GA GOP Fish Fry Straw Poll

Georgia Republican Party Announces Presidential Straw Poll Results ATLANTA – On Saturday, August 27th, at the Annual GAGOP Fish Fry, the Georgia Republican Party hosted the first statewide Republican Presidential Straw Poll. Results of the poll are as follows: Herman Cain – 26% (232) Ron Paul – 25.7% (229) Rick Perry – 20% (179) Newt Gingrich – 18% (162) Mitt Romney – 6% (51) Michele Bachmann – 3.3% (29) All Others – 1% Also Receiving Votes: Rick Santorum – 4 Jon Huntsman – 3 Thad McCotter – 1

GA GOP Mornng Report

Today, Georgia’s House & Senate Redistricting Committees will convene to begin discussion and deliberation on the other chamber’s respective redistricting map. If approved by the committees, the maps will head to the House & Senate floor for full debate and, barring any setbacks, will then land on Governor Deal’s desk to be signed into law.

Also, it is expected that the proposed Congressional map will be released at some point this week – possibly as early as today. For updates as they become available, visit the Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office here.

In case you missed it last week, Presidential Candidate, and former Speaker of the House, Georgia’s own Newt Gingrich will be attending the GAGOP Fish Fry & Presidential Straw Poll this Saturday in Perry, GA. Reserve your spot by clicking here.

Today’s RNC Research Briefing - Debunking Obama’s Myths: Controlling Washington (Click here to view the full briefing)

They Said It: Clearly deviating from her previous calls to dial back the incendiary rhetoric in Washington, D.C, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) shared her opinion on bipartisanship, stating “I’m not afraid of anybody…And as far as I’m concerned – the Tea Party can go straight to hell.” Classy.

GAGOP Media Briefing

In the Headlines…

Florida Times-Union: Analysis: New districts give Georgia’s GOP power at local level (Click here to read more)

GPB: Lawmakers to Tackle Congressional Maps (Click here to read more)

Newnan Times-Herald: Editorial: Will Supreme Court send Obama health care to its graveyard? (Click here to read more)

Rome News-Tribune: Gingrey Shares Thoughts on Future (Click here to read more)

AJC: Gingrich to attend Georgia GOP Fish Fry (Click here to read more)

Tweetable: Georgia

            @GaryBlack4Ag: hopes everyone goes to the Ga GOP Fish Fry in Perry on Aug 27^th! I hate to miss it this year! I know it will be a great event! #gagop #ga

@RepTomGraves: Yet another full house for our Pickens County Town Hall meeting, photos here: http://t.co/HKSU2gV

@GASOSKemp: Look forward to seeing local elections officials from across GA at the 42nd Institute of the Voter Registrars Association of GA in Macon.

Tweetable: National

@RNC: Almost 50,000 #ObamaGetaway postcards have been sent. Have you sent yours? http://t.co/ElLLuds

@RNCResearch: Debunking Obama’s Myths: Controlling Washington. http://t.co/fDpjnec

@NRCC: Not a Record for Dems to Be “Proud” Of http://ow.ly/67sMr #madeinwdc

                  

@SpeakerBoehner: GOP listening to job creators, offering solutions #4jobs & economic growth http://j.mp/rgRN8c

GAGOP – Morning Report

Today’s Big Thing: Yesterday, the proposed state House & Senate maps in Georgia cleared the first major hurdle when they were approved by the respective redistricting committees. Debate will return to the chamber floors in the General Assembly today. As a reminder, over the next few weeks you can watch the Georgia General Assembly’s legislative session live online by clicking here.

To see the proposed state House and Senate maps, visit the Georgia General Assembly online.

Also today, President Obama wraps up his three-day, three-state bus tour that went “coincidentally” through three of our nation’s electoral battleground states. While the White House continues to paint this trip as official Presidential business, the calls are coming louder than ever that the President is “campaigning from behind a taxpayer-funded presidential seal.”

As the bus tour wraps up and President Obama prepares to gallivant in Martha’s Vineyard for 10 days, the American public can’t help but question the priorities of the Campaigner-in-Chief.

