March 20, 2004
Leesburg- There's no doubt that the race to fill retiring Senator Zell Miller's senate seat is crowded. Four are competing on the republican ticket alone.
Businessmen Al Bartell and Herman Cain are the two political new comers vying for the seat, but it's seasoned politicians Congressman Mac Collins and U.S. Representative Johnny Isakson that are already throwing blows at each other.
Both meet with South Georgians Saturday. Collins talked about conservative political style and how much it resembles and would complement Senator Saxby Chambliss's.
"We just have a lot of parallels. We'll never be 100% the same on anything, as anyone else would be, but our parallels are so close that we'll make a good tag team in the United States Senate," says Collins.
He backs that claim up using voting records that show he and Chambliss voted the same way on gun control and abortion legislation.
"I didn't change that in the last two or three years trying to better my record so that it would look like I'm pro-life, Johnny Isakson has."
"I think the voters have to decide. I'm not one of these guys that goes around throwing bricks at the other fella. I'm running for something not against it. People are going to have plenty of time to know what everybody has and hasn't done in the past," Isakson says.
And Isakson believes it's his past that voters will be impressed with.
"Our state is very diverse, and it is very strong and it is very proud, and I think we need a United States Senator who will continue the tradition of Zell Miller and Paul Coverdale, and that's focusing on our entire state," Isakson adds.
Something both he and Collins promise they'll do if elected.
Democrat Zell Miller announced his plans to leave the U-S Senate last year. All four republican candidates will square off in the July 20th GOP primary.
Posted at 4:35 PM by elaine.armstrong@walb.com
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