Posted on 09/16/2010 7:05:45 PM PDT by Robert A Cook PE
Nathan Deal is a former GA Congressman. He won a close-fought GOP primary just weeks ago, but now is disclosing (reluctantly!) three financial problems at the same time he is trying to start his governor campaign.
The combination of bad timing, bad finances, and bad data on the candidate's financial disclosure sheets may cost the Republicans the Georgia governor race. (He faces Roy Barnes - an NEA and union and minority favorite - who lost the governor race two elections before. Name recognition, if nothing else, is positive for Barnes, negative for "Deal" with this information.)
His daughter's business failed, and Nathan Deal is co-signer on the loans. He now faces those new bills - estimated (on one radio report) at several million.
Sarah Palin endorsed a relative unknown during the primary, and that endorsement brought her up as leader from a near-dead heat between 4 candidates.
Regrettably, Nathan Deal's county voted for him very strongly, and that got him second place, and ensured a run-off.
Nathan won the run-off (very tight race = less 1100 votes) - and so we now face this problem to get Deal past these financial problems to keep a GOP governor.
I think more important than this business bankruptcy inside his close family, and that alone would increase sympathetic from a cash-strapped voter who also wants to help close family get ahead, Deal also has TWO major loans outstanding.
That he failed to write up in his financial disclosure.
Worse, he had previously known significant money problems/payback problems with nasty implications that caused him to resign as Congressman in the first place.
“Deal is the more Conservative.”
That will mean a lot if he is indicted.
Oh please. What do you even know about this situation?
Deal co-signed a loan for his daughter. The kids defaulted on the loan, he hid nothing about it, he explained what happened as soon as it came out, and said he is going to honor it and pay it back. He never said he would file bankruptcy that was the MSM and Soros’ CREW spin.
The AJC and most local media in Atlanta are far left and 100% in the tank for Obama. If you really want to know what is going on with Deal you have to go to places like his Facebook. His support is strong and growing stronger after this latest lame smear campaign.
Some folks here need to get over your loss and get behind Deal because Barnes actually IS corrupt and will do everything in his power to support anything Obama wants to shove down our throats. No Deal was not my first choice (Johnson was) but I am behind Deal 100% because the alternative will be a nightmare.
There ARE no ethical lapses.
He was a good and generous father who co-signed a loan for his kids’ business.
In Obama’s economy, that kid’s business failed. He is on the hook. In order to do the right thing and pay his debts, he is selling his house.
If this is a ‘scandal’ it’s a manufactured one, and every person who starteda business that failed or who ever lost a job or ended up jobless for a time, or who ever had an investment go sour, had a ‘scandal’.
PHOOEY. Deal is the “Real Deal” now, having to deal with the real economy.
Yes, there is. Nathan Deal failed to disclose the loans to the State Ethics Commission last May as is required by law. Had he disclosed the loans as he was obligated to do, there is a very good chance that he would not have won the primary race. As for selling his house, it will not cover the loan. He owes more than he is worth, and the loan becomes due in February. And since he quit his day job, he has no income coming in.
Deal needs to step down and let someone else be the Republican nominee.
Maybe someone has her confused with Mike Castle
Deal is the more Conservative.
That's why I voted for him and will continue to support him.
The loans you are talking about were disclosed to the State ethics committee are business loans related to the salvage business. They are up to date and being paid monthly. The information was sent in as soon as it was requested. All of that has already been hashed out. I read earlier this summer that Deal’s office was working to find out from the state what all they needed, and they would only tell them bits at a time. It is set up that way to make him look like he was withholding documents. He is being steamrolled.
The co-signing of the loan to his daughter and her husband is a totally different matter and has nothing to do with the issue above. It is a personal matter. I know many wonderful parents who have done this for their children. The business was profitable before Obamanomics - they hit hard times. He’s going to pay for it, he’s stepping up and doing the right thing. Deal is hitting hard times just like the rest of us and you malign him for it.
I don’t know what your agenda is but you appear to be spreading halftruths about Deal. If you think he should step down, why not call his office? Why help out Barnes’ cabal on a public forum like this?
Sarah's pick was also part of the establishment. All four major candidates in the primary were.
Sarah's pick donated to a gay rights group.
