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DEL.ICIO.USA tale of two TV ads
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two of the TV ads in the U.S. Senate campaign, both released in the last day or so, require more than the usual scrutiny.
One is a Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee attack on Democrat Jim Martin, accusing him of voting against a bill to make child solicitation a felony — 20 years ago.
The second TV spot has been issued by VoteVets.org, a Democratic group, accusing Republican Saxby Chambliss of voting against appropriations for “proper” body armor for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The anti-Martin spot
Let’s start with the RSCC ad entitled “Solicit.” Says a narrator:
“If someone solicits a child for prostitution, shouldn’t it be a felony? Jim Martin doesn’t think so. Martin voted against tougher penalties for people who prey on children.”
On Feb. 1, 1988, H.B. 1221 passed the state House in 1988, with Martin voting against it. The bill was sponsored by state Rep. Betty Aaron (D-DeKalb). Under its provisions, soliciting or procuring children for sex was to be a felony. First offenders could be fined from $1,000 to $5,000 and sentenced to jail terms of one to five years.
The bill was sent to the Senate, which altered the bill and sent it back to the House on Feb. 17, 1988. This time, Martin voted for it.
According to House records, the only major difference in the two versions was that the original House version — the one Martin voted against — loosened the definition of “solicitation of sodomy” so that it only applied to an exchange of services for money. Cash prostitution, in other words.
In the version that Martin voted for — which included the provision to make child solicitation a felony — solicitation of sodomy was to be considered as any request for the sexual service. I.e., the status quo. Remember that, at the time, Georgia’s sodomy statute was a hotly debated topic.
One wonders if there may be some Republican calculation here — that Martin might not emphasize his reason for opposing the initial version of the bill, for fear of alienating gay voters.
The anti-Chambliss, body armor ad
This TV spot by VotesforVets.org features Pete Granato, an Army reservist who served in Iraq. In the opening seconds, Granato lifts up a weapon.
“This is an ak-47, the rifle of choice for terrorists in iraq and Afghanistan. This is a vest. It was the protection we were given when we were deployed to Iraq.”
Using the rifle, Granato fires several rounds into the vest, fitted on a mannequin, then introduces a second, nearby vest.
“This is modern body armor, made for today’s weapons.”
Granato fires shots into second vest.
“The difference is life,” he says, opening the second vest, showing no penetration.
“Or death,” he finishes, opening the second vest and showing four holes.
This debate has been around for more than four years. Shannon McCaffrey with the Associated Press in Atlanta filed this analysis on Monday:
The ad seems designed to cut into Chambliss’ support among members of the military and their families. It’s running in two areas of Georgia that are home to large military bases.
The Pentagon has conceded that thousands of soldiers went to Iraq without the highest quality ceramic-plated body armor. But who is to blame?
The spot is recycled from a similar ad that ran against several GOP senators in 2006.
This cycle, it’s also running against fellow Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, of North Carolina.
“The claim was false and nasty then, and it’s false and nasty now,” concluded FactCheck.org, a nonpartisan research group. The group said additional money would not have made a difference in securing more vests for troops because suppliers of body armor could not keep up with the demand.
But VoteVets.org disputes that, saying that more money would have made it possible to seek out additional body armor suppliers.
The ad refers to two votes:
-On April 2, 2003, Chambliss voted against an amendment for just over $1 billion in unspecified National Guard and reserve equipment. The amendment made no specific mention of body armor, although a press release announcing the bill does. Chambliss and other Republicans voted against the additional funds saying adequate money was already available in the supplemental spending bill.
—On Oct. 2, 2003 Chambliss voted against a Democratic amendment to an $87 billion supplemental spending bill that would have taken $322 million from reconstruction funds and added funneled it to safety equipment for United States forces. Chambliss voted for the final version of the bill, which earmarked $300 million for body armor. Democrats said there was still a shortfall.
Comments
By Copyleft
October 27, 2008 4:40 PM | Link to this
I hate the Repukes. Check ou this web site about the evil republicans. Scroll down and watch the video.
http://longleggedfreak.com/
By Saxby Chambliss Thief
October 27, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
Mr. Stevens is certain to appeal the conviction, and his supporters are also likely to explore the possibility of obtaining a pardon from a fellow Republican, President George W. Bush, before Mr. Bush leaves office in January.
The maximum sentence on each of the felony charges is five years in prison, but federal sentencing guidelines could call for much less than that. Mr. Stevens will turn 85 on Nov. 18.
A senator can be expelled only by a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate, so a conviction does not automatically cost a lawmaker his seat. Since 1789, only 15 senators have been expelled, mostly for supporting the Confederacy during the Civil War, according to the Senate Web site.
In 1982, the Senate Ethics Committee recommended that Senator Harrison J. Williams, Democrat of New Jersey, be expelled because of his conviction on bribery, conspiracy and conflict of interest charges in the Abscam scandal, and in 1995 the committee recommended the expulsion of Senator Robert W. Packwood, Republican of Oregon, for sexual misconduct. Both men resigned before the full Senate could vote. Mr. Williams was convicted of bribery and conspiracy and served 21 months in federal prison.
