Straight Talk on Gordon Smith
The Daily Astorian doesn't mince words:
Until Sen. Smith abruptly broke with Bush on the Iraq War during a late-night speech on the last night of the 2006 session, he has been a dependable Bush enabler. Smith even has parroted the White House line on global warming.The larger question is what Smith has done with his appointment with history. While Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden has authored a tax bill and a health care reform bill, Smith has turned in no work product of that heft and weight. It has been a largely cosmetic performance. That has caused us on prior occasions to wonder why Smith bothers to serve. At this point in the life of the nation, a senator from Oregon ought to be offering serious solutions to major problems.
And the Astorian calls for a challenger:
At this pivotal moment, it would be more than tragic if Oregon did not have a major debate in 2008 of where America is going. ... These are desperate times. Oregon voters deserve a full-blown Senate race, not a cakewalk.
Read the rest. Discuss.
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April 15, 2007
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Apr 15, '07
"Smith has turned in no work product of...heft and weight. It has been a largely cosmetic performance. That has caused us on prior occasions to wonder why Smith bothers to serve."
And he refuses to make himself publicly available to his constituents. If only we could all retire to the Senate...
Apr 15, '07
Yeah, well, Gordy's doing his best to look like an almost-Dem these days. His op-ed in the Register-Guard last week contained several references to his Democratic Udall relatives in Arizona who had passed away from Parkinson's. Just in case we didn't catch how liberal he was being.
Apr 16, '07
Regarding a challenger for Smith, can we assume at this point it won't be DeFazio? It seems despite his awareness of the campaign to draft him, he went out of his way during the last recess to underscore his lack of desire to run.
Blumenauer seems to be the second candidate, but will Oregon go for another senator from OR-02? Any why hasn't Earl done more sitting in his ultrasafe liberal district? It still amazes me that he voted in favor of the anti-gay "Defense of Marriage Act" while Defazio had the courage to vote against it despite him coming out of a Repub leaning district.
Apr 16, '07
Love the term used re: Gordo's performance, "largely cosmetic"...
He's been a "pretty face" from day one.
7:55 a.m.
Apr 16, '07
I should point out that Congressman Earl Blumenauer is in CD-03 and Senator Ron Wyden lives in CD-01.
Also...
http://www.novickforsenate.org/
Apr 16, '07
Yes, Blumenauer from the 3rd. Thanks for the correction. But he took Wyden's seat (OR-03) after the latter got bumped up to the Senate. The point being, will voters be more reluctant to have both of their senators from Oregon's most reliably liberal district (despite Earl's less than stellar liberal credentials)?
What is the latest buzz regarding DeFazio? the draftdefazio blog seems to be lagging in updates? Are they folding up shop? It would be shame to miss out on a real progressive with down-state rural appeal.
Apr 16, '07
Yesterday I watched "Shut up and Sing" with the wife. It's the documentary about the Dixie Chicks persecution and re-invention after Natalie Maines dissed Bush on the eve of the Iraq invasion.
Guess who popped up on screen with the rest of the wingnuts wailing about the Chicks? That's right, Sen. Gordo was right there piling on. I forget what he said exactly. But the man is clearly a smarmy wingnut opportunist who was more than willing enough to pile onto critics of the war in 2003. McCain had the guts to defend them but not our Gordo.
Good riddance is all I can say.
12:06 a.m.
Apr 17, '07
Right-- with the redistricting, Portland now has small parts of two Congressional districts and almost all of CD-03 (a portion of Clackamas County around Sandy is included).
Wyden and Blumenauer each live in different districts.
9:06 p.m.
Apr 17, '07
Kent -- Right on! Thanks for reminding us that Gordon Smith wouldn't stand up for free speech, even when his pal John McCain did. Here's what I wrote about it, way back when.
Portland now has small parts of two Congressional districts and almost all of CD-03
<h2>Actually, three. Darlene Hooley's district comes up into SW Portland, by John's Landing.</h2>