Don't take my word for it. Hard-core conservatives know Gordon Smith is one of them.
Kari Chisholm
For years, Gordon Smith has been working overtime to convince Democrats that he's a nice, moderate, well-meaning fellow. And as you know, that's wildly at odds with the facts - as he's a reliable conservative vote in the U.S. Senate.
Even Jeff Mapes fell for it last week. As Jack Bogdanski noted:
They must offer raises at The Oregonian for anyone who can help beat to death the "Gordon Smith is bipartisan" meme. Now they're even pointing out that Gordo's brother is a moderate -- this latest according to their political blogger Jeff Mapes. "Lest you stereotype Milan Smith as a right-wing Bush appointee, note that he can be as hard to pigeon-hole as his senatorial brother." Gee whiz, people, give it a rest. Even if it were true -- which it isn't -- it's gotten mighty tiresome.
And of course, all this posturing is giving a few conservative Republicans heartburn. The Associated Press even managed to find a couple to say so publicly (though it's more likely they're doing what the Smith campaign asked them to do.)
But make no mistake, when push comes to shove, hard-core conservatives know that Gordon Smith is one of their own:
Gail Atteberry, who heads Oregon Right to Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, has also seen the numbers. And while she said she was extremely disappointed by Smith's admiring reference to Obama in his ad — Obama, she said, is the most "pro-abortion radical in the Senate" — she said she's sticking with Smith."We know it is posturing," she said. "But I know his heart, where he stands on our issue, and I am confident that he will always remain true to that cause. For that reason, in spite of some of these other things, I am going to keep on keeping on with him."
In 2002, there were plenty of pro-choice Democratic women who voted for Gordon Smith. Let's make sure that doesn't happen again. Talk to everyone you know: there's a reason why (most of) the hard-right sticks with him.
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Jul 7, '08
Yes, Gordon is being a little counter-intuitive, isn't he? Conservatives think that Republicans have been losing because the candidates haven't been conservative enough. And now the useless Gordon Smith is basically throwing their conservative ideology under the bus in an attempt to save his job.
What a tosser. And what a crummy Senator. I can't wait to dump him in November.
Jul 7, '08
I can't wait to dump him either. Merkley needs a lot more money to do it though. I don't work for a campaign by the way. Merkley has the charisma of a dump truck so we're going need to see some fire out of him, some money in his campaign coffers and a lot of you telling your neighbors what an idiot Gordon Smith is. Some trips out to Beaverton might be necessary as well considering PDX hates his guts already.
8:50 a.m.
Jul 8, '08
(though it's more likely they're doing what the Smith campaign asked them to do.)
That's pretty cute Kari. Of course it is basically par for the Democrat course to assume there is some conspiracy going on.
Kinda makes one wonder what other things you have made up considering,as one of the two in that article, I know for a fact that I was never asked by them to do anything.
8:59 a.m.
Jul 8, '08
I know for a fact that I was never asked by them to do anything.
Fair enough!
11:35 a.m.
Jul 8, '08
That quote from ORTL seems tailor-made for a Merkley ad.
Jul 8, '08
Thank you, Kari, so much for pointing this out. Gordon Smith is extremely conservative and extremely anti-choice and I suppose I should also thank Gayle Atteberry for confirming this. Here are just a few highlights from Smith’s crusade against reproductive rights…
He voted twice in opposition to the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, essentially declaring that the case was wrongly decided and should be overturned. [Senate vote #337 (10/21/99); Senate vote #48 (3/12/03)]
He voted six times to deny women in the military – who are defending our freedom overseas – the right to use their own, private funds for abortion care at their base hospital. [Senate vote #167 (7/10/97); Senate vote #176 (6/25/98); Senate vote #148 (5/26/99); Senate vote #134 (6/20/00); Senate vote #160 (6/21/02); Senate vote #192 (5/22/03)]
In 2005, he voted to allow dangerous and violent clinic blockaders to escape paying fines and debts associated with their illegal acts by declaring bankruptcy. [Senate vote #28 (3/8/05)]
Also in 2005, he voted against a package of commonsense measures, including birth control, that would help couples plan their families and thus reduce the need for abortion. [Senate vote #75 (3/17/05)]
The list goes on…
<h2>Gordon Smith is not just against allowing women access to safe, legal abortion. He votes again and again in opposition to reproductive rights overall. How can Oregonians support a Senator with such an extreme voting record on choice? Gordon Smith doesn’t understand that private medical decisions should be made by a woman and her doctor, NOT by politicians.</h2>