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DEL.ICIO.USA major DSCC attack on Chambliss uses Bush, the economy — and the Wall Street rescue
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Over the weekend, the U.S. Senate race in Georgia shifted from a parochial affair to a national contest, with both parties pouring in money from their Washington committees and 527s spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on the Democratic and Republican sides.
Late last night, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was up with a very tough ad attacking Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss on the economy. We don’t have a video link yet, but here’s the script:
Narrator: What’s Saxby Chambliss been up to in Washington? Supporting George Bush’s economic policies, every step of the way. That gave us higher food prices, a $10 trillion national debt, and a $700 billion Wall Street bailout.
And while Georgia lost 173,000 manufacturing jobs, Saxby supported tax breaks for companies that shipped our jobs overseas. Saxby economics. Haven’t we had enough?”
The DSCC’s first TV attack on Chambliss, issued last week, was over his support of the Fair Tax. Now, the organization has apparently gotten over any qualms it has over beating up Chambliss over his vote for a Wall Street rescue plan that passed Congress on the backs of Democrats.
Jim Martin, Chambliss’ Democratic opponent, says he would have voted no on the bailout — because it didn’t do enough to help homeowners or enough to regulate the sinners on Wall Street. Libertarian Allen Buckley has said he opposes any tax dollars going directly to salvage financial institutions.
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Comments
By Georgia Peach
October 26, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this
Chambliss has no clue!!! All he cares about is pandering to the Christian coalition, big oil companies and Wall Street!
What about the rest of us??? What about the environment???
What about education??? What about the Imperial Sugar Co. explosion and fire???
By TK
October 26, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
Fortunately we have a choice. That is JIM MARTIN. Now it is up to you to make it happen.
By Ga Values
October 26, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
I cannot wait to cast my vote for Georgia’s Senator, Saxby Chambliss!!! Go Dawgs!!!!
By Tom GA Hunter
October 26, 2008 12:19 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 Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 26, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this
Remember Democrats and all other Martin supporters that Tuesday is republican voting day. Even if you vote on that day for Martin, the man will steal that vote for Saxby. Join me and vote on Democrat voting day, Nov. 5th. Help me and vote on Wednesday for Hope, Change and Our Jim Martin.
By Tom GA Hunter
October 26, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
Martin looks like a douche bag in those effete little glasses of his. Martin is too liberal for GA.
By Tom GA Hunter
October 26, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this
Churchill like his boy Saxby Special Interest is a coward, He steals my name because he is afraid to use his own. Saxby is owned by the LOBBYIST, no real CONSERVATIVE would vote for the Big Spending, Big Government, Pro Amnesty Liberal SAXBY
By Ga Values
October 26, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this
Churchill has stole my name again but what do you expect from a freshman in the Clayton County School System………
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 Churchill's MOM
October 26, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this
I am sorry my son Winston has been stealing names here. See we don’t know who his father is but think he was a member of the UGA baseball team. When 1 of his Clayton county school chums told him that Saxby had 4f’d the draft but had still be able to play baseball for UGA. Little Winston decided that Saxby was his father. I have told him that I have never been that hard up but little Winston is not the sharpest tool around. Again I am so sorry but it’s hard to control at 9th grader when he is nearly 21.
By Saxby Chambliss Thief
October 26, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this
If the war/surge is such a success why isn’t Bo Chambliss in Iraq instead of making all the country club booze parties in D.C.? What’s going to happen to that “surge success” when the Shiite militia calls of the cease fire and the thousands of Sunni insurgents (aka the “CLC”) we are paying millions to get tired of fighting for a country they hate, and there is still no political progress on the most significant contentious issues?
Some 70,000 former insurgents are now being paid $10 a day by the U.S. military. It costs about a quarter billion dollars a year in the three trillion dollar fiasco that’s helping to usher in Depression II.
