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85 Reasons To Stop Gordon Smith
Watch this new video highlighting Gordon Smith's record of voting 85% of the time with George Bush and voting for big tax breaks for Big Oil.
Discuss: 85 Reasons To Stop Gordon Smith
Posted July 15, 2008 in Smith Videos, static - 0 comments
Rep. Blumenauer Responds To Smith's Misleading Ad
Watch Rep. Earl Blumenauer respond to Gordon Smith's misleading advertisement, and the claim that Smith was "one of the first" to stand up to the war.
Discuss: Rep. Blumenauer Responds To Smith's Misleading Ad
Posted June 25, 2008 in Iraq, Smith Videos, Smith vs. Smith, static - 1 comments
Gordon Smith Cartoons
Gordon Smith's election year flip flops, defense of Trent Lott, rapidly dwindling support, and confusing remarks have all been captured by Oregon's leading editorial cartoonists.
Take a look:
Read more and discuss: Gordon Smith Cartoons
Posted June 23, 2008 in static - 0 comments
Common Washington Politics
Watch this new video exploring Gordon Smith's defense of Trent Lott.
Discuss: Common Washington Politics
Posted June 19, 2008 in Smith Videos, static - 0 comments
Blog Coverage
StopGordonSmith.com has taken the internet by storm, generating dozens of blog articles from Oregon to Washington, D.C.
The internet is key to exposing Republican Gordon Smith's real record of voting for the special interests and against Oregonians.
Take a look at just a little of the blog coverage of the campaign.
Read more and discuss: Blog Coverage
Posted May 30, 2008 in static - 0 comments
Newspaper Coverage
The Stop Gordon Smith Campaign's efforts to expose Smith's record in the news, online, and in the streets has not gone unnoticed. Here is just a sample of the newspaper coverage we've received.
Read more and discuss: Newspaper Coverage
Posted May 15, 2008 in static - 0 comments
New TV Ad: Smith Stands With Special Interests, Not With Oregon
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee today responded to Gordon Smith’s attack ads against Democratic Senate candidates with a new television advertisement exposing Smith’s support for tax breaks for special interests that ship jobs overseas, big oil companies, and the wealthy instead of help for Oregon families.
“Instead of supporting Oregon families at a time when they need it most, Gordon Smith stands up for the special interests that ship jobs overseas and keep gas prices through the roof,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “Gordon Smith knows he’ll lose a campaign that centers on his record in Washington, so he’s already started running personal attacks rather than debate his history of siding with the special interests.”
Take a look:
Discuss: New TV Ad: Smith Stands With Special Interests, Not With Oregon
Posted May 9, 2008 in Smith Videos, static - 0 comments
Television Coverage
Watch coverage of Stop Gordon Smith activists and the campaign.
January 16, 2008
Medford protestors call on Gordon Smith to stop voting to prolong the Iraq War.
December 5, 2007
Medford protesters join statewide protest of Smith's Iraq War record.
May 14, 2007
“‘…his history of voting 90 percent of the time with President Bush…will probably be hidden…’ [DPO Spokesman] Siegel said.”
(KTVZ)
Discuss: Television Coverage
Posted April 25, 2008 in static - 0 comments
Radio Coverage
Listen to coverage of the Stop Gordon Smith Campaign and Smith's record being revealed on the radio.
June 23, 2008
Listen to DPO Spokesman Marc Siegel discuss the inaccuracies in Gordon Smith's latest ad, Oregon's delegates to the Democratic National Convention, Greg Walden's betrayal of rural Oregon, John Kroger's Republican write-in victory, and Obama's poll numbers.
May 12, 2008
KPOJ's Thom Hartmann and Carl Wolfson discuss Smith's continued vulnerability in the polls, protests of John McCain's pro-war stance, and skyrocketing Democratic registration with DPO Spokesman Marc Siegel.
April 24, 2008
Listen to DPO Spokesman Marc Siegel discuss the Stop Gordon Smith Campaign on OPB.
April 22, 2008
Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith likes to say that he’s a maverick in the Senate. But BlueOregon.com editor Jeff Alworth’s revealing look at the numbers shows Smith votes with Republicans nearly 100% of the time until he’s up for re-election. And he caters to Conservatives and Special Interests on almost every key vote where he could make a difference.
April 21, 2008
Stop Gordon Smith's Southern Oregon organizer Allen Hallmark appears on KSKQ to call out Gordon Smith on his record of voting with the special interests, and discusses climate change protests in Medford.
March 11, 2008
DPO Spokesman Marc Siegel questioned the strength of the few Republican candidates running for office in Oregon on the March 11th edition of OPB's "Think Out Loud." Siegel appears with Jeff Mapes of The Oregonian and Jack Roberts of the Lane Metro Partnership.
