Local GOP Power Grab Indefensible

by Austin Rhodes As a veteran of this area’s extremely lopsided political wars of the last 47 years (my entire life), I know what it feels like to have “the other side” lie, cheat, and steal in an effort to maintain power and control, and the utter frustration of being on the defeated side of that fight. The recent Republican domination of Georgia state politics is less than 12 years old, even the area’s GOP “stronghold”, Columbia County, has only been in the firm grip of the conservative party since 1990. I lived through the Tom Murphy years.  Until 2002, I saw every single (eligible) political vacancy in this state fulfilled by appointed Democrats.  I saw rabid Georgia rednecks join forces with black political leaders while hating each other’s guts, to carve out political control of their own crooked fiefdoms for generations. Tom Murphy and Charles Walker?  You do the math. So yes, as a conservative Republican born and raised by conservative Republicans in Augusta, Georgia, we knew we were relegated to the back of the political bus. No matter how right our ideas or how strongly we fought for common sense and the Constitutional rights afforded all American citizens, we were not welcome at the table that was the state body politic.   We had to sit by and watch as Congressional districts were gerrymandered so completely, as to defy any sense of fair play. (Since former AJC editorial chief Cynthia Tucker took up our cause on that one, you know it had to be bad). We watched government contracts divided among Democrat power brokers like pirates dividing up treasure, and yes, we saw political corruption excused and covered up while elected officials grew rich, richer, and richest.   So pardon me if I take a moment and prevail upon our current Republican leadership to take a moment of reflection, and ask them to reconsider before they become a carbon copy of the rat bastard Georgia Democrats we sent packing not so long ago. I understand we reign supreme for the moment, but I refuse to believe that we have forgotten what it feels like to be the “butt monkeys” of the Democrat power elite, screwing us over at every possible opportunity, simply because they could.   The local GOP’s current attempt to insert a second Republican state senator into the Augusta legislative delegation is straight out of the Louis Harris/Tom Murphy/Charles Walker Handbook for Dirty Tricks and Unacceptable Political Bull****. (Unabridged) Currently, we have two state senators on the Augusta delegation, Democrat Hardie Davis and Republican Jesse Stone.  The GOP leadership is attempting to slide Columbia County Republican Senator Bill Jackson on the team, by giving him one, tiny sliver of Augusta among his constituents. In a political sense, that is laughable.  In the last four Presidential elections, Augusta has shown up for the Dems to the tune of 54% (Clinton), 55% (Gore), 57% (Kerry), and 66% (Obama).  Notice a trend there?  It ain’t RED. Putting Jackson on the delegation gives the GOP a 2-1 advantage when it comes to local legislation approval, and basically guarantees that whatever the party wants to happen, WILL happen at the state legislative level.   The state is going through a much needed political realignment, and while the local state representatives were ALL protected (none were drawn into each other’s districts, which is highly unusual), this move to squeeze Jackson is as an additional member stinks to high heaven.  It is morally, intellectually, and ethically indefensible.   There is a theory that Jackson (who personally wants NO PART of this plan, by the way) and his Columbia County base, is a far better partner for Hardie Davis and the Augusta delegation, than Jesse Stone and his Burke County base.  I wholeheartedly agree with that.  So move Stone south, and let Jackson take his place.  Problem solved. Except, that would not give the Republican power brokers the local domination they need, and that can’t happen.   C’mon conservatives…we are better than that. The state GOP dodged a huge bullet in that more of them did not go under with that mentally disturbed, sex addicted maniac they had for a Speaker.  Their lack of serious reform that proves their intent to secure a safe and prosperous state is one thing (at least they claim that it is a work in progress), outright, ugly power grabbing is quite another. God forbid it is necessary, but IF this plan is submitted as final, I hope (and Hell is indeed freezing over as I say this) that the U.S. Justice Department swoops in here and rips up the blueprint in these arrogant butthead’s faces. My family did not fight for decades to win elections in this state just so we could become modern day versions of our most despised enemies.   Win influence and votes with better ideas.  Leave the political bully tactics to the graveyards holding the rotting political corpses of Murphy and Walker. You Might Also Like: