In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, host Bill Nigut walks AJC editorial cartoonist through his remarkable career, from selling insurance door-to-door to his long tenure at the AJC, where he’s won two Pulitzer Prizes for his exceptional work. Link to topics Recent Luckovich cartoons The Luckovich portfolio of cartoons that won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize The Luckovich cartoon portfolio that won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize Have a question for the show? Call t...
May 27, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Tia Mitchell and Bill Nigut share the mic with retired AJC Political Insider Jim Galloway. You’ll hear from Quentin Fulks, the Georgia native who is President Biden’s principal deputy national campaign manager. He’ll explain why he thinks for President Donald Trump is “unpalatable” to many Republican voters. Later, now that Nikki Haley has said she’ll vote for Donald Trump, the podcast welcomes her national c...
May 24, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Most political observers agree that the defeat of veteran Democratic state lawmaker Teri Anulewicz was the biggest surprise of the primary elections this week. Anulewicz joins the podcast to discuss how she believes she was upset by a virtually unknown challenger and what she sees as her future in politics. She also describes how difficult she found the most recent session of the Georgia legislature to be given the flurry of partisan politics. Then, with the economy a major factor in voters’ dec...
May 23, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast State Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson beat back an aggressive challenge to his seat on the bench by John Barrow, who ran on a pledge to restore abortion rights in Georgia. Pinson won the race by 10 points. What do the results say about abortion as an issue for the state’s voters? How much did incumbency play into Pinson’s victory? In a conversation with Tia, Greg, and Bill, Pinson said, “Georgia is not ready to have and does not want a politicized judiciary like we’ve seen in a lot of these ...
May 22, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Primary Day in Georgia! Tamar Hallerman and Sam Gringlas discuss two key races on the ballot today that feature candidates working in the Trump Georgia election conspiracy trial. Judge Scott McAfee, the presiding judge in the Fulton County case, faces a challenger, but today’s vote will determine whether he continues in his job. There is no November election for his position. Fulton County DA Fani Willis is on the ballot. If she wins her primary race against one opponent, she will be the od...
May 21, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast We kick off a brand-new week of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast with a review of a busy political weekend in the Peach State. The AJC’s Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell, along with Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy discuss what they saw and heard while covering President Biden’s visit to Atlanta which included a private fundraiser and the much-anticipated commencement speech at Morehouse College. Republican state Senator Randy Robertson joins the podcast to discuss the...
May 20, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Tia Mitchell, and Bill Nigut take the show to the Capitol Theatre in Macon where they talk to University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue about recent protests at the University of Georgia. But first, the hosts welcomed Macon Mayor Lester Miller and Mayor Pro Tem Seth Clark. The middle Georgia leaders championed lawmakers’ bipartisan push for the ancient Ocmulgee ...
May 17, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast The state’s Republican Party begins its two-day annual convention in Columbus on Friday. With Donald Trump’s allies now in control of the state Republican party, Governor Kemp and other mainstream leaders will once again steer clear of the gathering. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Bill Nigut welcome Columbus’s WRBL-TV reporter Chuck Williams to the podcast to help set the stage for what could be yet ...
May 16, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell are joined by Paige Alexander, CEO of the Carter Center, who says former President Jimmy Carter is “at home, enjoying peanut butter ice cream and getting the food he wants any time he wants it.” Alexander also reveals that the Carter Center continues to have quiet conversations with contacts on both sides of the Israel-Hamas war. Plus, Former Fulton County commission chair John...
May 15, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon tells hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut abortion won’t play a significant role in the 2024 presidential race. He also commented on his hopes for the Republican party to move forward at the upcoming state party convention in Columbus. MSNBC commentator and Morgan State University professor Dr. Jason Johnson joins today’s podcast and weighs in on President Joe B...
May 14, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast A federal court will decide whether State Supreme Court candidate John Barrow can build his campaign around his pledge to preserve the right to abortion for women in Georgia. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell are joined by former Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens and DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond dive deeper into the legal battle Barrow is waging against the Judicial Qualifications Commission. The panel also loo...
