GA-Sen: Ads and Scandals

Jim Martin is using some tracker video in his latest ad, exposing Saxby Chambliss as a know-nothing on the economy.

ATLANTA – Jim Martin’s campaign released a new ad focused on the economy and Martin’s plans to work with President-elect Barack Obama to create jobs and cut taxes for middle class Georgians. With record job losses, falling home values, and retail sales dropping, it's clear that Georgia's economy is in trouble, but Saxby Chambliss says, “We may not be in a recession. I don't know what that term means.”

It's an ad very reminiscent of the Obama campaign, which used McCain's verbal gaffes to great effect. I think they're using the same voiceover talent as the Obama ads as well.

Martin might also want to pick up on the Imperial Sugar scandal. In February an accident at the Georgia factory killed 14, and Chambliss apparently used a Senate committee hearing to shift blame away from the company, despite their liability in creating a hazardous work environment.

Chambliss “Verbally Mugged” the Imperial Whistleblower at a Senate Hearing. On July 30, 2008, the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, of which Chambliss is not a member, held hearings on the Imperial Sugar explosion. During the testimony of Graham H. Graham, Saxby Chambliss entered the hearing and was allowed to question Graham. The Savannah Morning News said that from the outset it was clear that Chambliss had no intention of using the committee hearing as a fact-finding process. Tom Barton of the Morning News wrote that Chambliss “verbally mugged” Graham. He added that Chambliss’s clear intent was to discredit Graham and to place the blame for the explosion squarely on Graham’s shoulders. [ Savannah Morning News, 7/30/08; 8/1/08; 8/3/08]

Questions Were Seen as Attempts to Discredit Graham, and They Toed the Imperial Company Line. The Savannah Morning News reported that “An Imperial Sugar Co. executive's lawyer says the company put U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss up to harassing his client at a subcommittee hearing. Near the end of the Tuesday session in Washington, the Georgia Republican lit into Graham H. Graham, Imperial's vice president of operations. ‘I believe Chambliss was espousing the company line in an effort to discredit and blunt Mr. Graham's testimony,’ the attorney, Philip Hilder, said.” [ Savannah Morning News, 8/1/08]

Even Sen. Johnny Isakson Found Graham’s Testimony “Credible.” Chambliss’s treatment of Graham separated him from his Senate colleague Isakson. Isakson said, “I will say that I find Mr. Graham a credible witness.” [Savannah Morning News, 7/31/08; 8/1/08; 8/3/08; Associated Press 8/1/08; Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, 8/7/08]

The Aftermath: Chambliss Refuses to Apologize; Still on Company’s Side

After the Fire, Amidst Calls for Increased Regulation, Chambliss Called for a Quick Investigation So That “Imperial Sugar Can Move Ahead with Reconstruction of Its Facility.” Chambliss, a frequent critic of increased government oversight, made the comment just a week after the explosion in response to State Rep. Bob Bryant, D-Garden City, who called for tougher rules on dust after having met with the Port Wentworth plant's workers and their families.[ Savannah Morning News, 2/16/08] [...]

Chambliss Subpoenaed in Imperial Sugar Case; “Effort to Shift Responsibility” from Company Alleged by Victims’ Attorney. On Oct. 24, the Savannah Morning News reported that “U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss has been ordered to provide evidence in lawsuits stemming from the Feb. 7 Imperial Sugar Co. explosion and fire. The Republican lawmaker was subpeonaed Wednesday on behalf of four victims - two dead and two injured - of the Port Wentworth inferno that killed 14 and hurt scores of others… Savannah attorney Mark Tate says Chambliss might be part of an Imperial ‘effort to shift responsibility’ away from the company. The lawsuits, which Tate filed on behalf of the four victims and others, claim Imperial ‘wrongfully’ failed to remove hazards that caused the disaster.” [ Savannah Morning News, 10/24/08]

Let's see if Martin makes this a rallying cry in the race. Because it's all about turnout, scandals like this aren't frequently deployed in runoff elections. But I think this can be an exception. Chambliss carrying water for a corporate behemoth that saw their workers killed through their own negligence is a powerful symbol.