Gore: Martin will bring change

Former Vice President Al Gore urged about 600 cheering people in Atlanta on Sunday night to vote for Jim Martin on Dec. 2 to help bring about “historic change” in Georgia and the nation.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who lost a close 2000 presidential bid to President George W. Bush, took direct aim at Martin’s opponent, incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

“It’s time for him to go,” Gore said of the GOP senator from Moultrie. “The Bush-Cheney-Chambliss philosophy has been tried and has not only found out to be wanting, it has been found out to be a catastrophe.”

With Martin, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, at this side, Gore spoke to contributors at the fund-raiser at the warehouse-like Mason Murer Fine Art gallery in Midtown. Guests paid $125 each for the general reception. Gore attended a pricier private fund-raiser before the reception.

“This is a humbling experience for me,” Martin, a former state lawmaker from Atlanta, told the crowd. He added: “We’re going to win this race.”

The crowd roared its approval during Gore’s 10-minute speech.

At one point, wine-and beer-sipping Martin supporters reprised a chant from the campaign of President-elect Barack Obama.

“Yes we can! Yes we can!” the crowd shouted back as Gore intoned from the podium: “Change is coming! Change is coming to Georgia! Change is coming to America!”

Gore’s visit came nine days before the Dec. 2 runoff between Chambliss and Martin, and it underscored the high-profile nature of the race.

“The eyes of the nation are on this race here in Georgia,” Gore said.

The Georgia Senate runoff is attracting a lengthening line of political A-listers as Democrats push for a 60-vote, filibuster-proof “super majority” in the upper chamber and Republicans pull out all the stops to hold Chambliss’s seat.

Democrats now have 58 seats. Only races in Minnesota and Georgia have yet to be decided.

Former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Martin last week. U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have stumped here for Chambliss. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani comes to town Tuesday for the Republican senator.

Both political parties are pouring millions of dollars and hundreds of workers into the race.

Runoffs historically attract fewer voters than general elections, and both camps worry this one —- coming in the middle of the holidays —- could be particularly problematic.