Zell Miller Endorses Bush

The Weekly Standard ^ | 10/29/2003 | Fred Barnes

[HarleyD]

SENATOR ZELL MILLER OF GEORGIA, the nation's most prominent conservative Democrat, said today he will endorse President Bush for re-election in 2004 and campaign for him if Bush wishes him to. Miller said Bush is "the right man at the right time" to govern the country.

The next five years "will determine the kind of world my children and grandchildren will live in," Miller said in an interview. And he wouldn't "trust" any of the nine Democratic presidential candidates with governing during "that crucial period," he said. "This Democrat will vote for President Bush in 2004."

Miller, who is retiring from the Senate next year, has often expressed his admiration for Bush. He was a co-sponsor of the president's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. The two got to know each other in the 1990s when both were governors.

The senator's endorsement is important for several reasons. With Miller on board, Bush will have a head start on forming a Democrats for Bush group in 2004. Such a group would woo crossover votes from conservative or otherwise disgruntled Democrats next year. In 2000, an effort by the Bush campaign to form a Democrats for Bush organization fizzled.

Since he came to the Senate in 2000, Miller has become increasingly critical of Senate Democrats and the national Democratic party. He recently published a new book, "A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat," in which he criticizes the party for being too liberal, too elitist, and subservient to liberal interest groups. In the book, Miller singles out Democratic presidential frontrunner Howard Dean, whom he knew as governor of Vermont, for being shallow.

[finnman69]

You can write Zell and or call his office to thank him! While you are at it, call Daschle to make fun of him.


Webform:
http://miller.senate.gov/email.htm

Phone: (202) 224-3643
Fax: (202) 228-2090
TDDY: (202) 228-2105

Atlanta info:
Phone: (404) 347-2202
Fax: (404) 347-2243

Direct webform to Thomas Daschle:
http://daschle.senate.gov/webform.html (It requires a SD residency but angry letters to him calling for Miller to be removed from ALL assignments and the caucus will help too!)

Daschle's DC phone and fax # (It's public)
Phone: (202) 224-2321
Fax: (202) 224-6603

Comments for Daschle here:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/soapbox/comment/?id=535

[stands2reason]

They jes ign'nant, is all.

[wardaddy]

Sounds like a Tennessee William's play.

[Tempest]

Wow! Hehehe!

[RobFromGa]

Thanks for the ping, we probably won't see this on the news or in the AJC (maybe on page A13). This is fantastic news, Zell has turned out to be a standup guy.

[Keyes2000mt]

Zell Miller really is not a far right wing Conservative. Miller earned a 54% rating from the ACU which is high for a Democrat, but not horribly conservative. I'd say the Dems are in trouble if they're losing Zell Miller. If Bush sweeps the South again (minus West Virginia), then he'll win easy.

[Qwinn]

"Essentially, the liberal Democrats are saying: "Slow the march to conservatism even if it kills our Party."

I disagree with the phrasing. He's not leaving the party, the party's leaving him. More accurately, it's: "Speed the march to Marxism even if it kills our Party."

Qwinn

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

zell miller has more balls than half of the repubs in the senate.

[madison10]

Because he wasn't just about to retire. He would not have been safe from the Liberal wolves in his own party.

[stands2reason]

And even if by some fluke, a dem won that seat, what are the chances it'd be their kind of Democrat? That's why they get so royally pissed about these things---they don't see them coming! They have no clue how many seats they stand to lose in the House and Senate, do they?

[wny]

Here we have, developing before our very eyes, another example of the bias of the media. Imagine if you will, if John McCain crossed party lines and endorsed the dem nominee. The orgasmic reaction of the networks, the NY Times, LA Times, CNN etc...................It would lead every broadcast for days on end. Front pages everywhere. The Sunday talk shows would mention nothing else. McCain would be invited on ALL the shows and served up softballs with which to rip Bush. Does anyone really believe this wouldn't happen? Anyone care to bet Miller's remarks are virtually ignored?

[sanjacjake]

..LIKED YOUR POST..RIGHT ON.....THE DESCRIPTION OF THE
TERRORISTS MODUS OPERANDI HAS TO BE BLUNT TO GET ACROSS
To THE BLEEDING HEARTS AND TONGUES WHO ARE RIPPING OUR
GOOD AND SMART PRESIDENT.....KILL THEM BEFORE THEY "DO
UNTO YOU" THEIR DASTARDLY AND INHUMANE "KILLING." jake

[Amelia]

Very interesting! Thanks for the ping!

[wny]

Don't be so sure about Koch. I was born and raised in NYC. I liked Koch alot when he was mayor. He's the only dem I ever voted for. But during Clinton's impeachment, he was right there with the other kool-aid drinkers.

[wny]

I didn't know pubs in the senate had balls

[CyberCowboy777]

He's a Viet Nam Veteran, you know.

Is he really? I did not hear that.

[cwb]

Yeah...and if the Democrats keep courting Muslim extremists, that number is only going to grow. I can't believe they can't see the damage they're causing themselves. They're under this impression that simply because the Left is louder, that they are somehow larger than they are. It has always been the "silent" majority that you should worry about.

[Graybeard58]

"We love Zell here in Georgia"


...It's not nice to brag.

[FreedomPoster]

FYI, JimRob generally doesn't like linking to there, and such links are likely to be zapped by the mods.

That said, I'm about to take a peek.