The Curious Case of Jason Carter

What's wrong with this picture?

Sure, he's a good looking young guy from a politically connected family with tons of lawyer friends with really, really deep pockets. He's got the best developed campaign staff and presence in the Georgia State Senate District 42 race and at least $76,000 in the campaign kitty. Plenty o' money for push cards, meetings, yard signs and GOTV efforts if and when this race ever gets underway.

And he keeps asking for more. Granted, his web site is about as deep as a cheap postcard but how much space do you need to provide three bullet points about your generic platform issues. And the Donate button has it's own page! Excuse me, that's the homepage. The extent of his vision for the 42nd revolves around meeting economic challenges, improving Georgia's schools and fixing the transportation system. Don't expect any more detail than that because that's all you'll get at the campaign site. And another nice picture.

The FaceBook page shows over 1400 fans, which is pretty freakin' impressive for a local race in the state of Georgia. Message traffic on the wall looks to be top down, which is also to be expected and as a result, pretty dull. The most peculiar thing is the discussion page where a lone supporter asked Jason about his platform and the issues he wanted to address on 1 DEC 09. It's 30 JAN 10 and there still isn't a reply. Maybe he's been to busy with the face to face politicking, speechifying and fundrasing to spend any time on putting things like position papers in print. Maybe not.

He's the clear leader in fundraising, the clear leader in campaign organizin', the clear leader in FaceBookin' and the clear leader in keeping the begging bowl front and center.

So, what's wrong with this picture?

2010 Wish List!

Hey Kids,

Big Dave Chastain has a wish list up over at his 2010 SecState campaign site that every Libertarian campaign could use. With his kind permission we've decided to post it here and see if any Volunteers show up.

The List:
Volunteers
Webmaster
Facebook Manager
Twitter Manager
Researcher(s)
Drivers
Scheduler
Videographer
Photographer
Graphics specialist
Pollster

Material
Campaign signs
Palm cards
Business cards
Bumper stickers
Lapel stickers
Magnetic signs
Campaign banner
Letterhead
Envelopes
T-Shirts

Activities
Speaking Opportunities
Round table groups
Media interviews
Coffee Conversations
Debates
Parades
Radio Advertising
Any other opportunities to present our ideas

As you can see it's pretty damned extensive and if these were paid staff positions, pretty damned expensive. And in the modern era this is a bare bones operational outline, add in the precinct captains, the ground team for paid canvassing as well as the untold minions, lackeys and underlings associated with GOTV in republican or democrat campaigns and you could add 100 more boots on the ground. That's a lot of folks.

So there's the list, feel free to add any positions that would be of use and most importantly, if you have the skill set or the desire to get the skill set, head over to David Chastain's website and volunteer. He could use the help and it's really fun work!

Libertarian Party Annual Convention 24 APRIL 2010

That's right Kids,

The Georgia LP's annual convention will be on 24 APR 10 this year at a location to be announced shortly. Time to check your membership card and make sure that your dues are paid up so you can take part in the convention and vote for the candidates of your choice. Any of the readership that has not taken the plunge might want to do so, it'll set you back $25.00 for a state party membership and you have to be a state party member to vote at the state convention.

Unlike our republican and democrat brothers and sisters, the Georgia LP decides who will carry the banner of Liberty at the state convention. We don't do state wide primaries and we don't waste time and money letting our candidates beat each other about the head and shoulders for months, hell, for years before those primary elections. We get all that knocked out in one day the the convention. And if none of the candidates look good enough to represent the Libertarian Party, then NOTA carries the day. You republicans and democrats really, really, really ought to look at that, it's None Of The Above, NOTA.

Now because 2010 is a radically different off year election, the Georgia LP is gonna try some different stuff at this years convention. One of the things being discussed is who to invite to speak at the convention. All kinds of names are being floated and of course we'll be hearing from John Monds, our declared candidate for Governor, Chuck Donovan, our declared candidate for US Senate and David Chastain our declared candidate for the Secretary of State. We're also hoping to hear from Taylor Bryant, our State Senate District 22 candidate from Augusta as well as David Montane from the 42nd.

But who else to invite? Bob Barr? Wayne Allen Root? Ron Paul? Rue Paul? Lady Ga Ga? Who would be the biggest draw? Glen Beck? Sarah Palin? Do we go with Bill Redpath or roll the dice on Joe Kennedy? And of course, who ever speaks isn't gonna be walking off with 100K like Sarah stung the Tea Party guys and gals for. There's not that kind of money in the Liberty game. Mostly just Liberty and Justice for All.

So any suggestions from the readership would be appreciated. There are rogue elements in the LP that want Roy Barnes to speak to see if he'll try to suck up us and there is another clique that is dying to hear from John Oxendine for the same reason. And we thought we had a twisted sense of humor.

So ponder that kids and leave some suggestions, after you do that head over to the side bar and spend some of Karen Handels money by clicking on her ad. It's easy and it's fun!

Re-Write Central: Zombies in Control of West Wing!

What do you do when you don't have time to write something new? Republish something old! From July 0f 09......

Hi Kids,

Stumbled on this impressive story over at today's WaPo issue. It seems that the grueling schedule of the West Wing of the White House is predictably grinding the staff of partisan political hacks down to a gooey pulp. What fun! The original title is "In West Wing: Grueling Schedules, Bleary Eyes" by the redoubtable Micheal Shear. We could not resist taking a hatchet to this piece of bootlickin' statist lovin', what me change? piece of "journalism" from the influence peddlers over at the once mighty Washington Post. As always, please visit some of our sponsors at the conclusion of the article. Enjoy!

Zombies in control of the West Wing!

Washington
13 JUL 09
B&S staff

The West Wing Mess hates the current occupants of the West Wing according to one of Rockin' Barry O's senior advisors. "It seems that all the shuffling and moaning the West Wing staff makes as they lumber through the mess has upset the servers" confided an unamed food line server "that and the rumor that the Zombies are contagious ain't helping".

Long lines of Zombies ritualistically appear each morning promptly at 7:00AM at the doors of the mess hall after wandering aimlessly around the West Wing all night staring at the blank screens of thier long dead blackberries. They mumble incessantly and incoherently, with phrases like "bank bailout", "Roymotos", "health care scam" and "two wars are not enough" punctuating their eerie moans. They head towards the KooL-Aid dispenser and drink cup after cup of the liquid in a desperate attempt to rouse themselves from their zombiehood, but to no avail.

In a city known for taking the best and brightest and transforming them into the worst and the dullest, the current crop of West Wing Staffers has crossed the Rubicon and burned the bridge behind them. "I don't know if they're really human anymore" confided an unnamed parking lot attendant "They get in their cars at the end of the day and just stay there until a little before daylight when they shuffle back into the building. It's kinda like they're vampires masquerading as zombies."

All West Wings face fatigue issues according to those in the know. The only exception was the staff that worked with President US "It's 6 O' Clock Somewhere" Grant way back in the wayback. Today's staff has to contend with a grueling 24 hour news cycle and the 12 hour spin cycle as well as ensuring that someone is on duty in the Chapel of Political Correctness making sure that no one is washing short loads or mixing colors with whites.

"It's the pace of events, that's what did them in" stated a nonexistent source close to the side entrance "Most of these guys got here by working on the presidents campaign staff for the last two years and now they have to suck it up for 4 or 8 more years until they can cash in their chips. You can see it in their eyes, well at least the ones who still have eyes. God only knows how many of them will be left after the putsch for socialized medicine clears the Senate this fall"

So much work has been done that more work is being piled on. Using the flimsy excuse that all the nation's problems were inherited from the Evil Bush/Rove cabal, the current President has flogged the staff to produce metric tons of papers to prove that it wasn't HIS fault. As the very life was sucked out of them they were greeted by the now famous memo that stated "The beatings will continue until morale improves" and like lemmings to sea they dove into the maelstrom of treaty writing, bank bailouts/confiscations, and the never ending awarding of taxpayer money to political cronies.

"It's not like that crew of hard drinkin', womanizin', money grubbin' cigar smokin' staffers that Nixon had" observed an unnamed 81 year old newspaper vendor "These guys were idealogues. It's just that working 18 hour days 7 days a week is worse that spending most of your time dead drunk. And these guys are writing the legislation that Congress doesn't read before they vote it into law. Fer Christ's sake, send 'em off to Disney World before it's too late!"

White House officials and other say that's pure bunk. "If working 18 hour days was so inebriating, then why do I have to knock back 4 double vodkas just to take the edge off?" asked an unnamed Clinton era staffer who is also an Obama era staffer "The fact of the matter is that 18 hour days and heavy drinking combined with no exercise is good for you. Just like smoking cigarettes."


