Sam Nunn's daughter may run for Senate

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer ^ | Aug. 6, 2003 | MARIA SAPORTA

[Amish]

Sam Nunn's daughter may run for Senate

By MARIA SAPORTA Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

Michelle Nunn, founder and executive director of Hands On Atlanta and daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn, is contemplating a run for Sen. Zell Miller's seat.

"I've been giving it serious consideration," Nunn, 36, said Tuesday. "A message that needs to be heard is that Democrats need a new generation of leaders. People are looking for some new voices in the political sphere."

Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young has said he is seriously considering running.

Nunn said she will be meeting with Young on Friday to discuss their respective plans and to talk about the future of the Democratic Party in Georgia.

"I've told Andy that if he decides to run, I will support him," Nunn said.

Young, 71, also was deferential toward Nunn. If he had known of her interest a couple of months ago, he said, "I would not have let anybody float my name."

Young said Nunn has demonstrated her interest in public service by founding one of nation's largest, if not the largest, volunteer organizations serving a metro area.

"She has made a clear contribution to the life of the city," Young said. "If she were interested in any kind of public life, I would certainly encourage her. I've long been an advocate of passing the torch to a new generation."

When people ask her about her youth, Nunn is quick to remind them that her father was 34 when he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972.

He went on to have a highly respected career as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He retired after four terms, leaving office in 1997.

"I would support her with anything she decided to do," Sam Nunn said Tuesday. "What she would have that would be very powerful and interesting to watch is the energy of young people, and you don't have that in many campaigns."

The only announced Democrat is state Sen. Mary Squires of Norcross. Four Republicans have announced.

[krb]

uh oh...she could be trouble. Sam Nunn was a decent guy. That will translate into good vibes for his daughter.

[Kuksool]

Ping!

The RATS must be really desperate.

[Pubbie]

Do we run one of Saxby Chabliss' daughters as the Republican?

;)

[Atlantian]

I've lived in Georgia 30 years and I've never hear of her. She has no name recognition. Yes, the GA Dems are desperate.

Yesterday's AJC had an interesting statistic. In the 1990 election, 1 million Democrats voted in GA. In the 2002 election, only 500,000 Democrats voted. The GA Democratic Party is in big trouble.

[Kuksool]

The RATS wish Sam Nunn would run again.

[Pubbie]

Hehe... The Rats are going to be so screwed in the Southern Senate Races next year.

:)

[jimt]

Sam Nunn was one of an all but vanished breed - an honorable Democrat.

Current folks in that party only deserve the shortened appellation - 'rat.

[Tax-chick]

I just can't like this "dynasty" thing, even GW and Jeb Bush, not that they aren't decent folks and upstanding Republicans. It's just not American!

[fieldmarshaldj]

WHO ?

[Impy]

If they are attractive we can call them the Sexbies. ;-p



I keep waiting for the GA rats to pull a rabbit out of thier hats. At this point it looks like they won't.

HERMAN CAIN!!!!!!!!!

[Badray]

"I just can't like this "dynasty" thing, even GW and Jeb Bush,..."

I agree. Of 280 million Americans, are there only a handful of families who can govern. Let's get back to a citizen legislature and end career politicians.

[Impy]

I don't really mind it. As long as their name isn't the only thing they have going for them.

[Badray]

In most cases, that is all they do have going for them.

I don't believe that we could do much worse than what we currently have if we just picked names from the phone book and put them in office for one term and kept doing it.

The longer any of these folks stay in office (with extremely few exceptions) the worse they get. When they realized that they could win votes by taking your money and giving it to someone else they started building fiefdoms for themselves. Look at the wonderful medical and retirement plans that they have voted for themselves. If they were one or two termers (if that is a word) we wouldn't have that additional mess on our hands.

And that is just one of the many problems. Then we have the nepotism as they appoint, or have their friends appoint family members to support positions or get lobbying jobs for their spouse in the industry that they have oversight responsibility.

Sorry for the ramble. It's just one of those days.

Hope yours is a good one. I'm out of here for now. I have a bartender that needs to make a living.