had he found a way

New Cagle Ad Depicts Martin As "Alarmingly Liberal;" 10/31/06
Martin campaign says GOP nominee trying to change subject in lieutenant governor's race

Updated: Hunstein, Wiggins Duke It Out In No-Holds Barred Debate; 10/31/06
Justice for sale is among the issues raised in encounter; tape-delayed broadcast airing Tuesday night

Related Story: Three Hours After Filing It, Independent Group Drops Ethics Complaint Against Hunstein; 10/31/06
Complaint alleged excessive contributions from two people; Hunstein's attorney says previous reports showed that wasn't the case

Hearing Officer Says Eric Johnson's Democratic Opponent Not Qualified For Election; 10/31/06
Ruling now goes to Secretary of State to review

Burns, Barrow Clash In Heated Debate In Their 12th District Rematch; 10/31/06
Burns says he's no rubberstamp for White House; Barrow says Pelosi doesn't represent district's values

Marshall, Collins Debate A Cure For Insomnia; 10/31/06
8th District candidates seemed to show they are more similar than different

Fulton County Commission Candidates Mix It Up In Tape-Delayed Debates Airing Saturday Evening; 10/31/06
Races will determine if GOP revolution reaches troubled county panel

Updated: Latest Insider Poll: Perdue Slips Below 50 Percent As Taylor Consolidates Base; 10/30/06
Taylor attack ads appear to be driving independents away from Perdue

Updated: A Contrast In Ads - Perdue Up With 'Morning In America' Style Ad; Taylor Up With New Attack Ad On Perdue Land Dealings; 10/30/06
Zell Miller appears in Perdue ad; newly-reported Houston County land transaction featured in Taylor Ad

Updated: Governor's Race Gets Personal In Second debate; 10/30/06
Taylor pounds land deals, says Perdue sold heritage for 'pieces of silver' ; Perdue questions Taylor's fitness as role model

Martin, Cagle Mix It Up But Mostly Avoid Mud In Lt. Gov's Debate; 10/30/06
Drexinger, Oxendiner swap charges in their debate; Majette, Cox meet in school superintendent's debate

Updated: Wiggins Threatening Possible Legal Action Against TV Stations Airing Hunstein Ad; 10/30/06
Calls it false, misleading and says stations should stop airing it

Gary Black Says Irvin 'Out of Touch' In New Ad In Ag Commissioner's Race; 10/30/06
Also hits Irvin for position on immigrant labor

Not Exactly A Glowing Endorsement, But Taylor Gets AJC's Editorial Support; 10/30/06
Editorial board wishes for candidates "with more to offer" in race

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: The GOP's Wasted Days And Wasted Nights; 10/27/06
In Washington, precious days have been wasted - and now lost

House Watch - Districts 28 and 29: Dems Jeanette Jamieson, Alan Powell Facing Fierce GOP Challenges; 10/27/06
Most intense ad campaign voters have seen in adjacent northeast Georgia districts in years, maybe ever

Updated: Perdue, Taylor Duel At Long Range Over Jobs; 10/27/06
While Taylor rips governor for job losses at closing of Atlanta Ford factory, Perdue announces 1,000 new jobs for Augusta

An Update On Senate District 25 - The Story Behind The Attack Flyer; 10/27/06
Dems ripping Grant for supporting bill co-sponsored by chairman of Senate Democratic Caucus

Savannah Newspaper Backs Burns Over Barrow In 12th District Race; 10/27/06
In state Senate race, newspaper calls Eric Johnson "thoughtful, intelligent and approachable, too"

Tim Darnell's Around Georgia: On Bert Lance, Nancy Pelosi, Much More; 10/27/06
Latest commentary on the week's happenings from our columnist

Updated: Hunstein Ad In Supreme Court Race Is Roughest Of Entire Political Season In Georgia; Wiggins Calls It 'Cruel' and 'False' ; 10/26/06
Ad says challenger Mike Wiggins' sister asserted in affidavit that he intimidated her, threatened to kill her; was sued by own mother

Updated - Campaign Watch: Fulton County Commission Races; 10/26/06
Republicans hoping this is the year they gain a majority on controversial board

Updated: Jesse Jackson Puts In Unadvertised Appearance At Taylor Fundraiser; 10/25/06
Not pre-arranged, says Taylor spokesman; "He dropped by out of the blue"

Updated: Flyer Attempts To Play Race Card In Governor's Race; 10/25/06
"Don't let the Bush/Perdue Republican mafia take away your vote"

