Oregon Delegation Corrects Smith Inaccuracies
From the Desks of US Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, Darlene Hooley and David Wu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2008
Oregon House Members Response to Gordon Smith Television Ad “Guts and Independence”
“After watching Gordon Smith's new television ad featuring Elizabeth Furse and Avel Gordly we feel compelled to respond and to help set the record straight: Gordon Smith was not one of the first to speak out against the war. It was only after the resounding rejection of the failed Bush agenda at the ballot box in 2006 that Gordon Smith revealed that he harbored second thoughts about the war. Any previous consternation, on his part, was concealed from his constituents and those of us that were fighting to change this disastrous policy.
To this day, he has turned a blind eye to the other abuses: Halliburton; independent contractors; torture. The list on the war alone is as extensive as it is troubling.
We welcome Senator Smith's change of heart. We hope that it extends past just the war, to deal with all the assorted disasters and outrages associated with it.
We know that our friend and former colleague Elizabeth Furse has been gone from Congress for a long time. Had she still been in office, she would have opposed the war with us from the beginning rather than wait years for Senator Smith to speak out.”
Watch the coverage:
Posted June 19, 2008 Iraq, Smith vs. Smith 4 comments
Comments
I was against this Iraq war from day one. We should not go into another country unless they attack us.
I was at a Town Hall meeting in early 2003 with Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden in Medford. At the time, even in conservative Medford, there was much concern about the wisdom of the impending war. As an audience member I raised those concerns in a question to Senator Smith. He sort of ridiculed or belittled my concerns. I then asked the audience how many of them were worried about our invasion plans, and half of the overflow audience stood up. Gordon, then assured everybody that all would go well if we invaded, that Sadaam was a bad guy, and pretty much told everybody not to worry; all would be well.
(Because I asked the question, I went home and recorded the meeting on VCR tape from the public access channel that had broadcast it. I may still have the tape... I'll try to find it.)
I wrote to him for years after the war commenced to inquire when he, having given such bold assurances, would hold the administration to task for selling him and us on this catastrophic endeavor. I asked if he was not embarrassed to have been so misled, and in turn to have passed it on to the public so unquestioningly. I heard not a quiver of doubt until after 2006. Gordon is not the worst we might have, but he has for sure been in lock step with the Bush agenda for years. To claim that he was "one of earliest" to oppose the war is utter nonsense and totally disingenuous, Now we need a Senate and Congress able to act and truly undo the mind-bogglingly bad policies of the Bush administration. We need to face directly the many dilemmas, from the war to global warming left in its wake. Gordon is an obstacle to a Senate that can act, so It's time to send him packing.
Gordon Smith is no longer being endorsed by Ron Wyden. I'd like to hear why he stopped supporting Smith.
I can't for the life of me understand why those two democrates would lie and at the sametime support a republican that also who has been one of those strong Bush supporters for seven plus years. Smith is also a lier and dishonest. Is it a L.D.S. thing? Why would you choose your religion over your country?
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