We had some fun with Earl Ehrhart  earlier today. Ehrhart has been in the House since 1988 and is now chairman of the House Rules Committee. This makes him very powerful.

So let's have some more.

The current 36th district is far northwest Cobb County, along the Paulding County line up to Bartow County.

In 2004 Ehrhart easily won re-election with 75% of the vote against Democrat Christopher Lee. Since then he has raised $197,000 for his re-election, in a district with 45,000 residents. That’s over $4 per resident, and we’re not into the election year yet.

Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself. Here's his first half report. And here's his second half report.

Where does it come from? A lot comes from the Aycoxes, of Atlanta Title fame. So far, the Aycox businesses and various family members have given Ehrhart about $15,000, including about $1,000 in free transportation for his attendance at the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Another big donor is Vesta Holdings, a buyer of property liens which was implicated in the Mitch Skandalakis scandal.  Owner John “Buddy” Ramsey has given $4,000 so far, through the company.

Most of the rest comes from PACs, usually in $1,000 or $2,000 chunks. Ehrhart seems to specialize in pawn brokers, cash advance houses, and credit card banks. Ehrhart favors loans at any interest rate, and quick collections of the collateral. Think of it as economic recycling.

Where does his money go? During 2005 some $31,500 went to an outfit called Dandridge Consulting in Roswell, mysterious in that it doesn’t maintain a Web presence and is based in a Roswell cul de sac. (Dandridge has also advised Chuck Clay  and Saxby Chambliss.) Some of that money went personally to Dandridge employee Matt Metcalf for services as a “Legislation Session Assistant.”

Ehrhart is also a big fan of the Boy Scouts. He gave $2,500 in campaign cash to them last year, and is also sponsoring HB 1053, which would authorize an “In God We Trust” license plate whose money would go to the Boy Scouts.

As Chair of the Rules Committee, Ehrhart is a vital voice in all legislation. He can get it through or he can stop it. But what does he care about? His name is on HB 935, which lets an advanced practice registered nurse prescribe drugs. There aren't a lot of medical practices on his donors' list.

Since being divorced from his former wife, Beth Anne, Ehrhart has become a “father’s rights” advocate. His name is on HB 968 which would toss people in jail if they tried to take kids away from custodial parents, even in the event of equal parental rights, and especially if you're heading out of state. The Southern Voice writes that “he has really quieted down on our issues” since his divorce.