Long-Awaited Taylor Attack Ad Now On The Air With Just Two Weeks Left In Campaign; 10/25/06
Kitchen-sink ad rips Perdue for 'Disneygate," child healthcare cuts, wades into class warfare

Taylor Proposes $1 Hike In State Minimum Wage; Perdue Calls It Election-Year Pandering; 10/25/06
Business groups condemn proposal; anouncement touches off verbal slugfest between the campaigns

AJC Endorses Hunstein, Says Race Will Determine If Court Seat For Sale To Deep-Pocket Interests; 10/25/06
Editorial board also gives nod to Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond

Dick Yarbrough: Roy Barnes Will Be Re-Elected, And Other Fearless Predictions; 10/25/06
Intrepedid humor columnist offers observations on politics

Latest Insider Poll: Perdue Cracking 50 Percent Again; 10/24/06
Polling in lieutenant governor's race now available to subscribers to our special poll tracking service

Martin Attacks Cagle Over Predatory Lending Law Revision; Cagle Says Ad Is False And 'Disappointing;' 10/24/06
First Martin ad of general election campaign focuses on 2003 revision

Updated: House Watch - District 144: GOP Expected To Grab Post Held By Former Democratic Speaker; 10/24/06
Seat in south-central Georgia is at epicenter of 2002 Republican earthquake

Handel Says WSB-TV Report Underscores Her Call For Audit Of Voter Registration Rolls; 10/24/06
Television station says some illegals getting on the rolls through motor voter law

Bush Returning Next Week To Stump For Collins, Burns; 10/24/06
GOP still hoping for wins in 8th, 12th Congressional Districts

Updated: Taylor Wants Perdue, Hayes To Join Him In Signing No-Cuts Pledge For Schools; 10/23/06
Insider analysis shows issue has no legs with voters, suggests Taylor campaign has lost its way

Could Weekend Strategy Have Been Turning Point In Governor's Race? 10/23/06
What our weekend polling shows about that and other key races

Updated: They May Be Sitting Out Governor's Race, But Cathy Cox And Husband Pushing For Jim Martin In Lt. Gov Contest; 10/23/06
Mark Dehler letter calls Martin "a long-time friend of Cathy's and mine."

Related Story: Cox Will Teach A Semester At UGA Law School; 10/23/06
She will serve as Carl E. Sanders Scholar, teaching election law and politics

Statewide Candidates Cover A Range Of Issues In Four Debates Sunday; 10/23/06
Hypocricy chargse spice SOS debate; attorney general candidates spar over time spent in the courtroom

Monday's Political Briefs; 10/23/06
Group disputes claim by one candidate in HD 48 race; five lawmakers honored for ballot trail efforts

Walter C. Jones: Lots On The Line In Supreme Court Race; 10/23/06
Robust Debate May Make Voters More Aware

Endorsements - Savannah Newspaper Backing Perdue, Cagle; 10/23/06
No case has been made for changing governors, newspaper says; Cagle has "spirit and good ideas"

Taylor Calling Out Some Big Names For Final Campaign Fundraising Event Tuesday; 10/23/06
Andy Young, Roy Barnes, Hank Aaron, Shirley Franklin among the co-hosts

Latest InsiderAdvantage / Majority Opinion Poll Showing Little Movement In Governor's Race; 10/20/06
Perdue likely winner if election held today; Taylor could tighten it with strong attack ad

Mary Perdue Has Only Speaking Role In Latest Ad For The Governor; 10/20/06
Ad intended to lock-up votes of women, fend off anticipated Taylor attack

On Background - By Dick Pettys: More Than A Touch Of Political Irony In Kia Groundbreaking; 10/20/06
Four years ago, almost to the day, on the other side of the state, then-Gov. Roy Barnes hailed a plant that was never built

House Watch - District 48: North Fulton County Seat In Play Again As GOP Battles To Hold It; 10/20/06
Contest is a rematch from two years ago between Republican Rep. Harry Geisinger, challenger Jan Hackney

Two Polls: Lawyers Favor Hunstein Over Wiggins; Voters Don't Care What Lawyers Think; 10/20/06
Apparently, race is a clear choice for lawyers but not for voters

Perdue To Reporter: "Why In Hell Would Selling Land While You're Governor Be Questionable?" 10/20/06
Dems cite outburst to AP reporter in their latest e-mail