December 6, 2007
KLCC in Eugene covers the Stop Gordon Smith Campaign’s statewide protests of Gordon Smith’s Iraq War Record.
December 4, 2007
DPO Communications Director Marc Siegel appears on KPOJ's Morning Show on 12-4-07 to discuss the Stop Gordon Smith Campaign’s statewide protests of Gordon Smith and Smith’s Iraq War Record.
Discuss: Radio Coverage
Posted April 22, 2008 in static - 0 comments
Parties Debate Smith’s Independence on Oregon Senate Trail
CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
April 10, 2008 – 5:46 a.m.
Parties Debate Smith’s Independence on Oregon Senate Trail
By Annie Johnson, CQ Staff
Oregon Sen. Gordon H. Smith is banking on this strategy to bolster his re-election chances in a year shaping up as a grim one for Republicans: Craft a profile as an independent thinker and put distance between himself and party policies when necessary as he did in breaking with President Bush over Iraq.
With public approval of the national GOP at a rather low ebb, it’s a tough time for even a relatively popular incumbent such as Smith to run as a Republican in Oregon, a swing state that has nonetheless leaned Democratic in recent elections.
Yet Smith’s efforts appear to be enough for the incumbent to stay ahead of the pack. CQ Politics currently rates the race as Leans Republican, though that rating is subject to change based on campaign developments between now and November.
The picture for the race going forward will be clearer after May 20, the closing date for Oregon’s vote-by-mail primary. The state Democratic Party establishment has rallied around state House Speaker Jeff Merkley as its favorite to challenge Smith, citing his experience as a candidate and a legislator. But Merkley is facing a spirited primary contest with liberal activist Steve Novick, best known for leading an effort in 2006 to defeat a conservative-spawned anti-tax ballot initiative and also for his ability to address his personal life challenges with a sense of humor. Other candidates include Candy Neville, whose campaign is centered around her staunch opposition to the Iraq war.
Novick, who stands 4 feet and 9 inches tall and uses a hook to supplant the left hand he was born without, has been selling beer labeled “Left Hook Lager” for $10 a bottle to raise money for his campaign.
The identity of the Democratic nominee also will help election analysts get a better feel for the ultimate impact of the wild card in the race: the independent candidacy of John Frohnmayer, a former chairman of the federal National Endowment for the Arts. Frohnmayer comes from a Republican background — he was appointed to head the NEA by President George H.W. Bush — but it is not yet clear if he will take more votes from Smith or cut into the anti-Smith vote that would normally go to the Democratic nominee.
Smith, who turns 56 years old on May 25, underwent something of an image overhaul earlier in his career as a statewide political figure. When he first ran for the Senate in a January 1996 special election, Smith was best known for his socially conservative views that reflected his Mormon faith.
But after losing that race by a razor-thin margin to veteran U.S. House Democrat Ron Wyden , Smith quickly shifted to a regularly scheduled, open-seat Senate race that was held later than same year. In that contest, he played up his views on economic issues and played down his socially conservative views somewhat. He won a close victory over Democrat Tom Bruggere, who, like Smith, was a wealthy business entrepreneur. Working in cooperation with former rival Wyden on Oregon issues after his arrival in Washington, Smith developed a more moderate image by the time he ran in 2002 for a second term, and he breezed to an easy win by 56 percent to 40 percent over Bill Bradbury, Oregon’s Democratic secretary of state.
While he still projects himself as a “pro-life” candidate, Smith has surprised some observers with his votes on hotly debated social issues in recent years. For example, he has sponsored legislation to expand federal funding for medical research on stem cells taken from surplus embryos at in vitro fertilization clinics. Some researchers say Parkinson’s disease, which runs in Smith’s family, is one of the ailments that could be ameliorated through stem cell research.
Smith also puzzled some party conservatives by joining with Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on a measure to designate attacks against homosexuals because of their sexual orientation as “hate crimes” under federal law. Smith, though he has voted for proposals to amend the Constitution to effectively ban same-sex marriage, said gays must be protected from crimes motivated by “bias and hate.”
The biggest rift between Smith and most members of his party, though, is over how to proceed with the war in Iraq. In 2002 Smith voted in favor of authorizing the war in Iraq. In 2006, as popularity for the war began to plummet, Smith was still among those to vote against a phased withdrawal of troops beginning that year. But in December 2006, he stated on the Senate floor that U.S. “tactics have failed” in Iraq. He said that “supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up the same bombs, day after day,” is “absurd,” adding, “It may even be criminal.”