May 13, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Coastal Congressman Buddy Carter joined the show to talk about the latest chaos in Congress. Rep. Carter, R-St. Simons Island, said he thought Marjorie Taylor Greene’s motion to oust Speaker Johnson was a bad idea. The Congressman also talked about his efforts to get Georgia’s first national park. Then, Semafor reporter Kadia Goba talks to us about a series of controversial tweets from Mike Collins. Plus, we walk through who’s up and who’s down for the week. Links to topics Marjorie Taylor Green...
May 10, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tia Mitchell reports from Washington on the stinging defeat for U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, when her own GOP colleagues and substantial numbers of Democrats voted down her effort to remove Mike Johnson as speaker of the House. But first, Democratic state Sen. Harold Jones talks about the Republican-led Senate committee empaneled to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ commitment of resources to prosecute the election interference case against Donald Trump and 12 other d...
May 09, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast First up, the view from both sides of the political aisle: Democratic National Convention delegate Wendy Davis of Rome and Republican consultant and CNN analyst Alice Stewart look at U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s off and on again efforts to remove the speaker of the U.S. House from office. Has she lost relevance on Capitol Hill? Then, they discuss the impact President Joe Biden’s staunch support for Israel and the sometimes violent pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses may be h...
May 08, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan was once a rising star in Republican politics. Now, he’s one of the most prominent critics of former President Donald Trump within his own party. Duncan joined "Politically Georgia" today to discuss why he’s urging other conservatives to vote for President Joe Biden. Then the hosts welcome Democrat and Mableton Mayor Michael Owens and Cobb County Republican Jason Shepherd to talk about how members of different political parties can disagree better. Plus, Publ...
May 07, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast The podcast welcomes the Georgia ACLU's executive director, Andrea Young, who shares her thoughts about the protests playing out on college campuses in Georgia and beyond. Young believes police should only be called in as a last resort. She goes on to discuss the ACLU’s concerns about a major piece of legislation Gov. Brian Kemp has now signed: the expansion of crimes now requiring cash bail, including minor offenses such as not appearing in court to answer a traffic citation. Then, AJC veteran ...
May 06, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast As pro-Palestinian demonstrations roil several Georgia college campuses, including confrontations with police at two and a number of arrests, the podcast today welcomes four Atlanta-area students to get their perspective on what’s happening at schools in the state and beyond. The students are: • Braxton Broady, who attends Morehouse College, where tension already exists over the school's invitation to President Joe Biden to give the commencement speech there in mid-May. • Mozn Shora, a graduatin...
May 03, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast State Rep. Ruwa Romman, the Georgia Legislature’s only Palestinian American lawmaker, weighs in on recent protests on college campuses over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Romman has spoken out about the arrests of several demonstrators on Emory University’s campus. Speaking to the hosts of “Politically Georgia,” she said, “We owe it to students to teach them, not repress them.” But first up, former U.S. Rep. John Barrow joins the show. Barrow is running against incumbent Justice Andrew Pinson for...
May 02, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast The podcast welcomes Dov Wilker, Southern regional director of the American Jewish Committee, who responds to student demonstrations taking place on campuses in Georgia and across the country. Wilker says the protests are not “pro-Palestinian” but rather “anti-Israel,” and he says Israel’s response to the barbaric attacks by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 is appropriate to assure the country is safe from future attacks. But first, the hosts discuss breaking news: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tell...
May 01, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast First up, the hosts welcome Republican consultant Brian Robinson to discuss how the widespread pro-Palestinian protests on campuses in Georgia and across the country may be making an impact on voters in this election year. Then, AJC Athens bureau chief Fletcher Page gives the panel a close-up look at the anti-Israel protests that have taken place at the University of Georgia over the past two days. Plus, the podcast welcomes Democratic state Rep. Billy Mitchell to discuss Vice President Kamala H...
