A broken Washington finally grinds down Saxby Chambliss
A scandalous photo wended its way through Washington last week, documenting a furtive-looking meeting at a dark Capitol Hill bar in Washington.
In the photograph, U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Mark Warner of Virginia, one Republican and one Democrat, are engaged in close conversation. Possibly, theirs was yet another bipartisan discussion of D.C.’s terrible fiscal condition. They’ve been beating that drum for the better part of two years – to little effect.
Perhaps Chambliss was chewing over his decision to throw in the towel. According to the time stamp, the photo at The Monocle was snapped on Wednesday, 48 hours before he pulled the plug on a 19-year career in Congress and a third term in the U.S. Senate.
The sight of a Republican and Democrat engaged in civil discourse has become so rare that the moment — like two threatened pandas in a zoo — was worth capturing. In itself, that’s proof that Washington has become an incredibly sick place. A hothouse of suspicion, back-biting and cable news posturing. Or a playground for people willing to kick the economy and your 401(k) thither and yon. Take your pick.
According to the 69-year-old Chambliss, pure frustration, and the prospect of wasting eight more years in trench warfare, prompted him to announce he’d be leaving Washington when his term ends. “The debt-ceiling debacle of 2011 and the recent fiscal-cliff vote showed Congress at its worst and, sadly, I don’t see the legislative gridlock and partisan posturing improving anytime soon,” Georgia’s senior senator said in a statement.
Chambliss had long conceded that he would have primary opposition next year. Tea partyists, angered by his dalliances with Democrats and his talk of the need for increased federal revenue, had been urging the likes of U.S. Reps. Paul Broun of Athens and Tom Price of Roswell into the contest.
Chambliss had banked $1.4 million for 2014, but had declared he would put off any major fund-raising until next month. He’s never been known as a stellar fund-raiser, but his friends said that money wasn’t an issue. Apparently, Wall Street is pleased when you spend two years lobbying for fiscal reform designed to keep the economy afloat – and out of the reach of those counseling the sack cloth and ashes of austerity.
Deep pockets were ready to fund multi-million dollar Super PACs in Chambliss’ defense, we’re told.
The irony of Chambliss falling victim to a rabidly partisan and dysfunctional Congress, of course, is that his successful 2002 campaign against Democratic incumbent Max Cleland was considered – at the time – a new level of hyper-partisanship. It included a TV ad that featured photos of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, while attacking Cleland, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, on security issues in the aftermath of 9/11.
But in 2007, Chambliss – a consistent champion of Georgia agriculture – ran afoul of his own GOP base when he (and compadre Johnny Isakson) participated in early negotiations on immigration reform. At that year’s state Republican convention, Chambliss argued in favor of an adequate guest workers program, and was showered with boos.
Chambliss backed away from that fight. But he refused to do the same when it came to searching for a grand bargain to address a $16 trillion federal deficit with Virginia’s Warner. Over Thanksgiving, Chambliss took on anti-tax guru Grover Norquist. Only last week, the senator chided would-be challenger Broun.
“Not only do I understand our debt and deficit problem, I have gotten off the sidelines to try and find a solution. Those who vote ‘no’ on everything obviously don’t care about solving the country’s problems,” Chambliss said.
Contacted on Friday, Cleland declined comment.
But other Democrats weren’t shy about praising Chambliss’ two terms and his battle for the middle ground. “I congratulate Senator Saxby Chambliss on his service to the people of the great state of Georgia,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed – even as he ducked the question of whether he would join the stampede for Chambliss’ seat.
The Twitter post from state Sen. Jason Carter, grandson of the former president:
“I wish #Saxby the best, but his retirement is sad for the country. We need folks working together to solve the debt crisis….”
Washington’s dysfunction and the need for Republicans to redefine themselves are closely linked. On the night before Chambliss decided that a life of sipping whisky on back porches wouldn’t be so bad, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told GOP leaders gathered in Charlotte, N.C., “We’ve got to stop being the stupid party. It’s time for a new Republican Party that talks like adults.”
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has spent the last two weeks shopping a new Republican approach to immigration reform.
Georgia’s 2014 race for U.S. Senate will feature an army eager to please the Republican party’s tea party wing. But one unexpected name quickly surfaced on Friday – that of former Gov. Sonny Perdue, who during his eight years as governor often warned grassroots Republicans against volatile language and extreme positioning. Long before Chambliss, Perdue also tangled with Norquist and other anti-tax forces.