More recently, Smith voted against providing $70 billion in unrestricted funds for Iraq and Afghanistan, opposing the will of a president he has historically supported.
Despite the discomfort some in his party may feel about Smith’s breaks with the party line, GOP strategists say the incumbent’s actions put him in strong position to win another term in Oregon. “Gordon Smith fits Oregon very well,” said Brianne Hyder, communications director for the Republican Party of Oregon. “He has an independent streak that Oregonians appreciate.”
But Democrats argue that Smith has not been seriously tested since his two Senate contests back in 1996, and portray him as vulnerable this year. “He hasn’t been in a real race for 12 years and now he has a record to defend,” said Marc Siegel, communications director for the Oregon Democratic Party. “That is something we’re talking about.”
A Democratic-associated Web site, www.StopGordonSmith.com, charges that the incumbent has raised nearly $1.5 million from interest groups who these critics portray as controlling his vote on issues related to climate change. They also cite Smith’s reluctance to co-sponsor a bill on climate change with Wyden as evidence that the two do not, in fact, get along.
“Gordon Smith runs from his record faster than an Olympic sprinter,” said Siegel in a post on the Web site. “It’s established that Smith disguises his record. It’s established that he rakes in the special interest money and churns out their legislation. It’s established that Gordon Smith opposes Ron Wyden on the important challenges facing Oregon.”
Democrats also contend that Oregon, while still politically competitive, is a place where voters increasingly have been giving Democratic candidates the benefit of the doubt. The Democrats have carried the state in the past five presidential contests dating to 1988. Democratic nominee Al Gore defeated Republican George W. Bush there by just half a percentage point in 2000, but his margin may have been reduced by the 5 percent of the vote claimed that year by liberal activist Ralph Nader running on the Green Party ticket. Democrat John Kerry won the state in 2004 by the close but more comfortable margin of 4 points.
Along with Wyden holding one of the state’s two Senate seats, Democrats currently represented four of the state’s five House districts; Democrat Theodore R. Kulongoski is in his second term as governor; and his party holds majorities, albeit narrow ones, in both chambers of the state legislature.
Discuss: Parties Debate Smith’s Independence on Oregon Senate Trail
Posted April 10, 2008 in static - 0 comments
Washington County Activist Slams Smith
Gordon Smith can’t hide his right-wing record from Oregonians, and they’re letting the Say Anything Senator know how they feel.
Washington County Democrat Adam Gretzinger sent in this video slamming Smith on issues ranging from the economy to Medicare.
Sign up for the Stop Gordon Smith campaign today!
Discuss: Washington County Activist Slams Smith
Posted February 8, 2008 in Smith Videos, static - 1 comments
Sign Up Sheets Here!
Signing up new people to the StopGordonSmith.com email list is easy. Just print out this simple sign up sheet and take it with you to meetings and events along with some flyers.
After you have some names and emails, send the sheet to:
Stop Gordon Smith Campaign
232 NE 9th Ave
Portland, OR 97232
We’ll do the rest!
Thank you for helping build the Stop Gordon Smith Campaign. We need your help to expose Smith’s real record to Oregonians.
Discuss: Sign Up Sheets Here!
Posted February 7, 2008 in Grassroots Resources, static - 0 comments
It's Not Easy Being Green
At least not for Gordon Smith. Download these flyers highlighting Smith’s broken campaign promise not to drill in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and his opposition to combating climate change.
Let your green friends know about Smith’s anti-environmental record! Pass out these flyers at environmental events and email your friends the link to StopGordonSmith.com/environment so they can learn more.
Discuss: It's Not Easy Being Green
Posted February 1, 2008 in Environment, Grassroots Resources, static - 0 comments
New Flyers! Gordon Smith’s GLBT Record
Gordon Smith voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment to ban gay marriage, and supported Measure 36, which banned gay marriage here in Oregon.
Download these flyers to help spread the word about Smith’s record.
Discuss: New Flyers! Gordon Smith’s GLBT Record
Posted January 31, 2008 in Civil Rights, Grassroots Resources, static - 0 comments
FLASHBACK: GORDON SMITH PRAISES BUSH’S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECHES
DSCC
For Immediate Release
January 25, 2008
FLASHBACK: GORDON SMITH PRAISES BUSH’S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECHES
After Years of Glowing Praise, Will He Still Support Bush’s Failed Foreign, Domestic Policies?
When George Bush delivers his final State of the Union address on Monday, Oregonians will be listening carefully to both the president’s speech and Gordon Smith’s reaction. In years past, Smith has praised Bush’s addresses, speaking glowingly of the foreign and domestic policies that have today resulted in U.S. troops caught in a civil war abroad and a slowing economy and a growing housing crisis at home.
