BREAKING RANKS, Sen. Gordon Smith
--BREAKING HARD --
At 2:30 today Sen. Gordon Smith is planning to hold a press conference with Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski in support healthy kids program and the funding program which is the cigarette tax. This healthcare program forces people who make $15,000 dollars and smoke tobacco to pay for the healthcare of people making $70,000 per year.
Gordon Smith is in favor of the poor subsidizing the rich.
The guy is just all over the map on EVERYTHING!
Some insiders are now saying that this could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. This is the first major vote that the Republicans were going to be taking the Democrats on and means so much to maintaining caucus control. Smith did not tell any caucus members about his betrayal until Tuesday night (last night) the night before his press conference.
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At 2:30 today Sen. Gordon Smith is planning to hold a press conference with Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski in support healthy kids program and the funding program which is the cigarette tax. This healthcare program forces people who make $15,000 dollars and smoke tobacco to pay for the healthcare of people making $70,000 per year.
Gordon Smith is in favor of the poor subsidizing the rich.
The guy is just all over the map on EVERYTHING!
Some insiders are now saying that this could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. This is the first major vote that the Republicans were going to be taking the Democrats on and means so much to maintaining caucus control. Smith did not tell any caucus members about his betrayal until Tuesday night (last night) the night before his press conference.
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20 comments:
C'mon Coyote,
Packwood would be proud!
Between now and filing deadline, we may end up with Westlund running against Smith in the DEMOCRATIC primary!
This is a pretty shocking move on Smith's part and is clear evidence that he is taking his conservative base for granted in a way that even "Smith the Moderate" has not done in the past. I think the chance of Smith drawing strong opposition in his 2008 primary is all but assured by this move.
i hope that sen. smith has given adequate consideration to what he wants to do with his life after he leaves the senate, and that those plans are ready to implement.
oh, and packwood never got involved in state legislative issues.
More government.
More handouts.
More support for illegal aliens.
Any support of the above is a sure indication the person has abandoned any conservative, law-abiding, and "less government" agenda.
Anon 1015
Who is the strong opposition you are referring to?
Tactically, Smith would benefit from a conservative challenger in the primary next year. Smith will still win the primary, but having a conservative challenger spending money to claim that he is too moderate will only help Smith against a strong Democratic challenger in the fall. 2008 will be a tough year for the GOP - maybe worse than 2006 - and Smith is more competitive if he runs up the middle. He is hoping that his press conference today will goad some right-wing nutjob to challenge him (in my humble opinion).
Translation of right wing wacko Republican to English:
"We hate any Republican that supports any tax increase even if it helps save children and money in the long run.
We also believe the whole state thinks just like us so we don't give a crap if the only statewide elected Republican left supports something that will help him keep his seat. Support and tax increase and you are a Democrat."
Is that about right?
Great scoop...keep it up.
It doesn't save children and money. It's taxing people for a lifestyle.
Maybe someone should start a tax on buggery or homosexual activity or something. That's based on a lifestyle choice, and probably would bring in much more money than a cigarette tax.
Wolfe, see how stupid your analogy sounds?
Go choke on Kari Chisholm, asshole.
the wolfe 11:49
A state tax increase can save money in the long run? Please explain that.
the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Hey, what about Marlboro and all the others?
Smith doesn't lose my vote over this, however. He lost it when he supported illegal aliens and bigger government. This is just his latest manifestation. It's past time for him to go.
brothers and sisters - the healthy kids initiative and the accompanying tobacco tax increase was a done deal six weeks ago. keep up! suburban r's were going to roll on this one and that's good policy AND keeps a sales tax nightmare away. the proper three legged tax stool is property taxes, income taxes and user fees. this is just another user fee, but one we can pray for additional "elasticity of demand" to save more lives.
Max,
I was talking to someone today to whom immigration is not as big a deal as it is to some of us. To them THIS was the issue.
My point was that there are other straws that tend to way down the backs of Republicans. And this is just another one.
Did this news conference actually happen? I've been sick.
Two words for Gordo... Lincoln Chafee.
He was about as squishy liberal Republican as you can get. Opposed the war. Criticized the president. Supported tax increases...all the stuff that Smith is trying to parrot.
And what happened, boys and girls, to Senator Chafee? He got dumped -and hard. And why? Because he pissed off his base, and the moderates he was hoping to attract realized they would just as soon have someone who (1) wasn't completely marginalized within his own party, and (2) why keep someone around when you can trade up to the real thing?
Smith is running scared. You will notice that Merkley did not say boo about Smith's "leadership" or "vision". He essentially said it was good that Smith recognized the wisdom of the democrat plan. That's it. That's all the juice Smith is getting, because the D's are up in arms to defeat Smith. There are at least two article per day over at Blue Oregon just trying to beat the shit out of Smith for any little thing they can think of. They are absolutely rabid to take him out, and he is running scared. No ports in this storm, Senator.
Granted, it doesn't help when the response from our leadership offices are so unbelievably anemic and afraid to take Smith to task for the poor policy and complete lack of notice he gave them. They owe him nothing, but still they lick his senatorial boots, hoping for scraps.
Wouldn't it be nice to see all the local money that would normally go into Smith's race go to our local house races and maybe to support a decent, electable republican Secretary of State? We have redistricting to contend with in just a couple years, and we are behind the 8-ball. Smith is completely expendable, in my view.
Sniper #2,
The ignorance and hate spewing from your statement say more about you then I ever could.
Namaste.
Anon 2:53 PM,
First off preventive care is just cost effective. Cheaper to give some one antibiotics rather then doing surgery. People without insurance will not pay for preventative care because it is too expensive for them...so cross their fingers and pray they get better. If they don't they end up in the ER ...really really sick and we pay the bill then.
Second, kids respond to preventive care better than adults. By helping sick kids you end up with healthily adults. If you don't you end up with sick adults for a lifetime. So we pay a little up front and we save money in the long run.
Wolfe-
I haven't seen a tax increase in Oregon yet that has helped children just unions.
The Multnomah County I-Tax hasn't accomplished anything other than staving off the reality that is a limited budget that seems to be a constraint everywhere but Oregon.
Look at this years legislative budget. Blowing at the seams attempting to spend every penny hoped for. Then when the economy turns they will hold our children hostage again an fight every alternative to public education possible.
They want you dependent and your dumb enough to fall for it. If you really trust an insurer you can't sue more than one you can your an idiot. One big OHSU looting our state is all you will get.
Anon....
You're just a hate filled fool.
Float away you closet fairy.
Wolfe,
I'm not hate filled. I'm realistic and have lived in Canada.
It's a failure there and it will be a failure if Oregon attempts to field anything remotely similar to socialized medicine.
Oregon can't maintain roads, educate children, enforce criminal laws against violent criminals, and can't even identify where money really goes. The last economic downturn proved they can't even reform the PERS system which is guaranteed to bankrupt the state.
Now after this amazing record of Democratic success they want us to turn over our very lives in their hands. Something tells me that the $400 a month for health care I'm paying for myself and child are a bargain compred to what Teddy K will provide.
You cling to your assumptions of hate. I am involved in my community, I volunteer my time, and I genuinely love my neighbor. You don't believe its possible and therefore want the police to enforce proof of it via a labor unions padded cut and a budget I have no influence upon.
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