Monday, September 06, 2004
Marshall Votes 73 Percent With Pelosi and Kennedy
Calder Clay: He was 73 percent voting with Nancy Pelosi and Ted Kennedy and the liberal Democratic agenda. That is not conservative. That is not moderate. It's liberal, and it's a failing grade.
An analysis of Marshall's roll-call votes on the nonpartisan Project Vote Smart Web site shows he followed the Democratic party line 73 percent of the time and supported President Bush 53 percent.
Don Schanche Jr.,Macon Telegraph:
3rd District Race Expected To Be Rough
Middle Georgia is likely to take a mud-bath during the next 10 weeks, as U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., and challenger Calder Clay slug it out in a re-match.
Two years ago, Marshall beat Clay by a mere 1 percent - or as Clay puts it, "by four votes per precinct."
Clay, the Republican nominee, says he will fight for every vote he can find. And although he has some proposals of his own, his chief target is Marshall's record.
"Jim Marshall has failed to represent Middle Georgia," Clay said.
Marshall, meanwhile, asserts that his is the record of a focused leader who has worked with both parties to bring real benefits to the people of his district.
The 3rd Congressional District, which occupies most of central Georgia, is generally considered one of the few in the nation not already locked up by one party or the other.
Political scientist Larry Sabato at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, lists it among his "dirty thirty" competitive House races, "guaranteed to see the lion's share of money and mudslinging."
Last week brought an early salvo in the form of a news release from Clay, ridiculing Marshall for not taking a position on Georgia Republican Rep. John Linder's "fair tax" plan - a proposal to replace the income tax with a 23 percent national sales tax.
In a letter to the editor of The Telegraph, Marshall said he was "unable to take a leadership role on this one," because he has decided to "focus my time and attention upon a very limited number of issues."
Clay noted that Marshall found time to co-sponsor resolutions on inflammatory bowel disease; creating a Jamestown, Va., commemorative coin; and making square dancing the national folk dance.
"First Jim Marshall complains that he does not have time to get involved in every issue and then he turns around and places square dancing in a position of priority above tax reform," Clay said in the release. "That makes no sense at all and is an insult to every taxpayer in the 3rd District."
Marshall said it takes little time to sign on as a co-sponsor when colleagues or constituents bring resolutions such as these, and that doing so often helps build relationships.
Marshall has had nearly two years to make an impact through policy and constituent services. The power of incumbency is often seen as a handicap for a political challenger. But Clay says the political dynamics are in his favor.
"Georgia is transitioning to a Republican state, and people see it and feel it," Clay said. "For the first time ever, there were more Republicans voting in the primary than on the Democrat side."
Clay said he supports Linder's tax plan, would end the inheritance tax and favors tort reform to limit "frivolous lawsuits."
He calls for a strong national defense; would allow workers to invest a portion of their Social Security payments in personal savings accounts; and says "Congress must allow our military retirees to receive their full pensions along with their disability pay."
"Yes, I'm a Democrat, have been and will be. And yes, I do wind up voting more often with the Democrats than I do with the Republicans," Marshall said. "But I'm one of a handful of the most likely Democrats in Congress to vote with the Republicans."
Rufus Montgomery, Clay's campaign manager, said that doesn't hold water.
"Half the time he's voting against the president. That's not strong support when it's half the time," Montgomery said. "Our contention is he's a liberal, and the record bears it out. ... He is definitely not in line with Middle Georgia values and conservative voters."
Marshall has consistently supported the Bush administration's war on terror, and recently reaffirmed his conviction that the U.S. must stand firm in Iraq. He has angered some fellow Democrats by his stand.
Clay said, "Supporting the war on terror does not a voting record make."
An analysis of Marshall's roll-call votes on the nonpartisan Project Vote Smart Web site shows he followed the Democratic party line 73 percent of the time and supported President Bush 53 percent.
Don Schanche Jr.,Macon Telegraph:
3rd District Race Expected To Be Rough
Middle Georgia is likely to take a mud-bath during the next 10 weeks, as U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., and challenger Calder Clay slug it out in a re-match.
Two years ago, Marshall beat Clay by a mere 1 percent - or as Clay puts it, "by four votes per precinct."
Clay, the Republican nominee, says he will fight for every vote he can find. And although he has some proposals of his own, his chief target is Marshall's record.
"Jim Marshall has failed to represent Middle Georgia," Clay said.
Marshall, meanwhile, asserts that his is the record of a focused leader who has worked with both parties to bring real benefits to the people of his district.
The 3rd Congressional District, which occupies most of central Georgia, is generally considered one of the few in the nation not already locked up by one party or the other.
Political scientist Larry Sabato at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, lists it among his "dirty thirty" competitive House races, "guaranteed to see the lion's share of money and mudslinging."
Last week brought an early salvo in the form of a news release from Clay, ridiculing Marshall for not taking a position on Georgia Republican Rep. John Linder's "fair tax" plan - a proposal to replace the income tax with a 23 percent national sales tax.
In a letter to the editor of The Telegraph, Marshall said he was "unable to take a leadership role on this one," because he has decided to "focus my time and attention upon a very limited number of issues."
Clay noted that Marshall found time to co-sponsor resolutions on inflammatory bowel disease; creating a Jamestown, Va., commemorative coin; and making square dancing the national folk dance.
"First Jim Marshall complains that he does not have time to get involved in every issue and then he turns around and places square dancing in a position of priority above tax reform," Clay said in the release. "That makes no sense at all and is an insult to every taxpayer in the 3rd District."
Marshall said it takes little time to sign on as a co-sponsor when colleagues or constituents bring resolutions such as these, and that doing so often helps build relationships.
Marshall has had nearly two years to make an impact through policy and constituent services. The power of incumbency is often seen as a handicap for a political challenger. But Clay says the political dynamics are in his favor.
"Georgia is transitioning to a Republican state, and people see it and feel it," Clay said. "For the first time ever, there were more Republicans voting in the primary than on the Democrat side."
Clay said he supports Linder's tax plan, would end the inheritance tax and favors tort reform to limit "frivolous lawsuits."
He calls for a strong national defense; would allow workers to invest a portion of their Social Security payments in personal savings accounts; and says "Congress must allow our military retirees to receive their full pensions along with their disability pay."
"Yes, I'm a Democrat, have been and will be. And yes, I do wind up voting more often with the Democrats than I do with the Republicans," Marshall said. "But I'm one of a handful of the most likely Democrats in Congress to vote with the Republicans."
Rufus Montgomery, Clay's campaign manager, said that doesn't hold water.
"Half the time he's voting against the president. That's not strong support when it's half the time," Montgomery said. "Our contention is he's a liberal, and the record bears it out. ... He is definitely not in line with Middle Georgia values and conservative voters."
Marshall has consistently supported the Bush administration's war on terror, and recently reaffirmed his conviction that the U.S. must stand firm in Iraq. He has angered some fellow Democrats by his stand.
Clay said, "Supporting the war on terror does not a voting record make."
