Blue America Welcomes Jeff Merkley
Last week I invited Southern California DWT readers to come meet Oregon's Senate candidate Jeff Merkley in Los Angeles and promised John and Digby would be there too. Digby couldn't come herself but D-Day joined John, the incredible Hopelettes, and an enthusiastic bevy of wonderful progressive friends and neighbors (and me) in welcoming Jeff to town. Next time I promise to post the invitation here at C&L too. (Hint: keep your September 9 lunch hour open.) Meanwhile, we had a great time with Jeff, who showed us exactly why everyone is saying he'll be the closest thing to Paul Wellstone the Senate has seen after he ousts Bush rubber stamp Gordon Smith in November.
Anyway, Smith has taken immense amounts of special interest money from every corporation looking for an easy mark. While gas prices have been going through the roof, he scarfed up $293,325, and voted for every initiative Big Oil has ever wanted-- everything that has led to out of control gas prices. While the real estate market was plummeting, Smith took in $733,462 from the real estate industry, $317,071 from lobbyists and another $518,630 from investment companies-- that's over a million and a half reasons for him to join the GOP deregulation jihad that has made sure the federal government would have neither the will nor the means to protect consumers and workers from the excesses of out-of-control predatory capitalism. Please give us a hand in raising some funds for Jeff to fight this attempt by corporations to continue to buy our democracy. Here's Jeff talking about how he'd like to handle the Iraq problem; it'll give you an idea about why we're so excited about him replacing Smith:
Who?
DetentionSlip.org
Howie,
You got a nice attaboy at this Oregon-centric blog:
http://www.blueoregon.com/2008/08/uh-oh-howie-kle.html
Think about it, if you were a leader in the world and wanted to do something rather unethical, when would you do it? I'd say, while bush naps out the rest of his term. Watch out for more world turmoil.
I had to read that article like three times before I knew what it was about.
And I only just started drinking.
3 roo
Actually, I'm expecting Iraq and or Afghanistan flaring up again.
We've been providing wet fire training for terrorists for free.
Every time we talk about skeedaddling, they start something to cause calls for surges in troop strengths.
Next 40 years is going to be a mess.
Woo Hoo! Jeff is now the only reason I'm excited about voting in the fall. Can't wait to get rid of Gordon!
ysbaddaden @ 5:
Know whats ironic the joint U.S. - Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Ukraine Military exercises in July was called Operation 'Immediate Response'.
Guess Putins one step ahead of everyone else.
Why doesn't Act Blue dedicate some energy getting rid of the bad Democrats, like Pelosi, and then support Cindy Sheehan? It isn't good enough to just put in more Democrats in Congress. They already have a majority and are spineless and support neocon causes.
Bud @ 7:
Smith is a "slick Willie." He tries to move toward the center each time he's up for re-election here and gets a handful of prominent (or formerly prominent) Democrats to go on TV and say, "He works across the aisle." As soon as he gets re-elected, he returns to the GOP's back pocket, supporting as much anti-progressive legislation as he can in the five years prior to beginning his next campaign.
That said, he's a skilled campaigner and debater, and he has a sche!tload of money in his war chest. Even though Merkley is progressive, he's not as skilled. Oregon's blue, but you have to convince people you know something. Merkley performed poorly in his primary debates with the more progressive (and aggressive) Steve Novick. Merkley didn't have a good command of local issues, let alone national. He's going to have to improve dramatically or Smith will eat him for lunch--along with frozen peas from his big-time-polluting pea-packing plant.
You wouldn't think peas could pollute the river. But Gorden wrote a law protecting the river then violate those laws he wrote three times with major dumping into the river. I suppose that if your the leader of Oregon, then that makes it legal.
Just before an election Gorden protested against the war, then retract his stance after the election. Gorden is not to be trusted at all, or rather trust that he will back pedal once the election is over.
David Wu seems to be back pedaling on Nancy Pelosi's stance on Impeachment. David sent some letters with his stance and that he co-wrote with Kucinich on the article of impeachment. But I tried several times to get him to comments on Nancy Pelosi poor leadership of speaker of the house, with blocking impeachment process. His only letter with the comment was that he support Nancy idea of keeping impeachment off the table. We had an election and a pretty good movement to replace him with another Democrat, and I think that made David Wu take a stronger stance. The common critique for David was that he wasn't leading but softly going with the flow of the democratic party lackadaisical policy of giving what Bush want.
