Congratulations, Sonny!

Dear Sonny,

Congratulations on being named sole finalist for Chancellor of the University System of Georgia. It is fitting that in the year that the flagship school of the University System wins the National Championship should also be the year that the Regents select a national champion to serve as Chancellor.

Since I heard the news, I knew that I wanted to write a commentary to congratulate you and I have been thinking about how I wanted to do it. Continue reading

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Meet Bob Bright, WWII POW

January 10 is a special day to Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs proved that Alabama can be beaten as the Dogs won the National Championship.

January 10 is also a special day for 96 year old WWII Veteran, Bob Bright of Cordele, Georgia. It was January 10, 1945 when Bob Bright climbed into the gun turret on his 23rd mission. A short time later, at 25,000 feet Bob was donning his parachute to jump from the burning plane before it exploded.

Of the 9 crew members, only 3 survived. Bob was captured and spent the next six months in a German Prisoner of War camp. General George Patton and his troops liberated the camp and Bob came home.

I had the privilege and honor to talk with Bob Bright and another World War II veteran, Jack Roche. This is Bob’s story.

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For Such a Time – Tribute to John Wiggins

In the Bible, the book of Esther records these words, “for such a time as this.” Mordecai, the uncle and mentor of Queen Esther, encouraged her to lead in a critical time.

John Wiggins, Chair Cordele City Commission

Four years ago in the City of Cordele, a retired Deputy Sheriff, stepped up to the challenge of those words. John Wiggins entered a crowded field of candidates to run for Chair of the Cordele City Commission.

The citizens of Cordele elected John Wiggins, who also happened to be the first African-American elected to the city-wide post. Commissioner-elect Wiggins posted a statement on Facebook and summed up his commitment in one sentence: “It is my privilege to serve you and I will do everything in my power to always put the needs of the people first.” Continue reading

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Put Memorial Back in Memorial Day

Each year in America, we recognize Memorial Day. The name of the holiday itself is about remembering. It is a day to remember those who gave their lives for our nation in service.

Memorial Day originated in America after the civil war. Widows and daughters of Confederate soldiers gathered to decorate the graves of their loved ones who died in that terrible war. They referred to these gatherings as Decoration Day. Continue reading

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Covid Vaccinations Done Right

Don Cole shares his experience with getting a Covid-19 vaccination

Proverbs 3:27 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.”

We all have the power to say good words and show our appreciation. Crisp & Dooly County Health Departments are definitely due some good words. In fact Chick-fil-A should be a little bit envious of them. Continue reading

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Vets to Vote

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Retired USMC Major General James E. Livingston

I am a veteran and I vote. I served four years in the US Army, two in the Panama Canal Zone and two at Hunter Army Air Field in Savannah.

My Military Occupational Skill (MOS) was Military Police Investigator. One of the skills for an investigator was the ability to type. This was long before the days of the personal computer. Continue reading

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We Ran the Race

When I let it be known that I was going to run for the 2nd District US House, many well-meaning people said that I was wasting my time and my money. Because of a long-time incumbency, the demographics, and socio-economics, the district has always been written off for a Republican challenger. 

If an analysis of the data was my basis for running, then I would have come to the same conclusion. My basis for running; however, was not merely on political analysis. Continue reading

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Sanford’s Scathing Ethics Charges

Do You Really Want this Man Representing You?

On July 31, 2020, the US House Committee on Ethics released a scathing report on the unethical and unlawful spending of campaign and taxpayer funds by Sanford Bishop. The report contained 114 findings of fact and citations finding “substantial reason” to believe that Sanford Bishop converted campaign funds to personal use and misused thousands of taxpayer dollars. The report from the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) was approved by a unanimous 6-0 vote.

The wild spending spree included reckless misuse of campaign donations for membership in at least two country clubs, unrestrained gasoline purchases for his entire family, undocumented cash ATM withdrawals, and specially fitted golf clubs. Bishop also spent over $5,000 on a 3-day retreat with two volunteers at yet another luxury resort, which included a trip to the Master’s Golf Tournament.

In addition to conversion of campaign funds for personal use, Bishop misused the government funds which were appropriated for official constituent services. The report outlined that at least four annual Christmas “celebrations were thrown by Rep. Bishop and his wife for their respective staffs” at a luxury golf club in Columbus, Georgia. In an obvious effort to cover up the misuse, either Bishop or his wife called the club and asked that the food invoice be labeled as a “constituent meeting.”

Finding of fact # 103 on page 31 of the report proves the knowledge and intent of the misuse and cover-up.

