1inchrist

A few years ago, I met Senator Saxby Chambliss at “meet and greet” barbecue for Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue. At the time, one of the big issues on the table was Border Security. I asked Senator Chambliss, why can’t the Republicans just pass a “Secure the Border First’ type bill (that would put a wall or fence on our borders) ? His answer disappointed me. He said, “because Harry Reid (Democrat minority lead at the time) won’t let us”.

I  thought  that was an incredibly weak response, but it was fairly consistent (the weakness that is) with the leadership of the Republican party. They had control of the House, the Senate, and the White House for years and accomplished nothing – in terms of advancing Conservatism – the platform on which they run.

Just like his colleagues on the right, Senator Chambliss has become an appeaser and a compromiser with the liberal ideology of the left. His efforts in “The Gang of 10” virtually killed the momentum we had going in the energy debate. The tide was finally turning. Democrats were actually moving toward legitimate oil drilling in proven areas until the found ol’ Saxby and a few other “republicans”.

The gang of 10 effectively killed any chance of productive drilling by oil companies by forcing them to drill where there was no proven supply and burdened the oil companies with taxes and red tape. Saxby took the air right out of us on that one, and gave much needed cover for the left.

Several weeks ago, Senator Chambliss struck again. While purporting to be a “conservative”, Senator Chambliss voted in favor of the Bailout. This is the most grievous, socialistic takeover of our free markets and banks. Amid thousands of calls against it, Senator Chambliss assured us, this needed to be done to save our economy.

Really? Since then the market continues its free-fall. The banks aren’t lending. Credit is still tight and to top it off, the Treasury Secretary now tells us he knew the plan (that he sold to congress) wouldn’t work at the time they signed it!

I want to know how a simple electrician (and others like me) could see giving one man a trillion dollars with no oversight was not going to fix our problems, yet somehow Saxby and others in the Senate and House believed it was the only way?

Saxby betrayed his alleged conservative principles. He ignored the furious pleas of his constituency. He signed off on the biggest government takeover and nationalization of our mortgage / banking industry; while running for re-election in one of the most conservative states in the nation.

I am a conservative. I typically vote Republican ( even if I have to hold my nose) all the way down the ticket. I did not vote for Senator Chambliss in the General Election and I will not vote for him in the upcoming run-off.

Saxby is part of the problem. He (along with others) failed to push the conservative agenda forward when the Republicans had power because Harry Reid wouldn’t let him. He was an integral part of thwarting the best chance we had for energy independence in decades. His lack of judgment and betrayal of conservative principles in passing the bailout is the last straw.

I genuinely hope he loses. If he couldn’t lead when his party was in power and he sided with the left while in the minority; what confidence should we have that he will stand as the last ambassador of conservative principles in defending against a filibuster – proof Democrat senate?

The Republican party has strayed way off course. Saxby Chambliss has done the same. I’d rather have a chance to vote for a genuine, principled, conservative next time around (in the republican Primary) than vote for a Senator whose recent record bears little difference to that which would be expected of his Democrat rival.

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