David Shafer
From dKosopedia
David Shafer is a portly, bespectacled Republican state senator from Georgia known for his special interest fundraising and legislative scheming.
Shafer began his political career as a Republican campaign operative, serving as executive director of the Georgia Republican Party in the early 1990s and managing the gubernatorial campaign of Guy Millner in 1994. He ran for Secretary of State in 1996, winning the Republican primary and then losing to Democrat Lewis Massey in the general election. In 1998, he was associated with the losing campaigns of Millner for Governor and Clint Day for Lieutenant Governor. In 2000, he played a role in another GOP defeat, serving as finance chairman for the attempted comeback campaign of Mack Mattingly for United States Senate. Shafer then ran for state chairman of the Georgia Republican Party in 2001, losing to Christian Coalition co-founder Ralph Reed.
Shafer's sagging career was revived when he won a special election in early 2002 for the State Senate, largely on the strength of his fundraising Rolodex. He quickly emerged as a major GOP player in the General Assembly, chairing the Senate Science and Technology Committee and serving as floor leader for Governor Sonny Perdue. Within the State Senate, Shafer is aligned with the so-called "Chips Caucus" of Senators Chip Rogers and Chip Pearson and their titular leader, Lieutenant Governor-Elect Casey Cagle.
Shafer is a longtime crony of Cagle, who in 2006 left the Senate to run for Lieutenant Governor. In a bitterly contested primary, Cagle defeated Shafer's old foe Ralph Reed to win the Republican nomination for that office. After winning the general election, Cagle appointed Shafer to a five man Senate Transition Committee along with Rogers and Pearson as the functional majority.
Shafer claims association with the Republican Liberty Caucus but his libertarianism appears limited to opposing tax increases. On social issues, including abortion, stem cell research and gay marriage, Shafer toes the line of the Christian Right. He supports so-called "non-embryonic stem cell research" involving stem cells extracted from umbilical cord blood.
Like other Georgia Republicans in the 2006 election cycle, Shafer has resorted to nativism in the immigration debate, calling for stronger border controls even though Georgia has no border with Mexico. A Shafer gem: "From the ancient Romans to the American Indians, history has shown us time and again that nations which lose control of their borders cease to be nations."
Shafer's website boasts "honors" from a list of disreputable right wing organizations, including an A+ rating by the National Rifle Association and awards from Americans for Tax Reform, Georgia Family Council and Georgia Right To Life.
Shafer is one of the top Republican fundraisers in the State Senate, using his campaign warchest to fund the campaigns of other Republican candidates. Hypocritically, Shafer co-sponsored ethics legislation for Governor Perdue that would have outlawed this practice. Shafer is also involved in several other Republican fundraising committees, including the Republican Leadership Fund, The 159 Group and the Live Oak Republicans.
Shafer is a graduate of the University of Georgia where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity and "good ole boy" Gridiron Secret Society.
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