Flash mob! Gordon Smith! Today!
Kari Chisholm
[Editor's note: Just to clarify: This was on Saturday.]
Astute readers of the comments here at BlueOregon will recall a tip about a Gordon Smith fundraiser today - featuring GOP Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky).
Well, it seems that the Smith campaign found out - and they've moved up the departure time of their boat. Bummer for them, the Stop Gordon Smith crew found that out.
So, the Stop Gordon Smith folks and the Veterans In Action are teaming up to organize a flash mob to protest Senators Smith and McConnell - and their ongoing votes to continue funding the Iraq War. From the announcement:
Late last night, the Veterans in Action - a group of veterans concerned about our misadventures in Iraq - announced a protest for later today.We're hoping that you'll join the Stop Gordon Smith crew and these patriotic veterans to let Senator Smith, Senator Mitch McConnell (the Republican Leader), and their $1000 donors that it's time to stop funding the War.
Please join us at 4:30 p.m. today at SE Caruthers and SE Water Avenue in Portland, near OMSI. Here's a map.
Got that? 4:30 p.m. today. Questions? Call Adrian Rosolie at 503-522-1830.
Dig it.
Update: The Portland Mercury has the story too...
And oh yeah, on the jump, the full press release from Veterans In Action:
Veterans in Action To Protest Smith's Support For The War On SaturdayAs Smith cruises for money, veterans will protest his consistent votes for the Iraq War
Portland - Oregon. Veterans will protest U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith's (R-OR) consistent votes to fund the Iraq War.
Although Smith claims to oppose the war, he has consistently voted to continue it, from the October 2002 authorization through the May 24, 2007 vote to fund the war. Since 2002 he has voted more than 20 times to fund or authorize the war. Other Oregon elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and all four Democratic congressional representatives, voted against the May 24 funding bill and have voted against this war several times.
As Smith rides a boat along the river with U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), veterans will voice their disagreement with Smith's consistent support of the Iraq War. McConnell also votes consistently to continue funding the war.
Veterans in Action is a group that takes an active role in the matters that affect both veterans and active duty personnel.
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12:49 p.m.
Jun 16, '07
Oh yeah, my full disclosure: I built StopGordonSmith.com.
2:41 p.m.
Jun 16, '07
Makes me wish I still lived up in Portland Metro. I'd put in our boat and cruise near by with a STOP GORDON SMITH sign. I hope someone has a video camera of the guests arriving.
Jun 16, '07
Just got back, it was a treat to get that close to Smith and McConnell(about 15-20 feet) as they walked onto the dock and have everyone around me holding signs like "Bush+Smith=Iraq disaster" and shouting "Support our troops, bring them home!"
We sure got their attention, particularly of the guests who seemed surprised that we were right up close to them. One lady, who was wished "Happy Birthday" by the greeters, gave us a scowl as the Viet Nam vet next to me jeered "3500 troops don't have a birthday." It was classic.
Gotta say, Gordo does not look good in yellow, and I agree with another guy in the crowd that Smith's been attending too many fundraisers, he's getting a fair gut.
Jun 16, '07
Great! Thanks for your efforts!
Jun 16, '07
isn't this a little juvenile and intolerant? Jeesh, get a life.
Jun 16, '07
Penny, do you consider it juvenile and intolerant that "3500 troops don't have a life?"
Jun 17, '07
Protest is intolerance -- the Party is never wrong.
Jun 17, '07
I'd like to thank everybody for coming out, we had a nice turnout and got a couple TV stations (KATU & KPTV) out to cover it on the evening news. Thanks to all for supporting our veterans, and helping take another step to stop Gordon Smith! If you'd like to do more, head on over to veteransinaction.com and help support progressive veterans running for public office.
Jun 17, '07
One lady, who was wished "Happy Birthday" by the greeters, gave us a scowl as the Viet Nam vet next to me jeered "3500 troops don't have a birthday." It was classic.
That was me. I also told them to enjoy their Bloody Marys.
5 cop cars and 2 bike cops wasted the tax payers money for this event.
Penny, In answer to your question, no. Since Gordo hides from his constituents in his Ivory tower, this is the only way we get ..."to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."*
*First amendment, US Constitution, a mighty good read.
Jun 17, '07
Oh yeah, my full disclosure: I built StopGordonSmith.com
I and many others are looking forward to the day when we can get a candidate we can all get behind and we can promote a positive site to elect Smith's opponent.
11:22 a.m.
Jun 17, '07
Bill -- Absolutely. I agree. It's worth noting that SGS is an effort of the Democratic Party of Oregon. The party, of course, will stay neutral through the primary. Until then, they'll be working to build the campaign infrastructure to defeat Gordon Smith in the absence of a candidate.
We're going to be rolling out the full SGS site shortly - and rest assured, it's not going to be entirely "negative". It'll include a healthy dose of positive optimism that Oregonians will vote to send a progressive leader to the US Senate.
