Georgia GOP Fails to Get Key Legislation Passed, Feuding Factions Falter
Can the Democrats Capitalize on GOP Futility?
The second ranking Democrat in the House, Minority Caucus Chairman Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) already has a fall campaign theme: “Either lead or get out of the way."
Martin Matheny, Communications Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia was licking his chops as he surveyed the field of elect-able Democrat candidates in November. “We are energized,” he said. “We are looking at a number of competitive seats this fall.”
“The Republican leadership has let everyone down in Georgia,” Matheny contended. “Before this session began the Republican leadership flew around the state and promised progress over politics. Instead we got more of the same.”
Matheny said results were meager. “Tax reform, dead. Trauma care, dead. Transportation funding, dead. Help for families facing foreclosure, dead. The question to Georgia voters this fall will be: do you want to align yourself with the party that eats its young rather than with the party who will fight for what’s right, putting political gain aside? We will be fighting for Georgia; they will be fighting each other.”
Jane Kidd, Chairperson of the Democratic Party of Georgia, who has on op-ed editorial in this week’s Beacon (page 11), chimed in, “Georgia Republicans are great at getting elected. They are terrible at governing.”
While the Georgia Democrat Party hierarchy believes they will gain seats in 2008, they conceded that gaining control of either house might take at least two cycles. Matheny said, “2010 is the key for us. That is when redistricting happens. We have to gain at least one chamber (back) by then.”
The Democrats have a long way to go to retake either chamber. They currently hold only 72 of 180 House seats and 22 of 56 Senate posts.
Insiders at the National Democratic Headquarters in Washington who run the Congressional Campaign Committee (DNCC) echoed the 2010 redistricting mantra. One veteran operative said as many as three Congressional seats could hang in the balance of redistricting power in Georgia.
Anne Bartoletti, Democrat Party leader in North Fulton, was ecstatic with the quality of candidates she is going to field in several North Fulton County races this year. She opined that this year’s lack of progress on key issues and the continuing Republican political turmoil has served as a new recruiting tool for her.
Bartoletti added, “Outstanding Democrat candidates have been calling me asking how to get involved. They are outraged at the Republican [shenanigans], they are frustrated by what they see and they want to defeat Republicans. Especially those in [leadership] posts.”
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