Democrats buy a TV edge in Georgia races for U.S. Senate, governor

[babylonsister]

http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2014/10/01/democrats-buy-a-tv-edge-in-georgia-races-for-u-s-senate-governor/

Democrats buy a TV edge in Georgia races for U.S. Senate, governor

By Daniel Malloy


Democrats seized the broadcast television ad spending advantage in Georgia’s U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races in mid-September, according to a new analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project.

The raw numbers from Kantar Media/CMAG go like this: From Sept. 12-25, there have been 4,945 total ads in the Senate race. Of that sum, 2,780 favored Michelle Nunn and 2,165 favored David Perdue.

A mere 1.01 percent of Democratic ads were from outside groups — meaning the Nunn campaign is doing all the heavy lifting. But after outside Republican groups provided all of Perdue’s air cover for a while, they provided just 15.24 percent of the ads in mid-September.

In all, Democrats spent $1.7 million on TV in that span and Republicans spent $1.6 million.

In the governor’s contest there were 4,625 spots, with 2,364 favoring Democrats and 2,261 favoring Republicans. Just 1.18 percent came from outside groups on the Democratic side, while 10.84 percent came from outside Republican sources. Democrats outspent Republicans in that stretch $1.43 million to $990,000.

The analysis also reveals that there were more ads in Georgia’s 12th District in that stretch than any other U.S. House race in the country — a whopping 4,051. U.S. Rep. John Barrow and national Democrats had a considerable advantage in that race, according to the data: 2,611 spots and $800,000 spent, compared to Rick Allen and Republicans’ 1,440 spots and $460,000.

[Peacetrain]

1. WOW.. Georgia

I am feeling the earth move Babylon.. seriously move..If we do not let people try and derail this election .. I think we are in some positive areas.. contrary to what we have been hearing the last year..

[babylonsister]

2. This state is definitely in play.

We have two well-known Dems, but the gov is a crook, so who knows?

[Peacetrain]

3. I have read in more than one place

these tea party Governors that were voted in have been a disaster and disappointment.. People are just sick and tired of the incompetence of their philosophy

[babylonsister]

4. Not only that, but Deal is 'ethically challenged'...

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/georgias-deal-caught-ethics-controversy

Georgia’s Deal caught up in ethics controversy
07/16/14 12:38 PM—Updated 07/16/14 03:48 PM
By Steve Benen


It’s been an unusually difficult year for Republican governors. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, for example, is caught up in several ongoing scandals. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s office has drawn the FBI’s interest. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker may have been involved in a “criminal scheme” to bypass state election laws. Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is involved in a legal controversy of his own, while former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) is currently facing corruption charges.

This is hardly the stuff of RGA dream scenarios.

Regardless, it appears Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) is ready to join the club.

The head of the state ethics commission said she was threatened and pressured by Gov. Nathan Deal’s office in 2012 to “make the complaints” against the governor “go away,” according to a memo obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

While on vacation in July 2012, state ethics commission director Holly LaBerge says she received a call from Ryan Teague, Deal’s chief counsel, and texts from chief of staff Chris Riley, according to the memo released by Attorney General Sam Olens’ office in response to an Open Records Act request.

LaBerge claims Teague said, “It was not in the agency’s best interest for these cases to go to a hearing … nor was it in their best political interest either.”

Well then.

Allegations about Deal’s ethical transgressions have been simmering for a long while and mostly involve questions stemming from the governor’s 2010 campaign. The issues, including alleged misuse of campaign funds for legal expenses, certainly matter, but they never seemed like the kind of controversy that put Deal’s career in real jeopardy.


But the story never really went away and it wasn’t long before locals started wondering whether the alleged cover-up was worse than the alleged crime. Last year, the FBI even reportedly took an interest in the allegations. If there’s evidence the governor’s team applied not-so-subtle pressure on the state ethics commission, that raises the stakes yet again on the seriousness of the story.

Ed Kilgore, a Georgia native, explained yesterday that that “relatively minor campaign finance law violations” are now getting a closer look, with many wondering whether there was “something toxic in the records” that needed to be hidden, or whether “Team Deal is prone to Nixonian bully-boy tactics that are troubling in themselves.”

The ethics commission went through multiple lawsuits in 2012 over claims by employees (including a former director) that they were being pressured, harassed and even fired for failing to “quietly” resolve the complaints against Deal.

Now the current director, previously assumed to be Deal’s catspaw in the brouhaha, has herself released a 2012 memo alleging highly inappropriate pressure and threats from the governor’s office to make the ethics problems “go away,” apparently fearing a second “purge” of the agency. She’s seeking “whistleblower” protection and beginning to sing for the media.

Even among troubled Republican governors, Deal’s issues risk doing real damage to his career.

[Peacetrain]

5. Great read!!!! thank you