GOP Senator Runs New Ad Touting His Work With Barack Obama
This is a good one. Check out this new ad that GOP Senator Gordon Smith, who's locked in a tough re-election fight in Oregon, has just released. The spot highlights his work with Barack Obama, who, last we checked, is the Democratic standard bearer...
"Who says Gordon Smith helped lead the fight for better gas mileage and a cleaner environment?" the ad asks. "Barack Obama! He joined with Gordon and broke through a 20-year deadlock to pass new laws which increase gas mileage for automobiles."
This obviously is helpful to Obama, who can cite it as proof that even Republicans agree that he has been successful working across party lines.
Late Update: The ad is also further proof of just how far Smith will run away from the Republican brand in this blue state. -ek
Late Update: The Obama campaign has now responded in a statement e-mailed out to reporters:
"Barack Obama has a long record of bipartisan accomplishment and we appreciate that it is respected by his Democratic and Republican colleagues in the Senate. But in this race, Oregonians should know that Barack Obama supports Jeff Merkley for Senate. Merkley will help Obama bring about the fundamental change we need in Washington," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.
I love it!
June 24, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I am Gordon Smith and as we all know, Barack Obama is going to kick McCain's ass, and I should be elected as I have proven that I can work with Obama."
Wow, new era, touting the Democratic nominee to win a GOP race, too funny!
June 24, 2008 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
O hee hee hee hee! Too damn good, Greg. God I love this.
June 24, 2008 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, you are still going down Gordon.
June 24, 2008 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
The polls don't show it -- at least not yet -- and perhaps they never will, but this is the kind of stuff that happens in a landslide year.
June 24, 2008 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
O my Lord, I have died and gone to heaven!
Republicans are running screaming from Bush/McCain and touting working with the freaking Democratic presidential nominee in the middle of the general election!
I really could not have imagined a wetter dream.
June 24, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
There was much discussion regarding FISA this weekend. I am, as stated, very disappointed in Obama's position on this. FYI, though off topic, is the link to what Obama should be saying, in my humble opinion.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/24/dodd-and-feingold-try-to_n_108963.html
June 24, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know he said he will filibuster, but I wanted a strong statement like Dodd's and Feingold's. Even Reid agrees.
June 24, 2008 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, he did not say he would filibuster -- not this time around. That statement about the filibuster was from earlier this year -- January, I think. At any rate, before the Senate vote in March that went along with retroactive immunity and pretty much everything else Bush wanted. There was no filibuster that I remember on that one, either, but there may well have been a cloture vote that the Democrats (or, more precisely, the Democrats who supported retaining the provisions of the Fourth Amendment) lost.
I have not heard any expectation that Obama or anyone else plans to attempt to filibuster the vote that is pending. Obama says he promises he will not abuse the dictatorial powers the bill gives the executive if he becomes president. Doesn't that make you fell all better?
June 25, 2008 12:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
I stand partially corrected: Sens. Dodd, Wyden, and Feingold have announced their intention to try to filibuster the bill, but they are going to need a lot of support from fellow Democrats to do that, and if Obama is saying he is OK with voting for the bill as is, what incentive have any of the others really got to try to fight it?
June 25, 2008 12:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Awesome! I'm curious if we'll see similar ads in other Senate Races (Maine may seem the most likely with Collins the moderate).
June 24, 2008 6:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! :-)
June 24, 2008 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Genius - not just the Obama reference, but the fact that he stole the font from the University of Oregon Ducks. (I wonder what that does to his standing among Oregon State fans...)
June 24, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hear the Beavers are gnawingly pissed!
June 24, 2008 6:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I don't think there's a Republican anywhere who wants to be called a beaver...
June 24, 2008 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Never mind the Beavers, I'm a Duck and his font appropriation pißes me off too; not that I was gonna vote for him in the first place. This has a delicious stink of desperation, but I'll hold off celebrating 'til Merkley's won; it's still gonna be close.
June 24, 2008 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. Never seen anything like that before. That should cause that Intrade graph over there to tick up a couple more notches, eh?
June 24, 2008 6:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Last Dick and the turd blossom bailed him out. Interesting that this time around he's hitching his wagon to Obama...
