Barnes announces bid for Governor (no surprise).

From the Telegraph (Macon, Georgia) 06-04-09

Ending months of speculation, former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes announced Wednesday that he’ll run to reclaim his old job.

The Democrat, who was ousted in 2002 after a single term, turned on the folksy Southern charm even as he blasted the state’s ruling GOP for leading the state in the wrong direction on transportation, education and job creation. Barnes — whose reputation for arrogance earned him the nickname “King Roy” while he was in the governor’s mansion — struck a far humbler tone Wednesday, saying he’d learned from mistakes in his first term and was ready for a fresh start with voters.

“I realize that when I was governor before I didn't do enough listening. I realize that I was impatient and had an aggressive agenda,” Barnes said Wednesday surrounded by his family in a packed hotel conference room in Marietta.

“I didn’t take time to explain why I thought certain issues were important or time-sensitive and critical.”