The original story is here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/12/AR2009071202081_pf.html

Cruise over and take a crack at doing your own re-write!

More to follow from your friendly, nieghborhood Libertarian Community Organizer!

Last Update for State House District 19

The fat lady has sung,

Sadly, there will be no Libertarian candidate in the mix out there in State House District 19's impending special election. The State Ethics Commission website lists three republican in the race and the community bulletin board over at Paulding.com says that a 4th republican qualified with the SecState late today. So there will be a unity of choice for the denizens and citizens of district 19 that resembles the the choice of colors that Henry Ford offered for the Model T way back in the way back. Any color you want so long as it's black.

But fear not, the intrepid Libertarians do have a candidate for the State Senate race in District 42 in Decatur and we promise to run one of the most interesting campaigns Georgia has ever seen for a special election. There will be at least one LP sponsored debate during the oh so short campaign cycle and a host of other micro events to focus the voters of the district on issues and solutions important to all.

So throw caution to the winds and contact the DeKalb Libertarian Party to get involved. Democrat Jason Carter is the front runner and it's gonna take a lot of work to to level the playing field for Liberty.

How many Precincts in State Senate District 42?

You gotta love maps. They can give you so much info from a simple picture and make difficult questions easy to resolve. To that end, we are proud to present an up to date precinct mag for Georgia State Senate District 42.

And you ask, why would we need to see a precinct map of State Senate District 42? The answer is simple, to see if you qualify as a Libertarian Precinct Captain (LPC)! If you volunteer you get a free digital Libertarian Precinct Captain Badge, a free yard sign and the oh so exclusive access to our candidate. And a whole lot more!



As you can see from the map the LP needs a boat load of volunteers to make this race a competitive as possible. So if you live in one of District 42's precincts and want to be a part of the special election, get in touch with us and we'll get that set up.
Don't delay, contact us today or better yet head out to the DeKalb LP affiliate meeting tonight at the Village Corner German Restaurant in Stone Mountain and meet the candidate himself at 7:00PM. See you there!

A Blast from the Ballot Access Past!

To the Way Back Machine We Go!

Looks like the Equal Ballot Access for all Facebook group is getting more face time. That's good thing. Here's an article we put up way back in June of last year on the topic:

Here at Bludgeon & Skewer we are constantly reminded of the cruelties of the entrenched two party system here in Georgia. Did you know that my fair state has the most Draconian third party petition laws in the good old US of A? Through the ceaseless efforts of generations of Republicans and Democrats, ballot access is damn near impossible for a third party to obtain. My party, The Libertarian party has been qualified as something called a "Political Body" and is able to run candidates for statewide office like the Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, PSC races and the US Senate without petitioning, but not for State Senate or State House elections or the US House of Representatives. By Georgia law, a third parties only path to parity with the entrenched Republicans and Democrats is to either get 20% of the vote in the Governors race or 20% of the vote in the Presidential election. A tall order by any standard.

The injustice goes on. The Georgia law covering third parties was changed in 1943 to mandate that 5% of registered voters must sign a petition to qualify a third party candidate for a State Senate or State House run or a run at the US House of representatives. Those guys in the smoke filled backrooms did their job well, there hasn't been a third party candidate for the US House in Georgia that could meet the petition requirement since then. Imagine, locking out any competition for 66 years! A fine tribute to Democracy.

But it only gets better, did you know that of the 180 state races held in 2008, 141 of them were unchallenged! That's right, 141 State House seats and State Senate seats were not challenged by their "opposition" party. Smells like the smoke filled backroom is still in operation after all these years, a little wink, wink, nudge, nudge you don't run anybody against my boy, I won't run anybody against your boy and to hell with giving the people a choice. That's how it played out in 2008, 61 Democrats got a free ride and 82 Republicans coasted along as well. And the crop of newly "elected" politicians lived up to their own standards by not getting a damn thing done during their first session. No booze on Sunday, no transportation plan no nothing, except posturing for the 2010 cycle.

So if you're not happy with the status quo, if you want real change, effective change, change that means something and gets something done, what do you do? Do you let the entrenched two party system continue to dictate the terms, do you accept the decision made in 1943 to sideline all those uppity voters as something written in stone? Are you willing to continue to be treated like chattel? What do you do?

Here at Bludgeon & Skewer we think we have the answer. We live in an age of marvels, people have pocket sized phones that don't need wires to connect, they got these little laptop things that let them communicate around the world with the touch of a button. Hell, people can pay their taxes over the internet, buy cars and property over the internet and see more nekkid women in 30 minutes than a guy living in 1870 could have seen in a lifetime. And the legislature of Georgia demands, demands I tell you, that anybody looking to exercise their political rights has got to trudge door to door in the hot June sun to collect signatures on a piece of paper! A freaking piece of paper!!

We propose that Georgia enter the 21st century and promote electronic petitioning at a much more reasonable level. To hell with 5% of the registered voters in a district, it should be more like 1% of the vote total for the prior election in the district in question. If there have to be petitions at all, they should apply to all registered political parties in Georgia. The Democrats cut a deal with Republicans to lay off each other? No problem, if they change their minds in the next cycle, they gotta petition too. Fair is fair.

While we're changing election law we might as well include a novel feature used by the Libertarian Party in it's nominating process at it's conventions. Good old "None of the Above". NOTA is a Libertarian concept whose time has come for the general electorate. If there is a unchallenged incumbent, and he really is a sack, the voter could select NOTA and prevent the bum from taking office.

Lots to ponder kids, more political fun from your friendly neighborhood Libertarian Community Organizer!

DeKalb LP Meeting Tonight!

Hey Kids,

Big news afoot in DeKalb County! Bludgeon & Skewer are pleased to announce The DeKalb Libertarian Party Affiliate is holding it's first regularly scheduled meeting of 2010 at The Village Corner German Restaurant and Bakery in the historic City of Stone Mountain starting at 7:00PM tonight.

It should be a real corker as the membership will get to hear presentations by Libertarian Candidate David Chastain on his quest to be the next Secretary of State as well as the almost ready to announce Libertarian candidate running in the impending special election for State Senate District 42 in Decatur. Don't miss this chance to hear for yourself how these two men plan to bring change to Georgia.

All members of the DeKalb affiliate are urged to attend and the meeting is open to the public as well, so come on down!

Don't know where the resturant is?

http://www.germanrestaurant.com/

Don't know if you're a Libertarian? Take the Test!

http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html

And when you're done with the test, slide over to the adsense bar and click on any ad that says Handel or Deal or Barnes or whatever. Just one is sufficient, don't get all crazy and stuff. Adsense likes it and so do they!

Big Dave Chastain's Proto Site is up and Running!

Hey, Hey, Hey,

David Chastain's proto site is up and running! It's the perfect opportunity to drop by and leave a comment, volunteer or throw wads of cash at him. As the Libertarian Party of Georgia's declared candidate for the office of Secretary of State, David Chastain will take the field this fall with John Monds, Chuck Donovan and the rest of the Libertarian party to bring change to Georgia. If you want a regular ol' political hack knee deep in lobbyists, corruption and self agrandisement, then head over to one of the republican or democrats that are running. Cause you won't get any of that with David Chastain.

So, who's running you ask? Well a regular herd of republicans and democrats are thundering all over the state looking for traction in this race.

At the moment we have interim SecState Brian Kemp (R) filling the pumps vacated by Ex SecState Karen "What? Finish My Term?" Handel (R) as she pursues the Governorship and he has $243K on hand. Plus whatever the take was in the last minute lobby-fest the day before he was sworn in. That won't show up until the next report cycle.

Doug McGinnitie (R) is spending most of his time talking about what a scum bag Kemp is for stuffing his pockets with lobbyist cash a few hours before he was sworn in as interim SecState and is the king of the republican money hill with $704K in the bank.

Gary Horlacher (D) looking pretty sassy sitting on about $266,000 in the old war chest.

Gail Bruckner (D) is trailing in sassyness behind Gary Horlacher with $219K in the kitty.

Angela Moore (D) from Decatur is in play with $11K on hand and a song in her heart.

Micheal Mill (D) is the democrat loss leader with $304 Bucks in the campaign cigar box. Good luck Mike.

So we have two well heeled republicans and 4 democrats contending for the Secretary of State and one lone Libertarian. How will it break in November? Who can say, the only thing we know for sure is that David Chastain will be on the ballot. Of the six other candidates only two will survive their primary fights, hopefully spending all their cash along the way.

So Kids, head over to Dave's site and join in the fun! You'll find the address on the sidebar under the Libertarian Candidates section. But before you do, scroll up to the adsense column and click on any of the political ads, Adsense likes it and so do the candidates!

OMG There's Three Republicans running for State House District 19!