Sarah's pick voted to fund Planned Parenthood with taxpayer dollars.
Sarah's pick was the most moderate candidate in the primary.
Now, Sarah's pick, Karen Handel, was not all bad, and campaigned as a pro-life conservative.
The best choice in the primary was probably State Senate President Eric Johnson, not Deal or Handel. But when Handel got into the runoff, she was too "moderate" to win the nomination.
Nathan Deal is by all accounts a good man and a conservative. He underwrote loans for family members, which is not a good practice, but on the scale of political sins, relatively minor. He's lost his own money, not stolen from taxpayers like many politicians.
I’ll go ahead and clear up another smear by Barnes camp as I’m sure someone will try and pull this one...
Deal has posted 30 years of tax returns online.
Frankly, Erick Erikson of Red State screwed the pooch on this one -- he's from Georgia and should have shown a lot better judgment than talking up Karen Handel. How can you claim to pick winners nationally when you don't even know your own state?
He’s in debt, he hasn’t broken any law, why would he be indicted.
No, these loans were not initially disclosed to the State Ethics Committee. Deal now says it was an oversight, and today he filed a new report which includes the loans.
The co-signing of the loan to his daughter and her husband is a totally different matter and has nothing to do with the issue above. It is a personal matter.
I never said otherwise.
I don’t know what your agenda is but you appear to be spreading halftruths about Deal.
I have done no such thing. I have stated that Deal failed to file a personal disclosure of the loans as required by law. I also stated that the amount owed is greater than his net worth. If either of those statements is inaccurate, then please show me how. As for my agenda, I wish to have someone as governor who will pare down the size of our State Government, and who acts with integrity and openness, and most of all who has successful executive experience which will be an asset for the job. And do you really think my statements here will end up in some Roy Barnes commercial? The candidates I supported were Jeff Chapman and Eric Johnson - either of which were in my opinion far more qualified for the job than Deal, Handel, or Oxendine. And now I will have to listen to Roy Barnes of all people raise questions about Deal's ethics. And in no way is that my fault. You only have Nathan Deal to blame for that.
?
What ignorance of what statements or positions?
With what do you disagree?
Not sure if I'd call for his withdrawal now, but that option shouldn't be off table. And he should answer question whether with his income as governor it'll be enough to get out of the problem.
Deal has done nothing to himself. Everything you say is based on an assumption.
I said this already but again, when the state ethics comittee took this on, Deals office was in contact with them from the get go on what they wanted. He has been cooperative ever since. When he was asked for something, he submitted it. When there was an error or omission, he amended it. You are making it sound like he purposely witheld documents. Where is the proof of that? On your link all I see is that the correct information was sent in.
This is an investigation into allegations, not a indictment. So far, everything that has come out is twisted to look like something it is not. It reminds me a lot of what the did to Palin.
If Deal had done anything illegal, Barnes with his unlimited resources and legal acumen would have already taken him out with it.
Can I prove he didn’t, well no I guess I can’t. Only God and Nathan Deal know for sure. But people who know him vouch for his integrity and character. I think it meant a lot that he posted 30 years of tax returns and financial disclosures online.
No Deal was not my first choice either. But that’s all water under the bridge. I think his stepping down would be disastrous for our side, and on that I guess we’ll just have to disagree. Barnes is so unabashedly corrupt and scandolous, they would have to find a lot more on Deal to beat him. But they sure are spinning every crumb they can find to look like wrongdoing.
Deal is not filing bankruptcy! He has already said he is going to pay the loan back (and it was not HIS loan, he cosigned on his daughter’s loan)
It’s good for him then. It’s just unfortunate that this happens when he’s running for a governor with financial problem the main issue.
It’s sad. The timing has more to do with the economy more than anything. It’s not like it was a failing business from the get go LOL.
On Deal’s Facebook there is a comment from a guy in the same industry (I forget what it was, sorry) as Deal’s daughter and he is really struggling too.
Having said all that, I will be right there with you calling for him to step down if they actually prove him guilty of an illegal act.
Well, you can thank the kind, unbiased and unemotional errors (er, editors) at the AJC for the timing and “attitude” of all stories out about this.
Barnes doesn’t need to actively “do” anything. Cynthia Tucker will be happy to “do” all that is needed.
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