Posted on 11/30/2006 2:39:08 PM PST by LdSentinal
WASHINGTON - Former Georgia senator Max Cleland confirmed Thursday he will not seek a 2008 rematch against Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who won Cleland's seat in a bitter 2002 campaign.
Cleland, a Democrat who lost three limbs in Vietnam and uses a wheelchair, had campaigned aggressively for other Democratic candidates this year, leading some to speculate that he might be preparing for a run of his own. Still angry over 2002 political ads criticizing Cleland's commitment to national security, many Democrats had hoped he would try to avenge the loss.
But through a spokesman, Cleland told The Associated Press Thursday that he would not challenge Chambliss.
"Sen. Cleland has decided not to run again in 2008," the spokesman, Michael Duga, said. "(He) looks forward to entering the private sector and private life for the first time after more than 35 years in public service."
Cleland's decision was not entirely surprising to Georgia political observers who note that Democrats were trounced in major statewide elections Nov. 7 and that returning to a Senate seat six years after losing it is rare.
"I would have been surprised to see him run," said Charles Bullock, a political scientist at the University of Georgia.
Bullock noted that Cleland, 64, has spent much of his time recently campaigning with other Democrats, including Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.
"That is not exactly a strong credential for a person who wants to hold public office in Georgia," Bullock said.
Still, Cleland was among the best-known potential Democratic challengers, and his decision leaves the field wide open.
"Obviously he'd be a great candidate. He's very popular in Georgia and he has a lot of respect nationwide," said Jeff DiSantis, executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party. "But we expect there to be one or maybe more strong candidates running, and we think Sen. Chambliss is vulnerable."
Cleland was Georgia's secretary of state for 12 years and headed the Veterans Administration under President Carter.
He was elected to the Senate in 1996, serving one term in the seat previously held by Democrat Sam Nunn for 24 years. In 2002, Chambliss beat him with 53 percent of the vote to Cleland's 46 percent.
The race - particularly Chambliss' ads associating Cleland with Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein - is frequently cited as an example of successful Republican efforts to question Democrats' commitment to homeland security in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster based in Alabama who works with candidates across the country, said some Democrats could shy away from the race with Georgia leaning more and more Republican.
"I think one of the things that will cause hesitation there is that (Democratic Lt. Gov.) Mark Taylor just got his clock cleaned" in his gubernatorial bid against Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue, Anzalone said, referring to Taylor's 38 percent showing. "But at the same time the fact that there is this generic Democratic wave ... will probably lead some people to think it's viable."
Bullock said Cleland's decision highlights the "paucity of the Democratic bench, that Democrats are looking to try to find some credible candidate to try to run against Chambliss."
Democrats said to be considering a Senate bid include Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon, DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones and state office-holders such as Secretary of State Cathy Cox.
Cleland has acknowledged battling depression and said recently he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, possibly prompted by violence in Iraq triggering memories of Vietnam.
Duga said his "health is good, both physically and mentally," noting that Cleland traveled to more than 70 congressional districts in some 30 states this year.
He said Cleland will take some time off in the immediate future but declined to say what the former senator plans next.
Oh, yeah, the angry guy who blew himself up by wearing his grenades on his belt, who then ran as a disabled veteran rather than just another disabled idiot with self-inflicted wounds/
Did you read the articles from 2002? with Cathy b_tching about Kathy and how she was mooching off the athy Cox name? Rrreeeeow! Cat fight!
I wonder also whether this man ever thought that he got elected to the U.S. Senate without paying his dues through election to lesser offices primarily because of the sympathy vote. Nah. It was his sterling other qualities.
I vaguely recall that. Of course, as they say, tough titty for Cathy with a C.
I wouldn't say that Marshall was "weaker" than Barrow, but Marshall's district was about 10% more Republican than Barrow's, which is why I thought Mac Collins would beat Marshall but Max Burns would fall just a tad short against Barrow.
Marshall's CD is more Republican than GA as a whole, and the rewards of being elected to the Senate are a hell of a lot greater than staying in the House. I think Marshall will run for the Senate in 2008 knowing that, even if he loses, he would have a good chance of winning the governorship in 2010. Sure, Pelosi will try to convince Marshall to stay in the House, but Pelosi sure can't help him win in a 60% Bush CD in a presidential year.
Depending upon how bad it is, if Marshall gets obliterated for Senator, I can't see how they'd want to put him up in 2010 for Governor (after all, they didn't give Denise Majette the first thought of running her against Purdue). Although Lt Gov-elect Casey Cagle is the most likely candidate for us, I'm rather hoping Herman Cain takes a run. I think his management skills are more in tune for Governor than Senator, and that GA and TX (Michael Williams) elect Conservative Black Governors (to offset the disaster that Marxist Deval Patrick will inflict upon the already besieged Taxachusetts).
"Depending upon how bad it is, if Marshall gets obliterated for Senator, I can't see how they'd want to put him up in 2010 for Governor (after all, they didn't give Denise Majette the first thought of running her against Purdue)."
No, I know what you mean. Of course, even with their vaunted Mark Taylor, they only got 38% (800k) for him in a bad year for the GOP (even Majette got 40%- almost 1.3mil votes, 60k more votes than Perdue got in this election - in a good GOP year). Unless Marshall managed to hold Chambliss to under 55%, I hardly see him improving on those numbers.
In 2000, in the old 8th CD (which gave President Bush 57% in 2000), Marshall got 41.5% to entrenched incumbent Chambliss's 58.5%. If in 2008 Chambliss was facing the unknown 2000 Marshall, he'd have nothing to worry about. But after 6 years in the House, and given that Marshall was able to beat Mac Collins in a district that gave President Bush around 60% in 2004, I have to assume that, with a decent ad campaign to boost his name ID, he could get 45% or more in the 2008 Senate election against Chambliss. Chambliss would still be the prohibitive favorite, but it won't be an Isakson-Majette-type landslide.
Me too.
Me three, although Cain's support for Social Security reform and the national FairTax makes him, in my mind, better suited to serve as a U.S. Senator. Maybe Isakson can run for Governor in 2010 and Cain can run for the open Senate seat.
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