1st punches thrown in US Senate race

[Raffi Ella]

The US Senate campaign got started in earnest today.



One day after Jim Martin won the runoff to be the Democratic candidate, the Republican incumbent, Saxby Chambliss, threw the first punch saying he's more than ready to win re-election.

Chambliss says he wasn't surprised Jim Martin beat Vernon Jones in the runoff. He says Martin had help from National Democrats and political action committees who didn't like Jones, a self described conservative Democrat.

In fact, Chambliss says he anticipates running against Martin.

CHAMBLISS: He's got a voting record in the State House and I will have to tell you that voting record, as we will point out, is very out of touch with the way a majority of Georgians think.

Chambliss declined to detail specific votes. Nevertheless, he has a lot of money to deliver his message. So far, Chambliss has raised 5 million dollars just for TV ads; far more than Martin's entire campaign war chest.

Chambliss says he'll spend money touting his work on energy, agricultural and national security issues. He'll also point out differences between him and Martin on topics such as health care.

In response today, Jim Martin charged that Chambliss gained a large campaign account by voting in favor of special interests groups.

Martin accused Chambliss of collecting at least 350 thousand dollars from a number of lobbyists representing oil, insurance, banking and real estate companies.

Martin says those companies are out of sync with middle class Georgians struggling to pay their mortgages, health care costs and to fill up their cars.

MARTIN: But with gas prices so high, good jobs hard to come by and all of us hurting in this failed economy, I will not let Saxby Chambliss stand any more in the way and continue to push the failed economic policies of the Bush Administration.

Martin also blames Chambliss for increasing the nation's deficit by voting in support of the Iraq war.




http://publicbroadcasting.net/wabe/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1334958§ionID=1

[SeaLyons]

1. Thanks for posting....

Go Martin!!!!!

"MARTIN: But with gas prices so high, good jobs hard to come by and all of us hurting in this failed economy, I will not let Saxby Chambliss stand any more in the way and continue to push the failed economic policies of the Bush Administration.

Martin also blames Chambliss for increasing the nation's deficit by voting in support of the Iraq war."


:woohoo: :woohoo:

[bunkerbuster1]

2. "Chambliss declined to detail specific votes."

Having pulled these mythical "out of touch" votes of Martin's out of his flabby old ass, I'm not real surprised.