For the politically aware, on a Veteran’s Day it is hard not to consider Saxby Chambliss’ shameful attacks on Max Cleland six year’s ago. Cleland. Winner of the Silver Star and the Bronze Star, Cleland served with great distinction in Vietnam and in our United States Senate. When running for re-election in 2002, Republican Saxby Chambliss attacked Senator Cleland with ads using the picture of Osama Bin Laden to attack the patriotism of a war hero who left three limbs on the battle field. Even John McCain found this to be too much:
“I’d never seen anything like that ad. Putting pictures of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden next to the picture of a man who left three limbs on the battlefield — it’s worse than disgraceful. It’s reprehensible.”
— Sen. John McCain, quoted by CNN, on the campaign ads used by Saxby Chambliss (R) against Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA) in the 2002 U.S. Senate race.
Note that ever-so noble John is planning to campaign for Saxby in the coming weeks even as Saxby has been just as disgraceful this time around. Again, draft-dodging Saxby is facing a Vietnam veteran in an election. And, this Veterans’ Day, you have the opportunity do it for Max and send Saxby back to Georgia for good.
While we should remember this disgraceful attack, we should not ignore the implications of that shameful campaign on national policy over the past six years with six years of blind and whole-hearted support for the Bush-Cheney Administration. While no one would claim Max as the nation’s greatest environmentalist, Saxby Chambliss has consistently turned to the Energy Dumb side of the equation over the past six years, whether we look to environmental votes or embracing of the shameful truthiness of “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay [maybe a Penny] Less [about 20 years from now]”.
One measure of Saxby when it comes to Energy and the Environment: the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) rates him a zero. Perhaps that is just the hippy radicals and we should look to his fellow Republicans for perspective: Chambliss’ rating from the Republicans for Environmental Protection (an oxymoronic name, isn’t it?). For 2007, a score of 14 out of 100. At least that was an improvement, as his 2005-2007 average: a 6 of 100. Hmmmm ….
And, Georgia voters face an opportunity to redress the wrongs that Chambliss made against Cleland and has done against them and the nation. On December 6th, there will be a runoff between Chambliss and Jim Martin. When it comes to sensible energy policies, Jim Martin is unlikely to rate a 0 or, with grading on a curve, a 6. He sees how moving toward a sensible energy policy is connected to improving our environmental situation and our economic situation.
Unlike Saxby, Jim Martin will work with an Obama Administration on solutions that will help end our addiction to foreign oil, help reduce our global warming impact, and help provide good green jobs for Georgians today and into the future.
When it comes to energy smart, Georgians have a clear choice on 6 December and the name of that choice: Jim Martin.
So, take a moment and send some money to Energy Smart Jim to help foster better energy policy making for Georgia and the rest of America. Do it for Max. Do it for all of us (all of the US).