Athens Native Sons Against Bringing Saxby Back
If you woke up this morning tired of not donating to a candidate facing a crucial election, here's one for you. Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss is potentially in a runoff with Jim Martin. You may recall when Saxby managed to conflate war hero Senator Max Cleland with Osama Bin Laden in this ad:
He's now featuring 9/11 footage in his new ad, not that there's a clear path yet to how he will conflate Democratic candidate Jim Martin with the attacks.
It's bound to get worse, since the attack dog wing of the Republican party is bored enough to go after their own Vice Presidential choice. The voters targeted by both of the ads above are so low information they make Sarah Palin look like Alistair Cooke. It's the demographic that consistently fell for creepy emails about Obama and the end of days, although you'd think they'd be bigger fans of bringing on the rapture. Getting the truth out there is the only way to combat this.
The Georgia runoff will not just be about the chance to win one more seat in the Senate, it will be about winning the most crucial seat. A Martin win could give the Obama administration a veto / filibuster-proof majority as it gets to work on repairing the economic meltdown, ending the war in Iraq and restoring our international reputation as a nation. If you saw today's press conference, the President Elect is already inspiring confidence with his impressive team of financial advisers and, for an Illinois history wonk, his shout out to Lincoln.
So when Al Franken becomes Senator of Minnesota after the mandatory recount, when Mark Begich defeats convicted felon Ted Stevens to become Senator of Alaska, there is one runoff that will help get the Democratic Party to 60 in the Senate. True, Sen. Joe Lieberman may flip to the right, but it's not too early to call dibs on Sen. Chuck Hagel. Maybe Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will give him a Chicago-style pep talk. By the way, is it just me or has Hagels' hair been looking great lately? [Gaffe alert: Since that wouldn't help as his term is about to end, a commenter below also suggests Maine Senators Collins and Snowe or Dick Lugar. But I really do like Hagel's hair].
No matter which senator goes for a switch, the Democratic Party does not achieve 60 without Martin winning, and the incumbent has a major war-chest to utilize. A source told the Huffington Post's Sam Stein that Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee all are likely to campaign to bring Saxby back.
For the opposition, Justin Timberlake could rewrite "Bringing Sexy Back," as "Not Bringing Saxby Back," and R.E.M., President Elect Obama and a potential grass roots war chest will bolster the effort. Georgia's native sons are actively asking for support for Jim Martin in the runoff.
R.E.M. Manager Bertis Downs writes:
"It is the only race left in our global village. As longtime friends and supporters of Jim Martin, we urge anyone not already involved in his campaign to check out his information and consider donating -- he will be outspent by the Republicans, but with the ground game and momentum generated so far, maybe just maybe prevail in the runoff (and he was 20 points down in the polls a few weeks ago)!..."
Martin himself writes:
"Saxby Chambliss has promised to do everything he can to stop Barack Obama from succeeding. We face the biggest challenges of the past 60 years - let's work together to solve them. In the Senate I'll do what's best for Georgia, what's best for this country, and what's best for the middle class who've been ignored the past eight years."
Politico posted, "John McCain will be campaigning for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) in the all-but-assured runoff against Democrat Jim Martin next month, according to Chambliss' campaign." [emphasis added].
So if you woke up this morning tired of not donating to grass roots campaigns, here's a link to the most important one left in the ground game:
Martin for Senate.
UPDATE: This is posted on the Palmetto Scoop so take it for what you will, but they're running with it: "We're setting up our entire field team again," said one emboldened Obama staffer in Ohio. "I'm coming to Georgia and bringing several hundred of my friends with me."
Follow Karen Dalton-Beninato on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kbeninato
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If for no other reason, the country owes Max Cleland for the sliming he took. I'm sure Max would enjoy a Martin victory immensely.
AMEN! This is just pure vindication for MAX! They better use it...there is no need to run a nice campaign this time.
just the fact that there will be a runoff is encouraging...
It’s amazing to see people post inaccurate information about a whole group of people.
African Americans obviously voted for Jim Martin or else there wouldn’t be a run-off against Chambliss. Please stop using personal feelings about the Obama victory as an excuse to lump Blacks in these ridiculous scenarios.
Jim Martin needs support and he can’t just rest on Atlanta. I hope Obama makes an appearance on his behalf, but we’ll take Michelle, Hillary, or Bill. Jim Martin also needs to work the entire hwy 316 corridor. Lawrenceville has a large black population, but there is no presence in places like Winder/Barrow, Monroe, Watkinsville, or West Athens etc.
I donated to the martin campaign and I am African American. Everybody I know voted for him so its time to concentrate on some of these less progressive out-post.
I'll donate to Martin. Anyone with the name Saxby Chambliss is no friend of mine.
I'm betting Obama will put out some ads in Georgia. I doubt he'll be able to do a rally with so much riding on the transition. I could see some bigger Dems headed down there though - Hillary maybe or some other Senators from surrounding states.
its a long shot. african american turnout will likely be lower as a percentage, and supporters of the libertarian candidate are likelier to back chambliss. i understand there were a large number of democrats who after waiting 2 or 3 hours in line could not take the trouble after voting for obama to complete the democratic ticket. they would likely have been enough to put martin over the top.
I just donated. Go Jim Martin!
If low information - rather than, say, prejudice, or Lie-Boldly Accu-Flip (er, Diebold Accu-Vote) voting machines - is really the major problem, we should find that encouraging. Low information is a solvable problem; it can always be overcome with enough resources devoted to getting the right message through. During the general election, I contributed not only to the Obama campaign, but also to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC):
http://www.dscc.org/
I wonder if it might help to contribute to the DSCC as well as directly to the Martin campaign in Georgia. Is the DSCC fully on board with using all available resources to help Jim Martin? I would assume so, but I don't know that for a fact.