I do think act Blue should support Sheehan, just to push Nancy button to get off the Plastic surgeon posh salon for the elitist and get back to either passing bill that the people want and not passing bill that Bush want just for the sake that they can pass bills, and call it a hard day of working.
Nancy keeps looking more and more like Bush in regard of shielding of themselves real intelligence report of crime being committed and rolling up their sleeves for the public to convince you that she knows hard work.
Bush on plame gate "if anyone involve in the Plame scandal will be remove from office"
Nancy on Bush "If hard evidence of Bush committing a crime in office is found, then the Impeachment process will go forward."
Both have a tendency to not read or look into anything, and both pretend that they are so important and that they have done great things for America.
Jeff Merkley is the kind of progressive populist we need in Washington DC to help enact Obama's agenda for change.
Go, Jeff. For those of you who don't know, Merkley put his home in hock to run in the primary here. He can use all the help he can get. Here in Oregon we are sick of Gordon Smith who voted strictly "plantation" until he ran into trouble and is now trying to act like an Obamacan and is passing on his own Republican convention. Merkley is also going to have a joint campaign office in the Portland area with Obama.
I think Merkley can bring some good leadership to the Senate on healthcare, building a smart energy policy, and repairing our economy. His opponent seems to avoid talking about real issues, and is running attack ads instead. But Merkley calmly keeps a focus on the problems people are facing and how to solve them. I believe Jeff is going to win, as long as his fundraising stays strong so he can get his message out there to everyone.
Great post!
Once upon a time (like last Winter, heh...), when I lived in Outer NE Portland? Jeff Merkley made me proud as my Oregon State House Rep. I've since left that district for a different neighborhood here in the City, but I have to say that I'm very excited at having Jeff represent me once again, and this time in the United States Senate!
Imagine if we had a SuperMajority in the US Senate of forward-thinking, realistic progressives with proven records of accomplishment along the lines of Jeff Merkley? I think America just might 'make it' after all...
I agree largely with most of the comments above, but I have to correct just one thing in the post, Howie. Jeff Merkley has my vote solidly in the bag and will be a great addition to Oregon's congressional delegation and the Democratic Caucus of the Senate. However, there was only one guy in this race who was ever referred to as the next Wellstone, and that was the hook-handed genius that Merkley beat in the primary. My point is not meant to be snarky on Merkley....as I said, I am actively supporting him. But Wellstone absolutely did not buy his primary with DC money. And that's a major difference.
Go Merkley!
www.jeffmerkley.com
Merkley's going to have to get off his ass and start campaigning. I haven't seen one TV ad from his campaign-- the DSCC's run a couple, but Smith is increasing his lead by blanketing the airwaves with one ad after another.
He doesn't have to advertise. Press conferences, media events, anything. Tell us how Gordon Smith wants to keep spending $400 million/day in Iraq. Tell us about the special interest stuff Howie mentioned (I had to learn that here, by the way). Merkley's being the frickin Invisible Man, and he's going exactly nowhere. I can't believe it. The Oregonian (which is NOT a progressive newspaper by the way) is actually doing a better job than he is. Where the hell is he?
How about adding Robert Wexler? I haven't seen any polls on how he is doing, but he's been heroic in his efforts. I think you should consider adding him to the list!
Gordon Smith is fundamentally vulnerable, and if Merkley is half as successful in the U.S. Senate as he was in the Oregon House, progressives from around the country will be very well-served. Oregon has been ahead of the curve in investing in clean energy and creating living wage jobs in a green economy. Jeff's work in Oregon helped pass landmark civil rights legislation and important classroom investment with only the narrowest of majorities. That's the type of approach we could use more of in DC!
Go Jeff!
BTW: The outlier Survey USA poll showing Smith bouncing back also had McCain within the margin of error of Obama, which I don't think anyone takes seriously.
Merkley is fantastic, he got my vote in the primary and has gotten more than one of the meager donations I've been able to afford to give to campaigns this year. Gordon Smith is a typical Bush Republican who is pretending to be progressive to fit with what's popular. The deceptiveness of the ads Smith has run are appalling.
Gorden Smith launch his counter ads, accusing Merkley of spending $2 million on redecorating his office.
