Since Allen Buckley's 3.4% take in the Georgia Senatorial race kept either Saxby Chambliss or Jim Martin from scoring 50%, there will be a December run-off. You can expect a lot of national attention, but the fact is that Georgia turn-out was pretty high, and those 126,000 Buckley voters are now a prime commodity. Whoever can pick up the majority of them is probably going to DC. Which means that both Chambliss and Martin suddenly would like a Libertarian's endorsement. Not so fast, the AJC reports Buckley as saying, Buckley said Thursday that by early next week he will have a campaign “commitment” form he will ask the two top vote-getters to sign before getting his endorsement. No signature, no endorsement, said the Smyrna lawyer and CPA. “It’s going to be mainly financial commitments that are reasonable,” Buckley told The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Buckley ran an underfunded campaign based on fiscal responsibility. He said that neither Chambliss nor Martin support the ma...

A year ago, the GOP's Georgia senatorial incumbent Saxby Chambliss seemed one of the few safe Republican seats in the chamber. Nor did a lackluster field of Democrats vying to take him on seem to offer any hope of changing that. But Libertarian Allen Buckley has been running hard, focusing his entire campaign on pulling votes away from Chambliss, whom he considers a big-government, big-spending wastrel. And it's paying off. Buckley has been consistently pulling at least 4% in recent polls, and the difference between Chambliss and Martin is down to 2 points. Under Georgia law, the winner has to have a clear majority, not a plurality, so Buckley's effort may result in a December run-off between the two Demopublicans for the seat. Which may also end up being the seat that determines whether the Democrats end up with a filibuster-proof majority or not. There is a balance of power, and it may rest more in the hands of third parties around the country than anybody has heretofo...

... that jason over at Delawareliberal keeps imputing to us regarding eight years of Dubya shredding the US Constitution, bloating the budget, and engaging in imperialistic foreign wars: As Steve moans and winges for the next 8 years I’ll laugh my ass off recalling the utter silence created by high mineded “Libertarians” during Bush’s term. OK jason, the current LP archive for press releases only goes back into 2007, but let's see what we find: September 25, 2007: The Libertarian Party rejects President Bush's claims that the "Protect America Act" needs to be made permanent, citing that the bill fails to live up to its name and only limits American civil liberties. The controversial Act that was passed by Congress last August altered the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and legalized the Bush administration's warrantless wiretap program, which many civil liberties organizations had strongly protested.... Here's part of the note of condolence t...

As Libertarians go, you certainly can't characterize Allen Buckley as a financial extremist, but Lucid Idiocy picks up this interesting tidbit: Back to the economy - something Libertarian candidate for Senate Allen Buckley said at last week's senate debate struck me. He was talking about the government's role in righting the economy and he said it was government that caused the problem, to a certain extent, in the first place. He said the Federal Reserve's sole role should be responding to crisis, but in recent years it took interest rates to a historic low and created the real estate boom. "That's not the role of the government, to create prosperity in one period of time and create a recession in another period of time," Buckley said. An important last point, that.

... could best be found (or lost) in the Bobster's home state. Insider Advantage had him at 7.6% in May. Insider Advantage had him at 5.6% and Zogby had him at 8% in June. Rasmussen had him at 5% in mid-July; Insider Advantage reported him at 5% by month's end. Rasmussen had Barr dropping to 3% in August. The highest Barr appears in any September polls is 3% in Strategic Vision and 1% in Public Opinion Strategies. Rasmussen, Insider Advantage, American Research Group, and Survey USA all found that Barr had completely disappeared from the radar , polling at less than 1% where he show up at all. This is clearly a Bob Barr collapse, and not a Libertarian collapse in Georgia, as the countervailing case of Libertarian Senate candidate Allen Buckley proves: Buckley was not even included in polling questions until August, when Mellman Group showed him at 3%. During the month of September (aided by a series of debate and forum appearances), Buckley has been placed at 2% (Rasmussen), 4%...

