Our state needs more politicians like Isakson

One of Georgia’s most capable public servants in the past three decades will spend much of the day Friday in Newnan and Coweta County meeting with the local folks and reporting to them on what’s going on in Washington and other parts of the world.

Newnan Times-Herald — Aug 18, 2008

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson will be at the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Roundtable from 7:30-9 a.m. at Canongate-on-White Oak Golf Club. There he will brief his audience on federal legislation that impacts business and our local communities.

At noon Isakson will speak to Newnan Rotary Club members and guests meeting at the Newnan Country Club. He is expected to make other stops on his whirlwind trip into Coweta.

If you would like to hear Isakson on Friday, your best bet might be the morning chamber roundtable meeting. That meeting is open to chamber members and nonmembers. Cost is $15 which includes breakfast. Registration deadline is Wednesday. Call the chamber at 770-253-2270 or make reservations by email at info@newnancowetachamber.org

Isakson served in the Georgia General Assembly for many years. He is a former chairman of the Georgia Board of Education. He served six years in the U.S. House and was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2004. There had been much speculation Isakson would return home in 2010 and run for governor, but early this year Isakson said he would not run for governor. He plans to seek reelection to the U.S. Senate in 2010.

The longtime Georgia public servant has an impeccable reputation. In this day and time of partisan political rhetoric, Isakson is a politician who can build consensus among political parties. In Georgia and in Washington he has had success building coalitions of his fellow Republicans and Democrats.

In a day when most politicians can’t talk for five minutes without blasting the other political party, it’s not uncommon for Isakson to give an informative 30-minute talk on the issues without ever getting into the partisan rhetoric.

Our state needs more Johnny Isaksons. Maybe we should clone him – keep one Johnny in the U.S. Senate and have another Johnny in the Governor’s Mansion on Paces Ferry Road.