Pulse Plus -Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal blame political parties for stoking division
Former Georgia Govs. Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal were bitter opponents in the 2010 election for the state’s highest office. Now the two ex-rivals are unlikely partners navigating today’s caustic political climate.
Barnes, the state’s last Democratic governor, and Deal, a two-term Republican, teamed up last year to try to rebuild faith in the state’s election system.
And they joined together this month to discuss the challenges of leadership at a panel moderated by University of West Georgia political scientist Karen Owen.
Not for the first time, Barnes and Deal said they doubted they could be nominated by their respective parties in today’s climate. (Deal, a throwback conservative, said he “for sure” wouldn’t make the cut in today’s MAGA-dominated GOP.)
But Deal went a step further. He said that “political parties are one of the biggest problems we have” in working to solve problems. He said internal politics forces candidates to focus on red-meat “clutter” rather than health care or education.
“You don’t hear candidates talk about that. They’d rather talk about AR-15s or other things that to the average voter do not make any sense at all, but that’s what they have to put up with. That’s what they have to listen to. And it’s not a very pretty picture.”
Barnes agreed, invoking the legacy of the late Republican U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia.
“Nathan is right. The Democrats think I’m too conservative and the Republicans thought Johnny Isakson and you were too liberal. The truth of the matter is, there’s not much difference between us because we all have common goals.”
Other takeaways:
- Paging Brian Kemp? As Gov. Brian Kemp weighs whether to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, Barnes told the story of how he made the pilgrimage shortly before he took office in 1999 to see an ailing Herman Talmadge, a former Democratic governor and U.S. senator. “You know what the difference between being governor and US senator is?” Barnes said Talmadge told him. “When you’re governor, you can pick up the telephone to do it, and by God they do it. In the U.S. Senate whatever you say is a mere suggestion.”
- Religious liberty. One of Gov. Nathan Deal’s defining decisions was his 2016 veto of “religious liberty” legislation that is making a comeback in Georgia this year. Deal didn’t offer an opinion on the current version, but said he had no regrets about nixing the proposal almost a decade ago despite intense conservative pressure. “The reason I vetoed it was I felt like it was not representative of what Georgians really thought. It was really an issue that was trying in disguise to deal with homosexual marriage, is what it really boiled down to, but it was cloaked with all of the good-sounding religious aura around it.”
GOOD MORNING! We’re 18 days away from Sine Die, also known as the final day of the Georgia legislative session. State lawmakers are off today. They’ll be back tomorrow.
Here are five other things to know for today:
- For now, THC-infused drinks are legal alternatives to alcohol. But a bill moving through the state Legislature could ban them, the AJC’s Mark Niesse reports.
- Before leaving office, former Georgia U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson used his campaign cash to pay for lavish trips to a ski resort and a concert festival, the AJC’s Tia Mitchell and Phoebe Quinton report.
- Legislation approved by Congress late last week gives President Donald Trump the authority to end the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s research on gun violence, opioid abuse and suicide, the AJC’s Michael Scaturro reports.
- Georgia lawmakers are considering stiffer penalties for fentanyl trafficking and possession, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
- The AJC’s Michelle Baruchman looks at how Gov. Brian Kemp’s litigation overhaul proposal would impact health care.
KEMP TRAVELS
As the fight over Gov. Brian Kemp’s litigation overhaul thickened last week, the Republican was monitoring the back-and-forth from afar.
The governor, recently elected as chair of the Republican Governors Association, was in Florida raising cash for the organization. One picture showed him on a yacht with GOP donors Philip and Tikky Nicozisis.
His political adviser, Cody Hall, said to expect Kemp to keep up the travel schedule.
“As Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Governor Kemp will continue traveling the country raising money and building support for the organization to ensure we elect Republican governors in Georgia and other states across the nation in 2025, 2026, and beyond.”
So where do things stand with his overhaul? Supporters expect a vote on the House floor this week, though they also anticipate an amendment with changes to the legislation, designed to limit certain lawsuits and curb big jury awards.
Among the parts of the bill under scrutiny is a provision that could make it harder for victims of sex crimes to seek civil damages. Another would create bifurcated trials, which allows cases to be split into two stages — deciding fault, then damages — rather than considering everything at once.
BORROWING
When it comes to building things, Gov. Brian Kemp pays cash — and he’s proud of it.
The Republican governor has touted how last year Georgia did not borrow money to pay for construction projects. He wants to do it again this year. But he’s getting pushback from the Republicans who control the state House of Representatives.
The House budget would borrow more than $321 million to build schools and prisons as well as purchase school buses, the AJC’s David Wickert reports. House Appropriations Committee Chair Matt Hatchett, R-Dublin, said it’s one-third the amount of debt the state has typically issued in past budget years.
“Debt in Georgia is not the same debt in Washington, D.C., where cash is borrowed to pay for runaway spending,” Hatchett said, noting Georgia is one of several states with a AAA bond rating from the major agencies.
Senate Republicans appeared cool to the idea, with several budget chairs last week saying the House’s budget exceeds the state’s revenue estimate. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, said removing the bond package would reduce state revenues by about $300 million. That’s why he has asked state agency heads to prepare for a potential 1% budget cut.
“The request is made to get your input on potential future budgetary changes,” Tillery told department heads. “If you would prefer to not provide such information, should the Senate take the position of the Governor and not create a bond package, we may be forced to reduce your budget without your input.”
GOOD MORNING! We’re 18 days away from Sine Die, also known as the final day of the Georgia legislative session. State lawmakers are off today. They’ll be back tomorrow.
Here are five other things to know for today:
- For now, THC-infused drinks are legal alternatives to alcohol. But a bill moving through the state Legislature could ban them, the AJC’s Mark Niesse reports.
- Before leaving office, former Georgia U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson used his campaign cash to pay for lavish trips to a ski resort and a concert festival, the AJC’s Tia Mitchell and Phoebe Quinton report.
- Legislation approved by Congress late last week gives President Donald Trump the authority to end the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s research on gun violence, opioid abuse and suicide, the AJC’s Michael Scaturro reports.
- Georgia lawmakers are considering stiffer penalties for fentanyl trafficking and possession, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
- The AJC’s Michelle Baruchman looks at how Gov. Brian Kemp’s litigation overhaul proposal would impact health care.
KEMP TRAVELS
As the fight over Gov. Brian Kemp’s litigation overhaul thickened last week, the Republican was monitoring the back-and-forth from afar.
The governor, recently elected as chair of the Republican Governors Association, was in Florida raising cash for the organization. One picture showed him on a yacht with GOP donors Philip and Tikky Nicozisis.
His political adviser, Cody Hall, said to expect Kemp to keep up the travel schedule.
“As Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Governor Kemp will continue traveling the country raising money and building support for the organization to ensure we elect Republican governors in Georgia and other states across the nation in 2025, 2026, and beyond.”
So where do things stand with his overhaul? Supporters expect a vote on the House floor this week, though they also anticipate an amendment with changes to the legislation, designed to limit certain lawsuits and curb big jury awards.
Among the parts of the bill under scrutiny is a provision that could make it harder for victims of sex crimes to seek civil damages. Another would create bifurcated trials, which allows cases to be split into two stages — deciding fault, then damages — rather than considering everything at once.
BORROWING
When it comes to building things, Gov. Brian Kemp pays cash — and he’s proud of it.
The Republican governor has touted how last year Georgia did not borrow money to pay for construction projects. He wants to do it again this year. But he’s getting pushback from the Republicans who control the state House of Representatives.
The House budget would borrow more than $321 million to build schools and prisons as well as purchase school buses, the AJC’s David Wickert reports. House Appropriations Committee Chair Matt Hatchett, R-Dublin, said it’s one-third the amount of debt the state has typically issued in past budget years.
“Debt in Georgia is not the same debt in Washington, D.C., where cash is borrowed to pay for runaway spending,” Hatchett said, noting Georgia is one of several states with a AAA bond rating from the major agencies.
Senate Republicans appeared cool to the idea, with several budget chairs last week saying the House’s budget exceeds the state’s revenue estimate. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, said removing the bond package would reduce state revenues by about $300 million. That’s why he has asked state agency heads to prepare for a potential 1% budget cut.
“The request is made to get your input on potential future budgetary changes,” Tillery told department heads. “If you would prefer to not provide such information, should the Senate take the position of the Governor and not create a bond package, we may be forced to reduce your budget without your input.”
About the Author
Ron is the lead Anchorman for Channel 4, a local San Diego news station alongside Brick Tamland, Brian Fantana and Champion "Champ" Kind. They enjoy success as the number one news station in San Diego and routinely attend parties to celebrate this accomplishment.
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