Georgia Senator Zell Miller warns of possible Pickering Payback

Reuters | March 15 | J.Q. Pulic

[xmarksthespot]

Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi called the committee action "a slap" at his home state. And Miller, who has frequently broken ranks with Democrats on Capitol Hill, suggested on Friday the sting may be felt across the South.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, brushed off Miller's warning, saying, "I don't look at judicial nominations through a political prism."

Leahy said his job is to help determine if nominees are "qualified or not." In opposing Pickering, Leahy said during 12 years on the federal bench, the judge often put his own beliefs above the law.

Miller said he was "very disappointment" by the defeat of Pickering, calling him a "good and brave man," and warned of possible repercussions.

"This action may very well elect a Republican governor in Mississippi and it will certainly make it even more difficult for Democratic candidates to be successful in the South," Miller said in a statement

[afuturegovernor]

Good point...I'll take someone who votes with us 60% of the time over a Paul Wellstone any day of the week....some people just don't understand this.

[pgkdan]

Senator Miller committed a fraud upon the people of Georgia: he ran as a Democrat and then, after assuming his office, changed to Independent, although he often votes with the Republicans. (If he was a real mensch, he would have resigned and then run again.)

What are you talking about? Miller is and always has been a Democrat. He did not become an Independent. Where did you pick up that tid-bit?

[speekinout]

Zell was appointed by the governor; the only one who "brung him" was the governor.

That's true; but the governor is a Dem, and Zell was when he was appointed.
Wasn't it Gramm who resigned his seat and asked for a special election when he decided to change parties? And was re-elected as a GOP? I still think the best way is to ask the voters before changing parties.

[pgkdan]

Ok Scrtach that!!! I guess the batteries in my Irony and Sarcasm Detector are a little low.

I've got to go now and wash some egg from my face.

[VRWC_minion]

Invasion from the flat landers.

[Pipers]

"Boiling the 'Rats in their own soup!"...why does that sound so...delicious? Actually, GW played it well, knowing this could not go anywhere. Lott looks good; the dems (who could not accept this no matter what otherwise it would have blown the only string that relies them to their women voters: abortion) look mentally retarded; the "civil rights" group look (once more) like the imbecilic frauds they are; various dem newspapers, feminists and black activists came to our side; GW looks like he really tried; Pickering looks great also and rallied thousands behind him. We cornered the dems badly. It's all win-win to me. The only thing that needs to be done is to reward Judge Pickering for having accepted the awful trashing he had to know he would receive.

Perhaps the same thing could happen again with the next Bush choice...

[BlackElk]

It may feel good to sign these petitions which are then sent to all the senators or petitions sent to the senators of the states of the signers. All you are accomplishing is identifying yourselves to DemonRat Senators (if your state has any) and then being recorded in their computers as being in favor of conservative judges. This helps them customize their campaign mailings to avoid sending you stuff that will aggravate you and motivate you to get out votes against them on election day.

35 years ago, then Democrat National Chairman John Bailey of Connecticut formed a group outside of the formal party structure called Group Research, Inc., to develop dossiers of conservative leaders and voters and make the info available to DemonRats for whatever purpose they chose to use it, including hurting conservatives.

Why are we making their job easier? Rat senators are not going to say: Oh, gosh, if I had known that Suzie Creamcheese and her thousands of friends had wanted Pickering on the bench I would have voted for him. Chuckie Schumer??? John Edwards??? Ted Kennedy??? Russ Feingold??/ Etc. Puhleeeze!!!

[CyberAnt]

The only imbeciles in this program are the dems - they have only succeeded in motivating the conservatives to action. All I can say to the dems is - keep it up and the Senate will easily be conservative again!!

[demkicker]

"I know this sounds naive, and I'm aware that Miller does do some grandstanding, but generally, he seems to be a bit more honest and remains a Democrat because a)that's what he was elected as and b)he believes in the Democratic Party ideals, even if he is upset with how the Party is running today."

Sorry, but a true 'conservative' democrat would have left that corrupt, socialist party by now. The democrat party of old doesn't exist anymore. Zell Miller knows damed well that this is the case and spouts the blue dog line when it behooves him politically. He's the enemy and I won't cut him an inch of slack.

[ListeningLady]

Neither do I. I think Zell has much sympathy for the GOP side, but he also seems to have the integrity to "stay with the one who brung you".

For the edification of those across the country who are not from Georgia, we Georgia Republicans elected the late Republican Sen. Paul Coverdell. When Sen. Coverdell died unexpectedly, our Democratic governor appointed Zell to the Senate. Yep, Sen. Miller is indeed staying with the "one who brung" him--Gov. "King Roy" Barnes.

[ListeningLady]

As a Georgian involved in state politics in the '90's, I can tell you that what Zell Miller is mostly is a consummate politician.

As a Democratic governor of Georgia, he was one of Bill Clinton's most vocal supporters in both campaigns.

Now as Senator, he realized that he was replacing the highly respected--and elected--Republican senator Paul Coverdell. I believe many of the stances he has taken in D.C. has been to appease supporters of Sen. Coverdell.

Additionally, George W. Bush won with ease the presidential election in Georgia--and Pres. Bush's firm handling of the war on terrorism is enormously popular with rank-and-file Georgians of both parties. Zell knows that he cannot stray too far from support for this Republican president.

Zell is a Democrat at heart--but he is a smart Democrat. He knows that to keep his "bread-buttered" with many Georgians, he has to at least look and sound like a conservative most of the time. Believe me, he is not really that conservative--otherwise he would not support Sen.Max Cleland!

[demkicker]

Is there a promising Republican in Georgia that can give Zell a run for his stinkin' money?

[ListeningLady]

No particular names come to mind immediately. However, there are several well-qualified and well-liked Repubs who would make great senators.

A lot will depend on what happens this fall in the governor's race and several other statewide races. Republicans are absolutely livid about the new redistricting done by the Democratic majority in the state house and state senate. It is a mess! Both state and federal elections are affected. Even many folks who normally vote Democratic are upset that they have been gerry-mandered right out of the district of a favorite U.S. Congressman or state senator etc.

If--and this is a big "if"--that anger about the re-districting translates into voting "against" the Democrats, then it could help the Repubs in the race against Zell in 2004--assuming, of course, that they run a good, viable candidate against him. That last point is a major one here in Georgia--sometimes we "shoot-ourselves-in-the-foot" by not running the best candidates.

Our major focus right now to tell the truth is not really Zell--it is ousting Sen. Max Cleland, Gov. Roy Barnes, and Speaker of the House Tom Murphy. Zell is really the least of our problems. He at least sides with us some of the time--though it is probably for the wrong motives most of the time.

[lentulusgracchus]

Invasion from the flat landers.

I had read that massive immigration from the Boston area had transformed New Hampshire politics, and that the southeastern part of the state is no longer distinguishable from metropolitan Taxachusetts. But Vermont? You'd think they'd still be a largely rural, Yankee state.

[Pipers]

Isn't it? It's called ROTF in my book. Just give a reward to Pickering and I'll say "smooth sailing guys". Can't wait for the next one...

[Ulysses]

This appeared in our local paper today. Zell ain't goin' nowhere!

Miller sparing no effort for Cleland

This time last year, Zell Miller was one of the biggest stories in Georgia, and in Washington.

03/17/02

This time last year, Zell Miller was one of the biggest stories in Georgia, and in Washington.

The freshman U.S. Senator, who had been appointed the previous summer to the post by Gov. Roy Barnes to fill the unexpired term of the late Paul Coverdell, R-Atlanta, had turned Democratic party loyalists on their ear with his unexpected support of new President George W. Bush’s agenda.

Miller crossed the aisle to vote for the Bush tax cut, was the first Democratic senator to announce support for the nomination of John Ashcroft as attorney general, and bashed fellow Democrats like Hillary Clinton in magazine articles and letters to the editor of the Washington Post. His maverick style translated to the widest home-state popularity of his long political career, and also to suspicions that he was about to jump ship on the Democrats and take up with the elephants.

Miller denied such ambitions numerous times, but many still wondered. But they can stop wondering. All doubters need do is read the latest fund-raising letter mailed by Miller statewide on behalf of Georgia’s senior senator, Max Cleland, D-Lithonia.

Cleland, a triple amputee from the Vietnam War who faces re-election this fall, remains widely popular on a personal basis, but has irked many Georgians with his voting record.

Cleland’s Vietnam experience gives him the political freedom to criticize the handling of the war on terrorism if he chooses without fear of voter backlash.

He now faces a strong, well-financed opponent in U.S. Rep. Saxby Chambliss, R-Moultrie. Also hoping for the GOP nomination is state Rep. Bob Irvin, R-Atlanta.

As Miller rightly puts it in his letter, “Max is facing the fight of his political life.”

Miller begins the letter by recounting how one of his most important decisions in life came in 1953 when he joined the Marine Corps, and the values it instilled.

“One — and it’s the reason I’m writing to you today: Is that when a friend needs you, be there — especially when that friend has been there for you as much as Max Cleland has been for Georgia.”

The former governor reminds readers how Cleland fought for campaign finance reform as secretary of state and how he was the youngest secretary of state ever to head the Veterans’ Administration.

As a senator, Miller said Cleland has worked tirelessly for affordable health care, better schools and to cut taxes “without blowing a hole in the budget.” In actuality, Cleland’s tax-cut vote was made easier for him by the fact that Miller had already come out in favor of it.

Concludes Miller: “If Max is going to compete, he’ll have to raise enough money to tell his story and counter the attacks that are sure to come. And — given his lifelong opposition to the causes the special interests hold dear — the only way Max can raise that kind of money is from everyday folks like us.

“Max needs our help. Let’s be there for him like he always has been for us.”

Miller repeated his endorsement at the recent state Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Day banquet, causing Cleland to crack: “We have you on tape!”

After hearing all that, is there anyone out there naive enough to think that Miller has any plans to jump ship on the Democrats?

 

 
 

[Yulee]

Post and thread is from 2002. Why is it showing up today, April 7, 2019?

[Mears]

Ask the poster of #116.

.

[Yulee]

Post and thread is from 2002. Why is it showing up today, April 7, 2019?