U.S. Senate Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley released four ads last week blasting Saxby Chambliss, the Republican incumbent.

— The first of Buckley’s four radio ads

“Have you been to the emergency room lately? Did you bring an interpreter? Thank you. Do you know what a fiscal conservative is? Neither does Saxby.”

— The third Buckley ad, narrated by an angry male

“Who the hell is paying him?/It’s a long list so listen in./Big law lobbyists and big oil, too/He ain’t concerned what’s good for you/Illegal immigrants at my door./Saxby says make room for more.”

— Buckley ad with a military-style cadence

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

A top campaign aide insisted that Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss wants to include Libertarian Allen Buckley in debates. But Buckley complained last week that Chambliss doesn’t want to debate.

— Tom Perdue, Chambliss’ campaign consultant, in a Sept. 4 interview with CL

“Saxby is running from his record. His goal is clear: to minimize debates and blast the airwaves from now until the election with commercials stating that he ‘represents our conservative values.’ He doesn’t represent my values. Let’s debate as much as possible.”

— Buckley in a Sept. 10 press release

“We have no comment.”

— Kate Hansen, a campaign spokeswoman for Democratic candidate Jim Martin

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Georgia’s two most prominent football teams head into the season with very different prospects. The rebuilding Atlanta Falcons are expected to scrape the NFL’s dregs; the Georgia Bulldogs enter today’s opener as No. 1 in the NCAA.

“[U]nless Richt is holding that crystal football in Miami at around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2009, this season will be a failure.”

-- Pete Fiutak, FOXSports.com

“Our goals won’t be measured in wins and losses this year. We need to move forward and grow as a team.”

-- Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff

“I think everybody is expecting good things.”

-- Georgia head coach Mark Richt

“He’ll be running behind a shaky offensive line that looks as if it’s held together by duct tape purchased from one of [Arthur] Blank’s old stores.”

-- The Sports Network’s Scott Garbarini, on new Falcons running back Michael Turner

“It’s cool to say you were part of that team that was preseason No. 1, but it would be a lot nicer to say it at the end of the season. There’s a lot of time between now and then.”

-- Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford

Longtime Atlanta Braves announcer Skip Caray, who died this week at 68, once described himself as the “wise-ass cynic” of the Caray broadcasting dynasty. Eschewing his famous father’s effusiveness, he won over Braves fans with his dry, pithy humor and unabashed honesty. He was often at his best when the Braves were at their worst.

“The bases are loaded again and I wish I was, too.”

— Caray, during a disastrous outing by the Braves’ bullpen in 2007

“It’s another partial sellout.”

— A line Caray used often in the late ’80s when games were drawing just a few thousand fans

“Have you looked at the standings lately?”

— Caray’s response to then-owner Ted Turner after Turner asked him to stop being so negative in the booth during a losing season in the ’80s

“Good point. Say whatever you want.”

— Turner’s answer

It was reported last week that outgoing Grady CEO Pamela Stephenson does not have all of the university degrees she apparently claims.

“Ms. Stephenson earned her PH.D at the University of Michigan … and a Law degree, also at the University of Michigan.”

-From a July 9 hospital press release titled “Pamela Stephenson is Good for Grady.”

“In a statement Friday, she apologized and blamed a "word processing error" for a hospital news release last week that claimed she had a doctor of philosophy and a law degree from the University of Michigan. She does not.”

-From a July 19 AJC story about Stephenson’s resumé.

“Memo To Grady Board: When Rep Stephenson shows up to claim her 2 year, $1.2 Million paycheck, laugh and tell her, “Oh yeah, that. Well, that was just a word processing error.”

-Blogger Icarus at Peach Pundit on July 18. Stephenson will exit Grady’s top spot on September 1 with a $325,000 severance deal.

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Political commentators are divided over whether former U.S. Senator from Georgia Sam Nunn would make a good running mate for presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama.

“Some might doubt whether Obama is ready for that 3 a.m. phone call, but Nunn – who is already an Obama policy adviser – certainly would be, especially in an era when that phone call is ever more likely to involve a loose nuke.”

– Michael Crowley, June 25, The New Republic. Nunn is CEO of the anti-proliferation non-profit Nuclear Threat Initiative.

