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Football Saturday’s not sacred: Martin, Chambliss swap charges on Wall Street, Iraq

Saturday, October 25, 2008, 07:54 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The race for the U.S. Senate did not even pause Saturday for a more sacred contest, the UGA-LSU game.

While the game was still under way, Democrat Jim Martin conducted a conference call with a few reporters to again blast his old UGA Sigma Chi frat brother — Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss — for backing the $700 billion financial rescue plan. Martin used the word “bailout” as a pejorative.

Chambliss, the Republican U.S. Senate incumbent, voted for the plan. Martin opposed it, saying it needed more regulatory provisions and safeguards for consumers.

The GOP senator has blasted Martin for not being willing to act while the nation’s financial markets melted down. Martin, meanwhile, has accused Chambliss of helping Wall Street fat cats at the expense of Main Street in what has become a theme of his campaign.

Martin kept up the attacks Saturday, this time highlighting his criticism of the Chambliss-backed rescue plan for insufficient regulation, says my AJC colleague Jim Tharpe, who listened in. Martin cited recent press reports that said some banks plan to use some of the money to purchase smaller, struggling banks.

“It’s an example of, ‘We’ll let the business community do whatever they want to do without oversight,”’ Martin said.

Meanwhile, Chambliss — on his own bus trip across the state — accused Martin of bowing to Democratic leaders and acceding to a Congress-imposed timetable for U.S. troops to leave Iraq.

The Chambliss campaign accused Martin of putting “our national security at risk.”

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Comments

By Ga Values

October 25, 2008 8:25 PM | Link to this

I cannot wait to cast my vote for Georgia’s Senator, Saxby Chambliss!!! Go Dawgs!!!!

By Tom GA Hunter

October 25, 2008 8:30 PM | Link to this

Saxby has my vote too. I will not pull a �Perot� and vote for Buckley. A vote for Buckley is a vote for Martin. Saxby may not be the best candidate in the world, but I think he is better than the alternative. A vote for Martin/Buckley is a vote to increase the power of the three biggest morons in American politics: Reid, Pelosi, and Obama/Biden. Why would anyone in this great state want to support more San Francisco/Marxist values on the good people this great country.

SAXBY 08

By Sigma Dawg

October 25, 2008 8:37 PM | Link to this

While trying to figure out why any sane Georgian would vote for a liberal like Martin, I just threw up my hands and said., “It is all greek to me.”” Get it, greek? Sigma Chi?

Seriously, Martin will go right to work with the queen of the left and the Grand Dame of San Francisco values, Nancy “Stretch” Pelosi. No thanks. This Dawg fan will be voting for Saxby!!!

SIc ‘em,, Saxby!!

By MIT

October 25, 2008 10:13 PM | Link to this

Voting for Martin. I am sick of these fat cats Republicans that have helped bring this country to its knees. I am sick of Chamblis’s false ads about Martin. Martin is a decent man. Saxby is not.

By MIT

October 25, 2008 10:14 PM | Link to this

Voting for Martin. I am sick of these fat cats Republicans that have helped bring this country to its knees. I am sick of Chamblis’s false ads about Martin. Martin is a decent man. Saxby is not. I am a UGA grad.

By MIT

October 25, 2008 10:14 PM | Link to this

By UGA MA degree

October 25, 2008 10:24 PM | Link to this

I worked my way through school and worked full time while getting my Masters. Younger voters are leaning democratic this time at the polls. I will be voting for Martin, too. Obama will get my vote, too. I just can’t understand why anyomne in their right mind would vote for SAXBY C. Georgia is at the top of home foreclosures, Georgia has a very high HS drop out rate, etc. We need someone different ( like a democrat this time) to get us out of these horrible rankings. Martin is the change we need.

By Bo Martin, future, Lobbyist

October 26, 2008 1:01 AM | Link to this

Dad will see that I get paid more than Saxby’s kid. Jim Martin is as crooked as Sec. of State Albright’s nose. Saxby is to honest for GA. Jim Martin will work with Sen Harry “the Body” Reid and Congressgal Nancy “Stretch” Pelosi to turn this entire country into San Francisco. Jim Martin is as liberal as McGovern and as experienced as Barack Obama. Jim Martin for a Liberal Amerika.

By Tom GA Hunter

October 26, 2008 7:06 AM | Link to this

Churchill has stole my name again..