After receiving initial copies of the bills, Rep. Bishop or Mrs. Bishop called and specifically asked that the food invoice be labeled as a ‘Constituents Meeting,’ but GICC Banquet Coordinator confirmed that this invoice was for the annual holiday party.”

Sanford Bishop denied that these Christmas parties were holiday gatherings and insisted that these were end of year “constituent meetings.” The OCE determined that Bishop’s denials were undercut by his acknowledgement that both his staff and his wife’s staff attended the gatherings. Incredulously, Bishop said that anyone from anywhere in his district could attend if they heard about the “constituent meetings.”

If these were really constituent meetings, then why have them every year at the farthest distance from everyone in the District? How many constituents from the Benning Drive and Ft. Benning Road area on the south side of Columbus, or East Albany, were invited, or have ever been invited, to the country club?

Sanford Bishop and Democrats presume upon the voters in these neighborhoods, but all they want is their votes. After every election cycle of empty promises, it is back to squalor until they need their votes again.

Sanford Bishop is a typical elitist Democrat hypocrite. Sanford Bishop has been in Washington so long that he has lost touch with the people and values in the 2nd District.

In addition to voting to impeach President Trump, Bishop put Puerto Rico ahead of his own District. Siding with Nancy Pelosi against his own constituents, he caused farmers, bankers, and local communities to languish for eight months waiting on disaster relief from Hurricane Michael while he said nothing.

Bishop says that he is an advocate for the less fortunate, yet he has a 100% rating with Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortionist and killer of the least fortunate and most defenseless, an innocent baby. His rating with Right to Life is zero. These ratings are diametrically opposed to the values of the people of Southwest Georgia representing every race and ethnic group.

Sanford Bishop sold out our district and presumed upon the sacred trust of the people. He represents elitists in Washington, not the people of the 2nd District. He should be expelled from the House, indicted for fraud and theft of government funds, and booted out of office in November.

I am running to rescue and return our vote in Congress to its rightful owner, the people of the 2nd District. I will represent your values.

Freedom is under fire. We must take a stand and I ask for your support.

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Anticipated Consequences

Between May 31 and June 27, a mere four weeks, 93 people were shot in Atlanta. That is more than double the number from the same period in 2019.

Not only has the number of shootings doubled, the cost of human lives in the destruction has more doubled. In the same period last year there were six fatal shootings. In the past four weeks, 14 of those shootings ended in death.

The victims included a 10 year old who fortunately survived, an 18 year old, killed while selling bottled water, and an 80 year old man, apparently the unintended victim, killed at his home in a drive-by shooting.

The tragedies heightened on July 4th, when most families were celebrating Independence Day. A precious 8-year old, African American girl was killed by a group of armed men. They stopped the car she was riding in and then opened fire on the car.

That same day a fight broke out at an outdoor party to watch fireworks in Northeast Atlanta. The fight escalated to the shooting of 14 people.

While the gun fight was taking place in Northeast Atlanta, another group opened a battlefront further South. Between 60 and 100 protesters were at the Georgia State Patrol headquarters South of the Capitol area.

Some in the group, armed with rocks and spray paint, targeted the Headquarters. They spray painted the buildings, smashed windows, and tossed what the Atlanta Journal referred to as fireworks through the broken windows.

Whatever they threw in the building started a fire. Two Department of Public Safety personnel were treated for smoke inhalation.

Russell Covey, a criminal law professor at Georgia State, made a misguided observation. He said that lack of police presence “may create something of a vacuum of authority.”

I disagree with Dr. Covey. There was no vacuum of authority. There was plenty of authority at work.

It was not the authority of the city of Atlanta and Georgia law. It was authority exercised by design with strategic, organized, intent by those who hate America and the freedom that we have.

Even the organizers of some of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests said that the ones who attacked the Headquarters were not with them. BLM organizer, Quinton Davis, told WSB TV that the individuals showed up suddenly and immediately got aggressive toward the police.

We need to understand what is taking place here. There are those who are hard at work to instigate anger, division, and hatred between groups.

Their intent and purpose is to undermine and tear down our freedom and liberty. Under the guise of speaking up for some cause, they plant the seeds of destruction in whatever field is fertile.

Our elected leaders play into their hands when they lead based on heightened emotions stoked with spun narrative. The knee-jerk reactions, such as abolishing law enforcement agencies lead to anything but peaceful conversation and positive change.

Headlines in the Atlanta newspaper blare stories of crime, violence, and ultimately death of innocent children. Police desperately want to serve and protect but they can no longer trust the ground rules of policy and the law.

Take a look at where this chaos, confusion, and calamity is taking place. These are all cities controlled by Democrats.