Looks like it's cryin' towel time,

We're sad to report that our efforts to find a liberty loving individual way out there in State House District 19 in Paulding county have yet to bear fruit. We've talked to a few folks, actually found one guy who want's to run but is shy of the district line by a couple of blocks and listened for about a half hour to another guy who has a UFO landing zone in his backyard. He's even got pictures!

And while we were talking to UFO man, another republican up and joined the race with the mysterious Mr. Daniel Stout and Mr Ronnie Sibley and she's a girl! Ms. Paulette Braddock mailed in her DOI and has declared for the 19th. Since she's already got a website, prior campaign experience, prior elected experience and is pretty easy on the eyes, we're ranking her as the top contender. See for yourself.



The now crowded field of republicans is moving along the campaign trail and might be taking part in a Saturday morning meeting of the Paulding County Republican Women over at Republican HQ in Dallas at 10:00AM. If any of you are intimidated by the idea that politicians are special, maybe you should slide over and take a look-see for yourself. The bar is not that high and now that there are three republican candidates to split the vote, a rockin' Libertarian candidate could win!

Once again, time is really running out, the SecState will open qualifying on Monday and promptly close it on Wednesday. That means any interested party will have to cowboy up over the weekend and get busy. So if any of the readership knows of anybody the lives in State House District 19 that wants a crack at a pretty good part time gig down to the State House, get in touch. Leave a comment, send an email. We will get back to you.

Messing Around over at Election Advantage

Hi Kids,

The work never stops at Bludgeon & Skewer. Slow news day? Then it's time for a media sweep, Woo Hoo! What's a media sweep you ask? Simple, pick a search phrase, any search phrase, and then see what pops up. That technique led to the discovery of an article over at Election Advantage about the recent Rasmussen poll by some dude named Matt. Nothing startling was there but he included the breakouts on Thurbert Baker that Big Jim Galloway ignored and, sigh, no mention of Libertarian John Monds.

So kids, you can tag team Election Advantage or devise and execute your own media sweep, but before you do, is it time to adsense bar? It's the best way to inflate the web metrics for our opponents, strip them of as much of their vital campaign cash as possible and provide beans and bullets for the merry crew here at Bludgeon & Skewer!

Here are the breadcrumbs I left at Election Advantage:

Greetings All,

A much more detailed breakout of the recent Rasmussen poll than Georgians got from the attendant AJC article on the same topic yesterday in which Mr. Baker's performance was hardly mentioned. Also not mentioned was the presence in this race of Libertarian John Monds, Rasmussen did list some percentage points for "Some Other Candidate" but evidently could not bring themselves to acknowledge the Libertarian candidate. This November there will be three names on the ballot for Governor of Georgia and Libertarian John Monds will be one of them. It might be in the interests of polling firms to include him as a candidate in their work to get a better feel for this race as it develops.

Senate Surprises in 2010 over at RCP!

Hi Kids,

There's a pretty good article up over at RCP talking about the state of the Senate races in 2010. What with all the Hub and Bub about Scott Brown's big win in Massachusetts, it's suddenly quite fashionable to discuss how many seats our republican brothers might pick up next fall. But the crew of non-linear malcontents over here at Bludgeon & Skewer couldn't let that one roll by without throwing out the possibility that the republicans night not be the only political party to pick up a seat in 2010. After all, Libertarian Chuck Donovan is in the race.

So fire up your browser and dash over to RCP and join the fray! But before you do, head over to the adsense bar and see what the menu du jour is for today! Remember that every time you click on a political ad for Karen Handel, John Oxendine, Nathan Deal or Roy Barnes, a good chunk of campaign cash comes out of their accounts and a smidgen of it winds up here. What a TwoFer!

Here are the breadcrumbs I left at RCP:

Posted by: TOT
Jan 22, 09:02 AM
Report Abuse
Reply
Greetings All,

It would be a mistake to consider republican Senator Isakson's seat in Georgia as safe. Chuck Donovan will carry the Libertarian banner this fall and call Senator Isakson out on a variety of issues. He’s already started taking our incumbent republican Senator to task over at his campaign website [www.donovanforsenate.com]. Drop by and see for yourself.

Chuck has a pick up truck and he's not afraid to use it. If our democrat brothers and sisters can’t get their act together and actually field a candidate for the seat it might lead to a repetition of the 2008 PSC race that saw Libertarian John Monds garner over 1,000,000 votes against the republican he ran against. Woo Hoo!

New Rassmussen Poll Mispells John Monds Name!

Hey Kids,

Looks like all the other bloggers and pundits around town are performing punditry type activity with the newest Rasmussen poll on the 2010 Governor's race here in Georgia. As you would normally expect, the candidates polled in the survey are the "Top Tier" republicans and King Roy. And the big news is that Roy polls evenly with the Ox, Karen "What? Finish my Term?" Handel, and Nathan "Stinky" Deal. That's a stunner.

The big news to us is that Rasmussen's copy editor had a brain fart and listed Libertarian John Monds as "Some other Candidate". Like there is going to be some other candidate besides John Monds on the ballot with King Roy and which ever of the republican's that survive their increasingly vicious primary fight. As libertarians, we know the big name polling operations don't like to talk about us because we don't commission polls. And you don't spend da money, you don't get no pollster love. Fine, we can live with. That's the free market baby.

But come November there will be a Libertarian on the ballot, there will be a republican on the ballot and there will be a democrat on the ballot. A category for "Some other Candidate" will not be on the ballot. That's a fact, Jack.

So take heart Libertarians and liberty lovers of all stripes, John Monds is polling 5% right now and the race hasn't even started. His 5% of the poll responses actually equals 10% of the support that the democrat or republican contender has and John has spent a fraction of a fraction of what they have so far. Proof positive that our war of attrition is working.

So get over to John Monds website and toss a dollar on his donate button, but before you do, cruise over to the adsense sidebar and click on the ad for Handel, or Barnes or Deal or the Ox or whoever. It's kind of like that line from "It's a Wonderful Life", you know, the one about the bells tinkling and an angel getting it's wings. Only the tinkling sound is made by cash leaving the campaigns of our opponents and a tiny sliver of it showing up here at Bludgeon & Skewer to allow us to continue our volunteer work advancing the cause of Liberty!

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote Libertarian! John Monds for Governor, Chuck Donovan for US Senate and David Chastian for Secretary of State!

Big Jim Galloway says there isn't a Democrat in the Georgia US Senate Race!?

Hey Kids,

The work never stops here at Bludgeon & Skewer. We're looking as hard as we can for a candidate for the upcoming State House 19 race and Big Jim Galloway has to post up about the US Senate race. What's a poor Libertarian Community Organizer to do? Respond of course. All of you should head over and leave some pithy comments about the state of the race, but before you do, be sure to take a look at the Adsense sidebar and see if your favorite candidate has an ad running. Or the candidate you like least. Click 'em anyway, Adsense likes it and so do they!

Here are the breadcrumbs I left over at the AJC:




Bludgeon & Skewer
January 20th, 2010
1:55 pm

Greetings All,

Shocking news that the democrats can’t find a candidate, I seem to remember hearing about a fellow named RJ Hadley out of Rockdale county who was pursuing the democrat nod to get in that race. No worries though, there is a Libertarian Candidate in the race for Senator Isakson’s seat.

Chuck Donovan will carry the Libertarian banner this fall and call Senator Isakson out on a variety of issues. He’s already started taking our incumbent republican Senator to task over at his campaign website http://www.donovanforsenate.com/. Drop by and see for yourself.

If our democrat brothers and sisters can’t get their act together and actually field a candidate for the seat it might lead to a repetition of the 2008 PSC race that saw Libertarian John Monds garner over 1,000,000 votes against the republican he ran against. Woo Hoo! And don’t forget that John Monds is running for Governor this time around, 2010 will be a great year for change!

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote John Monds for Governor, Chuck Donovan for US Senate and David Chastain for Secretary of State!

Slow Fuse Money Bomb Update!

Hey Kids,

A quick update on the slow fuse money bomb post/repost from a couple of days ago. It's working! The adsense ticker is ticking and the clicks are mounting up as the names of Handel, Barnes, Oxendine and Deal keep getting hit on the sidebar. I know it's not as impressive as those limited time money bombs that all the other political party's do but it is impressive to us. And it looks like we've gotten to some sort of tier one critical mass here at Bludgeon & Skewer if the stuff I'm reading at Google Analytics is true.

So how do we proceed from here?

First of all, we have a TV Time limit on the upcoming special election over in Georgia House District 19. Qualification closes at the SecState's office on 27 January 2010 and as of right now there are two republicans that have announced for the seat. No Democrats, No Greens, No Constitution Party, no independents and no Libertarians. We've been out to the district, had a lovely conversation with the Mayor of Hiram and several other folks and it seems that the only people who live there are republicans. That is simply astonishing.

