Gordon Smith caves to Big Oil
Kari Chisholm
On Thursday, Gordon Smith confirmed what we've long known: when push comes to shove, the Bush Administration owns him.
Or, to put it in Kerry-speak: Gordon Smith voted for oil drilling in the wildlife refuge after he voted against it.
Let's recap:
Gordon Smith says he's against oil drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. Heck, even yesterday, the smooth-talkin' Senator said:
"Instead of drilling in ANWR, we should be focusing our efforts on promoting alternative and renewable fuels while improving energy efficiency and conservation."
In the midst of debate on the budget package, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) offered an amendment to strip the oil drilling provision from the budget. Six Republicans voted with nearly all Democrats to stop the oil drilling: Linc Chafee (RI), Norm Coleman (MN), Susan Collins (ME), John McCain (AZ), Olympia Snowe (ME), and Gordon Smith. The vote failed 48-51.
Then, the big vote - on passage - happened. It was a big budget bill, but the oil drilling provision was front and center. Which Republicans stuck to their guns? Linc Chafee (RI), Norm Coleman (MN), Susan Collins (ME), and Olympia Snowe (ME).
That's right, four anti-oil-drilling Republicans stuck to their guns. John McCain and Gordon Smith caved. And the oil-drilling measure passed.
So, next time you hear Gordon Smith say he's against oil drilling in Alaska, well, you'll know what he really thinks.
And the Democrats?
"Gordon Smith has again shown the dishonesty of his slick campaign ads and so-called independence in the U.S. Senate," said Kelly Steele, the party's communications director. "When the chips were down, Gordon Smith bowed to the will of the Bush White House, and broke another promise to Oregonians."
Couldn't have said it better myself.
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Nov 4, '05
Just another example of the double standards we have come to ecxpect from Smith and His GOP friends. Its getting that over to the electorate that is difficult.
Nov 4, '05
It is really amazing to watch the double standard unfold on these pages. When the President "sticks to his guns" in the War on Terror and says you are either with us or against us, he is beat by the left. Conservatives are told the world exists in shades of gray and you must look at the bigger picture. Now, you attack Senator Smith when he does look at the bigger picture.
The Senator attempted to get the oil drilling package out of the larger bill but he was unsuccessful. In the end, he did support the larger bill, the details of which Kari conveniently left out, that would cut almost $40 billion in spending and help reduce the deficit. Again, the left attacks when the deficient goes up and when it comes down.
In short, Senator Smith did the right thing. He attempted to remove the drilling provisions and when that didn't work he looked at more that just black and white. He looked at the bigger picture.
I suggest that some on the left take a deep breath and apply consistent standards even when they disagree with the outcome. To do otherwise is hypocritical and just plain wrong.
Nov 4, '05
Suggest all you want to the left, you are nuts.
Gordon Smith is a traitor to Oregon, Smith is a traitor to America. The blood on him shows his way of killing thousands of soldiers trying to hide that Smith is a liar.
I disagree with the headline saying Gordon traitor "caves to ...," let's see, which one is it this time ... oh, yeah, "Big Oil" The phrase 'caves to' implies he ever 'stood up to.'
Smith is a liar. He stands for nothing. He gets rich on the blood and deaths of Oregonians and Americans. Hey, and he's Ron Wyden's buddy, and Wyden ain't much better -- him rich, others die.
Out of Iraq now, full and total. NO BASES. Senators, your lies to kill people are your immortal shame.
<h1></h1>Nov 4, '05
Hate to have to say this, but if six Republicans broke ranks on the ANWR vote and it failed 48-51, then some Democrats must have voted in the opposite direction. Where's party discipline when we need it?
7:06 a.m.
Nov 5, '05
Gil - the Dems were Landrieu (LA), Akaka (HI), and Inouye (HI).
10:15 a.m.
Nov 5, '05
Do we forget that his excuse for voting for this bill was that he needed to support spending cuts for the poor. This bill was terrible for the most hard pressed Americans before they added ANWR. He will claim that he reduced the cuts, but he still supported cuts that should not be made.
Isaiah 10: 1-2 "Doom to you who legislate evil, who makes laws that make victims - laws that make misery for the poor, that rob my destitute people of dignity, exploiting defenseless widows, taking advantage of homeless children."
12:10 p.m.
Nov 5, '05
There's a lot more that Smith could have done.
He, along with McCain, could have still voted against the final bill. Had they gotten enough support for it to fail, that's no big problem.
You take the "good" parts of the bill (the stuff Smith wanted to pass) and you propose a new bill.
Just because it's voted down in a larger bill doesn't mean it can't be brought up again. Using the excuse that you voted for something crappy just because you liked something else in the bill is just bull.
Nov 6, '05
Jenni, it is much worse than "bull." It is belligerent, it is proto-nazi. It is a cry for help signifying he no longer controls or steers the course he is on, his own destiny, Oregon's destitution. All his words are now lies.
Simth no more has moral or legal right to be in the Senate, (nevermind voting for anything), since he has betrayed National Guards, Oregonians have been killed and maimed wantonly by senator's cowardly and complicit silence, and Simth is guilty of war crimes treason against America's democracy for selling out or abandoning his sworn duty to keep oversight of the corrupt Executive wasting public money.
<h1></h1>Nov 6, '05
I believe he is chairman of a subcommittee for southeast europe affairs within the full committee's global purview, maybe the Senate Select Intelligence Committee.
If this is so, he has oversight special responsibility regarding such countries as Greece, Albania, Romania, Macedonia, Bulgaria.
This, last week, blows the lid off what Simth conspires to hide:
... Source: Wayne Madsen Report(dot)com <h1></h1>