TODAYS RUNOFF between Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff has generated such interest that it has spread across the pond.

Cobb GOP Chairman Jason Shepherd, who has been traveling in Germany with his family, said he planned the trip back in December. To save money, while his wife and children flew to Berlin, he used miles to fly to London, planning to use cheap regional carriers to fly on to Berlin and meet them.

Originally, Shepherd said he planned only a quick visit to Oxford to turn in some paperwork at the university where he has been studying, but when the congressional election ended in a runoff, another idea crystallized.

Shepherd emailed the Georgia Republican Party, asking if it knew where Ossoffs London office was, and enlisted a friend who works for a member of the U.K. Parliament.

The two met in front of Ossoffs office a few hours after Shepherd landed in London. Shepherd said he edited the video on his iPhone before uploading it to the internet (www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW0jg5STJZY&feature=youtu.be).

The video begins with Shepherd reading an Ossoff campaign pamphlet about bringing jobs to Georgias 6th District.

But today, Im in London, England, Shepherd says, looking into the camera. And whats behind me? Jon Ossoffs London business. Jon Ossoff doesnt live in the 6th District, and he doesnt even bring his own business to the 6th District. How can we count on him to create jobs in the district?

The GOP chairman ends the piece by placing a Karen Handel campaign sign at the gate of Ossoffs London office.

And well just go ahead and leave this right here for Jon Ossoff to remind him to move to the 6th District, Shepherd says.

Michael Owens, chair of the Cobb Democratic Committee, said while he can appreciate Shepherds dedication in attempting to win this election, he hardly sees what the London trip has to do with the Ossoff campaign or the issues that affect 6th District voters.

Jon has stated many times that he is the co-owner of Insight TWI, a company that produces investigative documentaries. This means that Jons company works and partners with local investigative journalists around the world, Owens said. Just this year, one of Jons teams uncovered mass killings and sexual slavery by ISIS on the front line in Iraq while producing a documentary for the BBC. The BBC is in London, so Im not sure why Jason finds it so troubling that Jon may have a presence there. Again, I appreciate Jasons effort, but I think he wasted a bunch of money to take a Karen Handel sign across the Atlantic.

(Owens said he wasnt aware Shepherd was in London anyway because he didnt mention it in the video.)

In any case, as chair of Cobbs Democratic Party, Owens said he has chosen to spend his time in the district working directly with the voters and volunteers to help send Ossoff to Washington.

If Jason, as the chair of the Cobb GOP thinks its more effective to go leave the district at this crucial time and track down leads about the good work that Jon Ossoff has done in London then that is up to him. I along with Jon, the campaign and our volunteers are focused on issues that matter and affect the people of the 6th District, Owens said.

Yet Shepherd said thats the beauty of technology.

While I may be in Europe, I am still able to coordinate the Cobb GOPs GOTV (get out the vote) efforts to recruit volunteers for our team captains, get our message out via email and social media, and receive reports via text and phone, Shepherd said.

FLUNKED. A school choice group awarded state Sen. Lindsey Tippins, R-west Cobb, an F in its report card for the 2017 legislative session. The grade is of particular interest given that Tippins is chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

Calling themselves the Georgia Center for Opportunity, the group graded lawmakers on such things as expanding the current tax credit scholarship program through HB 217 and HB 338, which would create so-called education savings accounts that allow the tax money to follow the child to charter or private schools.

Cobb school board member Randy Scamihorn, a Republican, had a few things to say about the report card. Scamihorn said he reviewed what scores the other members of Cobbs Legislative Delegation received.

And one of the things on several of them that I saw got an A-plus grade they may not be anti-public school, but they certainly give the indication that they are not for public schools, that theyre more for school choice, charter schools and vouchers, Scamihorn said. So for Lindsey to get a Grade F along with others that are strongly for public schools trying to do what they can do to help us at least thats my indication I dont see that as a negative grade. I went down through all of the senators and some of the representatives and this might be somewhat anecdotal, but I glanced at Democrat and Republican, and those that got the poor grade in my mind tended to be the ones that are strong public school supporters.

The report considered very few bills lawmakers voted on in arriving at its grade, Scamihorn believes.

I think Lindsey, if not wearing it as a badge of honor, should look at it as a skewed report from a group wanting to push an agenda, Scamihorn said.

Theyre just supporting school choice, and the question I would like to ask if I was part of the group or addressed the group is what is your group doing to help public schools? They say public schools are failing but how are we failing?

Other senators who represent parts of Cobb County received the following grades from the report: Hunter Hill, R-Smyrna: A plus; Bruce Thompson, R-White: B; Horacena Tate, D-Atlanta: C; Michael Rhett, D-Marietta: F.

In the House, John Carson, R-northeast Cobb, received an A-plus, as did Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, and Sam Teasley, R-Marietta.

Receiving an A were Sharon Cooper, R-east Cobb, Matt Dollar, R-east Cobb, Rich Golick, R-Smyrna, and Bert Reeves, R-Marietta.

Don Parsons, R-north Cobb and Sheila Jones, D-Atlanta, both received a B.

Stacey Evans, D-Smyrna, Michael Smith, D-Marietta, and Erica Thomas, D-Austell, received a D.

And Roger Bruce, D-Atlanta, and David Wilkerson, D-Powder Springs, received an F.

Senior Assistant Solicitor General Latonia Hines has been named prosecutorial liaison to SunTrust Park and the Battery.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: Senior Assistant Solicitor General Latonia Hines will be spending time at the Atlanta Braves new stadium but not in the way most baseball fans would want to. Hines, who works in Cobb County Solicitor Barry Morgans office, has been named prosecutorial liaison to SunTrust Park and the Battery. In that position, Hines handles the investigation and prosecution of misdemeanors and code violations in and around the stadium. She said since taking the position most of her cases have been . you guessed it . alcohol-related.

Hines lives less than two miles from the ballpark and said shes already seen the positive impact of having the Braves in Cobb.

I truly have a vested interest in keeping the area safe and enjoyable for everyone, the Cobb attorney said. Hines also serves as editor in chief of Justicia, the official magazine of the Cobb Bar Association.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN: Whether you Hurrah for Handel or Jump for Jon, everyone can agree what a mercy it is that the tiresome political ads that have choked television, phone lines and social media for far too long are coming to an end. Its reason to celebrate until coming across these lines by MDJ reporter Ross Williams in todays MDJ: Whoever wins tonight will have little time for confetti and champagne. The winner will have to fight for their seat once again in November 2018 as the remainder of (Tom) Prices term expires at the end of that year.

What?!

The sequel is coming real soon, the article quotes KSU professor Kerwin Swint as saying.

And the beat goes on. The beat goes on.

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AROUND TOWN: GOP chairman questions Ossoff's London office - MDJOnline.com