The District 56 GOP State Senate Debate Is Now Just One Week Away. 

Three candidates. Ninety minutes. 300 attendees. This is one debate you won't want to miss. Republican candidates John Albers, Brandon Beach and David Belle Isle, vying for the open state Senate seat of the retiring Dan Moody, will square off in an old-fashioned policy and issues debate, sponsored by The Beacon, at the Metropolitan Club in Alpharetta on Tuesday, April 27. The festivities kick off with a cocktail reception and great food courtesy of some of The Beacon's best restaurant clients at 6:00 p.m. Less than 100 tickets remain for the event, so be sure and reserve your seat today online at beaconcast.com or call The Beacon at 770-640-3230. This is hot -- don't miss out.

BARNES TO NORTH FULTON: DROP DEAD

Former Georgia governor Roy Barnes has written off North Fulton County lock, stock and barrel. Not only has the Democrat gubernatorial front-running nominee blown off the upcoming Beacon debate, even after we called his lame, inane and pathetic bluff, he's stooged the six mayors on the Northside as well, by dissing their upcoming forum. So basically Barnes has wrinkled North Fulton voters worse than a cheap suit in a cold rain. Perhaps the OTP electorate will remember Barnes' arrogance come July -- and August. November won’t matter. He'll never get there, courtesy one Thurbert Baker.

Despite the Barnes' camp debate hide and seek shenanigans, The Beacon is pressing ahead, anyway, complete with a proverbial empty chair right behind the "Big Chicken's" name plate.

ROGER BONDS TO RUN AGAINST JOHN EAVES

The Fulton County Republican Party, led by Chairman Shawn Hanley, is in the final stages of putting together a formidable slate of reform candidates in its attempt to wrest control of the Fulton County Commission in 2010. Popular North Fulton GOP operative Roger Bonds has confirmed his desire to enter the fray, and he says he plans to file for the July 20 GOP primary to challenge Commission Chairman John Eaves. Bonds, from Milton, is a veteran political organizer with thorough knowledge of the issues and deep partisan support. He'll raise enough money to be competitive --  Eaves had only a little over $5,000 in his campaign account in January -- and his energy and enthusiasm knows no bounds.

BESKIN TO LINE UP AGAINST PITTS

By Bonds' side in an effort to oust commission incumbent Robb Pitts will likely be Buckhead family law attorney Beth Beskin, a longtime noted fiscal conservative who has pledged to partly fund her campaign with an infusion of capital from her own personal wealth.

Both Eaves and Pitts are "at large" candidates, which means they are not elected by district, but from the entire county.

Bonds and Beskin envision running on a "reform Fulton County" platform.

WILD CARD: MARY, MARY -- NOT SO CONTRARY!

But the real wild card in the upcoming 2010 Fulton County Commission election is none other than Mary Norwood, the former Atlanta City Councilwoman from Buckhead, who lost a nail-biter mayoral run-off race to Kasim Reed this past December. Norwood knows a little about reforming government, being that she's built her entire political career based on the concept.

Norwood is seriously testing the waters for an independent run against Eaves. Her key supporters have already launched a signature gathering petition drive, and sources close to the "almost Atlanta mayor" say Norwood plans to go public with a Facebook and web site announcement as early as tomorrow.

Norwood is a natural for this race. She is wildly popular in her base, she has an army of loyal volunteers, she knows about reform and most of her noted and powerful political campaign organization is still in place. An independent candidacy against Eaves is a natural fit for her -- both logistically and philosophically. If she formally gets in the race -- and several sources close to her have confirmed that she indeed will -- then she becomes the immediate front runner, turning into Eaves' worst nightmare.

An independent Norwood campaign for Fulton County Commission Chair has the potential of becoming a November juggernaut, as she'll likely pick up independent, Democrat, Republican and reform support across the board.

GOP GOV. CANDIDATE RAY BOYD ALREADY DRIVING THE PARTY NUTS

You've got to hand it to newly-minted Republican gubernatorial candidate and noted real estate developer Ray Boyd. First, he crashed the GOP establishment elephant party by making a surprise announcement of his entry to the race by calling the existing field of longstanding candidates "ethically challenged." Then he mocked their two years of campaigning and fundraising by plopping down $2 million of his own wad, putting him ahead of the entire field in the cash game after just one day of campaigning.

Now he's poked a finger in the eye of the stodgy state party stalwarts, chafing at the requirement to sign a "Republican Pledge" to pay his qualifying fee for the July 20 primary. He reportedly got in a shouting match with GOP state Chair Sue Everhardt on Friday night. When contacted, Boyd replied: "I'll sign the Republican Pledge when they [state party] can clearly define what a Republican is these days. I'm a Ronald Reagan Republican. The very reason I'm running for Governor is because they don’t know what they stand for, or why. That's the fundamental problem." He says that the party has gone adrift, in a rudderless non-ideological fashion that worries more about power and perks than principle.

The pledge he referred to is a section of Georgia code that requires those filing for election as a Democrat or Republican to sign their party's pledge, to discourage disingenuous infiltrators. Boyd concluded, defiantly, "I pledge allegiance to my country, not to political parties."

Boyd has confirmed his attendance at The Beacon D-56 GOP state senate debate on April 27 to "meet folks."

RUMORS OF CAGLE DEMISE WISHFUL THINKING

One aspect of journalism -- especially covering politics -- in this town that I have come to loathe is the incessant nonsensical rumor mill that emanates from the largely liberal press pool at the state capital. There's a band of "media" representatives who target conservatives almost on a daily basis by spreading unfounded and ugly rumors of the silliest kind. Most of them originate from non-credible freelance blogger sites, which are chiefly written by part-time amateur journalist wannabes with no credentials, no training and no legal watchdog overseer. Truth be told, anybody with an axe to grind who can plop down $50 to buy a software program on sale at Office Depot can start one. The fact that some of these jokers are looked upon as legitimate purveyors of "news" is as silly. Many of these "blogger sites" reside somewhere between the "National Enquirer" and the "Onion" on the media continuum. 

The latest gibberish from the Gold Dome left wing dominated press pit centers on Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and some latest "shoe that's about to drop" unintelligible blather. Is this the same shoe that was about to drop on the Lt. Gov. since last April? Must be an awful big shoe. Bottom line: no shoe drops on Cagle, no last minute primary challenge and no bombshell scandal. Know why? There isn't one. Wishful thinking is a sorry substitute for solid reporting.