George and Karen Duncan have
hosted big book signings at their little Omega Books shop in Peachtree
Crossings shopping center before. But nothing prepared them for the turnout
Monday, when Sen. Zell Miller came to town to autograph copies of his
controversial book, "A National Party No More: The Conscience of
a Conservative Democrat."
The popular two-term Georgia
governor and one-term U.S. Senator was running late after earlier stops
Monday in Carrollton and Newnan, but he didn't shortchange an estimated
400-plus fans who stood in line up to three hours to shake his hand, share
a word, or pose for a photo.
"He's been the nicest
man, so accomodating," said Karen Duncan of Miller, who arrived in
Peachtree City with an entourage that included longtime pal Wayne Garner,
the former state senator and Georgia prisons chief who was elected Carrollton's
mayor in November.
Duncan said she had 300 books
in stock, selling about 75 in advance and the rest well before the night
was finished. Dozens more are now on back-order.
At one point Monday night,
the line to greet Miller snaked from the front of the store to the rear,
winding its way back out the front door and down the sidewalk to near
the entrance of Kroger.
One woman who came running
into Omega Books as the line was reduced to a single row down one aisle
said she stood for two hours earlier in the afternoon but had to leave
for a dentist appointment. "I got my crown done and came back,"
she said.
"A National Party No More"
is making waves on both ends of the political spectrum, as Democrat Miller
details his position that his national party has deserted its core constituents
New York Times bestseller's list and is already in its third printing,
Miller said.
As the signing requests dwindled
Monday night, he took five minutes to answer five questions for The Citizen:
Q.�Is this book making a difference?
A. I can't answer that,
but I know this: It has a struck a chord in this country in a way I had
no idea it would. I wrote it as a how-to for Democrats, and to get some
things off my chest. But it struck a chord, and I can't explain that.
Q. How easy will it be for
you to leave Washington next year, when you plan to retire for good?
A. Very easy. When I went up
there to Washington (in July 2000, filling the seat of the late Paul Coverdell)
I asked how long it takes for a senator to qualify for retirement, and
I was told five years of service, and I had four and half years to go.
I don't need the retirement. I said when I arrived I never had any
intentions of staying.
Q. Your legacy as governor
was the Georgia Lottery and HOPE scholarship program, which is on shaky
ground now. And Rebecca Paul, who you hired to guide the lottery from
the start, has moved on to Tennessee. Are you concerned?
A. Well, there's nobody who's
better in the lottery business than Rebecca Paul. But the lottery is going
to be fine because Georgia is going to continue to grow and the lottery
will adjust and change. HOPE will be fine; it needs to be streamlined
some but the state is looking into that and it will be OK.
Q. How important was the news
that U.S. troops had captured Saddam Hussein over the weekend?
A. It means one of the world's
most cruel dictators and terrorists has been eliminated, and to get him
out of Iraq and elminate that threat is a great achievement. I've
supported President Bush in this effort from Day 1 and stand by him in
everything he's done in the war against terror.
Q. So what is your position
on the 2004 Presidential race?
A. I'm going to support
the Republican candidate, George W. Bush. He's the right man at the
right time in the right place to lead this country. I want a strong president
in the White House because what happens in the war on terror the next
five years is going to determine what kind of world my grandchildren will
be living in years from now.







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