Fresh Loaf

Today’s the last chance for Georgia’s U.S. Senate candidates to campaign, and they’re both playing to the base.

Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss hosted Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin last night at a private fundraiser at the W Hotel in Midtown; today she’ll stump for the candidate in Augusta, Savannah and Perry before finishing the day at the Gwinnett Arena at 4 p.m.

Democratic candidate Jim Martin is scheduled to receive well wishes from rapper Ludacris and U.S. Congressman John Lewis today at a rally in front of the Capitol at 5:30 p.m.

Martin, whom many political pundits said needed a visit from Pres.-elect Barack Obama to rouse voters back to the polls against Chambliss, is trying to energize turnout among African-American voters. That demographic turned out in record numbers for the Nov. 4 General Election, but statistics for early voting in the runoff election show fewer numbers are returning to the polls. Obama did lend his voice to robocalls and a radio ad for Martin, it looks like he won’t be stopping in the Peach State to rally for the former state lawmaker.

And before I forget. Matt Zencey, the editorial page editor for the Anchorage Daily News, has some kind words for Palin as she makes her way across our gee-golly-this-place-is-neat-ya-know state.

Gov. Palin’s eldest joined the Army and has been deployed to Iraq. As a justifiably proud military mom, she might ask herself why she is using her conservative star power to support such a reprehensible Republican chicken hawk.

OK then! We’ll have info later in the day about voting tomorrow as well as the usual list of who’s partying where. If you attend any of these rallies — I’ll most likely try to get some face time with America’s sweetheart — feel free to send in photos.

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U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Jim Martin released a new ad today that says incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss voted against bills that would help military veterans.

Since taking office in 2003, the ad says, Chambliss has voted 23 times against increasing funding for veteran’s health care programs. The ad also says the senator voted against the latest GI bill for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan that would provide full educational benefits to soliders upon their return.

I’ll update the post when I hear back from Chambliss’ campaign. Expect a blitz of these ads leading up to Tuesday’s runoff.

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I’ll let them say it:

Is it just me, or has our state’s senior Senator been going to a tanning bed? On my computer it looks like he’s got a goggles tan.

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If the idea of listening to a redheaded journalist on Thanksgiving Eve sounds appealing, you’re in luck.

I’ll be on 1420 AM at 6:05 p.m. tonight — and until God knows when — to talk about Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff between incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democratic candidate Jim Martin. Also up for discussion will be my most recent piece about the race.

If you want to participate, call (404) 292-1420.

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A new InsiderAdvantage/Politico poll shows U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss with a three-point lead over Democratic candidate Jim Martin.

From Politico:

The poll shows Chambliss leading Martin by 3 percentage points, 50 percent to 47 percent, with 3 percent of respondents undecided. The first-term GOP senator’s lead is within the poll’s four-point margin of error. The Politico/InsiderAdvantage poll surveyed 523 likely voters on Nov. 23.

The poll numbers are almost identical to the general election results, when Chambliss fell just short of the 50 percent necessary to win the seat outright on Election Night. He led Martin 49.8 to 46.8 percent, with a Libertarian candidate taking three percent of the vote.

“This thing’s going to be a nail-biter. We don’t know who’s going to turn out and we don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but it’s going to be a close race,” said InsiderAdvantage CEO Matt Towery.

Towery says a visit from Barack Obama could change the race. Chances of such an event happening before the Dec. 2 runoff, however, seem increasingly unlikely.

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Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will rally for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Monday, Dec. 1 at 4 p.m. From the Chambliss campaign:

4:00 PM
METRO ATLANTA
Gwinnett Arena
6400 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth, GA 30097

Doors will open one hour before each program begins. The events are FREE for the general public but in order to attend, you must RSVP at www.procatalog.com/saxby or by visiting the ‘Action Center’ at www.saxby.org

For her full Georgia itinerary, click after the jump.

John McCain and Sarah Palin at the 2008 Republican National Convention. (Photo by Joeff Davis)

(more…)

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Sorry for the back-to-back videos, folks, but this one just arrived via e-mail.

In this ad titled “Go to Work,” U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Jim Martin responds to incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss’ claims that the former state lawmaker voted for the largest tax increases in Georgia’s history while he served in the state Legislature. Martin says he actually voted for tax cuts to Georgians. The ad’s running statewide.

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It’s finally on Youtube, but hurry quick before it gets pulled. On last weekend’s Saturday Night Live, Zell Miller — the former Georgia governor and U.S. Senator who’s all about the gunplay — was played by Will Forte.

In the clip, Miller gave the real reason he endorsed incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss in his U.S. Senate race against Democratic candidate Jim Martin — names.

Elect Goolsby Scroggins!

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Oh, man, this is gonna be rich.

Sarah Palin — governor of Alaska, John McCain’s former running mate, aerial wolf hunter — is coming to Georgia on Monday to stump for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss in his Dec. 2 runoff race against Democratic candidate Jim Martin.

Jim Tharpe with the details:

Palin, who drew large crowds while running for vice president with Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain, will appear at Chambliss rallies in Augusta, Savannah, Perry and Atlanta on Monday, the day before the Dec. 2 senate runoff between Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.