Apparently Libertarian Senatorial candidate Allen Buckley's appearances in debates are making an impact--although not the impact most people would have expected. According to SurveyUSA, Buckley's poll numbers in the past month have jumped from 4% to 8%, with much of his support coming from Democrats, not Republicans , as a local TV station comments: Incumbent Republican US Senator Saxby Chambliss has a comfortable lead over Democratic challenger Jim Martin and Libertarian Allen Buckley. If the election were held today, Chambliss would defeat Martin and Buckley, 53 percent to 36 percent and 8 percent, respectively. While Buckley's overall polling total was comparatively low, according to the polling data, the third party candidate would receive 22 percent of the vote from independents, 11 percent from those under 50, and 24 percent from those who rarely go to church. The data suggests that Buckley's votes would come primarily from Martin as opposed to Chambliss. This on...

Georgia Libertarian Senatorial candidate Allen Buckley is one of only a handful of his peers around the country to take the time to complete the Scientists & Engineers for America seven-question science policy quiz. Typically, the scientists posed policy questions that, in themselves, are almost guaranteed to be longer than most politicians' answers. Ah, but they didn't count on Allen Buckley, who is a wonk's wonk. Here's his answer to the paragraph-long question on Climate Change : The Earth’s climate is changing and there is concern about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet. What is your position on the following measures that have been proposed to address global climate change—a cap-and-trade system, a carbon tax, increased fuel-economy standards, and research? Are there other policies you would support? I believe global warming is occurring. To what degree the cause is manmade, I’m not certain. However, I don’t believe it’s w...

Jim Wooten of the Atlanta Journal Constitution notes that another well-known Georgia conservative has deserted Senator Saxby Chambliss for Libertarian Allen Buckley: [Joe] McCutchen, of Ellijay, is widely known and highly regarded in conservative and Republican circles as a passionate advocate for fiscally responsible government. Pork sends him up the wall. Hidden debt dumped on the grandchildren invites his wrath. He’s loyal to Republicans until they cross him on core principles. Then he’s gone. “They’re nice guys,” he says after identifying members of the Georgia congressional delegation, “but I can’t vote for them.” In the U.S. Senate race, he’ll vote for Libertarian Allen Buckley, convinced that incumbent Saxby Chambliss is a big spender, particularly on farm programs. Columnist Wooten goes on to praise Buckley's fiscal plans: Buckley will appeal to fiscal conservatives, regardless of their party affiliation. The 47-year-old lawyer and certified public accountant is the voice ...

From Daniel at Down Right : I finally found him. I have finally found someone who will actually stand up and answer the tough question of our national debt. As I have stated many times, my generation is facing a personal debt of $175,000 per person if we don’t do something fast, and Allen Buckley, the Libertarian candidate for Senate in Georgia, is offering a solution.... [there follows an excerpt from Buckley's financial plan] Although I have stated previously that it is important to keep Democrats out of office and is usually best to vote for a Republican, I plan to support Mr. Buckley in November. It is absolutely necessary to address this problem, and Buckley’s campaign, if nothing else, will attract attention to this failure in Washington. By cutting spending, pork projects, entitlement projects, and a few government agencies that are unnecessary, people like Allen Buckley can put America in a position to succeed in the future. I’m excited that this has already gained attentio...

Here are the clips, thanks to Brian Shields CNN Video: Video 1: Video 2: The first step is to get your ideas considered mainstream enough to be included in the daily norm of political discourse. That's what Allen Buckley is achieving.