Bush Reported To Be Planning Another Visit To 12th District For Burns; 10/20/06
Website says visit will be in Statesboro, marking President's second trip for former congressman

NRA Out With Endorsement List, Runs Gamut From Governor To Supreme Court To Legislature; 10/20/06
Group backing Marshall in 8th District, Gives 12th District candidates equally high grades but doesn't endorse

Cagle Warns He'll Go Negative If Martin Does; 10/20/06
Cagle's been up for a week with warm-fuzzy ads; Martin ads expected next week

Updated: Lawmaker Wants To Know If MARTA Fudging Performance Records Of Trains; 10/19/06
Whistleblower says mileage readings have been skewed; MARTOC chairman wants more to come forward

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: Why Should The GOP Lose Control of Congress? 10/19/06
Neutral scorecard makes modest case to retain control

Taylor Pushing To Make Children's Health Care Key Issue In Closing Weeks Of Campaign; 10/19/06
Both sides say the other is playing politics with children's lives

Ethics Complaint Filed In Supreme Court Race; 10/19/06
Long being waged out of public notice, battle finally getting some headlines

Naval Air Station Will Go To Georgia National Guard; 10/19/06
107-acre installation was slated to close under BRAC recommendations

Understanding The Governor's Race: Name Confusion With TV Lawyer May Be Boosting Libertarian; 10/19/06
But you can probably expand your "Sonny Do" list to 2008 and beyond

Eye On The Senate: In Many Ways, Battle For Senate District 46 Is This Year's Big One; 10/19/06
Names on ballot are Kidd and Cowsert, but could also read Democratic Party versus Republican Party

AJC Editorial Board: Dump Two PSC Incumbents; 10/18/06
Newspaper backs Randolph, Eaton Over Wise, Burgess

Dick Yarbrough: Athletic Tail Still Wags The Dawg At UGA; 10/18/06
Just measure the column inches devoted to sports versus scholastic achievement

Dear Georgia Voter: Disregard Previous Letter; 10/17/06
State Election Board will send out new letter telling voters they don't need photo ID

A Look At Constitutional Amendments, Referendum Questions On November Ballot; 10/17/06
The day of the spreadsheet ballot is gone, but you've still got some decisions to make

Chance Of A Tenured Teacher In Classroom Under 50 Percent At UGA; 10/17/06
Flagship university's rate is less than that of its peers

Independent Committee Wants Hunstein To Recuse Herself From Three Cases Or Return Contributions; 10/17/06
Safety & Prosperity Committee turning up heat in Supreme Court battle

Traylor Residency Challenge Referred To Hearing Officer in SD 1 Fight; 10/17/06
Former senator is battling Eric Johnson but his residency has been challenged

Organization Previously Known As Christian Coalition of Georgia Has A New Name; 10/17/06
Sadie Fields' group to be known now as Georgia Christian Alliance

Perdue Falls 6 Points In Latest InsiderAdvantage Poll; 10/16/06
Undecideds increase as Taylor takes attack on land deal, retroactive tax cut to the air

Tallying The Numbers In The Legislative Races; 10/16/06
Dems can't win back either house this time; their goal is to cut into the size of the GOP majority

Cagle Proposes Cap On Sales Tax On Gasoline; 10/16/06
GOP candidate for lieutenant governor would cap tax at $2 per gallon; any amount above that would not be subject to the levy

High Court Hears Appeal On New Athens Senate Districts; 10/16/06
Ruling not expected before Nov. 7 election

Cash Advantage Goes To Incumbents In Two Closely-Watched Georgia Battles For Congress; 10/16/06
Marshall leads Collins, Barrow leads Burns in fundraising

AJC Endorses Cox For School Superintendent, Handel For Secretary of State; 10/16/06
Hails Cox for "significant reforms;" Says Handel has "deep resume in management"

Savannah Newspaper Endorses Hunstein In Race For Supreme Court; 10/16/06
Says challenger Mike Wiggins may be judicial material but case hasn't been made for a change

Taylor Out With Third Ad On Land Deal; 10/13/06
It's a variation on the attack on retroactive tax break

Perdue, Taylor Trade Blows In A Rowdy Perry Debate; 10/13/06
Swampland, Pinocchio Among The Topics But Perdue Keeps His Temper In Check

Debate Analysis By Matt Towery; 10/13/06
Taylor floored Perdue in wild first half, turned into mush in second half

Debate Zingers - Both Sides Came Prepared; 10/13/06
A glance at the pithier exchanges in the Perry debate

