Update on Turnout in Bibb County

For what it's worth, Daryl cruised by Howard 3 (Mable White) and Howard 9 (North Macon Presbyterian) at lunch, and their were few cars, no lines. Both are strong republican precincts. Looks like a light turnout across the board.

By the way, the Bibb County Board of Elections will not allow poll workers to give poll watchers information about the number of people who have voted. I assume that they will not give it to the press either. Our numbers are from hard counts that the poll watchers themselves have compiled as they counted the people coming in to vote. I can understand not wanting poll workers to be distracted by poll watchers, but I do question how this information could in any way be protected or unavailable to the press or public. The number of voters in a given precinct is a matter of public record, right? We're not talking about exit polling, just counts.

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I'm Not Landslide Jim"

We're hearing from Jim Powell, and Jim Martin is standing with Hank Johnson and Tammy Duckworth. Maj. Duckworth introduced Jim Martin and implored the crowd to support Martin because veterans need Jim in the senate. Duckworth, who is head of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Illinois, said that Chambliss had opposed the New GI Bill and failed to do what was needed to protect soldiers in the field.

Martin says we are great because of our diversity. The question tomorrow, is simple: do we want to elect someone who wants to work with Obama, or someone who wants to be a firewall to progress."

Predicting a close election, Martin quipped, "This is not "landslide Jim" you're looking at here. This is going to be razor-close. Every vote is vital." Martin asked the crowd to remember what they say when you're on an airplane-put your own mask on before helping other. "Make sure all of you have voted or do it tomorrow."

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You Do Remember Iowa, Don't You?

For those who think that Martin can't win on Tuesday, I have one question: you do remember Iowa, don't you? Because if you do, then you know that an effective field plan can make a contender a winner on election day. In Iowa, the Obama volunteers focused on an area and used a three door knock then get 'em to the caucus approach. And it worked. Right now, there is literally an ARMY in the field here in Georgia, and the plan is intense, penetrating, organized, high-tech-grassroots. It's the Obama machine. And it's working.


Indeed, everyone is calling for Martin today. Metro women are getting a robo call from Michelle Obama, and I had calls from both Max Cleland and Bill Clinton on my home answering machine. Bill rang me on my cell as well, as I reported earlier. But the most important call?

Sebastian. Sebastian is a graduate of film school who worked a congressional race in Ohio and is now in Georgia for the post election Martin Miracle Party. Sebastian is one of at least four people who have called me in the last week who (1) do not live in Georgia; (2) are volunteers and (3) have through their Obama experience come to believe in that with enough field work, the unlikely really can happen. One of the guys who called me last week worked Wisconsin for Obama. I imagine that he believes that if Obama won Wisconsin, Jim Martin can win Georgia. He just might be right.

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Civil Rights Icon to Campaign for Martin

Congressmen John Lewis and Hank Johnson will headline a rally for Jim Martin tomorrow in Macon. The rally will be at 486 Poplar (between 3rd and MLK) tomorrow - Monday - at 3:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and to press. See you there.

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Bill Clinton Calling

Just got a pro-Martin GOTV robocall on my cell phone from Bill Clinton. Get out and vote, we need someone who can work with Barack Obama to get our economy back on track etc. The most remarkable aspect of this expected weekend before strategy is that the call hit my cell and my husband's. As Jim Galloway pointed out earlier, the Obama campaign and the DNC have made ritual of gathering and using those numbers to reach "cell phone only" voters.

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The Palin Gamble

If things don't go as Saxby hopes on Tuesday, look for a post game analysis that weighs the impact of Sarah Palin's visit to Georgia. Saxby's counting on Palin to be his "closer," as she swoops in from Alaska on the day before the election to save his struggling campaign, but there's a real risk for Chambliss that Palin will do for him in Georgia exactly what she did for John McCain nationally: further motivate the democratic base in Georgia-specifically democratic women-in a way that even Barack Obama might not have been able to do.

Democratic women are a key voting block that is currently under-represented in early voting. Trust me when I tell you that to a person, the democratic women I know have a viscerally negative reaction to Sarah Palin - and that's before she opens her mouth to criticize Jim Martin, who has a reputation as a reliable advocate for women. It was Georgia women who rallied and pushed Jim to victory in the primary run-off. If you think that Vernon Jones can motivate Georgia women to go vote by slapping Obama's picture on a mailer, wait until you see what Sarah Palin does when she opens her mouth and calls Jim Martin a socialist. There's the real risk for Chambliss that Palin's visit and her rhetoric will send democratic women to the polls-in droves.

