WGST in Atlanta is reporting that 'Party Vice Chair Nikema Williams says the Democratic Party has to defend against five lawsuits filed by Republicans.

They're violating Democrats' first amendment rights to name whoever they want to the ballot," Williams tells WGST.

The efforts to remove Obama's name are based on the challengers' view that the president is not a natural born citizen of the U.S.'

In turn, the Democrat Party of Georgia is asking their members to help raise money to keep Obama's name on the Georgia ballot.   Wouldn't that be a fine kettle of fish?  If you don't remember, Obama was first elected to the Illinois State Senate by getting all of his opponents disqualified from being on the ballot....Maybe this would work in Virginia, Florida and Ohio too...

So here's an interesting question....Let's say Obama never gets on the Georgia ballot and he wins reelection anyway.  Can we declare ourselves a soveriegn nation and declare Nathan Deal President?
http://www.640wgst.com/cc-common/mainheadlines3.html?feed=122602&article=9539966#ixzz1hJFzsUs4

I was contacted shortly after posting Charles Jackson's article "Georgia Tea Parties' Police Targets GOP" this morning and am pleased to present this rebuttal written by Bill Evelyn the Director of the State of Georgia Tea Party.

Mr. Jackson fails to understand what has transpired between the tea parties and the Republican party over the past two years. This could be the reason for some incorrect statements in his article.


Mr. Jackson writes: “The shot gun wedding between the Tea Party and the Republican Party after the 2010 midterm election has been consummated. It definitely wasn't a match made in heaven.” What Mr. Jackson calls shot gun wedding was actually a disciplined strategic action to recapture a political party in order to progress tea party ideology. This plan was rolled-out on December 11, 2010.


Dean Kelley, Director of the Northwest Georgia Tea Party, and I developed a plan to fundamentally transform the Republican Party with tea party values. Grassroots tea party members were keen to participate in the Mass Meetings, but they lacked confidence. A spark was needed to motivate the grassroots to engage in the process. That spark came late in November 2010.


Ms. Trisha Pridemore announced her intentions to seek the Chair of the Republican Party in November 2010. Shortly thereafter Ms. Sue Everhart announced her intention to seek an unprecedented third term. Admission by Ms. Everhart that she embraced tea party inclusion was key to her victory.


On December 11th, I sent a stinging Email Letter to the Editor to 132 news rooms and copied all GOP District and County Chairs denouncing Ms. Everhart's qualifications for a third term. Within twenty minutes Ms. Everhart replied asking me to call her. I waited several hours to respond in order to allow the bevy of expected insulting responses from GOP District and County Chairs to trickle-in. The level of disgust and disdain by the GOP establishment for the tea party was evident in all these Emails. I called Ms. Everhart that evening to get her to state that she embraced the tea party. The next morning I alerted the tea parties of Ms. Everhart's support and forwarded those disdainful emails from the GOP establishment. This was the week most tea party's were having their annual Christmas Party and what better topic than GOP establishment disgust for tea partiers.


Tea Party leaders across the state read the disdainful emails from their District and County Chairs. The outrage was universal and energized members across the state to engage and stand behind Ms. Sue Everhart's candidacy.


Newspaper articles ridiculing my Letter to the Editor pushed the sympathy vote to Ms. Everhart and branded Ms. Pridemore (Governor Nathan Deal's establishment candidate) as the polar opposite of Ms. Everhart (the tea party candidate). Ms. Pridemore tried to capture the grassroots moniker, but it never stuck. Ms. Everhart won a third term with the votes of the tea partiers that were motivated to participate and attend the state convention.


So, Mr. Jackson is absolutely wrong when he makes the statement; “Unelected Tea Party police chieftains are calling the shots.” May I remind Mr. Jackson it was the grassroots tea partier that was elected in their precincts and as delegates to the County, District, and State Conventions. These elected tea partiers are responsible for Ms. Everhart's re election and helping to write and mold the party platform of the Georgia GOP.


Mr. Jackson then goes on to say; “They demand acquiescence to their agenda and intimidate Republican officeholders adhere to it or face a primary challenge. The Tea Party purist police - with their rigid ideological orthodoxy - presume to know who's a "true" conservative. Now various Tea Party groups, most notably the State of Georgia Tea Party, wants to purge the GOP ranks of heretics.” This is an absolutely false statement.


While 2011 was the year of the Tea Party in the Georgia GOP; 2012 would be the year of the primary. Dean Kelley and I started working on the next step in our plan. Energizing grassroots tea partiers to primary bad Republicans. All we did was introduce the concept of primarying Republicans; established an independent funding apparatus (Peach Tea PAC), and set up training for interested candidates. While I welcome purging the GOP ranks of RINO's, the RINOs selected for primarying come from the grassroots. Not a single Republican targeted for primarying was selected by “The Tea Party purist police”, all were selected by grassroots tea partiers in their respective districts including Speaker David Ralston.


