Politics

Georgia Attorney General set for prime time speech

TAMPA, Fla. — Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens worked through the morning to polish up a speech he'll deliver before a national audience at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday.

Olens had one last rehearsal at 10 a.m. inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, he told Channel 2's Lori Geary. Olens is speaking with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, one of the few times when two people will share the podium at the same time.

Olens told Geary it's a little difficult for a pair to speak at a podium built for one, but he's very comfortable on stage.

"To be honest it's a much warmer setting than I expected and you don't get a feeling of the size of the room when you are up on stage," Olens said.

The attorneys general will focus on federal government overreach.

"It's about a president who doesn't believe in limited constitutional power. I'd rather be in partnership with the federal government rather than litigating them all of the time," Olens said.

Olens said he and his staff worked on the speech until 11:30 Tuesday night, but most of the changes were minimal at this late stage. He thanked the Romney campaign for giving him the freedom to deliver the message he wanted to.

"It's impressive that the campaign wants you to speak but they said, 'We're not here to tell you what to say,'" Olens told Geary.

In downtown Tampa, Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson told Channel 2's Justin Farmer he's looking forward to Olens' speech.

"He's done a great job, he's well-spoken and outspoken on important issues," Isakson said of Olens. "It's going to be hard for a lawyer to keep it down to eight minutes."

Isakson told Farmer he's also looking forward to the speech by vice-president nominee Paul Ryan.

"We were elected to Congress at the same time. He's the genuine article, he's very smart and he's very humble," Isakson said. "He's a great speaker. He talks in words you understand. He communicates with you on your level."

Isakson said the Republican ticket is a perfect mix with Romney bringing governing and business experience and Ryan bringing knowledge of the budget and government finances.

"Hope and change never materialized, financial difficulties are still there. I feel very bullish on this ticket," Isakson told Farmer.

Olens is expected to deliver his speech about 8 p.m. and Ryan will deliver his remarks about 10 p.m. Channel 2 Action News is inside the convention hall and with Georgia leaders delegates all day long.

 Look for Farmer and Geary's reports on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m., on WSBTV.com and on Twitter @WSBTV and @WSBVOTE.

http://bcove.me/mxkeauru