Barnes on Obama Health Care Reform Law: "It Could Be Financially Devastating for Georgians"

If you live in Georgia you already know that patriotism and conservatism rules the day in the friendliest state of the South. You also know that speaking the "O" word right now in regards to politics will ensure defeat at the polls come November. So when Roy Barnes--a former one-term Georgia governor--decided to see if his fellow citizens had forgotten about that little flag issue by running for gov again, he was in for a rude awakening. Georgia wasn't as interested as he thought. And they still remembered how he sold out the state on the flag deal, too.

Roy Barnes beats fast track away from all things Obama

Roy Barnes didn't make it to be a one-term governor by being dumb, however. He quickly sized up the situation and realized that the only way to hope to ever sit in the governor's seat in Georgia again, he would have to court Obama on the sly and feed the Georgia citizenry what they wanted to hear via the campaign. Hey, it worked for him once before. He really thinks it could work again.

So Roy began to play, "Who's Obama" a month or so ago about like kids played "Hot Potato" eons ago. But Roy obviously feels that he hasn't shown enough "distance" from the unpopular president, so Barnes is making a more dogged effort to show just how far from the left he really can go.

Roy Barnes is declaring to anyone who will listen that Obama's health care reform law could be "financially devastating to Georgia." This coming from a democrat?

Barnes says Obama's health care reform law devastating to Georgia

For a man who embraces the democrat party as passionately as he did the governor's chair from 1999 to 2003, Barnes sure is making party enemies by departing from the party line in Washington.

That is, unless Barnes has already assured Obama that--like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain: Pay no attention to what I tell Georgia voters between now and November. You've got my full support. (wink, wink)

One has only to look back at Barnes' time in office in Georgia all those years ago to know that citizens in Georgia were told one thing, but Barnes went on to do what he wanted. He refused to listen to his constituents when they said leave the flag alone. But he did it at the expense of a second-term in 2003. And like my criminal justice professor drilled into my head in college: past behavior is indicative of future behavior. And so it is.

Barnes in Obama's pocket?

Could Roy Barnes serve Georgia beneficially if he were to be elected and return to the governor's office in Georgia? I don't think so.

It isn't totally about the fact that he refused to listen to the majority of his constituents on any number of issues back then, including the flag. It is also the fear that he will do the exact same thing this time on even more critical issues, railroading unpopular Obama objectives down the throat of the citizens he is supposed to serve.

Georgians are not a naive people. Friendly, yes. Willing to give someone a fair shake when they first meet, sure. But sucker punched more than once. Nada. Roy Barnes tried to sucker punch Georgians the last time he got into office. That is why he trails in the polls behind his competitor Nathan Deal now. With Deal we know what we are getting: a hardworking and honest public servant who would spend his last dime on his family. Roy Barnes would have you believe that's unethical. Roy Barnes would have you believe a lot of things you shouldn't, though.

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Source: GOP's Nathan Deal Leads Democrat Roy Barnes in Georgia Governor's Race, Politics Daily.com