From the Republican National Committee,

NO ONE BOUGHT THE WHITE HOUSE’S CLAIM THAT THE BUS TOUR

WASN’T PURELY POLITICAL

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd: “You could fool me. I mean it feels like a campaign trip. It certainly walks like one, it quacks like one.” (MSNBC’s “Jansing & Co.,” 8/16/11)

CBS News’ Mark Knoller: “The trip and events have all the characteristics of a campaign swing, but WH bills it as official and taxpayers pay all the costs.” (Mark Knoller, Twitter, 8/14/11)

The Associated Press: “Though classified by the White House as an official presidential trip, the tour's first day had the distinct feel of a campaign excursion.” (Jim Kuhnhenn, “Obama Sets Tone For Governing, Campaigning At Beginning Of Three-Day Midwest Tour,” The Associated Press, 8/16/11)

·         AP: “Obama's rhetoric had a campaign pulse as well.” (Jim Kuhnhenn, “Obama Sets Tone For Governing, Campaigning At Beginning Of Three-Day Midwest Tour,” The Associated Press, 8/16/11)

Minneapolis Star Tribune: “[A]n unusually partisan address for an official White House visit …” (Eric Roper, “Obama Talks Jobs, Jabs At GOP,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/16/11)

USA Today: “The White House says President Obama's bus trip is a non-campaign event, but that hasn't stopped him from making his most extended comments yet on the Republican presidential field.” (David Jackson, “Obama Goes After Republican Candidates On Taxes,” USA Today, 8/16/11)

·         USAT: “His toughest question may have come from a young girl who asked, ‘Why Cannon Falls?’ … Iowa and Minnesota are states critical to his re-election effort — an answer the president sidestepped.” (Richard Wolf, “Obama Defends Government,” USA Today, 8/15/11)

·         USAT: “Still, the trip had stark political overtones.” (Richard Wolf, “Obama Defends Government,” USA Today, 8/15/11)

The New York Times: “While the White House billed all this as a presidential visit, the line between that and a campaign event is fine: loudspeakers blared standard Obama campaign anthems by U2 and Brooks & Dunn.” (Mark Landler, “Obama Tries To Reclaim Momentum With Midwest Bus Tour,” The New York Times, 8/15/11)

Slate’s John Dickerson: “The president is on a political bus tour which he says isn't a political where he will tell Republicans to stop behaving politically.” (John Dickerson, Twitter, 8/15/11)

GAGOP Media Briefing

In the Headlines…

AJC: House, Senate maps approved in committees (Click here to read more)

Chattanooga Times Free Press: Panels move forward on Georgia redistricting (Click here to read more)

GPB: Barrow, Kingston Watch Redistricting (Click here to read more)

Dalton Daily Citizen: Attorney General Olens talks redistricting, health care (Click here to read more)

GPB: Healthcare Exchange Moves Forward (Click here to read more)

Tweetable: Georgia

@RepWestmoreland: My The @FinancialCmte hearing today in Newnan on bank failures was very successful. http://t.co/Q4ckKqk

@SenatorIsakson: Traveling around South Georgia to meet with constituents. Yesterday, I visited Soperton and Waycross. I'll be in Jesup today.

@ScottForGA: "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." ~ Albert Einstein #tcot #ga08 #gagop

@ButchMiller: The legislature is back in session today as we work to pass redistricting maps. #gapol

Tweetable: National

@ReincePriebus: If @BarackObama would rather campaign than lead, his campaign account should foot the bill. http://t.co/beme2yf #debtendtour

@RNC: NYT Reporter: I Wish I Had A Dollar For Every Time WH Shifted To Jobs http://t.co/TWPBGic

@RNC: #ObamasPriorities- First: Campaign. Second: Vacation: Third: Give a speech promising a plan you may never see.

                  

@SpeakerBoehner: Mr. President, Let's Get to Work http://j.mp/oYk5nX <-- op-ed w/@GOPLeader Cantor in @USAToday #4jobs

GAGOP– Morning Report

Don’t Forget: The first statewide 2012 Republican Presidential Straw Poll will be held on August 27^th at the GAGOP Fish Fry. Reserve your ballot today!

Today’s Big Thing: This morning at 10:00am, the Georgia General Assembly will officially reconvene to begin this year’s special legislative session to address redistricting. Already on Friday, the first drafts of the Georgia House & Senate maps were released. In case you missed it, the maps can be viewed here.

The Georgia General Assembly will be providing live video from both chambers, and can be watched by all at http://www.legis.ga.gov/Streaming/en-US/Both.aspx.

On Saturday, the first GAGOP Local Party & Precinct Training was held in Gwinnett County. We had a great turnout; there is a lot to be excited about in the Republican Party in Georgia. Special thanks go out to GAGOP 7^th District Chairman Jason Thompson, Gwinnett GOP Chairman Bruce LeVell and our friend Chet Hale for their hard work and leadership. Click here to view pictures from Saturday’s training session!

