18 MAY 08: SONNY'S ARMY?

Saturday was Armed Forces Day. I don't know if the Georgia Republican convention at the Civic Center took time to mark the occasion. But if any delegates strolled too close to the National Infantry Museum, they might have come under assault.

The two-day Georgia Republican convention concluded Saturday in South Commons - a short drive from Fort Benning. So what was Governor Sonny Perdue thinking, when he removed state money for the National Infantry Museum with a line-item veto? Did he assume the convention would be at Green Island, where so many local Republicans live?

It didn't take long for e-mail to reach us about that line-item veto -- titled "Sonny Side Down":

Richard, thought you might enjoy this rare verbal blistering of an elected official courtesy a retired general. Well deserved blistering I might add. (see attached) Also, Know that the Gov retained 7.3 million for a horse barn and practice ring in his home town....More important than honoring Soldiers...don't think so. Of course this is in conjunction with 18 million for the "Go fishing" project

The attachment was a "letter to the editor" from National Infantry Foundation Chair Jerry White. I'll assume the Ledger-Enquirer will print it in full - but White's letter calls the veto of three million state dollars an "injustice." Yet for some reason, I didn't even hear of a convention protest by Jim Rhodes.

Jerry White's letter says the National Infantry Foundation asked the Georgia legislature for $15 million over three years. Last year's five-million dollar budget line was signed into law by the Governor. This year, it was not - but remember, state funds are tighter this year. They're so tight that Governor Perdue didn't fly down to the Republican convention in a helicopter.

Yet it's worth noting that the legislature did NOT approve another five million dollars for the Infantry Museum this year. It recommended only three million - so solely blaming the governor is a bit like blaming an off-key country song on the man with the loudest guitar.

Jerry White's letter also notes $78 million already has been raised for the new National Infantry Museum, out of a goal of $100 million. So a change is required in obtaining only three percent of the money. Maybe the foundation should borrow an idea from the Georgia G.O.P., and hold a fund-raising "victory dinner" honoring the Third Brigade.

Jerry White's letter says it's "baffling" and "disturbing" that Governor Sonny Perdue isn't personally supporting the National Infantry Museum project. With home prices in decline, you'd think the governor would sell off his Florida properties while he still can profit from them....

Governor Sonny Perdue explained his line-item veto of the National Infantry Foundation money Saturday, during the Georgia Republican convention. He said it's not a slap at soldiers, but a matter of whether the state should fund "locally-operated museums." Just because this museum has a donation from South Korea does NOT mean that government runs the place.

The Georgia Governor has objected to state money for other museums. One veto put the "Georgia Golf Hall of Fame" in Augusta at risk - and you'd think the members of Augusta National Golf Club would have deep enough pockets to bail that museum out.

Jerry White told WRBL Governor Sonny Perdue must think five million dollars is enough for honoring soldiers - but it's not nearly enough. Someone should calmly tell him state funding was kept for the Georgia National Guard....

But Jerry White's remark begs for an emotional response, especially in an "Army town" loaded with veterans. How much state money IS enough for soldiers? I'm not sure White would be satisfied, if Governor Perdue gave him a $100 million check today. But then again, grumbling about pay has helped make our armed forces so successful for so long.

Several Columbus companies already have made big donations for the National Infantry Museum, such as Synovus and Aflac. If people consider it a worthwhile project, they'll provide the missing $22 million. Governor Perdue simply is being a Republican - and passing the guilt trip on to the private sector.

For awhile this weekend, I wasn't sure how true-blue deeply conservative the Georgia Republican convention was. But finally it happened Saturday night - a sign some hard-right members were in town. They finally fired a cannon outside Port Columbus.

(I happened to be jogging near Port Columbus when the cannon went off - and heard a good amount of giggling before it fired. How many "cannonballs" did Republicans drink first?)

I live close to the Civic Center, and saw a few Republican campaign signs as I walked around the neighborhood. And every time I heard sirens, I assumed another dignitary was receiving a police escort to or from the airport.

The convention delegates supposedly booked more than 950 Columbus motel rooms. And I may have spotted a few of them Saturday night, as I picked up dinner at a restaurant on Victory Drive. They were older women - and a van was parked outside from First Baptist Church of Richland. Yup, they sure seemed like Republicans to me....

The main goal of the Columbus conclave was selecting Georgia's delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention this summer. Did you realize they're opening that convention on Labor Day? Now there's a party truly desperate for union endorsements.

Unlike the Democrats, the Republican convention will NOT have "superdelegates." The G.O.P. already knows which officials are in power, without having to give them an extra ego-stroking title....

If Zell Miller appeared at the Georgia Republican convention this year, I never heard about it. In fact, Miller has been noticeably quiet this election year - after emerging as the G.O.P.'s surprise star in 2004. I hesitate to say he was a "trophy donkey."

THE BIG BLOG QUESTION concerning the Columbus Fire Chief ended Friday afternoon - and two-thirds of you (8-4) said Jeff Meyer should NOT have been smoking during a job interview with a possible deputy chief. Considering that interview occurred in a parking lot, the smokers who fish along the Riverwalk might want to start shopping for Nicorette patches.

It's now been a week since the mayor issued his "very serious" letter of reprimand to the Fire Chief. So has anything changed in the fire/EMS department? Has anyone been fired, demoted or otherwise punished? Or have crews been too busy, making sure water can be diverted from newly-running fountains?

Now let's see what else is happening this weekend....

+ The Muscogee County School Board kicked off its search for a new superintendent. Three potential search agencies were interviewed at a.... hey, wait a minute! Search agencies?! Wasn't the job posted on the Georgia Department of Labor web site? [17 Feb] Were the only applicants angry teachers?

(The three potential search agencies were considered NOT at the school district office, but at the Marriott Hotel downtown. NOW do you see why we need that nice new administration building? Otherwise, companies from Illinois will feel insulted.)

+ Chattahoochee County High School held its first graduation ceremony. The class of 2008 truly did make history - and they'll keep making it for decades, by facing the burden of organizing all those class reunions.

+ A morning fire caused extensive damage to Tyler's restaurant in downtown Phenix City. Thankfully, no one was injured - and the restaurant simply closed for the day several hours earlier than its usual time of 2:00 p.m.

+ Former Bad Company singer Brian Howe performed at the Phenix City Amphitheater. His hometown club Portsmouth won Britain's F.A. Cup soccer final earlier in the day - so he may have done well to perform any songs without drunken slurs.

+ Augusta edged the Columbus Catfish 2-1 in ten innings. So why did I see so many fans leaving Golden Park in the middle of the tenth, before Columbus could bat? Did these fans think it was a Cottonmouths game, with sudden-death overtime?

+ Instant Message to Fat Boys Farmers Market: About that sign offering "FRESH FL TOMATOES" - I'm sorry. But if a tomato is flat, I really don't want it.

SCHEDULED MONDAY: A big sit-in protest you might not have heard about....

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