Just when you thought it was safe to go outside, or even answer the telephone, well, John Albers, Republican candidate for state senate, District 56, is at it again. After being called on the carpet for a series of falsehoods regarding his policy positions, half truths, exaggerations and embellishments of the facts concerning his professional credentials and an outright lie about his lack of a college degree by this newspaper and the AJC, guess what he did this week? A real doozey, that’s what.

Albers sanctioned a "robo" telephone call to about 8,000 Republicans in North Fulton that essentially impersonated Roswell Councilwoman Betty Price, wife of the powerful and popular Congressman Tom Price (R-GA/6th). The phone calls were from an "anonymous" woman who sounded like Dr. Price, and called herself "Betty Prise." In the taped "robo" calls, the Price impersonator urged listeners to vote for John Albers, while trashing his opponent, Brandon Beach as a "tax raiser," and then claiming Albers was the true "conservative"in the race. The cat got out of the bag moments after the calls started, when the real Betty Price started to field phone calls of her own -- one from her former minister -- asking why she "turned on Beach."

Price, who said she was "outraged," said she called Albers on it via his cell phone. "Albers laughed it off," she said, but denied involvement. When questioned further, Price says Albers admitted knowledge of it, and told her he knew the woman who made the calls, but refused to reveal her real identity.

We got a hold of a caller ID, and called the number back. Guess where the call originated? Ronald Blue and Company, where Albers serves as CIO. Yikes!

Price then took immediate action. First, she filed a complaint with the state’s inspector general, and then promptly endorsed Brandon Beach for state senate, saying she was shocked and dismayed at Alber’s behavior.

Bottom line: Albers will do just about anything to win. So much for God telling him to run for the seat. I doubt God told him to lie to get it. Do you?

It’s painfully obvious that Albers is a fraudulent candidate of the worst kind. He's banking on a low turnout and uninformed voters following his hollow and silly mantra to the polls. Are North Fulton voters that stupid? Apparently, John Albers thinks we are. Will his bizarre campaign strategy pay off? We’ll find out Tuesday night.

My prediction: Brandon Beach, an upstanding guy, who has never lied to this newspaper in four years, pastes Albers, 62 percent to 38 percent. Call me naïve, but I trust the democratic form of government. Albers can fool a few people in the short term, but he’ll get his payback for his shenanigans on Tuesday, in the form of an old fashioned electoral rebuke. His political career ends on August 10. Good riddance, John.

HANDEL’S NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN TAKES ITS TOLL

This proved to be a tough week on the trail for the Karen Handel for Governor campaign. With the loss of three high-profile campaign supporters, the momentum seems to be shifting to Nathan Deal. “I’ve been a supporter of Karen’s since her announcement, even years before. However, at this time, I cannot in good conscience support her in her efforts. Her campaign, in the last three months has been nothing short of a train wreck,” said former Karen Handel Bibb County Co-Chair, Maurice Atkinson. “Former Congressman Nathan Deal has lived a life of service and patriotism. He has served his country in the military, as a public servant enforcing the law, as a judge, a state legislator and a congressman.”

Also defecting from the Karen Handel for Governor campaign this week was state representative Earl Ehrhart from Cobb County. Ehrhart joins former House Speaker Mark Burkhalter,  House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, and North Futon Reps. Chuck Martin, Joe Wilkinson, and Harry Geisinger on the Nathan Deal for governor bandwagon. And on Saturday, a third defection from the Handel campaign: Cobb County Co-Chair of Karen Handel for Governor, Bill Byrne, a former Cobb County Commission Chairman and 2002 gubernatorial candidate. “While continuing her relentless negative, zero ideas campaign, Karen Handel has slandered the record of Nathan Deal who has served his nation, without controversy for his entire adult life,” said spokesperson Deal for Governor campaign manager, Brian Robinson.

Despite the defections, I still think this is going to be a close race with Deal taking it 52 percent to 48 percent. If that prediction pans out, then I just might be remembered as the only journalist in the state of Georgia that predicted a Deal victory six months ago. We’ll see what happens Tuesday night.

SPIN DOCTOR OF THE WEEK? ALBERS, WHO ELSE?

The political robo calls were in full force in the last week of the run-off. And again Albers threw up another bogus Hail Mary. He created an online-social networking group called the "Milton Communities Taxpayer Association." Then the newly created group, who by the way is not registered with the Secretary of State’s office, did an endorsement robo call for Albers. So esentiallay Albers created the organization on Monday, endorsed himself on Tuesday, and did a "robo" call to voters about the endorsement on Wednesday. Naturally caller ID revealed that when you dialed the number back you reach Ronald Blue and Company where Albers works. And, there wasn't even a disclosure that it was paid for by Albers. Who paid for this? Albers said he knew nothing about it, but his picture came up as the founder, when we "Googled" the new organization. Albers says it's all to do about nothing. We’ll call it the Spin Doctor of the Week.

WHERE'S DAN?

Has anyone seen Dan Moody since he endorsed Albers three months ago? Is Dan in the witness protection program? BTW, where is Dan's check to Albers? It didn't show up on Albers' disclosure form? 

DON’T MISS THE BEACON’S LIVE RUN-OFF ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE ON TUESDAY NIGHT

The Beacon Broadcast Network will be on live from 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. for our run-off election night broadcast. We hope you can tune us in on Comcast channel 25. Joining us in the studio will be former Dekalb County Commissioner Vernon Jones and former Speaker of the House Mark Burkhalter, along with Rep. Wendell Willard, We’ll have results  as they roll in and live reports from all the campaign headquarters throughout the night.

Don’t have cable? Dump the dish, and get in the game!