Finally, President Obama will begin a three-day Midwest Bus Tour today in Minnesota, which will also visit Illinois and Iowa. The RNC has dubbed this taxpayer-funded trip as “Obama’s Debt-End Bus Tour” and released a counter-video this morning.

They Said It: State Representative Debbie Buckner (D - Junction City) on the proposed changes to her state House district: “It’s a district that I feel like I can be successful running in, and I go through that part of Meriwether and Harris County back and forth to Atlanta, so I feel like I can take care of the folks.”

It seems as if Democratic House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams’ threats to her caucus have fallen upon deaf ears.

GAGOP Media Briefing

In the Headlines…

AJC: Redistricting session starts today (Click here to read more)

Augusta Chronicle: Ga. GOP vows fair redistricting (Click here to read more)

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: Legislators pore over maps as special session begins; First debate over redistricting scheduled for Tuesday (Click here to read more)

Augusta Chronicle: Rep. Barrow watches as congressional districts change (Click here to read more)

Savannah Morning News: GOP is going out of its way to prove it’s not the other guys (Click here to read more)

Rome News-Tribune: VIDEO: Deal, Gingrey speak at GOP rally (Click here to watch)

Salad Supper Meeting August 15, 2011

Please join Conservative Republican Women of North Atlanta

Annual Salad Supper

Monday August 15, 2011
7:00 PMat Magnolia Cafe

5175 South Old Peachtree Road

Norcross, GA  30092

Guest Speaker

Attorney General: Sam Olens

Sir names beginning with A-D please bring a dessert

Sir names beginning with E-Z please bring a salad

Weekly e-Newsletter from Senator Chambliss

Dear Friends,

Happy Fourth of July!

This week, I joined my Republican colleagues in cosponsoring the constitutional amendment, S.J.Res.10, to balance the federal budget.  Currently, 48 states have some form of a balanced budget requirement, including Georgia. The current and projected imbalance between government spending and revenues is unsustainable, and Washington has an obligation to say ‘enough is enough.’ We must stop spending money we don’t have and stop playing politics with America’s future. This legislation will force Congress and the administration to put our nation on a path toward fiscal sustainability.
I also joined with my Senate colleagues in voting 94-0 to confirm David Petreaus as Director of the CIA. He has done an excellent job leading our men and women in uniform, and I am confident that he will be just as successful at the CIA . To watch my floor speech on Petreaus’ nomination, please click here. To watch my conversation with Petreaus during his nomination hearing, click here.

To watch my weekly YouTube address in which I discuss President Obama’s press conference and the looming debt ceiling vote, click here.

I also had a chance to discuss the issues of the day with the Macon Rotary on Monday. I enjoy visiting with fellow Georgians, and hearing constituents' concerns.  As always, I encourage you to call my office while I am in D.C. and let me know what you think about the issues. I depend upon these calls to help me make informed decisions about the future of our country. If you would like to read about my Macon visit, you can click here.

I continue to pray for the drought-stricken counties in south Georgia. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack went above and beyond Gov. Deal and my request in naming an additional 26 counties as contiguous disaster counties. Now all counties hit by this severe weather will have access to the aid they need to bounce back from this unfortunate situation. To read more about this designation, please click here.
If you are planning a visit to D.C., I hope you will stop by my office and say hello, or pick up a pack of Georgia peanuts. You can also click here for more information on activities to do while you are in town.

I know not everyone has time to visit me in DC, or stop what they are doing in order to find out what I have been up to. So I am happy to introduce another way for you to stay in touch with me: a mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. To read more about this new service, click here. To download the app in the App store, click here.

Should you need assistance with a federal agency, you may contact my office toll free at 800-234-4208, or send an e-mail by clicking the icon at the top of this page that says “e-mail me.” You can also send a letter to one of my office addresses listed at the very bottom of this newsletter.
Sincerely,

Weekly e-Newsletter from Senator Isakson

Dear Friends,

This week, with a very serious debt crisis looming, Senate Democrats again failed to bring the issue to the Senate floor so that we can debate a resolution before the August 2 deadline that is fast approaching.  Instead of just talking about it, I have introduced and/or cosponsored several pieces of legislation to try to rein in federal spending, reduce the debt and change the way Washington does business: Biennial Budgeting, the Balanced Budget Amendment, The CAP Act, the Congressional Budget Accountability Act and the REINS Act.

