The word from inside the Chambliss campaign is that a pair of polls showing Jim Martin within the margin of error will be released next week.
In mid-September, Rasmussen showed Chambliss up by 7 with an MOE of 4.5, and SUSA had Chambliss up by 17 with the same margin.
I don’t know specifically which polls the campaign is expecting see reporting a dead heat next week, but regardless it’s not the best news for the Saxby Chambliss reelection campaign.
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There’s no question that Saxby’s team is running the worst campaign we’ve seen in a while in Georgia.
Those commercials are just plain awful.
His record is even more awful. One reaps what one sows.
Saxby has enough money that he should be on radio and TV daily explaining that he has consistently voted for tax cuts, and now his “liberal opponent” wants to tax and spend our ailing economy into oblivion. That he (Martin) wants to keep us from drilling our own oil, so that we can buy more from the people his Presidential candidate wants us to unilaterally surrender to.
It’s embarassing for someone with a 10 or 20 times fundraising advantage to allow someone else to frame the debate around “George Bush Economics”.
By voting for something calls to his office were running 100:1 against, Saxby has proven that he has no regard for representing the people who put him in office. Maybe the people who were in favor of the bailout will return him to office if he can find them. Good luck with that.
Icarus,
You make a good point about Saxby not effectively utilizing his financial advantage to define Jim Martin as too liberal for Georgia.
I’m reminded of the ads then-state Sen. Casey Cagle ran against Martin during the 2006 Lt. Governor campaign.
“Jim Martin is not a bad man, but his liberal policies are just bad for Georgia.”
That line from Cagle was classic and I more than expected Saxby Chambliss to run a similar campaign against Jim Martin in this U.S. Senate race.
If Saxby loses, then his 2008 campaign will be a lesson in “how to blow a sure thing.”
I voted for Jim Martin, so I obviously want him to win, but still I expected more from Georgia’s senior Senator.
Perhaps Saxby just took this one for granted.
Of course, there is still a lot of time to move his numbers. 30 days with a huge financial disparity is an eternity.
“now his “liberal opponent” wants to tax and spend our ailing economy into oblivion. That he (Martin) wants to keep us from drilling our own oil, so that we can buy more from the people his Presidential candidate wants us to unilaterally surrender to…”
C’mon Icarus, I know you are more intelligent than that. Put the Limbaugh down and consider the issues for a few moments.
PS – Who exactly would we surrender to in Iraq again? It’s an occupation – the only two results are annexation or exit. And I doubt that Iraq will be our 51st state.
Now inmates are registering to vote.
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=213939
What is happening to our country?
I’m not talking about “issues”, I’m talking about ads. Soundbites rule the day with the masses, and your ads frame that.
The fact that Saxby appears to be on the defensive before he’s even really started is sad. I expect his major ad buys will get started this week. I’d suggest something other than 6 year old B-roll.
Saxby is the WORSE Senator in my lifetime. Saxby works for LOBBYIST not Georgia. He needs to loose so we can reclaim our party.
Icarus,
Ah, okay. Yeah, I guess I’ll leave you your hyperbole on that one. Just like Martin probably would have been corralled into the bailout vote if he was in the Senate, but gets the challenger’s advantage of demagoguing his opponent when something unpopular is done.
Campaigning is campaigning. Rarely has anything to do with governing.
I may end up voting libertarian on this one. Does anyone know the run-off rules in Georgia? I though they were changed a few years back.
I voted for Libertarian Allen Buckley in this race and Bob Barr for President. They would never vote for any bailout. Jane you need 50 percent plus 1 to avoid a runoff.
“They would never vote for any bailout.”
They will never be elected, so they will never have the chance.
I will be voting Libertarian.
Maybe Saxby is hedging his bets and hoping to be the SecAG in either Administration by playing to both sides…
I’ll give Chambliss the benefit of the doubt, and assume that he honestly believed that this financial crisis could only be solved by taking on massive government debt and placing the federal government into the free market in a way that we have never seen in this country. As a fiscal conservative, I do not believe in the policies of greater debt and bigger government that Chambliss and Isakson embrace.
I will be voting either Democratic or Libertarian this time around. We need a primary challenger for Isakson in 2010.
I’m not giving Saxby the benefit of the doubt. I want to punish him. I want Jim Martin to go to DC. I want the Democrats to have a filibuster proof Senate so no matter how Fascist, no matter how Socialist, we Americans learn a lesson.
I want to punish conservatives for our way of life. I want all life as we know it to cease….Go Obama, elect Jim Martin so we can get a full dose of liberalism in my lifetime.
You will see signs all over Cherokee for Republicans running for office except Saxby. I have only seen one sign and it was real small. I wonder why?
I’ll be voting for Barr and Buckley. The only way to get the GOP to do right it not to vote for them when they act like Democrats.
