Cleland foe defends GOP 'truth squad's' stop in Boston [View All]

Sen. Saxby Chambliss ventured Wednesday into the heart of what is --- for this week, anyway --- Max Cleland Country.

The Republican senator from Georgia was part of a Republican "truth squad" that held a news conference across the street from the FleetCenter, where the Democrats are holding their convention, to counter their political message and screen a video detailing Sen. John Kerry's alleged "flip-flops" on the Iraq issue, with the theme from the TV show "Flipper" in the soundtrack.

At the Democratic veterans' caucus Monday, Chambliss came under heavy fire from Democratic strategist James Carville for the way he conducted the 2002 race in which he unseated Cleland. Democrats repeatedly have cited a Chambliss campaign ad that juxtaposed Cleland's image with those of terrorists as it derided the then-senator's vote against creating the Homeland Security Department in a disagreement over employee security provisions.

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"I'm not running for the Senate, and my former opponent is not running for president," Chambliss said. "We're talking about Bush and Mr. Kerry, and I'm very proud of our president's support of veterans."

Chambliss said, as he has in the past, that he never questioned Cleland's patriotism, just his voting record.

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