National GOP Groups Accuse Crime Victim Of Being Soft On Crime In Georgia
Now this is really something. The NRSC and Freedom's Watch are now airing ads in the Georgia Senate runoff accusing Democratic candidate Jim Martin of being against cracking down on people who abuse and prey on children.
The problem: Martin's own daughter was abducted when she was eight years old. Fortunately, she was returned safely. When asked for comment by Election Central, the NRSC declined to comment on this little wrinkle in the story.
Here's the NRSC's ad:
And Freedom's Watch has this ad:
The Martin campaign, as one might expect, is rather revolted by this development.
"Jim Martin has never forgotten the horror of coming face-to-face with violent crime. That's why he spent his career working to protect Georgia's children and families," Martin spokesperson Kate Hansen said in a press release. "Georgians will reject Chambliss' false personal attacks because they know that Jim Martin always stands up to protect Georgia families."
The Martin campaign is firing back with this ad, in which Martin speaks to the camera about the experience of his daughter's abduction:
The ad is not yet on the air; decisions are currently being made about when it will go up. "Saxby will have to wait and see," Martin spokesperson Matt Canter told Election Central.
OK, that's AWFUL. I already pitched in and sent him some money, but those GOP ads prompt me to make another donation.
November 22, 2008 9:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
How much did we send to El Tinklenburg? a cool million? I challenge every regular poster to send $15. Let's just see how much we can raise.
November 22, 2008 9:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is amazing how this all happens. Republicans have surely lost their way. Imagine being so nasty as to make this sort of ad against a man who has endured so much after his son was kidnapped. But no surprise. It is obvious that Republicans have sunk to an all time low in their effort to win elections. No moral rudder whatsoever. Poor things! But spare me from ever voting for them again. I have been a registered Republican for years but no longer can support them. Sad to say, I have not changed, they have left their moral ideals and now just run to win, no matter how disgusting their behavior seems to be.
November 24, 2008 1:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hmm...going all Elizabeth Dole is he? Well, we see how well that turned out...hopefully this creates similar backlash.
November 22, 2008 9:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with LuxVeritas, this is very Liddy Dole like.
November 22, 2008 9:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
All the Republican sleeze is alive and well in Georgia. I think the most effective thing would be a message from Sam Nunn and John Lewis to support Martin and get out the vote. Also, this is the last chance in 2008 to educate the voters---people around here still think Obama was foreign born, he's going to raise taxes, he's too Liberal, he pals around with terrorists, etc. I know, I know, you think that's over, but it isn't in the Red Southern strip of Republican states. It would be a good chance to refute these Republican lies head on and remind the country just how ugly, inflamatory and untrue Republican campaigning is. Take it national when the Franken/Coleman race is over. Georgia votes Dec. 2.
November 22, 2008 10:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm that is amazing. The Official announcement from the State of Hawaii verified that Obama was indeed born there. In addition, I am a nurse and when I lived in Hawiai, worked with a nurse who I just contacted to see what she had to say. She actually was on duty when Obama was born and she verified that he was indeed born in Hawaii also. Unfortunately with so many Republicans, facts are totally beside the point. A lie suits them very well just so they caqn run down the opposition. Site address below:
http://www.kitv.com/politics/17860890/detail.html?rss=hon&psp=news
November 24, 2008 1:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't you folks listen - It doesn't matter what you say in a campaign. Obama probably has a cabinet spot waiting for Chambliss anyways.
November 22, 2008 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude. Seriously. I voted for the guy who talked about ending partisanship and bringing people together, who wants to govern by consensus building. And you know what? It turns out he practices what he preaches.
November 22, 2008 10:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
All the while reaching out and catering to the folks who didn't vote for him while completely taking for granted the folks that did.
November 22, 2008 11:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
So you're suggesting that the route to power and influence is to not have supported Obama. That might just work. But it's too late for me. Dang.
November 22, 2008 11:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
let him take office.
November 22, 2008 11:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
He is doing exactly what he said he would do from before day one. What exactly about that makes you think you made a mistake in voting for him.