LCV Online reports the first polling in the Georgia Senatorial race I've seen that actually includes the name of Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley. The current results: Saxby Chambliss (R) 43%; Jim Martin (D) 36%; Allen Buckley (L) 3%; Undecided: 19% That 3% showing is a good place for Buckley to start building. He has the agreement of the Chambliss campaign that he should be included in the upcoming debates, and he's getting consistent, low-key media coverage. One of Buckley's strengths is fiscal policy (he's an accountant), and one of his most interesting stands is against the so-called Fair Tax advanced by Neal Boortz and others . That's apparently going to pay off with an appearance on CNN this weekend, according to Neal Boortz : A LITTLE FAIRTAX GET TOGETHER It happened yesterday at the Gallery Row Coffee Shop in Peachtree City, Georgia. Three FairTax opponents, including Georgia Libertarian Senate candidate Allen Buckley and Atlanta Journal-Constitution ...

Yesterday I reported that talk show host Neal Boortz had theatrically threatened Georgia's GOP Senator with voting for Libertarian Allen Buckley instead, and I admitted that I know that it was primarily a stunt to get Saxby Chambliss on the air, but this mention of Georgia Libertarian Senate candidate Allen Buckley can't hurt. What I didn't know then--and which makes Boortz's gesture all the more interesting--is that three years ago Allen Buckley essentially fed Boortz his lunch in discrediting his arguments in favor of the so-called Fair Tax. From Creative Loafing Atlanta (2005): THE FAIR TAX sounds like a dream come true: a simple formula for abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and replacing our hopelessly complicated tax system with a national sales tax on virtually all goods and services. It goes without saying that, with Boortz involved, the fair tax will make the rich richer. But what about the rest of the plan? When something sounds too good to be true, espe...

Yeah, I know that it was primarily a stunt to get Saxby Chambliss on the air, but this mention of Georgia Libertarian Senate candidate Allen Buckley can't hurt. From the Atlanta Journal Constitution : Talk radio’s eruption over the “Gang of Ten” bipartisan energy proposal continued on Monday, as U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss got into it — in polite fashion — with WSB talk guru Neal Boortz over the issue. The topic has percolated since a Wall Street Journal columnist attacked the compromise last Thursday. That syndicated vetter of conservative issues, Rush Limbaugh, railed against it on Friday. Monday was Boortz’ turn. Like others before him, the Atlanta-based radio host complained that the Senate initiative, led on the GOP side by Chambliss, undercut the protests that House Republicans — led by U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Roswell — have generated since Congress left on vacation. Boortz dismissed the way the senators have proposed paying for conservation incentives in the bill as a tax incre...

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , Saxby's letter to Libertarian Senate candidate Allen Buckley said: After today’s vote, the people of Georgia have a right to know what distinguishes their United States Senator from the other candidates. A crucial part of that process for Georgians will be public debates. Debates are an important part of the election process because they allow the voters to see the contrast between candidates for themselves — unfiltered by ads. After today’s democrat runoff, my staff will be in contact with your staff to make initial debate arrangements… . Given that Saxby's re-election seems to be a lock, this is a pretty safe move in the short run. In the long term, however, if Buckley can use the exposure to score 5% of the vote or better, the Georgia GOP may come to regret it.

It is obviously in incumbent Saxby Chambliss' best interest NOT to have Libertarian Allen Buckley invited to any Georgia Senatorial debates this year. Buckley's reasoned positions on fiscal responsibility, and his ability to point out Saxby's porcine wallowing at the Federal trough for farm subsidies and other earmarks would make him a more uncomfortable debating adversary than either Democrat still in the running (Vernon Jones and Jim Martin). So Chambliss, trying to stage-manage the whole thing, has set up a strategy to exclude Buckley, as reported by the Peachtree [GA] Weekly: Atlanta, Georgia (August 4, 2008) - According to an August 4th article by Jim Galloway of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, tomorrow, hand-delivered envelopes from Saxby Chambliss will be delivered to Vernon Jones and Jim Martin, requesting the winner of the Democratic primary face Mr. Chambliss in a series of debates. No mention was made of an invitation to Allen Buckley, the Libertarian Party’s ...

