Kari, those are excellent questions. I think that Smith still does not get it, because of the way he defended Crawford Caligula. He said Bush is not a liar.

Good one, Kari.

Other questions for Gordo:

Ron Wyden voted against this war. What did Wyden know that you didn't? Did you speak with him before voting for the war?

You said this policy in Iraq since the fall of Saddam is absurd and possibly criminal. What efforts did you make --before voting for this war-- to ensure the Bush administration had a plan for the peace?

If in fact you failed to thoroghly question the Bush admin about whether or not they had a realistic plan for "rebuilding" Iraq, aren't you just as responsible as Bush for this mess? In fact, if you failed to enusre there was a plan for the peace before unleashing the dogs of war, isn't your performance negligent, absurd and possibly criminal?

Don't you deserve to be fired?

Don't you deserve to be fired? Yes. Paul Krugman had as opinion piece in the Big O fish wrapper yesterday titled They told yo so. He mentioned several office holders and politicians that spoke out against the invasion. I wish he would have mentioned the millions of people who took to the streets before the invasion also. Of course he had to mention the freshman Senator from Illinois since it seems the pundits can't put his name in print often enough.

50,000 tale to the streets in Portland. The arrow is pointing to me!

Personally, I think that everyone that voted for Bush, especially in '04 hold some responsibility for the War in Iraq. This is a democracy afterall. That means taking responsibility.

I believe that Smith's words were heart felt, but ill timed. I also think that if his values were truly "moral" as he claims to be, he'd act far differently in Congress on numerous issues than he does.

So the war is bad, Gordon? You were a supporter until very recently, so what happened. Of course, the election! This whole speech was given in an empty Senate chamber. Watch the speech again and remember that all of those gestures and facial expressions were done for the camera, he didn't even have the nerve to give this speech while his colleagues were there.

From the Defense of Marriage Act to voting for every wasteful dollar that went to some contract company in Iraq, your voting record being available on the internet has exposed you for what you are. I won't even start with the crazy judges you helped confirm.

2008 is already planned for me, I will volunteer for and donate money to your opponent. This man does not represent Oregon, he represents his own interests and ego.

It's time to go back to packing peas Gordon.

Uh oh...Whomever decides to run against Gordo should take a page out of the 2004 GOP playbook.

Flip-Flopper

The only admission which might inspire forgiveness of a former war hawk would go something like this: "I'm embarrassed, humiliated and oh so sorry I supported the occupation of Iraq. Like many americans, I was swept up in the 9/11 fear mongering used by the administration to justify a greedy grab for oil resources in what was thought to be a vulnerable country. I bought the WMD spin and worse, fell for the equally absurd democratization fall back position. I'm an idiot to have consumed all that pablum dished out by the big bidness administration. I knew when no bid billions started flowing to the Cheney treasury called Haliburton that something was amiss. When I realized that most of those billions were characterized as "loans", and that winning could only be possible with the oil infrastructure rebuilt so we could be repaid, I knew we were killing and being killed for the wrong reasons. When faced with such transparent greed, I desended into a miasma of denial from which I just recently emerged. To all the loved ones of dead sons and daughters, I seek your forgiveness. I promise I will do everything in my power to bring the survivors home. Please re-elect me in 08." Gordo "Oh yeah, and I will work on getting the O&C timber subsidy legislation passed in January." Peace - at a steep price!

Take Gordon at his word that he came to this decision after reading a book about WWI.

Start making a list of comparisons between now and WWI. It was after WWI that the current borders of Iraq were drawn. What does he see as the way forward to avoid the sort of mistakes made after WWI?

Although I realize a lot of people are really cynical, I have found over the years the best way to treat such situations is to take them seriously at face value, and ask questions. For instance:

A whole generation was marked by WWI and the lives lost. What do you think the future holds for the 20-30 somethings and their elders who have done multiple tours of duty in Iraq?

If you support increased troop levels, how do you propose to supply those troops: legislation to enlarge the Army and Marines (how do you pay for that?), telling everyone who has done 2 tours of duty in Iraq that they must do a 3rd tour? changing the rules of National Guard and Reserve deployments? Which young people you know have you encouraged to enlist? Are you willing to tell all currently enlisted and deployed that their military contracts aren't worth the paper they are printed on because if the military needs "stop loss"? Everyone currently in uniform will do another tour of duty even after they were scheduled to end their military service? Do you support a draft?

Those questions were only about troops-what about equipment? How much is it costing taxpayers to replace destroyed equipment, replace Guard equipment left in Iraq when a unit returns home? At what point are US citizens allowed to say they reject the attitude in the WWI poem where one line is "ours is not to question why, ours is but to do or die"?

How much of the logistics of this war have you studie, Gordon, or is it all about political rhetoric?

Reportedly Gordon is getting a cold shoulder from some Republicans. They are obviously in denial. It will be interesting when Webb is sworn in (son in Iraq) and the Iraq vets who won are sworn in next year. Those "cold shoulder" Republicans have to learn that they can't go on wasting lives and money forever.

And Gordon has been known to have a slick side and a serious side---if he goes slick on us having made such serious statements, he deserves whatever happens to him these next 2 years.

When you write about "voting for the war", is that not quite true? Was not the vote more of a vote for authorization for war only if deemed critically necessary?

Personally, I think that everyone that voted for Bush, especially in '04 hold some responsibility for the War in Iraq. This is a democracy afterall. That means taking responsibility.

Dear Anon: How soon we forget: the official position of the standard bearer of the Democratic party was in favor of the war in 2004. This was also the position of most of the leading voices in the party.

I am glad to see so many Blue Oregon bloggers come over to the anti-war side. I hope you will be steadfast and consistent as the 2008 presidential election approaches. I have a suspicion that if Hillary (bomb the brown people) Clinton is the Dem candidate in '08 that many of you who now condem Gordon Smith for his flip-flop will be explaining and defending Hillary's support of the Bush war. I hope to God that Hillary does not get the nomination and I hope that if she does, all of Blue Oregon will reject her lying two-faced explanations with the same fervor that you are rejecting Gordo.

Stop the War NOW!