We've enlisted the assistance of other members of the Georgia LP, posted up to FaceBook, prowled the local boards and the two weekly media outlets that serve the district and so far all of our efforts add up to bupkis. Nada. Nothing.

So we're gonna make one last appeal to the readership and implore you to rack your brains, check your rolodex's and review your email lists for some hardy soul that would be willing to hoist the colors of Liberty and run as a Libertarian in Georgia House District 19. Remember, to qualify they have to have lived in the district for at least 12 months, be 25 years old or older and be able to hold office (no felony convictions).

If you know of anyone that could run, call 'em or email 'em or tweet 'em and tell them to get in touch with the merry crew at Bludgeon & Skewer for a shot at a pretty cool part time gig at the state house.

And while you're doing that, be sure to click on your favorite politician's ad over on the sidebar and let the slow fuse money bomb do it's stuff.

So What's gonna happen to Joe Kennedy?

Hi Kids,

OK, I normally don't worry myself about political events outside of Libertarians running for office in the great state of Georgia, but I've been pondering what is going to happen to Joe Kennedy (I), (L), (Tea Party), after tomorrows election up in Massachusetts. He was the golden haired boy of about five weeks ago that managed to get on the ballot for the special election to find who was goinig to replace Ted Kennedy as Massachusetts's next junior senator. The blogs and message boards and FaceBook were humming and it looked like he just might be able to swing it. And then the bottom fell out.

He now resides in obscurity, ignored by the polls, plagued by postings to his campaign forum asking, demanding, pleading that he drop out of the race in order for republican Brown to pick up his share of the vote, defeat the evil democrat candidate Coakley and ensure the salvation of the republic. The race has heated up so much that it is now conventional wisdom that republican Brown will be the winner, democrat Coakley will go back to being a Massachusetts government luminary and poor old Joe Kennedy will return to where ever it was that he came from.

It irks me that the Libertarian Party gave this guy a lot of support to enable him to get on the ballot as an independent. I understand that that was the only way for him to be there, since the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts only recognizes the republican or democrat brand. Anybody else is simply labeled "Unenrolled", the cool part is that if you are an "Unenrolled" voter who gets on the ballot, you are labeled an "Independent" which is a big move up from Unenrolled but does not do a lot for you in identifying which brand of politics you subscribe to. And I thought Georgia had some screwed up ballot access laws. At least here you can put your political affiliation on the ballot if you can surmount the petitioning obstacles.

So Joe has run his campaign to the best of his abilities, got on the ballot, was included in the various debates and did pretty well. He raised some money and things looked OK until about two weeks ago when republican Brown made his break for the lead. Suddenly the game was changed and it turned into a typical two party race. All the tea party support dried up and went away, all the independents rallied to Brown and now people are pestering Joe Kennedy to bail out and endorse republican Brown to ensure Browns' victory.

I hope he does not. Joe Kennedy is the Libertarian candidate in Massachusetts. He has an obligation to carry the Libertarian Banner to the finish line whether he finishes 1st or 2nd or 3rd. I can understand the pressure, Libertarian Allen Buckley had to endure the same kind of flak here in Georgia way back in 2008 when he was running against republican Saxby Chambliss and democrat Jim Martin. Obama-mania was in full swing and the republican faithful proceeded to chastise Allen just like they're doing with Joe Kennedy. But Allen Buckley stuck to his guns, he didn't give an inch and he finished the race just he started it. Standing tall, telling the truth and calling out the lies from the republicans and the democrats.

So Joe, don't quit. Don't endorse republican Brown or democrat Coakley. Be proud of all you've accomplished in Massachusetts and savor the moment. Look to the future and remember you had the backbone to take the unpopular stand for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom. That's a good thing.

The State Senate District 42 Special Election is Heating Up!

Hey Kids,

The special election for District 42 is heating up. The Libertarian candidate will be filing his DOI with the SecStates office next week and the Libertarian Party of DeKalb County is getting ready to release an appeal for support. As a matter of fact, here's a copy:

Who Do You Know in Ga State Senate District?

Wait a minute… hold on we are not asking for money yet… We just want to know who you know in the district!

We have a special election coming up and the Dekalb LP is on it like Rosie O’Donnell at a Chinese buffet. Our candidate is smart, articulate, good looking, and a staunch Libertarian.

Remember the “district” has more in common with Berkley California than say Macon or Rome Ga. Our campaign strategy is rock solid and capitalizes on the uniqueness of the district.

Look, this campaign is about one thing only - getting votes. We are not trying to grow Libertarians or educate anybody. We know what buttons to push, and they will be pushed to the limit!



After the Secretary of State closes the filing window for the “special election”, we need 1000 yard signs up in front of homes and businesses in the district that day.

Would your friend, neighbor, stockbroker, hairstylist, relative, auto mechanic, client, customer, or palm reader be willing to put out a yard sign for us? Ask them, “Would you rather have a fiscally responsible Libertarian or another Carter?”

We really need your help. Please contact me.

Christopher Barber, Acting Chair, Dekalb Libertarian Party
901gastonst@ Comcast.net or call me at 404-664-7106

A Slow Fuse Money Bomb Approach

Let's do the time warp again!

Another Blast from the Past that went up back in July 09.



Begging for Money.. er,ummh.... Fund Raising! 14 JUL 09
Hey Kids,

Well, the old cash register is ringing here at Bludgeon & Skewer! Our nascent little website is actually making money due to the Adsense ads we have running on the site below the navigation bar. It ain't time to conduct a leveraged buy-out of CBS, but the fact that there is currently enough in the account to pick up a 12 Pack of Bud Ice blows us away. It's more raw cash than any of our other activities has raised, as opposed to the millions of dollars we have helped cost our republican and democrat friends in last year's run-off for the US Senate seat here in Georgia. Who says the Libertarians can't effect change?

Which brings us the central theme of this particular screed. Fund raising. Beggin' for money. moochin' for moolah, simpering for samolians and all around caterwauling for cash. Your cash. If we don't get it from you, where are we supposed to get it? We sure as hell don't have any of our own. No rich Uncles here, or trust fund cougars charmed by our peculiar brand of political adventurism. In fact, our little organization is completely cash free. As for that little bit of change under the counter, well, the cats got it.

But there seems to be a way that the ol' B&S campaign fund can grow. Not by using the money of our somewhat quirky readership, but by harnessing the power of the internet and the terrible thirst that traditional political campaigns have for email lists, facebook hits and all sorts of other contrived indicators of shifting public opiniion and political currents. The really cool part of this idea is that not only can you, the reader, generate money so some good ol' Tin Hat polishin', Hienlien readin', Star Trek watchin' Libertarians can take a brick bat to the entrenched political parties, you can make it happen with somebody else's freakin' money!

How can I do this you ask in astonishment? I don't have any money either! Haven't you heard there's a freakin' Man-cession going on?

Brother, we have heard and we are part of it as well. If business was good do you think we'd have time to think about politics? Hell no, we'd be out here working to make some bucks, buy some kool stuff and spend more time honing our shooting skills. Like you we ain't got a spare cent. But there are evidently some folks out there awash with cash. The republicans and democrats. Political campaigns that is.

Times are so hard that some of them are payin' good ol' adsense up to $2 to $3 for a single hit. How do we know this at Bludgeon & Skewer? We read our adsense account info and see that at least one political ad on our site generated $1.13 hit on our site two days ago. A $1.13 for one stinking hit on a free website that gets about 450 visits a month. Can you believe that? We almost can't, but Google says its so.

So here's the plan. If any of you like what you read on this site, scroll down to the bottom and click on one of the adsense ads under the navigation bar. Google calls this alternative content and it's supposed to complement the stuff you see here. And it does, my favorite is the ad for Al Franken, you know the democratic that successfully stole that senate seat up north. Click on his ad but be aware that McAffee does have a site advisory on it. Click just one ad please, don't go overboard and get all crazy and stuff.

Here's the hard part of it, come back tomorrow and do it all over again. Just think about being part of a slow fuse money bomb with someone else's money. That's a hell of a joke!

More to follow from you friendly neighborhood Libertarian Community Organizers!

A Blast from the Past! Ballot Access Circa June 09.

Hey Kids,


This was originally posted back in June 09 as part of a series of letters we had sent Ex SecState Karen Handel about Ballot Access here in Georgia. We thought we'd put it up again to prep the ground for our first letter to SecState Kemp on the same topic.