“The governor is really concerned about the current course of the country,” said a close adviser, who added that Perdue intends to think more about making the race next week.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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112 comments Add your comment
liberalefty
January 26th, 2013
12:45 pm
why do repubs want american women to have the same reproductive rights as women in saudi arabia?
MrLiberty
January 26th, 2013
12:45 pm
Saxby has been part of the problem in Washington, and part of the bi-partisan conspiracy that has destroyed america. He has never shown any principles, fought for freedom, liberty, the constitution, sound money, sound foreign policy, civil liberties, ending the police state, ending the war on drugs, or other positions that are clearly out of favor in washington, but critical to the continuation of a free america. He has been a go-along to get-along globalist who has been part of the conspiracy to promote a new world order, a global government, and an american empire of tyranny. He is just upset that a few principled folks have helped undermine their plans. Good riddance to him. Take a few more of your criminal buddies with you (actually sounds like Harkin is going too – yeah!)
liberalefty
January 26th, 2013
12:48 pm
@ashop 12:45
the party’s so broken then they won the last 2 presidential elections…lolololololol
td
January 26th, 2013
12:58 pm
Off Topic:
Now that women have been granted totally equality with men in the most hostile environment in the world. It is time for you progressives to come forward and demand that men and women should be treated equal in every part of life.
Progressives should demand that the Violence against womens act should be allowed to expire because women are equal to men and do not need special rights to protect them.
Progressives should demand that men can raise children just as well as women and demand that states should reflect this and enact rules to make all custody cases of divorce and children out of wedlock be 50/50 because it is in the best interest of the child to spend equal time with both parents.
clem
January 26th, 2013
1:03 pm
so you are for equal pay for equal work?
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
January 26th, 2013
1:07 pm
the party’s so broken then they won the last 2 presidential elections…lolololololol
Yep, with 4 million votes less the 2nd time around. But lunatics like you, failing to notice you lost a lot of your support, think you can trash the country. Harkin, seeing this depravity shaping up, said buh bye. Don’t want my name on it.
liberalefty
January 26th, 2013
1:10 pm
@asshoip
duh we still had more VOTES THAN THE LOSING BIRTHER PARTY…HEHEhehehehehehohgohohohoholololololololol…and i gues saxby left because he couldnt take the depravity of the lunatic birther party…lololololololololololoololl
Don't Tread
January 26th, 2013
1:17 pm
It’s sad that Jason Carter is sad that Saxby is retiring. People like Jason Carter (and kin) and their runaway spending is what has caused the debt crisis to begin with. (Spending less money than you take in seems to be a “racist” and “backward” attitude these days.)
Maybe if there had been one more vote for the balanced budget amendment back in the day, there wouldn’t be a debt crisis. Of course, we could just solve it all overnight with a few trillion-dollar coins.
hiram
January 26th, 2013
1:37 pm
Some insight into why Washington is broken:
http://web02.gonzaga.edu/comltheses/proquestftp/McCloy_gonzaga_0736M_10210.pdf
hiram
January 26th, 2013
1:38 pm
Some insight into why td is broken:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/11/1108524/-Rush-Limbaugh-s-phony-empire-exposed
An observer
January 26th, 2013
2:11 pm
He has served in Congress for twenty years and will be over 70 years old. What is wrong with letting someone else have the opportunity to serve? Galloway is wrong to argue that politicians should serve in Congress forever and that no one else can do as good a job.
Shar
January 26th, 2013
2:20 pm
Saxby Chambliss ran an indefensible, filthy, lying, cowardly campaign against Max Cleland and I have neither trusted nor respected him since. He added to his infamy by handing bushel baskets of taxpayers’ money to the financial and agricultural interests who so generously bought him off, and by kowtowing to the bitter and tyrannical excesses of the fringe media, clergy and tea partiers in the desperate hope that they would not turn on him because of his subservience to the lobbies he served.
The last few years of his edging toward some kind of rational bipartisanship have made me give him a few grudging nods. But his whining that the Washington he helped to create is too mean to him is disgusting. The nation has suffered from the actions of Chambliss, and we will continue to suffer while he spends his payoffs and sips his Scotch.
honested
January 26th, 2013
3:02 pm
We can only hope that saxby’s replacement is not in the pocket of agribusiness or the coal burning industry.
