Our first endorsed candidate of 2008, State Senator Regina Thomas (GA-12), is just one week away from her primary against BushDemocrat John Barrow, so I called for an update.

Thomas was overjoyed to receive a check from Actblue worth $28,387. Most of that money - nearly $25,000 - came from you via our "Replace Bush Democrats" page:
http://www.actblue.com/page/bushdemocrats

The check arrived after she filed her June 30 FEC report with a cash-on-hand balance of $10,601. Thomas is running a completely grassroots campaign from her dining room, with no office rent and no paid staff, so every dollar she receives from us will go to a final week media blitz including TV, radio, billboards, and local newspapers.

Barrow, of course, has a lot more money - over $1 million in cash. Thomas says his TV and radio ads are saturating the local media. While his ads feature African-Americans, their message is conspicuously vague - "I trust John Barrow." Thomas says Barrow's ads give voters no reason why they should trust Barrow, and are backfiring as voters see through them.

Thomas is preparing two ads. One underscores her 12 years of service to her community in the State Legislature, and the other says she's "the real Democrat" compared with BlueDog Barrow.

Thomas expects a very large turnout on July 15 because there are many hot races, both statewide and local. Voting in the Democratic primary is open to all parties, but voters must choose either a Democratic or a Republican ballot for all races. So Thomas doesn't have to turn out voters, she just has to convince those who are already voting to vote for her.

So if you know anyone who lives in GA12 (interactive map here), tell them to vote for Regina Thomas for Congress on Tuesday!

Update 1: Thomas is getting some excellent coverage in the news and blogs. Here's part a great interview in Connect Savannah by Jim Morekis (read it all):

What about privacy issues such as the wiretapping bill, which Barrow fully supports and Obama seems to be moving towards approving?

Regina Thomas: Well, John Barrow’s basically a Republican. But I don’t know what’s wrong with Obama. Why in the world would you give immunity to anyone who illegally wiretaps American citizens and then give them carte blanche to do that, then using terrorism as the excuse?

I would go back and try and repeal some provisions of that bill, because that’s a direct conflict to the Fourth Amendment right to privacy. John has tried to defend that, saying that it doesn’t give them the right to wiretap American citizens, but it is a direct violation. Who else would be able to get immunity for doing something illegal like that?

Is it just the telecom money talking?

Regina Thomas: I tell you what, they have given the Democrats that supported that bill big money, and Barrow has received $13,500 from telecom companies. So you tell me what that is. That’s pandering to lobbyists and big corporations at the expense of American citizens.

And here's Howie Klein:

This morning I spoke to a reporter for the Savannah Morning News, the biggest newspaper in John Barrow's district. He mentioned to me, and he seemed surprised, that Regina Thomas has been making warrantless wiretaps an issue in a race where Regina's own best issues, employment and high gas prices have been front and center. But Regina remembers when the government wiretapped Martin Luther King and she finds it deplorable that the congressman from GA-12 should support Bush doing the same thing to untold millions of American citizens without legal warrants. The same reporter asked Barrow, who has been one of Bush's most dependable allies on this, and Regina about warrantless wiretaps and retroactive immunity in their Savannah debate last night. It was obvious that Barrow-- for all his touting of his Harvard education-- has no understanding of the Constitution, separation of powers or the oath of office he took. Although Regina is just a state Senator, her intuitive understanding of Justice and the respect with which Americans hold the Rule of Law, puts her light years ahead of Mr. Smarty Pants.