Monday night’s fundraiser at the Oakland Lodge for state House Republican Ed Rynders was not your typical down-home South Georgia get-together.

Not when Rynders spent most of the day of the event turning down requests from media outlets to attend the meet-and-greet. Not when the state’s largest newspaper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was sending out feelers to try to get a “stringer” to stand outside the plantation lodge and “report on anything you see.”

And not when a burly security person escorted a TV camera crew off the plantation grounds when they asked to come in and shoot some footage.

Sure, Rynders is recognized statewide as one the House’s most prolific fundraisers, and he and Ocilla’s Jay Roberts are among the region’s legislators with the closest ties to the Republican leadership in Atlanta.

But much of the hoopla surrounding Monday’s event had to do with House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s appearance. The Lee County stop was the first for Richardson since he disclosed last Friday that he had attempted suicide on Nov. 8.

“I am pleased the speaker chose to attend the fundraiser; obviously that was a decision that I left up to him,” Rynders said Tuesday morning. “He knows his situation better than I do.

“We’re close, but it was still humbling that he thought enough of me to make my event the first he attended (since his recent disclosure).”
Richardson’s appearance certainly didn’t hurt Rynders’ bottom line Monday night: Once outstanding checks are received, the lawmaker expects to realize contributions of around $40,000.

“I only do one fundraising event locally every two years, and I always do it in a nonelection year,” Rynders said. “In an election year, you’re competing with people running for Congress, the Senate and for governor, and there are really only so many dollars to go around.
“This allows me to be prepared for a potential upcoming race.”

Among fundraiser attendees was a veritable who’s who of local politics: state Rep. Mike Keown, the Coolidge Republican who will challenge U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop for his House District 2 seat in 2010; Rep. Jay Powell of Camilla, and Rep. Carol Fullerton of Albany were among Rynders’ House colleagues who were on hand.

Four members of the Lee County Commission were also present — Chairman Ed Duffy and Commissioners Rick Muggridge, Betty Johnson and Bill Williams — as well as Dougherty County Commissioner Lamar Hudgins. Two of Albany’s three college presidents — Everette Freeman of Albany State University and Peter Sireno of Darton College — were on hand, as was city of Albany lobbyist Rufus Montgomery.

There were, however, no other Albany city officials at the gathering, which also drew influential members of the local health care and transportation communities.

Richardson, who called Rynders a “good friend” in brief remarks during the fundraiser, was somewhat subdued during the event, and he left immediately after urging the more than 80 who had gathered to continue to support Rynders.

“There’s a process in Atlanta,” he said, “and y’all need to keep doing what you’re doing. Take your concerns to Ed, and he’ll worry the hound out of me until we get it done.”

The speaker took a few shots at national leaders — “Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress are fiddling while our country burns” — and members of the state House who refused to accept furlough days — “Of the 180 members of the House, 177 agreed that they would take a furlough day for every day teachers and law enforcement personnel were out of work,” he said. “Those three (who didn’t) showed me where I couldn’t constitutionally make them take furlough days, but that’s OK. It’s going to end up costing them a lot more than it would have once we’re back in session.”

Perhaps the most poignant moment of the evening came when Richardson looked around at the gathering and wistfully said, “You live in a good place; there are good people here. It used to be like that where I’m from.”

A moment later he was out the door and headed back to Atlanta ... and what lies ahead.

E-mail Carlton Fletcher at carlton.fletcher@albanyherald.com.