Georgia LP HQ Fires a Broadside at Sloppy Reporting over at the AJC

Blistering Press Release Time Folks,

Nice to see the state LP taking issue with the AJC's supposedly complete recap of the state of the race yesterday. But maybe we ought to cut the seasoned political reporters over there a little slack over totally missing the 10 candidates Georgia's only functional third party placed on the ballot for the elections this fall. After all, our guys and gals are not listed at the SecState's websites and what with all the turmoil about bailing out of their downtown digs, the AJC reporters most likely lost the 3x5 card they had the information on.

Sure they could have checked any number of other sources like Bludgeon & Skewer, That's Just Peachy, Georgia Politic's Unfiltered, Independent Political Report, Jason Pye or even the Libertarian Party of Georgia and got the whole story. Maybe as a cost cutting measure they're restricted from looking at more than one source. Bandwidth is expensive you know.

Here's the press release courtesy of Brett Bittner at the State LP:





Libertarian Party of Georgia's Statewide Candidates Snubbed By Atlanta Journal-Constitution
POSTED ON: 05/02/2010

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In Saturday's paper, as well as in the online edition Friday night, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution omitted an entire slate of statewide candidates nominated by the Libertarian Party of Georgia on Saturday, April 24th. While not the first time, and certainly not the last, the negligent omission of the party's statewide slate calls into question the integrity of their journalism.

In a Twitter response to something sent out by the state party, the AJC claims to have only used a single source in compiling their list of candidates for statewide office, the Georgia Secretary of State's website, which also notes that candidates who are running as "Independent, Political Body, or Nonpartisan candidates" cannot qualify until June 28th. Since state law, O.C.G.A. 21-2-132(c)(1)(2), does not allow a political body, which the state defines the Libertarian Party of Georgia as, to qualify for another two months, to use the words "how the ballot looks for the statewide races" prior to listing only the Democrats and Republicans who have yet to clear the primary hurdle before them in July is not only patently false, but smacks of lazy journalism. A quick visit to LPGeorgia.com and one click on the "Recap of the 2010 Libertarian Party of Georgia Convention" post on the front page would have netted the entire statewide slate, listed here:

US Senate: Chuck Donovan

Governor: John Monds

Lt. Governor: Rhonda Martini

Attorney General: Don Smart

Secretary of State: David Chastain

School Superintendent: Kira Willis

Insurance Commissioner: Shane Bruce

Agriculture Commissioner: Kevin Cherry

Labor Commissioner: William Costa

PSC (2nd District): Jim Sendelbach


When asked about the omission, Libertarian Party of Georgia chairman, Daniel Adams had this to say, "I'm disappointed that a major metropolitan newspaper in the home of one of the strongest state affiliates of the Libertarian Party would pass on listing our candidates, especially since every single one of them is guaranteed to appear on the November general election ballot. Leaving them off that listing is a disservice to each and every reader, especially with our candidate for governor once again making Georgia history."

"The 2010 nominees of the Libertarian Party of Georgia are the best slate of candidates I've seen the state party bring forth," says Brett Bittner, Operations Director of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. "Their enthusiasm, knowledge, and abilities will show this state how serious we are about making government smaller, lowering taxes and increasing the level of freedom across the state. Their exclusion by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the largest newspaper in the state, brings into question the trust they have with their readership by only providing them with part of the story."