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Georgia Elections News
Johnson, Deal slam Handel over Palin endorsement
1:39 pm July 12, 2010, by Aaron Gould Sheinin
On the same day that former President Bill Clinton endorsed Thurbert Baker in the
Democratic primary for governor, a major name backed a candidate on the Republican side.
Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, told
her supporters on Monday that Karen Handel “is ready to serve” as Georgia’s
next governor.
“I’m proud to lend my support to a great commonsense conservative woman running
for governor this year in the Peach State,” Palin wrote on her Facebook page.
Palin was in Georgia last month for a fund-raising event for a local ministry and said
Monday that trip helped inform her choice.
Here’s her full statement:
“My recent visit back to this beautiful area allowed me to meet more of the patriotic
Americans who call Georgia home and who are ready for a reformer to help strengthen their
families, businesses, state and, ultimately, our United States. Karen Handel is that
reformer. Throughout her career in public office – from serving as Chairman of the
Fulton County Board of Commissioners to Georgia’s Secretary of State – Karen has
brought the common sense fiscal discipline and positive change in government that is
needed now more than ever. Though considered an underdog candidate (more power to her!),
this pro-life, pro-Constitutionalist with a can-do attitude and a record of fighting for
ethics in government is ready to serve in the Governor’s Office. She’ll balance
budgets and help spur Georgia’s economy. Her plan will contribute to America’s
roadmap which can benefit all of us.”
Update 1:46 p.m.: But not everyone is so enamored of Palin’s choice.
Tricia Pridemore, chair of the conservative 9-12 Project Action Network,
said Georgians “don’t endorse candidates just because they wear lipstick. We
endorse the candidate most qualified and most conservative, not based on gender. While I
have tremendous respect for Sarah Palin, I don’t believe this endorsement was well
thought out.”
Update 4:16 p.m.: Eric Johnson’s campaign said they’re also
not impressed with Palin’s choice and specifically how Palin called Handel
“pro-life.”
Here’s a statement from Ben Fry, Johnson’s spokesman:
“We were surprised to see Governor Palin’s endorsement of the most liberal
Republican candidate in this race. Karen is the one Republican candidate not endorsed by
Georgia Right to Life. She has been caught in a lie about her past support for taxpayer
funded benefits for same sex partners and her membership in a gay rights group. And
just last night Karen said she was a lifetime member of the NRA, but then admitted she
didn’t own any firearms- just they type of answer you’d expect from a
professional politician. On July 20th Georgia voters will have a clear choice. Eric
Johnson is a successful businessman and conservative leader with a proven record while
Karen has shown herself to be a politician that will say or do anything to get
elected.”
Update 5:18 p.m.: Nathan Deal’s campaign has weighed in with a response
similar to Johnson’s. Here’s a statement from Deal spokesman Brian Robinson:
“It’s disappointing that Sarah Palin has chosen to back the
most liberal Republican in this race. Just last night, Handel finally admitted she’d
written a check to a gay rights group — when previously she said the check was a
forgery and she never lived at that address. As Fulton Commission
chair, Handel voted to give taxpayer dollars to ‘Youth Pride’ which did outreach
to gay and ‘questioning’ kids as young as 13 and funded seminars such as
‘Unsung Heroes of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community’ – this
was during a budget crisis. We do hope that the former governor will look at the
record and reconsider, or explain to conservative Georgia Republican primary voters why
she’s endorsing Handel in light of these well-documented facts and Handel’s
clumsy effort to cover them up.”
http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?t=110580