The content below the photo was posted on Rural and Progressive just before noon today (EST). Several news outlets had the same link and list attributed to the activitist/hacktivist group Anonymous, which claims to identify elected officials who are members of the KKK.(I have removed the links and video so they no longer work).
Senator Johnny Isakson and his wife were included in a list purported to out elected officials who are members of the KKK. I called Senator Isaskson’s office to get an official statement from them, which was a s firm “No,” neither of the Iskasons are affiliated with the KKK.
Late this afternoon Anonymous announced that in fact the list is not theirs. It is widely anticipated that the list they have drawn up will be posted this Thursday, November 5th.
Major news outlets such as Huffington Post have not updated their site about the denials from @OperationKKK, the project name for the list of names expected to be revealed on Thursday. During the 6:30-7:00 state news update from Georgia Public Broadcasting, GPB also reported the same answer from Isakson that I got from my call earlier today.
I don’t know who will be on the Anonymous list on Thursday if it comes out that day. What I do know is that if I am especially interested in someone who is on that list, I will certainly give that person an opportunity to address their inclusion on it, just as I did today.
I stand behind my last two sentences from earlier today: “The issue of racism, and who is hiding under white hoods, is very real in our country. This issue isn’t going away.”
Anonymous has begun releasing names of elected officials who are members of the KKK, according to their research. Anonymous, an international group of activisits/hacktivists, includes Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, and his wife, Dianne Davison, on today’s list (internet reports have put the total number to be released at upwards of 1,000 names).
A video released this morning states that the Isaksons are affiliated with the Original Knight Riders Chapter of the KKK.
Betsy Dietz, an Isakson staffer in his Washington, DC office, denied the Iskason’s memberships when I called. I’d like to believe her, but exposure by Anonymous isn’t something to take lightly.
The issue of racism, and who is hiding under white hoods, is very real in our country. This issue isn’t going away.
I have had the pleasure of meeting both of you when you have met with constituents in Sandersville. I haven’t had the opportunity to bring any of my family with me so I hope you will allow me to tell you a little bit about them.
My husband and I moved back to his home county 25 years ago because we wanted to live in a rural community and be near family. We raised two daughters outside tiny Warthen, in an old farm house we restored with considerable sweat equity. We are fortunate to have two incredibly energetic grandchildren Ella, 5 1/2 years old, and Chase, 4 1/2 years old, who live nearby.
Ella making pottery, Spring 2012Chase helping his dad at a volunteer firefighters equipment repair work day
Now that you have met my two grandchildren, I hope you will consider my concerns on behalf of Ella and Chase, the five grandchildren you have Senator Chambliss, and your nine grandchildren Senator Isakson.
The other day both of you voted to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to enforce the Mercury and Air Toxins Rule, known as MATS. These emission standards weren’t the result of fly-by-night or stealth regulatory work by the EPA. Instead, they were announced in 1990 as additions to the Clean Air Act.
Twenty two years is a long time for citizens to wait on cleaner air and the cleaner water which results from less pollution in the air. It was long enough for me to give birth to my younger daughter and raise her to the age of 22. Her entire lifetime has been spent breathing air that could have been cleaner a long time ago.
Mary Michael, Georgia Southern, May 2012
I just can’t figure out why, after all the medical, scientific, and financial research done by numerous respected institutions and individuals which shows just how harmful mercury and heavy metals emissions are to fetuses, growing children, and anyone with asthma or cardiopulmonary disease, that anyone would agree it should go on any longer. Or the research that demonstrates that the tougher standards would actually create approximately 8,000 permanent jobs and up to 45,000 temporary ones.
Yet both of you chose to stand up and say with your votes, “Yes, I support the continuation of dirty air and water for American citizens, including my grandchildren.”
I did a little research so that I might understand why you voted as you did. The Southern Company’s Georgia Power, which owns and operates Plant Scherer near Juliette, and emits the most carbon pollution in the country, was the second largest donor with a total of $102,650 in the 2011-2012 election cycle, to your campaign committee Senator Chambliss (that ought to be helpful if you run for re-election in 2014).
Senator Isakson, the Southern Company was third on your donor list with $28,050 to your campaign in the 2011-2012 election cycle (on the heels of the $38, 350 donation for your re-election in 2010).
Where you trying to help your donors who are burning an awful lot of coal with your vote opposing tougher mercury rules?
Or maybe that vote would help clients using the law firm King and Spalding (K&S). Those attorneys represent a group called Power4Georgians that wants to build a coal fired power plant in Washington County. Senator Chambliss, K&S helped your campaign with $58,000 in donations, putting them at a respectable sixth on your list. Senator Isakson, they didn’t ignore you either. K&S is eighth on your donor list with $31,250.
It goes to figure that some local folks in Washington County would support your respective campaigns. I found out some of the neighbors at my farm have done exactly that. Ben Tarbutton (no middle initial or other identifier) has donated $3,000 so far to the Chambliss campaign in the 2010-2012 cycle. Several Tarbuttons have donated $9,300 to the Isakson campaign since 2009. Those family members include Ben Jr., Benji, Charles, Betsy, Gena, and Hugh.
It’s no secret since Plant Washington was announced over four years ago that the Tarbuttons have been vigorous supporters of Plant Washington. It’s also public knowledge that Charles Tarbutton, who personally donated $1,000 to the Isakson campaign in 2009, is a member of the Georgia Power Board of Directors.
There are 10 directors on the Georgia Power Board. There are seven members of the Tarbutton family who have donated to your respective campaigns since 2009. If we consider corporations to be people (per the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling), then the number of interested parties in these two groups plummets from 17 to 8. A single digit.
Almost 24 percent of the 21,187 people living in Washington County are under the age of 18. In the state of Georgia, there are over 2,500,000 children under the age of 18. The math should work out in favor of the children and votes in favor of upholding the MATS rule.
My grandchildren are among those 2.5M children who deserve cleaner air to breathe. Your grandchildren deserve the same, in whatever state they live in. My children deserved cleaner air when they were growing up. Yours did too.
So please tell me, when does the health of the children come first ahead of the money and influence of donors?