There are like 3 signs total in Dodge. Maybe a few more in Bleckley, a good number in Pulaski, a smattering in Dooly, and very few in Sumter.
There are more signs from the July primary of candidates who were eliminated than there are signs for Saxby in Dodge. Granted, we have no Martin signs either.
FYI
I thought some of you might find this interesting!
Dear Mr. Sommovigo :
Thank you for contacting me regarding the turmoil in our financial markets and the actions taken by the United States Treasury as they pertain to several leading financial institutions. It is good to hear from you.
This is the most serious and critical domestic issue I have dealt with in my 14 years in Congress. We have been betrayed by many people and by abuse of the system. Now we have two significant choices to make – do nothing or take action.
I strongly believe that doing nothing will destroy the financial security of millions of Americans and possibly lead us into a depression. I just as strongly believe the bill as now negotiated will arrest the crisis and begin to turn our economy around.
The bill that I voted for is not a bailout. H.R. 1424, “The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act,” is crafted to address the crisis; restore security for the American taxpayer; and return our nation to the strongest economic power in the world. And in the process this bill enables us to root out and punish those who cheated us all.
I know that my vote in favor of this package was not the politically popular thing to do, but this is not a popularity contest. This is about the future of our country and the future that my children and grandchildren will inherit. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind or my heart that my vote in support of this measure was the right thing for our economy, for Georgians, and for our country.
My first reaction was one of anger and frustration. How could this happen in the strongest economy in the world? How could the best financial system in the world fail? After calming down, I realized the seriousness of the situation and the consequences of Congress failing to act.
The Treasury Department submitted a proposal to Congress requesting authority to purchase troubled assets from financial institutions. This program was intended to address the root cause of the market stresses by removing these assets from the financial system.
I did not support the original proposal submitted by the Administration because it did not address the critical needs of the American taxpayer, community banks, retirees, and small businesses and it concentrated too much power in a small group to administer the plan.
As the conversations in Washington and across the nation continued over how to address the challenge before us and as the details of the problems in our financial sector were revealed daily, I became convinced that something had to be done and done soon.
Moreover, when the House rejected the plan, the economy suffered a $1.2 trillion dollar blow in the stock market, which only made more apparent the impact this credit crunch is having on Main Street . Specifically, in some cases,Georgia community banks are unable to make auto loans.
Below are details of the legislation:
TAXPAYERS ARE PROTECTED. In its current form, the legislation before the Senate protects taxpayers in many ways. Accountability, safeguards, and oversight measures are numerous. There will be transparency, public reports, and triggers to end the program if, for some reason, it is not effective or end the program early if it is more successful. Moreover, I worked to negotiate a mechanism to stop all transfers of taxpayer funds if necessary. That said , I believe this legislation will be effective.
NOT A BLANK CHECK. I opposed the President’s initial request to simply give a blank check to Secretary Paulson. I also opposed the second version submitted by the President and Congressional Democrats that would have given taxpayer money to liberal groups such as ACORN. Let me be clear – this current bill, the bill in the Senate, is not a blank check for anyone. First, it allows the release of $250 billion to purchase these toxic loans. Then, Congress can release another $100 billion but only with Presidential involvement and certification that it is necessary. And only if absolutely necessary and again with Presidential certification and Congressional approval, the remaining $350 billion could be released. However, I do not believe the entire $700 billion authorized will be necessary or used.
NO GOLDEN PARACHUTES. CEOs and other executive officers who drove their companies into the ground will not be able to walk away with millions leaving taxpayers holding the bill. Those companies that choose to participate in the program will be subject to strict compensation limits.
NO NEW GOVERNMENT SPENDING. The language is clear – all revenue generated through the repayment of any assets purchased and any sold must be used to pay down the national debt. No money will go to pork projects, new government spending, or liberal groups such as ACORN.
HELP FOR MAIN STREET . As this crisis continues, community banks are being affected more and more. Car loans and home loans, even to those with good credit, are drying up. People are losing their retirement savings. Small businesses are now having difficulty getting loans to make payroll or grow their business to create new jobs. If we allow this to continue, jobs will be lost, more retirement accounts will be impacted, and credit will get even tighter.
PUNISH CRIMINALS. The Federal Government is actively investigating cases of fraud and abuse. Where wrongdoing is found, the perpetrators, including, if implicated, members of Congress will be brought to justice. We have already seen subpoenas issued for records at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This bill demands cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and I expect we will see more subpoenas and criminal prosecution.
ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CAUSE WHILE WE TREAT THE SYMPTOMS. We are seeing the symptoms now – lack of trust in the banking industry, daily tightening of the credit markets, losses in personal retirement accounts – and while this legislation addresses those issues, it also goes further to treat the cancer that got us here. This legislation authorizes the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to modify the ‘mark to market’ accounting procedures that magnified this crisis by forcing banks to mark down the value of assets they had no intention of selling in the near future. This mark down of value caused a corresponding loss of value to the institutions. The SEC has already begun the process to modify this procedure.
