Oconee County, GA Politics

This is borrowed from http://farleft.blogspot.com I love David Letterman. On the January 3 airing of the Late Show, Letterman got into a quite heated discussion with noted liar Bill O'Reilly. For those of you who might be thinking, 'how heated?' Well, check out these little morsels of smackdown. The whole transcript is posted below. And I believe these little appetizers will convince you to read the entire thing. Letterman: I have the feeling about 60 percent of what you say is crap... Letterman: [on O'Reilly's phony "War on Christmas"] I don't this is an actual threat. I think this is something that happened here and it happened there and so people like you are trying to make us think that it's a threat. Letterman: "See, I'm very concerned about people like yourself who don't have nothing but endless sympathy for a woman like Cindy Sheehan. Honest to Christ." Had enough appetizers? It gets better from here, believe me. There are ...

Looks like Tom Delay is going to give in to the inevitable and no longer contest election of new Republican leadership ion the US House of Representatives.

Andy Rusk's kick off was fun Friday at Tasty World. Mayor Heidi Davison stood there while Rusk read an article from the newspaper and was semi-critical over some of her policies (smoking ban, rental registration). There was a near historic meet up of area political bloggers.

CNN.com - GOP coalition seeks shake-up of House leadership - Jan 6, 2006

1. I attacked and took over two countries. 2. I spent the US surplus and bankrupted the US treasury. 3. I shattered the record for the biggest annual deficit in history (not easy) 4. I set an economic record for the most personal bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period. 5. I set all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the stock market. 6. I am the first president in decades to execute a federal prisoner. 7. I am the first president in US history to enter office with a criminal record. 8. In my first year in office I set the all-time record for the most days on vacation by any president in US history (tough to beat my dad's, but I did). 9. After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, I presided over the worst security failure in US history. 10. I set the record for most campaign raising trips by any president in US history. 11. In my first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their jobs. 12. I cut unemployment benefits for more out-of-work ...

Bush Recess Appointments Meet With Protest - Yahoo! News

Somewhere I have a Cowsills single... Barry Cowsill, member of '60s pop band, dies at 51 | ajc.com

It is unfortunate that this concert series has been cancelled, but perhaps it will bode well for AthFest in Athens this summer. It always seems that AthFest organizers were dodging the same weekends as Music Midtown or Bonnaroo or other huge events. One AP story I read about this suggested that Music Midtown had at one time been in Piedmont Park. I have been to many jazz festivals in Piedmont but I do not recall any Music Midtowns festivals there. Maybe there was. I only went to a couple of the earlier events a decade ago and it was located kind of in between Piedmont Park and Georgia Tech in actual Midtown. It always seemed to rain on this event too. I just no longer have the endurance or attention span for the Lollapalooza length music festivals. I would like to attend a jazz fest in New Orleans if that ever gets going again. Or perhaps a Bonnaroo if I can stay in the trailer/camper of the Drive By Truckers or Widespread Panic. I love music and the next post is a sad fall out of Hurr...

"I've learned that no matter what happens or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow." "I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmastree lights." "I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life." "I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life." "I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance." "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back." "I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision." "I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one." ...

I hope the Washingtons get their petting farm back up and running as soon as possible for the families of Oconee County and surrounding areas. It is sad that their neighbors can not control their dogs. I hope they are able to build a better fence or pen or leash or a run before any more of their animals are euthanized. I think it is unfortunate that their mastiffs were able to create so much carnage for a month, even though it was only livestock and animals. It appears that new laws will be introduced before the Oconee County Board of Commissioners to deal with such roving animal attacks. OnlineAthens.com | News | Zoo owners appreciate offers, but wary of dogs 01/06/06

The Oconee County Democratic Committee had a productive meeting deciding to try and host another bike ride in April, pending all the approvals necessary. Carlotta Harrell of Henry County talked about the challenges facing the next State School Superintendent. She answered all the questions well and worked with a lot of information. Many teachers asked her some nuts-and-bolts questions about how her reforms in the state board of eduction office might change local control and input. Henry County may indeed be an accurate road map of what awaits Oconee County in 10 to 20 years.

It seems my acid tongue/pen/keyboard got me in trouble again. I wrote in a heated exchange with another blogger of Miss Kate McDaniel spying on us at the monthly Democratic meeting. I meant no ill will toward her or accusing her of malfeasance. It was a poor choice of words and I apologize. I want to work toward fostering ideas we can all agree on here in Oconee County and the state of Georgia. I respect Miss Kate for coming to our meetings and covering all the events she does in Oconee County. I appreciate her frankness and candor. We had a constructive dialouge about what has transpired in local politics and the possible fall-out. We can agree to disagree. We have fun with Miss Kate at our meetings. She works harder than most of our public servants in attending all the jurisdictions and associations. She sticks her neck out, expresses her point of view, listens to others and keeps a cordial tone even when she is upset. She was at our meeting this evening. We talked for a while about ...

CNN.com - Sen. Clinton fundraising group fined over Hollywood gala - Jan 5, 2006

When Will Georgia Republicans Return Tainted Abramoff and Cunningham Money? As Repubs Around the Nation Scramble, GA Repubs Do Nothing (Atlanta) Georgia Republican members of Congress are holding tight to the tainted money they took from convicted Republican superlobbyist “Casino Jack” Abramoff and convicted Republican Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, even funds that came directly from Abramoff or Cunningham, their wives or, in the case of Cunningham, his Congressional campaign or his PAC. Unlike Republican members of Congress across America, Georgia’s two Republican U.S. Senators and two Republican U.S. House members have refused to return the money they got from the guilty Abramoff. Plus, don’t forget that U.S. Senate investigators released an email proving that GOP Lt. Gov. candidate Ralph Reed solicited and received money through Abramoff for his campaign for Georgia GOP Chair. Duke Cunningham’s money is still burning a hole in the accounts of both Georgia GOP Senators, a GOP...

'Culture of Corruption' in GOP? Democrats Hope Voters Think So - Los Angeles Times

OnlineAthens.com | News | New company hired by Oconee to construct jail 01/05/06

OnlineAthens.com | News | Students' home explodes 01/05/06

Looks like Dan Arnold needs to resign from the Planning Commission

Update 5: Bush, Others Dump Abramoff Donations - Forbes.com