In what has to be one of my nominations for least comprehensible news story title of all time, the Duluth [GA] Weekly puts up Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Buckley explains gravity on deficits report in light of baby boom entitlements . I'd say, "What the F?" here, because i think that's the point: the word "on" was probably supposed to have been the word "of." Anyway, after going through all the debt and deficit numbers in the new budget [which I would cite but they would only start your day off badly], this appears: All of these debts are being incurred just before the massive baby boomer entitlements start. The first batch of baby boomers-those born in 1946-will be eligible for Medicare in 2011. Each year thereafter, a new batch is added. Allen Buckley, a CPA and attorney, and the Libertarian Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia, said the following regarding the situation: “As stated by the GAO on many occasions, we are on an im...

After reading the press release from Strategic Vision regarding its most recent poll of the Georgia Senate race, a poll that did not include Allen Buckley , I sent the following email to Ms. Laura Ward, SV's listed press contact: Ms. Wood I just read you firm's release of its most recent polling regarding the Georgia Senate race. I cannot help but wonder why Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley has never been included in any of your questions. Mr. Buckley scored 3.6% in his last state-wide run for office, and with Georgia being Bob Barr's home state I would think he stands a good chance at significantly increasing that. Moreover, he has been receiving significant media attention from outlets like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Macon Telegraph. Finally, I would note that given his positioning of himself as the "True conservative" in the race, it would be critical to Democratic chances for successfully challenging Senator Chambliss to know just how well B...

Senateguru , in crafting an endorsement for Democrat Jim Martin in the Georgia Senate race, tries to explain why Martin (currently 13-16 points behind Saxby Chambliss in head-to-head polling) could actually beat the incumbent Republican. Unfortunately for the Democrats, however, the only chance of defeating Chambliss keeps coming back to ... Allen Buckley: Second, third Party candidates will play a big role in Georgia on Election Day. The Libertarian nominee for President this year is former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr. While Barr obviously can't shave votes directly from Chambliss, the Georgia Libertarian Party is also running a Senate candidate, attorney Allen Buckley. Buckley was the Libertarian nominee for Lieutenant Governor in the same 2006 election in which Jim Martin ran. Buckley scored 3.6% of the vote. With Bob Barr creating a higher profile reason for disenchanted Republicans nationwide (and in Georgia particularly) to leave the GOP for the Libertarian ballot line...

From today's Political Notebook : LIBERTARIAN RUNS FOR SENATE You know there are actually four people now running for the U.S. Senate in Georgia this year, right? There's Saxby Chambliss, the current senator and the Republican. There's Vernon Jones, the DeKalb County CEO and top vote-getter in this week's Democratic primary. There's Jim Martin, the former state legislator and head of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, who polled second and faces Jones in the Aug. 5 runoff. And there's the Libertarian candidate, who tends to get short shrift when it comes to media coverage. Well, not for the next few column inches, he doesn't. Allen Buckley, the Libertarian Party's senate nomination, is a certified public accountant and an attorney living in Smyrna, according to his campaign Web site, www.buckleyforsenate.com. He must be a genius of compromise, since he lists degrees from both the University of Georgia and the University of Florida in his biograp...

Lucid Idiocy posts When Common Sense Scares Me: If I told you there was guy running for the United States Senate here in Georgia with a CPA and a law degree, who quotes from Government Accountability Office reports predicting "serious economic disruptions in the future" if we don't change our economic policies; who wants to drastically simplify the tax code and link the tax rate directly to spending; who wants to balance the federal budget; who has an energy plan; an immigration plan; and wants to reduce foreign intervention, how would all that sound? Uh-oh, though, he's a Libertarian. And he's pitching solutions that "will involve sacrifice." A longer rumination on Buckley will appear tomorrow in the Macon Telegraph's Political Notebook , courtesy of reporter Travis Fain, who is the Lucid Idiot . Buckley is still not being covered in the polls, which is understandable. Most interest is focused on which of the remaining uninspiring Democrats will s...