Pastor: Outraged by Gordon Smith's rapist ads
The following letter to the editor was published today by the Oregonian. It's by the Reverend Brian Brandt of Central Lutheran Church in Portland.
As Jeff Merkley's pastor, I am writing to express my outrage over the TV ads that Gordon Smith is running in his Senate campaign, accusing Merkley of aiding rapists through legislative votes.I've been with Merkley at church and in his home. I've seen how respectfully he treats others. Jeff Merkley is as good and thoughtful a man as you'd ever hope to meet. I'm honored to be his pastor. Oregonians would be proud to have him as their U.S. senator.
Smith's political ads distort Merkley's voting record and misrepresent the man. They amount to lies. Smith should be ashamed of himself for approving those ads, and Oregonians should hold him accountable when they cast their ballots.
THE REV. BRIAN E. BRANDT
Central Lutheran Church
Northeast Portland
|
Sept. 29, 2008
Posted in letter to the editor. |
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Sep 29, '08
In related news, Jeff Merkely's kindergarten teacher is hopping mad too:
"Jeff was a respectful child, he never looked up girl's skirts and I do not believe he ever instigated a 'show me yours and I'll show you mine' on the playground," reports retired kindergarten teacher Beatrice McGillicuddy, "the suggestion that he has a weak spot for perverts does not resemble the Jeff Merkley I came to know!"
Sep 29, '08
The Smith ads are deplorable. The Merkely ads are somewhat kinder, but nearly as terrible as Smith's. This is a race to see who can stoop the lowest, while offering the least in real substance. I could have hired my teenage bong smoking neighbor to manage either campaign more effectively. Thanks for the letter Reverend Brandt. I will probably not vote for Smith, but your message shines a light that could be cast in several directions.
12:20 p.m.
Sep 29, '08
more whining. Not helpful.
2:37 p.m.
Sep 29, '08
more whining. Not helpful.
Kind of like your comment. Why bother with whining about whining?
But anyway. I really like the pastor's characterization of Jeff Merkley -- "good and thoughtful" are two words that just begin to tell the story. It's a rare person who has a kind demeanor and can really kick @## at the same time. He really would be a great U.S. Senator and I hope he's elected.
Sep 29, '08
Dude, you realized you probably just breached your nonprofit status, right?
Sep 29, '08
"Dude, you realized you probably just breached your nonprofit status, right?"
In what way, Peter? If that were true, almost every televangelist would also hsve lost nonprofit status in the last 20 years.
4:20 p.m.
Sep 29, '08
He's not preaching from the pulpit, TJ. This is a Letter to the Editor.
4:40 p.m.
Sep 29, '08
TJ's the one channeling his inner Phil Gramm... again. Peter is the one who brayed about losing tax exempt status.
10:37 p.m.
Sep 29, '08
"TJ's the one channeling his inner Phil Gramm... again."
Non sequitur alert! Being concerned about how you're going to keep your family afloat financially is in no way explicable as "whining." Continuing to go on about how nasty and mean Gordon Smith is--when all it does is continue to remind people that Merkley did in fact vote the wrong way on those bills, and doesn't deny it--is whining. And it doesn't play well. Get over it and seize the offensive, instead of playing defense the entire election. If Merkley and his pastor would stop simpering, people might like him a little better and he'd be cruising instead of still close.
12:05 a.m.
Sep 30, '08
Get over it and seize the offensive, instead of playing defense the entire election.
You mean, like this? Or like this?
12:29 a.m.
Sep 30, '08
Too late to play offense on ads at this point, Kari. And clearly they haven't "gotten over it," if his pastor is writing LTE's on it.
1:09 a.m.
Sep 30, '08
Or maybe his pastor finally got irritated enough to write a letter. Not everything is orchestrated by the campaign.
<h2>And what do you mean by "too late to play offense on ads"? For starters, they've been on offense with the ads since they started airing them. And the remaining undecided voters are, well, undecided.</h2>