By Just A Grunt
October 27, 2008 6:35 PM | Link to this
I don’t think the Dems have any room to talk about scandals when William Jefferson, found with $90K dollars in bribes in his freezer, Alcee Hastings, the only living impeached federal judge and Rep Mahoney with his latest revelations of extra marital affairs and possible use of women for other means are all Dems and all sitting in congress. Regarding the Vote Vets ad yes it is false and running these ads in mostly military communities they are likely to be met with laughter rather then any serious consideration. The troops know the truth.
By MadTaxpayer
October 27, 2008 7:08 PM | Link to this
Saxby voted to hand $700 BILLION of OUR money to the save a select few high-roller country club bankers of Wall Street with a plan that had no prayer of helping the general economy or any of us. His mind is gone and it is time for him to come home to Georgia and sober up. As much as I disagree with the “spread the wealth around” socialist crowd, I will not vote for Chambliss ever again.
By Blake
October 27, 2008 7:57 PM | Link to this
Mr. Galloway, in paragraph 8, “… the original House version — the one Martin voted against — loosened the definition of “solicitation of sodomy” …”—do you mean “tightened” instead of “loosened”?
Just a Grunt, maybe the military folks will laugh at it—but all four Congresscritters the ad was run against in 2006 lost. :-) I’m pretty shocked that Chambliss voted against more money for the military. Pretty stupid call considering the image he tries so hard to cultivate.
By TW
October 27, 2008 9:58 PM | Link to this
The arrogance of the rightwing in insisting we look the other way, acknowlege not at all the eight year abortion that has just taken place in Washington, is simply amazing. Does the rightwing really think they are above any accountability - or do they just think the American electorate is a bunch of idiots?
There is no more egregious abuse of the concept of welfare than the American tax dollars paid to George W and his lapdog Saxby over the last eight and six years respectively. At best we’ve paid them to do NOTHING - sadly, we’ve paid them to screw up our country.
By TW
October 27, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this
The arrogance of the rightwing in insisting we look the other way, acknowlege not at all the eight year abortion that has just taken place in Washington, is simply amazing. Does the rightwing really think they are above any accountability - or do they just think the American electorate is a bunch of idiots?
There is no more egregious abuse of the concept of welfare than the American tax dollars paid to George W and his lapdog Saxby over the last eight and six years respectively. At best we’ve paid them to do NOTHING - sadly, we’ve paid them to screw up our country.
By Copyleft
October 27, 2008 10:28 PM | Link to this
http://longleggedfreak.com/ This is a must see for anyone thinking about voting for a repuke!!!!
By GA Values
October 27, 2008 10:35 PM | Link to this
I cannot wait to cast my vote for GA’s tried and true Senator, Saxby Chambliss. Jim Martin is just like Reid, Obama, Pelosi, Frank, Dodd, Schumer and the rest of the democrat cheats in DC. NO THANKS. This is GA, not San Francisco. All those scmucks and Martin can go try to socialize and redistribute elsewhere. Not here. Not in GA.
By Karl Marx
October 27, 2008 10:41 PM | Link to this
Obama is a Marxist.
By Sissy Saxby
October 28, 2008 5:21 AM | Link to this
Jim Martin served his country in Vietnam, but Sissy Saxby’s stooges call him a socialist. Sad.
By Saxby Chambliss Thief
October 28, 2008 6:05 AM | Link to this
I’d vote for Saxby the Socialist if he was a Republican but his vote goes to the highest paying LOBBYIST. How about Saxby’s $473,000,000 earmark for RACE HORSES in the Farm Act, he certainly doesn’t repesent me. I voted for Buckley in the General Election & will vote Martin in the run off. Why would anyone vote for a big spending, big government, pro amnesty LIBERAL like Saxby the SOCIALIST.
By Saxby Chambliss Thief
October 28, 2008 6:43 AM | Link to this
Saxby is on PBS Radio, trying to explain his vote on the $700,000,000,000.00 Wall Street Bailout with $153,000,000,000.00 of pork, “while calling to shake down bankers they told me they wanted free government money”. He said he opposed Amnesty (look at the record) & could not even explain the National Sales Tax. McCain says Country First, Saxby says LOBBYIST(especially Bo Chambliss) First.. FIRE SAXBY NOW
By Copyleft
October 28, 2008 8:04 AM | Link to this
Desperate Namejacker is still bitterly clinging to his failed party agenda, I see. What fun!
(snicker)
By Sissy Saxby
October 28, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
If you want to talk about Socialism, what about Sissy Saxby supporting the Wall Street Bailout?
By ghostwriter
November 26, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this
All this talk about socialism makes me tired. Lap dog Sen. Tax-me Shameless voted for the largest income redistribution plan since the 1940’s by voting for Bush’s prescription drug benefit plan. This was after the Bush administration intentionally lied in estimating the cost of the plan to get it passed, then “admitted” the true cost after the vote. Also, Sen. Shameless, a member of the Senate Homeland Security committee, sat silent while the Bush Administration leaked national security information to a fake reporter and former male prostitute for use in sabotaging the re-election campaign of Sen. Tom Daschle. Sen. Shameless needs to leave just like this outgoing affirmative action president.