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Opinion: Georgia Senate fray enters last day: Chambliss-Palin vs Martin-Obama

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This morning most of the political world’s attention will focus on the Windy City and one of the most surprising, worst-kept appointment secrets of the new Barack Obama administration currently under construction: Hillary Clinton’s appointment as secretary of State.

Meanwhile, down in Georgia the struggle continues over one more Senate seat that could help the Democratic majority reach its coveted, filibuster-proof 60-seat control.

The runoff election is tomorrow.

Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss is in a tight runoff with Democratic challenger Jim Martin.

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Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, still beloved by party regulars despite the ticket’s Nov. 4 defeat, will put in a full day of four events for Chambliss, ending right around evening news time in Atlanta.

John McCain has already campaigned there for his GOP Senate colleague. ‘Going into battle one more time,’’ McCain calls it in a fund-raising e-mail he sent out this past weekend for Chambliss.

‘The eyes of the country and the world will be on the state of Georgia next Tuesday,’’ McCain writes. ‘If we lose, the Senate Democrats could reach 60 seats in the U.S. Senate.

‘This would give them the power to enact an agenda out of touch with our values and beliefs and the ability to confirm activist judges and liberal administration appointees with little to no open debate.’

Interestingly, former Sen. Obama himself has not chosen to campaign in Georgia for Martin. The president-elect has, however, ordered his well-oiled in-state campaign apparatus to help, a real aid.

But Obama wants the nation’s focus to be on his focus on building a new administration, including today’s expected reappointment of George W. Bush’s appointee, Robert Gates, as Defense secretary, to give it at least a tinge of bipartisanship.

And, to be honest, since actual Democratic Senate control is not the issue Tuesday, Obama would not be the first president or governor to secretly not really seek a super-majority of his own party controlling both houses of the legislature. Those kind of numbers can get a little uppity, especially with a chief executive of their own party.

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Our blogging buddy Mark Silva has more on the McCain e-mail here in the Swamp.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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