Merkley was opposed to blank check bailout before he voted for it

September 24, 2008:

In this economy, who's really on your side?
Gordon Smith and Washington - a decade of no accountability
Tax breaks for billionaires, shipping our jobs overseas.
And now, a trillion dollar blank check for Wall Street.
For us, there's Jeff Merkley.

Took on the payday lenders, cut golden parachutes.
And Merkley says no bailouts until CEO bonuses are cut.
And middle class taxpayers are protected.
Finally, a senator on your side.

Jeff Merkley: I'm Jeff Merkley and I approve this message.

And it wasn't just in his ads. On his campaign site, we see this:

I have dedicated much of my life to advocating for consumers and I believe it is just wrong to spend $700 billion of taxpayer money to bailout the very Wall Street financiers who created this crisis.  

Well, nothing has changed with the bailout that Merkley opposed to win the election. But now that he has his six-year gig, things apparently change, because yesterday, Merkley voted for $350 billion more in bailout money. So much for all that populist rhetoric.

And politicians wonder why no one believes a word they say. As Sirota notes, this is what breeds cynicism in politics.

Update: Tester too. And I'm sure there are plenty others like them.

Update II: Senate Dems, led by Chris Dodd, are refusing to add accountability provisions to the TARP money. Can't have the taxpayers be protected from more stealing of taxpayer money.