This week, I joined with Senator Chambliss and 45 of my Republican colleagues in the Senate in repeating our call for Congress and the President to pass a constitutional amendment requiring Congress to balance the federal budget, a measure aimed at reducing the nation’s debt and reining in federal spending. Currently, 48 states have some form of a balanced budget requirement, including the state of Georgia.

With our national debt skyrocketing past an unprecedented $14 trillion, it is urgent that Washington get its fiscal house in order. These spending habits are unsustainable and jeopardize our credit rating and the financial future of our country. That is why I am joining all of my Republican colleagues in again calling on Congress to pass a constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget. In Georgia, the Legislature is required by law to balance the budget every year—it is not always easy but it forces Georgia’s elected officials to make tough choices and it ensures that Georgia won’t face the problem of massive debt and deficits. With our federal budget in such disarray, the only way we can restore fiscal responsibility and sanity is to prohibit Congress from spending money it doesn’t have. A constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget would force Congress and the President to finally just say ‘no.’

Federal Labor Boards Killing Job Growth
I learned from my father that we should all be judged by our actions, not just our words. I am very disappointed in what this administration is doing now. On the one hand, they are talking about jobs being the most important thing America needs. Yet, they continue to implement job-killing policies such as the ones being pushed through the National Labor Relations Board and the National Mediation Board.

The National Mediation Board recently decided to investigate what it claims are unfair labor practices at Delta Air Lines. The board took this step after the unions lost another election among Delta employees, despite the Board changing the rules last year to make it easier for unions to win a majority vote.

In addition, the National Labor Relations Board recently filed suit against The Boeing Company, claiming that Boeing was seeking to punish unions for previous labor strikes at the original 787 plant in Washington state by opening a second 787 plant in South Carolina, which is a right-to-work state.

Now, the National Labor Relations Board has proposed a rule change to remove some of the procedures necessary to hold a union election so that union elections can be held faster. Currently, it typically takes 38 to 42 days between the day an election petition is filed and the day the election is held. Under the proposed rule change, that time period could be shortened to as little as 10 to 12 days, making it more difficult for management to fairly educate and inform their employees about issues related to unionization.

In response to this action, as the ranking Republican on the Senate Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee that has jurisdiction over labor issues, I joined with Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Ranking Member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Senator Orin Hatch, R-Utah, to call on the National Labor Relations Board to delay the public hearing on the agency’s proposed rules to allow “quickie elections” for unions and allow for an extension of time to prepare testimony and file comments.  These proposals involve highly complex issues that require stakeholders to spend time analyzing the effect these proposals have.  Limiting the time in which stakeholders can submit comments for such a complicated and irregular rulemaking and then providing stakeholders with less than five days to decide whether to participate in the public hearing is simply inappropriate.

If you say you want to create jobs, don’t stop job creation. If you say you want the economy to recover, do those things necessary to empower business.

Disaster Declaration for Drought-Stricken Counties
This week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack granted a disaster declaration to 22 drought-stricken counties in Georgia.  Since December, many parts of Georgia have experienced extreme weather conditions and suffered numerous crop losses. With the USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation, Georgia farmers will be able to apply for emergency loans and other benefits to ease losses.

The counties that will become eligible to apply for emergency loans and other benefits provided by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 are Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Chatham, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Dodge, Effingham, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Telfair, Thomas, Wayne and Wheeler.

Vilsack also wrote that he is naming the following areas as contiguous disaster counties: Berrien, Bleckley, Bulloch, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Echols, Evans, Glynn, Grady, Laurens, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Mitchell, Montgomery, Pulaski, Screven, Tattnall, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Turner, Ware, Wilcox and Worth.

Like those in primary disaster counties, farmers in contiguous disaster counties may be considered for assistance under the Farm Service Agency (FSA). This includes FSA emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments program. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loan assistance.

What’s on Tap?       

While Senate members agreed to forego the scheduled recess to remain in session next week in order to debate the debt limit and deficit reduction, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has announced that we will instead resume consideration of the motion to proceed to a joint resolution authorizing certain U.S. actions in Libya.

We should also remember that it is the celebration of our nation’s independence on Monday, and reflect upon the principles on which our great nation was built.  As we think about what independence and freedom really means, we are reminded of the serious challenges facing our country and threatening our freedom, including the out-of-control federal spending that has put us into debt at unsustainable levels.  It is a shame that we will not be using this week in Washington to address this crisis.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson