3rd District race gets testy

The 3rd District congressional race grew more contentious Monday, as challenger Calder Clay stood by a charge that U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall went "AWOL" from Congress last week, and Marshall called it a "cheap shot" from someone who didn't check his facts.

It began Friday when Clay's campaign accused Marshall of being absent without leave when the House voted last Tuesday on a bill to limit frivolous lawsuits.

Marshall countered that he was giving a speech, at the Pentagon's request, to more than 1,200 members of the nonpartisan Air Force Association on the war on terror when the vote was taken. The audience included the Air Force chief of staff and other high-ranking officers.

Monday, Clay's spokesman said Clay stands by the charge.

"(Marshall) has a responsibility to the people of Middle Georgia to be present and accounted for whenever there is a vote in the United States House of Representatives. That was what he was elected to do and he is failing," spokesman Rufus Montgomery said.

Marshall countered with a written statement:

"Clay attacking before checking his facts is nothing new. But standing by the attack after finding out what I was doing, now that's pretty amazing.

"I don't know that Clay has the background to be asked to give an address on terrorism to such an audience. But if he was asked, I hope he'd make the same choice I did, given the importance of the war on terror as well as the impact the folks in that room could have on the future of Robins (Air Force Base). I'd make that same choice again in a heartbeat, no matter how many cheap shots came my way."

Montgomery suggested that Marshall's absence from the vote to limit lawsuits could be tied to the contributions he has received from trial lawyers.

"It's just a huge coincidence that he happened to be absent when these votes came up," Montgomery said. "You have to wonder if Mr. Marshall may have to walk away from this legislation. Mr. Marshall has collected $92,000 from lawyers and their lobbyists."

To which Marshall's spokesman Doug Moore replied, "You've got to be kidding me. Clay is now suggesting that the Pentagon is conspiring with a member of Congress to avoid a particular vote? The guy needs to get a life."

Jack Steed of Houston County, an Air Force retiree and Air Force Association member who supported Clay in 2002, said Monday he isn't taking sides in this race, but he believes Marshall is in the right on this issue. Steed was not present at Marshall's speech, but he was familiar with the event and its significance to the association.

"In my opinion he wasn't AWOL, he was doing his duty," said Steed. "I'm not a Democrat. I believe in being honest and straightforward, whether they're Republican or Democrat."

Clay, a Republican, and Marshall, a Democrat, are 3rd District opponents for the second time. Marshall won the 2002 race by just 1 percent.

Marshall has touted his experience as a Vietnam combat veteran, his work for disabled veterans and his support for the Bush administration's war on terror.

Clay has attacked Marshall for voting with the Democrats 73 percent of the time, accused him of being soft on opposing gay marriage and charged that Marshall improperly used the same photograph on his congressional Web site as on his campaign site. Marshall denied all the charges. But by Monday, his campaign changed the photos on both Web sites.

Clay issued this statement: "If Jim Marshall was truly complying with the rules, then why did he remove this material from his government Web site?"

Moore replied, "Jim told us to change the Web site pictures so we wouldn't waste any time on something so frivolous. That Jim prefers to focus on what's important to Middle Georgia - rural health care, the war on terror and saving Social Security - doesn't make Clay's silly complaint any less frivolous."