After 22 years in Congress, Jack Kingston can’t call himself an “outsider.” He wants you to know that’s not a bad thing.
Rather, Kingston says he’s the “tested and proven” conservative in Tuesday’s GOP run-off for the U.S. Senate, where his opponent is first-time candidate and businessman David Perdue.
“I’m tested and I’m proven,” he told me last week in Atlanta, “from Dick Cheney himself calling me and telling me to vote for the Wall Street bailout, and me saying no … (to opposing) not just the Obama stimulus program, which was an easier ‘no’ vote, but (also) the Bush stimulus program in May of ‘08.”
Beyond his voting record, Kingston pointed to the experience he has in dealing with institutions that matter to Georgians.
“I’ve dealt with the universities up here,” he said. “I’ve dealt with MARTA. We were involved with the new TSA line at Hartsfield-Jackson and the fifth runway. I’ve led the fight on the port (expansion) … that’s been our issue from the very beginning.
“So yes, there’s certain institutional knowledge that I have and would be able to hit the ground running with, but that wouldn’t mean anything if I didn’t have conservative credentials.”
In particular, Kingston suggested his experience on defense issues and the seniority he would bring from the House give him the best chance of the remaining candidates, including Democrat Michelle Nunn, of landing a spot on the important Armed Services Committee.
“I’ve represented five out of our eight military installations. I know about the conversions of the nuclear submarines. I know what a C-130J is (and) what a C-5M is,” he said, the latter two referring to transport aircraft built at Lockheed’s Marietta plant. “All these planes and weapons systems are really relevant to the Georgia Guard.”
He continued by looking farther afield:
“I’ve been to Israel five times in my capacity on the (House) defense committee. I’ve sat down with (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, I sat down with Ehud Barak when he was prime minister. I’ve been to the Arrow 2 and the Arrow 3 (ballistic missile) sites. I know the Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems. … I’ve been on the DMZ (demilitarized zone on the) North and South Korea boundary. I’ve also been to Iraq and Afghanistan several times to see the troops. So I do think there is a certain amount of knowledge that’s important to the job.”
All that said, he acknowledged the electorate’s mood reflects impatience with Congress, though he said voters “recognize that there’s a huge difference between the Senate product — or lack of product — versus the House.”
So he doesn’t expect much of a honeymoon if he and other Republican candidates this fall are able to create a GOP majority in the Senate.
“If those candidates are hearing what I’m hearing” from voters, he said, “our majority in the Senate will be on trial from day one. It won’t be guaranteed. We’re going to have to earn the right to keep it, and we have to deliver.”
Editor’s note: Read last week’s column about Perdue at MyAJC.com/opinion.
