Senator Gordon Smith goes nuke

If there was any doubt on what Sen Smith (R-OR) would do, there's not anymore.  From an AP story just minutes ago...

"The Republicans working on that deal are contradicting Frist, R-Tenn., who has insisted that all of the White House's nominees get confirmed. He picked up an additional senator on his side Wednesday, Sen. Gordon Smith (news, bio, voting record), R-Ore."

More...

"Smith said he had decided over the weekend that he would vote to change Senate rules that let members block nominees by threatening to filibuster. "I think to do otherwise has a chilling effect not only on the meaning of elections, but as to the intellectual vigor of the judicial branch of the government," Smith said."

What can we do with this guy?  Can a senator be recalled?  I'd love to put some heat on him.  It's ironic that he is making the Senate a mob-rules venue because in Oregon we're majority Democratic.  If mob rules, where are the pitchforks and torches!?

•  Was this a trade?

  One more thing -- I'm wondering if this was part of a trade he made to his party leadership to keep them from cutting Medicaid sooo much.

  by mz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:01:11 PM PDT

•  yes -

  but the article also identifies 7 Republicans who were working on a compromise, only to have Frist give them a huge fuck you.

  and concludes:
  Neither side appears certain it has enough votes to prevail if that issue is put to a test.

  7 is more than enough. Let's hope Frist pushed them just a bit too far this time.

  by draftchrisheinz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:01:34 PM PDT

  •  not likely

    The GOP has the power, and there are a lot of carrots and sticks they can use to get GOP senators in line on this issue. If they vote the wrong way, they will lose money for military bases, highway projects, Medicaid, you name it.

    by desmoinesdem on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:05:30 PM PDT

    •  See top of reco list...

      New poll showing public would prefer a Democratic Congress in '06. Too early and hypothetical to be meaningful? Maybe. Enough to make undecided/leaning away Rethugs find the guts to vote to preserve the filibuster? Maybe.
      Praying that Frist pushes it and fails!

      by srkp23 on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:45:43 PM PDT

      •  Nuclear Option may be highwater "mark

        of the beast" for Republicans. If it goes down they go down in '06. If it goes through?...(Right now...I'm expecting it to go through. I had this same sinking feeling right before the election. I sense theat the fever" hasn't broken yet in Amerika. Hope I'm wrong)

        by sooner on Wed May 18, 2005 at 08:16:40 PM PDT

    •  don't forget the 30 pieces of silver.

      by 2nd balcony on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:52:47 PM PDT

•  Spineless wimp

  Completely predictable behavior from this Bush toady.  The administration works carefully with Smith to craft an "independent" image by letting him off the reservaton when it doesn't matter, but he's always there when a nose needs browning.  For the life of me, I can't figure out why the people of Oregon fall for it, but the fact is, he couldn't be elected without some of us.  It seems as though we have a permanent closeted "independent" Republican Senate seat in this state.

  by Vico on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:03:31 PM PDT

  •  Exactly!

    I've noticed the same type of "safe" independent behavior.  On things he should have been barking at -- like that shameful Medicaid Drug Benefit rip-off -- the dog didn't bark!  That's right up his alley and he didn't lift a finger.
    

    by mz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:07:48 PM PDT

•  I hope his agreement with Wyden

  is now dead. They had agreed not to support candidates running against each other. That deal should now be dead. Oregonians should call Wyden and pressure him to call the deal off.

  by mcjoan on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:04:32 PM PDT

  •  Do they fucking have to pressure him?

    If they do, fuck Wyden.

    by Armando on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:25:15 PM PDT

    •  Yes, they do.

      by mcjoan on Wed May 18, 2005 at 09:23:36 PM PDT

•  damn

  I hope this overrules the "Smith is a moderate" lie for good.  The man has been dancing for too long.
  

  by tunesmith on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:11:26 PM PDT

•  what a fucking bastard...

  I'm ashamed he represents the good state of Oregon. We are not a red state, by god, and if he votes for the nuclear option I will make it a life mission to see him defeated in his next election.

