You can add Cindy McCain to the list of people I never thought would participate in the NOH8 campaign, which promotes marriage equality by taking semi-glamour shot photos of celebrities with duct tape over their mouth.

In related news, Meghan McCain is due to speak at George Washington next month under the topic of, "Redefining Republican: No Labels, No Boxes, No Stereotypes." However, the College Republicans pulled their support when they learned it was for Marriage Equality Week. Way to fit a stereotype..

And let me also say that I think of marriage equality as a non-partisan issue because there are many many elected Democrats who do not support it.

(What, you thought corporations didn't have their own constitutional rights? Silly wabbit.)

But I play one on the internets.

I suppose it's easy to look back and find all the faults with the way health care reform was handled by President Obama, Congress, and The Senate. So, here's my perspective.

I believe the focus that they chose was completely off-base. Sure, it's staggering how many citizens of this country are without any type of health care coverage, and if you only had to appeal to me and my bleeding-heart liberal friends that would be an excellent point to make over and over. But, the choir of bleeding-heart liberals is not who President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Reid should be preaching to on health care reform.

If true health care reform was their goal, they should have had a laser-like focus on the plight of small business in the health insurance maelstrom and the economic ramifications of not fixing the current broken health care system.

In my relatively diverse circle of friends I know of at least a dozen talented, capable, and smart people who have the ideas and abilities to start small businesses. Few are willing to take the risky leap to entrepreneurship largely due to navigating the even riskier landscape of health insurance for small business. With rates already out of control, threats of fees for "cadillac" plans (don't even get me started on this); and annual rate increases double and triple that of inflation why would anyone give up affordable coverage provided by their employer? Starting a business is enough of a challenge without fat-cat insurance executives reaching deeper and deeper in your pocket every year in order to fund their mcmansions, yachts, and private jets.

There seems to be a universal understanding that as the post-WWII generation (baby boomers, if you must) ages the demands on and costs of health insurance will become a larger and larger piece of the US economy. Trimming costs and improving the health of my generation are win-win solutions to the coming crisis. The predictions vary on what percentage of our retirement income will got to health care, but no matter who you listen to, they are shocking.

Sadly, the past year has given us a round-up of individuals who lost their life savings and homes because of an illness; families with desperately ill children unable to afford treatment; and endless stories of wealthy executives getting rich off the suffering of the ill. These examples are powerful - and my choir responds to them every time. But, hey, President Obama, you don't need me - you had me at "Hope".

Prepare your wallets for a fundraising email from the Roy Barnes' campaign. Barnes is going to be asking for some funds because Rasmussen continues to report that he is the leading Democrat in the Governor's race and now "Barnes attracts 42% or 43% of the vote when matched against any of the top Republican hopefuls."

Jan. 21, 2010 results:

• Barnes (42%) versus Oxedine (44%)


• Barnes (43%) versus Deal (42%)


• Barnes (43%) versus Handel (42%)

Maybe this latest poll results are all about "buyers' remorse" rather than "National Dems are bad". Georgia voters might be having buyers' remorse for voting for the Georgia GOP's version of change. When they voted Roy out of office, voters naively believed that Perdue and his gang of merry reform Republicans would actually improve the State. Not so much after 8 years of letting the wolves mind the hen house. So now Roy is back and voters might be thinking "well, he wasn't that bad when he was in office, my family prospered, and my kids received decent education". I think a lot of people are looking for change but a change in leadership that will provide stability to their families.

It's gonna get interesting. It's gonna really suck for the other Dems in this race when Roy Barnes trots out his litany of successes that have directly impacted Georgians. The only Democratic candidate running who can't tie his successes with Roy Barnes' successes is Carl Camon. I'm guessing that the other Dems have better get their press folks to outline what successes they have had during Perdue's 8 years of ineffective leadership.

Maybe the ride won't be such a bumpy ride for Democrats if all candidates involved run on their record of successes instead of tearing each other apart. Ahhhh, a woman can dream...

Or Congressman Hank Johnson gets crunked.

Jules has alerted me to Cong. Hank Johnson's campaign song for his re-election campaign. Hear it here. Not bad. Not as crazy as the worst political campaign song evah. So how ya gonna top that Snuggles?

Here are the lyrics to Cong. Johnson's campaign song:
Hank Johnson - Taking Care of Home

(Music playing)

Voice Over (Hank Johnson)

Do you want a Congressman who represents your values?
Who understands what's important to you?
Who cares about your security and your safety?
Someone who will take care of home first!

Singer
Someone who's able
Someone who cares
Someone who's willing,
Who'll always be there at the table
Solving the problems for you and for me

A strong reputation for taking the lead
A brand new direction
That's what we all need
To be able
To start building a better---- community

With all of the issues concerning our kids
We need strong representation
And things like our healthcare, our safety and bad transportation

Vote For Hank Johnson For Congress
Cause he's just better than the rest
He's the answer, the solution
For Taking Care of Home

Bringing together all of us
Cause a new direction is a must
Vote Hank Johnson, the solution
For Taking Care of Home

Voice Over (Hank Johnson)

Hi, I'm Hank Johnson
We live in a great country and
We deserve new leadership and strong representation
In Georgia's 4th Congressional District
So on July 18th - Vote Hank Johnson
For solutions, not politics.

Vote For Hank Johnson For Congress
Cause he's just better than the rest
He's the answer, the solution
For Taking Care of Home

Bringing together all of us
Cause a new direction is a must
Vote Hank Johnson, the solution
For Taking Care of Home

Voice Over (Announcer)

For taking care of home

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Hank Johnson For Congress

And by "this year", I mean in, like, nine and a half months. I mean, yeah, I've got it, we've put a few too many of our eggs in one basket, but still... Have we straight up conceded this race? I mean no offense to Mr. Hadley and the work he's been putting in (though the fact that that URL doesn't even spell his name right is telling), but it seems like that loss to Chambliss two years ago straight up knocked the wind out of the DPG and any enthusiasm to take on Isakson from the party as a whole.

Where do we go from here?

I guess I never realized that our State Attorney General's office didn't already have a separate Civil Rights division. Good campaign pledge by Hodges.

Press Release from Democratic Attorney General candidate Ken Hodges:

A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION IN HODGES' VISION FOR AG'S OFFICE

Campaign Proposes Civil Rights Division Upon Election

Ken Hodges' campaign for Attorney General has announced a plan to create a new Civil Rights Division within the Attorney General's office upon his election, the campaign said.

"For the first time," Hodges said, "the Attorney General's office will have its own, separate legal enforcement division, with its mission trained solely on guarding the civil rights of all Georgians."

Hodges' planned Civil Rights Division will tackle investigations and litigation on a host of civil rights violations, with a focus on fair housing, employment, disabilities, religious freedom, racial profiling, and stopping predatory lenders.

Currently, the Attorney General's office handles civil rights cases through the broader General Litigation Division, and serves a defensive role protecting state agencies.

"We've got to give Georgia's Attorney General the tools to protect all Georgians," Hodges said. "This new office will be a great step forward in keeping Georgia safe."

Ken Hodges served for 12 years as Dougherty County's District Attorney. A proven prosecutor, Hodges earned distinctions as the Chairman of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, the President of the District Attorney's Association of Georgia, and as the state's District Attorney of the Year in 2002. A board member emeritus of the Civil Rights Institute in Albany, Hodges believes in prosecuting public corruption, cracking down on gangs and urban crime, and supporting law enforcement in its efforts to protect all Georgians.

For more on Hodges' campaign, visit www.kenhodges.com.

Everyone! Thurbert Baker is a scam artist! He claims to have a job opening in Civil Rights when we were just told in the below post and by Ken Hodges that there is no Civil Rights department section at the AG's office!

Here it is! Don't be fooled!

View image

Also, to further perpetuate the scam our Attorney General also has this flowchart on his website.

A little World Soccer for you, here are your links:

So what do you think?

Weigh in here..

Pundits welcome.

Full Speech below the flip.

Mark your calendar! Georgia WAND presents the 8th Annual Real State of the Union featuring AJC editor & author, Jay Bookman and The Reverend Dr Joseph Lowery.

Always sure to stimulate and entertain, Mr Bookman will give us his perspective on the state of our union, and Rev Dr Lowery will respond. A brief Q & A will follow. Be sure to come early for the reception hosted by your friends at Georgia for Democracy!

What: The Real State of the Union
When: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 7:00 PM (Reception 6:00 PM in Tull Fellowship Hall)
Where: Central Presbyterian Church, 201 Washington Street SW, Atlanta 30303
Admission is free! (A love offering will be taken.)

[promoted from comments, h/t Bezerko, TPM]

Senator Mary Landrieu's district office was the subject of some type of attempted interference with her telecommunications equipment. Not clear exactly what happened, but the alleged doers of whatever mischief include the below gentleman, Stan Dai. Plotting to disrupt communications, wiretapping etc, are arguably terroristic activities, so let's listen to Stan Dai explain how to prevent the very activities he was involved in. Hint: It involves teaching him to farm:

I pretty much agree with everything he says.

- the author was a former hill staffer of Sen. Landrieu

CBS has refused to grant advertising airtime for the gay dating website mancrunch.com, but will allow an evangelical Christian group to air an anti-abortion ad during this year's Super Bowl.

The ad reportedly will feature the University of Florida's superstar quarterback, Tim Tebow, and his mother, Pam. She will describe how, while working as a missionary in the Philippines and seven months pregnant with Tim, she contracted dysentery and fell into a coma. When she awoke, according to her account, doctors said the drugs they'd used to treat her virtually guaranteed a life-threatening stillbirth. They advised an abortion. She declined out of religious conviction.

Everyone is raving about the President's "Open Discussion" with Republicans yesterday, and for good reason. Related: The White House has partnered with YouTube to give everyone an opportunity to ask President Obama questions here on Citizen Tube.

He's a little late to the game, but Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine has called for the allocation of more money and more independence for the chronically underfunded and legislatively hamstrung State Ethics Commission.