Ole Saxbuh voted 99% with Bushie in the last eight years. His pronouncements during the passage of the illegal wiretapping debacle were simply false statements meant to take advantage of an indifferent and uneducated populace who is getting the democracy they deserve including the bills Bo writes for the Chicago Mercantile exchange.
Saxby still flies Corporate Jet Air free on company owned planes in a familiar quid pro quo.
“It leaves when you want to leave. It goes where you want it to go when you want it to go there. You don’t have to go through the normal security, and you get a lot more than peanuts.”
Little Bo is a recipient of this largess as well.
A spokesman for US Tobacco, Mike Bazinet, said that it received more requests for planes than it could fulfill and that it generally sent a representative on the flights. A spokeswoman for Federal Express, Kristin Krause, said it was policy to do just that. Ms. Krause rejected the notion that FedEx lobbyists had undue access.
“The way you get there is less important than what you do while you’re there,” said Mr. Chambliss, who spent more on corporate jet travel than any other incumbent senator, the Political Money Line said.
Mr. Chambliss said he never spoke to a lobbyist “about any particular issue” on his trips.
I wasn’t on the plane, but ole Saxbuh flew for free on corporate jets than any other Senatuh.
Here’s lookin at ya Bo and Saxbuh:
Saxby the Sugar Stooge. One of the biggest corporate stooges in the Senate, Saxby took corporate loyalty to a new level at a Senate hearing on Friday.
Based on his demeanor at a Senate hearing on Friday you would think Saxby owned Imperial Sugar Company.Well maybe Imperial Sugar owns him.
Saxby is arguing that a “whistleblower” is responsible for a February explosion that killed 13 people at the Imperial Sugar company plant in Port Wentworth, Georgia. Keep in mind that Graham. H. Graham (the man being questioned) had only worked at the plant for three months, while others allege years of safety violations.
Let’s follow the quotes and then follow the money and even Saxby’s son ,the corporate lobbyist, and his connections:
The Article in the Houston Chronicle says
“Chambliss also said he has not been influenced by any lobbyists for the Sugar Land, Texas-based company or by his son, Bo. The younger Chambliss is an in-house Washington lobbyist for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which also is represented by an outside firm that lobbies for Imperial Sugar. “My purpose has been to try to get the facts out,” Chambliss said. “This guy (Graham) is an agent of the company. How anybody can interpret that I’m doing something for the benefit of the company when really I’m chastising their agent is beyond me … The company’s got to stand on their own. I’m not about to defend them in any way.”
However that is countered by Graham and his attorneys as well as the other Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson.
“Hilder and others have accused Chambliss of doing the company’s bidding on Tuesday when he sharply questioned Graham at a Senate hearing. Chambliss’ questions raised eyebrows because no one aside from Imperial had publicly doubted Graham’s claims. That includes Chambliss’ fellow Georgia Republican, Johnny Isakson. The two rarely split, but Isakson says he has full faith in Graham’s account.”
Let’s follow the money for a second
This might show a little inisght as to why the questions of bias arise.
Look at Imperial Sugar’s PAC $1,000 to Saxby Chambliss this cycle- $2,000 of which was contributed by John Sheptor
John Sheptor is President and CEO of Imperial Sugar who is compensated quite handsomely.
There are several others with ties to Imperial Sugar that have contributed to the PAC Harold Mechler - CFO is a $500 Contributor to the PAC
Gaylord Coan - $1,000 contributor to the PAC is a director
(Apparently Savannah Congressman John Barrow returned some of the money he was given by Imperial and he’s not even questioning them at a Senate hearing)
Saxby Chambliss has received $21k from the Sugar industry this cycle.
Saxby Chambliss has a son Bo Chambliss who works for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a registered lobbyist (the quote is correct there)
Clarence “Bo” Saxby Chambliss has given $2,000 to the Chicago Mercantile PAC.
The Chicago Mercantile lobbyist works on behalf of several companies with ties to the Sugar Industry.
