Gore assails Chambliss, Bush policies at Martin rally

Former Vice-President Al Gore addressing supporters of Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin at a rally in Atlanta, Sunday, Nov. 23. (Dave Bender)

Former Vice-President Al Gore revved up a rally for Senate candidate Jim Martin Sunday night.

Gore urged the crowd of about 600 cheering supporters to cast their ballots this coming week, and not wait until December second.

Gore criticized economic policies of the Bush Administration, tying them directly to Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss:

“The Bush, Cheney, Chambliss philosophy has been tried and found not only wanting – it has been found out to be a catastrophe for the United States of America.”

The Nobel Prize winner heaped praise on Martin’s record and background as a state lawmaker.

Martin says remarks by Gore that “the eyes of the nation were on this race in Georgia,” indicate how crucial the runoff is for the incoming Obama administration.

Democrats hold 58 seats in the Senate, and the outcome of races in Georgia and Minnesota will decide if they will achieve a filibuster-proof Senate “supermajority.”

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Romney ties Martin, Democrats to socialism

Senate candidate Jim Martin with former President Bill Clinton at Clark Atlanta University on Thursday; former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney with Republican incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss at a rally in Atlanta on Friday. (Photos: John Bazemore /AP)

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney lent his support to Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Friday, warning that a victory by the Democratic challenger in next month’s hotly contested runoff could be the first step toward a European brand of socialism.

Romney is the latest in a parade of GOP bigwigs who have flocked to the state in the weeks before the Dec. 2 runoff between Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin. Romney’s criticism is not unlike the line of attack Sen. John McCain used unsuccessfully against Democrat Barack Obama in the campaign for president.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, told a crowd of about 200 cheering supporters that the general election showed that people wanted change in Washington. But the Georgia runoff, he said, could alter the very nature of the country.

"This election is about whether we want to change America. And I want to keep America America," he said to applause.

"I think in this race you have two different men who have two different views. One would take America down the course of becoming like Europe, big taxes and big government," said Romney. Chambliss, he said, "fundamentally believes in keeping America strong and safe and free."

In a brief news conference after the speech, Romney added: "I want to make sure we don’t take a left turn toward Europe."

Martin, a former state legislator, dismissed the ideological labels and stressed his record of bipartisan cooperation.

"I was one of the most effective members of the state House. I worked across party lines, and I’m going to continue to do that in Washington," he said after appearing at a campaign office in Decatur. "I’ve been a person who has always worked to try to solve the problems people face."

The Georgia race, one of two unresolved Senate races, has taken on national significance. The other is in Minnesota, where a re-count will help determine whether Republican Sen. Norm Coleman or Democrat Al Franken is the winner.

Victories in both races would give Democrats the 60 seats needed to fend off Republican filibusters.

The stakes are high, and both parties have rolled out their political heavyweights. McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee both stumped for Chambliss last week, and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to appear next week.

Former President Bill Clinton led a rally for Martin on Thursday and Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore, is set to appear Sunday. About 100 Obama field operatives have been helping boost turnout, and the president-elect recently recorded a radio ad supporting Martin’s campaign.

The national focus has helped the candidates fill their campaign coffers.

Chambliss raised about $1.9 million between Oct. 16 and Nov. 12, and has $1.4 million cash on hand remaining. Martin raised $2.4 million over the same time period, and has more than $600,000 left in the campaign bank.

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(AP)

US Senate run-off heats up

Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin, speaking with Georgia Public Broadcasting at a Veteran's Day parade, in midtown Atlanta. (Dave Bender)

Aides from President-elect Barack Obama’s campaign are coming to Georgia to help Democrat Jim Martin, in his runoff bid against incumbent Senator Republican Saxby Chambliss.

Chambliss will get help from John McCain who’s coming to Georgia on Thursday for a rally.

Democrat Martin says they have no commitment for President-elect Barack Obama to visit Georgia, but he says Obama staffers are coming to help:

“it’s a Georgia race, and we’ll be happy to have people come in and pay us a visit, but this is really about Georgians and who will be the best senator in the United States Senate to represent Georgia.”

Martin says his campaign has 25 field offices.

Chambliss announced yesterday he’s opening ten campaign offices.

Experts say the winner will be the one who’s got the best ground game at getting their voters back to the polls on December second.

Neither candidate got enough the necessary 50-percent plus one of the vote on Election Day.

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Senate runoff in the offing?

The "what-if" scenario gaining currency in Georgia political circles goes something like this: After all the votes are counted on Election Day none of the three U.S. Senate candidates gets a majority.

Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss speaking at a press conference in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Oct 2, 2008. (Carl Zornes)

The race heads into a Dec. 2 runoff between Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin. Democrats have picked up enough Senate seats nationally to pull within striking distance of a filibuster-proof 60-member supermajority.

Democratic Senate race candidate Jim Martin, talking to reporters at a press conference in downtown Atlanta, Sept, 16, 2008. (Dave Bender)

If it happens, the harsh glare of the national spotlight would turn to Georgia. Big money and big-name politicos would descend upon the state. Attack ads would flood the airwaves for weeks in what could be one of the nastiest political races the state has seen in recent years.

While he wouldn't say that scenario is likely, Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz says "it is definitely more than a remote possibility."

(Courtesy buckleyforsenate.com)

He says Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley would only need to pull a few percentage points if the contest between Chambliss and Martin is close.

There's certainly a statewide precedent: Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes won just shy of 4 percent in the race for Georgia governor's race two years ago.

It wasn't long ago that Chambliss was considered a safe bet to coast to re-election in Republican-friendly Georgia.

But that was before the nation's economic turmoil upended the political landscape.

Chambliss angered some conservatives with his vote for the $700 billion financial bailout bill, and the economic woes have created a wave of anti-incumbent frustration among angry voters.

Polls suggest the Senate race in Georgia has tightened considerably.

The Chambliss and Martin campaigns maintain they're working hard to win the race outright.

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(AP)

U.S. Senate Dem candidate Martin endorsed

Vernon Jones and Jim Martin are in campaign mode as the two are looking ahead to their Democratic U.S. Senate runoff ahead on August 5th. Thursday, it was Martin who received the endorsement of two other candidates eliminated from the primary race on Tuesday. Dale Cardwell and Rand Knight threw their support behind the former state lawmaker Martin. Another former candidate, Josh Lanier, says he will remain neutral in his support. Jones was the top vote-getter with 40 percent-—Martin earned 34 percent. The runoff winner faces Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss in November.