Where Saxby gets his money,, Guess why he voted for the $700,000,000,000.00 Wall Street Bail out and added $153,000,000,000.00 of PORK for the LOBBYIST.. Fire Saxby NOW, Fire SAXBY Here, Pay less

Agribusiness $1,390,331… Communic/Electronics $271,104… Construction $318,237… Defense $146,650… Energy/Nat Resource $286,055… Finance/Insur/RealEst $1,352,121… Health $475,759… Lawyers & Lobbyists $652,285… Transportation $251,500… Misc Business $682,499… Labor $16,000.. Ideology/Single-Issue $491,240… Other $601,332…

By Ga Values

October 26, 2008 7:09 AM | Link to this

As a combat vet in Viet Nam there is no way I could vote for Saxby. How about the way Saxby worked with Kennedy, Pelosi, Reid, Frank, And Dodd on Amnesty, over ridding President Bush�s 3 Vetoes of Saxby�s farm Bill, the Gang of 10 TRAITORS and the $700,000,000,000. bail out of Wall Street with an added $153,000,000,000.00 of pork. Fire Saxby Now, Fire Saxby Now, Pay Less

By Bo Chambliss LOBBYIST

October 26, 2008 7:13 AM | Link to this

Bo Martin, future, Lobbyist 1:01 AM

No matter what you think Jim Martin is honest. Saxby has taken more than big bucks from the bankers to sell out the Georgia taxpayer. McCain says Country First, Saxby says LOBBYIST First

By Churchill's MOM

October 26, 2008 7:15 AM | Link to this

Saxby Chambliss(Socialist, Ga) voted for this $700,000,000,000.00 rip off of the taxpayer even though he had not read the bill, Why?? Because LOBBYIST gave him over $2,500,000.00… FIRE SAXBY NOW, FIRE SAXBY HERE, PAY LESS.

By Combat Vet

October 26, 2008 7:24 AM | Link to this

Jim Martin is a vet, Saxby Chambliss dodged the draft with a lame excuse. Chambliss voted to cut spending on VA Hospitals. As one who has served his country , Martin has my vote.

By Bob in Winder

October 26, 2008 7:26 AM | Link to this

For the last 5 years I have been writing Saxby Chambliss to get out of the Lobbyist back pocket but he has only gotten worse as time goes on, Chambliss has been is Washington for 14 years & has drank too much of the Kool aid up there. I am voting for a real conservative Allen Buckley. Check him out�http://www.buckleyforsenate.com/welcome.asp

By Bo Chambliss LOBBYIST

October 26, 2008 8:32 AM | Link to this

WASHINGTON � The bailout is now the hottest lobbying game in town.

Insurers, automakers and American subsidiaries of foreign banks all want the Treasury Department to cut them a piece of the largest government rescue in U.S. history.

The betting is that many with their hands out will be successful, especially with financial markets in a stomach-churning dive and predictions the economy is about to tumble into a deep recession.

These groups argue that the credit squeeze is so severe and the risks to the economy so dire that their industries need financial support as well.

The Treasury is considering requests from a variety of industries, but has not decided whether to expand the program, officials said Saturday.

Lobbying efforts are intensifying.

The Financial Services Roundtable wrote Treasury officials on Friday requesting that the initiative to buy $250 billion in bank stock grow to cover insurers, auto companies, securities dealers and U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies, including banks. The Treasury’s plan is intended to bolster banks’ tattered balance sheets and get them to resume making loans.

By JIMMY

October 26, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this

Chambliss is shameless and corrupt. The earlier post is correct; Chambliss has received large campaign donations from the sugar industry and specifically Imperial Sugar. During the senate hearing, he falsely accused the whistleblower of being the one who was responsible for the conditions that led to the tragic explosion. But this is Chambliss’ pattern. Consider the tragedy of Katrina. Afterward, he voted against all legislation that would have helped schools and individuals. He was opposed to investigations of the government’s response to the hurricane. Instead, he voted for tax breaks for businesses. Also, consider his response to the financial markets plunge. There are a large and growing number of foreclosures taking place in Georgia. There are hundreds of thousands of mortgages that are 60 days past due. Instead of trying to figure a responsible way to reduce the number of foreclosures, he hands $700 billion to the former CEO of Goldman Sachs. For those of you who do not know, Goldman Sachs was one of the biggest players in sub prime lending and derivative trading. Chambliss is a corporate lackey.

By Sissy Saxby

October 26, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this

Once again, Sissy Saxby accuses a Vietnam Vet of putting our natinoal security at risk. Sissy Saxby has no shame!

By ken

October 26, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this