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DEL.ICIO.USAllen Buckley, the Libertarian for Senate, and a conspiracy of events
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bob Barr has created a decent excuse to discuss another candidate of the same persuasion.
Allen Buckley, the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate, called a telephone press conference last Thursday, to condemn incumbent Saxby Chambliss for acting as the Republican champion of the farm subsidy bill.
Nobody phoned in.
In a year in which Democrats are floundering and Chambliss has raised a pile of cash to defend himself, it’d be easy to write Buckley off.
But there’s a conspiracy of events out there that could — despite the traditional third-party disadvantage of no money and less attention — allow Buckley to make the best showing any Libertarian has ever made in Georgia.
First, some quick background about Buckley — and yes, he’s got every ounce of charisma you might expect from an attorney/CPA who specializes in employee benefits and tax law.
As stated above, Buckley’s going after Chambliss for his support of the farm bill. Record farm profits were recorded for 2007, Buckley notes, and 2008 is expected to be even better. As some Democrats have also pointed out, Chambliss’ political campaigns have gathered up more than $1 million from agricultural interests.
“It’s one thing to charge people who drive and use the roads 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline, and quite another thing to force people to pay tax to make rich people richer,” Buckley was prepared to say during that press conference. “If Saxby Chambliss is a ‘conservative,’ then the definition needs to be changed.”
Buckley has also gone after the Fair Tax in exhaustive detail. Simply put, he refers to this variation of a national consumption tax as a “fraud” that would penalize the middle class and serve as a boon to the wealthy.
“The Fair Tax proposal amounts to a vote buy. Presumably, the politicians pressing for it know that the numbers do not work,” Buckley has written.
Buckley drew 3.6 percent of the vote in 2006 as a candidate for lieutenant governor. Democrat Jim Martin, who is in the same race with Buckley this year as well, took 42 percent of the vote. In 2004, in another U.S. Senate race, Buckley scored 2 percent.
Why might Buckley do better this year? This is based on two conversations I had this afternoon. One was with Joe McCutchen of Ellijay, a Republican who publishes a political newsletter and frequently holds forth against excessive government spending.
McCutchen is seething over Chambliss’ support of the farm subsidy bill. “Saxby shouldn’t have voted like that. I’ve never been so angry in my life,” he said. McCutchen says he’ll be voting for Buckley, and his urging his friends up in north Georgia to do likewise.
How big a splinter group does McCutchen represent? This week’s state GOP convention in Columbus could show us. Chambliss didn’t do so well among hardliners last year when immigration was the issue.
My second conversation was with Amy Morton, the Democratic activist and blogger down in Macon. Morton supports Martin in the Democratic race for U.S. Senate. The question was simple: If Vernon Jones is the Democratic nominee, would she vote for the DeKalb County CEO or Chambliss in November?
After a long pause, Morton said she’d probably vote Democratic. “I’d vote for Vernon, but it would not be with any enthusiasm.”
Morton said her party loyalty would keep her from wandering. “I’m the exception. I think there are a lot of Democrats who won’t vote for Vernon,” she said. Many of them — especially if they still harbor a grudge against Chambliss for his 2002 ads against Max Cleland — might pick Buckley in protest, she admitted.
Several “ifs” have to be settled yet, but if a disaffected right unites with a disaffected left, Buckley could find himself with more than 3.6 percent of the vote.
Photo credit: Rich Addicks/AJC
Comments
By Fiscal Matters
May 12, 2008 6:00 PM | Link to this
I’ve had a chance to meet Buckley and he’s a good guy. Most voters are herd animals but if they’d wake up to our massive fiscal problems they’d give this fellow a chance.
By tom ga hunter
May 12, 2008 6:05 PM | Link to this
Churchill ..Is this great or what..You can quit trying to defend that Big Spending Liberal Chambliss & we can both vote for the same man a real CONSERVATIVE…
By Gary
May 12, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this
If Buckley was a real conservative he would know the benefits of the Fair Tax instead of enlisting liberal talking points. Sadly though, Buckley is no conservative.
