I have always been reluctant to use the word "breaking", but this is big news for Georgia. Finally! An extraordinarily capable and viable challenger to Saxby Chambliss has emerged.
Atlanta Attorney Jim Martin, a well-known and beloved state legislator and solid progressive announced this afternoon that he will challenge Bushbot wingnut GA Sen. Saxby Chambliss.
In his announcement today Martin said:
"Today, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War, it’s clear that the current administration is on the wrong track. We need a Senator in Washington who answers to Georgians and not to George Bush and Dick Cheney 92 percent of the time,"
"Senator Chambliss’s uncritical advocacy of the Iraq war has been matched only by his disregard for the soldiers fighting it and their families. I believe we should respect our troops by using them more effectively and taking better care of them when they come home."
More on the flip:
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has more here.
Jim captured the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor in 2006 winning over 60% of the vote and received 78,000 more votes that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Taylor in the General Election. Jim went toe-to-toe with the Republican nominee in fundraising.
If there are any upsets in 2008, this might well be one of them. Jim had polio as a child and still volunteered for duty in Vietnam. He is a devout person of faith who has been married to the same woman for 30+ years and has several children and grandchildren. He is a very progressive Democrat from in-town Atlanta with an impeccable reputation for integrity and character. People really like him – including a lot of Republicans.
Jim is the only candidate who can make the race against Saxby Chambliss competitive. With Jim, we have the opportunity to elect a progressive Democrat to the U.S. Senate and put this state in play for the General Election.
A fundraising page has already been established
here. Please consider a contribution. Getting rid of Chambliss would be a gift from heaven, and Jim Martin is the person who can do it.
Martin's substantial statewide name recognition and his stellar reputation bode well for him the Dem primary versus five challengers:former WSB-TV newscaster Dale Cardwell; DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones; ecologist Rand Knight; Statesboro's Josh Lanier; and Rockdale County teacher Maggie Martinez.