Yes, far from a no-brainer, the Palin visit is risky, both for Chambliss and the GOP. First of all, if there's anyone who thinks that Palin's in Georgia to help Saxby, think again. Palin is gracing Georgia for one reason: to help herself by keeping her national name ID alive. This women still thinks she can be president, and if she is viewed as The One who rescued Chambliss, then her claim to control of the national GOP will be strengthened. Now, I admit that as a democrat, I would like nothing better than for the Palin wing of the party to win the struggle for control of that sinking ship, but it may not be a winning strategy for the GOP. But that works for me.

Admittedly, Saxby didn't have a lot of choice. If he had run a halfway decent campaign, he wouldn't be in this runoff at all. He is a weak candidate who entered the race with low name ID statewide despite having served for six years. John McCain was able to get more than 50% of the vote in Georgia, but Saxby Chambliss was not. Both supported the bailout, McCain in dramatic fashion. Both had Georgians on the ballot as third party candidates. Neither is a favorite of the Georgia republican establishment. Yet, John McCain turned in a 52.2% performance, while Saxby Chambliss drew only 49.8% of the vote-and more than 181K votes fewer than the presidential candidate. Those numbers have to give Chambliss' team serious heartburn. By comparison, Obama drew 47% of the vote in Georgia, while Martin garnered 46.8% and about 87K fewer votes than Obama. There was less drop-off in the democrat's race, and his numbers more closely tracked the preformance of the party's presidential candidate.

A reasonable analysis in that the democratic base in Georgia likes Jim Martin more than the republican base likes Saxby Chambliss, and that could spell trouble for the incumbent on Tuesday, especially since a seriously out-spent Jim Martin has managed to keep most polls in the three point range, within the margin of error, with Chambliss below 50%. Add to that Georgia' reputation for not returning incumbents to the senate, and the unpredictable Palin, and the Tums are definitely on the table at Chambliss central.

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Heating Up for Martin

There 's no question: Jim Martin can become Georgia's next senator. Polling data to date reflects a tight, unpredictable race, and the outcome entirely depends on turnout. Internal polling to be released tomorrow will show an even tighter, two point, race-a statistical dead heat with neither candidate breaking 50%.

On the ground, there is significant enthusiasm about the race among democrats. For example, last week, Lauren Benedict called me as she left her office to say that there were eight people there to phone bank for Martin. And, Martin and Powell were both here in Macon for a rally on Saturday afternoon-at a time when I thought it would be really difficult to build a crowd given Mercer's homecoming-and, yet, City Hall was packed with a diverse, local, enthusiastic crowd.

The impact of the Obama field organization will also important. At the rally on Saturday, staff were there from the beginning making sure that all who came to the rally signed up for shifts for canvassing and phone banks. It is my sense that the Martin organization is far better than Chambliss', and that alone may make the difference on Dec. 2nd.

Having backed a number of outstanding candidates who went on to lose their races, I am now, officially, a political realist. But, the reality here is that Martin really can win this thing if we go vote and make sure that everyone we know who voted for Martin in the general gets back to the polls by Tuesday. That's the bottom line.

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Martin Headed to Macon

Attention: The forces of evil holding Jim Martin hostage in Atlanta have been defeated. The democratic senate candidate is headed out on a bus tour with other prominent veterans. He'll be at a rally at Macon City Hall at 3:30 on Saturday, and you are invited to come out and hear from Georgia's next senator.

We kid Jim because we love Jim.

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Bookman: Martin's a Workhorse, Not Showhorse

Why am I supporting Martin? What he said.

Here's a tease:

Martin, the Democrat, has been a fighter for the little guy throughout his life, and he’s proved effective in that role. He served his country in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and as a state legislator, lawyer and head of the state Department of Human Resources. Throughout his public life he has been known as a workhorse not a showhorse, someone whose first concern was getting the job done well rather than trying to get the credit.

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On the Phone With Gov. Howard Dean

Right now, on his birthday and mine, DNC Chair, Gov. Howard Dean is doing a conference call for bloggers, and he's spending the majority of the time taking questions. I asked him about the DNC efforts with regard to Jim Martin's race in Georgia. He said that all of the Obama campaign offices are re-opening or remaining open, and that the DNC is investing significant money in the race, along with the DSCC. Gov. Dean praised Jim Martin, saying that he is a great person and a great candidate who anyone supportive of Barack Obama should be pleased to vote for. Dean correctly noted that this runoff election is all about turn out and stressed the importance of grassroots efforts, especially knocking on doors, to get those all important voters to the polls.

