By: Max Wallace
Source: Wikimedia Creative Commons
The 2014 Georgia Senate race is about as riveting as electoral politics can get. Incumbents enjoy a re-election rate that exceeds 90 percent, so Senator Chambliss’s retirement has presented a rare opportunity for America’s elite to climb the Capitol Hill career ladder without having to worry about dealing with a current office holder. The allure of an open Senate seat has resulted in something of a free-for-all. On the Republican side, three Congressmen, one millionaire former CEO and the woman who would have been governor of Georgia but for about 2,500 votes, have all thrown their hats into the ring. The Democrats have only one true contender for the seat: Michelle Nunn. While Ms. Nunn’s credentials as CEO of a multinational non-profit are impressive, it is not her resume that gives her an advantage over her Republican competition. Rather, it is her name. Given that Jason Carter is a bit preoccupied trying to move into the Governor’s Mansion, Georgia Democrats would be hard pressed to find a more suitable legacy for the Georgia Senate seat than the daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn. Add this very crowded and star-studded field of candidates to an election year where Democrats are struggling to hold on to a five seat advantage in the Senate, and you get a truly remarkable election.
However, for all the attention paid to the candidates seeking this Senate seat little has been said about the individuals who came before them or the legacy that they seek to inherit; a legacy that is a hallmark of the Georgia Senate seat itself, one of playing a key role in shaping America’s military policy. Georgia is home to a number of military bases including Fort Benning, home of the U.S. Army Infantry School, so it makes logical sense that a senator from Georgia should have a seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. But Georgia is far from the only state to host multiple military installations. As impressive as being bequeathed a seat on one of the most powerful Senate committees is, it is not the seat itself that makes Georgia’s Senate legacy remarkable. It is the men who previously held that coveted position, men like Sam Nunn and Richard B. Russell who formed the legacy that Michelle Nunn, Jack Kingston, and all the rest would like to lay claim upon.
Many politicians have passed through Capitol Hill over the years, but few have left a mark equal to Senators Russell and Nunn. Sen. Russell served from 1933 to 1971, and during his tenure he engaged in a battle of wills with President Johnson over civil rights, led the American military buildup of the 1950s and 60s and established himself as the pre-eminent authority on military matters, rising to the chairmanship of the Armed Services Committee. As recognition of his accomplishments, the Senate office building in D.C. bears his name and a marble statue of Senator Russell resides in the lobby.
Sen. Sam Nunn assumed Russell’s seat in 1972 and served for 25 years rising, like his predecessor, to the chairmanship of Armed Services. Also like Russell, Sen. Nunn has left an indelible impression upon Capitol Hill, particularly in regards to nuclear non-proliferation. Sen. Nunn, along with Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, passed the aptly named Nunn-Lugar Act in 1991. The act led to the formation of the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, and was one of the policy instruments most responsible for getting WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) out of former Soviet states that suddenly found themselves in possession of Russian nuclear, chemical and biological weapons when the evil empire fell. By providing funding and technical assistance, the CTR has facilitated the deactivation of nearly 8,000 nuclear warheads and has helped maintain the integrity of the current nuclear system by ensuring that weapons of mass destruction are not acquired by new states.
Even retired, Sen. Nunn’s name carries tremendous respect in Washington. He has continued his crusade for the abolishment of nuclear weapons, joining three former cabinet secretaries including Henry Kissinger to write an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal arguing that nuclear weapons are no longer a necessary evil. The relevance of such arguments to the modern day are in little doubt as one of President Obama’s first major speeches was delivered in Prague and discussed the dangers of nuclear weapons, and the third nuclear security summit was concluded in the Hague less than one month ago.
As the calendar moves ever closer to Nov. 4 and the partisan rhetoric increases right along with the frequency of campaign ads on TV, it is worth keeping in mind the responsibilities that Georgia’s next senator will assume when they take office. In all likelihood, they will take not only Sen. Chambliss’s seat in the Senate, but also his committee assignment. In the process, they will play a crucial role in determining how the global superpower will conduct its military affairs. Although America’s debt and the future of Obamacare are important issues which concern much of the electorate, when it is time to go to the polls consider that these issues are not likely to shape the legacy of Georgia’s next senator. They, like their predecessors, will be defined by their stances on military buildups and the nuclear policies that they choose to champion. That is Sam Nunn’s true legacy, and let us hope that his daughter or one of her competitors is worthy of filling his seat.