November 22, 2008 11:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
John Brennan, Jami Miscik, John McLaughlin and Rob Richer
November 23, 2008 12:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah...it's not over yet
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/21/AR2008112103981.html?sid=ST2008112104032&s_pos=
Key line? "Obama has also been meeting with possible candidates for other posts, including director of national intelligence. One name that has surfaced as a possibility in recent days is retired Adm. Dennis Blair, a former chief of the U.S. Pacific Command. Others said to be possibilities include John Brennan, a former CIA analyst who worked his way up the agency ladder, and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.). A member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a former Army officer and businessman, Hagel has strong Capitol Hill support and is respected within the national security community as a nonpartisan analyst of intelligence issues."
Yes, I saw Marc Ambinder's reporting. There's no one in that position as of yet still, that gives one hope.
November 23, 2008 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry Jonze...didn't realize they were going for two different positions....I hope it doesn't come to pass, but I certainly don't fault the man for his selections. I want to know what happens IN OFFICE. It's premature to argue about that right now.
November 23, 2008 1:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
If y'all are interested in helping out in GA I've got some info here.
Contact info:
Out of state team
404-914-5079
volunteer@martinvictory.org
Use this contact info to get set up with your own personal phone bank, make travel arrangements, or arrange that in-kind donation.
Invite a few friends over. Make it a party.
I noticed when I signed into my MyBo account that there is a link to a virtual phone bank for Jim Martin, so the online phone bank may be working through the MyBo site already.
Pass it around...cheers.
November 22, 2008 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
If what they did to Max Cleland proves anything, this smear against Martin will probably work in Georgia. If it doesn't, Republicans still have Thug fallback #1: Black-box voting.
November 22, 2008 11:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhapse the public remembers what hapened to Sen Cleland. If they do it might cause them to react differently this time. If I were running the campaign I would get Cleland to make a commercial comparing the two smears.
November 23, 2008 12:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Chamblis really is one of the sleaziest in the GOP. In most states, he would be defeated in a heartbeat, but you have to remember this is Georgia and they seem to have a different standard.
November 23, 2008 12:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sleazy ads indeed, but is there a fact check on this, are the ads in fact true and if so how so?
November 23, 2008 4:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'M SHOCKED! SHOCKED! that a fine upstanding waste of a human Chambliss could sink lower than he did in his sleazy campaign against Cleland. Worse than he are the people who think this low type of campaign ad can influence their vote. Why they would want a turd like Chambliss representing them is really strange.
November 23, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Congratulations Saxby. You just convinced me to donate to Jim Martin.
November 23, 2008 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you know the Martin personal history, you can be certain the Rs know it, too. This sounds like a replay of the Chambliss/Cleland race tactics. In the former, take a man who gave up 3 limbs to the Vietnam war, and try to paint him as weak on defense. In the latter, take Martin, whose daughter suffered at the hands of an abductor, and try and portray him as soft on crime against children. Is Chambliss using the same campaign pros? Do they think that if it worked 6 years ago, why not now? What about the people of Georgia, do they buy this stuff? I could see attacking Martin as soft on crime, since that's what Rs do, but with his history, what are they thinking?
November 23, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Didn't they try the same strategy in North Carolina, and got the head handed to them, oh that was accusing a Sunday School Teacher of not believing in God.
So why not try to accuse a parent of a child felony crime being soft on children crime.....of course the the accusation is too grand to pass up, then they don't think of the response.
This is Nixonian stuff reduex over and over again....
Hope this gets attention and Martin wins and sends Saxby to the place where Dole is convalescing---OUT OF PUBLIC OFFICE
November 23, 2008 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
After what he did to Cleland, how could anyone be surprised? This guy could win any limbo contest without even stooping over.
November 23, 2008 10:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
oh man.. these right-wingers never cease to amaze me, I swear.. using the abduction of his opponent's 8-year old daughter against him.. this one takes the cake... this is the kind of truly stupid stuff that causes Repugs to lose elections sometimes.. I think this could be the equivalent of Elizabeth Dole's "godless" ad in NC; I think that's what cost her the election there... they're shooting themselves in the foot big-time here, which I think is good news for us...;) I think the right-wingers, in addition to all their present troubles, have simply lost it, and don't know how to run successful campaigns anymore (or decent campaigns.. but of course they have never been interested in running decent campaigns..)
November 23, 2008 11:01 PM | Reply | Permalink