Georgia: CBC Comes to Aid of Suddenly Shaky Scott
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Monday attacked the campaign of Republican physician Deborah Honeycutt, accusing her of trying to convince voters that she is in fact connected to the Democratic Party in her effort to oust three-term Rep. David Scott (D).
During a conference call with reporters, members of the CBC House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) criticized Honeycutt for using mailings in the district that appear to come from Democrats while using a harsh anti- Democratic message on the national level to raise some $4.3 million.
The decision by three of the CBCs top members including the third-most- powerful Democrat in the House, Clyburn to become involved is another sign that national Democrats are suddenly concerned about a race no one predicted would be close even a few weeks ago.
Clyburn acknowledged that Honeycutts significant fundraising on the national level ought to be of concern for everybody.
Clyburn also took aim at an ad paid for by the group Democrats for Good Government, which accuses old line black leaders supporting Scott of having sold their souls for money while featuring a red, white and blue donkey similar to the one used by the Democratic Party.
Democrats accused Honeycutts campaign of creating the organization as a way to attack Scott. This so-called Democrats for Good Government is nothing more than a shell corporation, Clyburn said.
Am I one of these old line leaders? asked Lewis, a civil rights icon, during the conference call, arguing that Honeycutts national and state fundraising and mailings have been misleading.
Although Scott, a member of the CBC, is still expected to win re-election, national Democrats have decided to take no chances in a district that would on first blush seem to be an easy win.
A fundraising e-mail for Scotts campaign last week led with the blaring headline Emergency Funds Needed for Rep. David Scott, and a recent poll by Cooper & Secrest Associates put him only 5 points ahead, 43 percent to 38 percent. Scott beat Honeycutt in 2006 by more than 30 points.