Googling lobbying and CME, we found one article that shows that
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is employing the son of Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) to lobby members of his father’s congressional committee and other lawmakers on legislation that may increase trading at the exchange. Clarence Saxby “Bo” Chambliss Jr. is one of two staff lobbyists at the Merc charged with “providing information on issues that impact our industry to decision-makers in Washington,” Merc spokesman David Prosperi said Friday. Saxby Chambliss heads the Senate Agriculture Committee, which jointly oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and must this year pass legislation reauthorizing the futures regulator through 2011. The CFTC’s current authority expires Sept. 30. The panel may vote as early as this month on a bill to reauthorize the CFTC, said a committee spokesman.
Now there isn’t much recusing Bo Chambliss can do with one other lobbyist unless that lobbyist is doing the heavy lifting while Bo is giving mulligans to Judge Smails
Probably not much of a stretch to say that Saxby has some questions to answer about his claim that he is not biased. We will keep searching to see if we can find more connections between Saxby and Imperial Sugar. Or we will let you know if Saxby follows suit of John Barrow and returns the PAC contributions. Conclusion: Saxby Chambliss needs to go home or get a job at some Sugar Refinery (Remember what he did to Max Cleeland) and remember Saxbuh faked a knee injury that was not examined with any modern degree of medical competence and Bo chooses not to serve like so many other Republican cowards.
By Saxby Chambliss Coward
October 26, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this
The sugar industry is sweet on Saxby Chambliss.
Since January 2005, the industry has spooned the Georgia Republican $58,000 in campaign funds - more than any other U.S. senator except for New York Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.
And during the 2005-2006 election cycle, when Chambliss chaired the Agriculture Committee, he received $36,500 - tops in the Senate - according to the online political database OpenSecrets.org.
Observers say such rankings - plus his demeanor Tuesday at a Senate subcommittee hearing - suggest Chambliss is fronting for Imperial Sugar Co.
“It’s hard to believe there’s no connection with industry largesse,” said Bill Bozarth, director of the Georgia Common Cause campaign watchdog group. “It confirms my belief that money in the process influences the way a congressman approaches a hearing like this.”
At the hearing, Chambliss plunged mouth-first into a furor over the 13 people killed in a Feb. 7 inferno at Imperial Sugar’s Port Wentworth refinery.
Imperial faces $8.8 million in proposed federal fines related to alleged safety violations there and at its Gramercy, La., plant.
Chambliss lit into witness Graham H. Graham, an Imperial executive who said he was reprimanded for trying to make the plant safer.
The senator twice questioned Graham’s sincerity and cut him off before he could answer a question.
On Friday, Chambliss lashed out at Graham again.
Nearly echoing recent comments by Imperial CEO John Sheptor, Chambliss suggested to The Associated Press that Graham was trying to divert blame from himself.
‘Tough’ vs. ‘bizarre’ questioning
Chambliss spokeswoman Lindsay Mabry blamed the flap on the news media.
“The media continue down the road of peddling the political cynicism that all Georgians and all Americans are tired of,” Mabry said.
She noted that Chambliss serves on the Agriculture Committee and said it’s “not unusual” for members of both parties to receive money from related interests.
“Sen. Chambliss,” she said, “has continued to seek answers on behalf of those who were shaken by this horrible incident. And he will continue to ask the tough questions and stand with the employees and families whose lives were affected.”
But Georgia Democratic spokesman Martin Matheny took the opposite view.
“He’s shown he’ll stand up for Imperial and the special interests before he’ll stand up for the people of Georgia,” Matheny said.
Former Democratic state Rep. Tom Bordeaux of Savannah was equally critical.
“His line of questioning was just bizarre for a guy who still has constituents in the hospital because of that disaster,” Bordeaux said. “Here’s a guy who’s trying to save lives, and Chambliss calls him a liar.
“The money gives an explanation - from a system that runs on money - as to why he might be asking those questions. It’s a sweet motivator.”
Accusations of supplied questions
Philip Hilder, a lawyer for Graham, has accused Chambliss of using questions supplied by Imperial to try to discredit his client.
