Nathan Deal wants us to believe his remark about "ghetto grandmothers" has been taken out of context.
So we're just curious: Under what exact circumstances would it not be offensive for a white male gubernatorial candidate to be talking about "ghetto grandmothers"?
Hmm. We can't think of any, either.
Sorry, Mr. Congressman. What you said is highly offensive in any and all contexts. Quit trying to blame your opponents for your own moronic remark, sir.
Here's what he said, regarding voter verification, to a Cherokee County Republican Party gathering recently:
"We got all the complaints of the ghetto grandmothers who didn't have birth certificates and all that. We wrote some very liberal language as to how you can verify it. My mother was born in 1906 and she didn't have a birth certificate. They didn't give birth certificates back then. But we got her one, because you can do it under the proper procedures of your state."
There. There's the context. Feel better?
We thought not. The remark represents a 1950s-era sensibility.
Not only is Nathan Deal radioactive now -- and quite likely unelectable -- but he's in even more hot water than that: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed an ethics complaint against Deal with the U.S. House after it came to light that not only was his private company doing business with the state of Georgia, but he and his congressional staff have been contacting state officials to keep the deal going.
Deal and a business partner had a contract with the state to inspect salvaged vehicles that have been rebuilt. Deal has recently ended the 20-year arrangement. But according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Deal previously met with state officials to try to convince them to preserve the program.
Deal also wants us to believe that his and his staff's dealings with the state are being taken out of context.
"Deal said in August he did nothing wrong and was not using his public office for personal gain," the Atlanta paper reported. "Instead, he said, he was helping constituents and making sure an important state program continued to protect the safety of Georgians."
Oh, so it was for our benefit. Right.
He's now going about the business of trying to salvage his 2010 run to succeed Gov. Sonny Perdue.
He'll be doing that for our sakes, too, one supposes.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I'm holding out hope Bob Barr will make an appearance in the gubernatorial race.
Nathan Deal has been doing government business for too long of a time to think he can use any of the toxic words and get away with it. I agree with omnom. Bob Barr is the kind of libertarian that would do the state some good.
Bob Barr please enter the race, we need something other than dems and reps.
Mr Barr got my vote for the presidential election, voting for him for governor would be easy.
I commend ACES for identifying Deal's remark for what it was--outrageous and clearly offensive. His business with the state doesn't pass muster. Maybe eventually the good ol' boys will be driven from politics or die out. Deal is a good start.
I could care less about a stupid soundbite. But, career politicians that make money off sweetheart deals with the govt will never get my vote or support. Especially when in the next sentence he bashes the govt as a conservative but he has gotten rich on the govt (public and private jobs).
That remark brings into question Deal's suitability to be Governor, but the biggest scandal involves John Oxendine taking illegal contributions and the Chronicle hasn't commented. Oxendine took over a hundred thousand dollars in illegal campaign contributions. When the AJC broke the story, he returned the money eventually. The money had been funneled to him via 10 Alabama PAC's that Oxendine claimed no knowledge of. Guess who had the PAC's formed? Oxendine's buddy, whom he had known for years. He is the head of the Georgia Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association. This organization is state-mandated and all insurance companies participate in. It has the power to seize assets and distribute. Georgia's ethics law bars public officials from accepting contributions from the companies they regulate. Think Oxendine didn't know that too?
in summary....they all suck. thank you
Is the AC kidding with this editorial? Deal's racist comments will only get him more votes in Georgia.
This just sounds like some red meat to throw out to the dwindling circulation of the AC to hopefully keep readers. Had Nathan Deal not been so stupid as to utter his feelings out loud, the AC would be one of his biggest supporters. The AC thinks it's clever to foment racist, divisive discourse. They always have. They are clever in the sense that they don't make the literal utterances themselves, but they are just as stupid as Deal if they think the readers can't see thinly disguised racial excoriations that Morris,Ryan, and cohorts spew with no other intent than to further divide their readers. Sound like business suicide? IT IS!!! This lonely bunch on these threads won't sustain your newspaper, Messieurs Morris and Ryan. It's real simple. Respect the audience that you depend on for survival.
