A Democratic Showdown In Georgia

CBS News' Elizabeth Fulk reports on one of the most closely watched House races in the country.

But Georgia Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney is not your average member of Congress. So it was no real surprise when earlier this year she suggested that the president withheld information about the attacks so that his associates would profit from the war. McKinney's mouth has gotten her into trouble before. But what was once a political blooper has now morphed into a potentially career-ending error. McKinney is facing former judge Denise Majette in the state's Democratic primary on Tuesday and finds herself in a knockdown, drag-out fight for her political life.

In more ways than one, the McKinney-Majette match-up resembles the heated runoff that took place in Alabama's 7th District in June, in which attorney Artur Davis defeated incumbent Rep. Earl Hilliard. Much like that race, the contest in Georgia's 4th District is a statistical dead heat, with the most recent Insider Advantage poll showing Majette in the lead, 41 percent to 39 percent. In addition, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is having an impact in Georgia, as it did in Alabama, with Muslim groups backing McKinney, while her challenger is getting support from Jewish groups. The Friends of Israel PAC recently gave $5,000 to Majette, whose $1.1 million war chest dwarfs McKinney's total of $623,000.

On paper, the two candidates – both African American women – have equally impressive credentials. McKinney attended Tufts University, while Majette has degrees from Yale and Duke Law School. Yet when it comes to how they are running their campaigns, the two could not be more different. Where McKinney is known for being outspoken and liberal, Majette is seen as being soft-spoken with crossover appeal to Republicans and conservative Democrats. While McKinney has received endorsements from Jesse Jackson, Magic Johnson, Ralph Nader and, most recently and controversially, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, Majette has won the backing of Georgia Sen. Zell Miller and homerun champ Henry Aaron.

The Georgia race has been one of the most heated in the House, incorporating a slew of negative ads and accusations leaving each candidate no choice but to play the race card. In what proved to be a rare role reversal for an incumbent seeking reelection, McKinney fired the first shot in the negative ad war back in July when she began running a radio spot equating Majette to Jeremy Morse, the white California police officer who was caught on tape assaulting a black teenager in July.

"Abuse of power is sometimes an angry, out-of-control cop beating up a teenager in California," the announcer in the ad intoned. "Sometimes it's an angry, out-of-control judge like Denise Majette." That was a reference to a 1998 court case in which Majette sentenced a woman to two days in jail and $1,000 fine for speeding.

Majette fired back, calling McKinney a "divider," who "goes too far and never gets anything done." And last week, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Majette's camp was circulating a memo instructing black workers to campaign in black neighborhoods. A source leaked the memo to McKinney's camp, which then turned it over to reporters, whom McKinney told, "Here's a campaign that's trying to racially profile."

But one political observer said Majette's actions were within the bounds of fair play. "One would expect Majette's people to send black campaign workers into African American neighborhoods. It's legitimate," said William Boone, a political science professor at Clark Atlanta University.

An area once marked by racial tension, the Atlanta suburbs that comprise Georgia's 4th District, like much of the country, have changed a lot since McKinney was first elected 10 years ago. This is perhaps McKinney's biggest deficiency; that she seems unwilling to change with the times. In the words of one McKinney constituent, Tom Schilling, 61, of Stone Mountain Village, Ga., "Frankly, I don't think she represents me because she's so aggressive. It's just that she's been so controversial and intentionally antagonistic. I can see where that was needed before, considering what type of place this was. But now things are different; let's move on."

If an article in Monday's Washington Times proves correct, and 35 percent of Republicans cross over and vote against McKinney in Tuesday's open primary, Schilling may just get his wish.

By Elizabeth Fulk