Senator Merkley - Crook or Liar?
Jenson Hagen
The website Crooks and Liars usually tracks the escapades of the right-wing sound machine. Of course, it's nice to see a positive blurb once in awhile like the one posted on Senator Merkley. View the video clip.
What grabbed my attention is what he said starting at minute 1:38.
"During the campaign I talked about this issue every single night and people would say, Jeff, surveys show that global warming is 21st on the list of voter concerns, why are you talking about it every single night? And I said first, it's a major reason I'm running for the U.S. Senate, and second of all, it should be first on everyone's list and it's only going to get there if we talk about it."
Yes! This is what progressive leadership needs to look like. If we assume that the conservative sound machine has an impact on public opinion and then if we alter the conversation for whatever public opinion currently is focused upon, then isn't the progressive agenda getting sidelined indirectly by the conservative sound machine?
I view this whole situation as completely ridiculous. Look at Crooks and Liars. It's the third most popular progressive blog and look at its focus. Ninety percent of the energy is consumed fending off a massive distraction effort. The distraction effort is obviously successful. Hello! Does anyone else make this same observation.
Ninety percent of our energy should go toward advancing a progressive agenda. We don't want to assemble a sound machine like the conservatives have in order to achieve this objective. So how do we do it? We can't rely on a few brilliant leaders. We're only going to advance a progressive agenda if we all talk about it. So how do we make sure we remain focused? The conservative sound machine will never stop trying to distract attention onto the inane. So how do we steer public opinion back onto what matters?
Jun 4, '09
Someone should introduce Senator Merkley to Governor Kulongoski, Rep. David Hunt, and Senate President Peter Courtney. The latter three don't know climate change from an $800 million highway pork bill or a $4B+ bridge boondoggle.
Jun 4, '09
Setting aside the global warming issue for a second (although if Jeff Merkley thinks that should be the number one concern on peoples' minds these days, he's even crazier and less intelligent than I feared)....I find it interesting that we have traded in a Senator (Smith), who worked from and tried to appeal to the middle..who was ranked at the ideological dead center of the senate, for a guy who (admittedly), caters only to the ideological left. If you listen to his own words, as he's speaking to a group of liberal activists, thanking them for being his foundation of support....it demonstrates a striking difference between the "all of Oregon" approach Smith took and the liberals first, screw the rest approach of Jeff Merkley. Can you imagine if Gordon Smith had given a speech at a place like CPAC? The outrage here from the crowd at BO...the shrieks of bleeding heart hatred, the foot stomping and fist pounding that Gordon Smith is not moderate enough. But now..with this clown we've sent there...where are the calls for moderation? Where are the vote tallies and pie charts and pictures of Merkley superimposed with Nancy Pelosi..showing just how much of a left wing, ideological zealot he is?? Where are the "votes with his party 99% of the time" arguments??
I realize that the fringe left is pleased to have a one party state and one party nation at this point in time, and although I disagree with their thinking, I can at least respect their honesty when they admit that they don't want any voices of moderation in this country. But for all of you who blasted Gordon Smith (falsely, but loudly) for not being a "true moderate".....your silence when it comes to merkley is deafening.
Jun 4, '09
The point here isn't about climate change, it's about leadership and setting the parameters of the debate. Jenson is exactly right. I would say the first thing that is needed is for progressive leaders to concentrate on setting the terms for any debate, and not to accept right-wing framing.
Jun 4, '09
"Ninety percent of our energy should go toward advancing a progressive agenda." - Comrade Hagen
Comrade Hagen, I am willing to be your Minister of Information, responsible to forward The Agenda and Progressive Living Guide to the masses.
I will work with Public Schools on learning and indoctrination techniques among other programs.
- S882 -
Jun 4, '09
Darn it. If only we had Smith's extra R vote to join the rest of the nopes. He could have been our lynch pin in the R party filibuster. I ask you, without Smith's support, who will stand up for offshore banking secrecy? Instead, we have that Merkley fella who presses on in the battle against global warming. Sheesh, I feel so- - - so- -hopeful.
Jun 4, '09
Nice goin' Jeff.
I was kind of disappointed BlueOregon missed out on covering the Salem ConservACon last week in Salem. Apparently not only did Grover Norquist, Lars Larson, and John Fund speak, but Joe the Plumber also showed up.
Jun 4, '09
Geez Louise, Crooks and Liars is one single blog. The folks who maintain it CHOOSE its focus on debunking the right wing noise machine. If you don't like it, don't read it. And by the way when did debunking become a worthless activity? Yup, if you do nothing else, I could see your point, but puhleeze....
9:49 a.m.
Jun 5, '09
So, rather than just whine about a blog's slant and praise his words, maybe you could have painted us a picture of what climate-related legislation Senator Merkley has had a hand in this Congress?
And I have to echo the sentiment of the first comment....Could he not have lifted a phone to plug this issue to those legislators he used to herd while they put together that monster transpo bill?
Or was he too busy test-driving an electric car, a la Governor Kulongoski?
If Senator Merkley is going to claim climate as his #1 issue, I'd like to see a little more action.
Jun 5, '09
Gordon Smith? It's always interesting when someone brings up the name of our millionaire former Dear Leader. According to an article in the O a while back, Gordon has moved back to the estate he maintains in Maryland in order to serve as "advisor" to a powerful law firm, thereby craftily dodging the two-year legal restriction on lobbying by former Senators.
But it was always clear that Gordon preferred the good life inside the Capital Beltway to life out in remote hardscrabble Oregon. Now he's living it again.
12:05 p.m.
Jun 6, '09
Hey sports betting,
Have you seen this Web site?
Hilarious.
Jun 6, '09
When are you going to ban hal/wunder blunder's ip address? He's no different than the spam above.
We have to have responsible transportation policy, where every mode pays its own way. Just look at a typical city street. Do you realize how much it costs to install and run the traffic lights? Most of that functionality is for pedestrians. Look at all the new modifications being made to provide a countdown on the "do not walk sign". We have pedestrian crosswalks everywhere, with the Oregon unique, inane policy of stopping wherever one is painted. Not only is it stupid, and pandering to freeloaders, it doesn't work. I have never once seen a car with Washington plates stop at one. That's 15 minutes away.
We cannot continue to subsidize transportation freeloaders. It's time pedestrians paid for all the bells and whistles and crossings and bridges over highways that are paid for with automobile taxes.
Oregon is also the only state without a number you can call to report cars that are not registered in Oregon, yet have been here for more than the required time to register. Apartment complex managers keep records of resident vehicles, so they can tow those illegally parked. They should be required to report the car with a Texas license that moved in 9 months ago. Those people are freeloading too. Of course they would probably register their cars, if the fees weren't artificially high from subsidizing pedestrians.
Thanks, JK
3:15 p.m.
Jun 6, '09
"I find it interesting that we have traded in a Senator (Smith), who worked from and tried to appeal to the middle..who was ranked at the ideological dead center of the senate,"
he was ranked there on his votes, but that's not where he lived. He was part of the criminality on the Hill in non-election years, lied his ass off in election years to pretend otherwise.
Shock of all shocks, Merkley has been excellent--if of course mostly noninfluential as a backbencher--so far. Hard choices and more power will tell the tale, but for now he's doing everything I would have hoped for from Steve.
Jun 9, '09
Now, a blog hosted debate would be if you and Kevin squared off on this. Actually the purported function...
Right, that's not how we do it. We have to send a message, be indignant, etc. You two have enough substance. Why do it like everyone else?
OK. Let's see if he simply ignores the very good points put to him in Kevin's send-up.
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