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A FIRST-TIME POLITICIAN came within a hair’s breadth of winning a US congressional seat formerly held by a member of Donald Trump’s cabinet.
The Georgia Sixth District race will go to a runoff in a race that poses an early measure for President Donald Trump and both major parties ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 30-year-old former congressional staffer, and Republican Karen Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state, will meet in the June 20 runoff. But as they campaign across the northern suburbs of Atlanta, they will act largely as proxies for the roiled political atmosphere in Washington and across the country.
Ossoff led an 18-candidate field in the race to replace Republican Tom Price, who resigned to join Trump’s administration as health secretary. But Ossoff fell shy of the majority required to claim the seat, finishing with 48.6% of the vote.
That opens the door for Handel who finished a distant second, but ahead of the Republican candidates.
Republicans believe a two-candidate scenario will benefit them in a district that has been in Republican hands since 1978.
Trump barely won the Georgia sixth over Hillary Clinton, falling shy of a majority just four years after Republican Mitt Romney garnered more than 60% of the presidential vote.
Given that, Ossoff has tried to capitalise on the anti-Trump energy while still appealing to independents and moderate Republicans in the conservative district.
He demonstrated the tightrope through the final hours of the primary campaign.
“This is not about me. … This is about the kind of community we want to live in. The kind of country we believe in,” Ossoff told supporters Monday night, forgoing any mention of the president despite Trump attacking him on Twitter as a “super liberal” who wanted to raise taxes, protect criminals and allow illegal immigration.
Trump continued his barrage on Twitter last night, slamming Ossoff for living outside the district, something Ossoff says he does so that his girlfriend is closer to her work at Emory University’s medical complex.
With Associated Press reporting.
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Fair play,the soldiers could teach our politicians a thing or two,just get on with the job your given.
@Deano74: They are a peacekeeping force, they can actually do nothing just sit and watch.
@Áine G: Did you read the article,it specifically points out they are assisting in the recovery of bodies,that is getting on with the job,what did you think i meant.
@Deano74: Fablous young men and women, horrible job ,I hope there’s councilling on their return ,that stuff stays with you ..
@Gerry Campbell: They are,and paid little more than a lazy scrote gets off the dole for sitting on his hole.
@Áine G: spoken like one who has never served
@Áine G: There’s a of a lot of Irish people that would disagree with you, Áine. Personally I did a lot more in South Lebanon than just sitting and watching.
Sean Rooney will never get justice because Hezbollah still control the government in Lebanon. Israel made the fatal mistake of only destroying them militarily when they should have pushed on to Beirut and took out their political chain of command as well. Hezbollah has killed at least 47 Irish soldiers since peacekeeping began in the early 1980s. Yet people on our streets chant Hezbollah slogans and wave Hezbollah flags, spitting on graves of all the soldiers that lost their lives to those barbaric terrorists.
@William Jennings: Most Irish people don’t even have a good understanding of Irish history, much less middle-east history, or anywhere else for that matter.
@William Jennings: Hezbollah has not killed 47 Irish peacekeepers – a total of 15 died in the line of fire in Lebanon since the early 1980’s, one third of the number that you claim. You seem to be blaming Hezbollah for deaths from natural causes, accidents etc.
@Kev Kerr: They still killed 15 of our soldiers Kev? That 15 families here at home burdening that loss.
That’s not OK.
@Kev Kerr: You’re completely wrong Kev. Hezbollah and Hezbollah-supported terrorist militias have been responsible for 47 military casualties in Lebanon. Military casualties do not refer to natural causes or accidents as you seem to be claiming. Israel has been responsible for a grand total of zero Irish soldier deaths. You’re spreading blatant misinformation and for some reason are trying to cover for Islamic extremists responsible for the deaths of 47 Irish people who had families.
@William Jennings: you are incorrect, and a quick google search proves that https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41029148.html
@Aindriu MacCuartaigh: I never said it was ok, I’m merely challenging the blatant misinformation posted by William
@William Jennings: Unfortunately, one Irish soldier has been killed by the IDF:
“Cpl. Dermot McLoughlin (1987): On January 10, 1987, Corporal Dermot McLoughlin, aged 33, was killed when an Israeli tank shell struck a UNIFIL observation post near Brashit in southern Lebanon.”
The IDF said it was accidental as they were targeting a nearby group of terrorists. UNIFIL disputed this. Facts do matter. I agree with all else you’ve said, though.
@Aindriu MacCuartaigh: He never claimed it was ok. He was just correcting William lies.
@William Jennings: you have this one wrong Willie,about 15 died as a result of combat situations,Google it.
