Saying prayer for politicians

With so many act-ivist groups hoping every day for something to hurt their tender feelings so theyll have an issue to squawk about - as Sen. Trent Lott recently discovered - its hard to find genuine reasons to be offended anymore.

And, normally, its pretty tough to offend me anyway; you cant work in this business long without a thick skin (and, yeah, a thicker head).

But now Im offended.

When portly Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor insulted our intelligence by pretending to be a warm fuzz-ball - the big guy - in his campaign commercials, that was just plain irritating. Political observers knew all this was just fluff to obscure the nasty, hardball image Taylor had built as a member of Georgias ruling Democratic Party.

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But now Taylor has had the gall to walk into a room full of black business leaders and tell them to pray that Democrats keep control of the Georgia House to provide balance to the Republican governors office, saying it is the only thing that keeps us from a one-party system.

Balance? Preventing a one-party system? This from cry-me-a-river Taylor, one of the fingers of the iron fist of single-party Democratic rule that held Georgia in its grip for more than 130 years. We didnt hear Taylor seeking balance from the excesses of his control of the state Senate, or of Roy Barnes control of the governors office, or Tom Murphys control of the state House.

We didnt hear Taylor praying for salvation from one-party rule when his Democrats took public comments on redistricting of legislative seats, and then tossed that input in the trash as they drew lines they admitted were intended to preserve the Democrats power.

Taylor cries his heavenly river now only when he is voted out of power - though unfortunately not out of office - by voters around the state outraged by these and other excesses of one-party rule. Senators either won Republican seats or converted to them after the election, yanking the gavel out of Taylors pudgy hands.

Now the Big Jerk has the audacity to go to the Almighty not with prayers for forgiveness for his political gluttony, but with a request for divine political intervention to keep his plate full. Monday morning, Larry Walker dropped out of the race for House speaker, giving the post to fellow Democrat Terry Coleman. God is no genie in a bottle, but whats to stop Taylor from now saying He granted his wish?

Well, there has to be a dark cloud with every silver lining, and Taylor - neutered by the Republican-majority state Senate - is destined to be that cloud.

Neal gone; Beale stays?

On a sad note about a better person, farewell to Frank Neal, who has left Columbia County to join his wife with new opportunities in Hilton Head, S.C.

Neal, former director of the countys Community and Leisure Services Division, did a great job pushing Columbia County toward more community events and activities. Not all of the community events were his idea, but he coordinated the efforts with staff and volunteers.

Fortunately, this is a position in county government where a vacancy at the top wont mean a lag in services. Charlie Beale, who runs the countys Recreation Department, is taking over as interim director.

Beale is applying for the post - and ought to get it. Hes been working with, or at the helm of, the Recreation Department for nearly all of its 30 years.

Beale has certainly proven that hes ready to move up to the next level, and deserves a shot at it.

(Barry L. Paschal is publisher of The Columbia County News-Times. E-mail comments to bpaschal@newstimesonline.com, or call 863-6165, extension 106.)