Anchorage Daily News

Georgia Republicans packed shoulder-to-shoulder to see Gov. Sarah Palin on Monday, chanting her name, mobbing her for autographs. They bought bright pink “Palin 2012” T-shirts and “Palin for President: You Go Girl” buttons, as the Alaska governor whirled through four campaign rallies in four cities.

Her goal: To help Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss win re-election today, and help Republicans ward off a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.

But back in Anchorage, local Democratic leaders said Palin — fresh from two months on the campaign trail as a vice presidential candidate — has more important things to do.

Party Chairwoman Patti Higgins called for a stop to Palin’s campaigning, saying the governor ought to instead focus on the state’s embarrassing drop-out rate, high fuel costs or the migration of people leaving villages for cities.

“Governing is more than creating photo ops. We’d like a commitment that the governor is working,” Higgins said.

Palin spokesman Bill McAllister countered that Palin has been busy meeting with advisers and her budget team since the Nov. 4 election. That will become clear when she discusses her health care plans on Thursday and unveils her spending and long-range energy plans later this month, he said.

“It sounds like the Democrats are seizing on a what is a normal lull in external activity in the administration, to make it seem as though the governor is not working, knowing full well this is the period when all the decisions are being made and they are unveiled in December,” McAllister said.

Palin attended a fund-raiser for Chambliss in Atlanta Sunday night, according to the Chambliss campaign, before stumping for the Republican Monday. She’s expected to join other governors in a meeting with President-elect Barack Obama today.

The runoff election between Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin will help determine the balance of power in Washington.

Georgia is one of two undecided contests, with a recount under way in Minnesota in the tight race between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.

Palin is a potential presidential candidate in 2012. When she traveled to Miami for the Republican Governors Association just after the presidential election last month, Palin dominated news of the event.

The Chambliss campaign had been trying to get Palin for weeks, and her appearance underscored the governor’s approval among Republican voters.

“Turnout is key, and given her popularity in Georgia, we were sure she would be the perfect person in Georgia to help Sen. Chambliss energize his supporters the day before election,” said Chambliss spokeswoman Michelle Grasso.

In Perry, Ga., the crowd at one point broke into a chant of “Saxby! Saxby!

“Saxby!” Palin said after the noise died down. “You betcha!”

The crowd gave up another cheer.

Martin, the Democrat, sought big names, too. After touring the state Monday with prominent Georgia Democrats, he planned to cap the day with a state Capitol rally with the Atlanta hip-hop artist Ludacris.

The Democratic challenger also invited “Georgia’s own Miss Alaska” to sing the national anthem at the rally, Martin spokesman Matt Canter said in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

That would be Atlanta singer Maryline Blackburn, who edged runner-up Palin in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant, the paper reported.

Martin had asked President-elect Barack Obama to campaign with him. Obama recorded a radio ad and automated phone calls for Martin but did not campaign in the state.

Some 100 Obama field operatives traveled to the state to help with turnout.

‘ON DUTY’

Republican members of the state House had hoped Palin would attend a caucus meeting in Anchorage Monday, said incoming House Speaker Mike Chenault of Nikiski.

“She apparently had committed to making this trip she’s on now,” he said.

Even if Palin didn’t go to campaign events in Georgia, she would have missed the caucus meeting because of today’s meet-up with Obama, McAllister said.

The Chambliss campaign will pay for the Georgia leg of Palin’s trip, McAllister said.

But the state will cover the costs for Palin’s aide Kris Perry to join her on the campaign trail, he said.

Palin is always considered “on duty” and Perry’s role is to serve as her liaison to state officials, McAllister said. The governor’s family is not traveling with her.

Linda Perez, director of administrative services for the governor, said she wouldn’t know how much the trip cost until the travelers return.

STAR ATTRACTION

In Georgia, Palin highlighted Chambliss’ conservative record of supporting gun rights and opposing abortion. She hit on the same point that’s been a drumbeat from Republicans since Chambliss narrowly missed the 50 percent vote margin he needed to beat Martin outright last month. Vote for Chambliss, or the Democrats may control 60 seats in Congress. That’s a potentially filibuster-proof margin that would give Democrats added power in a Congress already tilted strongly their way.

“It isn’t just about your state,” Palin told the crowd. “It is about the entire United States of America and our future. ... The eyes of our nation are on this stage. We all have Georgia on our minds.”

State Democrats said Monday that Palin must resist such Outside campaigning and focus on Alaska, particularly after her absence during the presidential campaign.

“She has a job to do here and we are paying her a salary. How many of us could just leave our job for three months and get paid and go do something else?” Higgins asked.

McAllister countered that Palin spent only five out of the last 27 days outside Alaska and described the Georgia campaigning as a side trip.

“Sen. Chambliss is a vote for ANWR. His opponent is a vote against ANWR. So there are implications for the state of Alaska in the outcome of that runoff,” McAllister said.

Several Republicans have campaigned for Chambliss, including one-time presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and John McCain. But only Palin was tapped for election eve and four Georgia stops, drawing crowds in the thousands.

Tommy Byler, 22, of Savannah marveled at the size of the crowd Palin drew compared to other top-tier Republicans who have campaigned for Chambliss.

“I went to see Mitt Romney a week ago, and I think there were only about 100 people there,” said Byler, who wore a T-shirt emblazoned with Palin’s face and the words “Sarah Palin Is My Homegirl.”

Daily News reporter Kyle Hopkins wrote this article from his own reporting as well as articles from The Associated Press and the Macon Telegraph. Find Hopkins at adn.com/contact/khopkins or 257-4334.

ADVERTISEMENT

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@