RETURN TRUST IN THE BANKS. By increasing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) protection on bank accounts from the current $100,000 to $250,000, taxpayers and bank customers can once again trust that their money is safe in the bank of their choice.
DEBT REPAYMENT. Toxic loans will be purchased at a discount and 100% of the monies repaid to the government will go to reduce the debt we incur in this process. While we shouldn’t expect full repayment, it is possible that all of the money expended will be repaid.
PROTECT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. If we do not act and this crisis spreads like a cancer to every segment of our economy, it will destroy not only taxpayer savings but it will erode our ability to fund our military, supply our troops with the resources they need, and protect our homeland.
NO TIME FOR POLITICAL FINGER POINTING. There is plenty of blame to go around but now is not the time to throw stones, now is the time to address this crisis and get our economy moving again.
FOR THE COUNTRY; NOT POLITICAL POPULARITY. This is not a popularity contest, this is a crisis. And since this crisis began, I have had numerous conversations with economists, community bankers, small business owners, and taxpayers. I have weighed the costs of inaction versus the costs of unpopular action. I support this bill because it is good for the country, it is the right thing to do today for taxpayers and tomorrow for my children and grandchildren, and it is necessary to get our economy moving again.
Strong capital markets are vital to a prosperous U.S. economy and given the renewed focus of our regulators and market participants, I remain confident in our financial markets and our overall economy.
However, history warns us against inaction by hard lessons learned. Delaying to act would be a repeat of the mistakes of the 1920s, when thousands of banks failed before significant confidence was restored to our financial markets.
If you would like to receive timely email alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, please sign up via my web site at: http://www.chambliss.senate.gov . Please let me know whenever I may be of assistance.
The only way to get the GOP to do right is not to vote for them when they act like Democrats.
You are right and if you think this country will be better off this next two years by letting the Democrats have their way. Then have it your way.
A Senate seat is six years, not two.
bowersville
sometime they need to learn a lesson or two.With Saxby voting for the farm bill and the bailout I do not see much of a differnce between him and a Democrat.
Vote Buckley and send a Message. Make it go into a run off and scare Chambliss. Then vote for your Rino Chambliss
Bowersville,
What would be the difference? I’ll wait for real conservatives.
If you think you can with stand the message you want to send to Saxby and the GOP, vote Buckley. I’ve made mine and I really don’t give a hoot.
2 years as in the Democratic house will reverse itself because these demwit Libertarians and Progressives know not of what they speak.
Saxby deserves to loose… he’s earned it. As for being to liberal for Georgia… I think Martin could actually run that ad against Saxby. The Farm bill proved he was even too liberal for W.
SOWEGA–GA, how long do you have on your hands to wait? Huh?
A filibuster proof Senate for the Democrats will last a lifetime or two. Have you ever thought about that? Why no.
Do you actually believe you have time to wait? Pray tell how. Do you think when the house turns in two years to fiscal conservatives it will make a difference under Obama? Crap, study FDR. We are still under FDR socialism. FDR motto: try different ideas until something works. It wasn’t until the second term of Eisenhower until things changed. 25 years later.
Voting for Buckley doesn’t elect Martin, it just increases the chance for a runoff.
A runoff is easily won by Chambliss if Obama wins the election, or if McCain wins he might lose, but at least there is a veto threat to stop that 60 vote margin. If the Republicans party wanted to stop this, they would have put their foot down on the pork included in the bill, if nothing else. But it seems true that the pork was to buy Republican votes, not Democrats.
If nothing else, a runoff means that Senator Shambles gets a wake up call.
bower,
It’s people like you who helped to ruin the Republican party by the incremental sacrifice of its principles in order to hold onto “power” 2 more years. The fact is they never had any real power since they were constantly manipulated by the Dems and the RINOs, which allowed the Conservatives to get blamed for their mistakes.
Hold the Republicans accountable for once, and perhaps the party will be improved, instead of protecting these worthless empty suits like Chambliss and criminals like Stevens and Craig.
If the Republican party wanted to stop this, it would have stopped it prior to 2006. That didn’t happen because there were too many dip craps out here that believed, taxpayer money should be available to help the poor. Face it, if you didn’t support the poor prior to ‘06, you were labeled hard hearted and racist. Now, if you don’t pay more taxes you aren’t patriotic.
If you are willing to bet you can bullet proof the Senate by voting Buckley and forcing a run off and you want to take a chance on sending Martin to the Senate with 50.1, be all means have at it. And while you are at it, stand on a chair, kick it out from under you while dangling from a noose in hopes that you will be cut down.
Again, I don’t give three hoots in hades.
Looking at the latest from electoral-vote.com, it looks like the Republicans are now capable of losing MN, MS, KY and GA on top of the long list they are already behind in. That could mean a 62-38 Senate, and the Senate Republicans deserve it.