Bludgeon & Skewer send another Letter to Sec State Handel 1 JUL 09
Hey Kids,

The ballot access battle continues. Not satisfied with the lack of response to our first missive to Secretary of State Karen Handel, we reached into the piggy bank and invested in certified postage once again to send a second letter on the same topic. And guess what? We heard back from none other than Director of Elections Wesley Tailor. And we expect an email shortly that should explain to us just what the Sec State can or cannot do. We're on pins and needles!

Please keep in mind that we do not expect the Sec State to wave a magic wand and actually do anything to address the ballot access issue. Hell, she's got her hands full right now trying to pimp the voter ID issue to the republican faithful since her poll numbers put her at the bottom of the heap and the much anticipated funding report is due out real soon and if her funding numbers look weak, that bastard Oxendine will eat her lunch. Not to mention the fact that Nathan Deal and his out of state, entrenched , old line republican money is gonna bury both of 'em. So what's a poor girl to do? Spend time and attention on those wacky Libertarians or get out there and schmoose donors?

We're guessing it's major schmoose time at Handel HQ.

Which is really kinda funny as there is only one group of liberty lovin', small goverment wantin' lower tax needin', loosely organized voters out there that migh be inclined to play in the republican primary if one of the candidates in that primary actually said something they wanted to hear. 127,000 Georgians played in the US Senate race in 2008. 127,000 Georgians said no to continued corruption and never ending pork barrel spending. If half of them decided to play in the republican primary, those 60,000 plus votes would have a big impact. They might even pick the person who gets to run against King Roy and the redoubtable John Monds. You'd think somebody working in the brain trust over at Handel HQ would've spun that scenario.

Anyway,

First, here's a copy of our second letter


Secretary Of State Karen Handel June 27th 2009

214 State Capitol

Atlanta, Georgia 30334



Via : Certified Mail

Subject : Electronic Petitioning



Third Request



Dear Secretary Handel,



May I remind you that, ’justice delayed is justice denied” It seems as though our first attempt to communicate our wishes for your office to immediately implement a system by which by which Libertarian candidates could fulfill the petitioning requirement was ignored. Perhaps your campaign staff did not effectively communicate our sense of urgency or the extreme importance that the “concerned parties” place on this matter.

Our second attempt (via certified mail) has met with the same results, though I did receive one phone message from Mr. Wes Taylor from your office, my four return phone calls over the course of a week netted zero response.

The citizens of the State of Georgia deserve the opportunity to vote for candidates that advocate low taxes, small government, fiscal responsibility, personal liberty, and an undying respect for the United States Constitution.

Libertarian candidates are the only candidates that trumpet these principles.

Your partisan foot dragging on this matter is unacceptable, the citizens of this state are not your serfs. Again, if one can file their taxes online, secure automobile registration online, and conduct a slew of other “government business” online surely one should be able to sign a petition online to allow a third party candidate ballot access.

I, Christopher Barber as a potential candidate, along with Mr. Shane Bruce, Mr. Allen Buckley and all other potential Libertarian Party members who may wish to run for office as a Georgia House Representative, Georgia State Senator, or US Congressional Representative request the following: your office immediately implement a system by which the petitioning requirement can be accomplished electronically.

It should be noted Secretary Handel, that your own campaign website prominently displays a request to sign your petition to send a message to the Obama Administration, it is obvious that you believe this technology has merit and can be used as a bellwether of public support for an issue or candidate. Why are the citizens of Georgia denied the use of this same technology to select potential candidates for office? Have we finally reached that fabled Orwellian plateau where some are more equal than others?

Was the intent of the legislature back in 1943 to use the petitioning requirement as a roadblock to ballot access for political parties other that white Democrats, or was it intended to gage potential political support? You tell me.

Libertarians are engaged politically not to enrich themselves at the public trough or waste taxpayer money on things like midnight basketball leagues or fishing initiatives. But rather, we are engaged to champion very the principals and values of our founding fathers.

Your campaign slogan is “bring it on” so here it is; I need to hear back from your office within one week as to what your intent is. Can you affect the change we seek? If not, why not? Georgia Code, Title 21, Chapter 2, Article 4, Part 3, 21-1-170 (a) specifically states “Such petition shall be in the form prescribed by the officers with whom they are filed,” Continued failure to communicate will be taken as a no and we will then pursue other methods of redress. Be advised that our resolve on this issue is steadfast and unyielding.



Christopher Barber

1388 Conway Road

Decatur, Ga. 30030

404.373.2178



cc. perdue s.

wheatley t.

oxendine j.

deal n.



Next, here's a copy of the first letter that appeared over at Fresh Loaf and has since percolated around the internet, showing up at the NY Post of all places.


Libertarian asks Handel to ease third-party ballot access

June 8, 2009 at 11:19 am by Thomas Wheatley in News

Christopher Barber, who wants ballot access eased, said we could use this awesome photo of him and one of God's most poetic creatures



For decades, most third-party candidates in Georgia who wanted to gain ballot access have had to circulate petitions and gather signatures. The process has been derided as unfair, unnecessary and an obstacle to public service.

And now, a Libertarian Party of Georgia member has asked Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel — who’s also a gubernatorial candidate — to ease third-party ballot access in the Peach State.

In a letter sent last Friday to the Secretary of State’s office, DeKalb County resident Christopher Barber — who’s allowed me to reveal his identity as the mysterious “man in the Hawaiian shirt” from previous posts — asks Handel to embrace the Internet and TEAR DOWN THIS WALL.

Barber says allowing potential candidates to petition via e-mail for ballot access would save her department — and in turn, Georgia taxpayers — money.

Judging that Handel has been gung-ho on cutting her department’s waste and keeping elections fair — and considering the allure of winning the kind graces of the burgeoning number of residents who identify with the Libertarian platform — this should make for some interesting theater.

More from the letter — and a copy of the letter itself — after the jump.

Barber writes:

It should be noted that if one can file their taxes online, secure automobile registration online, and conduct a slew of other “official state business online” surely one should be able to sign a petition online. I know that under your guidance the Secretary of State’s office has embraced technology, I am sure that you will agree that this is a “reasonable” and “prudent” request.

Barber writes he’s been told Handel could fulfill the request without input by the Georgia General Assembly. Local Libertarian blogger Jason Pye, who’s written extensively on the subject, says any easing of ballot access restrictions would have to be approved by the Legislature. But that doesn’t stop the Secretary of State from endorsing such a move, he says.

Full text of Barber’s letter to Handel — I’m cc’ed next to Gov. Sonny Perdue, which I’m sure will never happen again in my lifetime — is pasted below. (Handel’s name is misspelled in the letter. We doubt she’ll hold a grudge.)

Secretary Of State Karen Handle
214 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

VIA: Certified Mail
Subject: Electronic Petitioning

Dear Secretary Handle,

As you know the Libertarian Party of Georgia has suffered for 37 years under some of the most horrendous ballot access laws in the country, the original legislation drafted in 1943 was born in that hate filled period commonly referred to as “Jim Crow”, which sought to deny people of color and others a voice in Georgia.

I, Christopher Barber as a potential candidate, along with Mr. Shane Bruce, Mr. Allen Buckley and all other Georgia Libertarian Party Members who may wish to run for office as a Georgia House Representative, Georgia State Senator or US Congressional Representative request the following: your office immediately implement a system by which the petitioning requirement can be accomplished electronically (via e-mail)

I am sure that you would agree that this application of technology would save your department, and the Georgia taxpayers a tremendous amount of money. After careful review of the statues I and other knowledgeable parties believe that this would be an “administrative decision” and not require any legislative input.

It should be noted that if one can file their taxes online, secure automobile registration online, and conduct a slew of other “official state business online” surely one should be able to sign a petition online. I know that under your guidance the Secretary of State’s office has embraced technology, I am sure that you will agree that this is a “reasonable” and “prudent” request.

Last November 4th over one million Georgia voters chose the “Libertarian” brand in the Public Service Commission Race, and even with the 60th US Senate seat up for grabs, the faithful still voted Libertarian. Our resolve on this request is steadfast, because we believe the voters of Georgia deserve an opportunity to vote for a candidate who echoes the very values of our “founding fathers” those being; small government, low taxes, fiscal responsibility, personal liberty, and an undying respect for the United States Constitution.

In closing, I would ask you to consider this; the obvious intent of those Georgia Legislators some 66 years ago was to deny ballot access and political competition by setting up “roadblocks” with an extreme petitioning requirement. I would hope you would agree that this was, and is wrong. If the intent was that the petitioning requirement would be used as a bellwether of potential political support for a candidate or party, then surely this could be accomplished electronically.

Thank you for your time and consideration, I look forward to hearing from your office.

Best Regards

Christopher Barber
[address, phone number redacted]

cc. perdue s.
wheatley t.





And next a copy of the email from the Sec States office, if it ever shows up.

?

More to follow from your friendly nieghborhood Libertarian Community Organizer!

Bludgeon & Skewer Rocket Up to #36 of the Top Fifty Blogs In Georgia on FaceBook's Networked Blogs

Hey Kids,,

Bludgeon & Skewer have raced up the charts over at FaceBook's Networked blogs and are proud to lay claim to position #36, a dramatic increase from our #49 position way back in the way back on January 8. We've added a few more followers as well and would like to say welcome aboard.

This little blog doesn't do national stuff very often, we like to stay focused on Libertarian Politics here in Georgia. We especially like to do our part for Georgia Libertarian candidates during the election cycle by providing as much cyber support as we can. And if you've dug as deep as the old Bludgeon & Skewer website, you can see that we do radio ads as well. All Great Fun!

So stop by every now and then and see what's cooking in the Giant Pot-O-Liberty! We're still looking for a candidate for State House District 19, we've got a great candidate for State Senate 42 in Decatur and we're watching Rep. Burkhalter up in State House 50. Lots to do for one and All!

Holy Crap, Now there's Two Republicans in the State House District 19 Special Election!

Can You Believe it?

Now there's two republicans in the race for Ex Speaker of the House Glenn "Where's My Pants?" Richardson's old seat up to the State House. As we disclosed earlier this week, the mysterious Mr. Daniel Stout declared first and is doing a damn fine job of remaining mysterious. And yesterday Mr. Ronnie Eugene Sibley filed his DOI with the SecState as a republican candidate. As of right now the Sibley campaign outnumbers the Stout campaign by two people and has a campaign committee, a treasurer and a Chairperson. An ominous sign for the mysterious Mr. Stout.

Meanwhile, operatives from the Georgia LP and other liberty minded individuals continue to search for a guy or a gal to field as a candidate in this race. Will we find a Libertarian in Paulding County? How about a C4L type? A Ron Paulista? Is it inhabited solely by staunch republicans?

Stay tuned as we continue the quest for Liberty in House District 19!

Sec State announces Qualifying Period for the House District 19 Special Election!

Hi Kids,

Times running out for any Liberty minded individuals to step up for a shot at the House District 19 seat. Our brand new Sec State, Brian Kemp, has announced that the qualifying period will commence on Monday, the 25th of January 2010 and close on Wednesday, the 27th of January 2010. That's a two day window to haul yourself down to the Sec States office, fill out the forms and pony up $400.00.

Right now there is a republican by the name of David Stout that has filed the paperwork and will be on the ballot. If no one else steps up, he'll win by simple default. Here at Bludgeon & Skewer, we are still looking hard for a candidate to field, if any of the readership knows of anyone out there in Paulding County around Hiram or up in the north end of the district that would be interested, please contact us.

The Humble Libertarian wants to run John Monds for President!

hey Kids,

The Humble Libertarian has John Monds on the short list of guys to run for President to further irritate good ol' Harry Reid. I've already left some bread crumbs but there's nothing stopping you from contributing to an epic thread over there. Just click the title of this post and off you will go.

But before you do that, please do Bludgeon & Skewer a big favor and click on the Karen Handel ad on the side bar. It's a small thing you can do to increase Libertarian campaign funds and help drain off some of hers. What a two-fer!

Here's the post I put up:

Greetings All,

You don't get to run John Monds for President until after he finishes his first term as Governor of the Great State of Georgia. John is as capable a politician as there is and the Libertarian Party of Georgia is proud to have him as it's standard bearer for the November elections this year. We believe that his efforts in the Governors race will result in the transformation of the Georgia Libertarian Party from a "Political Body" into a full fledged Political Party in accordance with Georgia law. He is a great candidate and a great guy who deserves all the support you can send him. Vote for Lower Taxes, Smaller Government and More Freedom! Vote for John Monds for Governor!

Libertarian Taylor Bryant Endorses Hardie Davis in the State Senate 22 Run Off!

Big News out of Augusta,

Johnny Edwards, a staff writer for the Augusta Chronicle has broken the news that Libertarian Taylor Bryant has issued an endorsement for democrat candidate Hardie Davis in the run off for the District 22 State Senate seat. Taylor is finishing up his first run for elected office the same he began. With class. A first rate, history making effort that has helped define the political landscape in Augusta and has given a new voice to the citizens of the 22nd District. Way to go Taylor!

-------------
Mr. Bryant's complete statement:

To all concerned:

This letter is to inform all of Augusta of my choice of endorsement for Senate District 22. We ran a very hard, lean, and productive campaign, but we have failed in our goal of victory. My only hope is that I have brought things to the table that otherwise would lay unaddressed, and have given the electorate a principled choice that they would not have had. I have no regrets, and we will keep pushing for change in legislation to promote freedom, socially and economically.

An endorsement from a Libertarian candidate is a rarity. due to our stance of "all or nothing" policies. I feel I need to stand and make a decision on who I would support. Make no mistake, my endorsement is from Taylor Bryant, not the Libertarian Party, its members, or affiliates. I have stood in front of all of Augusta and said I will be determined to work with other political parties, and not endorsing a candidate flies in the face of that statement. This was a difficult decision to make, but I feel as a potential leader, we are faced with much more than this on a daily basis.

It is my decision that Hardie Davis is the best remaining choice for this seat. He has shown me that his economic development plans and tax policies are more in line with mine. I have discussed several contradictions in his platform and mine, and I hope he will take those into consideration if and when elected.

Augusta should be proud of the four candidates. This was the cleanest race ran in recent memory. I have enjoyed talking to all of the candidates, and it has given me a broader view of my own political beliefs. We all want the same things for Augusta, we just have different methods to do it. I encourage more people to get involved in the process and even run for office. We can never have too many choices in leadership.
Thank you for all of the positive feedback in the past few weeks. I have learned so much, and hope to apply it in later endeavors.

Taylor Bryant

Libertarian Secretary of State Candidate David Chastain Blasts Georgia's Infamous Diebold Electronic Voting Machines

Check it out,

David Chastain, the Georgia LP's candidate for Secretary of State has been digging around the the State Archives looking at vote totals for single issue elections that have been processed on Georgia's infamous Diebold voting machines. You know, the ones that Ex Sec State Cathy Cox procured at the beginning of her term as Sec State in 2002 even though they were reputed to be absolute trash. They're the same ones that Ex Sec State Karen Handel promised to fix, but like finishing her term of office, she just never got around to it.

So it looks like our good old Diebold's are dropping votes. Lots of votes. Which is a rotten shame considering that the votes were cast by citizens who went to the polls in good faith to perform their civic duty. Nice slap in the face from Ex Sec State Handel, talk bad about the Diebold's that Cathy Cox bought when you were running for office, take a bunch of money from the Lobbyists that sold the machines to Georgia to finance your campaign and when you win the election, appoint one of them as your deputy. And suddenly assert that the machines are fine, just fine.

They're not. They don't work right as David's investigation shows. He didn't start on this last week, it's been going on for over a year. Check out the press release below:

SOS candidate informs Cobb group of state-wide vote undercounts; missing votes can affect outcomes

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

David Chastain 770-630-8294
dfchastain@gmail.com

MARIETTA – Latest Secretary of State candidate, David Chastain, addressed attendees at the monthly lunch meeting of the Madison Forum at Marietta’s Rib Ranch on Tuesday. After announcing he had filed as a candidate last week, Chastain related his recent experience in trying to determine the average undercount of electronic votes across Georgia.

In December, Chastain spent a day in the research room of the State Archives studying election records from county referendums around Georgia. He focused on single-issue referendums where there is only one question on the ballot – bonds, sales taxes and redevelopment powers. In his sample of over 50 elections, ranging in size from 46,619 total ballots to 220, he found almost .8%, of total ballots cast were blank, or undercounted. However, in the handout he shared with the group, there were referendums with over two percent undercounts and one over three percent.

In all referendums surveyed, there were blank ballots ranging from only 1, in a number of smaller counties, to 279 and 285 in Cobb’s SPLOST referendums of 2003 and 2005, respectively. One county reporting zero blanks was tossed because the election files revealed documents noting two voting machines that were deemed inaccurate with scratched out totals.

The Cobb Libertarian referenced the 2005 Cobb SPLOST in his public remarks to the State Election Board in January, 2009, to illustrate why Georgia needs verifiable elections. This prompted the Secretary of State’s Inspector General to initiate an investigation. The case was heard and closed without discussion at the October SEB meeting. Chastain was never informed of the matter, denying him the opportunity to speak. It was this action that prompted the defense industry analyst to do his own election research.

