Gordon Smith won't back away from pro-war John McCain, his "very good friend"
In the Corvallis Gazette-Times, Diane Safford relates a fascinating tale about her conversation with Gordon Smith:
Why wouldn’t Smith take questions?I attended the Aug. 9 Republican picnic because I wanted a chance to speak with Sen. Gordon Smith.
I’m not a Republican, but I but this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up — I knew people had been arrested attempting to speak with him.
Smith left the podium without taking questions from the audience. My heart sank.
I hurried to walk beside him to his car and asked, “You co-sponsored an amendment that would force Bush to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq in 120 days. But your choice for President is John McCain, the most unyielding proponent of staying in Iraq. How do you explain this?”
Sen. Smith flashed his trademark grin and dodged my question with another question: “Have you ever had a good friend?”
I said, “But the war in Iraq is such an important matter.” He shrugged, “I’m just not ready to give up on my very good friend.” The answer seemed specious, and left me feeling a bit disconcerted, but I was nonetheless mesmerized: I actually had a chance to talk with Gordon Smith—without risking arrest!
I spotted a friend whose wounded husband just returned from Iraq, and relayed the conversation. She looked at me, aghast.
“If you have a friend who is responsible for 3,700 American deaths, 27,000 Americans wounded, and 75,000 civilians confirmed killed, would you continue to support him so even more people will be killed and wounded, just because he’s your friend?”
She was right, of course.
Diane Safford
Corvallis
|
Aug. 13, 2007
Posted in letter to the editor. |
More Recent Posts | |
Albert Kaufman |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
Kari Chisholm |
Final pre-census estimate: Oregon's getting a sixth congressional seat |
Albert Kaufman |
Polluted by Money - How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America |
Guest Column |
|
Albert Kaufman |
Our Democrat Representatives in Action - What's on your wish list? |
Kari Chisholm |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
connect with blueoregon
Aug 13, '07
This is more of Smith-speak. Say whatever he thinks will work as a brush-off even if it ignores logic or reality.
11:55 p.m.
Aug 13, '07
That's become his pat answer. It's moronic, totally moronic. Who will care that he's Gordon Smith's fucking friend when he's trying to run the country and he's a total disaster? What kind of logic is that to use to support someone? He's saying "I'm not even thinking about my choice." Just moronic.
I was shocked to see The O and the R-G actually call him on stuff last week. He had to back off right in front of the O on the gap in months between water cutoff and fish kill (he claimed it was 18, 3x the actual gap). Will they take him skeptically, particularly The O's editors? He tried to pass total BS on them and they busted him. Do they really support this guy after that performance?
That's the letter I'd like to see printed: OK, editors--now that the story has been laid out in front of you and Senator Smith has given his response--what do you say? Are you curious? You know he's tried to get over on you; do you think maybe he's hiding something? Should you...investigate?
6:18 a.m.
Aug 14, '07
Y'all are right to hold Smith's feet to the fire on this. It seems self-evident to me that Smith's position has precious little to do with a "good friend" and a great deal to do with motivating his Chicken Hawk base, the only segment of American society that still supports W's Folly.
The reality is that McCain won't survive the GOP primaries. Once the darling of Independents like myself, he is now a pathetic shell of a man forever tainted by his shameless kissing up to Dubya since 2004.
Aug 14, '07
Friends don't let friends who are drunk with ambition continue driving the country to a senseless and lost war unless they are similarly drunk and are also talking out of both sides of their mouths. Most of McCain's former supporters got off his "straight talk express" bus when they realized how much the driver was out of it. How much more will it take for Smith's supporters to wise up and dump him? It's time to send them both to rehab - not back to the senate.
Aug 14, '07
When you endorse a candidate you ought to at least agree with them on the most important issue
You nailed it with Carl, Kari. Maybe Smith is thinking that McCain still plays well in the hinterlands. Perhaps he should check out the recent Iowa straw poll.
12:19 p.m.
Aug 14, '07
Why, thank you Thom. Glad to see somebody heard me this morning -- a half-hour ahead of my usual slot (my request, schedule conflict, etc.)
Aug 14, '07
Maybe deep down he hoped it would earn him a VP nomination. Of course, if he's such good of a friend that he would go so far to support him, then why did Smith plan to stay away from McCain's fundraiser (which ultimately failed anyway)?
Aug 14, '07
Just noticed that in a bout of irony Google has decided to advertise Smith's campaign on the Blue Oregon homepage. Nobody tell them they're wasting their money.
3:24 p.m.
Aug 14, '07
Yup, that's one of the more amusing things about Google ads is that they can be contextual but off. We've seen many ads for "Republican Dating" and "Love George Bush" t-shirts.
Just keep clicking. Every time you click on Gordon's ad you transfer a nickel or so from his campaign account to the BlueOregon fund that will pay for our new Fellow. (Which, btw, we'll announce in the next week or so...)
Aug 14, '07
FWIW, Eugene's KLCC broadcast on their last "Sunday at Noon" show an interview that Claude Offenbacher<sp?> did with Senator Smith last week. Smith was asked point blank if he had any favourite republican presidential candidates and he asserted that he intends to support John McCain, citing the good friend thing &c.
Aug 14, '07
As far I as know, Smith has made it clear that McCain is his choice for the nomination. Though from how you phrase his response in the interview, it sounds as if he's using his Smith-sonian double talk to create some distance. McCain is headed off the cliff and Smith isn't about to go along for the ride, no matter how much they're buddies.
9:54 p.m.
Aug 14, '07