If the choice is to vote for the democrat or the guy who once worked with a democrat, vote for the democrat.
June 24, 2008 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, Democratic Response:
We Democratic candidates approve of working with Future President Barack Obama. We're glad to see that Gordon Smith supports him too. But if you support Barack Obama, elect a democrat who will work with Barack Obama on every issue, not just one.
Why elect Gordon Smith when you can elect a real Democrat?
June 24, 2008 6:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is the first time I can recall of a republican trying to hitch on the democrats coattails. Wow.
June 24, 2008 7:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOLOLOL.
I guess this is what happens when you can get 75,000 people to come to a rally in a state.
Must. not. get. over. confident.
Donate. Volunteer. Speak out.
June 24, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I'm Gordon Smith and I surrender! I'll be good, and never vote for a neocon ever again! Please... please let me keep my job!"
June 24, 2008 7:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like Gordon Smith has finally reached stage three of the five stages of political death.
Bargaining it is! (Depression and Acceptance still to come...)
June 24, 2008 7:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
So does Gordon Smith plan on working with President Obama on health care while he serves on the Senate Finance Committee? I look forward to that day.
June 24, 2008 7:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gordon Smith attempts to pull off the reverse Romney flip. Mitt went from state progressive to national right wing zealot. Gordo tries to pull of the same stunt in reverse. I wish him the same amount of success as Mitt had.
June 24, 2008 7:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Someone should stick a camera in his face and ask, "Your new ad touts legislative victories with Barack Obama. Are you supporting Obama for President? Have you contributed to his campaign? Or are you going for McSame?"
Put up or shut up, Smith. You can't half-hug.
June 24, 2008 8:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I lived in North Carolina when Erskine Bowles ran for Senate against Richard Burr in 2004. Bowles tried to pull this same political trick, and it didn't work for him then, and I wish Smith the same amount of luck with it now.
June 24, 2008 9:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coattails
June 24, 2008 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don’t be too confident that Smith will lose his seat. Conservative farmers in Eastern Oregon will remember how Smith and Cheney diverted the Rouge River from salmon to farmlands, killing the salmon. Oregon is edgy this year, and Smith has great name recognition. His “friendship” with Wyden it is almost an endorsement. Celebration is premature - we are going to have to work for this one.
If Israel actually bombs Iran this summer, Iran will strike back, and whammo we are back to martial music on the radio and flags waving from car antennas. Cheney could pull a last minute bait-and switch: suddenly, McCain is declared ineligible due to health or money complications, and Petrayus and Rice or Negroponte could be offered up as tough war-primed candidates, giving republicans no time to think about qualifications or history. They know they need war fever to win.
Still pre-convention, it feels like this election has gone on forever already. So many things will go down.
June 24, 2008 10:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hello to all: Newbie here (have lurked for about a month).
Keep in mind that Gordo has had easy runs in the past, and yes, he had a lot of backing from east side farmers; His family has been big in agriculture for decades. But with the Klamath River mess and the economy, his backers aren't that happy with him now.
He also has a strong opponent in Merkle, who has a strong following in the state. This election cycle may just see him go down in flames. I sincerely hope so!
And, just so you know; That 75,000+ crowd at waterfront park weren't just wandering around the area that day, they came specifically to see Obama (from all over the state).
Oregon is a lot bluer than most think, and we have a very large group of independents.
June 24, 2008 11:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's been running ads with prominent Portland Dems endorsing him, too. Merkley should be responding with ads that point out how he rubberstamped Bush, finally jumping ship when it became clear the Dems would win big in 2006.
Gordo speaks with forked tongue. But he has more cash to speak with.
He's going to win unless Merkley gets funding help.
June 25, 2008 12:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
This ad puts a nail in the proverbial coffin of McCain's chance of winning Oregon.
June 25, 2008 1:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
This one of those instances where the DNC should be spending some extra cash to help Merkle out. Maybe Obama could swing by again and give support specifically to Merkle's campaign. Imagine seeing the last of G. Smith!
June 25, 2008 4:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Republican, Joe Lieberman, with a chaser.
Nice!
June 25, 2008 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink