Georgia Sen. Chambliss Knocks Over Camera When Asked About Lawsuit

The pressures of the runoff election and the continuing questions about his ties to a large, scandal-scarred sugar company seem to be getting to Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Asked by a reporter whether a lawsuit involving deaths at an Imperial Sugar plant -- a lawsuit in which Chambliss claims he has senatorial immunity from testifying -- were making his chances at reelection harder, the Georgia Republican responded by knocking away a nearby camera.

The video, put out by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is another chapter in a bizarre but brewing saga that could very well affect the outcome of the Senate race.

In February 2008, an explosion at the Imperial Sugar Factory in Savannah, caused largely by combustible dust particles, killed 14 workers and injured 40. The whistleblower who brought the issue to light came before Capitol Hill to testify on the matter. Chambliss sat in on the hearing, though he was not part of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. He was accused by his opponents of verbally harassing the whistleblower. Moreover, Chambliss continued to oppose a new combustible dust standard at the plant even after the explosion. Finally, when families of the victims filed a lawsuit, the Senator refused to give evidence or testimony, citing Senatorial immunity, which doesn't actually exist.

Imperial Sugar, which has funneled a moderate amount of donations into Chambliss' coffers, has defended the Senator's conduct as appropriate.

Comments

[JumpingCholla]

Not only an a s s h o l e, a ra cist, bi goted, a s s h o l e.

[cheeriogirl]

I respectfully agree!

[mathme]

I think that there are ways that you can say "asshoIe" without all of the spaces. :)

[roshni]

But this way it doesn't get censored.

[SPQR1052]

Respect professional working member sof the press - mister SAX!!!

[CR46]

Why was he not arrested for assault on this camera man???

[Oldbuck]

This one we as Democrats can win phone anyone you know who is a voter in the state and impress on them how badly we need them to vote.

[Big0725]

What a lovely old redneck!

[SouthernBlueBelle]

I am from Georgia and this man is an abomination. Hypocritical, despicable and a coward. He and Zel Miller should be put on an Ice floe and made to just melt away.

[KeepMeLearning]

In Alaska perhaps???

[GlenRast]

GOP 'free speech' is always good for a laugh

[billhare]

Rush Limbaugh: Making Millions Spouting Deceitful Nonsense

When Rush Limbaugh left his job as a nurse he switched to radio broadcasting in Sacramento. It has been reported that a discovery he made prompted him to develop an approach that has served him ever since as a key to riches.

Limbaugh observed that when he turned into a sour curmudgeon spouting hate for the approval of the perpetually disgusted his ratings soared.

Limbaugh’s on the air blitzkriegs, while offensive to those of sensibility and sensitivity, provide a measure of comfort to those who delight in being uncomfortable.

The first step is to unleash a barrage of hatred to develop and hold an audience comparable to a depression version of Archie Bunker. The difference is that the late Carroll O’Connor fashioned his character as comedic and lived in the real world, a well read and highly articulate political liberal.

Lewis Carroll, creator of “Alice in Wonderland,” had a word describing what Limbaugh does regularly. The word is jabberwocky, defined as nonsensical poetry.

With the stock market recording reverses during a period marking the culmination of radical right economics which Limbaugh and his listeners heartily supported, he asserted that America is currently immersed in a “Barack Obama recession.”

This absurdity was mouthed more than two months from the time that Obama will take office on January 20, 2009. Such reasoning is obviously unfair because it constitutes reason in a Limbaugh world monopolized by red meat jabberwocky.

[KeepMeLearning]

I have wondered the very same thing about BillO the Clown...and the rest of the Fox Noise crew.

[thatonetoo]

And what can he say now that the name of Treasury Secretary has been announced and the stock market leaped upward? Say what,Rush???

[KeepMeLearning]

If he has nothing to hide, why is he behaving this way???

The Emperor has no clothes.

[thatonetoo]

Doesn't the entire Republican party sorta remind you of when Toto pulled back the curtain in the Wizard of Oz??? If you buy their Bu lls t then you deserve what you get.

[sroot]

Senatorial immunity??? WTF!? Who the hell does this clown think he is?

[KeepMeLearning]

He probably helped Cheney rewrite the Constitution.

[vincent1]

A Republican.

[deeppeace]

Body part. Rhymes with 'trick.'

[hapiguy]

Seems like a Perfect Red State Republican,,strait forward,,real fine person, his last Election run showed how decent he was,,come on Dems,,,get this ,,,,,,,, out of the Senate,,,this is what is wrong ,,really cant finish this with true feelings...good luck in Georgia

[Woodmist]

Gawd, Saxby is a classless swine. What does that say about Georgians that elected him? Hopefully, he'll not be re-elected. He not only gives Republicans a bad name but humans as well.

[canucklivinginUSA]

Georgians are idiots. I live in Cobb County, GA. and you would not believe the amount of GOP idiots that are crawling here. Meanwhile, Georgia has been hit hard by this crisis. Oh Chambliss, I soo hope you get your comeuppance

[roshni]

My in-laws live in Cobb county. They voted early for Martin.
I couldn't wait to leave GA. Did not want to raise my child there.

[ReelBusy]

The "Senator" is acting like Sean Penn or Kayne West with the "papparazzi".
They pay off big lawsuits for attacks like this all the time.

[ShanniC]

As a Georgian, I am severely embarrassed by this man. Saxby Chambliss is total slime, and while I want to believe that voters will reject his sorry excuse for a Senator, I believe he will still be elected by his 'Good Old Boy' supporters!

[bygollymissmolly]

It all will come down to which side gets the most people out to vote. Are you working to get the Democrats in Georgia to come out en-mass to vote?

[roshni]

It absolutely depends on voter turnout. Remember how well we did in FLA? We need to energize the dem base with the ground troops and get out the vote.

[Driver125]

Yes....What is wrong with those so-called 'Good Old Boy' types? The deeper in the bag their man appears to be the better they like him. What would they do with an honest man, run him out of town on a rail?

[baghdadjoe]

Looks like Saxby just had his Macaca Moment.

I'm going to spend some of this afternoon dialing for Martin. Please join me in helping to rid Congress of this terribly un-American Senator:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/votercontact/switch_campaign?campaign_id=phM

[roshni]

Doing it from PA. Wish I could help in person in GA but you guys need to get out the vote.