@Kev Kerr: You’re incorrect Kev. The IJO and the Amal Movement are Hezbollah-backed militias who were responsible for multiple Irish peacekeeper deaths along with the deaths directly caused by Hezbollah. Hezbollah have had a hand in all of the deaths, even if they didn’t literally pull the trigger on every one because their secondary militia groups like the IJO and the Amal Movement took their orders from Hezbollah. Land mines, mortar attacks, drive-by shootings, rocket attacks and bombs all came from Hezbollah and Hezbollah-backed militias.
@Kev Kerr: He’s a pro right wing Isreali propaganda mouth piece. By his own admission,he supports the supremacist rethoric of the terrorist organisation the JDL and Kahnism and it’s extremist ideology. He wants to, in his own words” aggressively westernise Palestine ” and he has ” no respect ” for Palestinians and deems himself morally superior. He makes fun at the proposal of 2m people been driven for their homes to make way for golf courses. He’s the other side of hatred in this conflict, along with Hamas. You’re wasting your time, correcting his twisted narrative. He’s immune to the presentation of facts and will just continue to spew his hateful bile.
@Brian: You’re like a fly to a bowl of rotten fruit Brian. You just can’t resist spewing more of your usual garbage. Yes, I want to aggressively westernise Gaza and I have no problem saying that. You want Gaza to remain a hub for terrorism by letting Hamas stay there. When Germany and Japan were rebuilt after WWII, the US didn’t invite back the Nazi Party or the Imperial Japanese military to “have another shot.” The same logic applies here. If you want Gaza to thrive, you have to remove the elements that keep it in perpetual destruction. Just fixing the economy isn’t enough. You have to embed Western values, pride in hard work, innovation and personal responsibility. Flood Gaza with businesses, American entertainment, and an infrastructure revolution and terrorism is much less attractive.
@Brian: So in a nutshell,no point arguing with an id10t.
@William Jennings: ffs William, the facts are freely available to you – did you click on the link that I shared? 15 have died in the line of fire, be that at the hands of Hezbollah or their affiliates, or as HB pointed out, one by the IDF.
@Brian: not only did he double down after I sent the link, he tripled down! Unbelievable
@William Jennings I’ve repeatedly expressed my disdain for Hamas and its despicable acts of terrorism.. but hey keep spouting lies.. its what you do best. They are extremists who want to wipe Isreal off the map. By the same token, you support Israeli extremists, like the terrorist group the JDL and Kahnism who want to wipe them off the map. You’re as much part of the problem as they are. If you think you can come on public forum with right wing propaganda and rethoric and go unchallenged then you’re sadly mistaken. Don’t forget your antisemitism card on the way out….
@Kev Kerr: Par for the course. He disputes and denys every fact presented to him. He denies Lowry is a convicted criminal even though he was convicted in a criminal court of a criminal offence.. no amount of links to facts can dissuade him otherwise, despite it being a matter of public record. That’s what your up against.
@Deano74: No, I suppose not Deano.. but by the same token, I can’t let extreme right wing propaganda being dressed up as facts go unchallenged. I can’t leave extremists like him hold court.
@Brian: I hear you Brian,he was well found out on this one,facts don’t matter to him unless they suit his agenda.
@honey badger: 3 Irish soldiers also murdered by another soldier,1982.
@William Jennings: What are you smoking Hezbollah have not targeted or killed Irish soldiers only in crossfire and action, the fact you can’t even bring yourself to acknowledge Israel illegally occupies the Golan Heights renders anything you say utter garbage.
Nice to know Israel can kill with impunity and even nicer to know our lads clean up the mess, if I had my way the IDF would be fighting a proper army.
Israel is a terrorist state who murdered over 62000 people 70%woman and children
Irish peace keepers have been in the middle for over half a century . Peace is as far away now as it was then . Feel sorry for the Irish who lost their lives , but it is a thankless task being there . That Islamist / Zionist nightmare is something to avoid . It is dragging the world into endless trouble . Send humanitarian aid , it’s the decent thing to do , keep trading , but bring Irish home . Europeans should leave it to the USA . They are Israel’s XL bully and the UN and the world are powerless to stop them . The recent conflict makes that clear .
@The Rossie: ment to say “ Middle East “
Luckily no Irish peacekeepers were killed trying to stop Hezbollah terrorists firing rockets to kill Jews.
@thomas molloy: what have you to say about the 18000 children murdered by Israel in Gaza or do they not count?
@Brian McCarthy: What have you to say about the 30,000 children murdered by Hezbollah/Assad/ Russia in Syria? Do they not count?
Just continue sending blankets and medicine over,Irish soldiers( peacekeepers)have no business there.if all hell breaks out where are they going to point there guns?up in the air?
Statement is posted!
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