"King RAT?": GOP candidate's campaign video depicts GA governor Barnes as giant rat

AP / WSB Radio ^ | May 22, 2002 | Associated Press

[Risky Schemer]

(Atlanta-AP) -- A campaign video released by GOP gubernatorial hopeful Sonny Perdue depicts Governor Barnes as a giant rat.

The video is called ``A New Day Dawning: One man's lust for power drives another man to set Georgia free.''

It will be sent in limited release to Republican supporters and be available free on Perdue's Web site. Parts of the video may be used for TV commercials.

In the ten-minute video, Barnes wears a crown, gnaws at the state Capitol and climbs Atlanta skyscrapers. He is also shown stuffing himself with wine and fruit at the governor's mansion.

Several minutes into the video, Perdue is introduced as a Bonaire farmer who wants to bring an outside voice to Atlanta politics.

The video ends with two heavy-hitters from state GOP endorsing Perdue -- former state Attorney General Mike Bowers and U-S Representative Charlie Norwood.

Barnes campaign manager Tim Phillips said ``this shameful display of bad judgement is sad and disappointing.''

Perdue still must defeat two Republican challengers before taking on the governor.

[backhoe]

Yesterday I briefly broke my self-imposed boycott of Boortz, just in time to hear him list all the Barnes campaign contributors who owned property around "the Arc," and whose property was thus made much more valuable. Corruption, anyone?

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

I find this highly offensive to the rat community - imagine, comparing them to Dems!

[mewzilla]

I guess the people who are complaining never saw any political cartoons from early on in our nation's history. I'm not kidding. Compared to those, Barnes depicted as rattus rattus looks pretty tame :)

[jigsaw]

I find this highly offensive to the rat community - imagine, comparing them to Dems!

LOL!   Ya suppose PETA will respond?

[4CJ]

I wholeheartedly agree - comparisions to a maggot are closer to the truth.

[Risky Schemer]

Do you suppose the source of offense to the Dems is that Barnes is portrayed as a giant rat as opposed to a regular-sized rat?

(BTW the stuff about the rat wearing a crown, gnawing on the capitol and stuffing on wine and fruit is LOL funny)

[mewzilla]

Personally, I think the Dems are just opposed to truth in advertising.

Wish I could see the ad. Sounds hysterical. Even though Rizzo is my favorite Muppet.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

.....depicts Governor Barnes as a giant rat. ..

Works for me!

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I live in Forsyth County (above 20). The Northern Arc has to be the most asinine planned peice of work I had yet to encounter. IMHO, the arc (if there is a true need for one, but doubt it) needs to be further north, NOT cut through one of the most congested parts of the county.

Please tell me why the most obvious answer to metro-Atlanta's traffic problem is not being looked at--expanding the MARTA rails.

[LIBERTARIAN JOE]

Please tell me why the most obvious answer to metro-Atlanta's traffic problem is not being looked at--expanding the MARTA rails

I'll tell you why it shouldn't be looked at... 'public' transportation is almost always a money-losing proposition and us non-metro atlanta georgians don't want to pay for, and subsidize, any more of atlanta's pork-barrel projects. Don't know about atlanta, but here in savannah the city buses are mainly used to allow criminals from the inner city (who are too lazy to steal a car) to get to their victims in the suburbs.

[backhoe]

Just FYI--

Light Rail- Boon or Boondoggle? The Quest for the Holy Rail....

[Risky Schemer]

Wish I could see the ad. Sounds hysterical.

The story says it will be available free on Perdue's website. Here's the link: VoteSonny.com.

[LIBERTARIAN JOE]

good links... thanks! Funny I should get a post from you. I'm sitting here freeping while waiting for a co-worker to send me some files from the office so I can do some earthwork calcs (backhoe work) for a job down in brunswick (your neck of the woods, isn't it?)

[backhoe]

Yep, online in the South End of Brunswick... and I used to own a building on Bay Street- the old Rollinson Engineering building ( my Dad ). Small world! And indeed, in my long & chequered life, I have run backhoes...

[mhking]

The rat also has a gold necklace on that spells out the letters: "K-I-N-G R-O-Y"

Considering some of the things the Dems have pulled over the years, I would call this mild.

[Risky Schemer]

I find myself hoping that Perdue and the GA state GOP don't get cold feet and back away from this thing. At least not until we get a chance to see it.

[mhking]

At least not until we get a chance to see it.

It's been all over the local news here - I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up on at least one of the TV stations' web sites. I'll keep my eyes open for it.

[SauronOfMordor]

Don't know about atlanta, but here in savannah the city buses are mainly used to allow criminals from the inner city (who are too lazy to steal a car) to get to their victims in the suburbs.

WHen I was living in the Staten Island borough of New York City, middle-class residents were protesting AGAINST plans to add a bus line that would serve their neighborhood. They did NOT want certain people to have easier access to their neighborhood

[mhking]

The video will be webcast on Perdue's site later today.