Former Komen exec. who pushed to defund Planned Parenthood weighing Senate bid

[DonViejo]

Source: Raw Story

Karen Handel, the former Susan G. Komen for the Cure executive who spearheaded the group’s effort to cut all funding to Planned Parenthood, is weighing whether or not to run for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, according to the Weekly Standard.

A former aide to Handel who worked on her failed 2010 gubernatorial bid told the magazine that she was considering challenging Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) to a primary contest in 2014. Kay Godwin, a co-chair of Georgia Conservatives in Action, said she was hearing similar noise about a possible primary challenge, according to the Standard.

Handel fell 2,500 votes shy of winning the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2010, losing a runoff to then-Rep. Nathan Deal, who went on to win the general election. That primary drew wide national attention from party heavyweights, with prominent names like Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee backing Deal, and Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney endorsing Handel.

Handel ran on a staunchly anti-abortion platform in 2010; Palin said she offered her endorsement in part because Handel would “walk the walk” on curbing abortion.

Yet Handels’ rise to notoriety came this year when, as a top executive at Susan G. Komen, she became the figurehead for the group’s decision to terminate funding to Planned Parenthood amid the broader national push by Republicans to defund the organization. Susan G. Komen, the nation’s largest breast cancer charity, had for years given thousands of dollars annually to Planned Parenthood in the form of grants for cancer screenings, but Handel argued the money could fund abortions, and so should be discontinued.




Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/11/22/former-komen-exec-who-pushed-to-defund-planned-parenthood-weighing-senate-bid/

[banned from Kos]

1. I live in Georgia and want her to primary Sackless

It is our only chance for a pickup here.

[elleng]

3. Sounds good.

[Submariner]

4. Do you think Max Cleland could make a come back?

or would want to? I despise Chambliss that he got the voters to pick him, a whiny draft dodger, and reject a veteran like Max.

[banned from Kos]

10. No, Max will be 72 in 2014 and he is ailing.

Life in a wheelchair ages a person tremendously.

Sad, he truly served his country.

[freshwest]

14. Agreed. It was a disgrace that GA chose to turn their backs on him.

[Botany]

25. In 2002 it wasn't Georgia but diebold that did the damage

Max is truly a good man.

[niyad]

11. cleland was apparently a victim of the same kind of election fraud as gore and kerry, if I remember

correctly. wasn't he way ahead in the polls, including the exit polls?

[banned from Kos]

12. No, Cleland was a victim of a Karl Rove smear campaign

that depicted him as an enemy sympathizer.

[Overseas]

18. That was the apparent reason and sadly, the voting wasn't verifiable by hand counting.

Maybe Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel honestly won two US Senate elections. Maybe it's true that the citizens of Georgia simply decided that incumbent Democratic Senator Max Cleland, a wildly popular war veteran who lost three limbs in Vietnam, was, as his successful Republican challenger suggested in his campaign ads, too unpatriotic to remain in the Senate. Maybe George W. Bush, Alabama's new Republican governor Bob Riley, and a small but congressionally decisive handful of other long-shot Republican candidates really did win those states where conventional wisdom and straw polls showed them losing in the last few election cycles.

Perhaps, after a half-century of fine-tuning exit polling to such a science that it's now sometimes used to verify how clean elections are in Third World countries, it really did suddenly become inaccurate in the United States in the past six years and just won't work here anymore. Perhaps it's just a coincidence that the sudden rise of inaccurate exit polls happened around the same time corporate-programmed, computer-controlled, modem-capable voting machines began recording and tabulating ballots.

But if any of this is true, there's not much of a paper trail from the voters' hand to prove it.

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0131-01.htm

and

Velvet Revolution (“VR”), a non-profit dedicated to clean and honest elections, today offers a $100,000 reward for hard information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons who helped to rig the 2002 Senate race in Georgia in favor of Saxby Chambliss. That election pitted the war hero Max Cleland, a popular incumbent, against far-right novice Saxby Chambliss. The pre-election polls showed Cleland with a comfortable lead–and yet Chambliss “won” by a wide margin. To date, the truth behind that upset “victory” (and the equally surprising win by Sonny Perdue, the rightist candidate for governor) has been confirmed by three different whistle-blowers–including Chris Hood, who worked for Diebold in 2002.