"more taxes from you and more money for his office"
$800,000 in new carpets
$4,000 in a desk
$7,000 matching credenza
I gotta say if this is true, then lets get another candidate. I agree with the other poster that we need to be as selective of the democrats, and not blindly elect them just because they are democrats. First I would like to hear Merkley side of the story and urge him to return the expenditure, just as he urge that Gorden Smith return dirty money from Ted Stevens.
Okay I read the Oregonian article on the capital expenditure. I think Gorden Smith attack on Merkley is very deceptive. I have been in the gym industry for awhile and their is a difference in spending on weight machine for the public and the one for the home. Makes sense that the furniture you buy for the public would also have to last 50 years of high volume of use.
please dont refer to these rip-offs as "every initiative big oil has ever wanted".
'initiative" still has positive connotations and as such, is very poor framing !!!!
use 'rip-off', or 'giveaways', etc.
thanks.
I don't live in Oregon....yet. But I will gladly contribute to the campaign of Jeff Merkley and make sure in 4 years I have two Democratic Senators representing my future home state.
paranoia @ 22:
Renovating the state capitol was a bipartisan bill that actually got done under budget. Renovating the US capital is 100% over budget and about ten times as expensive.
Smith has been criticized by every newspaper in Oregon for his bullshit ads including this from the Oregonian:
and this from the very conservative East Oregonian:
Go Merkley!!!
He's (narrowly) leading Gordon Smith in the latest Rasmussen!
Wyden, Merkley, and Blumenauer - that's a team I'm proud of.
nsr @ 18:
Exactly what I was going to say. Smith is all over the place, buying back to back commercials during Colbert even! Merkley is seriously lagging in simply being in front of people. And we all know in this era that is political death. Jeff really needs to hit it hard.
RobertD @ 10:
It was a hard choice between Novick and Merkley. I went with Merkley because he seemed a little more rational. However, after the fact it would have been fun to see a debate between Novick and Smith.
Hey "drilling-solves-nothing,"
If you're from California, please don't move to Oregon. Please.
I've lived in Oregon for 25 years, and I'm reasonably politically informed. Merkley has been a dedicated public servant in Oregon. I don't know of anything special he's accomplished, aside from being speaker of the Oregon House (that didn't do much), but we've been hit hard by tax revolts and right-wing obstructionism.
That said, he would *not* have gotten the senate nomination without over $400,000 of money from the DNC or whatever national part of the Democratic party it was that sent the big bucks. We had another candidate who was charismatic, progressive, and was somebody who could have made an impact. He was short, and ha a hook for one hand. The national party decided he couldn't beat Smith so they swamped him with money. I guess the DNC knows better than the Oregon democratic voters. But this kind of stuff will affect my decisions on where to donate my meager political contributions, and will possibly give us another do-nothing rep in DC. Discouraging. What if they had let the Oregonians decide who they wanted to represent them without clobbering the race with money, then gotten behind the Oregonian's choice and clobbered Smith with money? Nah...what am I thinking!
Tbh i wasn't sure about Merkley (i've seen the ads here in pdx), but now that i've read all this here at C&L, i'm sold.
I just got a letter back from Gorden Smith on impeachment for Bush.
his answer is:
"Given events that have taken place during President Bush's administration, the executive branch, including the president and the attorney general, have been called upon to make a great number of decisions to protect national security. While the legislative branch has taken action to give certain executive agencies greater authority to act in the best interest of our nation, we in the Congress have taken great care not to relinquish the powers granted us under the constitution."
translation:
Given the lackadaisical security of our nation with warning of the attack on 9/11 during Bush vacation. The Bush administration use the attack to give the dictator more powers with the AG blind obedience. While the legislative branch have taken great precaution concealment of complicity in order to not implicate themselves in the destruction of the constitution.
Am I close?
My goodness! Jeff Merkley was raise in Myrtle Creek just south of Roseburg. That area is a sea bed of conservatives, and as redneck as you can be in Oregon. Son of a sawmill worker, which is predominately very conservative. Anyone in the lumber industry know that the liberal spotted owl policy hurt the lumber industry. For the most part the liberal are the blame for their demise in life and prosperity. I am so surprise that Merkley came from that area. I have known people to get fired from their job and beat up for being a liberal. The flying spaghetti monster phenomena also came from Roseburg after the guy wrote a letter to the board of Kansas city on the creationist theory being taught in public school. My life have been so much better since I moved to Portland from Roseburg.
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