Jun 17, '07
This assumes that all voters have a fixed opinion of Gordon Smith, or that all who cast votes in the last election could, (esp. at the end of a hard day's work standing on their feet in retail or doing other challenging work)immediately name the 2 Oregon US Senators, their member of Congress, their state legislators if those people are not anyone they have ever met.
There are people who belong to "the fastest growing party is no party at all", the sort who voted for a candidate they liked regardless of party, or whose name they recognized but maybe they did not vote every item on the ballot. The people who may have voted for Bush but also for Hooley, for Wyden although they mostly vote Republican, for Frank Morse as a decent human being they have met although they largely vote for Democrats, etc.
It is a big mistake for anyone to sterotype groups of people. The Republicans who made fun of John Kerry wind surfing were writing off voters who enjoy that sport in Oregon (or elsewhere) or perhaps even make a living at it. Any Democrat who makes a blanket statement like "retail workers don't vote" is writing off an volunteer activist who was glad to be rescued from being unemployed by being hired to work in retail; the person working in a store who is friends with a current elected official; the young recent college grad who loves the bumper sticker "CHENEY/ SATAN 08".
There was an AP story in the SJ this morning quoting Chuck Adams on GOP tactics targeting Dem. incumbents during the session. It mentions Brian Clem as a target. If the voters of District 21 like Clem's record in office; or if the Republicans don't find a candidate as appealing to the general Dist. 21 population as Clem (esp. given his victory margin), what makes Chuck Adams think he can turn that district GOP again? Does he really think ads, mailers, and other ideas dreamed up by consultants will win the votes of people who either like or dislike the current legislature? More importantly, how many election results did he correctly predict? The GOP loss of House majority? The close races in Yamhill County and Dist. 59?
Time to get out in the real world and realize that if people are having a conversation among themselves about a particular candidate, those comments among friends just might have more power to affect votes than all the work of political professionals. As in "someone I know watched this young man grow up and told me all I need to know".
Kari may say this is a rant, but how many results did he correctly predict last year?
Jun 17, '07
It's certainly a right to protest and to petition for regress of grievance but, honestly, how many minds do you think got changed today?
Jun 17, '07
I live out in Gordon Smith country in central Oregon, but I'm glad to see someone trying to do something to get us two Democratic senators in November 2008. I'm sure you all know that Markos Moulitsos of DailyKos targeted Smith as one of the most vulnerable Republican senators, yet the Democratic leadership in the state is always content to put unknowns up against Mr. Smith. When I first moved to Oregon 25 years ago, we had two Republican senators and a Republican governor. We do not have to be collegial and provide Smith with a guaranteed seat. He was part of the Rubber Stamp Congress and is now trying to do a flip-flop. Off-topic but I'd also hope that the state Democratic party is making plans to make us part of Super-Duper Primary Day. Otherwise, we may just as well not vote because our votes will have no influence if they come as late in the primary season as they usually do.
Jun 17, '07
Knapweed,
I'm sure we didn't change the minds of any of the donors paying $1000 apiece to dine with Smith and McConnell--- if they're doling out that much, they certainly know which side their bread is buttered on.
But more importantly, we energized the activists who showed up, knowing that we did get Smith and McConnell's attention, which will motivate us to do even more to work our tails off to unseat him. And additionally, we were standing on the highly foot-trafficked east waterfront, just south of OMSI, and got lots of (positive) attention from passersby, who gave us thumbs-up, and stopped to ask about the protest and read our signs. Lots of people saw that many of their fellow Oregonians are displeased with Smith and acting on it, and getting that message out is never a wasted effort.
Jun 17, '07
...and from the "Gag me with a Ginsu Department":
In today's Sunday Babalonian, George Will had a page E1 editorial entitled: "You Try being an anti-war Senate Republican" Seems like Gordo REALLY IS a great guy after all!
The pick-up head on E2 where the story continues says: "Gordon Smith: He's Voted with the Democrats on Timelines" In that alternate universe where George Will apparently lives, Gordo seems to be leading the charge against the war!
WHODATHUNK??
9:08 p.m.
Jun 17, '07
Kari may say this is a rant, but how many results did he correctly predict last year?
Fortunately, LT, I can tell you exactly: I correctly picked the outcomes of 37 of the 44 races in the biannual Punditology Challenge. That placed me in a tie for 24th place - out of 341 respondents.
In the 2006 primary, I correctly picked 19 of 25 and tied for 7th out of 232 pundits.
What was your point?
Jun 18, '07
It's certainly a right to protest and to petition for regress of grievance but, honestly, how many minds do you think got changed today?
The opposite of dissent and protest is apathy. How many minds do you think that will change?
Jun 19, '07
Kari on LT's attempted smackdown...
<h2>burn</h2>