Smith and Merkley battle over the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations
Kari Chisholm
Cruising around the net, I came across a bunch of reactions to the debate tonight between Gordon Smith and Jeff Merkley -- in particular to the hot exchange they had over the Bush tax cuts and Smith's support for big corporations.
Randy Stapilus at the Ridenbaugh Press introduces us to the moment of high drama in the debate:
As the topic morphed into the national debate and the bailout, Merkley asked - directly of Smith - “Do you understand that our children are going to have to pay” for the debt being amassed?It was a direct comment, candidate to candidate, something the rules didn’t contemplate, but no one objected when Smith replied back - directly - “So what would you have me do, Jeff?” The alternatives, he warned, could be economically devastating.
Then - again, rules be damned - Merkley directly shot back: Smith should say no, “the next time that powerful international corporations” want tax cuts: That money should be used for health care and other needs of working people. In the meantime, “This economy has been run into the ground.”
At the Oregonian, Jeff Mapes - one of the debate panelists - notes how tired Smith's rhetoric is on the Bush tax cuts:
With all of his time, Smith went on at some length defending the Bush tax cuts (although he certainly didn't mention them as being the president's) and why tax-cutting is good for the economy. It's been a cornerstone of Republican philosophy and one that has helped the party politically for many years.I'll be curious to see how voters react to that this year. What are they looking for in the face of economic crisis?
Over at MOMocrats, Debbie Gorman liveblogs about the moment:
Gordon sounds like a pompous, disconnected, self-important country-club entitlement fella; his answers mimic Bush's. He still thinks trickle-down economics works. "We'll encourage growth through shopping!, and, uh, more shopping!. Also, the regular Republican threat of corporations leaving if they don't get massive social welfare, er, "tax breaks," I. hate. that. The whole "we can't attract trade if we don't give it away" bullshit? Is TIRED. "Outsourcing works for us! It does! Jobs created! Etc." So. tired. He plays up the idea that Jeff doesn't know what he's talking about, too, in his exchanges with him, kind of a you-just-fell-off-the-turnip-truck-didncha attitude. It's so condescending.
Smith's defense of the Bush tax cuts was also featured by the Portland Mercury's Amy Ruiz:
Smith, meanwhile, had the sort of blustery attitude McCain displayed during Tuesday's debate. While Smith didn't say "my friends" ad nauseum, he came across as the cornered, at-fault, out of touch Republican, the guy who's saddled with the weight of all that's gone wrong with the country in recent years, months, and weeks, and doesn't have a good explanation. ...While talking about corporate tax cuts, Smith got highly defensive and exasperated--waving his arms and pounding the podium--while Merkley cleaned up by pointing out that Smith voted for the Dick Cheney energy plan that put money in oil companies' pockets, while gas prices went up.
That really was the big exchange in the debate. And Jeff Merkley gave no quarter. He stood up for middle-class tax cuts, but rejected the tired old Republican trickle-down mantra that Gordon Smith so ably represents.
OK, it's midnight. More tomorrow.
 |
More Recent Posts | |
Albert Kaufman |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
Kari Chisholm |
Final pre-census estimate: Oregon's getting a sixth congressional seat |
Albert Kaufman |
Polluted by Money - How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America |
Guest Column |
|
Albert Kaufman |
Our Democrat Representatives in Action - What's on your wish list? |
Kari Chisholm |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
connect with blueoregon
12:25 a.m.
Oct 10, '08
[Full disclosure: My firm built Jeff Merkley's website, but I speak only for myself.]
Oct 10, '08
Gentle Readers,
Let me put it to you politely. Both major domestic political parties are corrupt creatures of Wall Street and the military-industrial-congressional complex. Attempting to effect change inside this insane sand box is pointless.
It is time for people to realize that America is doomed unless the totally pathetic "differences" between corporate whore Smith and corporate whore Merkley are cast aside.
What we need in America today is some sense being reintroduced to the public. There is a real struggle going on between the forces of evil (broadly Bush, Paulson, Blackwater, imperialism and the whores of MSM) and the forces of good (Kucinich, Kaptur, WSWS, ACORN, community organizing, state run no-profit health care, localism and hordes of Leftie bloggers).
The differences are not as Kari Chisholm would have you believe, because Mr. Chisholm would limit your choices to a mere handful of favorite alternatives that are profitable to corporate lobbyists. Sorry, Kari. Somebody really needs to tell the truth on this phoney-baloney "progressive" blog.
Progressives are like Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, President Correo in Ecuador, Huey Long during the Great Depression, Henry Wallace in 1948. Progressives are nothing like the inane chatter on this blog. Progressives change society.
Progressives introduced the eight hour day, ended slavery, introduced old age pensions, cushioned unemployment with insurance programs, ended child labor.
Progressives are not the people who nit-pick the differences between a Senator who panders to us as Gordon Smith does by "protesting" in the Martin Luther fashion that he opposes war. Martin Luther should have protested the criminal nature of religion as a tired and useless superstition. But he didn't. He simply was out for a redirection of the cash flow of the clueless into his own pockets.
