Fayette County's representative in the U.S. Congress gave a “call-to-arms” talk to Fayette County Republicans at their monthly breakfast recently.

Rep. Mac Collins' comments were geared toward Republicans and the state of the party. The crowd included local Republicans, guests and a strong representation of Fayette County's elected officials.

Collins dwelt on the impact of a third-party candidate, longtime Republican Patrick Buchanan's motivation and his potential move to the Reform Party and the need for Republicans to work with their party.

Saying he believed Ross Perot's Reform Party candidacy in the 1992 elections threw the race to the Democrats, he voiced concern that the scenario could be repeated.

He exhorted Republicans to back the Republican presidential candidate, adding that if they did not, the Democratic candidate would have a strong chance of winning the White House. He noted that the upcoming president would be privileged to appoint a number of Supreme Court justices and said the justices and their rulings have a great impact on the future direction of the country.

Collins also stressed the importance of state level elections. He noted that Georgia would gain up to three new congressmen in a redesign of the districts, adding that it is critical to ensure that the redistricting is done fairly.

He briefly criticized Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura's statements regarding organized religion. Ventura recently was quoted as saying that religion is for the “weak-minded.”

Elected officials attending included County Commission Vice Chairman Greg Dunn, Commissioner Herb Frady, Fayetteville Mayor Mike Wheat, Fayetteville councilmen Kenneth Steele and Al Hovey-King and Peachtree City Council members Annie McMenamin and Carol Fritz.

A number of candidates for local office also were in attendance, including Fayetteville mayoral candidate Paul Oddo and Chuck Lehman and Dan Tennant, both running for Peachtree City Council.