Opposing Sides In School Funding Suit May Be Edging Closer; 10/13/06
Perdue spokesman confirms both sides working toward resolution

Irvin Vs. Black, Round Two; 10/13/06
Black fires new volley at Irvin over financial report; ethics commission director says rules give no guidance

Cagle Picks Up A Pair Of Endorsements In Race For Lieutenant Governor; 10/12/06
Marietta Daily Journal calls him a "scrapper" and NRA says his voting record a perfect bullseye

Eye On The Senate: District 25 - Nobody's Taking This Middle Georgia District For Granted; 10/12/06
First Republican senator from the district, Johnny Grant, facing battle race for re-election

Insider Instant Analysis: Perdue's Pinocchio Ad A Huge Gamble; 10/12/06
Rather than putting out the fire, could have the opposite effect

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: Gingrich Still The GOP's True Speaker; 10/12/06
Gingrich looking more and more like the hero he truly was.

Updated: New Perdue Ad Compares Taylor To Pinocchio; 10/11/06
Dems fire back with ethics complaint asserting governor understated his net worth on disclosure reports

State Finances Won't Be The Same Kind Of Issue In This Year's Governor's Race As Four Years Ago; 10/11/06
Revenue up 6.5 percent for quarter; four years ago for the same period it was down 6.8 percent, and Perdue was hammering Barnes hard

Senate District 1 Race (Eric Johnson) Continues To Make Headlines On The Coast; 10/11/06
News service reports that rival incorporated a company fined for violating SC gaming law

Bush Stumps In Macon For Mac Collins; 10/11/06
"I look forward to working with this good man," he says

Dick Yarbrough A Soldier's Story One Year Later: Trying To Adjust Back Home; 10/11/06
Back on the road in Georgia, a soldier still scans the road for suspicious activity

Guest Commentary By John Tures: America Shouldn't Be Wed To Runaway Lawsuits; 10/11/06
Observations in the wake of the lawsuit by the "Runaway Bride"

Taylor On Air With Part 2 Of Attack On Perdue Land Deal; 10/10/06
This one hits retroactive tax break, includes clip of Perdue on radio call-in show

Related Item: Insider Instant Analysis Of Taylor's Second Attack Ad, Perdue's Response Ad; 10/10/06
Taylor ad has a flaw; Perdue response ad may be corny but it's effective

House Watch: Four Dems Who Switched To GOP Rated Odds-On Favorites To Return; 10/10/06
One of the four was unopposed

Unusual Amounts On Tommy Irvin Disclosure Raise Eyebrows At Gary Black Campaign; 10/10/06
Stock sale, says Irvin; "I think it shook 'em up"

Perdue Unveils Another New Initiative: More GBI Meth Agents Next Year; 10/10/06
More fodder for campaign ads, says Taylor spokesman; "It's all hat and no cattle"

Shades Of The Past: Perdue Cussing The Atlanta Newspapers; 10/10/06
It's a time-honored tradition for governors, but you'd have to go back to Maddox days to find as much heat

McCain Helps Cagle Raise Money; Says His Decisive Victory Over Reed 'Pleasant;' 10/9/06
Event helped put $90,000 in Cagle's till

Updated: Financially, Sonny Perdue Is The Roy Barnes Of This Campaign; 10/9/06
A closer look at finances in the governor's race; survey of some others

Updated: Disclosure Reports At A Glance; 10/9/06
A quick read on the finances of the major statewide campaigns

Leaders Dig Deep To Help Fund Legislative Races; 10/9/06
A look at the chase for dollars in the battle for control

Updated: Perdue Using Illegal Immigration Issue In Latest Mailer To Mine Votes; 10/9/06
It's his second attack on Taylor through the mail in a week

Walter C. Jones: Judges, Reporters Trade Places To Get The View From The Other Side; 10/9/06
Judges learn how forbidding a courtroom can seem to those on the wooden benches

Perdue Has Five-Fold Lead Over Taylor In Campaign Cash; 10/6/06
$6.6 Million versus $1.2 Million in the bank as of Sept. 30

Updated: Taylor Opens Long-Awaited TV Offensive As New Insider Poll Shows Him Down By 24 Points; 10/6/06
New ad rips Perdue over Florida land deal

Updated: Dueling Taylor And Perdue Ads On The Air; 10/6/06
Taylor ad claims Perdue enriched himself; Perdue ad says Taylor unleashing "nasty, untrue ads"