Chambliss, who received $1,000 from Imperial’s political action committee in 2007, denied he was using Imperial-supplied questions.
The company provided proposed questions to the subcommittee to be directed at Graham. However, Chambliss is not a member of the panel - the subcommittee on employment and workplace safety.
Matt McAlvanah, spokesman for subcommittee chairwoman Patty Murray, said Chambliss was invited to participate as a courtesy.
The two subcommittee members who attended the meeting - Murray and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. - have said they consider Graham a credible witness.
Mabry pointed out that Chambliss called for an investigation after the disaster. She said he’ll “continue to do everything he can to ensure that something like this never happens again” and is working on legislation to do so.
But Bozarth suggested the senator’s focus might be elsewhere.
He observed that Chambliss recently reported having $4 million on hand for his re-election campaign.
“Compared to that … (the money) from sugar interests isn’t a lot,” he said. “But, given what he’s had to say, it apparently was enough to get his attention.”
By OODA
October 26, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this
8 Days to the election.
The comments by “Saxby Chambliss Thief” and “Saxby Chambliss Coward” thoroughly examine the single worst aspect of politics and politicians in our day and age. Corruption. I have read that there are 50,000 registered lobbyists working inside the DC Beltway, plying their trade, pushing their agenda’s and lubricating the whole process with millions of dollars of cash, travel and favors.
Is it possible for anyone to withstand that sort of temptation for very long? Especially when your colleagues are so busy slopping at the trough that they can barely hear you? I don’t think so.
One solution to this dilemma is to send a Libertarian to the Senate. Voting for Allen Buckley on 4 NOV 08 is a revolutionary act, a bold act and it is not a waste of your vote. Send a man to the US Senate that has publicly stated that he will not take one dime of special interest money, Send Allen Buckley.
Can one honest man change the way that 99 corrupt, career politicians conduct the people’s business? Can one honest man make a difference? How will we ever know if we don’t give him the chance?
So I suppose that if you’re of a mind that nothing can change because nothing has changed, you’re justified in sending that bloated Porker Saxby back to his seat in the Senate. Or you can send Jim Martin, the underwhelming democrat candidate that managed to get just 7% of democratic primary voters to show up for the runoff, in his place.
Either choice is a poor one. Don’t waste your vote. Vote Allen Buckley for the US Senate.
By GaLiberal
October 26, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
Saxby Shameless is a typical Georgia redneck. He’s enough of a racist to get the KKK vote. He’s enough of a religoNazi to get the biblethumper vote. He’s enough of an anti-tax/anti-government whiner to get conservative vote. He’s a stain on the US as is George Bush and every other Rethuglicon and the people that put them in office. He thought he’d have an easy time with the short-attention span voters he appeals to, but now he’s having to spend some of that graft he calls ‘contributions.’ Having traveled frequently to the Rest of Georgia (RoG), I say that’s where Shameless gets his support.
When you vote Rethuglicon, you vote against your own best interests. And Saxby Shameless is living proof.
By what'reyouidiots
October 26, 2008 4:54 PM | Link to this
Just about everyone on this blog sounds like an idiot. Want to call out anyone who gets money from a lobbyist when the “chosen one” is at the top from freddie and fannie. Keep in mind he’s only been in the senate for 2 years and most of that time he’s not been there, he’s out campaigning for the presidency and when he is there he votes “present”. What a sham, anyone who thinks the “chosen one” along with Pelosi, Reid and Frank are going to do anything worth anything for this country had better wake up. The “chosen one” couldn’t even pass the same security clearance the secret service have to pass. And don’t let anyone ask the “chosen one” or “bite me” a tough question cuz they just won’t allow anymore interviews with your station, wah wah, what a bunch of whiners. This is what’s going to happen when the “chosen one” is in office anything that he doesn’t like or anyone that doesn’t worship him will be out on their (&#%. This country is going downhill and downhill quick just look at any county or municipality run by democrats in the state of georgia and you’ll see where the good ole usa is going with these #*(%# in charge. Look at Atlanta, Lithonia, Clayton for examples.