Sarah Palin speaking at the 2008 Republican National Convention.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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It’s not a visit from Pres.-elect Barack Obama to help U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jim Martin, but it’s something. Below, listen to the ad that’ll brainwash every single Georgian over the age of 18 to visit the polls on Dec. 2 and vote for Martin in his runoff against incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss.

It might now be safe to say the Peach State won’t be getting a visit before the runoff. The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza interviewed several anonymous Democratic operatives who say that a visit to Georgia may just not be worth the political risk.

I know, I know. I too am feeling a little…I don’t know…empty. But we’ll carry on, my fellow Atlantans. Be strong. Take comfort in this photo of a kitten.

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Jim Galloway reports:

Neither Democrat Jim Martin nor Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss would commit — each citing scheduling conflicts. Martin pointed to a visit from former Vice President Al Gore, and the Chambliss campaign said it had a fund-raiser on its calendar.

Press club debates involving two other runoffs, for Public Service Commission and the state Court of Appeals, will be held Sunday

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Former presidential candidate Fred Thompson has endorsed U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss in his runoff race against Democratic candidate Jim Martin. Big surprise there, eh?

But there was also this in the e-mail announcement, sent to reporters by Chambliss’ campaign, by Will Andrews of Thompson’s PAC:

The Georgia seat is key to all of these battles and many more. Barack Obama is going to Atlanta to drum up support for his Democrat candidate. The unions and ACORN and every other left-wing group is on the ground working night and day.

Night and day! Eating only Socialist food rations that we’ll all riot over on Jan. 21, 2009. Yo, Will! Let us know when Obama’s coming, please. Everyone here is saying it’s unlikely.

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STAR POWER Former president stumps for U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Martin

In the quickening cold on Wednesday evening, Augustine Smith, a wide-grinning middle-aged man from Duluth by way of West Africa, leaned against a railing in the crowded Arnett Quadrangle at Clark Atlanta University, Barack Obama hat perched atop his head, and waited for the man many of these people came out to see.

Not U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jim Martin, although the event was in his honor and Smith said he’d vote for the former state lawmaker again, but former President Bill Clinton. The president had visited Atlanta to stump for Martin in his runoff race against incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss before zipping off to a local fundraiser.

“This country does not need to build a firewall,” Clinton told the energetic crowd of 1,500 people, referring to how Chambliss has described his role in a Democrat-controlled Senate under Pres.-elect Barack Obama. “It needs to build a bridge to the future. Martin’s the bridge, Chambliss is the firewall.”

Clinton repeated this mantra over and over as he attempted to enthuse supporters to do what Republicans know best and Democrats have historically proven unable — the tricky task of getting the voters back to the polls in a runoff.

(more…)

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— The right-wing whackos will never give up. Like the email I got this morning from Janet (Folger) Porter of Faith2Action. See, the Electoral College doesn’t meet until December 15, so there’s stlll time to stop this Obama thing. He’s not even a U.S. citizen. Can’t we just wait and beat him four years from now? No way. In four years, we won’t be able to recognize what’s left of our country. The time for action is now. Oh, boy … The good news is that Obama is still our president-elect and, reports Amy at Georgia Women Vote, he’s keeping his campaign offices open in Georgia in order to help out Jim Martin.

— DCup isn’t bothered by the citizenship issue. As she writes on Politits, her concern is about trust and power. We entrust power to a president and after eight years of Alfred E. Neuman, her trust feels kicked around and abused. She has her fingers crossed that we won’t be fooled again.

— For Sid at Cracker Squire, there’s reason for hope. He likes Obama’s first two major decisions: his selection of Rahm Emanuel as White House chief of staff and his stance that Joe Lieberman shouldn’t be cast out for his case of man-love for Johnny Mac.

— How scared are the Republicans that Martin can upset the Big Sax Machine? Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered says the Republican National Committee is sending $2 million to help make sure Martin isn’t the 60th Democrat in a filibuster-proof Senate.

— Blog For Democracy predicts that the youth vote is going to be Martin’s secret weapon. The Young Democrats of Georgia have launched a campaign through places such as Facebook to get out the vote in the Dec. 2 run-off.

— And, finally, on a day when a former CIA bigwig visits the Wren’s Nest, they also get a call from a desperate grandmother. And then there was the pimp’s answering machine. Certainly a strange day for the house that Joel Chandler Harris built. But at least he was a certifiable U.S. citizen.

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Now that Ted Stevens has been sent packing back to Alaska, the two most closely watched U.S. Senate races in the country are Minnesota and Georgia. The race in the North Star State won’t be decided for a while thanks to a recount.

Down here, Rasmussen Reports’ latest polling shows that incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss holds a four-point lead over Democratic nominee Jim Martin.

Chambliss leads 50% to 46%, with the vote scheduled for December 2. Four percent (4%) are undecided. However, runoff elections typically have lower voter turnout than general elections and can be impacted in either direction by organized get-out-the-vote efforts.

…

Eighty-eight percent (88%) of Georgia voters say they are certain to cast their ballots in the runoff. Of this group, 51% favor Chambliss, 46% are for Martin, and three percent (3%) remain undecided.

…

In Georgia, 52% of voters say they are less likely to vote for Martin if it means the Democrats will gain a 60-seat majority in the Senate. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say they are more likely to vote for Martin if that’s the outcome.

Interestingly, nine percent (9%) of those who plan to vote for Martin say the prospect of a 60-Democrat Senate makes them less likely to vote