Tag: Georgia

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Georgia State Rep. Says HIV “Quarantine” Comment Was Meant To Be “Provocative And Rhetorical”

Georgia state Rep. Betty Price

Georgia state Rep. Betty Price caused an uproar this week when, during a study committee hearing, she suggested that HIV+ people should be quarantined since they aren’t dying as “readily” as they used to.

The full quote:

“I don’t want to say the quarantine word, but I guess I just said it. Is there an ability, since I would guess that public dollars are expended heavily in prophylaxis and treatment of this condition? So we have a public interest in curtailing the spread. What would you advise or are there any methods legally that we could do that would curtail the spread?”

“It seems to me it’s almost frightening, the number of people who are living that are potentially carriers. Well they are carriers, with the potential to spread, whereas in the past they died more readily and then at that point they are not posing a risk. So we’ve got a huge population posing a risk if they are not in treatment.”

On Saturday, Price walked her comments back saying she was “taken completely out of context.”

She issued a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution which read, in part:

I made a provocative and rhetorical comment as part of a free-flowing conversation which has been taken completely out of context. I do not support a quarantine in this public health challenge and dilemma of undertreated HIV patients. I do, however, wish to light a fire under all of us with responsibility in the public health arena – a fire that will result in resolve and commitment to ensure that all of our fellow citizens with HIV will receive, and adhere to, a treatment regimen that will enhance their quality of life and protect the health of the public.

You’ll recall Price’s husband recently stepped down as Health and Human Services Secretary after it was revealed he spent over $500,000 in private planes during his short tenure.

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Georgia State Lawmaker Asks If HIV+ People Should Be Quarantined Since They Don’t Die As “Readily” As They Used To

Betty Price, the wife of former Health Secretary Tom Price and currently a George state lawmaker, has come under fire for asking during a recent state House committee meeting if HIV+ folks should be quarantined.

Price also considered if the U.S. would be safer if positive people “died more readily.”

I kid you not.

From Newsweek:

“It’s almost frightening, the number of people who are living that are carriers with the potential to spread,” Price said during a Georgia House of Representatives committee meeting on access to health care in the state (around the one-hour mark of the video). “Whereas in the past, they died more readily, and at that point they’re not posing a risk. So we’ve got a huge population posing a risk if they’re not in treatment.”

Price also said that while she didn’t necessarily want to quarantine people with HIV, that is exactly what she wants to do.

“I don’t want to say the quarantine word—but I guess I just said it,” Price said to Dr. Pascale Wortley, director of the Georgia Department of Public Health’s HIV epidemiology section, according to STAT News.

“Is there an ability, since I would guess that public dollars are expended heavily in prophylaxis and treatment of this condition, so we have a public interest in curtailing the spread. … Are there any methods legally that we could do that would curtail the spread?”

The answer, Ms. Price, is “no.”

Georgia had the second highest number of HIV diagnoses in 2015.

You can watch the remarks on video here. Price’s comment comes at the one hour, two minute mark.

You’ll recall Price’s husband resigned from the Trump administration after spending over half a million dollars in private plane travel.

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Georgia: Anti-LGBT Republican Karen Handel Bests Dem Jon Ossoff In Special Election 52% – 48%

After much hype, Democrat Jon Ossoff lost last night to anti-LGBT Republican Karen Handel in Georgia’s special election, 52.1% -47.9%.

Republicans are elated, Democrats – not so much.

Often, a win is a win; a loss is a loss. But a few things come to mind:

• Ossoff received the same 48% he got in the April primary. Handel consolidated her base moving from about 20% in April to 52% last night. It’s possible that 48% is about as high as Dems can get in the district. You can’t create voters out of thin air.

• The one sliver lining for Democrats is that these special elections for Congressional seats in traditionally red states are much, much tighter than just months ago.

For example, when Republican Tom Price won the Georgia seat back in November, it was by 24 points. Handel clinched the win last night by only 4 points. That’s a lot of lost margin.

There was also a special election in South Carolina last night that received less coverage, and was even tighter. Mick Mulvaney won the 5th District seat in SC last November by 20 points. Last night, Republican Ralph Norman won the special election by only 3 points.

Similarly, Mike Pompeo won his seat in Kansas’ 4th District last November by 31 points; Republican Ron Estes took the seat in a special election this spring by a margin of only 7 points.