By Saxby Chambliss Coward
October 26, 2008 5:12 PM | Link to this
what’reyouidiots 4:54 PM
I’m voting McCain/Buckley.. Guess you lobbist loving LIBERALS are going OBAMA/Chambliss. What kind of country do you think our childeren are going to have after 4 years of OBAMA & 6 more years of Chambliss??
By what'reyouidiots
October 26, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this
Hey “SAXBYCHAMBLISSCOWARD” I agree with you for voting for McCain but as far as I’m concerned a vote for Buckley is a vote for Martin. I think 4 years of Obama is far more worse than 6,12 or even 18 years of Saxby would be.
By Saxby Chambliss Coward
October 26, 2008 6:23 PM | Link to this
what’reyouidiots 6:09 PM
I will not vote for the socialist Saxby Special interest. Saxby is worse than a LIBERAL Democrat because he is owned by out of state LOBBYIST. He worked with OBAMA, Kennedy,Pelosi, Kennedy & the remainder of the liberal left deliver the republican votes to override President’s 3 Vetoes of government waste. Check out this clip to see SAXBY at work with Kennedy & Boxer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK5TprmkgRw&feature=related
By Tom GA Values Hunter
October 26, 2008 7:07 PM | Link to this
Saxby has my vote. 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 Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 26, 2008 7:45 PM | Link to this
Remember Democrats and all other Martin supporters that Tuesday is republican voting day. Even if you vote on that day for Martin, the man will steal that vote for Saxby. Join me and vote on Democrat voting day, Nov. 5th. Help me and vote on Wednesday for Hope, Change and Our Jim Martin.
By GA Values
October 26, 2008 8:14 PM | Link to this
Saxby has this in the bag. His support outside ATL is greater than Martins inside ATL. Martin lokes like a liberal panty waste and his effete little eyeglasses do not help. Saxby will win this race by 4 points.
By the way I wish Tom GA Hunter would stop stealing my name. I have never heard of this Churchill character. Tom made him up.
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 27, 2008 6:24 AM | Link to this
During last night’s debate, Sen. Saxby Chambliss said that he went against the Bush Administration on immigration. Really? That’s not how I remember it.
I write this as a supporter of immigration, though not of this particular bill, but the statement is misleading. Chambliss supported the McCain-Kennedy immigration legislation, which was pushed by the Bush Administration. He flippantly dismissed criticism of the bill and was booed at the 2007 Georgia Republican Party Convention because of his support of it.
It is true that he voted against the plan, but only after a protests against him and thousands of phone calls to his Washington and constituents offices.
Russ Spencer, the moderator of the debate, pointed out that Chambliss had voted with the Bush Administration 92% of the time. Chambliss’ response was pathetic to say the least. He said, “If you look at that 92%, I don’t know that President Bush has ever voted. So when you say I voted with him, that’s really not right.”
That is an absurd response to a legitimate question. Sen. Chambliss should stop listening to Republican radio and answer the damn question.
You voted with the position of the Bush Administration 92% of the time. Seriously, this shtick, which can only been viewed as an attempt to run away from the big government record of the Bush Administration, is not going to fool voters.
By Truth4u
October 27, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this
Democrats has people thinking that the US. Big Oil companies do not pay taxes, However they pay in more taxes to the GOV. then anything else put togther.
In fact, oil companies have paid in taxes more than three times what they earned in profits during the last 28 years. Here’s what Exxon Mobil paid in state and federal taxes in the third quarter of 2006 alone:
Income taxes: $7.68 billion Excise taxes: $7.76 billion All other taxes: $10.79 billion
Total taxes remitted/paid: $26.24 billion
Internal Revenue Service (Table 6, p. 41) — In 2005 (the most recent year for which data are available), the bottom 75% of all individual taxpayers (about 100 million taxpayers out of 132 million total) paid about $130.9 billion in income taxes. Adjusting by the recent average of about $5 billion in annual increases in tax revenue from individuals, it is estimated that the bottom 75% of individual taxpayers (more than 100 million individuals) paid about $136 billion in 2006.
