Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE.
With eight-year-old children being gunned down in the streets of Atlanta while Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued executive orders “dramatically” tightening the rules of engagement for police, the Democrat embraces political gamesmanship.
With the Black Lives Matter police brutality narrative losing its luster, the left has pivoted back to the coronavirus pandemic and Bottoms announced last week Atlanta was rolling back to “Phase 1″ status, which could threaten the very survival of many businesses.
“Georgia reopened in a reckless manner,” Bottoms declared. “And the people of our city and state are suffering the consequences.”
And this week, after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order banning city and county officials from requiring people to wear masks out in public, Bottoms openly defied the order.
Calling a mandatory mask requirement a “bridge too far,” Kemp has said that such an order is unenforceable. At the same time, he continues to urge people to wear masks.
Responding to the mayor’s defiance, Kemp is suing Bottoms.
“This lawsuit is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times. These men and women are doing their very best to put food on the table for their families while local elected officials shutter businesses and undermine economic growth,” Kemp said in a social media post on the lawsuit.
“Just like sending in the Georgia National Guard to protect those living in our capital city from crime and violence, I refuse to sit back and watch as disastrous policies threaten the lives and livelihoods of our citizens. We will fight to stop these reckless actions and put people over pandemic politics,” he continued.
These men and women are doing their very best to put food on the table for their families while local elected officials shutter businesses and undermine economic growth. (2/4)
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) July 16, 2020
We will fight to stop these reckless actions and put people over pandemic politics. (4/4)
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) July 16, 2020
Bottoms responded on Twitter to first play the victim, before adding, “A better use of tax payer money would be to expand testing and contact tracing.”
3104 Georgians have died and I and my family are amongst the 106k who have tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, I have been sued by @GovKemp for a mask mandate. A better use of tax payer money would be to expand testing and contact tracing. #ATLStrong pic.twitter.com/z4hpTrCS1B
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) July 16, 2020
This being a familiar tactic by the left — call for more testing, then slam Republicans in areas that show a jump in cases. Just ask Florida, which is experiencing intense media scrutiny, even as the state tested 144,000 people in one day over the weekend.
Given a platform on NBC’s “Today,” Bottoms said on Friday, “The filing of a lawsuit is simply bizarre, quite frankly.”
In that same appearance, she accused President Donald Trump of “violating the law” by not wearing a mask when he visited the city Thursday.
“This filing of a lawsuit is simply bizarre, quite frankly.” Atlanta Mayor @KeishaBottoms says about Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s lawsuit against her for violating his ban on making face masks mandatory. pic.twitter.com/xULZgJXH7X
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 17, 2020
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, another Democrat, took to Twitter on Wednesday to attack Kemp, claiming the governor “does not give a damn” about Georgians.
“It is officially official. Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us. It is officially every man and woman for himself/herself. Ignore the science and survive the best you can,” Johnson tweeted. “In #Savannah, we will continue to keep the faith and follow the science. Our masks will continue to be available.”
It is officially official. Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us. Every man and woman for himself/herself. Ignore the science and survive the best you can.
In #Savannah, we will continue to keep the faith and follow the science. Masks will continue to be available!
— Mayor Van Johnson (@MayorJohnsonSAV) July 16, 2020
Note that Kemp’s executive order said nothing about the “availability” of masks.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
[email protected]
The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
