January 31, 1997

Under the Dome Column, Marietta Daily Journal

Rep. Roy Barnes, D-Mableton, said Thursday he regrets walking into a room full of reporters at the State Capitol on Tuesday and making a disparaging comment about Cobb Commission Chairman Bill Byrne’s family.

The comment came after Byrne sent a letter to Rep. Barnes chastising the lawmaker for introducing a resolution that demands House Speaker Newt Gingrich pay back the Kennesaw State University Foundation for legal expenses. In Byrne’s letter, he noted that he intends to run for governor in 1998 and is a potential opponent of Barnes, who has already announced his candidacy.

Barnes sent a letter to Byrne on Wednesday in which he apologized for the off-the -cuff remark he made after receiving Byrne’s letter. Referring to Byrne’s political hopes,  

Barnes said,  “I don’t know who is going to run his campaign – his lesbian daughter or his stripper daughter.”

“The letter said that I made a comment about your family and the comment was inappropriate, and I , and I apologize to you and your family,” Rep. Barnes said Thursday. “I also said we have our political differences from time to time but the comment was inappropriate.”

Byrne reportedly refused to acknowledge the apology from Barnes.

Fast Forward to today, June 3, 2009: The only reason Barnes sent the apology letter to Byrne was because he got caught being himself and a reporter (ME) decided to call him out for it. Barnes stopped me in the hallways of the Capitol that week and scolded me for what I printed. I told him it was stupid of him to say what he did in front of a bunch of reporters. During his tenure as Governor, Barnes proved himself inept as a leader. Let’s hope the state of Georgia remembers this well and keeps him from leaving next year’s primary as the Democratic nominee for Georgia Governor. 

For a PDF copy of the Marietta Daily Journal clip from January 31, 1997, click here.