Apr 30, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today's edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Tia Mitchell and Bill Nigut are joined by Morehouse College Provost Dr. Kendrick Brown to discuss how the school plans to handle possible protests over the Israel-Hamas war and prepare students for President Joe Biden’s visit to the campus when he gives the commencement speech in mid-May. Then, Carlos Trujillo, who was the U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States under then-President Donald ...
Apr 29, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux told the Politically Georgia podcast that the Israel-Hamas war poses a dire threat to President Joe Biden’s reelection bid. The Democrat, who represented a Gwinnett-based district for a term in Congress, said Democrats shouldn’t underestimate the deep divide in the party over the White House’s handling of the conflict. She called it a potential “dagger at the heart of the Democratic coalition” that helped Biden eke out a narrow 2020 victory in Georgia. She also...
Apr 26, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has more company in her pursuit of election interference charges against former President Donald Trump’s allies. Prosecutors in Arizona brought charges Wednesday against GOP electors deployed by the Trump campaign after Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. But first, a number of Georgia incumbents have apparently rejected invitations to participate in debates sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club that are scheduled for this weekend. The...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Veteran political consultant Rick Dent weighs in on President Joe Biden’s upcoming graduation speech at Morehouse College. Biden’s visit is aimed at bolstering Black voters, but could it be overshadowed by protesters opposed to his support for Israel? The hosts look at potential disruptions that could cause trouble on campus. But first, AJC columnist Maureen Downey joins us after Gov. Brian Kemp signed the most far-reaching school voucher bill in state history. Downey discusses the impact the me...
Apr 24, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Democratic state Rep. Scott Holcomb joins the podcast first to offer an emotional perspective on the Legislature’s failure to pass his Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act, which would provide those whose convictions are overturned with state financial aid to build a new life. And Holcomb responds to Gov. Brian Kemp’s declaration on our show that he will never support a full expansion of Medicaid. Then, the podcast welcomes Robert Schwartz, leader of the Haley Voters for Biden effort. Plus, the ...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast It will be a big week for news about former President Donald Trump. As his hush money trial begins in earnest today in a Manhattan courtroom, the podcast welcomes Anthony Michael Kreis to discuss what to expect from both prosecutors and defense attorneys. Who will be the first witnesses for the prosecution? How will Trump's lawyers counter testimony from his former lawyer Michael Cohen. Kreis also looks ahead to Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court hearing that will determine whether the former preside...
Apr 22, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s edition of “Politically Georgia,” the hosts travel to Athens, where they tape a live show on the University of Georgia’s campus. First, the crew sits down with Gov. Brian Kemp for a wide-ranging interview about what bills he’ll sign following the legislative session that ended last month, the Okefenokee Swamp and who he’ll vote for come November. Then, the hosts answer questions from our audience members about all things Georgia politics. Links to topics Kemp backs $6,500 school vouch...
Apr 19, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast The podcast welcomes state Rep. Michelle Au, a physician and advocate for women’s health issues. Au is in the forefront of advocating for reproductive freedom for women and access to IVF in the aftermath of the Alabama Supreme Court decision declaring that in vitro frozen embryos are living beings. Then, Cole Muzio, president of the conservative Frontline Policy Alliance , discusses the issues his organization worked to advance during the recent session of the General Assembly. Muzio is a strong...
Apr 18, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast The hosts discuss growing anger among Georgia members of Congress over the U.S. Postal Service’s inability to solve serious delays in mail delivery in metro Atlanta. It’s part of a larger national problem. But first, the podcast welcomes former Georgia Republican Congressman Tom Graves, who served in the U.S. House for a decade before retiring in 2020. The hosts ask him for his observations about the infighting among GOP members of the House today and about the extreme partisanship on both sides...
Apr 17, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast The podcast welcomes Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. The hosts ask Carr why he joined other Republican attorneys general in signing on to a multistate lawsuit challenging President Joe Biden’s new student loan forgiveness plan. He said the matter should be up to Congress to decide. Carr also told the hosts that the state has looked into whether charges should be brought against any individuals who worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election and decided there were no grounds for brin...
Apr 16, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
