Chambliss' Bizarre Reaction To Whistleblower In Aftermath Of Imperial Sugar Fire Tragedy

[Wetzelbill]

Run time: 03:47 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OHF-ZaodkQ   Posted on YouTube: November 17, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: November 17, 2008 By DU Member: Wetzelbill Views on DU: 2991

 

[loveable liberal]

1. Saxby is an tool.

I cant believe that such a tool would run for re-election.

[grannie4peace]

7. also an asshole!!!!

[Kire]

2. When was this?

What was the background...

When was the Imperial Sugar Fire Tragedy?

Who is this remarkable witness?

[Wetzelbill]

3. Here is some basic background

His name is Graham H. Graham, the VP of Operations for the company. This was from this past July.

2008 Georgia sugar refinery explosion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Georgia_sugar_refinery_explosion

[bobd0]

4. I found this article: Chambliss subpoenaed in Imperial Sugar case

I know it won't happen but I wish Chambliss would wind up sharing a cell with Stevens. :)

http://www.savannahnow.com/node/601053

U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss has been ordered to provide evidence in lawsuits stemming from the Feb. 7 Imperial Sugar Co. explosion and fire.

The Republican lawmaker was subpoenaed Wednesday on behalf of four victims - two dead and two injured - of the Port Wentworth inferno that killed 14 and hurt scores of others.

The action surfaced less than two weeks before the Nov. 4 election, which pits Chambliss in a tight race against Democrat Jim Martin.

Savannah attorney Mark Tate says Chambliss might be part of an Imperial "effort to shift responsibility" away from the company.

His ilk make me want to :puke:

[whistle]

5. Senator Saxby Chambliss is scapegoating the witness

[bluesmail]

14. That's how it seemed to me.

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

6. What!!??

Senator Chambliss has a plantation mentality. Let's kill the messenger is his message. The damage has been done. The company owners obviously want Mr. Graham gone but would not dare fire him at this juncture. Instead, let's get our servant Senator Chambliss to publicly browbeat the man. It's that mindset of "to hell with the workers, we can always get more." Purely disgraceful.

[olegramps]

8. I believe that I would have been compelled to ask Chambliss:

In view of the fact that we were taken to war on lies that have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and maimed hundreds of thousands just why he hasn't resigned from the criminal political party that is responsible for this immoral catastrophe.

[SavageDem]

15. That was EXACTLY the response I was thinking would be apropro!

Nice comeback, gramps!

Completely off-topic, I loved the Irish brogue of Mr. Graham. I have some Irish stock in my genealogical history, but have lost the accent. Somehow weeded out in 100+ years of Americanization.

[buffynjody]

17. Also off topic

My guess is that Mr. Graham is a Scot.

[SavageDem]

19. Ach, ye be right!

Boy, I hate when I do that. It makes me seem like such an...an...American! A loutish American that groups all British Isles' (and colonies') accents into one. I listened again, and concur with your assessment.

I, for some reason, make that mistake often. I try to do impersonations once in awhile, and can do a fair Irish brogue, but always struggle with the Scottish. It made me feel better the other day when I was listening to The Stephanie Miller Show and heard Jim Ward launch into a Scottish character - methinks it was his Sean Connery bit - with an Irish brogue. He pulled up short and had to restart with the right accent.

[desktop]

9. When the government turns on the people....

It's time to make a change in government.

[wial]

10. seriously,

what is wrong with these people? I know a major factor of right wing power has always been its ability to cater to the adolescent glee of transgressive adolescent males, by getting away with intentionally abusive dishonest behavior (the Big Lie, the big pillage of the Treasury) but how could anyone look at a Chambliss and think anything but "what did I just step in?"

What delusional constituency thinks it is in their interest to support someone who tries to crush someone for trying to stop people from being burned to death? Do they think they are in the top 1% who will be harmed by whistle-blowers?

Is that the new focus-group-identified target of the GOP? Whistle-blowers, who are somehow responsible for our economic woes? Especially foreign whistle-blowers?

However, Chambliss' attack was so bizarre, a more likely scenario is even he wasn't convinced by the marching orders he received from his corporate handlers.

I once observed a State senate in session, debating a mining bill. The GOP senators would literally go to the back of the room to consult corporate lobbyist/aides because the geology was over their heads, and then come back and do what they were told. So maybe that's it.

Still got a funny smell on my shoe, though.

[glitch]

13. Welcome to DU!

love this "cater to the adolescent glee of transgressive adolescent males"

[bleever]

18. Welcome to DU, wial.

I loved your comment.

[Zambero]

11. Notice how Chambliss refuses to make eye contact with the witness?

His demeanor says it all.

[pberq]

12. updated story

Saxby is working on behalf of the company to keep victims from suing on behalf of dead or injured relatives.

http://savannahnow.com/node/618254

Chambliss says he doesn't have to obey order to testify in Imperial Sugar lawsuit

Larry Peterson | Sunday, November 16, 2008 at 12:30 am

Saxby Chambliss is resisting an order to give evidence in a lawsuit by families of victims killed or hurt in the Imperial Sugar Co. explosions and fire earlier this year.

The U.S. senator was subpoenaed last month on behalf of four victims - two dead and two injured - of the Feb. 7 Port Wentworth inferno that claimed the lives of 14 workers and hospitalized scores of others.

The conduct of Chambliss concerning the disaster has developed into an issue in his re-election campaign against Democrat Jim Martin. The incumbent outpolled Martin and a third candidate on Nov. 4 but failed to win a majority. Chambliss now faces runner-up Martin in a Dec. 2 runoff.

Savannah attorney Mark Tate, who issued the subpoena, said the Republican lawmaker tried to talk some of Tate's clients out of suing Imperial Sugar.

(more at link. . .)

[formercia]

16. A very interesting connection in Imperial Sugar's social network.

http://www.imperialsugar.com/fw/main/Imperial_Sugar-929.html

The History of Imperial Sugar Company

The rich history of this company began in 1843, when Samuel May Williams' sugar crop on the Oakland Plantation (what is now Sugar Land, TX, the current headquarters of the Imperial Sugar Company) was large enough to justify the installation of a commercial raw sugar grinding mill (establishing the site of future Imperial Sugar Company). By 1855, in the surrounding areas of the Oakland Plantation, sugar cane had replaced cotton as the dominant crop. In the 1850's, Texas was producing more than enough sugar to satisfy its needs and the surplus was being shipped to Eastern and Southern cities. Sugar growing and milling was becoming big business and, by 1883, a 600-ton raw sugar mill was built and named the "Imperial Mill". In 1896, construction began of a cane sugar refinery at Sugar Land to manufacture 100,000 pounds per day of white refined sugar. The cost of construction required an investment of $1,500,000, a huge sum of money for that time.

--snip--


Sugar Land TX also happens to be the stomping grounds of Tom DeLay.