F-22 Vote Delayed In DC

The fate of funding for the F-22 fighter jet has been delayed. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee says a key vote on the defense spending issue was expected today. Now, Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan says he will pull the amendment temporarily so the Senate can focus on other bills.

The Lockheed-Martin built F-22 has been under hot debate in the Senate. Levin and Arizona Senator John McCain filed the amendment that would eliminate from the defense spending bill an additional $1.75 billion earmarked for another seven planes. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto extra spending for the F-22.

But Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss has lobbied heavily to keep the money in-place, given Lockheed’s main production plant is in Marietta. Thousands of jobs nationwide are connected to production of the F-22.

Isakson Opens Re-Election Bid

Georgia’s Johnny Isakson will address members of the state Senate Tuesday--this to mark the beginning of his re-election campaign for a second 6-year term in the U.S. Senate. The 64-year-old Isakson’s political career has also included serving in the U.S. House, as well as in Georgia’s legislature. Isakson plans to tour the state beginning tomorrow with stops in Augusta, Albany and Columbus. On Thursday, he's drop in on Macon and Savannah.

Runoff election roundup

U.S. Senate -
Republican Saxby Chambliss re-elected to his Senate seat, defeating
Democratic challenger Jim Martin.

Chambliss 57.4% (1,220,854)
Martin 42.6% (905,637)


Public Service Commission-District 4 --
Republican Lauren McDonald defeats Democrat Jim Powell

McDonald 56.5% (1,129,696)
Powell 43.5% (870,195)


Court of Appeals--
Sara Doyle defeats Mike Sheffield

Doyle 51.8% (883,702)
Sheffield 48.2% (823,462)

Final day for advance voting ahead of runoff

Today is the final day for advance voting in the state for the runoff election. Races to be decided at the polls include the U.S. Senate, Public Service Commission, and Court of Appeals. On Tuesday, yet another high-profile name dropped into Georgia for support of a Senate candidate. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani threw his public support behind Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss. Also announced yesterday, the Chambliss campaign will get a visit from former vice presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She’ll be in Georgia Monday.

State election roundup--UPDATED

U.S. Senate--

Georgia’s U.S. Senate race may indeed be headed for a runoff on December 3rd. The latest numbers as of 8am show Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss has fallen below the 50% plus-1 vote margin to avoid runoff. Chambliss has 49.8% percent of the vote, compared to Democratic challenger Jim Martin's 46.8%. Libertarian Allen Buckley has 3.4% percent. This is with 96% of precincts reporting.

Georgia presidential race--

The 15 electoral votes from Georgia are still in limbo, as absentee and early voting ballots from heavier populated counties are still being counted. John McCain holds the 52.4%, to 46.9% edge on Barack Obama. Meanwhile, across Georgia for state Democrats, there were celebrations into the early morning hours to mark the national victory of Obama as the next president.

U.S. House races--

Around the state yesterday in Georgia’s election, the U.S. House races of note included victories for Jim Marshall in the 8th--the Democrat returns to Washington for a fourth term by getting 57% of the vote over Rick Goddard. Republican Paul Broun keeps his seat in the 10th, with 61% of the vote to defeat Bobby Saxon. Democrat John Barrow won his race in the 12th--66% of the vote to turn away John Stone.

Other races--

The two Public Service Commission races that were contested Tuesday--one may be going to a runoff. The northern District-4 has Democrat Jim Powell with 47.9%, less than a percentage point ahead of Lauren McDonald. In PSC District-1, Republican Doug Everett has won with 67% of the vote to defeat Libertarian John Monds.

Chambliss: fed bailout crucial for Georgians, country

Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss said his vote for the Wall Street bailout was crucial for Georgians. Chambliss was speaking at a press conference in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Oct 2, 2008. (Carl Zornes)

Chambliss says his Senate vote okaying the 700-billion dollar funding measure is in line with public sentiment:

“The overwhelming majority of the american people, and certainly the majority of Georgians, I know, support the Congress as policymakers, making sure that we don’t slide down into a financial depression.”

While Chambliss voted for the measure, all of Georgia's Republican House members opposed it in a vote on Monday. Chambliss says he hopes they will now throw their support behind the hotly debated bailout.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted for the bill, as did both presidential candidates, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain.

Chambliss says Georgia's economy could take a hit without it's passage. The House is expected to vote on the measure on Friday.

