Steve Benen describes the low blow:
Over the last few days, both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and a far-right group called Freedom’s Watch have both launched ads attacking Democrat Jim Martin for being “soft on crime.” More specifically, the conservatives insist that Martin has opposed measures that would crack down on criminals who prey on children.
Of all the issues Republicans could have picked, this has to be the most offensive — Martin’s daughter was kidnapped when she was just eight years old. She was, fortunately, returned to the family safely, but Martin has a more personal background when it comes to crimes against children than most of us would even care to imagine.
With that in mind, the Martin campaign released this ad and a fact-sheet documenting Martin’s extensive record on penalties for criminals and protections for children.
One wonders if, perhaps, the right-wing attacks on this go a little too far, and might backfire, just as the Liddy Dole “godless” ad had the opposite of the desired effect in North Carolina earlier this month.
Then again, there is a track record to consider. Saxby Chambliss won a first term with an offensive ad smearing Max Cleland on national security; perhaps he’ll win a second term thanks to a couple of offensive ads about crime.
Think Progress has more. I’m doubtful that the ad will backfire. I had more hope for traction around Chambliss’ resisting an order to give evidence in a lawsuit by families of victims killed or hurt in the Imperial Sugar Co. explosions and fire in Savannah earlier this year.
The issue is around Chambliss’ treatment of a whistle-blower at a July hearing that examined the causes of the refinery explosion. Imperial Sugar Co. CEO John Sheptor (not surprisingly) defends Chambliss; Chambliss supporters say the demand for the senator’s testimony is politically driven.
Meanwhile, John McCain stumped for Chambliss ignoring his own 2002 criticism of Chambliss’ “disgraceful” ad. The ad used images of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and asserting that Cleland “says he has the courage to lead. But the record proves Max Cleland is just misleading.” Media Matters reports that the AJC and this week’s Newsweek ignored it too. (The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and USA Today are among those that didn’t.)
The AJC has endorsed Martin. Jim Galloway lays out the case against a Georgia visit from Barack Obama. In it he quotes Jon Flack of Tondee’s Tavern, one of the state’s most influential Democratic blogs, saying, “A politician has got to have an upside to coming here. I haven’t found an upside yet.”
And Raw Story says Allegations about 2002 Georgia election raise doubts on current voting. ABC News producer Rebecca Abrahams is quoted:
Jim Martin should be concerned about the veracity and validity of the November election results after anomalies in the last election and the statement by Chris Hood. In fact, voters should demand to know if Chambliss had any knowledge that the 2002 election was rigged and whether he knew that Georgia citizens voted on electronic voting machines that had been patched with uncertified software days before the election in clear violation of Georgia law.
Video of the unaired 2006 interview with Hood.