Tuesday, December 22, 2009
News Secretary of State Karen Handel to resign
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 8:14 PM
After three years on the job, Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel says she'll resign to focus her energy on her 2010 gubernatorial bid.
“The people of Georgia need to know I am all in for the governor’s race,” Handel said. “This decision allows me to focus 100 percent on becoming the Republican nominee and winning in November.”Handel said she is resigning to steer clear of any potential accusations that she is using her office to benefit her campaign. The Secretary of State’s office oversees election and voting issues.
By stepping down, Handel also gains an edge when it comes to raising funds. Georgia law prohibits state lawmakers and elected officials from groveling for campaign cash while the General Assembly is in session. Earlier this year, Eric Johnson resigned his state Senate seat to focus on his gubernatorial campaign.
The AJC says Gov. Sonny Perdue will name Handel's replacement. In the meantime, the "The Georgia State Board of Hearing Aid Dealers and Dispensers," which the secretary of state oversees, will run wild and inflict great damage upon Georgia.
UPDATE, 3:30 p.m.: After the jump, some "kind" words from GOP gubernatorial hopeful John Oxendine's campaign and Gary Horlacher, the Democratic candidate for secretary of state.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
From Tim Echols, Oxendine's campaign manager:
I am not at all surprised. Karen Handel has a track record of not finishing what she starts. She has placed her political ambition over her solemn obligation to the people of Georgia. It is difficult to imagine the voters being impressed with this latest maneuver.
It's worth noting that Oxendine, the state insurance commissioner, will be restricted from raising campaign funds during the legislative session.
From Horlacher:
Congratulations Karen Handel!This is the first correct action you have taken since entering this office.
Ms. Handel’s mishandling of the Secretary of State’s office has gone way beyond incompetence. She crossed the misconduct line by inappropriately using this office to both foster her own political ambitions and to use her authority in the elections oversight process for her party’s political benefit. By stepping down, she not only provides herself with the much needed “flexibility” to continue raising campaign contributions for her gubernatorial campaign during the upcoming Legislative Session, but she also “ducks and dodges” any needs to be totally nonpartisan while conducting fair, objective and competent election oversight duties.
You want some objective analysis of her conduct of the functions of this office?
• She was slapped down three times by the courts, including a unanimous
decision by the State Supreme Court, for wrongly attempting to remove a Democratic candidate from the 2008 ballot.
• She was slammed by both the Bush and Obama Justice Departments for attempting to purge voters from being eligible to vote by using voter registration flagging tactics, which unfairly targeted “certain demographics”.
• During the 2009 legislative session, she was even rebuked by a member of the State Election Board (who also happened to be the Republican Party legal counsel) for going too far in her support of S.B. 86, a bill designed to institute unfair “proof of citizenship” requirements and thereby thwart, yet again, the registration efforts of voters belonging to “certain demographics”.
• And let’s not forget, she broke the central pledge of her 2006 campaign, to immediately install a verifiable paper trail for the electronic voting machines.
Goodbye Ms. Palin……ah Ms. Handel.
Comments (11)
Showing 1-11 of 11
Jeeze Louise, It's sheer pandemonium over here at the secret underground Libertarian Command Center (LCC) on the news that Sec State Handle is quitting her office to focus on her run for the republican nomination for Governor. We were hoping that she might read title 10 and title 21 of the OCGA over the holidays and finally see the light on electronic petitioning. We even had the third certified letter all addressed and everything! Now we have to start all over with what ever Nimrod Sonny appoints to finish out her term. Life is not fair and we'll have to content ourselves with helping Libertarian Taylor Bryant in his bid to win Augusta's special election for State Senate District 22. It's the only real race in Georgia at the moment and will be first election of the 2010 cycle. Once we get done with that it's back to pounding on the Sec States door about equal ballot access for all Georgians. We just hope that who ever gets the gig can read.
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what is it with these right wing types resigning before they have accomplished anything in their first term in an effort to do bigger things? try proving u are capable and good at one job before you ask anyone to support u in a more important job.
Oxendine is an ass. He will soon get his comeuppance when the voters of Georgia reject his negativism and empty-suitedness.
"what is it with these right wing types resigning before they have accomplished anything in their first term in an effort to do bigger things?" there are so many ways to blast that one out of the water, I can't decide where to start...
so one of the biggest morons on this blog would like to refute my comment earlier but can't? a limited capacity for logic from a right wing nutjob? surprise!
so the criteria is resigning in the first term without accomplishing anything? And you bring up Palin? Levi can you say... - negotiated a pipeline deal, the largest in North America - signed ethics reform in Alaska (her primary reason for entering public life) - cut wasteful spending in the Governors office and other parts of state government Palin then resigned due to dozens of frivolous ethics complaints from Lefty opponents which required her personal expenditure of money to defend. Next. Wesley - Comprehend reading much? I said I couldn't decide where to start, not that I couldn't do it. And I am the moron? Really? Anyone who voted for Obama can't bitch about ANY candidates lack of accomplishments. I am betting you were not McCain voters. Just a guess...
If I get toe-rot at Nails Hot Spas of Malaysia during my next mani/pedi Imma so not voting for her.
One voluntary chooses to run for office and is elected for a set term. Resigning is a dereliction of that duty. Sarah Palin's reasons for abandoning her office are beyond lame and are inexcusable. At least in Karen Handel's case, she would have been faced with irreconciliable conflict of interest issues since her position was responsible for elections in Georgia.
Wesleywhatwhat criticized right wingers who don't accomplish anything before going to the next level. You said Palin and I gave two specific and significant accomplishments. We can disagree whether massive personal financial losses due to defending frivolous suits from political opponents is lame or not, but the fact is that she does not meet wesleywhatwhats criteria. The Alaska Attorney General is proceeding with changes to Alaskan ethics laws to protect people from personal liability for legal fees incurred by frivolous ethics complaints. http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/224418-alaska-ag-plans-ethics-rules-overhaul-following-palin-lawsuits BTW, I am not a fan of Palin for President. She, like Obama, isn't qualified. Question - by your definition, is Obama guilty of dereliction for not completing his first Senate term, during which he accomplished little of much significance?
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