Whitehead's bomb UGA joke proves he is not worthy of our consideration
Candidate for 10th says UGA quip just 'a joke'
Bomb the university?
By Blake Aued | blake.aued@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 10:41 PM on Saturday, April 7, 2007
State Sen. Jim Whitehead's 2004 comment about doing away with the University of Georgia was a bad joke that was blown out of proportion, the congressional candidate said Friday.
Whitehead, a UGA graduate and 10th Congressional District candidate, was quoted by an Elberton newspaper saying that the university is "a bunch of liberals," adding that, except for the football team, someone ought to bomb it.
The Evans Republican made light of the comment Friday while campaigning in Athens. Whitehead said he "popped off" during a meeting with Elbert County officials at a woman who cited UGA economists while criticizing him over austerity cuts to the state budget in 2004.
"It was a joke," he said. "The next time, before I do that, when I don't know the town, I'm going to find out who's with the newspaper and who isn't."
Despite being a native of the Augusta area - he was a Columbia County commissioner before his election to the state Senate in 2004 - Whitehead said he still has many friends in Athens from his football-playing days in the 1960s.
Whitehead is widely considered the front-runner to replace the late U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood, though judging by the signs, Watkinsville physician Paul Broun Jr. has a head start in Athens.
Like many of the other dozen or so candidates in both parties, Whitehead claims the mantle of successor to the popular Republican, who died of cancer in February. He is running to carry on Norwood's legacy, he said.
"So many people who knew Charlie and knew me thought I'd be the best person to replace Charlie," said Whitehead, who has hired a number of former Norwood staffers to run his campaign.
Whitehead addressed a wide variety of issues during a meeting with the Banner-Herald Friday.
He said he opposes the proposed Interstate 3 from Savannah to Knoxville, Tenn., but supports passenger rail from Athens to Atlanta and, eventually, "spurs" off that line to other east Georgia cities, and would be open to a sales tax or fuel tax increase to fund transportation.
On immigration, he said he will introduce measures in Congress if elected that are similar to laws passed in Georgia last year limiting undocumented immigrants' access to jobs, education, health care, driving privileges and social services.
Unlike some other Augusta leaders, he supports a proposed joint UGA-Medical College of Georgia campus in Athens, but said the university system needs to slow down and ease suspicions in Augusta that MCG eventually will move to Athens.
Opponents have said that Whitehead, at 64, is too old to serve long enough to gather the necessary seniority in Congress to be effective, especially as a member of the minority party. Whitehead said he plans on doing more than merely finish out the last 18 months of Norwood's term.
"I plan to be there just as long as the people of the 10th District want me there," he said.
Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 040707
Bomb the university?
By Blake Aued | blake.aued@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 10:41 PM on Saturday, April 7, 2007
State Sen. Jim Whitehead's 2004 comment about doing away with the University of Georgia was a bad joke that was blown out of proportion, the congressional candidate said Friday.
Whitehead, a UGA graduate and 10th Congressional District candidate, was quoted by an Elberton newspaper saying that the university is "a bunch of liberals," adding that, except for the football team, someone ought to bomb it.
The Evans Republican made light of the comment Friday while campaigning in Athens. Whitehead said he "popped off" during a meeting with Elbert County officials at a woman who cited UGA economists while criticizing him over austerity cuts to the state budget in 2004.
"It was a joke," he said. "The next time, before I do that, when I don't know the town, I'm going to find out who's with the newspaper and who isn't."
Despite being a native of the Augusta area - he was a Columbia County commissioner before his election to the state Senate in 2004 - Whitehead said he still has many friends in Athens from his football-playing days in the 1960s.
Whitehead is widely considered the front-runner to replace the late U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood, though judging by the signs, Watkinsville physician Paul Broun Jr. has a head start in Athens.
Like many of the other dozen or so candidates in both parties, Whitehead claims the mantle of successor to the popular Republican, who died of cancer in February. He is running to carry on Norwood's legacy, he said.
"So many people who knew Charlie and knew me thought I'd be the best person to replace Charlie," said Whitehead, who has hired a number of former Norwood staffers to run his campaign.
Whitehead addressed a wide variety of issues during a meeting with the Banner-Herald Friday.
He said he opposes the proposed Interstate 3 from Savannah to Knoxville, Tenn., but supports passenger rail from Athens to Atlanta and, eventually, "spurs" off that line to other east Georgia cities, and would be open to a sales tax or fuel tax increase to fund transportation.
On immigration, he said he will introduce measures in Congress if elected that are similar to laws passed in Georgia last year limiting undocumented immigrants' access to jobs, education, health care, driving privileges and social services.
Unlike some other Augusta leaders, he supports a proposed joint UGA-Medical College of Georgia campus in Athens, but said the university system needs to slow down and ease suspicions in Augusta that MCG eventually will move to Athens.
Opponents have said that Whitehead, at 64, is too old to serve long enough to gather the necessary seniority in Congress to be effective, especially as a member of the minority party. Whitehead said he plans on doing more than merely finish out the last 18 months of Norwood's term.
"I plan to be there just as long as the people of the 10th District want me there," he said.
Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 040707
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