Blue Dog Congressman John Barrow (D. GA-12) has always been a top target for Republicans but now that he's seriously considering throwing his hat into the 2014 Senate race being vacated by Senator Saxby "Chicken Hawk" Chambliss (R. GA), the GOP is now upping their attacks:
http://clatl.com/...
Later this week, the National Republican Congressional Committee will launch a new attack ad against U.S. Rep. John Barrow, D-Augusta, adding some credibility to rumors that Barrow could enter the state's 2014 U.S. Senate race. Or they're just trying to make Barrow miserable and ruffle his feathers.
The 30-second spot will run during the 2014 Masters tournament on TV sets in Augusta and Savannah. The commercial criticizes the congressman for supporting the Affordable Care Act and hindering the nation's economic recovery. "When we needed a balanced approach to the economy, Barrow let us down," the TV spot says. "John Barrow, his votes hurt job growth and hurt us." - Creative Loafing Atlanta, 4/8/13
Barrow's staff responded to the ad buy:
http://www.ajc.com/...
"This is the same hyper-partisan messaging that voters in Georgia rejected in the last election," Barrow spokesman Richard Carbo replied via email. "When it comes to finding real solutions to our nation’s problems, Congressman Barrow isn’t interested in playing these political games. He’s working with Republicans and Democrats to balance the budget, responsibly cut spending, and reduce our debt.”
National Republicans are turning Masters week attacks into a tradition unlike any other: They did the same to Barrow last year with a billboard and ad campaign. Barrow moved from Savannah to Augusta to remain in a more Republican redrawn 12th, but still handily defeated GOP nominee Lee Anderson in November. - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/7/13
No more matter how hard they try, no matter how much money they spend, the GOP just can't seem to get rid of Barrow. And with Barrow seriously looking at Chambliss' seat, that must have them in panic mode, especially since Georgia Republicans can't seem to settle on a candidate:
http://chronicle.augusta.com/...
The race to fill an open seat in the U.S. Senate is evenly divided among Republicans, and voters of all stripes weren’t wowed by the recent legislative session, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The InsiderAdvantage/Morris News survey, done in conjunction with Atlanta television station Fox 5 (WAGA), shows no leader yet among the candidates for the 2014 Republican Senate nomination. U.S. Reps. Paul Broun, R-Athens, and Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta, who are the only announced candidates, are tied at 15 percent each while their colleague Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, is just one percentage point behind, even though he hasn’t formally committed.
“It’s telling you who’s been in the news recently,” said Kennesaw State University professor Kerwin Swint. “... There’s no front-runner.”
The survey was conducted Monday. Results from the 296 Republicans who participated have a 5.9 percent margin of error after being weighted for age, race and gender. - The Augusta Chronicle, 4/3/13
With candidates like these, no wonder Georgia Republicans can't make up their mind about their ideal candidate:
http://www.ajc.com/...
A Barrow County News account of a town hall in Winder, published Sunday but held last week, quotes Broun as declaring – in a way not unlike U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss – that he enjoys being a virile, heterosexual male. And has no intention of changing.
It was in the midst of Broun's discussion of his support for a plan that would eliminate all requirements for employers to provide insurance for employees. From the newspaper:
Broun also criticized the Affordable Care Act covering hair transplants and sex change operations.
“I don’t want to pay for a sex change operation,” he said. “I’m not interested. I like being a boy.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/8/13
So yeah, it's no wonder why the GOP wants to defeat Barrow so badly, especially if he runs for the Senate. Clowns like Broun and Gingrey will only throw away this race to Barrow. Barrow may not be our ideal choice but he's proven to be invincible to GOP attacks in a red state like Georgia and I would be willing to hold my nose and support him if he runs for Senate. But of course, I am still interested in seeing what Michelle Nunn, daughter of former Senator Sam Nunn (D. GA), would have to bring to the table if she does enter the race:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
The other is Michelle Nunn, Sam’s daughter. Michelle Nunn isn’t as far along in her exploration of the race, we understand. She has much in common with Elizabeth Colbert Busch, the Democrat who will now face former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford in a coastal congressional race that will end May 2.
Both women are political novices, with experience in both the business and nonprofit sectors. Both have relatives who poll well in their respective states. And now that he’s retired, Sam Nunn — when he is not warning of nuclear terrorism — can be just as funny as Stephen Colbert. - Atlanta Journal Constitutional, 4/3/13
I really think Georgia can be our big pick up next year and would not only awaken a sleepy Democratic Party in the Peach State but also put us on the path to making Georgia competitive in 2016. I look forward to more development on this race.