Bottom Line: In 2006, U.S. oil companies paid more in corporate income taxes to the IRS ($138 billion) than the individual taxes paid by the more than 100 million individual taxpayers in the bottom 75% of all individual taxpayers (estimated to be $136 billion, ).
By Truth4u
October 27, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this
Fair Tax Facts: 1. Repeal the federal income tax.
Repeal all payroll taxes including Social Security and Medicare.
Protect and ensure the funding of Social Security and Medicare.
Repeal corporate and self-employment taxes.
Repeal all estate, gift, and capital gains taxes.
Taxation of income will be unconstitutional upon repeal of the 16th amendment.
Allow you to keep 100% of your paycheck, pension, and social security payment. View your Paycheck! under the FairTax plan.
Bring about a reduction of the cost of new goods and services by 20% to 30%.
Raise the same amount of money for the federal government, i.e. “revenue neutral.”
Eliminate the Internal Revenue Service.
Substantially reduce tax rates for lower and middle-income Americans.
Allow families to save more for Home Ownership, Education and Retirement.
Provide a universal rebate equal to the sales tax paid on essential goods and services to ensure that no American pays taxes on necessities. Important! The Rebate is based only on family size (not on Income).
All Americans will receive the Rebate, in advance, monthly! Click REBATE! to see the Chart for 2004. All Seniors, including those on Social Security, will be pleased to note that they will receive the Rebate, too.
Apply a 23% tax-inclusive rate sales tax on the purchase of New Goods and services in the U.S. Note: Used Goods and Education costs (example: College Tuition) are not subject to the FairTax.
Make American products more competitive at home and overseas. Encourage job-creation in America. Help reduce America’s Trade Deficit.
Stimulate economic growth in the U.S. by a far greater amount than the government’s “tax-cuts” and “stimulus package” will ever do… and enable the economy to continue to grow year-after-year.
By Sissy Saxby
October 27, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this
Hey, the economy has worked pretty well for ol’ Sissy Saxby. Too bad about the rest of you losers.
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 27, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this
Remember Democrats and all other Martin supporters that Tuesday is republican voting day. Even if you vote on that day for Martin, the man will steal that vote for Saxby. Join me and vote on Democrat voting day, Nov. 5th. Help me and vote on Wednesday for Hope, Change and Our Jim Martin.
By Copyleft
October 28, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this
“Aaron Burr” seems stuck on his silly desperation tactic, doesn’t he? Nothing to offer, nothing to contribute—the perfect Republican drone.
By hoosier liberal
November 9, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
To Ga. Values, Sir, I agree with you. To vote for Martin is a vote for more San Francisco liberism. Let’s put “draft dodger” Saxby back in office. that way we can maintain Ga. nazi values.
By catlady
November 9, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
can’t post a comment (newt gingrich) if the link does not work! hello, anybody home at the AJC?
By Saxby is in it for the money
November 9, 2008 4:45 PM | Link to this
Chambliss fell out of favor with Georgia voters for a variety of reasons. But a major blow to his backing came when he supported the $700 billion financial bailout package. All of Georgia’s House Republicans voted against it, and all were easily re-elected.
The freshman senator is hoping to change the subject in the runoff, and he’s bringing in his own marque names to help.
John McCain is scheduled to make an appearance for Chambliss, and his campaign is reaching out to former vice presidential contender Sarah Palin, as well. Former Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have also been tapped for help.
“We’re looking to the RNC, of course, for help on the ground, the same way I’m sure our opponent will look to the DNC and other such groups for help on the ground. We already have third parties playing in the state,” said Michelle Grasso, a Chambliss spokeswoman.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has ramped up its fundraising operation to funnel cash to the embattled incumbent. “We’ve got staff on the ground, and we are assessing what else we need,” said NRSC spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher.