I’ve been absent for a while, but I still pay attention. It’s increasingly difficult to identify as a Republican, but I’m more confident in my beliefs as a Conservative. The Party of Family Values has decided to cast its lot with a sexual abuser (as found by a jury of his peers). The Party who constantly teased Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, and Stacey Abrams for being sore losers of their respective elections now spread falsehoods about the 2020 election that led to the same man being accused of inciting an insurrection to keep himself in power. That Party, who once believed that we are ..read more

The following is a guest op-ed from Former U.S. Representative Scott Klug (R-WI). Rep. Klug hosts a podcast called Lost in the Middle. He will release a new episode this week highlighting the importance of swing voters in Georgia. TICKET SPLITTING IN GEORGIA I grew up in a mixed household. My mom, Irish, Catholic, daughter of a union railroad worker. My dad the opposite, German, Lutheran, Republican business executive. Needless to say we didn’t talk much about the infallibility of the Pope or politics. On those rare times when an argument broke out, it was best to just pass the mashed potato ..read more

Courier Herald column from the week of November 21st: Let’s cancel this year’s war on the war on Christmas.  Seriously. The social media posts have long become trite, and have always been misguided and largely unnecessary.  They range from the rather benign “In my house we observe Christmas” to calls to boycott retailers for using the world “holiday” instead of Christmas.  When I’ve written about this seasonal phenomenon in the past, I’ve generally taken a mostly lighthearted approach to the topic.  More than once I’ve chided that “nothing spreads the Christmas message and ..read more

“The supreme power cannot take from any man any part of his property without his own consent: for the preservation of property being the end of government, and that for which men enter into society, it necessarily supposes and requires, that the people should have property, without which they must be supposed to lose that, by entering into society, which was the end for which they entered into it; too gross an absurdity for any man to own. Men therefore in society having property, they have such a right to the goods, which by the law of the community are their’s, that no body hath a right to ..read more

Courier Herald column for the week of November 26th: First Lady Rosalynn Carter died last week at the age of 96.  She dedicated her adult life to public service which is most often viewed through the lens of her husband and true partner in life of 77 years, President Jimmy Carter.  While the two worked hand in hand for over three quarters of a century, a few words have been earned about Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter on her own.  It’s somewhat ironic that we refer to the spouses of presidents with the title of “First”.  The role in southern parlance is much akin to that of b ..read more

Courier Herald column for the week of September 3rd: Labor Day is that paradoxical holiday when we don’t work in order to celebrate working. Some work hard to get the job done.  Others seem to work harder at making things difficult for everyone but themselves. In Georgia state politics the elected official who has most committed himself to this path is State Senator Colton Moore, who is at least for now a member of the Republican caucus residing in Trenton Georgia.  In the last week or so Moore has advocated for defunding the office charged with prosecuting violent crime in the state ..read more

Courier Herald column for the week of August 27th: UGA vs Notre Dame – a 2019 rematch of the 1981 Sugar Bowl The weather says summer, but the calendar says fall.  We know this because the University of Georgia Bulldogs are ready to suit up between the hedges in Athens to defend their National Championship.  Or better said, Championships. Plural. In Georgia there are rules, which are often more clear, easier to understand, and followed more closely than the laws found in the official code.  One of them is that this season is to be revered, and that plans requiring compulsory atte ..read more

Courier Herald column for the week of August 21st: “The 2020 election was not stolen.”  This was the beginning of a tweet from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, in a direct rebuke of former President Donald Trump’s post-indictment screed railing about Georgia’s count of votes during the last presidential contest. The contrast between two statements are stark and meaningful.  Each says a lot about leadership and accountability. Governor Kemp began with that single sentence referenced above, set apart from the rest of his message.  It is clear, unambiguous, and unequivocal.  It’s ..read more

Courier Herald column for the week of August 13th: My friend and Athens radio host Tim Bryant asked a question on his show last week, which he then extended to his Facebook followers.  He wanted to know others opinion as to whether Athens Clarke County would become “more red” or neighboring Oconee County would become “more blue”.  He made it clear he wasn’t talking about either county flipping, as Clarke is a dark blue progressive oasis surrounded by a sea of deep rural Georgia red.  As he noted, neither county is likely to change its partisan identity in a vote for Governor in ..read more

Courier Herald column for the week of August 6th: The research firm Fitch Ratings downgraded the quality of the United States debt last week.  They’re arguably the lesser known of the three main agencies that assign letter grades to denote the likelihood a bond issuer will repay their debt.  A grade of AAA implies unimpeachable credit.  Fitch has now joined Standard and Poor’s, who determined the United States did not deserve a AAA rating back in 2011.  Rating Service Moody’s maintains the highest rating for US Treasuries.  What does this mean, in practical terms?  ..read more