The Right Turns Out for Chambliss

True to form Republicans in Georgia elected Saxby Chambliss again, pleased at their success in thwarting any hope Democrats had of attaining a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Underscoring the impression many voters have that politics is often a dispiriting, low-end affair, a man who some referred to as a "rubber stamp" for Bush policies was swept back into office in one of the states that stayed red in the presidential election. And typical of the mainstream media, their focus was on the sixty-vote issue with very little said about who this man is and what his policies are.

Gleeful supporters clapped and cheered at campaign events where party stars appeared to celebrate once again those time-honored Republican values to which they lay claim - - patriotism, decency, honor, family and the rights of the unborn. In Chambliss they have a perfect candidate, someone who has supported every "pro-life" initiative, voted for scrapping the estate tax, voted against limiting military tours of duty to a year, supports the most regressive of taxing options, a national sales tax to replace the income tax, and voted against much of the legislation affecting veterans' benefits while supporting increased military spending for weaponry.

When he ran against Max Cleland in his first campaign he accused Cleland, a triple-amputee war veteran, of being weak on defense and showed him in ads juxtaposed to Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Back then John McCain described his tactics as "worse than disgraceful." Yet McCain was front and center campaigning for Chambliss in the runoff, giving him that lame McCain thumbs up - - this from a man once respected for his honesty and decency and for ‘reaching across the aisle'. Much of that exaggerated luster was dissipated during the presidential campaign as ambition replaced honor. Supporting Chambliss because of his party label was just another step down.

His running mate, Sarah Palin, of whom McCain still says he is proud, appeared at rallies for Chambliss attracting large crowds, talking the talk about family values, lower taxes and smaller government. Making a cheap emotional point she thanked Georgia for taking care of her son who, she said, was now in Iraq taking care of them. Apparently she was referring to his stint at Fort Benning, the country's army training center in western Georgia - - sort of like Californians looking after the Marines who train at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. The eyes of the nation are on Georgia she said on the eve of the election. Well, if they were, they perhaps noticed that most of the south is still in the hands of people who mistake partisan rhetoric for actual insight.

In any case, right-leaning pols and media outlets have made much of the Chambliss victory, Newsmax going so far as to say on behalf of "The National Republican Trust" PAC that "we beat Obama in Georgia", describing the Chambliss victory as "a terrible disaster for Barack Obama." As astonishing as those comments may seem, it is the fodder being offered to the party faithful by such groups. They and other partisans are thinking up ways to "stop Obama" by a party that refuses to re-evaluate what and who it represents or admit the abundant failures of an inept administration.

During the presidential campaign a series of eye-popping moments provided disturbing insights into the workings of our political system. For one thing it became clear that some of the people serving in the House and Senate are bigoted, uninformed or corrupt idiots. That may not have been news to those who had long since decided that was the case. But members of our legislative bodies aren't always as visible as they become when indicted, as in the case of Senator Stevens, or plant themselves in front of TV cameras as in the case of Rep. Michele Bachmann. Her suggestion that members of Congress should be kind of, uh, investigated to determine if they are pro-America or anti-America had even the jaded among us wondering who in the world votes for people like this. And how many others like them are in Congress passing laws that affect our lives?

Already, even before he takes office, Republicans of every description, from Jeb Bush to Sarah Palin, are attempting to "stop Obama". The younger Bush warns Republicans not to become Democrat-lite, as if his party were tuned in to the electorate and really knew how to solve the nation's problems. What have they done recently that's been good for the country? For them and their friends, a suggestion: take a good look around.