Senate candidates spar in final debate

Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley, Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, and Democratic candidate Jim Martin argued their respective positions at the Atlanta Press Club debate, held at Georgia Public Broadcasting's Television studios in Atlanta, Nov. 2, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Georgia's three U.S. Senate candidates faced off in their final debate last night. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss is battling for a second term against a stronger-than-expected challenge from Democrat Jim Martin. The candidates clashed over economic policies.

The candidates faced off against a rotating panel of four journalists at the Atlanta Press Club debate, held at Georgia Public Broadcasting's Television studios in Atlanta, Nov. 2, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Chambliss who voted for the 700 billion dollar financial rescue package said he won't support a proposed second economic stimulus plan backed by Democrats. "Just saying that we need take another 300 billion dollars to distribute around the country will not get us out of this problem," said Senator Chambliss.

Jim Martin responded, "How outrageous... Saxby Chambliss economics is taking care of people at the top. We need to take care of the middle class and that's what this stimulus package would do."

The two candidates also traded spars over whether banks are using the bailout money effectively. Martin brought up criticisms that the money is being used by larger banks to buy smaller banks and to pay dividends to shareholders. Chambliss said it's acceptable for larger banks to buy smaller ones that are loaded with toxic loans, and challenged Martin to name one bank that was paying out dividends to no avail.

Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley also participated in the debate. He said both candidates would do little to nothing to address the larger economic picture--the burgeoning national deficit which is his main issue.

The latest polls show a tight race between Martin and Chambliss with neither candidate clenching a majority. If that bears out on election day, a run-off would ensue.

(Dave Bender)

Hear the entire debate tonight on GPB radio at 8:00 p.m.

Incumbents a no-show at House Congressional debates

While The Atlanta Press Club continued its series of election debates today, none of the incumbents attended. The debates were for House Congressional seats in districts 3, 6, 7, and 13.

The race for House District 7 in suburban Atlanta features Doug Heckman (D) and incumbent John Linder (R). Linder declined the Press Club’s request for a debate. Heckman, a retired army colonel, used the opportunity to paint John Linder as right wing politician on the fringe of the GOP.

Bill Jones (D) stood next to an empty podium as well in the House District 6 debate. The incumbent Tom Price (R) said he had to attend congressional hearings in Washington, D.C. Jones directed a hypothetical question to Price, who is a doctor, about why he would take contributions from tobacco companies. GPB has confirmed that the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company donated a total of $2,000 to the Price campaign. 

Incumbent Lynn Westmoreland (R) did not attend the debate, and his challenger attorney Stephen Camp (D) took the opportunity to paint him as an “incompetent congressman.” He stated that the four bills that Westmoreland introduced while in Congress were not enough for the constituents in District 3. One panelist made Camp recite the 10 Commandments. He did so with ease. It was a stab at Westmoreland who was unable to name them during an interview with Stephen Colbert this year. At one time Westmoreland had proposed posting the commandments in some public buildings.

The race for District 13 puts physician Deborah Honeycutt (R) against incumbent David Scott (D). Scott also declined the Press Club's request for a debate. Honeycutt claimed that Scott was "divorced from the community" because he used none of his political connections to stop Clayton county from losing its SACS accrediation. When a panelist asked Honeycutt if she was going to put her race or politicial affiliation first on November 4, Honeycutt said that she would vote for the person whose ideals more closely matched hers - John McCain.

U.S. Senate race tightens

Senator Saxby Chambliss began the senate race with arsenal of advantages. Besides the fact he’s a Republican incumbent in a red state, he had a war chest of 10 million dollars and a nine point lead on his Democrat challenger Jim Martin.

But now independent polls show Martin trailing Chambliss by two points in one poll and just one point in another.

Political expert Charles Bullock at the University of Georgia says that’s real close especially when you consider the margin of error. Bullock says a slight shift like the black vote could help tip the scales. “African Americans will vote 90 to 95 percent for Democrats," says Bullock. "The extent to which these new voters get mobilized and get out to vote, and we see a very high rate of African Americans voting early... That’s not good news for Saxby Chambliss.”

Bullock says what’s happening in the senate race is part of a broader national trend favoring Democrats which is turning red states like Georgia pink. He also attributes recent poll results to Chambliss’s yes vote for the unpopular senate bailout bill. It had the senator at odds with all Republican house members in the state.

Chambliss and Martin's first formal debate is this Thursday at the Georgia state fair in Perry.

Final debate for U.S. Senate Dem candidates

A final debate was held yesterday between the two Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, ahead of next Tuesday’s primary runoff. DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones and former state lawmaker Jim Martin sparred over each other’s votes in recent presidential elections and the February primary. The two also questioned each other’s ability to challenge Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss in November. Tuesday’s Senate debate was hosted by GPB.

Candidates spar in 12th Congressional district debate

Democratic candidates for the 12th Congressional district race sparred last night in a televised debate. State Senator Regina Thomas is challenging John Barrow, a two-term incumbent in the 12th. The Democrats’ debate was followed by that of the three Republicans looking to earn the GOP nomination in the July 15th primary. John Stone of Augusta, Ray McKinney from Savannah, and Ben Crystal--a former talk show host are vying for the nomination.

Democrats in U.S. Senate race debate

Five candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race got together last night for debate in Atlanta. There were sparks over the issue of campaign cash. The two candidates who have said they will not accept money from political action committees--Dale Cardwell and Josh Lanier--went after Jim Martin. Martin has been taking the largest number of PAC contributions. The debate also included candidates Vernon Jones and Rand Knight. The five are facing-off in the primary for the right to take-on Republican Saxby Chambliss in November.