Saxby Chambliss on Principles & Values Republican Sr Senator; previously Representative (GA-8)

OpEd: 2002 attack ad was effective because it was factual

Cleland personally blamed me for the ad, saying I was guilty of "character assassination" and responsible for "the biggest lie in America." I did not conceive, create, or have anything to do with the Chambliss ad. But I thought it was effective because it was factual.

Cleland had run a spot associating himself with Pres. Bush by suggesting Cleland had supported creating the Homeland Security department. It was a clever tactic, since Bush was very popular in Georgia. The problem was that it was false. Cleland had worked against Bush on creation of the new department.

[Chambliss' ad] didn't morph Osama bin Laden and Saddam into Cleland or say he supported them. Only later in the ad did images of Cleland appear, followed by a scrolling list of the times he had voted against the homeland security bill.

2002: Attacked war-hero opponent as unpatriotic, and won

Chambliss's campaign, then, used this as evidence that Cleland was unpatriotic, and way too soft on national defense. In a campaign commercial, Osama bin Laden's photo was shown followed by a portrait of Cleland--implying that the two were somehow in cahoots, or at least of like minds. Cleland went down to defeat.

It was an early and brutal example of playing the patriotism card, and set a new standard for low. But the tactic worked, and the GOP picked up a Senate seat. But in the end it was very much a pyrrhic victory. The accusation that we were playing politics was something we dealt with often, and the Georgia campaign gave those accusations a basis in fact.

Voted with Republican Party 94.4% of 319 votes.

Voted NO on confirming of Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court.

"In the past month, many Senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy. It is simple: fidelity to the law. The task of a judge is not to make the law--it is to apply the law. And it is clear, I believe, that my record in two courts reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its terms; interpreting statutes according to their terms and Congress's intent; and hewing faithfully to precedents established by the Supreme Court and my Circuit Court. In each case I have heard, I have applied the law to the facts at hand."

Voted YES on confirming Samuel Alito as Supreme Court Justice.

Voted YES on confirming John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Religious affiliation: Episcopalian.

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Rated 0% by the AU, indicating opposition to church-state separation.

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2006 AU scores as follows:

• 0%- 20%: opposition to church-state separation (approx. 232 members)
• 21%- 79%: mixed record on church-state separation (approx. 79 members)
• 80%-100%: support of church-state separation (approx. 153 members)

Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. AU is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.

Americans United is a national organization with members in all 50 states. We are headquartered in Washington, D.C., and led by the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director. AU has more than 75,000 members from all over the country. They include people from all walks of life and from various faith communities, as well as those who profess no particular faith. We are funded by donations from our members and others who support church-state separation. We do not seek, nor would we accept, government funding.

Contract with America: 10 bills in 1st 100 days of Congress.

As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body, we propose not just to change its policies, but to restore the bounds of trust between the people and their elected representatives. That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.

Within the first hundred days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given a full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote, and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny:
1. The Fiscal Responsibility Act: Balanced budget amendment & line item veto
2. The Taking Back Our Streets Act: More prisons, more enforcement, more death penalty
3. The Personal Responsibility Act: Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending
4. The Families Reinforcement Act: Use tax code to foster families
5. The American Dream Restoration Act: Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes
6. The National Security Restoration Act: No US troops under UN command; more defense spending
7. The Senior Citizens Fairness Act: Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings
8. The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act: Incentives to small businesses
9. The Common Sense Legal Reforms Act: Limit punitive damages
10. The Citizen Legislature Act: Term limits on Congress