But a few hours later, Chambliss, himself, was attacked as being on the liberal side by rival Bob Irvin, who wants the right to challenge Cleland, himself. Irvin brought an aide dressed in a chicken suit to the state Capitol in a bid to depict Chambliss as afraid to debate him.
Qualifying for the August 20 primaries opened Thursday and closes at noon Friday.
Cleland, a disabled Vietnam war veteran and former Georgia Secretary of State, was elected to succeed Democrat Sam Nunn in 1996 and is seeking a second term. He qualified to seek re-election Thursday.
Chambliss, who has represented south Georgia's eighth congressional district since winning the post in 1994, told reporters he wasn't questioning Cleland's patriotism when he attacked him in May for a vote to eliminate a ban on citizens of terrorist nations being on UN inspection teams in Iraq.
Chambliss said, ``I have never questioned his patriotism, and I will not. The point I was making was, it was a bad vote...I would never vote to allow citizens from any terrorist nation to be on a team of weapons inspectors.''
Chambliss chairs the House terrorism subcommittee.
In another race, outspoken U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney drew Democratic primary opposition from a former DeKalb County state court judge, Denise Majette, who is viewed as McKinney's strongest opponent in years.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/193357