Lobo, that's about as illogical as anything I've seen in a while. The AC criticises a candidate, a Republican, for using a thinly disguised racial term and you call them racist.
lobo, I didn't want to go there. I think they taught their readers would defend this a little more and they may be in private. But, AC always promotes racial division.
Is this similar to obama's "typical white woman" statement he made while attempting to state why he remains so loyal to "Rev" Wright? Personally, I don't see much difference. So, why give obama a free pass and castigate this man? I don't know enough about this man to pass judgment on him. I do believe, however, that politics as usual seems to go on with name-calling and race-baiting occuring every day.
roeschen, but you can pass judgement on Obama. I get it.
Concernednative now imagines he knows what some people are saying in private. Heh, heh, heh.
"maybe" was my words. But, I think "maybe" you fall into that category because a hit dog will holla.
Same thing but prezbho gets the pass, as he does with everything. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it. Let's be fair and honest.
Seriously, my liberal friends, how can you find fault with an editorial that criticises an insensitive remark? You call the AC racist because of that? See the disconnect?
i get sick n tired of everybody always being so ready to be offended ... get over it!
Read my 6:23am post that is how I feel. My later post was just in agreement with fact that the ACES race baits both sides all the time.
And you concerned fall for it ..all the time.
concernednative - yes, I can judge obama. I examined his voting records, looked to see what he had done with his life - looked at his friends, who he surrounds himself with, who he learned and continues to learn from. I looked at what kind of man he is, what he stands for. I did not like what I was learning. It is hard to get much of an impression on someone who has done absolutely nothing. How then, can obama be considered presidential material? Besides, as an American Citizen, it is my privelege to criticize the president and pass judgment on his performance. Which, so far, has been a failure. As for Nathan Deal, I don't consider him gubernatorial material so I am not going to delve into his past. However, if the time comes when he is in the running, I will do so for my own knowledge and satisfaction.
Regardless of how he said it, he spoke the truth. Voter registration will never be passed with any Democratic votes because they want to bring out any warm body that they can find or slap a fake/dead name on a warm body who doesn't have the privilege to vote in order to further their agenda.That is a fact. And Bob Barr wouldn't be the greatest Libertarian candidate I could dream up but he sure beats any of the alternatives offered by the Democratic and Republican parties hands down.
In a time where you are deemed a racist for even disagreeing with Obama's policies, this guy doesn't have a chance does he? I wonder which offended the most, his terminology or the subject of his comment? Yes, I suspect this guy was playing to his audience, and had this been a Democrat talking about white "tea baggers" trying to suppress the vote everything would be hunky dory. So, is there an accceptable non-racial offending way to talk about suspected organized black voter fraud? If this guy was pandering to his audience with this remark, I imagine his questionable business dealings with the state will hurt him more than his ghetto grandmother remark among his supporters. If he had said "elderly black females" he would still have been branded a racist by the "offended" for even broaching the subject.
concernednative and lobosolo wear their right to be offended, and offensive, on their sleeves. For them, it's all about skin color until a responsible black person is mentioned, then it's all about party. Way too often, I see koolaid stains on both of their undershirts.
Once again, three of the top racist on here show their true colors. Roeschen, Mad(sad) Max and Converted Southerner can find some way to connect the president to the story. They can't accept that the president is a blackman. Get over it!!! Kudos for the Chronicle for further exposing this sleazebag Nathan Deal. He not only engage in racist commentary, but he used his office for personal gain. The FBI needs to look into his dealings, as well as any politician who double dipping. And for the three trying to sound indignant, while overlooking such a stupid comment, you're hypocrites. And those are your good qualities.
Sounds like a typical politician to me. Bob Barr would be good, but am not holding my breath on him running or getting enough support. Most people cling to their party lines.
LOL, RCR. You calling someone a racist is like the pot calling the kettle ... a racist. By the way, which politician DOESN'T use the office for personal gain?
That means a lot coming from you whipping post, not. You're just a joke that comes on here and is bereft of any original thoughts.
Thank you, RCR. I accept all of your original insults as high praise, indeed. As a black American, I hate not being on your racist list.