“For years, Gordon Smith applauded as Bush announced policies that have led to foreign policy disasters abroad and a slowing economy at home,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “When Bush lays out his plans for his final year in office, Oregonians will be watching Gordon Smith to see if he continues to endorse Bush’s failed policies or if he will finally start listening to them instead.”
FLASHBACK:
2002: Smith Praised State of the Union. In January 2002, Smith praised Bush’s State of the Union. Smith said, "We need to continue the war on terrorism while recognizing that people at home are suffering. As we have in the fight against terror, I'm confident that, with the president's help, we will be able to put aside partisan differences and work together to get our economy moving again."
[AP, 01/30/02]
2003: Smith Said Bush Demonstrated Levelheaded Determination in State of the Union. In response to Bush’s 2003 State of the Union, Smith said, “President Bush has demonstrated levelheaded determination in confronting the challenges facing Americans at home and abroad."
[AP, 01/28/03]
2004: Smith Said State of the Union Outlined a Strong Agenda. In January 2004, Smith said, "President Bush outlined a strong agenda that addresses issues that are very important to Oregonians…The economy is growing at record pace, jobs are being created and our national security is in good hands."
[Gannett News Service, 1/21/04]
2006: Smith Praised Bush’s Tone. In February 2006, Smith appeared on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer to respond to Bush’s State of the Union. Smith said, “I really liked the tonality tonight. He extended an olive branch I think to the political discourse.”
[The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, 2/1/06]
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Discuss: FLASHBACK: GORDON SMITH PRAISES BUSH’S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECHES
Posted January 28, 2008 in static - 0 comments
Flyers on Smith's Labor Record
Read about Smith's anti-worker record, then print out some flyers and help spread the word!
Discuss: Flyers on Smith's Labor Record
Posted January 25, 2008 in Economy, Grassroots Resources, static - 0 comments
Say Anything Senator's Contradictions, Fact Bending and Inaccuracies
Here’s just a few examples of Smith's contradictions, fact bending and inaccuracies. Note that even his allies have groused about his authenticity and accuracy:
1.Smith told Oregonians during his 2002 campaign he would oppose drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He got elected, and then ended up voting to drill in ANWR.
“Smith has been running spots in Portland that emphasize...his opposition to oil drilling in the arctic wilderness.”
(The Oregonian, 10-10-02)
2.After boasting about his coordination with Dick Cheney and the White house during his 2002 campaign – including running TV ads on the subject – Gordon Smith backtracked in 2007 on his coordination with the White House on diverting Klamath River water that decimated coastal fishing economies.
3.Last month, The Oregonian questioned Smith’s contradictions on U.S. Sen. Trent Lott and segregation.
“The senator's tribute to the GOP leader could have been more clearly, and less contradictorily, expressed.”
(The Oregonian Editorial, 12-20-07)
4.Early this year, former Portland area television host and 2006 Constitution Party gubernatorial candidate Mary Starrett questioned if Smith is “genuine in his opposition to the war.”
(Mapes on politics, The Oregonian, 1-3-08)
5.In November, a loyal Smith supporter, Bend Republican Dave Eaton, said Smith “doesn’t stand for anything other than his own re-election.”
(The Bulletin, 11-27-07)
6.An August editorial by The Register-Guard criticized Smith for bending and omitting key facts when discussing the Klamath River water diversion that decimated coastal fishing economies.
7.Earlier in August, Smith’s own allies said they did not believe Smith’s version of events regarding the Klamath River water diversions.
“Commercial fishing advocate Glenn Spain said Smith has been an ally over the years. But after reading the senator's comments, Spain said Smith's version of those events in 2002 did not square with his own.”
(The Register-Guard, 8-11-07)
Discuss: Say Anything Senator's Contradictions, Fact Bending and Inaccuracies
Posted January 25, 2008 in static - 0 comments
Stop Gordon Smith Supporter Speaks Out
Gordon Smith has failed to stand up for working Oregonians. Smith has voted repeatedly against raising the minimum wage while voting to keep billions in tax breaks for Big Oil companies enjoying windfall profits.
Watch this video sent in by yet another Oregonian fed up with Smith’s record. Post your Stop Gordon Smith video and send us the link!
Discuss: Stop Gordon Smith Supporter Speaks Out
Posted January 17, 2008 in Smith Videos, static - 0 comments
Smith Votes To Keep Troops In Iraq - Again
For the fifth time in 2007, Gordon Smith voted to keep troops in Iraq.
His Tuesday, December 18 vote followed his two votes in Fall and two in May to keep troops in Iraq.