For decades, these cities have had the same problems. The leaders blame the same people. They are stuck on the same platform. They repeat the same promises. Meanwhile their communities steadily perish.

The destruction, chaos, and loss of innocent lives in these cities like Atlanta and Seattle should come as no surprise. The real people who live in these communities are fed up.

There are anticipated consequences. I anticipate a change.

Join me to make a change.

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Choose You This Day

Choose you this day. Those words are familiar. It is likely that you have already finished the phrase in your mind.

In his final address, to the nation of Israel, Joshua stood before the nation that he had led into the Promised Land. He reminded them of God’s providential care. He reminded them of God’s abundant blessings.

Joshua also warned them of the danger that lurked and would attack the foundation of their freedom. Then Joshua challenged the people to make a willful, conscious, decision to choose.

Joshua concluded with his decision. “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

Today, America stands at the point of decision. We are in a time like never before.

The primary issues today are no longer about the size of government, tax policy, or regulation. Today we see mob violence, destruction, and an intentional, planned, assault on America.

What began as calls for the removal of memorial statues, has now taken on the face of mob destruction and violence. Today statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt are not only criticized but defaced and damaged.

Princeton University removed Woodrow Wilson’s name from its Public Policy Center. The Democrat Party in Orange County, California called for the renaming of the John Wayne airport because of comments he made in an interview with Playboy magazine half a century ago.

This mob frenzy has surpassed mere political correctness. It has now metastasized into a cancer that is out to destroy America itself.

Democrats blame President Trump for the violence while at the same time they call for abolishing the police. Seattle handed over several blocks of the city to a lawless mob who apparently could not settle on the name of their newly formed republic, “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” (CHAZ) or “Capitol Hill Organized Protest” (CHOP).

In the first month of CHAZ/CHOP, there were at least six shootings. After three shootings in a 48 hour time frame, one being fatal, the Mayor of Seattle boldly proclaimed that the city “will not allow for gun violence to continue in the evenings around Capitol Hill.”

The Mayor’s proclamation was so effective that 72 hours later there was another shooting. A week later yet another shooting left a 16 year old dead and a 14 year old in critical condition.

Meanwhile, Democrats, including Sanford Bishop, are characteristically silent about the lawlessness, crime, destruction, and decay. The problem is that Democrats have controlled these areas for decades. What happened in a matter of weeks in CHAZ/CHOP was just Democrat leadership on steroids.

Today, America stands at a critical crossroads. The violence and destruction that we see around our nation share no DNA with the values of the people of the 2nd District.

I am speaking up and standing up for your values. I am speaking up and standing up for you as I challenge Sanford Bishop.

I need you to stand with me. I need you to put skin in the game with me.

I am regularly asked if the Republican party will support our race. Yes they will, but they need to see that the people of the 2nd District are standing up. Now is the time to take a stand.

When you donate to Don Cole for Congress, the money stays with my campaign and is focused right here on my campaign. Your contribution will go to promote your values and you can count on that.

You may have never donated to a political campaign before. Now is the time, today is the day.

We are at a time as never before. Right now, you, not anyone else, but you stand at a point of decision.

Some of my readers have already given generously and sacrificially. If you have not given to my campaign yet, then I ask you to do it now.

The number of individual donors is just as important as how much the donors give. Will you put some skin in the game by donating as little as $2.20 (2nd District in 20) or $20.20 (Send DC to DC in 2020)?

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Want to mail a check? Send to: (See Campaign Disclosure Notice At the bottom of this e-mail:


Don Cole for Congress
P.O. Box 1181
Cordele, GA 31010

Thank you in advance for putting your skin in the game with me and making an investment in America. May God bless you and may God bless America.

Sincerely,

By clicking “Donate”, I certify that the following statements are true and accurate:

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– I am not a federal government contractor.

– I understand that this contribution is not tax deductible.

Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, address, occupation, and employer of individuals whose contribution exceeds $200 in an election cycle.

The maximum amount an individual may contribute is $2,800 per election. The primary and the general are considered to be separate elections.  For contributions received on or before May 19, 2020, your contribution (up to $2,800) will be designated for the primary election, and the next $2,800 will be designated for the general election.  For contributions received after May 19, 2020, your contribution will be designated to the general election.

Federal law prohibits contributions from corporations, labor unions, federal contractors, and foreign nationals

If you would rather contribute by mail, please send a personal check made payable to “Don Cole for Congress, Inc.” to:

Don Cole for Congress, Inc.
P. O. Box 1181
Cordele, GA 31010

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PAID FOR BY DON COLE FOR CONGRESS, INC.

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