Posted on 05/13/2004 8:57:26 AM PDT by UlsterDavy
Republican Senate candidates sparring about which one is most conservative
By Andy Peters
Telegraph Staff Writer
ATLANTA - In his new television commercial, U.S. Senate candidate Johnny Isakson is shown standing with his Sunday School class and shaking hands at a parade where people are waving American flags.
"Being conservative means you stand for something, that you're fiscally frugal, and it means you care about your country," said Isakson, a Cobb County Republican who wants to move from the U.S. House to the U.S. Senate.
The ad stresses Isakson's "conservative" values, such as his support of President Bush's war on terror, conservative judges and reforming the tax system.
The message is clear: Isakson says he's a conservative. The problem for Isakson, the current fund-raising leader for this summer's primaries, could be that some Republicans don't think Isakson is conservative enough.
"Isakson's opponents are saying he's not a conservative, but Isakson is certainly trying to define himself as a conservative," said Emory University political scientist Merle Black.
In Georgia, these conservative Republicans have two other options running in the Republican U.S. Senate primary: former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain and U.S. Rep. Mac Collins of Butts County.
Both Cain and Collins are trying to hammer Isakson on two issues of critical importance to ultraconservative Republicans: abortion and fiscal policies.
"Isakson is clearly not a conservative," Cain said. "At best, he is a moderate."
Cain has the backing of the influential Club for Growth, a conservative, Washington-based think tank that's credited with nearly defeating 24-year incumbent Republican Arlen Specter in last month's U.S. Senate primary in Pennsylvania.
Collins, meanwhile, has the support of the Traditional Values Coalition, a group that calls itself the largest church lobby in the U.S. that has lobbied Congress to support anti-abortion measures and to oppose gay marriage.
The most dangerous of the two candidates for Isakson is Cain, Black said. If Cain were to finish second in the July 20 primary and force a run-off with Isakson, the run-off would draw national attention.
"A lot of national Republicans would become interested in Georgia at that point," Black said. "They would want to make Cain the new J.C. Watts."
Watts is a former black Republican U.S. representative from Oklahoma.
"If Cain gets into the run-off," Black said, "all bets are off."
Pro-life?
Isakson devotes an entire page of his campaign Web site to an explanation of his "pro-life" credentials.
"In Congress, Johnny has been selected from among all 435 House members by the Speaker to preside over the House during passage of the partial birth abortion ban, which has been signed into law," the Web site reads.
The page also touts Isakson's 90 percent-plus ratings from the following anti-abortion lobbying groups: the American Conservative Union, the Christian Coalition and National Right to Life.
But the abortion issue is the first place some conservatives start when they question Isakson's conservative credentials. Both Cain and Collins say they are more stridently anti-abortion than Isakson, and some Middle Georgians agree.
"I am opposed to Isakson particularly because of his very unpredictable stance on pro-life issues," said Ned Dominick, a Macon resident and longtime anti-abortion activist. "He's been quite pro-abortion at one point, and he's become pro-life when it suits him politically."
When Isakson ran against Guy Millner in 1996 for the Republican nomination to the U.S., Isakson produced a TV ad that was geared to moderate Republicans and was criticized by anti-abortion groups. Isakson lost that primary to Millner.
Isakson better have learned his lesson in the Millner campaign on the abortion issue, if he expects to win this year, Black said. "Isakson needs to be able to counter that criticism," Black said.
One key group, the Traditional Values Coalition, decided Collins, not Isakson, would be the best candidate in Georgia to advance the anti-abortion issue.
"When a serious vote on family values is up, there is one office we never have to worry about going to and that's Collins," said Louis Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition.
Collins points to votes on two abortion-related issues to illustrate his point that he's more consistently anti-abortion than Isakson. Isakson voted to allow abortions in military hospitals overseas, and he voted to ban abortions, except for cases of rape, incest and to protect a mother's life.
"We differ on the issue of right-to-life," Collins said, noting he is the one candidate in the race on record as having voted for only one exception for abortions - when the mother's life is at risk.
Isakson said that his vote to allow abortions in military hospitals overseas was consistent with federal law, but it would strip federal funding for the abortions.
"I don't know what measurement anybody wants, but I'll stack my record up with anyone," Isakson said. "I'm a conservative who delivers, and I've got the record to back it up."
Fiscal conservative?
The Club for Growth, which has criticized the growth of the deficit under President Bush, attacked Specter as an abortion-rights, tax-and-spend moderate and as the embodiment of the RINO - the Republican in Name Only.
Cain believes he won the support of the Club for Growth because of his support of tax reform and privatizing individual social-security accounts.
"My bold stance on replacing the tax code and restructuring social security, they like that," Cain said. "They believe that as a businessman, I will not waver on some of the other principles."