There were also questions from bloggers in West Virginia and Louisiana about how those of us in 'red' states could work to improve chances for Democrats. Again, Dean pointed to both the national trends, the gains made in those states this cycle and said that his eye was on Texas as a prime target for Democrats over the next two election cycles. (Just so we're clear, I'm making it my personal mission to make Georgia a prime DNC target, and we'll talk more about that later.)
In response to a direct question, Dean essentially said that he could not explain why President-elect Obama's overall performance was better than Gore and Kerry, yet in some areas of Appalachia and the "inland South" Obama did not preform as well as they did. Of course, the question essentially raised the issue of to what degree race was a factor in some areas of the country.

I really appreciated the fact that Gov. Dean did this call today, drawing in the bloggers in a substantive way. Thanks, and Happy Birthday, Gov. Dean!

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Macon for Martin: Volunteer Opportunities

It's ironic that John McCain begged Georgia republicans to "go to battle one more time" for Saxby Chambliss. Saxby doesn't know much about battles. When his faternity brother, Jim Martin, headed to Vietnam to serve his country, Saxby got himself got five deferments and avoided going to battle at all. Well, Saxby better hope Georgia republicans follow Martin's example instead of his. Why?

Jim Martin is now waging a full-scale ground war to get voters to the polls in advance of the December 2nd runoff. In Macon, the Bibb County Democratic Party Headquaters on 2nd Street has become Martin Central, and there are some immediate opportunities:


1) HOUSING: Volunteers are flooding the state to help with GOTV efforts, and many need housing. Currently, in Middle Georgia, we have a need for housing for four great young men who have traveled here to help Jim. If you have an extra room to share, please let me know (amymorton@aol.com). By the way, no matter how great these young men are, if you house them, you won't see them very often. They're all going to be very busy. Really, we just looking for a place for them to sleep and shower.

2) CANVASSING: Meet at the 2nd Street office tomorrow at 2 pm, and join others to canvass. We expect in person absentee voting to start on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

3) PHONE BANKING: The 2nd Street Office will be open from 9-9 and there are plenty of opportunities to phone bank for Jim. If you have free nights and weekends on your cellphone, please bring your cell to use for phone banking. It's a great way to help Jim at no cost to you!

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Loved That

Last night, with about 24 hours notice, we hosted a Happy Hour event for Jim Martin here in Macon. The candidate didn't have to come. It didn't cost anything. And, about 50 people showed up. Many volunteered for Jim, and we raised some money for the campaign. Looks like they will be re-opening the Obama office in Macon. Some who came said that they were there for Max. It was Veteran's Day, after all. This was part of a nationwide effort to support Martin, and while I don't know the overall figure in terms of fundraising, I would guess that it was significant. Loved all that.

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Shame on You, Sue

Back up, Sue. Put down the kool aide and just walk away.

I get email from the Georgia Republican Party. I have no idea why. I just do. Today, I got an urgent plea from Sue Everhart asking me for money to help send Saxby Chambliss back to Washington.

When pigs fly, Sue.

Given Saxby's well-known history of attacking the patriotism of Max Cleland, a veteran who lost three limbs serving his country while Saxby sat at home with his "bad knees," this particular line in the email evoked images of pots and kettles and made me wonder what's in the kool aide over at the Georgia Republican Party:

Jim Martin ought to be ashamed of the things he said about Saxby, the way he knowingly lied about his record, the nasty and vicious TV ads he ran.

You mean like this ad, Sue?



Sue must live in an alternative universe-one where Amy Morton gives money to Saxby Chambliss and where it's Martin, not Chambliss, who runs"nasty, vicious" ads on television lying about his opponent. The good news is that with the GOP spending a million on ads this weekend, and this email from Sue today, I guess the debate over whether there's a runoff is officially over.

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Will Saxby's Margin Hold?

I've been watching the SOS site for the last hour-watching as Saxby dips closer and closer to 50%. He was at 50.7 with 95% of the vote counted at last glance. It looks to me as though significant vote is still being counted in metro Atlanta-in areas where Martin will do well. Is is possible that the AP missed this call? Will we wake up in the morning with a runoff?

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The Road to Change is Rolling Into Macon

The Road to Change Bus Tour, featuring Democratic Senatorial Candidate Jim Martin, will roll into Macon on Wednesday, October 29th. At 9 a.m., either outside or inside City Hall-depending on the weather-Martin will gather with other Democratic Candidates for a GOTV rally. We're about to make history in this election, and you're invited to be a part. Plan now to come out to the rally on Wednesday.

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Clinton Makes Case for Martin

Clinton Stresses the Importance of the Race

Clinton and Martin Salute the Crowd

President Clinton with Ambassador Wyche Fowler


Clinton Makes a Point as Martin Looks On

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Clinton in Georgia!

(Photo Credit: Lauren Benedict)

What charisma and wisdom. President Bill Clinton was in Atlanta tonight for Jim Martin. The event at Trois was sold out by late yesterday, and at least 450 people packed the room tonight.



