The deal on Deal #3

Here's the structural problem in Georgia's ethics watchdog situation.    There is no true ethics oversight -- and Georgia's lawmakers intended it to be just that way.

It's not even correct to call it the Ethics Commission.  They changed the name to something like Commission on Government Oversight and Campaign Finance.  And they set it up to be packed with friendly members:   the governor appoints three members, and the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House each appoints one.    Five members, a majority appointed by one man, the governor;  the other two by the other top elected officials.  

And right now, all of three officials are Republicans. How can that possibly be an independent group -- or perceived to be, even if it actually turned out to be so?

Even if Gov. Deal is squeeky clean in this whole sordid mess, it appears that he is controlling it behind the scenes.    Politicans have long ago learned how to do things that preserves their "plausible deniability" of having anything to do with it.     

Deal is stringently denying he had anything to do with this.   But who can believe him when (1) he benefits from it, (2) people have testified that strings were pulled on his behalf, and (3) it's the way he's been operating his whole political career?

Too bad, Nathan.   You get in bed with dogs and you're going to wake up with fleas.   Your Momma would not be proud of what you're doing.   I knew her.   Mrs. Deal was a second grade teacher in my home town school, and she did not spare the rod when boys misbehaved.

Ralph