But Isakson said he's unassailable on the issue of fiscal conservatism. He points to his support of a "fairer, simpler" federal tax code, and his opposition of a massive congressional transportation bill earlier this year.
"That bill has some of the least fiscal restraint of anything Congress has ever passed, I got a lot of compliments for opposing it," Isakson said. "I've said for a long time that government doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem."
While Cain and Collins both say they are the most-conservative candidates running for the Republican nomination, some Middle Georgia GOP members don't think that's the critical issue.
"I don't think it will boil down to who's the most conservative or who's the most moderate," said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Rick Goddard, a Mercer University executive who flirted last year with a run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican. "It's how they will present their views that will be the deciding factor."
Although the winner of the Republican primary would be considered the front-runner in the general election, there's a large crowd of Democrats who also are running for the seat. Nine Democrats have qualified to replace Zell Miller in the U.S. Senate, including U.S. Rep. Denise Majette of DeKalb County.
I am voting for Cain; if Cain is 20 years ahead; then the Repubs are 20 years behind.
The time is now for them to put their vote where their mouths are. . .or should be.
I hope so!
Talk about understatement! Isakson made himself into Mr. Abortion Rights. His infamous ad (broadcast practically non-stop as the election neared) had him sitting between his wife and his daughter blabbing about how he trusted women to make the right "choice." NARAL probably scripted it. As a conservative, the guy is a fraud.
I hear that Cain Train a comin'
It's comin' 'round the bend
We don't stop for liberals
But there's room for you my friend
Get on board little chillun . . .
" " " " "
" " " " "
There's room for many a more.
Cain ping!
FReepMail me if you want to be ON or OFF this list
Go Herman Go! Pray For Herman Cain!
Isakson is no conservative, and it is the job of conservatives throughout Georgia and around the nation to let Republican primary voters know that. I don't think Isakson can get 50%+1 in the first round, and he's going to have a tough time in the run-off against either Collins or Cain, especially against Cain. The run-off system will work to the advantage of conservatives, since Cain supporters and Collins supporters can go all-out in the first round without fear of splitting the vote and electing the pro-abortion Isakson; whichever of Cain or Collins finishes second in the first round can consolidate the conservative vote in the lower-turnout run-off and send Isakson packing.
While Mac Collins is a fine conservative Congressman and would make a good Senator, Herman Cain would make a *great* Senator. Cain will take the lead in the Senate on issues such as substituting the income tax with a sales tax and implementing Social Security reform so that younger workers have the choice of having it work more like an IRA. And Cain will be a vigorous and eloquent defender of the right to life, the right to bear arms and the need for a strong defense. As an added bonus, Herman Cain's election as the only U.S. black Senator could serve as a catalyst for a wide-scale political realignment, since his stirring words and exemplary story will help convince many blacks that the Republican Party stands for what they believe and that the Democrat Party is guilty of keeping them down for so long. I'm not saying that blacks will vote en masse for the GOP, but if we can increase our percentage of the black vote from 10% to 30%, it will pretty much put the Democrat Party out of business in the South and in many places outside the South. Even several black-majority and black-influence congressional districts in the South would be winnable for a black conservative Republican if he can only get 30% of the black vote! So my advice to those conservatives who are already on board with Collins is to keep on chugging, since we need both Cain and Collins supporters to defeat Isakson. But I would urge those conservatives who are still undecided to join the Cain Crusaders, since this is perhaps our best chance to forge a permanent conservative majority in Congress.
GO, CAIN, GO!
I agree with you about Cain. However, IL will elect another black senator, and a total liberal, in November with an unusual name: Barack Obama. The IL GOP is on life support at the statewide level.
I also am not sure if Collins supporters would support Cain in a runoff, but I think cain backers would support Collins in a runoff with pro-abortion Isakson.
Isakson must remain the favorite at this time based mostly on name ID: he was the GOP nominee for governor 14 years ago against the popular Zell Miller.
"I also am not sure if Collins supporters would support Cain in a runoff, but I think cain backers would support Collins in a runoff with pro-abortion Isakson."
Conservatives WILL unite against Isakson in the run off. You will see. I've talked to good Collins people who agree.
"Isakson must remain the favorite at this time based mostly on name ID: he was the GOP nominee for governor 14 years ago against the popular Zell Miller."
Favorite, yes. Atlanta name ID, yes. Statewide: no. A north metro Atlantan never wins a statewide race. Johnny has never won a statewide race. Isakson is a career politician. Get out the way Johnny! Here comes the Cain Train!
"However, IL will elect another black senator, and a total liberal, in November with an unusual name: Barack Obama."
Wasn't Isakson pretty much selected by Gingrich as his successor in the House? Does Gingrich's support for Isakson help or hurt him now?
Besides, I believe Isakson did lose a primary: in 1996 against Guy Millner. Millner was also a businessman, like Cain, who had not held public office before.
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