Savannah Morning News - It's official: Kingston's running

Press Release

Insisting on Thursday morning that the next battleground for America's future will shift to the U.S. Senate, Savannah Congressman Jack Kingston formally entered the race that next year will decide the successor to retiring U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

"The United States Senate has not passed a credible budget in four years," Kingston said while standing near the Waving Girl statue in Savannah's Morrell Park on the banks of the Savannah River. "In the past four years, it has only passed nine out of 48 appropriation bills.

"It has killed any attempts to rein in entitlements, reform out-of-control spending or reduce government interference in our lives. If we are going to turn America around, we have to start with the United States Senate."

Kingston, widely presumed during the past two months to be a candidate-in-waiting, made his candidacy official in front of about 150 people, including family members, supporters and local politicians, under increasingly gray skies and the threat of rain.

In doing so, the 11-term congressman joined U.S. Reps. Paul Broun of Athens and Phil Gingrey of Marietta as the three Georgia congressional Republicans to enter the race since Chambliss announced in late January he would not seek a third term.

Kingston largely avoided offering specific policy proposals or individual solutions to the economic, social and foreign policy issues facing America in his approximately 15-minute speech, as well as in the session with the media following his announcement.

Instead, the 58-year-old lawmaker concentrated on asserting his conservative credentials that are expected to be the mother's milk in next year's Republican primary.

"If I were in the Senate today, I'd be among the top 10 percent of the conservatives in the Senate," Kingston said of his voting record.

He trumpeted his support of the military and his devotion to national security as well as his votes against President Barack Obama's tax increases and the president's health care initiative.

But Kingston also proclaimed his adherence to principles of conservatism over party policy.

"As a conservative, I also voted no on President (George W.) Bush's Wall Street bailout and President Bush's stimulus program and President Bush's bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because, again, conservative principles are more important than party."

Kingston highlighted his personal frugality and his budget-slicing skills as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

"No one is going to get to the right of me on saving money," he said. "I've returned over $1 million in unused office expenses by being a tightwad."

He also struck something of a red-clay populist stance when he said he would work to end "crony-capitalism" that leaves most Main Street Americans on the outside looking in when it comes to wealth formation.

Kingston said he is not daunted by the popular perception that it is more than difficult for a candidate from south Georgia to get elected to a statewide office such as a U.S. Senate seat.

"Georgia always has had a tradition somewhat of a metro Atlanta and a south Georgia senator," Kingston said. "More importantly, what I've found is people in north Georgia have the same concerns as the ones in south Georgia -- jobs, balancing the budget (and) national security. These are things I've fought for and I think that will resonate in north Georgia."

The closest he came to specific positions were when asked whether the United States should assume a larger role in the ongoing civil war in Syria and how far the federal government should go in surveillance aimed at preventing or solving terrorist attacks.

On Syria:

"Unlike Iraq and Afghanistan, the situation in Syria is a civil war, and I don't think America wants to plunge into someone else's civil war. At this point, I don't think we should jump into it."

On increased surveillance of public areas and personal communications:

"I do not like the idea of the government watching us without cause. Random cameras across the board, I do not support it."

Kingston's Savannah announcement was followed Thursday with a similar afternoon announcement in Brunswick. Kingston has scheduled events today in Albany, Macon and Augusta before returning to Savannah in the evening for a private fundraiser at the Mulberry Inn. His lone Saturday event is in his hometown of Athens.

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