Only then can we take reasonable measures to solve the water crisis of our own making.
Buzzy
January 26th, 2013
3:31 pm
Sorry Jim, but I think it was Georgia that ground him down, not Washington.
It’s the right wing extremist lunatics here who got to him. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to represent them either.
Voter
January 26th, 2013
4:31 pm
Guys, gals, liberals, – the point we need to argue is we need Term Limits again. Too many of these congressman stay way past their prime. Most are dying while in office. Good for Saxby leaving before he dies in office too. Let’s get some Term Limits voted for again.
td
January 26th, 2013
5:02 pm
Voter
January 26th, 2013
4:31 pm
The courts have ruled Federal term limits as unconstitutional. Since Congress is run on a seniority system, why would you want your state to place term limits on there members when other states do not?
Voter
January 26th, 2013
5:36 pm
To quote Thomas Jefferson urging a limitation of tenure, “to prevent every danger which might arise to American freedom by continuing too long in office the members of the Continental Congress….”
Our Senators and House of Reps. stay too long, they become stagnant and ineffective. That’s the reason why the “rotation is needed” Nothing to say they can’t run again but I think the original way was best.
Voter
January 26th, 2013
5:39 pm
And the Supreme Court ruled that State Government can’t limit it’s members in the Federal Government. Nothing was said about Congress bringing about the votes and having term limits.
CC
January 26th, 2013
5:54 pm
liberalefty, by his mere existence and evidenced by his posts, offers a wonderful argument for retroactive birth control . . .
Good Riddance!!
January 26th, 2013
6:11 pm
They ALL should be gone – TERM LIMITS!!!!!
td
January 26th, 2013
6:12 pm
Voter
January 26th, 2013
5:39 pm
” If the qualifications set forth in the text of the Constitution are to be changed, that text must be amended”
If my reading of the above part of the ruling is correct then it would take a Constitutional Amendment to get term limits imposed. I can not see that happening my friend.
td
January 26th, 2013
6:16 pm
CC
January 26th, 2013
5:54 pm
liberalefty, by his mere existence and evidenced by his posts, offers a wonderful argument for retroactive birth control .
linerallefty is really Hank Johnson.
Voter
January 26th, 2013
6:18 pm
@td -”If my reading of the above part of the ruling is correct then it would take a Constitutional Amendment to get term limits imposed. I can not see that happening my friend.”
I understand. And I agree, the chances of getting it are slim & require the cooperation of the very people who voted themselves their “golden parachutes” as well as their benefits, retirement, pay raises, perks, cars, etc., but it should be done, look how ineffective they are. Look how long some of them of been in office.
Voter
January 26th, 2013
6:19 pm
@td -”If my reading of the above part of the ruling is correct then it would take a Constitutional Amendment to get term limits imposed. I can not see that happening my friend.”
I understand. And I agree, the chances of getting it are slim & require the cooperation of the very people who voted themselves their “golden parachutes” as well as their benefits, retirement, pay raises, perks, cars, etc., but it should be done, look how ineffective they are. Look how long some of them have been in office.
Voter
January 26th, 2013
6:20 pm
Sorry for the repeat..typo
cultural barbarian
January 26th, 2013
6:23 pm
@td: so you’re OK with Congress being run on a seniority system, and you don’t consider that liberal/union rot? I dare say in the business world you would probably be one of the first to condemn recognition of seniority as some kind of union corruption.
I can think of any number of reasons that term limits are a good idea, among the most prevalent that times actually change, whether or not conservatives ilke to admit that or not.
What Chambliss did to Cleland was a disgrace. Georgians who like to give lip-service to those who served in the armed forces should have nuked him – but they didn’t, and guess why? Oh, that’s right: those who served fought for the Constitution and equality, but some are more equal than others. Sorry, I keep forgetting that the only things that matter to conservatives are maintaining power and lording their perfect lives over others.
Voter
January 26th, 2013
6:30 pm
@cultural barbarian – I’m conservative. I love the military and the men and women who serve. Yes, I believe there should be term limits. I liked Sam Nunn. He was a Democrat. I’m for anybody who loves this Country and believe that the President, Congress and any Federal or State Government employee works for the people and is answerable to the people. I dislike those that vote someone in JUST because he’s the same color or the same Party or for any reason other than he or she is the best person for the job.