“[Nunn] was not above channeling base, "yuck factor"-based objections to homosexuality in service of his retrograde policy views. Even today, he only says he'd "reconsider" Don't Ask Don't Tell, and insists he was right in 1993.”

– An excerpt from "Having Nunn of It,” an online petition against selecting Nunn as Obama’s running mate.

“Putting a 70-year old, white, southern, corporate dude on the ticket would almost entirely wipe away any notion that Obama is a "change" candidate.”

– Chris Bowers, June 16, on the blog OpenLeft

"Few things are certain in presidential politics, but here are three: it will be expensive; it will get negative; and, at some point, former Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia will be mentioned as a possible Democratic running mate."

– Mark Leibovich, June 22, New York Times

At a June 2 press conference, Gov. Sonny Perdue announced that he has halted a state gas tax increase because of high prices at the pump and tough economic times. And what did he say about commuter rail or using less gas? Nada.

"I'm persuaded we've got great reserves here that we can bring to the market very quickly rather than being held hostage from the international perspective."

— The governor on why the U.S. should drill for oil.

"I've seen people do it. I see them ride a little car for a little while, and then they're back in big vehicles after a while.”

— Perdue's response when asked if he'd consider switching the state's fleet of vehicles or his personal transport, a SUV, to hybrids.

"I travel pretty lightly as most of you know."

— Perdue says his retinue is smaller than that of most governors. Perdue has visited at least 14 Georgia cities since April 24. After the press conference, he flew to Savannah.

(Photo illustration by John Yardley)

On May 28, the Democratic Party of Georgia challenged Georgia’s voter ID in Fulton County Superior Court. State Republicans say a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling settled the voter ID issue in their favor. State Democrats say the opposite is true.

“We think there are close to half a million people who are registered voters but won’t be able to vote.”

-Emmet Bondurant, lawyer for the Democratic Party of Georgia, as quoted in the Fulton County Daily Report on May 28.

On Friday, May 23, millions of Georgians were busy planning their Memorial Day weekends, writing letters and making phone calls to loved ones serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, and remembering family members and friends who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. That same day, the Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG) was busy on a different matter: filing a fourth lawsuit against the State attacking the voter ID law.

-Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, responding to the suit in a letter appearing on the Peach Pundit blog May 29.

William Earl Lynd, 53, was executed at the state prison in Jackson on May 6, the first execution in the U.S. in seven months. As it does before all executions, the Georgia Department of Corrections issued a press release describing Lynd’s last meal.

“Lynd has requested as his last meal two pepper jack BBQ burgers with crisp onions, two baked potatoes with sour cream, bacon and cheese, one large strawberry milkshake, from a local restaurant.”

— An excerpt from a May 5 Georgia Department of Corrections press release about Lynd.

“Conklin has requested as his last meal filet mignon wrapped with bacon; de-veined shrimp sautéed in garlic butter with lemon; baked potato with butter, sour cream, chives and real bacon bits; corn on the cob; asparagus with hollandaise sauce; French bread with butter; goat cheese; cantaloupe; apple pie; vanilla bean ice cream and iced tea.”

— An excerpt from a July 8, 2005 state press release announcing the execution of Robert Dale Conklin.

“We do everything within reason to accommodate a prisoner’s request, but it’s a case-by-case basis. Requests have run the gamut, from a steak dinner to what was on the menu for that day at the prison.”

— Susan Phillips, Georgia Dept. of Corrections spokesperson, in a phone interview with Creative Loafing on May 6, 2008.

According to an April 29 WSB-TV Action News story, “hundreds of young Atlanta women” are soliciting donations to pay for breast implants on the web site myfreeimplants.com.

“Just about everyone we showed it to called it shocking.”

-WSB-TV anchor Jovita Moore, introducing the story. Categorized as a “Health” story on the station’s web site, it includes dozens of photos of young women showing off their breasts.

“If you want to look at my boobs, put money in my account.”

-Meg Kelso, a 49-year-old registered nurse in metro Atlanta interviewed about her myfreeimplants.com account.

“The ladies never get to touch the money. We pay the doctors office directly once she reaches her goal. By doing it this way we can protect your investment!”

-The answer to the question “How can I be sure the money will be spent on implants?” on myfreeimplants.com’s Help page.