Insider Instant Analysis: Taylor Ad Hits With Mighty Punch; 10/6/06
The real race has begun

Updated: State GOP Reports $5 Million Cash On Hand To Fund Sprint To Finish; 10/6/06
Dems report about one-fifth of that amount

Supreme Court Race Will Be Fueled By Big Bucks; Hunstein Reports $700 K On Hand; 10/6/06
As usual, however, most disclosure reports trickling-in slowly

Updated - Eye On The Senate - District 50: The Din Of Battle Comes Rumbling Out Of The Hills Of Habersham; 10/6/06
New installment in our legislative series looks at closely-contested Nancy Schaefer-Carol Jackson race

Updated: Secretary of State Looking Into Whether Democrat Challenging Eric Johnson Is A Resident Of The District; 10/6/06
Mell Traylor, who represented the district in the 1970s, says he lives in the district and meets residency requirements

Updated: Taylor Accuses Perdue Of Throwing First Negative Punch; 10/5/06
Taylor traffic change expected Friday; is it the long-anticipated negative attack ad?

A Special InsiderAdvantage Report: Midnight Talks Over Hastert To Stem The GOP's Bleeding; 10/5/06;
One option: Hastert wouldn't resign but would announce he won't seek another term as Speaker if GOP keeps control

Updated - House Watch - Districts 13 & 16: Open Seats In NW Georgia, Now Held By Dems, Coveted By Both Parties; 10/5/06
GOP hoping for one, if not both; Dems think they can hold seats of retiring Reps. Paul Smith, Bill Cummings

Matt Towery's Inside The Numbers: America Headed Toward A Very 'Kinky' Election; 10/5/06
Texas candidate Kinky Friedman a sign of what's happening all over

Gail Buckner Pushing For Clean Campaigns Through A Form Of Public Financing; 10/5/06
Proposes appointing a commission to begin the discussion

Perdue: Parents Will Get Letters When Troopers Stop Their Teens For Traffic Violations; 10/5/06
Policy is designed to ensure parents, kids talk about driving safety, he says

Chuck Clay: Perdue Ad Campaign Hitting On All Cylinders; 10/4/06
Placed him where he wanted to be at this point in the campaign

State Rep. Pete Warren, D-Augusta, Dies After Bout With Pneumonia; 10/4/06
Two-term lawmaker had lost re-election bid in primary

Burns Giving $3,000 Campaign Contribution From Foley To Charity; 10/4/06
Kingston defends House leaders but wants investigation

Atlanta Press Club Announces Debate Schedule For General Election; 10/4/06
Total of 13 debates; 10 will be broadcast live

Letter To The Editor: What's Really Dirty About Sierra Club's 'Dirty Dozen' List; 10/4/06
Rep. Edward H. Lindsey Jr. on the list

Twenty-One District Attorneys Endorse Hunstein In Battle For Court; 10/4/06
Supreme Court justice faces challenge in nonpartisan Nov. 7 race

Dick Yarbrough: Some Advice For The Candidates On How To Play Nice; 10/4/06
Humor Columnist has some 'suggestions' for Sonny Perdue, Mark Taylor

Chuck Clay: Perdue Ad Campaign Hitting On All Cylinders; 10/4/06

Justice Clarence Thomas Will Speak At UGA Event, Receive Award; 10/4/06
Georgia native will get Blue Key award later this month

House Watch: District 81, Drawn To Elect A Democrat, Has Twice Elected A Republican; 10/3/06
Rep. Jill Chambers' District 81 is the most Democrat-leaning district in the House that's currently held by a Republican

Business, Political Heavyweights Weighing-in For Hunstein At Columbus Fundraiser Wednesday; 10/3/06
Jim Blanchard, Dan Amos among the hosts for Supreme Court justice facing re-election challenge

Updated: Issues To Keep An Eye On As Taylor, Perdue Sprint To The Finish; 10/2/06
Retroactive tax cut, Medicaid policy changes still making news; Dems call for Perdue to pay back his tax break

Updated: New AJC Poll Puts Perdue At 53 Percent; 10/2/06
Charges of ethical lapses having no impact on either side, poll finds

Updated: Perdue Rolls Out Middle School Initiative; 10/2/06
Also hits news cycle with announcement Kia groundbreaking set for Oct. 20

Updated: Odds and Ends From The Campaign Trail; 10/2/06
Bob Greer backing Irvin; Labor comish announces tax cut; Rep. Kidd says she's met money goal; Democrat's residency challenged in coastal