RCB
January 26th, 2013
6:33 pm
@liberallefty….I don’t think abortion and reproductive rights are a big topic in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, here in the USA, women can practice any amount of control or rights–as long as THEY pay for it. To the topic, time for Saxby to go. He’s been there long enough and I can’t think of too much he did that was good or bad.
cultural barbarian
January 26th, 2013
6:45 pm
@Voter: thank you for your clear-headed viewpoint! From my weird stance as a leftist-libertarian who used to be a conservative (and has respect for, if not agreement with, many conservative viewpoints), I am right there with you on your opinion about the best person for the job. And I join you in appreciation for those who serve and for Sam Nunn as well!
td
January 26th, 2013
6:45 pm
cultural barbarian
January 26th, 2013
6:23 pm
The Congress makes their own rules about how their chambers are run once they are elected and there is nothing we can do about it. I am trying to think of a way in Congress where you could get rid of the seniority system in Congress but come up with blanks considering that each member has one vote once they get in to make up their own set of rules and I can not see Congress people with any type of seniority voluntarily voting against their own self interest or the self interest of their district or state. What is your idea as to get rid of the system?
I am not opposed to term limits but I can not see how a Constitutional Amendment is passed to do it. It would take the vote of 66% of both chambers of Congress and 75% of all the states.
Voter
January 26th, 2013
6:56 pm
And for those Congressman who praised Hillary Clinton recently, proves my point. She does not deserve it.The Ambassador’s around the world answer to the Secretary of State and the President.
Fact 1: She knew prior to 9/11/12 attack that Amb. Chris Stevens had requested better security.
Fact 2: She knew it was denied.
Fact 3: She knew within 2 days it was NOT the result of some “video”
Fact 4: She covered it up and is still not providing honest answers about the attack.
Jethro from Honest Atlanta
January 26th, 2013
7:02 pm
Washington DC is a “right to work” province. The problem with Chambliss is that he is a member of a worker’s union called the U.S. congress. Healthcare paid for for life. How does that work? Paid for by the people, but not for the people. Hey Saxby, enjoy your checkups. I’ll think of you when I go to the mailbox to get my stack of unpaid bills. How come the three people I know who are doing good all have government jobs and the rest of the people are SCREWED. A$$h,,LES running a police state is why.
Jethro from Honest Atlanta
January 26th, 2013
7:04 pm
Most of Congress – money sponges collecting lobbying checks. IT WOULD BE NICE if the general public elected a different caliber of character to govern them. …. Something about “campaign finance reform…”? 99% members of Congress are millionaires. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
Jethro from Honest Atlanta
January 26th, 2013
7:06 pm
I’m conservative. I love the empire workers and the men and women who serve.
Fixed that for you.
cultural barbarian
January 26th, 2013
7:52 pm
@td, re term limits
I freely admit that I have no solution. One possible way to effect change is for more of the populace to vote! So many people on both sides of the aisle are in favor of term limits – yet so many people don’t vote, because they think their vote doesn’t matter, they don’t understand the importance of participation, etc. As someone who generally (but not always) votes Democratic in Georgia, I might as well do something else with the time I stand in line to vote – ’cause in my county there’s no way Democrats will win. No doubt there are people who can’t be bothered to vote (and let’s face it, the voting process is a pain in the rear).
Conversely, perhaps there are Republican voters in my county that know their party will win anyway, so they don’t bother. I’m not ascribing blame to either side here.
And then there’s the ‘NIMBY’ factor in a lot of places: “term limits are great, but MY Congressperson needs to stay in there.”
I really don’t have an answer. Wish I did.
honested
January 26th, 2013
8:13 pm
td,
Didn’t that serial adulterer you lionize rail against the seniority system,….until he first became the minority leader (and insisted he needed a car and chauffeur for adequate seniority) and then became the speaker (until he resigned in total disgrace)?
And to my earlier point, bobby jindal was right (as proven by so many comments on this thread), it is the ‘Stupid Party!
CC
January 26th, 2013
8:26 pm
“linerallefty is really Hank Johnson.”
That being the case, I KNOW his island has tipped over . . .
drew
January 26th, 2013
9:30 pm
Sorry….won’t miss the typical Good Ole’ Boy Anti-Gay Chambliss one bit….