Talking to reporters at the Senate, Chambliss said:

"We’ve got Georgia banks who are crimped from a credit standpoint and aren’t even able to make automobile loans today,"

"We have major employers who are having their lines of credit cut or in some cases cancelled. And it's going to start costing us jobs.”

Addressing reporters at a press conference at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport the morning after the vote, Chambliss said:

"Taking no action is simply not an option. We simply can't afford for the stock market to have losses of one point two trillion dollars on any kind of regular basis."

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Georgia Senators vote 'yes' to bailout

Georgia’s two Senators voted ‘yes’ to the revised bailout bill Wednesday night in Washington. Republican Johnny Isakson calls the new plan "without question the most important vote and most challenging vote I’ve ever been asked to cast in 30 years as an elected official". Both Isakson and fellow GOP colleague Saxby Chambliss will lobby Republican House colleagues before its vote, possibly tomorrow.

Chambliss released this statement following the vote:

Our country is facing 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 greedy Wall Street executives have abused the system, leaving taxpayers to feel the pain.

Today, I had a significant choice to make between two very different courses of action – do nothing at all or do what I truly believe is best for America. I believe to the core of my being that doing nothing will devastate our economy, destroy the financial security of millions of Americans and could possibly force our nation into a depression. I just as strongly believe the bill as it has been negotiated, and that I just voted for, will provide stability during this crisis and will begin to turn our economy around.

Let me be clear – this is not a bailout. This bill has been carefully crafted to arrest our current financial crisis, restore security for the American taxpayer and ensure that our nation is the strongest economic power in the world.

And every citizen can know with confidence that any individual who engaged in illegal activity – whether they are the executive of a financial institution or a member of Congress – if their illegal actions forced our nation in to this crisis - then they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

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 tonight in support of this measure was the right thing for our economy, for Georgians and for our country.

Senate moves to fund unsolved murders

A push to prioritize solving unsolved civil rights murders has passed through the U.S. Senate. The bill would give the Justice Department more money to investigate the cold cases. It authorizes $10 million annually over 10 years to help the FBI and other agencies take a fresh look at dozens of cold cases, mostly in the South. The bill is named after Emmett Till, a black teenager murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman. His killers were never convicted.

(Associated Press)

Chambliss says he's ready to fight

The battle is on for the Georgia U.S. Senate seat held by Saxby Chambliss. Incumbent Republican Chambliss Wednesday held a news conference to express his readiness for the battle heading to November against Democratic challenger Jim Martin. Martin on Tuesday beat Vernon Jones in the Democratic runoff. Chambliss says Martin’s liberal voting record is out-of-step with mainstream Georgians. Martin fired back yesterday with accusations that Chambliss took-in at least $350,000 from various lobbyists representing oil, insurance and banking interests.

Primary runoff voting today across state

Polls are open across the state, and will stay open to voters until 7pm tonight. Primary runoff elections are being held as Georgia voters pick Democratic and Republican candidates in various races for state and local offices. State elections officials expect voter turnout to be very light--only in the single digits.

In the single statewide runoff battle, the choice is either Vernon Jones or Jim Martin for the Democratic pick for U.S. Senate. The winner here moves to November to face GOP incumbent Saxby Chambliss.

Keep it here on GPB for election updates--on radio and on the web. Check out our elections-blog anytime by going to our website gpb.org. We’ll have an election wrapup on your local GPB radio station tomorrow morning.

Primary elections underway in Georgia

The polls are open across the state as primary election races will be contested today. Voters can cast their ballots until 7pm tonight, and elections officials remind voters that they must present one of six approved forms of photo ID at the polls.

The major statewide race is the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat. Five candidates are battling, vying for the right to meet Saxby Chambliss in a November election tussle.

Other races of note include those in the 10th and 12th congressional districts. In the 10th, Paul Broun is getting the fierce challenge from well-funded Republican opponent Barry Fleming. In the 12th, the decision for voters is between John Barrow, aiming for a third term this fall, or challenger Regina Thomas. Also, for congressman John Lewis, he’s in his first primary fight in 16 years.

Isakson says 'no' to Governor run in '10

Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson says he will not make a run for governor in 2010, instead focusing on a re-election bid to the U.S. Senate.

Isakson has been viewed by many as a top GOP candidate to succeed Republican Sonny Perdue as Georgia's governor in 2010.

Isakson won his Senate seat in 2004.