Oregon’s other U.S. Senator, Ron Wyden, voted opposite Smith on all five votes.
Smith’s votes to keep troops in Iraq come despite his year long public claim that he opposes the war.
It’s no surprise Smith isn’t following through on his words.
Smith has proven he will say anything to win re-election.
Discuss: Smith Votes To Keep Troops In Iraq - Again
Posted December 19, 2007 in Iraq, static - 0 comments
Democrats Hold Smith Accountable in Statewide Protests
Eleven months before the 2008 election, the grassroots energy aimed at replacing Gordon Smith ignited Oregon. Oregonians showed up outside all five of Smith’s offices across the state in Pendleton, Portland, Medford, Eugene and Bend on December 5 to hold Smith accountable for saying anything to win re-election.
This unusual level of activity and organization this early in the campaign drew local media attention at all five protests and statewide radio and blog coverage. Even Smith’s hometown paper, the East Oregonian, splashed the protest across their front page:
Read more and discuss: Democrats Hold Smith Accountable in Statewide Protests
Posted December 11, 2007 in Grassroots Resources, Press Room, static - 0 comments
DSCC Release: SMITH SIDES WITH BUSH, AGAINST SUPPORTING VETERANS
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
For Immediate Release
November 7, 2007
SMITH SIDES WITH BUSH, AGAINST SUPPORTING VETERANS
Votes for blank check in Iraq, but against benefits for servicemen and women
Oregon Senator Gordon Smith today voted to strip veterans funding at a time when our servicemen and women are facing ever greater difficulties at home. Preventing veterans funding from reaching President Bush’s desk would shield the president from vetoing another popular bill on the heels of his veto of children’s health insurance.
“Gordon Smith is playing politics with our veterans, plain and simple,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “Smith writes a blank check for our failed strategy in Iraq one day, and pulls the purse strings closed on our veterans the next. Come next November, the hundreds of thousands of veterans in Oregon along with their friends, families and communities, will remember how Gordon Smith turned his back on them today.”
Smith Voted To Block Veterans Funding.
Smith put his loyalty to Bush ahead of his loyalty to veterans by voting to block veterans funding from going to the President’s desk, even though he supported the bill earlier.
[Senate vote 316, 9/6/07; Senate vote 404, 11/7/07]
Smith Turned His Back On Hundreds Of Thousands Of Oregon Veterans.
There are currently 350,730 veterans in Oregon, and 19,536 Oregonians have been deployed in support of United States military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the global war on terrorism. Smith turned his back on all these servicemen and women by voting against this vital legislation.
[Census Bureau, Department of Defense, CTS Deployment File as of July 31, 2007]
Smith Voted Against Historic Funding For Nation’s Veterans.
The bill provides almost $88 billion for the Veterans Administration, the biggest increase ever, including $37 billion - $2.6 billion more than the President requested -- for veterans’ health. The bill includes funding to hire 1,800 new claims processors to help address the backlog of 400,000 unprocessed claims. To address horrific problems exposed by the Walter Reed scandal, the bill provides $1.2 billion for construction and maintenance of VA hospitals and clinics.
[House Appropriations Committee, 11/6/07; CQ House Action Report, 11/6/07]
Bill Needed Now More Than Ever As Veterans Suffer Unnecessarily.
A study from Harvard Medical School researchers found that there were 1.8 million uninsured veterans in 2004, and that their ranks were growing twice as fast as the population at large. Far too many veterans are living on the streets; an estimated 500 to 1000 veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq are homeless. Delays by the VA in processing disability claims stretch nearly six months, and appeals are dragged out nearly two years. Facilities problems go way beyond Walter Reed as widespread maintenance problems such as mold, leaky roofs, and rodents abound throughout VA facilities.
[USA Today, 10/31/07, Newsweek, 3/21/07, AP, 9/19/07; AP, 3/13/07, AP, 3/21/07]
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Discuss: DSCC Release: SMITH SIDES WITH BUSH, AGAINST SUPPORTING VETERANS
Posted November 9, 2007 in static - 0 comments
Thank you for signing up!
Thanks for signing up to volunteer! We'll be in touch shortly.
Posted November 2, 2007 in static
Volunteer to Stop Gordon Smith
Please use the form below to sign up to volunteer in the fight to defeat Gordon Smith. You can walk your neighborhood, letting your community know about his real record.
Posted November 2, 2007 in static
Contact Us
StopGordonSmith.com is a project of the Democratic Party of Oregon.
232 Northeast 9th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97232
503-224-8200
For more information, visit OregonDemocrats.org.
Posted June 25, 2007 in static
