Last Tuesday was election day here in Oregon and current House Speaker Jeff Merkley won the Democratic nomination for the Oregon Senate race. Jeff Merkley has a dynamite record of passing progressive legislation and led the greenest and most labor friendly session in the last 30 years. Honestly, I'm very happy the primary is over. No more fighting with my fellow progressive Democrats, it's time to turn our fire and aim it directly at Republican Gordon Smith.
Here in Oregon we have a Democratic Governor, a Democratic Senate, and a Democratic House. You'd think that the blueness of my state would have pushed Smith out back in 2002. Smith does what he always does to hold onto his seat, he trotted out his moderate poser suit and flashed it around until my fellow Oregonians were blinded. Smith is no moderate Republican, he is a Bush/Cheney loyalist who votes with the elephants 90% of the time.
Gordon Smith Factoids
Feel the love between Smith and Bush/Cheney
Did you know that Republican Gordon Smith was one of Bush/Cheney's leading fundraisers in the country? Smith also served as chairman of Bush's re-election campaign in 2004. In an effort to please rural conservatives, Dick Cheney and Gordon Smith worked together on a water diversion project in the Klamath River. The result was a massive fish kill that was devastating in coastal communities. At first Smith was proud of his involvement with Dick Cheney during his re-election bid back in 2002, once he started to catch flack from Oregonians, he backtracked.
Free Trade Smith
Republican Gordon Smith doesn't seem to notice what's going on in his own state. We've had a stagnant job market and this spring we've had a disheartening number of job losses. No matter if Oregonians are struggling, Smith doesn't hesitate to pass free trade deal after free trade deal. He voted for fast track authority for the President, CAFTA and the Peru, Oman, and Chilean trade deals.
Anti-Working Family Smith
Back in 2005, Gordon Smith voted against raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. Hardworking families deserved that raise Gordon Smith. Workers making minimum wage had to wait two more years to earn what they should. Was does it say about Gordon Smith that he'll vote to cut taxes for the wealthy and big oil but he wouldn't even vote to raise the minimum wage? Gordon Smith also played a role in blocking the Employee Free Choice Act last year. Remember how that felt? Don't you want to show your gratitude for Smith's appreciation for working Oregonians and oust him in November?
Here are two ads that have hit the tubes here in Oregon. The first was released by the Merkley Campaign and the second by the DSCC hit on the same theme:
The way we're going to beat Gordon Smith in the fall is by exposing him as the right winger he is. Get to know Gordon Smith here and here. We all need to do as much as we can to send progressive Democrat Jeff Merkley to the Senate. We're going to pick up a handful of Senate seats this election, and there's just no telling how many races will flip our way. If you can afford to donate to Merkley that's wonderful, or if you can tell a friend about this race that would be great too. We have a real shot at unseating Gordo and replacing him with a progressive Democrat who will stand by his values. Doesn't that sound nice?
If you want to learn more about Jeff Merkley, check out his website here. I also wrote a diary awhile back about why I chose to support Merkley in the race for OR-Sen.