  Moderate Republican, my ass.

  by pacific city on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:21:31 PM PDT

  •  What can we do?

    How can we raise the flames up under him?

    I've written letters, called and voted against him regularly.  

    How can we expose his cozy "safe" independent strategy?

    by mz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:27:30 PM PDT

    •  we start planning now...

      for the 2008 race. Unfortunately there is little we can do, I guess, now that he has proven himself to be unable or unwilling to stand up against extremists in his party.

      by pacific city on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:30:11 PM PDT

•  And I was just working on one more letter to him.

  He need to go but who should/will run against him?

  by greycat on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:24:13 PM PDT

  •  No Dem bench

    We Democrats have very good, even excellent state officers working for us --- Secretary of State Bill  Bradbury (unjustly abused by the crazy-right Oregonian editorial page as too partisan), Attorney General Hardy Myers, State Treasurer Randall Edwards.  But none of them has the charisma and style to beat Smith and his bland evil.  Edwards might possibly be able to do it with a tremendously well-financed campaign, but it's unlikely to materialize, and besides, he wants to be governor.  I still have my eye on Phil Kiesling, who left state government at the top.  But so far as I know, he has shown no interest.  I think our best bet may be a completely unconventional candidate, a Patty Murray type, who might also turn out to be a quixotic clown.  State Sen. Kate Brown of Eugene comes to mind.

    by Vico on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:35:16 PM PDT

    •  Local 'moderate'

      We have another one brewing in Benton county.  Frank Morris (R-district 8) could be a rising moderate.  He has backed civil unions much to the dismay of the red-faced-screamers.
      

      by mz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:44:55 PM PDT

      •  A Republican?!

        We need a Democratic vote in the Senate.  No need to deep-six Smith just to replace him with another Rethug, however moderate he may be.

        by Vico on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:51:59 PM PDT

        •  Definitely not

          I meant that there's another Smith-like moderate repub growing up here in Benton county.

          by mz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:57:11 PM PDT

          •  Gotcha

            I thought you were proposing him as an alternative to Smith.  Actually, that other guy from down your way who tried to get the Repub nomination for governor, Sexton, fits the moderate mold better than Smith.  But I'm down on moderate Republicans.  I dislike them more than the racist righties from the South, who at least make no bones about the evil in their minds.

            by Vico on Wed May 18, 2005 at 08:04:19 PM PDT

    •  Too bad Kitzhaber won't run.

      by greycat on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:55:35 PM PDT

      •  Kitahaber would win

        I think he would have run the last time Smith was elected.  Maybe he's had a change of heart?

        by Ernest T Bass on Wed May 18, 2005 at 08:09:43 PM PDT

        •  he would have run means

          he would have won

          by Ernest T Bass on Wed May 18, 2005 at 08:10:13 PM PDT

•  Pretty simple

  We make his next election MEANINGFUL, as we retire his ass.

  by Armando on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:24:37 PM PDT

•  let them win

   let the republicans go nuke the senate, it will blow up in their face and lead to gains for the democrats. the people in this country are against it and feel it`s almost anti-democratic, they will remember in 2006.i believe this will backfire on them bigtime and eventually they will
  be in the minority again and   are just going to hurt themselves at that point.
  i still think about 20 senators in the middle don`t want this to happen and at the very end they will work something out.they will end up with barry goldwater running in 2008 and the dems may just win in a landslide ,if enough people get pissed off.

  by JOEL1954 on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:28:07 PM PDT

  •  Let them win...NO...

    We will have stacked religious, conservative, way far rightwing courts for our life time, not to mention generations to come. They will lie and the filibuster will be DOA and they will start changing laws. They don't give a shit about the constitution..this is what we should be fighting for..not Iraq.  

    by Chamonix on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:41:18 PM PDT

•  Start planning for his replacement in 08

  It's Oregon, so i'm hoping there wont be too much trouble finding a candidate. He and Coleman have got to go in 08, both try and act like moderates, but just arent.

  by jj32 on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:34:37 PM PDT

•  Rumors of an OR "Kos"tal meet-up 2005?

