HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
http://thehill.com/...
Former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) has endorsed Rep. Paul Broun's (R-Ga.) Georgia Senate campaign.
"Paul Broun and I worked together in the House to bring some necessary oversight to the Federal Reserve," Paul said in a statement provided by Broun's campaign. "I endorse Paul Broun on his candidacy to the U.S. Senate."
Broun has taken up Paul's longstanding push to audit the federal reserve, and has a history of voting against his own party's bills from the right. Paul's endorsement will likely give him a boost with libertarian-leaning voters, though Georgia isn't known as a libertarian hotbed, and will help him expand beyond his Tea Party base in the state.
The candidate called Paul a "longtime friend" and said he was "honored" by the endorsement. - The Hill, 4/25/13
That's right people. Ron Paul endorsed this guy:
Broun of course was very grateful to have Paul endorse his campaign:
http://www.ajc.com/...
“I am honored by my good friend’s endorsement, and I thank him for his continued support and encouragement. When I first came to Congress in 2007, Dr. Paul and I were the two most consistent and outspoken constitutional conservatives serving in Washington. As Dr. Paul knows, it’s often a lonely fight when you’re one of the few Members in Congress with the courage and principles to say no to the out-of-control spending being done by both political parties.
“When Dr. Paul retired, I picked up the mantle right where he left off by reintroducing his Audit the Fed bill. I also have continued to hold the line on restoring our Constitution, to cut government spending, and to fully repeal Obamacare.
“I’m ready to take that kind of leadership along with my beliefs about limited government to the United States Senate. With support from Dr. Paul and the grassroots community, this is a race that I know we can win.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/25/13
By the way, Broun wasn't the only candidate Paul endorsed today:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Mark Sanford’s special election campaign announced Thursday that it has earned the endorsement of Sanford’s former House colleague, Ron Paul.
“Mark Sanford has always been a strong ally of the Liberty Movement. Help him get to Congress. Donate today!” Paul wrote in a fundraising appeal for Sanford.
Sanford is running in a conservative-leaning Charleston-based district. While Paul’s appeal is somewhat limited within the GOP, his supporters are devoted and generous with their money — both of which could help Sanford down the stretch in a low-turnout special election. - Washington Post, 4/25/13
I don't know if Paul's endorsement will help Broun or Sanford but both men fit the type of candidate Paul has endorsed in the past:
http://thinkprogress.org/...
1. Ted Cruz, Senate: Paul and his son, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, have endorsed Cruz, a fellow Texas extremist. Cruz has opposed the Voting Rights Act, touted his role in executing an undocumented immigrant, and expressed belief in the absurd theory that George Soros and the United Nations are coming for your golf game.
2. Kurt Bills, Senate: Paul has endorsed the Minnesota Republican who, as a state legislator, introduced a bill to make gold and silver legal tender and “study” the (unconstitutional) idea of having Minnesota develop its own currency. Bills also has compared the Affordable Care Act, unfavorably, to the burning of Washington in the War of 1812 and released a bizarre campaign ad/48 hour film festival entry that suggests voting for his opponent, incumbent Democrat Amy Klobuchar, will cause you to “die alone in a broken world.”
3. John Koster, House: Ron has also endorsed Koster (R, WA-1), who “physically flinches” at the thought of two men kissing during their wedding, once bragged about using his position as a state legislator to intimidate a university into cancelling a conference for gay students [Lexis, 6/6/98], wants to shutter the IRS and withdraw from the United Nations, and expressed opposition to a conspiracy theory about a mythical “NAFTA superhighway.” Those last three extreme positions are “the correct answers” on to some of the questions on a candidate survey by Ron Paul’s 501(c)(4) political operation, Campaign for Liberty. - Think Progress, 7/24/12
So yeah, Paul's had a great track record with endorsing "stellar" candidates. Now Georgia is a red state on the verge of becoming a purple state. Paul's had success in endorsing clowns like Senator Ted Cruz (R. TX) on the GOP's turf (that might be changing in Texas soon) and Paul's followers are dedicated zealots aimed who will do whatever Paul says, despite Paul suing them for their website:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Ron Paul has filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization against the proprietors of RonPaul.com and RonPaul.org, according to a blog post on their site on Friday.
The authors of RonPaul.com see the move as the ultimate betrayal from a politician who, more than many others, depended on an astounding level of grassroots support on the Internet in order to keep his longshot presidential campaigns running.
