By John Fredericks/STAFF

Welcome to my new column, "The Political Insighter."

The objective of this new weekly feature is to keep you, the reader, well-informed as to what's really going on in North Fulton and Georgia politics while providing an insightful perspective you won't find anywhere else. "Political Insighter" will be updated daily on Beaconcast.com with a weekly recap found right here each week in your Sunday Beacon.

During what is sure to be a highly charged political season only the Beacon's “Political Insighter" will give you all the facts - and the scoops - on North Fulton politics. Naturally, my analysis of some of the political maneuvering and gamesmanship that is sure to take place will seep its way into my daily updates and Sunday column.

If you have any “political insight" you want to share, please email me at jfredericks@beaconcast.com or call me at 770-640-3230 ext. 203. Although our sources are always protected, I can't take anything provided to us anonymously as credible or even worthy of looking into, so you have to give your name.

DEBBIE GIBSON TO MOUNT A COMEBACK IN ALPHARETTA?

Former Alpharetta Councilwoman Debbie Gibson, defeated by 87 votes in her bid for a third term in 2007 by newcomer Cheryl Oakes, is said to be secretly planning a City Council comeback bid in 2009. Gibson is expected to keep a low profile and then make a surprise filing for the open seat of term-limited Councilman Jim Paine on deadline day in August.

Gibson, who was hammered relentlessly in 2007 by Alpharetta resident Jeff Berry with his infamous “DUI Debbie" website, is fighting back, and apparently wants to show Berry she will not be intimidated by him again in 2009.

According to an Alpharetta police report, filed last week by Berry, Gibson was seen by Berry's 15-year old son putting seven of her 2007 “Re-elect Gibson" brochures into Berry's bird-box in front of his Windward home last Sunday at 12:30 a.m. The Berry youth, who fingered Gibson in his statement to the cops, said she also put another five of her old brochures in several of the Berry's neighbor's boxes. Perhaps Gibson's strategy is to give Berry a taste of his own medicine should she indeed mount a bid. Subsequent to “brochure gate," someone also sent an anonymous letter to Berry's wife and aged parents, imploring them to tell Berry to stop his websites, accusing him of some sort of mental derangement.

Berry, author of the parody website "Chateau Alpharetta"(www.chataeualpharetta.com) that harpoons the city's proposed $25 million city center proposal, said his family laughed off the letter, but suspected it came from Gibson. “It is sad and desperate, and I wish Debbie well in her life outside of Alpharetta politics," offered Berry.

ORLANS OUT OF MAYOR RACE

Poor Jerry Orlans. He has wanted to become Mayor of Roswell for years, and now he will have to wait for his chance yet once again. Orlans quietly backed out of the Roswell race for mayor last week, citing business reasons, and instead said he plans to run for re-election to his City Council seat in November. Orlans added that with the expected turnover on Roswell's council due to both David Tolleson and Lori Henry having to give up their council jobs to run for mayor, he believed it was important for him to remain in his current position to “bring stability" to Roswell's 2010 City Council.

In reality, Orlans had no shot at winning a mayoral bid. He would have been competing with incumbent Mayor Jere Wood for essentially the same voter pool, and he could never hope to match Wood's money or political savvy in an election against him. So Orlans, often a backbencher on Roswell's Council, will have to wait his turn - again. His best bet to ever get his coveted position will now depend on Wood losing in 2009, allowing him to then challenge Tolleson or Henry in 2013. With two open seats, Orlans is unlikely to face a serious challenge for re-election this go-around. He defeated Democrat activist Joey Davis by a nearly two to one margin in 2005.

PAINE TO RUN FOR ALPHARETTA MAYOR IN 2011

Three-term Alpharetta Councilman Jim Paine cannot run for re-election in 2009 due to Alpharetta's term limits law. Paine's seat will be open in 2009. Paine has told The Beacon he intends to run for Alpharetta mayor in 2011. Alpharetta Mayor Arthur Lechtas is expected to retire after his current term expires.

Assuming Alpharetta Councilman David Belle Isle stays in the race for the state senate in 2010, Paine is likely to face fellow councilman John Monson for the top spot. But Monson has to get re-elected in November first, and that is not a salm dunk by any means. Monson is vulnerable to a serious challenge this fall and is the odds-on favorite to be the only North Fulton County incumbent council member to get knocked out of office this year.

If Belle Isle loses his state senate bid, he may resurface as Paine's primary challenger for mayor in an effort to revitalize his political career, which is promising.