Is Gov. Sonny Perdue running for a third term?

No, but it’s hard to tell by a press release Rep. DuBose Porter, D-Dublin, just released. It’s also hard to tell whether Porter put it out in his capacity as House minority leader or as a candidate for governor.

Porter blasted Perdue for lifting outdoor watering restrictions today:

“The hallmark of the Perdue Administration is always the same: when confronted with any problem, first, deny it, then when denying won't work any longer, claim that you are solving it. Then just forget all about it, and wait until your term ends.

“Georgia is going to have another drought. Sonny Perdue is leaving us no more prepared for the next drought than he prepared us for the drought that has just mercifully ended. There are proven cost-effective policies, conservation incentives for one that are readily available.

“Sonny's ‘Culture of Conservation’ has always been just talk. Actually conserving is left up to local governments, and he has tied their hands with a state law that won’t let them impose more stringent rules than the state has imposed.

“Georgians have shown that they are eager to do the right thing to assure that they have enough clean water. They want to plan for a future that anticipates, instead of reacts to droughts. But Sonny has set up a water planning system that is designed to promote conflict among water users. Instead of logically following the river basin lines, Sonny has drawn political lines across river basins that guarantee conflicts among regions.”

Poor Sonny just can’t seem to win. Erick Erickson, proprietor of the conservative blog Peach Pundit, offered his own smart-alecky take on the drought’s end: "So you can water your lawn with the water you pay for, but only when the government tells you that you can."

Blake.aued@onlineathens.com