On October 2, 1789, President George Washington signed a resolution transmitting the (then-twelve) amendments constituting the Bill of Rights to the states that had ratified the Constitution. Click here for the letter from Washington to Governor Charles Pinckney of South Caroling that accompanied the amendments.

On October 2, 1835, Texans and Mexicans met in the first military battle of the Texas Revolution, the Battle of Gonzales.

In 1831, Mexican authorities gave the settlers of Gonzales a small cannon to help protect them from frequent Comanche raids. Over the next four years, the political situation in Mexico deteriorated, and in 1835 several states revolted. As the unrest spread, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, the commander of all Mexican troops in Texas, felt it unwise to leave the residents of Gonzales a weapon and requested the return of the cannon.

When the initial request was refused, Ugartechea sent 100 dragoons to retrieve the cannon. The soldiers neared Gonzales on September 29, but the colonists used a variety of excuses to keep them from the town, while secretly sending messengers to request assistance from nearby communities. Within two days, up to 140 Texians gathered in Gonzales, all determined not to give up the cannon. On October 1, settlers voted to initiate a fight. Mexican soldiers opened fire as Texians approached their camp in the early hours of October 2. After several hours of desultory firing, the Mexican soldiers withdrew.

On October 2, 1879, Wallace Stevens was born. Stevens would become a renowned poet and insurance industry lawyer. My favorite poem of his is “Connoisseur of Chaos.”

The pensive man . . . He sees the eagle float
For which the intricate Alps are a single nest.

President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke at the White House on October 2, 1909.

Thurgood Marshall was sworn-in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court on October 2, 1967.

Betty Talmadge, then wife of Senator Herman Talmadge, hosted a fundraiser with Rosalynn Carter and Joan Mondale on October 2, 1976.

Ground was broken for The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on October 2, 1984.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Monday is the last day to register to vote in the November 4, 2014 General Election. Email me directly if you need information on where to register to vote.

Democrat Michelle Nunn’s campaign has run more ads in Georgia than Republican David Perdue. From the AJC:

The raw numbers from Kantar Media/CMAG go like this: From Sept. 12-25, there have been 4,945 total ads in the Senate race. Of that sum, 2,780 favored Michelle Nunn and 2,165 favored David Perdue.

In all, Democrats spent $1.7 million on TV in that span and Republicans spent $1.6 million.

In the governor’s contest there were 4,625 spots, with 2,364 favoring Democrats and 2,261 favoring Republicans. Just 1.18 percent came from outside groups on the Democratic side, while 10.84 percent came from outside Republican sources. Democrats outspent Republicans in that stretch $1.43 million to $990,000.

The analysis also reveals that there were more ads in Georgia’s 12th District in that stretch than any other U.S. House race in the country — a whopping 4,051. U.S. Rep. John Barrow and national Democrats had a considerable advantage in that race, according to the data: 2,611 spots and $800,000 spent, compared to Rick Allen and Republicans’ 1,440 spots and $460,000.

That’s not necessarily the most important points. You can run more ads, but reach fewer viewers if you’re buying spots with lower ratings. Or you can spend more to reach the exact same viewers if you’re buying non-preemptible time while the opponent buy preemptible but his spots clear.

Also interesting in the report from which the AJC’s numbers were derived, is that Georgia’s advertising is far less negative than some other states. The Wesleyan Media Project rates recent political advertising in Georgia’s Senate race as:

Positive……….24.5%
Contrast………45.7%
Negative………29.7%

By contrast, Louisiana’s Senate race has seen no positive advertising, with two-thirds consisting of contrast ads, and one-third negative.

The gubernatorial race has been much more positive,

Positive……….33.1%
Contrast………61.0%
Negative………..5.9%

The most public part of Mitt Romney’s trip to Georgia yesterday was his rally at The Varsity in support of Attorney General Sam Olens. From the Marietta Daily Journal:

“Georgia may well decide whether we have (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid running the country or whether instead we have a breath of fresh air with an agenda focused on creating jobs and shrinking the federal deficit,” Romney said. “As you know, the Senate is very much in question, and this is probably going to be the place that it all focuses, because David Perdue becoming a senator means we get new leadership in Washington in the Senate.”

After circling the restaurant to shake hands and pose for pictures, as well as lunch on a Varsity hot dog, onion rings and Frosted Orange, which he called “delicious,” Romney listed a string of other factors that would occur under a GOP-controlled Senate from both congressional chambers working to place legislation on President Obama’s desk, to a new energy policy, immigration reform, tax reform and more jobs.

“So if people want Harry Reid to stop everything going on in Washington, why, they can vote for Mrs. Nunn. But if they want to see real leadership to take us in a new direction that gets the economy going, they’re going to vote for David Perdue,” Romney said.

Romney said he came to know Perdue while he was involved in organizing the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Perdue, then an executive with Reebok, was supportive of his efforts at the time.

No to another run

Olens said he wished it was Romney who occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Romney was asked if he would run again.