The Martin Campaign brought in some serious cash tonight as President Clinton energized the crowd, reminding anyone who might've forgotten what Chambliss did to his friend of 20 years Max Cleland. (To laughter, Clinton pointed out that he and Max were friends long before anyone thought either would amount to what they ultimately became.) Clinton said that he wished he had done more when Chambliss launched the awful ads against Max. Today, he stressed the importance of this race in determining the direction of the country.

I can tell you this, as David Worley said in introduction, Bill Clinton could've been anywhere in the country tonight, stumping for dozens of candidates. But he was in Georgia. And that should tell us something about the state of this race.

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Saxby's Worried

And, with the quality of these two ads, he should be. With any ad from Chambliss, you have to simply consider the source. This is the same guy who used a football injury as an excuse for avoiding serving his country in Vietnam, and then called into question the patriotism of a veteran who gave three limbs for his country.

What do we know about Saxby? He'll approve ANY message in order to win.

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A First for U.S. Senate Campaign in Georgia

I've done some checking, and near as I can tell, this has never been done before in a U.S. Senate Campaign in Georgia. Tomorrow evening, the Martin Campaign is coordinating a statewide "Virtual Town Hall" event for women. Women attending the event will have an opportunity to ask questions of the candidate, unscripted, in real time, and the media is invited to participate.

This Virtual Town Hall Meeting will also be streamed live. Follow this link. Only those attending one of several parties around the state will be able to ask questions of Jim, but everyone can watch the live stream. And, lucky you in Middle Georgia, Lauren Benedict is hosting one of the parties at her home, and YOU are invited to attend. Here's the info:

Media Advisory: October 13, 2008
Contacts: Lauren Benedict - (478) 973-0630, llbenedict@bostonlawmacon.com , or
Amy Morton – (478) 747-7450 amymorton@aol.com

Middle Georgia Women to Participate in “Virtual Town Hall” With Jim Martin

Macon, Ga. – Women from around Middle Georgia will participate in a virtual town hall on Tuesday, October 14th with Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Jim Martin. Supporters and undecided voters will gather at the home of Lauren Benedict Tuesday evening at 6:30 to call in and ask Martin Questions about the issues on their minds.

The gathering is free and open to the press.

WHO: Democratic and undecided women; Jim Martin, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.

WHAT: Virtual Town Hall, participants will call in to Martin’s campaign headquarters for an open question and answer session.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 14th, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: 360-A Vista Circle
Macon Georgia 31204

PARKING: Please, park in the blank or unnumbered spaces.

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A Message to Saxby - From Me

Several weeks ago, the DPG began filming spots with "real Georgians" who were talking about the issues that impact them in their day to day life. I did a spot for them, and though I missed it, it apparently went out in email. So, why don't Georgia children deserve the same health coverage Sen. Chambliss has?




Saxby Chambliss on Healthcare

Saxby Chambliss has a history of selling out to the big insurance companies and leaving everyday Georgians behind. This week we hear from Amy Morton, a family therapist who's seen first-hand the difficulties families have in finding affordable health and mental health services. Unfortunately, Chambliss has done little to help those families in need.



No help with expensive prescription drugs

Chambliss voted against preventing a severe reduction in the Federal medical assistance percentage and extending rebates for prescription drugs to enrollees in Medicaid managed organizations [Vote 291, 11/3/05]

Voted against making generic drugs more affordable for seniors [Vote 299, 11/3/05]

Voted against allowing seniors access to cheaper imported prescriptions drugs [Vote 150, 5/3/07]

No help for Georgia's Kids


Chambliss voted against a bill that reauthorizes and expands the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) through 2012. [Vote 403, 11/1/07] Many members of the Republican party crossed over to join Democrats in voting for health care for children, but not Senator Chambliss.

Chambliss voted twice in the same year against reauthorizing and expanding children's health care by voting against HR 976 [Vote 353 on 9/27/9, Vote 307 on 8/2/07]

No help for rural Georgian families

Chambliss voted against helping rural health care providers and hospitals receiving fair reimbursement for their services under Medicare [Vote 89, 3/25/03]

No help for victims of natural disasters

Chambliss even voted against Disaster Relief Medicaid (DRM) health care for Hurricane Katrina victims. [Vote 285 on 11/3/05]

No help for AIDS victims

Chambliss voted against increased funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance program by $74 million. [Vote 178, 10/27/05]



Always a great handout for HMO's and big insurance companies


Fact: Chambliss has taken over $250,000 from the insurance industry in campaign contributions. (Source: Center for Responsive Politics)

Fact: Chambliss' own Chief of Staff is a former insurance company lobbyist (Source: Center for Responsive Politics)

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