From the comments: Gordon Smith!..my gawd. Who in their right mind would invite Gordon Smith to talk about America's role in the world? So much for those two "Progress Centers".

My thoughts exactly when I saw he was going to be part of this event.

For starters, he proposed that America is currently trusted, but not loved, and it is better to be trusted than loved.

That's pablum for Smith's faithful to continue with the illusion he is Goody-Two-Shoes.

Hiring Gordon Smith to discuss International Affairs would be like hiring me to discuss particle physics, except that I am smart enough to turn down the opportunity because I know I am incompetent to discuss the subject.

The "Principles" of Gordon Smith

None existant.

How many times will he flip-flop...it's like watching a fish on the deck of a fishing boat.

Smith is the most transparently phony politician I've seen in a long time. He will say and do anything to stay in the "club" he treats as "a manor born" birth right.

This is the result of being phony from the get go.

Smith held himself out as a good 'ol boy from Pendleton. What is the truth? Smith grew up in Washington D.C. where his father worked in government. Undoubtably, he saw the "club" and wanted to be in it. When he got into Oregon politics, as a state senator from Pendleton, it was only a stepping stone to the U.S. Senate.

Smith's political career is to symptomatic of today's model of a politician. This is true of both parties, by the way, that calculating untruth is the operating procedure for all politicians upto and through the presidential level.

Both parties need to speak truth to power.

It's up to voters to insist on this higher standard.

If we don't, we'll get what we deserve.

Please provide a total sum of his foreign money contributions. Thanks

Kari

This is probably a stupid and off topic question, but if Gordo gets money from "Mr.Z" who lobbies for Coca Cola, General Motors and Israel, do you consider that as money that Smith is "getting from lobbyists for foreign governments"? Or do you know of a way to distinguish between money coming specifically from foreign governments as opposed to the endless DC attorney/lobbyists who represent anybody and everybody including some foreign interests and some domestic interests?

Please do not consider this as an indirect defense of Gordo, who is an idiot and needs to be defeated next election.

Smith is the most transparently phony politician I've seen in a long time. He will say and do anything to stay in the "club" he treats as "a manor born" birth right.

The second sentence above will help to explain the first. People raised in privileged societies often grow up out of touch with some realities.

Gordon Smith raising money (as implied) through foreign governments, or talking money from their representatives to ostensibly make decisions not in the best interests of America?

You mean like how Gore took that big sackful of cash from China, right before Clinton allowed the technology sale of our missile defense?

Oops, sorry...dropped my script. Yeah...Gordon Smith is a bastard! He's a republi-con and he sucks! Think global, act local! Hybrids rule! Earl Blumenauer is just dreamy!!

The right has a very loose grasp on ethics. Essentially, they view it as a team sport. If someone on their team does something wrong, he must be defended at all costs. A popular defense is to point out that someone on the opposite team once did something similar.

I call it "tattling" ethics. You see it a lot in children under the age of 5.

Ahhh...Kari. I know you are trying to follow your agenda very closely, and I give you credit for not veering off your path. But if it's a lobbyist and it's giving money, politicians from both parties won't be far behind. If they are writing a check to Smith, I'll bet anything they are writing checks to folks on your side of the aisle...and moreover, the checks to the D's are probably bigger since you folks control the gavel.

If you really think this is an important issue, post ALL the candidates that accepted money from these supposed lobbyists from foreign countries. Let's have a honest discussion about it. But if you are just reaching for an issue to roast Gordo on, you might pick something that doesn't expose the collective backside of the Democrats as well.

Mom might not have gotten around to the lesson about two wrongs not making a right, but she did a pretty good job about teaching me not to be a hypocrite...or tolerating it from others.

Cheers!

Hey, did Gordon Smith say anything about the Del Monte raid.

Blue Oregon just hides under its collective desk.

I just received a notice of a planned protest from Veterans In Action against Gordon Smith that may be of interest to some:

Come lend your voice and wave some signs as we draw news coverage to Smith and force him to take a real position against the Iraq War. Where: Parking Lot at SE Water Ave. & SE Caruthers St., immediately South ofOMSI When: Saturday, June 16th, at 4:30 PM To RSVP, or if you have any questions, please contact:Adrian Rosoliecell phone: 503/522-1830 / email: [email protected]

Dan E., I just want to make sure I understand you're point: your defense of Smith is that you suspect that Democrats have done the same thing?

If that were true -- which there's no reason to believe -- would it make Smith's actions any less objectionable?

Dan E., by the way, that tactic is exactly what I meant when I described "tattling" ethics above.

First, the more concern trolls a blog gets the more it indicates how desperate they are, thus the old "but Clinton did it" defense.

Ya know, a whole lot of us common people (ie. voters) are just plain sick of "politics as usual." We are not looking for a Dem who will act like the money whore GOP that sells everything to the highest bidder, nor are we looking for a Gooper who will pretend to be a moderate while undermining the rule of law, suppressing voter turnout, and pushing their personal morality on the rest of us.

According to this not-surprising summary: The Progressive Majority - a majority of Americans think progressively, and want some basic decencies in our politics that the MSM routinely ignores. We The People are clamoring for leaders who actually want to lead for the good of the nation, not for their own elitist hold on power. Why is so hard to get altruistic people running for office who would work for what's best for all of us, from health care reform to an Apollo Project-type energy plan to plain old good fair governance?

I strongly believe that we are on the verge of either massive populism or massive apathy and it will decide the future of this nation. Will we demand of our politicians that actions necessary to propel us forward or will we continue to throw up our hands and say "but they all do it and that's just the way it is?"

President Bush, G. Smith and others members of US, State and local government are elected BY the People and FOR the People and must serve the People, but NOT Lobbyists only. It is a common sense: who gave - must get back something as a job, position or piece of nation. Large corporations bought President Bush and US Congress, are getting back cheap labor - illegal immigrants. US government does not want to lock-up our borders. How many potential terrorists are living in Oregon and in USA and are ready to kill Americans? Some illegal immigrants do not loyal to this country and don't want naturalization, but an idiots President Bush and in US Congress gave them naturalization. Someday some our states will be a North part of Mexico.

Pavel Goberman - Candidate for US Senator www.getenergized.com/vote.html

Oh, that wasn't a defense of Gordon Smith. Not by a long shot. And even if it was, I think I'd have to do better than setting the bar with Clinton and Gore's standards, even with this crowd. Quite frankly, Gordon has managed, almost with seemingly ruthless efficiency, to divest himself of any semblance of a base with us rock-ribbed Republicans. I was simply pointing out the consistent double-standard that seems to permeate many of the discussions here. If Gordon does it...well, it's bad. If a democrat does it..well, we don't talk about it...ever.

<h2>Let's face it. Our respective parties have clearly different ideologies. Those are fun to debate and on a good day, those debates lead to a more complete understanding about each other and might actually produce decent policy that meets the greater good on some level, without leaving either side with the burning desire to choke the living shit out of the other one. But our elected officials have the exact same weaknesses, not based on the flaws of our philosophy, but on the flaws of our character as humans - greed, flattering power, vanity, cowardice, the need to be liked, etc. Those, unfortunately, are everywhere. Neither party has the monopoly on any sort of moral superiority, so let's dispense with the righteous indignation that seems to be the lowest common denominator areound here. Besides, if you are using the behavior of politicians to feel good about yourself...man, are you in for a really depressing downward spiral of self-loathing and depravity.</h2>