“Ah, no. I’m just sad I’m not able to be there either. I’d like to be in the White House,” Romney said to cheers. “This is a slightly partisan crowd here, but I’m pleased at the reception I’ve had. I love my country. I’m concerned about the country. I think the president has been more disappointing than even I had expected, not just domestically but also internationally. What’s happening with ISIS, what’s happening in Ukraine, what’s happening across the world is in part the result of a president that just hasn’t been on the job as he needed to be.”

But the former governor of Massachusetts reiterated his decision not to run for president.

“I’m not running and I’m not planning on running. I’ve got nothing to add to that story,” he said.

An attorney general ‘above politics’

Romney praised Olens for his record on fighting sex trafficking and illegal drugs.

“Georgia is a lucky state to have an attorney general who believes in following the law, not in making the law, not in twisting the law, not in warping the law, but in following the law,” he said. “It makes a huge difference. People depend upon the rule of law, and having an attorney general who is above politics is so critical to the functioning of a state or a nation, and this is a darn good attorney general, and that’s why he’s going to get re-elected.”

Senate candidates David Perdue, the Republican, and Michelle Nunn, the Democrat, will debate in Perry on Tuesday night.

There will be an hour-long Senate debate among Republican David Perdue, Democrat Michelle Nunn and Libertarian Amanda Swafford.

Following that, there will be a debate among the candidates for Governor: Democrat Jason Carter, Republican incumbent Nathan Deal, and Libertarian Andrew Hunt.

Greg Bluestein writes that National Right to Life is spending $44,000 on direct mail in support of David Perdue’s campaign.

With Richmond County having approved a day of Sunday early voting, the two parties’ views on the move are on display.

Richmond County Democratic Party Chairman Lowell Greenbaum called it a “historic day for Augusta” when voters can go after church to cast their ballots, and expected more Georgia counties to approve one or more Sundays of voting in the coming days.

“There are people who find every excuse not to vote and we hope that – most of the big churches are downtown – so after the services, it’s a short ride to Greene Street where they can vote,” he said.

Greenbaum said the Republican Party’s effort to “suppress voting,” including delayed processing in Atlanta of voter registration forms, made the addition of Sunday voting more significant.

“This is typical of the Republican concept of voting,” he said.

Richmond County Republican Party Chairman Dave Barbee scoffed at Greenbaum’s hopes.

“It’s a partisan issue on the Democrats’ part,” Barbee said. “The last time, they had President Obama on the ticket. He had a great political machine and they don’t have that machine anymore, and they’ve got to do it on their own, and this is what they’re doing.”

Barbee likened Sunday voting to the addition of Sunday alcohol sales.

“Before, everybody bought their booze on Saturday,” he said. “All it did was give (the same people) an extra day to buy booze.”

Barbee said he did not expect Sunday voting to increase turnout.

“I think Lowell is going to be very, very surprised that the numbers are not going to be as great as they thought it was,” he said. “He’s expecting miracles on Sunday and that’s not going to happen.”

Meanwhile, in heavily-Republican Columbia County, no request for Sunday voting has surfaced.

“Two people came in that were hot over the issue,” Board of Elections Director Nancy Gay said. “They said they hope we do not do it.”

The Georgia General Assembly’s Joint Study Committee on Critical Transportation Infrastructure Funding heard from coastal Georgians on funding the state’s transportation needs.

In a four-hour meeting at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, the 16-member Joint Study Committee on Critical Transportation Infrastructure Funding heard from coastal business owners and government officials, as well as representatives of the railroad and trucking industries.

“We’re trying to put together a funding plan for the Georgia Department of Transportation for the next 20 or 30 years that will be sustainable and move the state forward,” said co-chair Rep. Jay Roberts, a Republican from Ocilla.

Georgia’s excise tax is 7.5 cents a gallon. The state also collects a 3 percent tax on sales of motor fuel that is classified as a motor use fuel tax and a 1 percent tax that goes to the state’s general fund. An 18.4 cent per gallon federal excise tax also applies.

Georgia ranks right in the middle of states for its gas tax rate, coming in 23rd highest at 27.49 cents per gallon in a June analysis by the D.C.-based nonprofit Tax Foundation.

The fuel tax doesn’t go as far as it used to, a problem facing all the states, said Paula Hammond, a former secretary of transportation for the state of Washington. The federal government used to pay more than 90 percent of the cost of interstate highways.

Chatham County has pulled out of discussion with Savannah on the merger of the two police departments, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Chatham County Commission Chairman Al Scott today sent Savannah City Manager Stephanie Cutter an official letter stating the county’s desire to end the Savannah-Chatham police merger agreement.

On Friday, the commission voted unanimously to have Scott send the letter to begin the 18-month process of ending the merger.

In the meantime, Scott, as well as the commissioners, said they want to continue to negotiate with the city to try to reach a new agreement before the 9-year-old department is dissolved.

If a new agreement is not reached, Scott said, the commission’s options would include re-establishing the county department, having the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office take over or contracting with the city for police services.

I read that as saying that the letter is a negotiating tool, not necessarily the end of discussions.