In a video interview with VR, Hood has stated that, not long before Election Day, he was ordered by Bob Urosevich, president of Diebold‘s voting-machine division (and a self-proclaimed GOP partisan) to place illegal software patches on hundreds of voting machines in the Democratic-leaning counties of Fulton and DeKalb. Hood, and the other Diebold employees involved in that stealth operation, were told not to discuss these patches with any state officials. Documents provided to VR by Hood show that Cathy Cox, then Georgia’s Secretary of State, had no knowledge of those patches at the time.

Hood’s account has been corroborated by cyber-security expert Stephen Spoonamore, who has stated that Hood gave him a copy of the Georgia patch, which he analyzed and then turned it over to the FBI Cyber Squad in Washington for investigation. According to Spoonamore, the patch could have been used to flip the votes cast on Diebold’s machines from Cleland to Chambliss. In his expert opinion, Max Cleland was the real winner of that election, which Saxby Chambliss stole with Diebold’s help.

http://allisonkilkenny.com/2008/11/100000-reward-for-election-rigging-information/

[CottonBear]

35. Former GA SoS, Cathy Cox (D) was responsible for GA being the 1st state to go 100% Diebold

in the aftermath of the 2000 selection of GWB. It was a fellow Democrat who screwed us.

Max Cleland was the GA SoS before Cathy Cox.

I met with Cathy Cox (who subsequently ran for governor as a Democrat) when she was SoS in the years before the 2000. selection. I could hardly believe that she Diebolded Georgia. After that awful change in our voting method was made, Democrats were doomed to minority status in Georgia.

Saxby "Sack of Shit" Chambliss should burn in hell for what he did to Max Cleland in that senate race.

FYI, Karen Handel was GA SoS from 2007 to 2010.

FYI, I met Sonny Perdue when he was running for governor. He asked for my vote and I (politely) told him that I never had and never would vote for a Republican. He said "well, I'm more of a populist." I thought yeah, just like Lester Maddox.

[Overseas]

46. I was sad to read that too! Our party should have resisted that trend as a bloc.

Across the country. No electronic voting machines until receipts can be produced for voters and no machines will be purchased from companies whose software is secret.

[CottonBear]

50. You're right: Democratic officeholders should've NOT chosen Diebold/no receipts/secret software.

Since the early 1980s, I voted on lever machines in the communties where I'd lived in Georgia.

Never once in all of those years did I ever hear any accusations of voter fraud in the communities where I lived and voted. Nor, did any election outcomes NOT match exit polling.

[Overseas]

51. I agree. Exit polling used to track well. Then it diverged and oddly, with a strong red shift

One of my favorite mathematicians is Richard Charnin, who on his website, using readily available public information, calculates the odds of the so-called ‘red shift” occurring from the 1988 to 2008 presidential elections. The red shift refers to the overwhelming pick up of votes by the Republican Party in recorded votes over what actual voters report to exit pollsters.

In Charnin’s analysis of exit poll data, we can say with a 95% confidence level – that means in 95 out of 100 elections – that the exit polls will fall within an statistically predictable margin of error. Charnin looked at 300 presidential state exit polls from 1988 to 2008, 15 elections would be expected to fall outside the margin of error. Shockingly, 137 of the 300 presidential exit polls fell outside the margin of error.

What is the probability of this happening? “One in one million trillion trillion trlllion trillion trillion trillion,” said Charnin....132 of the elections fell outside the margin in favor of the GOP. We would expect eight.

-Bob Fitzrakis in The Free Press, 6/13/12

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/17/1100706/-Red-Shift-why-it-s-important

[CottonBear]

55. Thanks for the link Overseas.

I believe in mathematics and statistics. I am not a conspiracy theorist. Exit polling is the accepted standard for collecting accurate polling data.

I am extremely frustrated that no one in the Democratic Party of Georgia or in the national Democratic Party organization disputed the "red shift" election results of those State of Georgia elections.

