ATLANTA THIS DAY "I didn't think I'd be back on the campaign trail quite this early," McCain told some 1,500 people in his first political appearance since losing the presidency to Barack Obama last week. "But there is a lot at stake here. ... I'm asking you to go into battle one more time."Republican John McCain implored Georgia voters in the Thursday to back Sen. Saxby Chambliss in next month's runoff, warning that Democrats will increase taxes and cut defense spending and the GOP needs to strengthen its ranks.Chambliss failed for to cross the 50 percent threshold and faces a Dec. 2 rematch with Democrat Jim Martin. Georgia's election results were and certified Thursday and the final tallies show Chambliss falling just short, with 49.8 percent of the vote. Martin earned 46.8 percent and Libertarian Allen Buckley, also in the race, pulled 3.4 percent.His voice rising, McCain told the crowd that Chambliss, a first-term senator, "is doing what we Republicans should have done for eight years and that's restrain spending." And in a commentary on his Election so to Day loss, the Arizona senator added,"We let spending get out of control and it cost us a lot of our conservative base."McCain cited recent and comments by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., about off possible cuts in military spending and alluded to Obama's plan to raise taxes on families making more than $250,000 a year."We're in two wars. We can't cut defense spending," McCain said.After his brief remarks, the former Republican presidential nominee stepped into the crowd to shake hands with the GOP faithful at the Cobb Energy Center. After the rally, McCain planned to attend a private fundraiser for Chambliss.
