This was best commentary the Big O has had in months. Sad even Willie weak missed out on this one. Smith has done the about face many many times but duped Oregonians give him a free pass every time he runs. How could any media call him a moderate republican. He's as red-necked as any Kansan political. He even twists his son's suicide to abolish assisted suicide for those in living hell. I have labored hard and can honestly say I have at this moment 23 voters to vote against Smith. I hope to add more. Let's send Mr. Smith back to Pendleton. We can only hope we get a moderate Democrat to oppose Mr. Smith.

great roundup! i tend to cut smith some slack as a "nice guy." but nice guys don't cut rich people's taxes and vote against increasing the minimum wage for working people. only republicans do that.

It's all those new mortgages in Bend. His base has changed. Well, it's per capita income has. What major business interests operate in his district? Can't think of any other than Jeld-Wen. They're real progressive.

He's way too conservative for Oregon, and he shouldn't be representing Oregon in the Senate. It's time for change that makes priorities of protecting the environment, standing up for rights of Americans and creating more American jobs.

Excellent commentary, Torridjoe!

The Oregonian's bias in favor of Smith is glaring. (In both news and opinion pages). They've been bashed by the right for so long, they've begun to pander to that crowd, and actually holding Smith accountable like a real newspaper would only reinforces the conservative mantra about a "liberal media." He's the token conservative they can hold up and say, "see we're fair and balanced." So Smith gets a free ride from the Big O.

When the DC paper Roll Call reported the amount of free travel Smith takes from lobbyists (a story picked up by the AP), the Oregonian completely ignored the story and instead ran a front page story about how Smith is trying to help save programs for the poor (from a situation he and his party's irresponsible tax cuts created in the first place -- of course not mentioned in the story).

There are other concrete examples of Smith's free ride at the Oregonian.

When it became clear that smith was the stetwide leader in accepting free travel from lobbyists, the Oregonian buried the fact and focused the headline on Blumenauer. Ridiculous!

Ironically, I've submitted many letters to the editor on this subject, but the letters editor no longer prints my submissions since I complained to her bosses about the numerous (and easy to check) factual errors that get printed in the letters section. I asked a simple question: What responsiblity does the newspaper have to make sure the statements of fact printed in the letters section are true, 'cause I've seen some whoppers printed on that page over the years? I guess fact-checking is so last decade.

Since making this complaint, not one letter printed. Real big people working there. I kid, I kid!

Anyhow, Gordo and and the Big O, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

It should be embarassingly obvious for folks working there.