Mitt Romney campaigning in Georgia

by Mark Silva

Remember Mitt Romney?

The former governor of Massachusetts and venture capitalist who had invested millions of his own money in an ill-fated campaign for the Republican Party's presidential nomination, back in those pre-maverick days of John McCain and Sarah Palin?

Romney is hitting the road again, this time for Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the Georgia Republican embroiled in a campaign for a Dec. 2 runoff election for his Senate seat. The outcome of Georgia's election will have a big impact on the Democratic Party's advantage in the new Senate that greets President-elect Barack Obama in January.

Romney plans to campaign for Chambliss on Friday, and Romney's "Free and Strong America PAC'' has given the Georgian $5,000 for his runoff campaign.

Romney plans appearances at rallies in Atlanta and Savannah, as well as at "a series" of private fundraisers.

Neither Chambliss nor Democrat Jim Martin claimed 50 percent of Geogia's vote on Nov. 4, requiring the runoff -- a particularly Southern tradition in elections that often has worked against minorities winning important offices but is simply a fact of election math in this contest.

This contest, Romney insists, is about control of the Senate.

"This is a critical election whose outcome will be important to maintaining a balance of power in the Senate," Romney says. "It is critical that Republicans safely retain the ability to filibuster in order to prevent the worst abuses of single party rule."

Romney's PAC is committed to supporting those "who are dedicated to advancing social, fiscal and foreign policies that will strengthen America.'' Its focus is on "core principles: Uncompromised military strength, a belief in the power of free markets and that a competitive America is one where taxes are low and government is small, an emphasis on strong families and a federalist approach to government that leaves decision-making as close to the people as possible.''