By Danny
May 12, 2008 7:29 PM | Link to this
That’s right, attack the guy as a liberal because you don’t agree with him. I am as fiscally conservative as they come, but I do not support the fair tax.
By TW
May 12, 2008 8:43 PM | Link to this
Why don’t they go after Chambliss for not giving a darn about the soldiers from Georgia who have died in Iraq as a result of Republican mistakes? How about an apology Saxby? How about an ‘I’m sorry for turning a blind eye’ while Bush tossed our finest Georgians into the Iraqi blender.
The citizens of Gerogia deserve Saxby. Those who are too stupid to know they’re getting bent over deserve to get it for four more years.
Got Brains? Nah…
By Fair Tax won't work
May 13, 2008 12:35 AM | Link to this
The Fair Tax is neither conservative nor liberal… it’s a broken idea with absolutely zero chance of EVER passing. We need real spending control and real entitlement reform not useless distractions from talk radio and Chambliss.
By Duane
May 13, 2008 4:57 AM | Link to this
Mr. Buckley is running for the United States Senate as a Libertarian. Who among you can name the last person to be elected to the that office as a Libertarian? Other than providing equal space/time, this discussion is a waste of good trees.
By tom ga hunter
May 13, 2008 6:00 AM | Link to this
Fair Tax won’t work ………Man you nailed that 1.. let them watch the circus, while the pols steal everything that isn’t nailed down.Watch Saxby might fiuure out how to work the other end of the hammer..we need a big change in our congressional crooks.
By tom ga hunter
May 13, 2008 6:01 AM | Link to this
Fair Tax won’t work ………Man you nailed that 1.. let them watch the circus, while the pols steal everything that isn’t nailed down.Watch Saxby out might figure out how to work the other side of the hammer..we need a big change in our congressional crooks.
By tom ga hunter
May 13, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
Everyone needs to read this Jim Wooten’s editorial to understand why we need to fire Saxby:::::::::http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/shared-blogs/ajc/thinkingright/entries/2008/05/13/congressdeservestoreapveto.html
By George Whitfield
May 13, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
I have contributed to Allen Buckley’s campaign because I think he is principled, smart and believes in liberty and small government.
By Gary
May 13, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this
No I am saying that the Fair Tax is based on conservative values such as individual freedom. I have seen Buckley’s platform and frankly I don’t find it conservative. Not attacking the guy, just stating my opinion. Some people who claim to be conservatives do not always turn out to be that way.
By gttim
May 13, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
I am no fan of libertarians, but he nailed the Fair Tax for what it is. I applaud him! I am a liberal, but have conservative fiscal beliefs. If the government would quit with all the corporate and agribusiness welfare and pork spending, we could pay down the national debt and then truly reduce/simplify taxes. The GOP is leaving our kids with a huge credit card bill. We need to pay it down.
I can find no redeeming quality in Saxby Chambliss. He is truly a piece of garbage.
By GeorgiaValues
May 13, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
Buckley doesn’t know the first thing about Agriculture, Georgia’s number one industry. Saxby looks out for this state, for our jobs, and for our family farmers.
Saxby gets things done!
By Doug Craig
May 13, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
I guess if giving my money to farmers is watching out out for them then I need someone else to watch out for me. I do not need someone who knows corn but leaves me with peanuts. I need some one who knows business and that is Allen Buckley
By tom ga hunter
May 13, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
GeorgiaValues ..Your father really steped in it this time.. all the goodies to yankees & nothing for Georgias..Look at the Sunday paper where the farmers said Georgia lost in this bill but the Race horses & Sugar industry did not. Saxby delivers big for the patrons but screws the small farmer. Hope you did a good job of shaking the patrons down this time, hopefully it will be your last try.
By Zod
May 13, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this
In that Viewpoint article about the Fair Tax (3rd page, second paragraph), right after explaining the distinction between tax-inclusive and tax-exclusive, he gets them confused. Mr Buckley wrote that a single person spending $10,210 (official poverty level) would pay $3,053 on goods (29.9% of $10,210 spent) while receiving a prebate of only $2,348 (23% of $10,210 income) so, they end up paying $705 in taxes.
That’s not true!
The tax is 23% of the amount spent, not 29.9%. The prebate is 23% of the poverty level. So, when the amount spent is equal to the poverty level, the prebate WILL refund 100% of taxes paid.
Mr Buckley then goes on to claim that, even though the Fair tax eliminates all income taxes, foreign corporations will somehow be subject to a 23% income tax. I have a copy of the 2007 bill and I can’t find the section or subsection where it actually imposes a tax on income.
At this point, it’s obvious that Mr Buckley’s article was clearly a fraud. I couldn’t stand to read it any further.
By The 23 % figure is a fruad
May 13, 2008 4:14 PM | Link to this
Zod: The Fair Tax folks really need to quit pushing the 23% tax figure because it’s way wrong! Evidently some folks have not noticed the massive spending increases set in stone by the Bush Administration.
I heard the head of the GAO say the figure will have to be more than double your 23% which negates any of the positives that could possibly come from this so called Fair Tax.
By Oscar Lewis
May 13, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
After reading these posts, I’m feeling optimistic that most people see the Fair Tax for the fraud that it is.
Speaking of frauds, Chambliss is amazing. He helps to provide benefits for soldiers, but blindly supports a war that is destroying our military.
If you have not seen my videos about Chambliss, visit my web site Just do a google search for “Oscar Lewis Chambliss” and click on “I’m Feeling Lucky”.
By Bitter EX democrackkk
May 13, 2008 8:29 PM | Link to this
Buckley is a good guy and we are thrilled that he is challenging the status quo!
the dominant parties were never meant to dominate…
STRIVE to be SMARTER than a demopublican!
By Gary
May 13, 2008 9:41 PM | Link to this
Its funny that those who claim the 23% tax that is quoted in the Fair Tax is a fraud or false number, have never studied the Fair Tax. Many economists and even the recent commission on tax reform have said that the Fair Tax is the best tax proposal for all citizens and does not hurt the poor. Those who are against and throw out false claims are not conservatives, they are socialists. Only socialist would support the current income tax. Why is that? Because income redistribution is one of the 10 policies are socialism as laid out by Karl Marx. So is free government education for those who don’t support school vouchers and think public schools are somehow great. Thats why I say Buckley is no conservative. Because he is not if he supports the current income tax.
By Conspiract Theorist
May 14, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
The fair tax is a political ploy. The person proposing it can hedge their bet and make good with conservatives who do not like the income tax and liberals who wonder where the money to fund their programs is going to come from. The only proper federal tax is an excise tax, a user fee. All other taxes are unjust and are nothing more than government sponsored theft. You guys can back the fair tax but taxes are not cut just replaced. Sorry but I am not willing to give up 20% of my money for unconstitutional programs whether it is collected in the form of a sales tax or income tax. The prebate will cover a mathematical equation not a real life scenario. The federal government does not, and does not need to know, how much I eat or spend on rent. That is my business and I could pay those fees without a prebate if the government did not take the money away in the first place. The fair tax is political pandering at its finest. By the way Buckley, a Libertarian, most likely supports massive spending rollbacks and as a result no tax, income or otherwise. In fact as of 2004 he wanted to remove all those below the poverty line from taxation.
By seething in Elberton
August 1, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this
I’m voting for Buckley, and recommending that same vote to everyone I can, anyone but Saxby! He’s a big Bush suck!
By seething in Elberton
August 1, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this
I’m voting for Buckley, and recommending that same vote to everyone I can, anyone but Saxby! He’s a big Bush suck!