  I've heard rumors of getting together in the Newport/Waldport area this summer?  Anyone hear/know anything about it?

  by 2dot on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:45:28 PM PDT

  •  Local feel

    I wish there was a way on dkos to see diaries of local NW / Oregon people.  As it is they kind of scroll on by and go.

    Something like a "Local diaries" list?

    by mz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:50:54 PM PDT

    •  Local diaries

      If some of us wrote more, others of us could subscribe.  I always like to check out what pacific city and eugene have to say.

      by Vico on Wed May 18, 2005 at 07:56:37 PM PDT

•  Last Time Was The Last Time For Mr Smith

  Thank you Gordon Smith!  

  You have just confirmed my vote AGAINST you next election.

  The last time was the last time you could count on my vote.  

  Don't forget, Mr Smith has to come home from Washington DC sometime.

  See you then.
  

  by Cocophone on Wed May 18, 2005 at 08:09:19 PM PDT

  •  You mean

    You've voted for him before?

    Yikes!

    by Ernest T Bass on Wed May 18, 2005 at 08:11:05 PM PDT

    •  A vote for Smith

      Is a vote for the dark side always.  That pretty much goes for all "moderate" repubs.

      Vote for Smith, vote for cuts in unemployment benefits during record unemployment in Oregon (2003) that led the nation.

      Vote for Smith, vote for cuts in the VA

      Vote for Smith, vote for Operation Iraqi Disaster

      Vote for Smith, vote for lack of our states rights (Phy Assist Suicide)

      Vote for Smith, vote for the Medicaid Drug Benefit scam that has cost 3 times Bush's initial false estimate.

      Vote for Smith, vote for Individual Accounts in Social Security - aka Grand Theft Retirement.

      How is any of this benefiting the average Joe in Roseburg who is one paycheck away from living out of their pickup?

      This moralist jackass is just awful for Oregon.  Why not represent the poor in your state for a change!?  Stop exploiting them with the gay marriage crap.  
      

      by mz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 08:27:33 PM PDT

•  I wrote to Senator Smith and

  urged him to vote against the nuclear option and for democracy. I got a form letter thanking me for my input and explaining to me what cloture is.  

  I KNOW what cloture is, godamit!  I wanted him to do the right thing.

  I've lost a great deal of respect for him.  Respect built upon what he and Senator Ron Wyden have accomplished together.  

  Smith is in my sights now as someone who must be defeated.  A nothing more.

  by CJB on Wed May 18, 2005 at 09:02:50 PM PDT

•  Gordon needs to retire

  Smith has a lot of money and is known for dirty campaigning.  We're going to need a great deal of help to retire this guy.  

  I've written many letters to Smith and called his local office on numerous occasions.  I always receive a letter back but I'm sure they are all form letters.  As a matter of fact, both my husband and I wrote to him concerning the Iraq War and got the same exact letter from Smith.  We even held them up to the light, back to back, and they were, as I said, identical down to the mechanical signature.
  

  by pacifica on Wed May 18, 2005 at 09:09:42 PM PDT

•  He decided before the weekend

  I got a letter from him I believe Monday in response to an email about the nuclear option. He was already against it. The weekend thing is just a lie - what you would expect from an im-moderate Republican. The only thing that differentiates him from a right-winger in the Senate is his vote against ANWR, even though he voted for the budget that had it in it. And for that he's a moderate? He votes with the right-wing nut jobs, oh, pretty much, ALWAYS. Moderate my ass.

  Why oh why didn't Kitzhaber run? Where oh where is a Democrat that could beat him?

  by Homer Sampson on Wed May 18, 2005 at 09:12:32 PM PDT

  •  Yes

    See my previous dkos diary entry for the text of the reply he sent to me.

    I just keep telling myself that every letter to him is another snowflake piling up, even though I know what his reply will be before I get it.
    

    by mz on Wed May 18, 2005 at 09:23:17 PM PDT