Finally Mr. Jackson writes; “ The Tea Party's a malignant Achilles' heel on the body of the Republican Party.”  Nothing could be further from the truth. In the latest Insider Advantage Poll in Georgia 2 of 3 Republicans identify with tea party values. By infusing the Republican Party with tea partiers and ridding the Republican Party of RINO's that reject tea party values, only strengthens the Republican Party in Georgia.   It will motivate more Republicans to vote to crush Democrats across the state.


Mr. Jackson's says: “I was an early, enthusiastic supporter of the Tea Party movement. Its essential belief in limited government and individual freedom form the core of conservative principles. The group's message of low taxes, deficit reduction and fidelity to the Constitution resonated with me.”


This is suspect.

Governor Nathan Deal has changed the face of state government in
Georgia.  Most folks see a different picture (Governor Deal in the place of Governor Sonny Perdue) hanging in government buildings around Georgia and think that is the new face.  Yet, some of the most significant changes involve new faces in key government positions throughout state government.  Interestingly, unlike some of his predecessors, Governor Deal has not used prior financial support as his litmus test for appointments. 

Using even the anti-Deal Atlanta Journal Constitution's assessment (as of May 2011), 60% of Governor Deal's appointees were not contributors.  This is not to say that being a supporter was a disqualifier either - after all, 40% did contribute.  Basically, being a contributor does not appear to increase or decrease the chances of appointment by the Deal Administration.

So who are the new faces that are making a difference - other than
obvious ones like Chris Riley (Chief of Staff) and Brian Robinson
(Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications)?  Here are four (in alphabetical order). 

David Cook - Commissioner, Department of Community Health

Healthcare has been front and center stage on the national and state
levels.  Like other states, one of Georgia's greatest challenges is
managing healthcare costs for the state and its citizens.  President
Barack Obama's national healthcare legislation only complicated this
challenge.  As a result, Cook stepped into one of the most challenging
roles in all of state government.  There are no good answers and lots of
problems.  But, Cook's experience and skills have enabled him to move
Georgia forward while considering big solutions and implementing
important tactical changes. 

Cook previously served as the executive director and CEO of the Medical
Association of Georgia.  In that role, he gained an important
understanding (and appreciation) of the challenges for physicians on the
state and national level.  Indeed, he established the Physician
Institute for Excellence in Medicine.  Cook graduated from the
University of Georgia School of Law in 1982.
Chris Cummiskey - Commissioner of the Department of Economic
Development.  
As Georgia (like the rest of the country) tries to work its way out of
an economic mess, Cummiskey has been able to use his experience and
connections to open doors that might not otherwise exist.  It helps that
he knows well the limits of what can get done in the Georgia Legislature
(as the former Chief of Staff to the House Speaker) within the
burdensome boundaries of the federal government (having worked for U. S.
Senator Johnny Isakson.) 
Even so, in the world of economic development, things do not just happen
with the snap of a finger.  But, as illustrated by the news coming out
of Governor Deal's recent trip to the far east, good things are on the
way.  As the rest of this year progresses, and as the next year starts,
the seeds of growth planted by Cummiskey and his team will start to pay
big dividends for Georgia.

Doug MacGinnitie - Commissioner of the Department of Revenue. 

For lots of reasons, this was a politically charged appointment.
Political enemies from both the Democratic Party, and inside the
Republican Party, waited for just one mistake, or even the hint that
Governor Deal had appointed someone inexperienced.  It did not happen.
Instead, MacGinnitie has been a star among the governor's appointments.
It should surprise no one.
MacGinnitie brought a wealth of experience and talent to the position.
He is a graduate of Emory Law school (and a former law clerk on the 11th
Circuit Court of Appeals). He was former chief counsel for Georgia
Pacific and co-founder and chief operating officer of Beecher Carlson.
Basically, he knows the law; understands big operations; and knows what
it is like to be a small businessman.  The result has been a better
Department ofRevenue.

Calvin Rhodes - Executive Director of the Georgia Technology Authority and State Chief Information Officer.
Managing billions in contracts and completing the transition from
pre-2000 systems has been the job of Calvin Rhodes.  Managing huge
vendors and antiquated computer systems in transition is a thankless
job.  There is no end to the problems, and solutions always seem one
more step away.  Yet, Georgia is steadily moving forward on all these
fronts.  Rhodes came to GTA in January 2011 from Paladin Investments.
Before then, he had worked for Georgia based Fulton Paper Company for 27
years, serving as executive vice president, chief information
officer/vice president for information technology with a focus on IT
infrastructure development, application development and change
management.
Rhodes is a graduate of Darton College and Georgia Southwestern
University.  He also has a masters of business administration.  His real
world experience has served Georgia well. 
Of course, there are lots of other reasons why many Georgians believe
Governor Deal is doing so well.  These appointees are but a few.