Update: here is the DSCC-sponsored ad "Golf", which attacks Chambliss for his lobbyist connections and mishandling of the economy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX2Qr4I1f_Q&eurl=http://www.dscc.org/
and here is the DSCC page on the Chambliss-Martin race in Georgia:
http://www.dscc.org/races?State=ga
It looks as though the DSCC is in with both feet.
I talked to my dad this morning. He lives in Atlanta. He thinks that because Obama has won, blacks will not come out to vote in the December run-off. The African Americans I talked to today say the same thing. Saxby goes back to Washington.
WIth December 2nd run-off assured ( Martin confirmed this at a Democrat Breakfast this morning), the election in Georgia becomes the first test for the new leader of the Democrat party. As the titular leader of the party, President-Elect Obama is now the go to guy when it comes to Democrat political support. Aside from party affiliation, the seat held by Chambliss is critcial as Chambliss will only serve to obstruct the Obama legislative agenda. Therefore, the President-Elect's presence in Georgia is essential. That said, the Atlanta Falcons have an away game in San Diego on Sunday, November 30 leaving the Georgia Dome's 70,000 seats available for a campaign event. Given that Obama did not campaign in Georgia, his first public campaign event as party leader would be a real shot in arm to the Democrats who are working tirelessly to turn a very red Georgia the color blue (okay, purple). Yes, he must!
Did they actually bill the event as a "Democrat Breakfast?" I see you also refer to the "Democrat Party" and "Democrat political support."
Use of the term "Democrat" as an adjective in place of the correct "Democratic" seems innocuous, until you realize that Joe McCarthy popularized it. I've heard Tom DeLay use it, as well as other obnoxious Republicans. It's a weird insult, but it is taken as an insult.
Rush Limbaugh is the one who really popularized the "Democrat" garbage the most in recent times, and it became so commonplace in Republican circles that W never seemed to be able to even recognize the distinction.
This campaign cycle it became more commonplace than ever before, and it gets disgusting to hear it, particularly from Democratic supporters who've become desensitized to it.
The President-Elect is a DEMOCRAT ..... Jim Martin is running as a DEMOCRAT. There were DEMOCRATS at the breakfast this morning. The DEMOCRATS were organizing and planning so that the DEMOCRAT, Jim Martin can win the election. If the DEMOCRAT does not receive the support from fellow DEMOCRATS he will not win. This all said, I trust you sent your contribution to the DEMOCRAT, Jim Martin and will urge other DEMOCRATS to do the same so there will be one more DEMOCRAT in the US Senate.
Am I the only one who noticed the Chuck Hagel gaff? His term ends December 31; he did not run for re-election.
See Karen Dalton-Beninato's Profile
Noted and fixed Bolobill. Apparently I was blinded by his awesome hair.
Unfortunately, not only is Chuck Hagel's term as US Senator from Nebraska ending, but in the race for his Senate seat, Republican former governor Mike Johanns badly defeated the Democratic candidate, rancher Scott Kleeb. Check out Kleeb's hair (and political viewpoint) on his campaign website:
http://scottkleeb.com/
Kleeb might be one to remember for next time around. This time, with the Presidency on the line, not much was available for uphill fights like Kleeb's, but no state should be dismissed as unwinnable. Idaho's first Congressional district (ID-01) just sent Democrat Walt Minnick to the House of Representatives! And for the first time in history, Nebraska will split its electoral votes, with NE-02 (basically the city of Omaha) providing an electoral vote for President Obama.
For that matter, the rest of the country may now think that out here in California the very streets and sidewalks are painted cobalt blue, but in fact it was not so very long ago that California was a battleground rather than a Democratic stronghold - remember President Reagan? The time may yet come when Georgia and Nebraska are bluer than California!
get down there democrats and win one for martin
Just donated. I have a couple of really close friends in the area, one in Atlanta and one in Athens, and I've cc'd them on this. One bit of good news is that people may want to be on the winning side. Good luck and keep us informed.
Supporting Jim Martin in his effort to defeat Chambliss is about more than merely making it harder for Senate Republicans to filibuster. It's about repudiating the Bush years. The lies that initiated and supported the war in Iraq are Chambliss' just as they are Bush's. The mishandling and denials of mishandling of the government's response to hurricane Katrina was Chambliss' just as it was Bush's.
If you hate this war, you must help Martin unseat Chambliss.
If you hate how our government under Bush doesn't seem to care about the plight of it's citizens, if you despise how incompetent and corrupted our government has become, you must help Martin win!
WAKE UP! Georgia is ran by DIEBOLD, the election results were a scam. Look at how the numbers were perfectly programed for a Chambliss win, the only thing that wasn't counted on were absentee and provisional ballots, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation. As long as Georgia votes on these machines it will not matter. Look at the election night results, it couldn't have been better for Chambliss if the numbers were worked out on a calculator.
Great point.
Secretary of State Karen Handel (years ago I voted for her because I thought she was reasonable, non-ideological and competent). Through her comments and her actions (and lack of action) she has proven herself to be the worst kind of partisan.
What has she done?
Allowed misinformation on voter registration to be distributed from county offices.
I'm having trouble verifying this, but I'm pretty sure she made a comment many months ago that she would do whatever she could to help Chambliss obtain reelecton
Also, as Georgians waited in long lines to participate in early voting, she did nothing to help. Her office claimed that there was nothing that she could do.
I'm still not sure why on election night the early voting totals were not the first to be released. Can someone tell me when the early voting totals for Georgia were made public?
I live in Dekalb co. GA. and I've got to say something looks fishy in Gwinnette County (the next county over). Early voting lines were in some places 6 hours long and I can tell you they wern't waiting around to vote McCain, Palin,Chambliss. Even my conservative friends are not that crazy about him.
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