Newnan Times Herald
December 8, 2006

Isakson could become Georgia's next great man in Washington

Who could become Georgia's next great U.S. senator or congressman? We're talking about someone of the stature of Sam Nunn, Carl Vinson, Richard Russell, Walter F. George, or even Herman Talmadge or Newt Gingrich.

Among today's current crop of Georgians in Congress, there may not be a candidate to achieve such stature. If we were to pick one from the current lawmakers, we would go with Sen. Johnny Isakson, our state's junior U.S. senator.

Isakson is short on tenure in his current position — he's only in his first term in the Senate. All the greats we listed above — except for Gingrich — established themselves over the long haul. All had long, distinguished careers in Washington.

While short on time in the Senate, Isakson is in a position to yield significant influence in the upcoming Congress, even though his Republican Party lost control of both houses of Congress in November's election.

You may have read some of the news reports about Isakson and his middle-ground approach as a lawmaker. During his career in the Georgia legislature, and now in Washington, Isakson has an impeccable record — one of working with legislators from both parties to broker deals and get the citizens' business done. As a Republican minority lawmaker in the Georgia General Assembly back when there were few Republicans, Isakson was a leader. He got things done. He had the respect and the ear of the then-powerful Democrats. He was a most successful lawmaker.

Now in Washington, with the Democrats soon holding a small edge in the Senate, Isakson is seen as an influential member of the minority party who can help break the partisan logjams and help get the people's business done.

Former Georgia House Majority Leader Larry Walker told an Atlanta reporter, "Frankly, Johnny Isakson has an opportunity to be a real leader in the U.S. Senate in the mold of Richard Russell or Sam Nunn. ... Everybody from Georgia who's in politics today, I don't know of anybody I'd put ahead of Johnny Isakson."

If Isakson can find success in his middle-ground approach and break the bipartisan logjam that has existed far too long in Washington, indeed, he can become Georgia's next great leader in our nation's capital.