Voter
January 26th, 2013
9:38 pm
@Jethro from Honest Atlanta – ” I’m conservative. I love the empire workers and the men and women who serve. Fixed that for you.”
Oh I see, your relatives must be French, the ones who told Hitler ” Come on over” or maybe part of the colonists who told the British ” We like your tea here in Boston”
For the mere fact that you can type your dribble here on this blog, you owe that to the men and women who served and especially the ones who died. Show some respect.
Kris
January 26th, 2013
10:21 pm
Wonder if former President Jimmy Carter is up for a run for Governor or Senator?
Just push the autopilot button in the governor’s office. Heck Ga has been on autopilot for the last 10+ years.
Good riddance Saxby. (Looks like good ole SAX got took to the woodshed) ha ha..
Good riddance Crooked deal 2014
MrLiberty
January 26th, 2013
10:48 pm
Washington isn’t broken, its running just the way the powers that be want it to run – for their benefit. Saxby has served out his usefulness to them and now he needs to get out of town before the victims wake up and turn their pitchforks in his direction.
Jethro from Honest Atlanta
January 27th, 2013
1:39 am
” I’m conservative. I love the communist empire workers and the men and women who serve.
Fixed that for you.
Jethro from Honest Atlanta
January 27th, 2013
1:48 am
Voter, This is 2013. We haven’t defended the United States in a very long time. The French have markets in both internet services and where their food comes from. You don’t. You might in Atlanta. Outside of Atlanta, the apples and green beans in the different grocery stores are all unloaded from the same train. Your internet is now 100% monopolised. 5 guys from Comcast pull a billion dollars in salary per decade. For internet, you have no market competition, none. Zero. Food, what do you do? Sell it out to Monsanto and feed your kids growth hormones in the food they eat. So your kids hit puberty early because you don’t protect your food supply. Hey, get away from me. You don’t protect your markets and you make me sick.
Jethro from Honest Atlanta
January 27th, 2013
2:11 am
In voter’s world, you attack a country without an air force, without a navy, and without an intelligence service, and you call it a war. Then you show bombing them on the television media as war pornography and call it defending yourself. Then you use the same media to deny showing the public caskets of fallen soldiers when the country you attack fights back on their home territory to defend themselves, and you call this freedom. Your intelligence agency invents the term “Al Queda” and applies it to anything of their choosing and uses their intelligence apparatus to feed propaganda to your media outlets who repeat it over and over word for word for them, in voter’s world. Voter does not question when he hears the same pre-package message repeated word for word over and over and not ever challenged.
Buckhead Boy
January 27th, 2013
7:05 am
Fourteen years ago Chambliss was the poster boy for disgraceful campaigning and Republican extremism. Throughout his Senate service he has maintained a -0- Liberal Action rating, but now faced being abandoned by GOP voters for his presumed “moderation’.
Please proceed, Republicans.
monroe
January 27th, 2013
8:26 am
hopefully they elect a minority like kasim reed — ga needs more african-americans to better represent their interests in washington–there too many white people in the senate helping rich people
JT
January 27th, 2013
8:46 am
Reading these comments and the total lack of any “center” in political discussions simply reinforces what Chambliss said about stalemate. Washington DC is no more than a reflection of the total lack of compromise being expressed in these discussions. We apparently have evolved to the point where it is easier (politically) to simply call each other names, etc. I can see how this could wear someone down. For those who disagree with these statements, be sure to call me stupid or whatever flavor you choose, but simply scroll down and read this stuff.
Predatory Lender
January 27th, 2013
8:54 am
The last time I checked, Saxby had no power in D.C., but he continued to “water down” his own party, derailing their efforts.
Citizens of GA, next time let’s elect someone other than an attorney to represent our state’s interest than this example of a compromise, who was nothing more than a closet liberal. Saxby’s record speaks for itself.
Dr. Love
January 27th, 2013
9:06 am
It’s getting late, load the guns and go to church.
Wilbur
January 27th, 2013
9:24 am
Saxby cared and got ground down. The folks like Chuck Schumer, Barbara Boxer and Dick Durbin are not stepping away, don’t feel ground down. They don’t really care as they have made politics their God and feel like they are “winning”.
Even as the country fails.