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Tuesday, February 20, 2007
McCain and Chambliss: Talking about Iraq, separately but together
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Saxby Chambliss and John McCain are both U.S. senators. Both are Republican, both intend to be on the ‘08 ballot, and both crossed paths at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
Each is tied closely to President Bush and the conduct of the war in Iraq. And when asked why things aren’t going well in Baghdad, each brought out his own whipping boy.
Put the two senators together — one running for president, and the other for re-election — and they exemplify the problem that Iraq presents for Republicans, even in a solidly, pro-military state like Georgia.
It’s difficult to defend oneself without striking a sitting, Republican president.
McCain began the public part of his day shortly after sunrise, with a brief address to the House GOP caucus. Among Republican candidates for president, the Arizona senator has been the strongest supporter of Bush policy in the Middle East, and the loudest voice for sending more troops to contain Shi’ite and Sunni bloodshed.
State lawmakers found themselves part of a conversation that began the day before in South Carolina, where McCain had called former secretary of defense Donald Rumsfield “one of the worst secretaries of defense in history.”
McCain repeated himself in Georgia. Rumsfield was responsible for doing too little, too late in the war zone, he said. According to those who heard the remarks, McCain said the fruits of Rumsfield’s policy were on display at Walter Reed military hospital in Washington.
“It’s well chronicled that the war was mismanaged,” McCain said afterwards in the hallway. “The president has stated that. We made many mistakes. You make mistakes in war.”
McCain toned down his remarks even more when he met his next group of reporters, outside Gov. Sonny Perdue’s office. “I am being critical of everybody including all of us who are responsible for mistakes that we’ve made in the war,” McCain said. “Including myself.”
At nearly the same time, Chambliss was in the middle of an address to the state Senate — usually an occasion for friendly banter and stale jokes. But not when the topic is Iraq.
“I don’t like what’s happening over there,” said Chambliss, who as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has often served as a defender of Bush policy in a post-9/11 world. “We’ve not been doing well in the last 12 to 18 months, particularly.”
Chambliss and McCain say Bush’s infusion of 21,500 troops into Iraq needs to be given an opportunity to work. And that could pose career risks for both in ’08.
After his remarks to the Senate, Chambliss spoke to reporters. “John McCain as a presidential candidate is ‘way out on a limb,” he said. But Chambliss acknowledged he was on the same branch.
Georgia’s senior senator declined to echo McCain’s criticism of Rumsfield. “I don’t know what was wrong with our strategy or who was responsible for it,” he said.
Instead, Chambliss took aim at Gen. George Casey, confirmed by the U.S. Senate this month as Army chief of staff. Chambliss cast a protest vote against Casey, who for more than two years served as U.S. commander in Iraq.
Time after time, Chambliss said, he’d asked the general whether he needed more troops. Each time, the general said no — until this year.
“If he needed more troops, by gosh he should have asked for them. And to come to the party late like he did, I think, was not the kind of leadership we need on the ground in Iraq today,” Chambliss said.
Fall guys aside, perhaps the biggest difference between McCain and Chambliss on Tuesday was their attitude about Iraq’s future, and ours.
Chambliss was torn between optimism and the prospect of a long slog in the Middle East. “I’m very hopeful that we’ll never have to send another one of our Guardsmen or Guardswomen to Iraq. But chances are pretty good we will,” he said.
McCain offered little but the long slog. “I think we’re there for a long, long time,” he told reporters. “We’ve been in South Korea for a long, long time also.”
A little backseat driving on the 10th District race
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The thoughts below aren’t wholly original, but we’re happy to serve as a vehicle.
We know that state Rep. Barry Fleming, 41, has bowed out of the 10th District congressional race in favor of an older legislator, also with Augusta connections — 64-year-old state Sen. Jim Whitehead.
Ralph Hudgens, another older Republican on the Athens side of the district, is also in the hunt. Nice guys, both of them, and nothing against them.
But investing in Congress is a 20-year venture. It takes years and years and years to develop serious clout in the U.S. House. Wouldn’t it make more sense to settle on the fellow who’s most likely to be around in 2027?
Look at Phil Gingrey, Tom Price, David Scott, Jim Marshall, even Sanford Bishop. All are in their late 50s or early 60s. Regardless of party, it’s a long shot whether any of them will see a committee chairmanship.
Doesn’t this safe seat scream for a post-boomer? Are we wrong on this?
If not Vince Dooley, then maybe this guy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On the heels of the Vince Dooley rumor comes a more substantive report from the Athens Banner-Herald, which reports that former NFL player Willie Green is considering a run for the 10th District congressional seat as a Republican.
Says the Banner-Herald:
Green, who attended Clarke Central High School, joined the Detroit Lions in 1990 as an eighth-round draft pick.
He played for Tampa Bay, Carolina and Denver, but left professional football in the late 1990s and opened up a chain of payday lending stores.
Today, the political newcomer works for Community Financial Services of America, a lobby that supports regulated but legal payday loans - a lending practice that’s banned in Georgia.
Gosh. Where could he possibly find the money to run that campaign?
You can’t say he’s out, because he was never in
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First, let’s dispense of the rumor.
Word out of Washington this morning was that former University of Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley was interested in joining the race to replace the late U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood of Augusta, as a Democrat.
Not so.
We first got hold of his wife Barbara, a Republican. “If he is, please tell him to call me and let me know,” she said.
A quick call to her husband, who thought about running for U.S. Senate in ’86 and governor in ‘90, dispelled any doubt. No, he’s not thinking about it. And no one’s talked to him about it. Consider the rumor killed.
As you know, the field of candidates for the 10th congressional district has already shrunk by one.
On Monday, state Sen. Jim Whitehead (R-Evans) announced for the 10th District congressional seat. With him was state Rep. Barry Fleming (R-Harlem) who — until that day — was in the race.
Fleming was at the House caucus meeting on Tuesday morning. Fleming said it was apparent that Whitehead, a good friend, would not back out of the race.
“That left the decision to me,” said Fleming, who had spent months quietly making plans. Much of Fleming’s decision could be traced to the ages of the two men.
Whitehead is 64. Fleming is 41, and has plenty of time. But Fleming said the Columbia County and Augusta establishment also weighed in. They were fearful that the two legislators would split the vote in the Augusta region, giving an edge to state Sen. Ralph Hudgens of Comer, whose strength lies in the Athens area.
Also Monday, Brian Kemp of Athens, who resigned his seat to run for state agriculture commission, declared his intention to return to the Senate — by going after Hudgens’ seat.
Both Hudgens and Whitehead must resign to run for Congress, but the timing is still being worked out.
McCain visits Capitol, again tears into Rumsfield
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As promised, GOP presidential candidate John McCain showed up at a House Republican caucus meeting at the state Capitol. Afterwards, he took a meeting with Gov. Sonny Perdue.
To several dozen GOP House members, McCain renewed his criticism of Donald Rumsfield, who resigned as secretary of defense last year, for his handling of the Iraq war.
“It’s well chronicled that the war was mismanaged,” McCain said afterwards. “The president has stated that. We made many mistakes. You make mistakes in war. This new secretary [Robert] Gates is a dramatic improvement. We’ve got a new general, and I think we can succeed.”
Among Republican candidates for president, the Arizona senator has been the strongest supporter of Bush policy in the Middle East. But in South Carolina on Monday, McCain said, “I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history.”
McCain repeated that assertion to Georgia lawmakers, and said that Rumsfield was responsible for doing too little, too late in the war zone. According to those in the room, McCain said that — early in the conflict , which started nearly four years ago — he went to Iraq, where U.S. military leaders told him they needed more troops.
Afterwards, McCain said he passed the assessment on to Rumsfield at a breakfast meeting, but that the defense secretary rejected the suggestion of more troops. McCain told lawmakers that they could see the fruits of the policy in the wounded men and women at Walter Reed military hospital in Washington, according to those who heard the remarks.
Speaking about U.S. energy policy, McCain also emphasized the need to include nuclear power in any discussion of alternative energy sources.
The senator was accompanied by Alec Poitevint, the chairman of the state GOP, who is heading up his Georgia campaign, and long-time ally Phil Gramm, the former Texas senator. Gramm is a native of Columbus, Ga.
After meeting with House members, McCain crossed the street for a conversation with the Georgia governor. No details of the meeting with Perdue were available. The senator also had a noon meeting with supporters scheduled for downtown Atlanta.
The McCain campaign in Georgia has gotten off to a slow start, when compared with activities of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
But McCain — who appeared with state GOP chairman Alec Poitevint — said he’s not worried.
“With Alec Poitevint on your side — it’s a tremendous asset,” he said. “I think we’re doing fine.
Minutes after McCain’s visit, House Speaker pro tem Mark Burkhalter announced that he would be a co-chair of Romney’s steering committee in Georgia. A press release issued by the Romney campaign also added Sam Olens, chairman of the Cobb County Commission, to the list of the candidate’s known Georgia supporters.
Romney has a fund-raiser in Atlanta on Wednesday.
No other House leader, including Speaker Glenn Richardson, has publicly picked a side yet.
“It’s real early. Very early,” said House Majority Leader Jerry Keen. “I’d like to know who’s in the race before I make a decision.”