Looking back, how much more popular would they have now if they said no to the bridge to nowhere and called Senator Stevens’s threat to resign. How much more popular would they have been if they told Foley the pedophile to get lost, or Senator Craig the bathroom pervert, or a whole list of others they knew were no good for the party.
Bower, protecting these defecting men is what caused the party problems, all in the name of preventing the Democrats from taking control.
Doug, why do you think I’m protecting anybody in the GOP? I didn’t ever, nor have I ever claimed Ted Stevens, Craig or any like minded ilk where salvagable.
While I disagree with Saxby on some/most of his votes lately, that doesn’t mean I am protecting defecting men. I do know the difference. I simply am not willing to give up my country at this point in my life for some stupid and ill guided “teach them a lesson” mentality.
Like I said about the bailout, let them fail.
These predictions of doom and gloom for the party are overstated, just as their is potential for Democrats to control the Congress for a good while there is potential that you will see a rise in the GOP and 20 years of Republican dominance.
It’s all hypothetical. I’m not even sure either party is strong enough ideologically to do much anyway.
You have missed the point entirely. It’s the voter that that is not strong enough ideologically to make a difference. It always has been, it always will be and the politicians know it.
Relatively speaking, the parties in the United States are weaker than those in other nations.
You have Democrats who will not endorse their candidates, Republicans who support only one or two items on the platform. Etc. These people tend to make it difficult for the parties to get an agenda done, because they rely on these weak members.
The problem with voters of course is apathy.
Bowersville wears jean shorts.
I understand your argument but I am voting against Chambliss and Mccain because I think the country would be better off with real conservatives not Socialist-lite conservatives.
I gringe at the thought of an Obama Adminstration with a Democratic Senate, but I believe such an occurence would bring about a revival of real conservatism in America. Thus, the end result would actually be good for America. Electing these RINOS is worthless. They are conservative until THEIR interest is on the line.
Don’t hand me that crap. The problem with voters is ignorance and defensive white guilt.
AP writer Douglas K. Daniel speaking of Palin’s attack on Obama for ties with William Ayers, “Unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret.”
Don’t kid yourself, the same thing would have been said about Saxby for not voting for the bailout that allows for a 25% bailout against the principal of the have nots and he would have been labeled a racists by Martin.
Voters have no apathy, it’s the ignorant masses that don’t vote unless they are drug from beneath the bridges.
Bowersville,
People with your attitude prevent any reform from happening.
You all rationalize your abject abandonment of principle in some way every time.
Saxby is WORST than a democrat. He occupies the conservative position in a 2 party system and you PARTISANS discourage opposition within the party, then start whining to those of us who demand accountability about how dreadful the Dems are.
We hear this every time, but your argument is absurd.
That vote did irreparable harm to everyone reading these words and to the Republic. I don’t think a single damned one of them stopped to think of the fact that they rent assunder the last thread holding responsible people to this government.
A pox on Chambliss.
After he is booted, we must recall Isakson.
THAT will keep Senator Martin quite straight, thank you.
If you’ve got long enough to wait on a real conservative admin and congress, like I said have at it. I just hope you have 25-30 years on your hands.
I waited from my first vote in 1970 until 1994 before and look what we got…….about 6 years of passable conservatism that turned into 8 years of statism and now socialism on a scale that would truly have Hitler and Mussolini proud.
So where do we go Indy? Saxby may be worse than a Democrat, but in case you haven’t noticed, Martin is a Democrat.
You guys sound worse than Obama hollering Bush, Bush,Bush…well Bush ain’t on the ballot.
Kinda like keeping Marshall the blue dog straight huh? Crap, roll over in stinky if you want to.
On a side note Indy, I appreciate the heads up on the foreclosure sale, it put me to thinking.
Well Hitler burned, Mussolini was hung upside down at a gas station, so what’s your reference?
I wouldn’t keep Marshall if you paid me too.
Bowers,
The disagreement aside, there are silver linings in every calamity and they are not within the sole domain of Goldman Sachs and their Dem or GOP puppets.
Oh, I meant to throw a compliment on the job landed in regard to the lessons learned by Blue Dog Marshall.
That being said, there has to be a price paid for treachery.
The silver lining that comes in calamity is the growing strength of devalued real property versus the purchasing power of the dollar until it is subjected to rising taxes. Every time the dollar gained strength, FDR raised the tax rate and the fool middle class bought it as a tax on the rich.
So I have to ask myself, who has promised to raise taxes. In spite of all, there in lies my vote.
Ah, but who is sworn to destroying the $US dollar, thereby posing an inflation tax?
At least the Dems are honest enough to pay for the government services that they vote themselves and their constituents.
The GOP deceive sall into thinking everything in life is free and should be bailed out.
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