Georgia's congressional Democrats feeling new heat

By Bob Keefe

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON -- Like the rest of the Democratic Party, Georgia's congressional Democrats are feeling shock waves from the stunning Republican win in Massachusetts.

Some Democratic U.S. House members called the upset by Senator-elect Scott Brown a sign that they need to change their campaign strategies and how they do their jobs.

At least one, U.S. Rep. David Scott of Atlanta, bucked his party's leadership by suggesting it may be time for Democrats to drop their plans for health care to focus more on the economy.

"This is a clarion call for us to focus like a laser on the economy," Scott said Wednesday. "People can't focus on health care if they don't have jobs or if they're being foreclosed on. We've got to recalibrate and refocus on jobs."

Democratic U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Lithonia, who is facing a potentially tough re-election fight, said Brown's victory convinced him and other Democrats that they need to do a better job of reaching out to Republicans and others.

"It's a wake-up call for Democrats to consider the views of all constituents," he said.

Even U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta, whose district is securely Democratic, felt a shudder from the Massachusetts vote.

"Massachusetts is the bluest of the blue states," he said. "People get an idea that if they can do it in a state like Massachusetts they can do it someplace else."

But Lewis added that -- like top Democratic leaders -- he isn't ready to give up on a health care overhaul just yet.

Georgia's congressional Republicans wasted no time in embracing Brown and joining others in the GOP in portraying his win as a referendum on Democrats, health care and the Obama administration.

"This election should serve as a wake-up call to Democrats that the American people are frustrated with the way in which the health care debate has been conducted, the growth of the government and too little fiscal restraint," Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss said in a statement.

Sen. Johnny Isakson echoed other Republicans in calling Brown's winning of the seat that Democratic lion Sen. Ted Kennedy had held a message that the Senate needs "to back up and start over" on health care reform that Kennedy advocated for so long.

U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Roswell said Brown's election was a "rejection of the agenda being put forth by President Obama and his allies."

And Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston of Savannah reminded Democrats of the change that's coming to Congress now that they have lost their filibuster-proof majority.

Americans "want balance in Washington," he said in a statement. "Senator-elect Scott Brown's vote will begin to right the scales."