Chastain promised his prospective supporters that as Secretary of State he would serve the entire four years of his term and not depart early to run for higher office. He also promised that he would be sure to find a deputy secretary with experience in developing quality processes from the private sector to assist in standardizing election management and identify more reliable voting technology.
###

Then go over to http://www.voterga.org/ and see some more details on this saga.

But before you go, slide over to the sidebar and click on any ads featuring Candidate Handel. Adsense likes it and so do we!

Another Special Election in House District 50!?

Get This Kids,

Representative Mark Burkhalter is looking to bolt from the Georgia House to pursue international business opportunities in London. That means yet another opportunity for the Georgia Libertarian Party to get a candidate in a state house race without petitioning! Hell, at this rate we'll have run out of serving politicians by the time November gets here! So there's the pending special election in State Senate District 42 in Decatur, State House District 19 over in Paulding County and the possibility of a special election in State House District 50. This is the best year ever for special elections and we aren't even up to mid January.

All these special elections are special because they are the races in Georgia that actually give our citizens a choice. I know that January is early and all, but right now, out of 180 Georgia House districts there are only 9 districts that have a democrat and a republican vying for the same seat. 9 Districts. Out of 180. That's two party democracy? That's competition? That's a choice for the citizens of Georgia?

There are currently 13 districts where the sitting incumbent is facing a primary fight by another member of his own party, but to me that's not contested race, it's contested primary. The end result in November is an unopposed candidate. Still no choice for the voters of Georgia.

Because of the roadblocks and hurdles placed in front of any third party candidate by our state's 1943 Jim Crow Ballot Access laws, this situation will continue for the foreseeable future. It's 2010 kids, how long will we be held hostage by the legacy of Eugene "I stole for you" Talmadge and his fellow democrat cronies who passed the original legislation? When do Georgian's break the 60 year old bureaucratic bonds that stifle opposing views and block progress? When the hell is the 21st century coming to Georgia?

This November, that's when. Don't worry about which republican survives the primary, and don't sweat which democrat is on the ballot in November. They are secondary considerations. Look for a guy named John Monds, the Libertarian candidate. Vote for John Monds and take the first step to overturn Georgia's ballot access laws. A vote for John Monds is really a vote for freedom and choice, It's the American thing to do.

Bludgeon & Skewer get Listed in the Georgia Libertarian Online!

Check it out Kids,

The Guys and gals down at the State LP have graciously linked to us in the Georgia Libertarian Online, an email newsletter sent out to the faithful to keep all us Libertarians up to speed on events of importance. We are proud to be included.

State House District 19 Has A Candidate!

Hi Kids,

A mysterious Mr. David Stout has filed for the upcoming special election over in State House District 19 as a republican. The information listed over at the State Ethics Commission website is somewhat sketchy, but we now know that there is a least one candidate looking to replace Ex Speaker of the House Glenn "Where's my Pants?" Richardson. When is the Governor is gonna tell Brian Kemp over at the Sec State's office to get this special election up and running. Time's a wastin'!

A quick look around the internet reveals there was a David Stout over in Euharlee that a buch of guys and gals were talking bad about last November on a local discussion board about a missing truck. That David Stout is on the city council and Euharlee is not in District 19.

The only firm info is that the mysterious Mr. Stout hand delivered his DOI (Declaration of Intent) down at the capitol on the 4th of January 2010 so he has to be lining up for a shot at Richardson's old seat. There is no mention of him of the Paulding county republican website in the leadership section or the precinct leader sections. Perhaps he's a rogue.

Just for kicks, we took a look for Paulding county democrat organizations and couldn't find one. No county level organization exists on the internet and after a quick look at the state democrat website, no affiliates are listed out that way either.

So the mystery continues. A rogue republican has got the jump on us but we'll see how the recruiting efforts go. If any of the readership knows of someone in District 19 that's interested, let us know.

Money Bomb? Money Bomb? We don't need no stinkin' Money Bomb!

Hi Kids,

Well I've recovered from the general system shock I experienced yesterday upon reading about democrat Jason Carters phenomenal fundraising efforts. $82,000 in less than three weeks for a State Senate seat has got to be some kind of record. That in turn led me to start thinking of ways our Libertarian candidate might be able to raise funds for the impending Special Election in Senate District 42. The internet is a wonderful thing and my travels soon led me to the "Money Bomb" concept.

I was enthralled by the simple idea of thousands of supporters all chipping in $20 or so on a given day expressly for the purposes of large scale, race changing fund raising and making the local media outlets. What a two-fer! Your candidate gets some yard sign money and the local media treat it like a news event, generating some "earned media". Earned Media is apparently much different than paid media because it's the stuff in the news stories you watch until the commercials come on. Kind of like a kick back, only legal. Somethings gotta be news, right?

Then I realized the inherent weakness in the money bomb concept. You need thousands of supporters that actually have money, are paying attention and want to play. A quick look around Libertarian Land here in Georgia does not indicate that big a crowd and with all the other independents stealing our oxygen, the probability of us pulling off a successful Money Bomb are questionable to say the least. Especially in a special election environment where the time frame is so short.

So we're not going top write off the concept, we'll just wait until the election is in cycle and see if any of our candidates main issues resonate with the citizens and denizens of the 42nd district. I have a good feeling that two or three of them will draw national support from outside the district, not as far away as Hong Kong, but hey, paypal works all over the world.

Jason Carter is sitting on a $76,000 dollar war chest!?

Mind Boggling Fundraising numbers!



You gotta love the Georgia State Ethics Commission website. It is chock-O-block full 'o interesting stuff about politics here in Georgia. Since I'm recovering from our efforts to get Taylor Bryant elected as the first Libertarian State Senator in Georgia, I decided to take a quick look-see at the District 42 race in Decatur. Lo and behold, Jason Carter filed campaign disclosure paperwork on 31 DEC 09 along with Tommy Stubbs. You gotta hand it to those lawyers, they know how to dot the "i"'s and cross the "t"'s.

Conventional wisdom here in Georgia is that if you really,really want a State Senate or House of Representative's seat under the Gold Dome, you better get busy and get your hands on about $40,000. You'll spend it on yard signs, radio and TV ads as well as canvassing and the critical GOTV efforts on election day. Politics ain't cheap, which goes a long way towards explaining why it's a rich man's game.

Democrat Jason Carter has doubled down and raised $82,000 dollars for his race already and still had $76,000 in the bank as of 31 DEC 09. And as the race might not get started until middle to late February, god only knows how much more he might be able to stuff into his campaign coffers between now and then. Could State Senate 42 turn into a $500,000 dollar campaign? Is that possible?

I feel sorry for democrat Tommy Stubbs, he's showing $500 in the pot. Well, not that sorry, he's got $500 more than the Libertarian candidate as of right now. And the sitting Senator, Bundlin' Dave Adelman has a little over $171,000 sitting in his campaign accounts, I wonder if he's gonna pull a Richardson and stuff that into some kind of PAC once congress gives him his new job in Singapore. Or he could do the right thing and dump all that money into the Libertarian Party of Georgia. Yeah, right.

So, click the title of this post and head over to the State Ethics commission website and look at the fine print on Jason. Really interesting, especially the $4800 dollars from some buds of his in Hong Kong. They probably got condo's in Decatur or something. The really cool thing is that 19 of contributors actually have Decatur addresses, that's 19 votes he can count on!

Bludgeon & Skewer rank #49 out of the Top 50 Networked Blogs in Georgia!

Astounding News Kids,

Our little blog site is rated as #49 out of the top 50 Networked blogs on FaceBook in Georgia! High five time all around! It says so there on the Top 50 Blogs in Georgia page of the Networked blogs application on FaceBook. Just click on the title of this post and you'll see it. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and do it fast before GeorgiaVine (They're in Tbilsi) gets another follower and sends us down a notch.

So what we will we do this newfound power of being one up from the anchorman? Not too much. I suppose it is time to see if we can come up with a few more followers, but I'd rather find a Libertarian in the 19th house district who's willing to take shot at running in the upcoming special election to replace republican Ex Speaker of the House Glenn "Where's My Pants" Richardson.

Time to get back to work on the 24 foot tall modular, mobile Statue of Liberty model for the District 42 race in Decatur. Finding a place to put it up is going to be a real nightmare!

Plan? What Plan, Just Do!

Greetings All,

Looks like a snow day over here at the secret underground Libertarian Command Center (LCC), a little time for reflection and a look down the road with an eye towards what can we expect for Liberty in Georgia in 2010. First thing on the agenda is a quick review of Taylor Bryant's run for State Senate Seat 22 in Augusta. Lot's of first's happened in that race.

Taylor Bryant was the first Libertarian to get on the ballot and run for State Senate 22.

Taylor polled 9.1% of the vote in that race. Three times average for a Libertarian Candidate here in Georgia.

Taylor raised and spent about $1400 in the oh so short election cycle. Please note that all of his funds were from individuals, not lobbyists or lawyers or other outfits with business before the state.

Taylor Bryant is now an historical figure in Georgia, a member of a very exclusive club. Georgia Libertarians who have run for elected office.

The major issue with his campaign is the same issue that dogged Libertarian Allen Buckley in his US Senate campaign in 2008 and John Monds in his PSC race in 2008. And that is the fact that us Libertarians plain suck at fundraising. I know there are a lot reasons why we don't attract the kinds of funding that our republican and democrat opponents do. I think the biggest hurdle for us a political party is the fact that we don't hold any elected offices, and without the ability to steer state or federal funding to the hosts of parasitic lobby leeches we just don't get any money love from them.

That's fine with me. I'm not sure what would happen if the Libertarian party of Georgia was suddenly showered with the wads of cash that our republican and democrat opponents bathe in regularly. I have a feeling that our current free wheelin', seat of the pants flyin', What Plan?, Just Do! approach would get corporatized pretty damn quick. I don't know if I'd like that. In a monolithic party a guy like me would never be able to pitch in and try to help a guy like Taylor Bryant, I'd have to go through channels, some clown somewhere would want to vet me, a committee or a focus group would say that you can say this but not that, etc. etc. etc.

So we would turn into the very thing we constantly rail against. The political pros and the media mongers would sing their siren song about the next election and the perpetual need to raise money so you can give it to them so they can work their magic and get you re-elected. If you're always sweating the next cycle, how can you pay attention to the peoples business?

So whats the solution? I Think that Rockin' Barry O showed us the way. No, I don't mean George Soros funded Nigerian Credit Card (NCC) donations from multiple bogus locations around the world. I mean the small donations from citizens via the internet. That seems to me to be the venue we should work with a vengeance and it's a medium we have access to as a party and as involved individuals. It's a first order of magnitude problem for Georgia Libertarians, one that we need to solve.

Aside from the miserable state of our campaign coffers, there are quite a few bright spots on the horizon. The first special election in Georgia of 2010 had a Libertarian on the ballot and the next two special elections will feature them as well. We've got a boffo candidate for State Senate 42 in Decatur and can't wait to turn him loose on poor old Jason Carter. That race will break the $110,000 funding ceiling established by Hardie Davis and Harold Jones in the District 22 race in Augusta because Jason has extended networks to call on for support. I think the district 42 race will see fundraising and expenditures in the $250K range by the time all is said and done and the run off is concluded. We might get really lucky and see that race nationalized, the Kos Kids have demonstrated they can money bomb with the best of them. I also hope that the Greens get off the couch and get a candidate on the ballot, the more the merrier!

We're looking hard for a Libertarian willing to take the field in the impending special election over in the 19th House district. If you know of any Liberty minded individuals willing to give it a go, please let us know.

And of course our main focus will continue to be supporting the efforts of Libertarian John Monds in his historic run for the Governorship of Georgia, that is the single most important race in Georgia to me. It's the only race that offers all Georgians a chance for genuine change, and for that change to happen, we don't have to win, we have to break 20% of the votes cast. If John Monds can make that happen then the ballot access laws that have kept the Libertarian Party in chains will be shattered and the citizens of Georgia will actually be able to make a choice in the 140 or so uncontested races for state house and state senate in 2012.

So yeah, I think 2010 will be a breakthrough year for Libertarians in Georgia. And all the Libertarians in Georgia need to send Taylor Bryant a big Thank You for leading the way.

David Chastain Declares for Secretary of State!

Big News Kids!



David Chastain has thrown his hat in the ring for Secretary of State of Georgia! Head over to his FaceBook page and join in the fun. With David running this fall, that makes three Libertarian candidates on the field to face down their democrat and republican opponents and carry the Standard of Liberty!

David Chastain for Secretary of State!

John Monds for Governor!

Chuck Donovan for US Senate!



When will we discover the Libertarian Candidates for Lt. Governor, Insurance Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture, Labor and the rest? Soon, very soon.

Congratulations to David for taking a bold step and joining the fray. He'll need your support so click on the title of this post and off to Chastain Land you will go.

Rumblings over at Independant Political Report!

Hey Kids,

There's some some rumbling going on the third party blog-o-sphere about directing national support to Taylor Bryant! I've already left some bread crumbs but any one who's interesting in elevating this race to the national scene should head over to the Independent Political Report and toss their two cents in. Just click on the title of this post and off you go!

The election is occurring even as I scribble this. Time to pack the truck, pick up the rest of the crew and head out for Augusta to wave signs and placards at our favorite polling stations. If anybody can help, contact Taylor's campaign and get to it!




Greetings All,

Today is the day when we discover if underfunded, understaffed and under supported Libertarian Taylor Bryant can break the 20+ year strangle hold the democrat party of Georgia has had on State Senate seat 22 in Augusta, Georgia. Taylor’s three democrat opponents have raised over $110,000 for this special election, a remarkable number considering the extremely short election cycle of about 30 days between qualifying and the election itself. It is also telling that the republican party of Georgia saw fit to sit this one out as they haven’t made a dent in District 22 for over two decades.

The big news is that Libertarian Taylor Bryant has a real shot at winning this race. Because there are a total of four candidates running, the likelihood of a clean win is remote. Here in Georgia, a candidate has to win 50% plus one vote in order to avoid a run off. The split in this election will prevent a clear democrat winner and hopefully place Taylor in a run off against whichever democrat garners the most votes.

So it is a bit late for national involvement in this local Georgia race. If a run off occurs, then things change.

The readership may be interested to know that a second special election for a second democrat held State Senate seat will be getting underway in District 42 as soon as the current office holder, Senator David Adelman, is confirmed as the next US ambassador to Singapore.

That race would be a prime opportunity for the Green Party of Georgia to field a candidate for state senate. The Georgia LP has a candidate, Jason Carter has announced his intention to run as a democrat and others are mulling a run as well. There’s still a month or so before Adelman says adios and wings his way to Singapore, and the addition of a Green Party candidate in district 42 would give a distinct flavor to the impending melee.

In the meantime, visit Taylor’s website, check the Augusta Chronicle this evening for election results and if Taylor does cause a run off, join in the fun!

Taylor Bryant's Radio Ad is up and Running!

Hey Kids,

The last minute support worked out and Taylor is running ads on TalkRadio AM 1230 and at WGAC AM 580. He's got a copy up at YouTube, so for your Viewing Pleasure:



While we're at it, here's a copy of Taylor's yard sign. Print one off for your own uses!



It's less than 12 hours until the polls open and we all get to see what the voters of District 22 want. This has been a vigorous campaign executed with less than one percent of what Taylor's democrat opponents raised. Hopefully the citizens of the 22nd will see through all the hype and posturing and make a decision to vote for the future of Augusta.

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote for Taylor Bryant!

Taylor Bryant is in the lead in the Chronicle's Online Poll!!

Wow,

The Augusta Chronicle has an on line poll running on the front page of their web edition and it shows Taylor Bryant pulling 38% of the internet vote! Don't get too excited because there have only been 26 votes cast so far. Here's the breakdown:

Taylor Bryant 38% (10 votes)
Hardie Davis 31% (8 votes)
Harold Jones 28% (7 votes)
Sandra Scott 4% (1 vote)

I haven't tried to vote twice yet but these days on this kind of online poll you usually can't. And that's a good thing. Still, I like the numbers. In a perfect world Taylor will poll 50% of the vote plus one to avoid a runoff, most likely he'll cause a runoff and hopefully be in it. That means another 30 days of campaigning and yet another election over in Richmond County.

No time to back off now kids. If you haven't gotten involved in this campaign, now's the time to do it. Taylor needs your support to pull off the first upset victory in 2010 in Georgia. Be a part of it and vote in the online poll, send Taylor some support at his website and volunteer for tomorrows GOTV efforts in Augusta!

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote for Taylor Bryant for State Senate!

Libertarian Allen Buckley endorses Taylor Bryant for State Senate 22!

Wow,

First John Monds, now Allen Buckley! Does it get any Better? Now take thier advice and get out there and vote for Taylor Bryant!





“I endorse Taylor Bryant for the 22nd district of the Georgia Senate in the January 10, 2010 special election. It appears to me that Taylor understands the need to maximize free market solutions to problems while minimizing taxes. I wish him luck on the 5th.”

Allen Buckley
The Saylor Law Firm LLP
1175 Peachtree St. NE
100 Colony Square, Suite 1450
Atlanta, GA 30361


IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any tax advice included in this communication (including any attachments) was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code, or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein, unless otherwise indicated.