Ga. ex-Gov. Barnes backs Rep. Marshall (Georgia)

Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes (D) is urging Rep. Jim Marshall to run next year for Senate. The race is one of only two open contests, along with Illinois, in the country.

Barnes told the freshman congressman he "should seriously consider" running for the seat being vacated by Democrat Zell Miller.

Despite Marshall's relatively brief stint in Congress, Barnes said the congressman, who won his House seat with narrow 51 percent of the vote, would be a credible Senate candidate.

"I think he's a good candidate," Barnes told The Hill. "He has a good military record, heâ€™s from a great area of the state -- the middle of the state -- and he's successfully been elected to Congress."

For now, Marshall is only contemplating a possible Senate race, his spokesman, Douglas Moore, said. Moore added that Marshall has not set a personal deadline to make a decision.

"Whenever something like this comes along, he thinks you have a responsibility to examine it," Moore said.

Cathy Cox, Georgia's secretary of state and a prominent Georgia Democrat, said Marshall may be "intrigued" and is "certainly exploring" a run. But she cast some doubt on the viability of a Marshall candidacy.

"I don't know whether he is really that interested or whether some of his staffers are pushing him to run," Cox said.

No Democrats have so far entered the Senate race. By contrast, four Republicans have declared their candidacies -- Reps. Mac Collins and Johnny Isakson, pizza entrepreneur Herman Cain and businessman Al Bartell.

Barnes, who lost in an upset to Republican Sonny Perdue last year, said the Democrats' dearth of candidates may stem from party officials' frustration and disappointment with the 2002 election returns.

Former senator Max Cleland, who also lost last year and is now teaching at American University in Washington, said he's not getting involved in the Senate race. "I'm really out of that business now," he noted

The Democrats' failure to find a strong candidate to mount a bid to hold onto Miller's seat also may reflect a growing sense -- among many Republicans and even some Democrats in Washington -- that the GOP is poised to pick up at least two or three Senate seats in the South next year.

Republicans have high hopes of snagging Democrat Ernest Hollings's seat in South Carolina and John Edwards's in North Carolina.

And talk of Democrats Bob Graham in Florida and John Breaux in Louisiana possibly retiring has further fueled the Republicans' bullish outlook in Dixie.

Underlying these changes are shifting voting habits that strongly favor Republicans.

"Probably a majority of the white vote in the state is pretty well locked into the GOP," Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia political scientist, said.

Republicans carried about 70 percent of the white vote in the statewide 2002 races, Bullock said.

Bullock attributed two Democratic statewide wins to incumbency -- those of Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and Cox, the secretary of state. More important for longer-term political considerations, he said, two GOP victories over incumbent Democrats in races for the state Public Service Commission show that the GOP is gaining ground.

Cox and Taylor, both of whom had been considered possible Senate candidates, are heading the party's recruiting effort. But neither is running.

State Sen. Mary Squires has come the closest to jumping into the race. But Cox said her inexperience may be a hurdle. Cox also said the first-term state senator may run into problems stemming from a debate about the state flag earlier this year.

In the debate, Squires tearfully called Perdue, the governor, a racist -- first on the floor of the state Senate; then in the governor's office, to his face.

In another sign that Georgia Democrats do not want Squires in the Senate race, Kristie Huller, press secretary for Taylor, the lieutenant governor, said of Squires: "She holds a seat in Gwinnett that is important for her to keep, and hopefully she will recognize that."

Other Democrats who have been mentioned as possible candidates include University of Georgia Athletic Director Vince Dooley, DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan, attorney Jim Butler and state Attorney General Thurbert Baker.

Butler, who said he shares Miller's conservative outlook, told The Hill that if he were not to run, it would likely be because he has two children living at home and he is quite happy with his current job.

Jim Marshall would have been a threat to the GOP if he had at least 6 years of Congressional experience. But being a mere House freshman, he would lose to the GOP nominees (John Isakson, Herman Cain, Mac Collins) in the general election. I kind of hope Marshall does jump into the Senate race. The GOP has a good chance of picking up the GA-03 in an open election.

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GA Senate race *ping*

Marshall leaving the House would mean we could get his seat back, but it also begs the question about what might happen if he gets into the race and defeats the African-American 'Rats and faces Herman Cain in the general ? That would be an interesting scenario. Would disgruntled Black voters who preferred Franklin, Thurmond or Baker switch to Cain ? Would racist Caucasian voters out in the sticks who cynically vote GOP switch to the liberal Marshall ? It's easy enough to run Black 'Rat candidates in 'Rat leaning states and say "how much" the state has "progressed", but I think the real test would be running Black Republicans in southern states or in 'Rat leaning states...

Jim Marshall is an airheaded dolt who has trouble tying his shoes in the morning. Mr. Eyespy covers him for the newspaper, and he says STUPID things. He also wouldn't speak at my Rally for America, but then less than a month later, he "organized" one in Warner Robins, and used, almost word for word, the same press release language I did. Then he didn't even show up for "his" rally.

What was it he said?... Oh yeah! It was at a Wilkinson County (GA)bicentennial celebration this past spring. To paraphrase him, "I meant to look up who the representatives from this area are, and what they represent, but I'm sure I'll live up to them." I guess its a good thing they weren't child molestors or such.

I think Marshall would beat Isakson soundly in the general election. Pro-life conservatives and Democrats would back Marshall, leaving Isakson with . . . liberal Republicans, not a big demographic in Georgia.

"I think Marshall would beat Isakson soundly in the general election. Pro-life conservatives and Democrats would back Marshall, leaving Isakson with . . . liberal Republicans, not a big demographic in Georgia."

I agree, Marshall is exactly the kind of candidate who can take advantage of Isakson's pro-abortion stance. Rural conservative Democrats (you know, the people who decide elections in Georgia) probably prefer the RATs on many economic issues, and if the GOP nominee is not pro-life, I don't see how we can hope to win.

I agree with DJ that we should be able to pick up Marshall's district if he runs for the Senate. Our best-case scenario is if the mayor of Atlanta or some such liberal defeats Marshall in the primary, and we can win both the Senate seat (hopefully with Herman Cain) and the 3rd CD seat.

Calder Clay is running again. I'd say he has an okay shot even if Marshall runs for reelection.

Considering he only lost by 1 point against Marhsall he should win an open seat.

But there's a more conservative rat that lost the primary in '02 (Johnnie Byrd?) he could be tough if he runs again.

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