Peace. CB

[Hoyt]

8. Not sure it would be an improvement. Georgia's repubs set a new standard for vile..

[SkyDaddy7]

37. Be careful what you wish for!!!

I too live in Georgia & this place is crawling with Tea Baggers who would love to see Saxby have a Right Wing challenger...Folks down here consider Saxby a "Damn Dirty RINO"...I think because he voted for TARP & now he is saying he would consider tax increases.

Georgia is no where near electing a Democrat...This place has gone full BATSHIT!!

[alp227]

43. In fact Chambliss is willing to break the Norquist Pledge!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021868592

[SkyDaddy7]

58. Not exactly sure your point?

Yes, I am very aware that Saxby is playing lip service to breaking the no tax pledge...However, I know Saxby & he is a LIAR! So, I would not be surprised if he is simply saying this now to set the ground work for the claim that he tried but Obama would not compromise...Saxby & others may claim they will break the pledge but at the same time they want to rape Medicare & SS before they do!!

Just keeping things real!!

[alp227]

59. Isn't the nuttier primary challenger going to make an issue about of the pledge?

[Panasonic]

2. Find us a REAL Democrat that Georgia Dems could be excited about...

I would love to see Georgia produce something OTHER than crazy.... and make up for Chamblis and Isaakson.

[marble falls]

5. I hope she has to primary against a vulnerable "conservative" first. She's got a ton of negative ...

baggage. The main difference between her and halfGov Sarah P is Alaska.

[groundloop]

6. I just don't see Handel beating Chambliss, but a bloody primary fight would be sweet.

Even if they drug each other through the mud really really well I don't know who we could run for that seat. Anybody have some good ideas?

[davidpdx]

33. I agree, she seems like a likeweight

Maybe she could make Chambliss break a sweat, but the real contest is going to be in the GE. If she dares to run as a Democrat I say throw all the shit at her we can.

[adieu]

7. Either way

Let her and Chambliss beat the crap out of each other, and the walk in with a decent alternative candidate. Georgia's going the way of all the other states: the senators are all going to be blue. It's just the few gerrymandered districts that will stay red. And that will end in 2020 when new districts are drawn.

Best to put our efforts in electing local officials who will be more impartial in how to draw districts in 2020.

[Faygo Kid]

9. Love it. She's a destroyer, may as well go after the GOP next.

Saxby Chambliss isn't conservative enough.

That says it all about where the right wing nut party is right now.

[Hulk]

13. Oh, RUN...please run!!

Get as many teabagger clown-types out there as possible. I'd LOVE to see Georgia back in the Democratic corner again.

[0rganism]

16. Even if she didn't flip Georgia, the extremism would help us in other states

When a right winger blabs about how they lost because their party/platform/candidate "wasn't conservative enough", that behavior should be encouraged at least and preferably televised.

[Democat]

34. The more highly visible tea party candidates the better

They may win some races locally, but on a national scale it helps Democrats.

[trishtrash]

15. Possible scenario?

John Barrow, blue dog dem congressman, could have a shot at it if Chambliss is primaried by Handel and forced to go even farther right.

[brooklynite]

23. Of course, -we- would never support a Blue Dog, right?

Much better to lose the election than to elect a Democrat who supports us 60-70% of the time...

[CitizenPatriot]

48. I see what you did there:-)

Well done I've heard that he's been angling for the senate for a while. He's a decent man, sane and reasonable. He's no liberal, but he's not crazy.

[elbloggoZY27]

17. Booooooo!!!!!!

Intolerance is everywhere.

Obviously she is not a Choice supporter.

No Choice no vote.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

19. She's Got Something to Prove- She Was Humiliated

....and still thinks she did nothing wrong.

I have mixed feelings. Like some, I want her to run, with the hope that once again we can elect a Democrat to stand up against such ignorance. At the same time, it's time we pull this weed of a campaign out of the ground before it even sees the light of day regardless of political affiliation.

[onehandle]

20. She would win easily, assuming she wins the white male preferring primary. nt

[SoapBox]

21. The woman made me sick

during her yapping about the stuff at PP.

Here's hoping she turns out to be nothing more than a Palin or a Joe the Plumber.

[Ken Burch]

22. So...the Georgia Teabaggers think Handel's "The Messiah?"

(c'mon now...SOMEBODY had to post it).

[Walk away]

27. Brump bump! nt

[Iggo]

30. Oh daaaaaaaang!

[leftlibdem420]

24. Hope she dies from an ectopic pregnancy she can't get treated.

I wish her even worse, but I can't post it on DU.

[Botany]

26. did these yahoos learn nothing from 2012?

even in georgia women use birth control and the demographics will catch
up w/ them too.

[Ken Burch]

31. To learn something, they'd have to admit they have something to learn.

And they'd have to admit that they really DID lose-fair and square.

[JoeyT]

28. Think you need education, talent, and intelligence to run for office?

Only if you're a Democrat! If you're going to run as a Republican all you need is a gimmick!

I swear they'll vote for anyone that's ever said anything they liked on the magic TV box. It doesn't matter how crazy or stupid the person is. If "The rent is too damn high" guy had been "The taxes are too damn high" guy, he'd be in congress right now.

[Mr.Turnip]

29. Really, Chambliss isn't Right-Wing enough for these people now?

[Hulk]

32. Go fool, go!!

Yeah.....go for it. I'm all for you! Maybe we can get Georgia back in the D column if you do.

[msanthrope]

36. Run, Karen, Run!! Make Saxby sweat!!! nt

[loudsue]

38. When a republican is publicly humiliated, they decide to run for office. Sarah Palin comes to mind.

They think all the publicity means they're popular....and they ARE with people who are just as pathetic as they are. They are all sociopaths. All of 'em.

[Andy Stanton]

39. I hope she wins

I always support Tea Party extremists in their challenges to "mainstream" Rethugs.

[joanbarnes]

40. Hope she is not expecting any support from women (or > 1/2 the population).

[LeftishBrit]

41. Wow

My 'First Law of Republican Politics' is 'No one is too right wing to lose a primary to someone still further to the right', but I would have thought Chambliss was right wing enough to be an exception to this law. Maybe not.

Could it have the same effect as the deselection of Lugar in Indiana and result in a Democrat getting the seat; or is Georgia too Republican for that?

[McCamy Taylor]

42. She set back breast cancer prevention---and she thinks she deserves a reward?

Please, please, please Dems, find a breast cancer survivor to run against her. Or, a widower of a woman who died from breast cancer.

[hrmjustin]

44. I won't miss chambliss after what he did to Max Cleland

[LynneSin]

45. Great another women who will suck up to men in order to make women 2nd class citizens

we need her in the senate like we need another Mitt Romney presidential run.

[smirkymonkey]

52. Yeah, good luck with that one bitch. (not you LynneSin, her.)

Hope her campaign is over before it's starts. Where the hell do these women come from anyway? They make me sick!

I have a feeling she's got about about 15 minutes before she becomes a distant memory. The US has already shown them that we aren't going back to the 50's.

My entire family got together over the holiday and they range from very conservative to very liberal (me), however they are ALL very socially liberal. Even the extreme fiscal conservatives. They are losing their base.

[MrModerate]

47. I'm willing to promote the potential candidacy of any . . .

Sociopathic, doctrinaire, anti-female nitwit Republicans who want to run in 2014. Especially those who haven't figured out what happened in the recent election.

Heck, I'll even give 'em money (just not very much).

Because even if Obama and the downticket Dems who won are very successful, we'll still be fighting the off-year curse the incumbent president's party generally faces — and I want us to gain seats and maybe retake the House two years from now!

[DAMANgoldberg]

49. From what I remember of GA Politics...

There is no real D that S Ga will vote for. Shirley Franklin, ex-Mayor, NO. Kasim Reed, current Mayor. Eventually, but not 2014. And don't even get me started on any McKinney. At least here in NC we have a star in the making my Mayor Anthony Foxx.

[Arugula Latte]

53. I hope she runs and gets CRUSHED.

[YOHABLO]

54. As a registered GA dem .. neither one deserves my vote.

[mchill]

56. The Breast Cancer Community

The women (and some men), Liberal or Conservative, despise her. Everyone knows a BC victim.

[YOHABLO]

57. Wonder what her stand is on federal help with Medicaid?

Will she be saying screw those moochers.