The same thing applies to a fraud like Jeff Merkley who portrays himself as a "savior" of the progressives in Oregon. What a load of whoo-ee. Look, if Jeff Merkley were a Progressive he'd be coming out in favor of prosecuting those responsible for the mess in our economy. Recall Thomas Jefferson's famous line: "when the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the Government fears the People, there is freedom." Jeff Merkley is not addressing the fact that Gordon Smith is part of a tyrannical class that is destroying the middle class because Jeff Merkley is part of the tyrannical class. He is not working for the betterment of our system. He's working to move up a corporate/bureaucratic ladder and that is his main impediment to success. Everyone loves Sarah Palin because she is truly insane. She's a zealot and a fool, a Joan' D'Arc in the making and everyone can relate. No one can relate to Jeff Merkley because he just a tepid titmouse of a man. He's practical, cautious and sensible. Times do not call for such a man. Times call for a truly insane break from the madness. Merkley doesn't offer that. Palin does.
And so do I. So if you want to vote for "Ray For Mayor" I can assure everyone that Huey Long's vision will be fulfilled. We will Share Our Wealth.
I've noticed that Jeff Merkley assiduously avoids any discussion whatsoever about social equity and social justice in his pandering pontifications. Why is that? Because he's full of empty promises, as far as I can tell.
I'm Raymond Duray, and I approve of cleaning up this mess...
2:22 a.m.
Oct 10, '08
Somebody really needs to tell the truth on this phoney-baloney "progressive" blog.
Well, that's what our comment threads are for. Glad you figured out how to use 'em.
Times call for a truly insane break from the madness. Merkley doesn't offer that. Palin does.
Just a warning to everyone else... let's stay on topic. This is not a Sarah Palin thread.
Oct 10, '08
No one can relate to Jeff Merkley because he just a tepid titmouse of a man. He's practical, cautious and sensible. Times do not call for such a man.
I disagree! Impractical, wreckless and ignorant are exactly what got the US into this mess.
It is impractical to think:
Years of deregulation would result in anything less that economic chaos.
Looking for the terrorists that produced 9/11 in Iraq, would actually help us find them.
Senator Smith is as squeaky clean as he claims on hiring illegal immigrants.
Tax cuts for the rich actually stimulate economic growth. Economics rarely every "trickles down".
It is wreckless to think:
700 billion dollars handed over to the folks that created this economic situation will actually fix it.
When the 700 billions is gone the won't just ask for more. Actually they wont, they will go on a 1/2 a million dollar retreat then ask for more.
It is ignorant to think:
People like sarah Palin simply because she is a zealot. Duh, Joe Sixpac likes cause she's a Hockey Mom.
Jeff Merkley portrays himself as a "savior" of the progressives in Oregon. All I have ever seen him portray himself as is the guy that wants to be our next US Senator.
This times are troubled and these times are tough. What we need right now is most certainly practical, no nonsense, level headed and honest leadership. I fear anything less, well I would rather not see where that will take us.
I am Slappy McDickleton and I approve cleaning house, ridding us of the fools that got us into this mess!
Oct 10, '08
Great post, Kari. Please help me out, though.
Why isn't anyone covering this?
1:16 p.m.
Oct 10, '08
LRO -- Thanks for the heads up. I'm digging in now. I hadn't heard about it.
Oct 10, '08
Thanks, Kari. I'm pretty scared for some of those college kids. I wish I could do more, but I have the ol' dayjob. I appreciate your journalistic gusto in looking into it. A couple places to try calling might be the UO General Counsel and Hardy Myers.
4:47 p.m.
Oct 10, '08
Kaptur ended up voting for the bailout, unfortunately. Take her off the hero list...
8:24 p.m.
Oct 10, '08
Per Slappy:
Actually, it's wreckful, because reckless. Or so I reckon. ;->
Oct 10, '08
Ray, I "believed" in Chavez two years ago. But as he has progressively and aggressively chortled over the destruction of the US, I've wondered what kind of a man he could possibly be to engage to profoundly in demonization of our entire populace? I live down in the thread side of the count even if sometimes I might have enough brains to consort with those who visited there in their student days. I do NOT relish the frisson that goes through my bones when someone DOES publicly enjoy the prospect of my nation collapsing into servile debtorhood.
It's not as good for his country as he hopes. It just ain't. I am seriously alienated from most of what passes for mainstream culture, and my patriation into community might be just dermal deep, frankly. I'm a little coyote girl.
Chavez is not my kind of hero. Please explain why he still is one of yours.
Oct 11, '08
Let's also give the Dems big time hypocrisy points on this. The bail-out bill is full of sweet green pork. Really, an incredible amount.
<h2>Oh, it's mainly for renewable energy and some very nice causes. Are Dem pundits consciously looking the other way, or just not noticing as they are up to their trotters in it?</h2>