Published: November 08, 2008 08:26 pm            

Max Cleland’s chance for revenge

“Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats”

— Carrie Underwood



As election night rolled into the next morning, I fixated on one remaining goal. Making sure that Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss did not get a majority for re-election.

In Georgia, you need to get more than 50 percent of the vote to win. Chambliss came up short. He will participate in a run-off election Dec. 2.

It will be a day for patriotic Americans to even the score. Chambliss does not deserve to sit in the United States Senate.

The Senate seat previously belonged to Max Cleland. Chambliss got in the gutter to steal it from him.

For those who don’t know, Cleland (ironically, like John McCain) is a bona fide American hero. His valor during the Vietnam War resulted in his becoming a triple amputee. After a life in public service, he was elected a United States senator from Georgia.

In the Senate, Cleland served honorably and well. And in 2002, Max was the victim one of the most disgusting smear campaigns in American history.

When the country was recovering from the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, Saxby Chambliss ran a campaign that claimed that Max Cleland was somehow helping Osama Bin Laden. He based his convoluted “evidence” on some Senate procedural vote that wasn’t the slightest bit relevant.

In the 2002 climate of fear, Chambliss’s lies and distortion worked. Now it is 2008, it is time for Chambliss to face the music.

I want to hear Chambliss’s explanation now. What he did in 2002 doesn’t work six years later. Yelling “terrorist” doesn’t provoke a knee-jerk reaction.

It is time for Chambliss to atone for his sins.

One of the biblical Ten Commandants is not to bear false witness. Chambliss will have to answer to God someday, but on Dec. 2nd, he needs to answer to the people of Georgia.

I’m hoping the rest of the country pitches in to defeat Chambliss.

I don’t know the slightest thing about Chambliss’ opponent. He might make a good senator, but I don’t really care. I would vote for Larry the Cable Guy or Homer Simpson if they were running against Saxby Chambliss.

Chambliss got in the Senate with a dirty trick and he needs to go home.

Cleland’s loss was a low point in American politics. How you can question the patriotism of a man who left several body parts in Southeast Asia? Why did voters go for it?

It inspired other candidates to pick out phony charges and run negative ads. If you can get away with smearing Max Cleland’s patriotism, you could get away with anything.

2008 is the time to make it stop. Once and for all.

Cleland is a real hero, with real accomplishments, who dedicated his life to serving his country. He was brought down by a guy who smudged the truth.

Actually he wasn’t brought down, he just had to leave the Senate. It takes more than Saxby Chambliss to bring Max Cleland down. I met Cleland after his Senate career, when he was barnstorming the country, helping like-minded candidates. Recently, he traveled nationwide to help Obama.

It can't be easy for a triple amputee to be barnstorming the country. It would be simple for Max Cleland to sit home and let others lead the charge.

That is not Max Cleland’s style.

I hate that the country was deprived of having Max Cleland serve in the Senate. I suspect that Chambliss’ opponent is closer to me on the issues. But most of all, Chambliss cheated to get his Senate seat.

I want Chambliss, and every other politician, to think before the next time they cheat.

Don McNay is the chairman of McNay Settlement Group in Richmond, Ky. You can read his award-winning column at www.donmcnay.com or write to him at don@mcnay.com. He is treasurer of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.

        

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