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As Georgia’s two biggest federal races progress towards election day, the Republican nominees are keeping up their relentless attacks on President Barack Obama.
David Perdue in the Senate race and Rick Allen in the 12th Congressional District contest are working energetically to tie their Democratic opponents, Michelle Nunn and Rep. John Barrow, to a president with low approval numbers.
Perdue’s campaign noted that Obama’s newly announced “Ebola czar,” Ron Klain, was earlier listed as an advisor and debate coach for Nunn in Nunn’s leaked campaign strategy plan.
“Instead of selecting someone with a medical background and the right experience, the president hand-picked a partisan lobbyist serving as Michelle Nunn’s senior advisor,” Perdue said.
“The fact that Michelle Nunn believes a partisan Washington lobbyist is the right choice for this position only further demonstrates her deference to the president’s judgment on such important issues,” Perdue added.
The Obama criticism also extended to Nunn’s TV spots that include photos of her with former Republican president George H. W. Bush, who has endorsed Perdue in the Senate race.
“Michelle Nunn will do anything to try to deceive voters about who she really is and what she really stands for,” said Perdue spokeswoman Megan Whittemore. “No matter what she says, Michelle Nunn supports the failed policies of Barack Obama. This election is about policies not photo-ops.”
Allen’s campaign pounced on a statement Obama made in a radio interview Monday in which the president said about Democrats trying to put some distance between themselves and him: “The bottom line is, though, these are all folks who vote with me, they have supported my agenda in Congress.”
“The music for John Barrow’s distance dance from President Obama just stopped and Barrow finds himself without a musical chair,” said Allen’s campaign spokesman, Dan McLagan. “Barrow is just like the president, he’ll do anything for politics and Obama understands — promising no hard feelings once the election is over.”
Even as Allen was criticizing Barrow’s connections to the president, the Washington Post’s “Election Lab” computer model was upgrading Barrow’s prospects for winning the 12th District race.
Where the Post had earlier projected Allen as having a 53 percent chance of winning the election, it now gives Barrow a 76 percent chance of winning.
“The term ‘crumbling’ is used to describe Rick Allen’s campaign in nearly every conversation,” said Barrow spokesman Richard Carbo. “While John Barrow is talking directly with folks in the 12th District about issues that are important to them, Rick Allen is running one of the most negative campaigns in the country.”
Tour itinerary
Perdue’s campaign released some of the early scheduling details of his statewide tour that starts Thursday and will carry on until just before election day.
October 23
7:30 am – Redneck Gourmet, 11 North Square, Newnan
9:30 am – Broadway Diner, 535 Glynn Street South, Fayetteville
11 am – Southern Pit BBQ, 2964 North Express Way, Griffin
2 pm – Countryside Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, 846 East 3rd St., Jackson
3:30 pm – Dairy Queen, 200 North Lee St., Forsyth
6 pm – 101 North Main Street, Jonesboro
October 24
1 pm – Early Vote Rally With Sen. Rand Paul, McDonough Square, McDonough
5 pm – Hudson’s Hickory House, 6874 Broad St., Douglasville
7 pm – Rally with Gov. Nathan Deal, Cobb County Republican Headquarters, 799 Roswell St., Marietta
October 25
9 am – Saturday Early Vote Rally with Sen. Ted Cruz, New Life Church, 154 Lakeside Dr., Canton
12 noon – BBQ and GOTV Rally with Cruz and Rep. Jack Kingston, Ottawa Farms, 702 Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale
Reed’s for Barrow, for sure
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s friendly relationship with Gov. Nathan Deal and his disdain for state Sen. Jason Carter has been well-documented. Reed did participate in a solitary fundraiser for Carter, but otherwise has maintained a frosty relationship with his Democratic Party colleague.
Reed is apparently okay with another Democrat, Rep. John Barrow, however. He sent out an email fundraising plea for Barrow today that reads, in part:
Right about this time, you’re probably getting calls from candidates all over asking for help. I wanted to make sure I e-mailed you for my friend John Barrow.
John needs our help. Right now, he’s facing a flood of outside money in the 12th District. Millions of dollars are being used against him in these final weeks from the far right, National Republicans and his opponent in the race – all with lies about his record.
Can we count on you right now to chip in for John? . . .
I know people ask a lot of you, but we’re pulling out all the stops for John. Georgia needs him in Congress. He comes through for us over and over again. Now he needs us to come through for him.
© 2014 by The Georgia Report
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