"Last month, after Ron Paul expressed regret on the Alex Jones show over not owning RonPaul.com (in an interview titled "Ron Paul: The Internet Is Our Last Chance to Awaken America"), dozens of supporters urged us to contact Ron Paul to work out a deal," the owners of RonPaul.com write. - BuzzFeed, 2/9/13
Who knows how significant Paul's endorsement will be for Broun and Sanford but Paul's supporters are sure to make the Georgia GOP primary entertaining. Sanford's a sunken ship and South Carolina Democrats are fired up about Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D. SC-01) so Paul's fringe base may not be able to combat an excited base in a special election. But Paul could at least help Broun raise campaign cash, especially if he might have to go up against this guy:
http://www.peachpundit.com/...
Preparing for a likely Senate bid, Georgia GOP Rep. Jack Kingston will announce that he’s raised $841,000 in the first quarter of 2013, bringing him to a total $1.75 million on hand. Kingston has reportedly hired a polling firm and plans a mid-April announcement of his decision in the race. His first-quarter fundraising, especially compared with the same period in 2011, when he raised $90,000, is another sign the congressman is planning to announce he’ll run. He’d join fellow GOP Reps. Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey, both of whom have officially entered the race. - Politico, 4/9/13
So we shall see. Meanwhile, Democratic Party Chairman Mike Berlon is trying to avoid a nasty primary:
http://chronicle.augusta.com/...
Berlon is trying to broker an agreement between U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Augusta and Michelle Nunn, the daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn and the head of a non-profit organization.
“We no longer can afford to have these party primaries where we take six or seven Democrats and run them against each other and there’s nothing left but smoke and ruin in the end,” he said. “This time around, we’ve worked very hard to make sure that when the decision is made, these two candidates talk to each other and clear the field so we can move forward.”
But Steve Anthony, a political science professor at Georgia State University and a former executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, predicts Berlon won’t succeed.
“I’m conflicted about that approach,” he said.
During the 1990s, Georgia Republicans tried the same tactic while in the minority with little success, he said.
He also noted that political parties have less influence over elections than the campaigns of the candidates themselves.
“Now, political parties are in existence to help recruit candidates and then get out of the way,” Anthony said. “The candidates raise the money, and the candidates are going to decide the issues.”
But the party should harass the other party in the press, as it did under Anthony’s direction, pointing out policy differences. As a result, Democrats slowed the pace of GOP gains from previous years, according to Anthony.
Berlon rejected such open warfare.
“Calling people names doesn’t work for us,” he said. “I’m more concentrated with trying to develop the party with 159 county parties.”
His strategy is to increase Democratic turnout by 5 percent in every county in hopes that will tip the balance for statewide candidates. - The Augusta Chronicle, 4/25/13
Not sure if Berlon's strategy will work but here's something that will raise your eyebrows:
http://thehill.com/...
President Obama will hold his first fundraising event for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) this election cycle next month in Atlanta, according to an invitation for the event obtained by The Hill.
The fundraiser will be Obama's first for the committee this year as he ramps up his efforts to help House and Senate Democrats: He's already held two major fundraisers for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) that brought in millions for the organization.
According to a source, Obama has agreed to attend a total of 14 fundraisers for the two committees: Five each for the DCCC and DSCC outside Washington, and four in D.C.
The May 19 brunch is being co-hosted by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (D) and former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes (D). It will be held at the headquarters of Blank's charitable organization. Tickets for the event are $10,000 per couple, and it's $32,400 to be a host. - The Hill, 4/24/13
Atlanta Mayor Kassim Reed (D) has stated he wants to help revive the Georgia Democratic Party and is optimistic about the the Peach State becoming competitive in 2016:
http://saportareport.com/...
“Where I think we’re going? I think Georgia is on an irreversible path to a Democratic majority,” Reed said. “But its going to be bipartisan because of the legislative districts.”
Reed also acknowledged that President Barack Obama did not follow his advice to try to put Georgia in play in the 2012 election.
“I think what you need in Georgia is somebody who really wants to win it,” Reed said, adding that he kept arguing that point to Obama, who told him to stop talking about it. “I almost got thrown out of the limousine.”
Without investing in Georgia, Obama did win more than 45 percent of the vote in 2012— which after North Carolina was the closest spread among the states that Romney won.
Reed estimated that Democrats would need to invest $10 million in Georgia in order to have it turn blue.
Demographers have predicted that the growth in Georgia’s Hispanic and African-American populations will make the state more purple as the years progress. - 1/10/13
Obama's visit to Atlanta could help raise the funds the DSCC would need to invest in this race. I for one am eager to win this seat and believe that we have a good shot at it. A dysfunctional Republican primary and recharged Democratic base could seal a victory for Team Blue in the Peach State. It's now just a matter of who the nominee will be. I'm still putting my money on Barrow.