Hell no. Just kidding. The real title for this article is Saxby the Sugar Stooge. One of the biggest corporate stooges in the Senate, Saxby took corporate loyalty to a new level at a Senate hearing on Friday.

Based on his demeanor at a Senate hearing on Friday you would think Saxby owned Imperial Sugar Company.Well maybe Imperial Sugar owns him.

Saxby is arguing that a "whistleblower" is responsible for a February explosion that killed 13 people at the Imperial Sugar company plant in Port Wentworth, Georgia. Keep in mind that Graham. H. Graham (the man being questioned) had only worked at the plant for three months, while others allege years of safety violations.

Let's follow the quotes and then follow the money and even Saxby's son ,the corporate lobbyist, and his connections:

The Article in the Houston Chronicle says

"Chambliss also said he has not been influenced by any lobbyists for the Sugar Land, Texas-based company or by his son, Bo. The younger Chambliss is an in-house Washington lobbyist for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which also is represented by an outside firm that lobbies for Imperial Sugar.
"My purpose has been to try to get the facts out," Chambliss said. "This guy (Graham) is an agent of the company. How anybody can interpret that I'm doing something for the benefit of the company when really I'm chastising their agent is beyond me ... The company's got to stand on their own. I'm not about to defend them in any way."

However that is countered by Graham and his attorneys as well as the other Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson.

"Hilder and others have accused Chambliss of doing the company's bidding on Tuesday when he sharply questioned Graham at a Senate hearing. Chambliss' questions raised eyebrows because no one aside from Imperial had publicly doubted Graham's claims. That includes Chambliss' fellow Georgia Republican, Johnny Isakson. The two rarely split, but Isakson says he has full faith in Graham's account."

Let's follow the money for a second

This might show a little inisght as to why the questions of bias arise.

1. Look at Imperial Sugar's PAC

$1,000 to Saxby Chambliss this cycle- $2,000 of which was contributed by John Sheptor

John Sheptor is President and CEO of Imperial Sugar who is compensated quite handsomely.

2. There are several others with ties to Imperial Sugar that have contributed to the PAC

Harold Mechler - CFO is a $500 Contributor to the PAC
  
   Gaylord Coan - $1,000 contributor to the PAC is a director

(Apparently Savannah Congressman John Barrow returned some of the money he was given by Imperial and he's not even questioning them at a Senate hearing)

3.  Saxby Chambliss has received $21k from the Sugar  industry this cycle.

4.  Saxby Chambliss has a son Bo Chambliss who works for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a registered lobbyist (the quote is correct there)

Clarence "Bo" Saxby Chambliss has given $2,000 to the Chicago Mercantile PAC.

The Chicago Mercantile lobbyist works on behalf of several companies with ties to the Sugar Industry.

Googling lobbying and CME, we found one article that shows that

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is employing the son of Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) to lobby members of his father's congressional committee and other lawmakers on legislation that may increase trading at the exchange. Clarence Saxby "Bo" Chambliss Jr. is one of two staff lobbyists at the Merc charged with "providing information on issues that impact our industry to decision-makers in Washington," Merc spokesman David Prosperi said Friday.  Saxby Chambliss heads the Senate Agriculture Committee, which jointly oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and must this year pass legislation reauthorizing the futures regulator through 2011. The CFTC's current authority expires Sept. 30. The panel may vote as early as this month on a bill to reauthorize the CFTC, said a committee spokesman.

Now there isn't much recusing Bo Chambliss can do with one other lobbyist unless that lobbyist is doing the heavy lifting while Bo is giving mulligans to Judge Smails

5. Probably not much of a stretch to say that Saxby has some questions to answer about his claim that he is not biased. We will keep searching to see if we can find more connections between Saxby and Imperial Sugar. Or we will let you know if Saxby follows suit of John Barrow and returns the PAC contributions.

Conclusion: Saxby Chambliss needs to go home or get a job at some Sugar Refinery (Remember what he did to Max Cleeland) -

Georgia has a primary runoff for the Dem nomination to take on Saxby this fall. Jim Martin is the better candidate and will help all Dems in Georgia on the ballot including Obama. (Vernon Jones the other candidate involved in the primary is absolute mess)

Donate to Jim Martin $10.01 or more if you can right now.