Today, Ned Lamont came out swinging for Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley. If anybody understands how important it is to have a progressive working majority in the Senate, it's Ned Lamont. More below the fold.....
Full disclosure, I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley
Today, Ned Lamont had this to say about the importance of electing progressive Democrats like Jeff Merkley:
Real change doesn't come easy.
On election day in 2006, voters around the country sent an overwhelming message: They wanted a real change in the direction of our country, an end to the war in Iraq, and responsible leadership returned to Washington D.C.
But for two years now, on issue after issue, the 50 Democrats in the Senate have not had the numbers to get the job done. Time and time again Republicans like Gordon Smith have successfully blocked the kind of change the American people want.
This November, we will finally change the balance of power in Washington. And we will do it with new leaders like Jeff Merkley in Oregon.
Like many of you, I am strongly supporting Barack Obama because I believe he has the ability to build the coalitions necessary to address the huge challenges our country faces. But a President Obama will also need strong Democratic allies in Washington in order to accomplish the tasks that will face him on January 20th.
From early on, Jeff was consistent in his opposition to the war in Iraq, and he knows that the solution requires real diplomacy. In Oregon, he has been a progressive leader on issues ranging from education to healthcare to ethics. And this summer, he stood up strong in opposition to the FISA legislation that gave retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies and eroded our civil liberties.
We need as large a majority as possible in the Senate. But electing Jeff to the Senate will mean much more than just one more vote - it will mean bringing a real leader to Washington on the issues who will fight the status quo... and rock the boat.
Thanks,
Ned
Let's Count the Ways Jeff Merkley has ROCKED the boat
Standing up to the Reagan Administration
Before Jeff Merkley became a legislator in the Oregon House, he worked at the Pentagon and CBO as a national security analyst. Merkley became disenchanted with the secrecy surrounding war spending by the Reagan Administration. Jeff decided to leave the Pentagon and wrote an op-ed in the New York Times arguing against the outrageous defense spending by Reagan.
Jeff is not afraid to take problems head on
When Jeff returned to Oregon from DC, he became director of Oregon's Habitat for Humanity. He chose to live in the toughest neighborhood in Portland, working to close down crack alleys and help address gang violence.
Jeff fought the good fight for the rights of gays and lesbians
Six years after Jeff was elected to the House, he stood up to Republican Karen Minnis who was then Speaker of the House. At the time Merkley and House Democrats were leading the charge to pass domestic partnerships through the House. Minnis imposed rule changes on the House floor in an effort to block a vote on the bill. Merkley wasn't having it. Here's what Gay Rights Watch had to say about the incident:
Democratic Minority Leader Jeff Merkley (D- Portland) stood on the floor of the House this evening at around 7:15pm standing up for the rights of gay and lesbian Oregonians. I truly wish I could have seen this. I'm not sure of all the details, but from what I hear Jeff was not happy at all. Outraged at what Speaker Minnis did today to destroy House rules - he did not hold back. He was gavelled about 4 times before either being told that his microphone would be turned off - or it was actually turned off by Speaker Minnis. He was called into Speaker Minnis' office to discuss the floor 'dispute'. Pretty intense.
Karen Minnis actually threatened to have Jeff Merkley removed from the House floor by state troopers. Here's what Jeff had to say about the incident:
I fought so hard for gay and lesbian families that Karen Minnis cut off my mic on the House floor and threatened to have state troopers remove me. But I kept right on fighting and in 2007 won passage of historic legislation for basic rights and domestic partnerships.
Jeff engineers Democratic takeover of the Oregon House
For sixteen years in the Oregon House, the Republicans ruled the roost. That all changed when Jeff was elected as Democratic minority leader. Jeff led a band of progressive Democrats in the House and helped engineer a takeover of the Oregon House.
As House Speaker, Jeff led the most progressive and productive session Oregon has ever seen
After he helped Democrats take back control of the Oregon House, his colleagues unanimously elected him as Speaker of the House. In his new leadership position, working with a razor thin majority, here are just a handful of bills he was able to pass......
Domestic partnerships
Payday lending regulation
A HUGE renewable energy package
Countless environmental bills making Oregon's 2007 session the greenest in the country
The Rainy Day Fund
A bill forcing insurance companies to cover contraceptives
A bill lowering prescription drug prices
Ethics reform
Anti-discrimination legislation
Expanded Head Start and increase public education funding by 18%
The Card Check
Ned's Right....Merkley will Rock the Boat
I know there's a lot going on this election season. We have to elect Obama. We have to pick up House and Senate seats all across the country. I do hope that my fellow Kossacks will turn some of your endless energy to Oregon. We have a real opportunity to send a candidate won't just rock the boat and stand up for progressive principals, he'll bring a new set of leadership skills to the Senate. Like Ned said, "Electing Jeff to the Senate will mean much more than just one more vote - it will mean bringing a real leader to Washington on the issues who will fight the status quo."
If you'd like to join Ned Lamont and other great progressives who have shown their support for Jeff Merkley in Oregon, you can donate to the Kossacks for Merkley Act Blue Page.
Or, you can show your support for Jeff by donating to Ned Lamont's Act Blue Page for Jeff Merkley.
I also just want to say a quick thanks to Ned Lamont for spreading the word about Jeff Merkley. I'm very grateful that Jeff has the support of such a wonderful progressive Democrat.