Political Notes

Sam I am?: He obviously wasn’t the pick for vice president, but is there a chance that retired senator Sam Nunn will play any kind of role in Barack Obama’s campaign or administration? “I have made no decision that I…

It has been a long, long journey for George T. Smith – from plowing behind a mule in south Georgia during the 1920s to playing a pivotal role in the state’s most tumultuous political period, to occupying a seat in…

Golden opportunity: You can add the name of state Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta) to the list of possible Democratic candidates for governor. Golden got the word out that he’s giving serious consideration to the race, although he might not announce…

If your only source of information about Georgia’s public schools was the news releases distributed by the office of state school Supt. Kathy Cox, you’d think that our kids are surely being educated in the best of all possible worlds.…

Hail and farewell: Two of the most important figures in the state’s higher education community both retired, coincidentally enough, on June 30: Georgia Tech President G. Wayne Clough and Georgia State University President Carl Patton (they both ascended to their…

It’s as close to paradise as you can get and still be within the geographical confines of Georgia. I am referring to the scenic beauty of our coast and its Golden Isles, one of the major attractions for tourists who…

Remembering Jordan: In his heartfelt eulogy for longtime aide and strategist Hamilton Jordan, Jimmy Carter recalled how he first met Jordan prior to the 1966 governor’s race. Carter, who was then an obscure state senator from Sumter County, wanted the…

It’s history in the making, so they tell us. American voters this fall will elect either the country’s first black president or the oldest candidate ever to take the oath of office. History? Don’t bother me with that. The most…

The Ox is in: State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine was the first politico to officially file the papers and start raising money for the 2010 governor’s race. That could be one of the most crowded races on the ballot, as…

There always has been a zany, schizoid – dare we say, nutty? – quality about the Georgia General Assembly. Our duly elected lawmakers have a habit of making speeches and casting votes that seem to contradict what they were doing…