As you can see, there is some clear movement happening here. Will it be enough to make a difference come the fall of 2018 and the midterm elections? We shall see.

• While a lot has been made of the fund raising and money spent by the Ossoff campaign on this race, national Republican groups spent far more (nearly $14 million the NRCC, RNC, and Congressional Leadership Fund Super PAC) than national Dems did (about $6 million). According to NBC News, the total GOP price tag (NRCC, CLF, RNC) for the four recent special elections (Kansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Montana) was around $19 million versus $7 million for Democrats (DCCC, House Majority PAC, Patriot Majority).

What does that say? That Dems viewed the prospects of winning the traditional red seats pretty realistically, while the Repubs were clearly nervous.

Predictably, President Trump boasted about the Democrats loss this morning:

The comment about Dems working with Republicans in Congress is interesting in that the Repubs have literally shut the Dems out of any policy-making process.

More from the Twitterverse on last night’s election.

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Georgia Congressional Race Tightens Heading Into Election Day

Everyone following politics these days is focusing on tomorrow’s race in Georgia for the state’s 6th Congressional seat where Republican Karen Handel is in a tight, tight race with Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Polls show Ossoff with a small lead heading into election day, and the political rhetoric reflects that as Handel’s surrogates are spouting brash, baseless lines to her supporters to gin up votes at the ballot box.

Worst of the bunch is Brad Carver, GOP chairman of the neighboring 11th Congressional District in Georgia, who speaking about the recent shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise told the Washington Post, “I’ll tell you what: I think the shooting is going to win this election for us.”

Additionally, President Trump made a pitch to his followers this morning with this tweet.

In April, Ossoff won the primary with 48% and Handel trailing a distant 20%.

Of the 15 best-educated districts in the country, this traditionally Republican district is the only one Mr. Trump won in November, and by only a scant 1.5% margin.

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Georgia: Karen Handel Doesn’t Believe Gay Parents Are Legitimate – “Because I Don’t”

Karen Handel (L) and Jon Ossoff (R)

If you happen to live in Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District, please get out to the polls in four days, June 20, to make sure HRC-backed Democrat Jon Ossoff wins the congressional seat.

Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with homophobe Karen Handel.

Handel opposed marriage equality, civil unions, domestic partnership benefits and allowing same-sex couples to adopt during her 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

Handel has proudly told reporters that she doesn’t think same-sex parents are as “legitimate” as different-sex parents. Why?

“Because I don’t,” says Handel.

Watch below.

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News Round-Up: June 9, 2017

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you may have missed:

• Come on, say it with Instahunk Alex Abramov (above): “Thank God it’s Friday!”

• Democrat Jon Ossoff leads Republican Karen Handel 51% to 44% among likely voters among in a new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll tracking the upcoming special election for a Georgia House seat.

• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson defends federal budget cuts to housing programs for low-income people with HIV: “The pie is only so big.”

• Russian hackers are using Britney Spears’ Instagram account to share cryptic encoded messages that control their hacking system.

• More than 18 million people tuned in to watch former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the U.S. Senate yesterday.

• The Scottish Episcopal Church has voted to allow same-sex couples to marry in the church.

• Scissor Sisters and MDNR have released a lyric video for their collaboration “Swerlk,” a fundraising single in honor of the 49 lives lost in the Pulse nightclub massacre. Click over to http://www.SWERLK.com to donate.

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Deep Red Georgia Congressional Seat Heads To Runoff As Dem Leads By 28 Points

Democrat Jon Ossoff

Democrat Jon Ossoff will head into a run off with Republican Karen Handel on June 20 for Georgia’s 6th Congressional seat vacated by now Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

Ossoff fell just short of the 50 percent threshold that would have clinched the seat outright. Ossoff garnered 48.1% of the vote in a heavily Republican district. Handel, who got the second highest number of votes, trailed far behind with 19.8%.

To frame what a big scare this is to Republicans, and to President Trump, Price won his seat last November with 62% of the vote. Mitt Romney won the district by 23 points. But, Trump barely eeked out a win there with a one point margin.

Clearly, the lopsided voting last night was a referendum on the first 100 days of the Trump administration.

Democrats were so engaged in the special election, Ossoff raised over $8.3 million – more than four times his nearest competitor.

Ossoff issued this statement last night:

“This is already a remarkable victory. We defied the odds, shattered expectations, and now are ready to fight on and win in June.”

In a sign of how worried President Trump was about the race, he tweeted four times in less than 24 hours about the race.

This morning, Trump tried to frame the second place showing by Handel as a “win:”

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Trump Worried As Democrat Jon Ossoff Leads By 25 Points Leading Up To Today’s Special Election In Georgia

Pensive President Trump

President Trump must be worried about the special Congressional election happening in Georgia today to fill now Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price’s vacant seat.

A Democrat, Jon Ossoff, is leading the pack of 17 running for Georgia’s 6th congressional district seat.

Averaging a 25 point lead in polling, Ossoff would need to win 50% today to avoid a runoff with the second place competitor.

Click image to enlarge

It would be an embarrassing blow to President Trump, and a possible sign of things to come in the 2018 elections, should a Democrat take the reliably red Congressional seat.

Trump’s concerns are evident by his four tweets in less than 24 hours on the election.

While Ossoff has never held office, the 30 year-old has the bona fides to validate his run: grew up in Georgia, earned his undergrad degree from prestigious Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics; was a national security aide to Rep. Hank Johnson; and he interned for Rep. John Lewis.

I watched Ossoff make an appearance yesterday on a cable news channel and was very impressed. He’s clearly in his element.

In theory, Ossoff will lead the pack today. Only question is can he get to 50% and avoid a runoff?

If he’s forced to a runoff, expect all the Republicans to pull together against him, and that could be tough. Republican Karen Handel has consistently held the number two spot in polls. I would imagine she would head into a runoff with Ossoff were he not able to cross the 50% threshold.

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Pastor Ken “Pulse Nightclub Gays Got What They Deserve” Adkins Arrested For Child Molestation

Pastor Ken Adkins, who earlier this summer tweeted that the folks killed in the Pulse Nightclub massacre got “what they deserve,” has been arrested this morning for child molestation.

From the local CBS affiliate:

A Georgia pastor and and conservative political activist was arrested Friday morning on charges of child molestation and aggravated child molestation.

Ken Adkins, 56, of St. Simons Island turned himself into police at about 9 a.m., according to officials with Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

GBI was requested on Aug. 12 to assist officials with the accusations against Adkins. Adkins is currently in the Glynn County Jail.

The investigation is ongoing. Adkins has one church with locations in Brunswick, Jacksonville and Atlanta, according to his website.

Adkins recently came under fire when he tweeted “homosexuals got what they deserved” after the deadly mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub. His Twitter account has been set to private.

Why is it always these super-religious zealots that end up being the child predators?

Watch the report below.

(image via JoeMyGod)

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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Georgia Man Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For Pouring Boiling Water On Sleeping Gay Men

Anthony Gooden

A Georgia man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for his vicious attack pouring boiling water on two gay men as they slept.

From ABC News:

Jurors deliberated for about 90 minutes before finding Martin Blackwell, 48, guilty of eight counts of aggravated battery and two counts of aggravated assault in the February attack on Anthony Gooden and Marquez Tolbert.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Henry Newkirk said the evidence was overwhelming and that Blackwell had behaved in a soulless and malicious way. He noted that it “takes a long time” for a pot of water to boil.

“You had so many outs where the voice of reason could have taken over,” the judge told Blackwell, who had faced up to 80 years in prison.

Prosecutors said it was a vicious, premeditated attack. Tolbert testified that after pouring hot water on them, Blackwell grabbed him as he jumped and screamed in pain and told him: “Get out of my house with all that gay.”

Blackwell’s attorney, Monique Walker, attempted to downplay the outright homophobia telling the jury, “It’s not about hate. It’s about old-school culture, old-school thinking.”

As the prosecutor pointed out, it took time to find the biggest pot in the house, fill it, and boil that water. That was a lot of time to think hard about what you were about to do, Mr. Blackwell.

The victims spent weeks in the hospital due to severe burns, undergoing many surgeries and skin grafts.

Left unable to perform many daily tasks, a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $70,000 to help with medical bills and recovery.

I previously wrote about the attack in March of this year when it happened. More details here.