The Georgia 2nd congressional district race comes down to one simple point for me: Rep. Sanford Bishop is the goose that laid the golden egg. We, the 2nd district voters, have positioned him to serve our state and that posturing took time and effort. Tossing our employee now wouldn’t be smart.
An Albany, Georgia, city councilman who is also a college professor recently called Bishop, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, a $100 million per year industry for South Georgia. I can get concerned about staff miscues and oversights but protecting a 100M per year is a bigger concern.
Where were these budget-minded people when we were spending billions “nation building” in Iraq. No one supports our troops more than me but I wish we would have allowed the military the leeway to take down Saddam and his sons with a Navy Seal Team quickly rather than a prolonged situation that had us building schools, hospitals and roads there while our infrastructure crumbles.
The conservative movement seems hypocritical because Bishop is one of the few Congressional Black Caucus members willing to work with conservatives on issues. To me, the massive effort to remove Bishop is centered on 2012. With moderate Democrats gone, the remaining congressional Dems would be more liberal and easier targets for presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
It may sound silly but keeping Bishop and his seniority reminds me of that comedy bit by Sommore. Her man explains that the woman he is with provides the resources he uses to acquire Sommore’s nice things. Sommore tells the man to cover her up so the “blank” doesn’t catch cold.
Bishop’s slight oversights are nothing compare to governor candidate Nathan Deal’s mulitmillion dollar oversights but I don’t care about oversights; cover Bishop up so he doesn’t catch cold. Bill Clinton was “involved” with a chubby intern but his economic policies led to record budget surpluses; we covered Clinton up so he wouldn’t catch cold. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss protects our regional farm and military interests with Bishop; cover Saxby up with an appropriate red blanket so he doesn’t catch cold and cover up GOP Rep. Jack Kingston so he doesn’t catch cold while he works (again with Bishop) to securing funding to deepen the Port of Savannah, a leading economic engine for the South.
To confuse the golden goose/poultry parallel, Bishop could be the 100M golden goose or a chicken on the TV show Survivor. While some castaways want to eat the chicken for protein now, wiser team members protect the bird for a constant supply of eggs. Everyone outside the Tea Party Movement know the Obama reelection wave of 2012 will take the 2nd district back for the Democrats. So, bouncing Bishop would hurt south Georgia for no good reason. We shouldn’t rally to help Bishop and Obama; we should rally behind Bishop to help ourselves.
I am ticked off that “rallying” is needed anyway. Let me get this right: Obama comes on the national stage and folks are crying and swooning (he is a great leader.) But, Bishop has been break his neck for Georgia for decades and folks need to be rallied. Excuse me. Sommore needs to be his campaign manager because nobody knows money like Sommore knows money.
Oh, we know Bishop after decades of public service and we know the he wouldn’t jeopardize his status or legacy behind some little part-time jobs or small scholarships. Please. Bishop’s efforts regarding job creation involves billions and college money would be billions in regular scholarships for working people and veterans education benefits for our returning troops and their families.
Democrats and reasonable moderates need to vote in southwest Georgia or our goose is cooked. Tea and golden goose liver pate would be one costly dish.