Text size:

Schumer launches Dems' ad in Senate runoff in Georgia

BY TOM BRUNE | tom.brune@newsday.com

November 14, 2008

WASHINGTON - Flexing the muscle of his well-funded Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) yesterday launched a new ad in the Senate runoff election in Georgia.

The Southern state has one of three still-undecided Senate races, along with Minnesota and Alaska, where Democrats have a shot at winning GOP seats.

A sweep of the three would give Democrats a filibuster-proof 60 votes, which Schumer yesterday called a possibility that remains "unlikely."

Democrats have narrowed the margin in the Minnesota recount (down 206 votes as of yesterday, but with a full recount ahead) and have a thin lead in the unfinished Alaska absentee count (814 votes with 40,000 ballots still uncounted).

But in Georgia, challenger Jim Martin trails Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss in polls ahead of the Dec. 2 election.

The new ad announced by Schumer accused Chambliss of obstructing improvements in health care for children, lower prices for prescription drugs and tax cuts for the middle class. That spot follows another Democratic ad this week that sought to blunt John McCain's visit to Georgia to campaign for Chambliss yesterday.

A Republican aide said Chambliss remains vulnerable because of the resources Democrats will put into the runoff election, something the GOP is trying to turn into a negative.

Earlier this week Republicans ran an ad seeking to tie Martin to "unpopular" Democratic congressional leaders, including Schumer.

Schumer laughed off being a target in that ad.

"I don't plan to run in Georgia for a long time," he joked, "and don't know what success I'd have there, either."