Q to Gordon Smith re: his business Smith Frozen Foods, and illegal workers - does he support a guest-worker program, securing borders?
Gordon: "I support guest worker programs. For everyone. Mexican, Japanese, English. You've heard of my company. I'm proud of my company. Everyone's worried about jobs, we're employing 400 people. Is that bad? No, that's good! (Page out of Rumsfeld's book with the self Q&A, /eyeroll) We've never been fined by, uh, the, uh, INS, b/c all our workers *were* documented, if someone comes up questionable, we give them time to rectify it ow terminated. DEQ has said REPEATEDLY we have good enviro record. As one of largest taxpayers in Yumatilla County, there's a fragile economy in rural OR. We need more factories, not less. (Sounds almost like he's threatening to yank the company if he can't have his way and employ people -- illegally -- at pennies an hour. Nice, fella. Nice.)
Jeff: "Gordon, misconstruing my record. Wrote article 2 months before war saying send in diplomats not bombs. Stood up to praise troops but this is the wrong war. You knew about speech but you choose to mislead our citizens. Shame. On immigration: INS, in 1986, reported most of your workers were illegal. When company was under your direct control. Recent reports show these practices continue. Shouldn't continue, certainly not from member of Senate." (big guns coming out now. GO! JEFF!)
Gordon: "Lemme tell ya somethin, Jeff (uh-oh, goin' folksy on us, droppin' gs), stack up my record as E. Oregon businessman w your record as a Portland landlord."
Jeff: "Here's the thing, Gordon: throwing insults, disregarding truth; you've called me a hypocrite, a coward, on television; let's address real issues that citizens of this state care about, putting this nation back on track. So much has gone wrong during your 12 years in Senate; we're mired in war, debt, you CHAIRED debt-reduction committee, and ordinary wages going down, prices of everything else going up. People in trouble. Let's talk about facts and issues."
Awesome.
Q: Foreclosing/housing bubble: Do people in danger of foreclosure deserve help, what would you do for them?
Jeff: "Yes, here is the thing: foreclosure often a result of predatory pracitces/lenders. You get loan, you think brokerage working for you, but they're getting paid by lenders w secret steering payments. Payments I worked to try to end but we have to end at nat'l level so all institutions treated the same. My heart does go out to families steered into bad mortgages, addressing victims of pred loans ARE folks who deserve help; we shouldn't just be serving top end, giving away 700 billion dollars, while Wall St. people continue to party, going on retreats, given golden parachutes, giving pay bonuses, having great time at our expense, we need to focus on solving real problems, that I've talked about, so we can restore confidence."
Gordon: "I've reached across aisle. Worked w Senator John Kerry to author amendment, now public law, to expand revenue mortgage bonding authority of the state of OR, so those who've lost their homes who can, through renegotiation, can stay in their homes. They don't want a bail-out, they want a work-out. (Ahh, yes. Those good, honest, hard-working Americans. They don't want to be given millions of dollars and vacations at spas. They just wanna hunker down and work hard and take care of themselves. Be independent. No hand-outs. No welfare-takers, there. We've unearthed the classic Republican refrain. But maybe, Gordon? They JUST didn't want TO BAIL OUT WALL STREET. *pukes*) And that bill provides that opportunity. there's more to do. Work not done. Much we'll yet do. Work isn't done. What we did in DC last week first tool - many things we can do (... and those things would be... ?????). When gov't buys these assets, they'll buy them at very low basis, and this will provide opportunity to get many people back into housing. I support that bc central to American dream is a house. Having your own home improves neighborhoods, schools, all things which make up quality of life. I've acted in bipartisan way on this issue of housing and I'll continue to."
Dang. Did Bush just finish speaking? I had NO FREAKING IDEA Bush was also playing the role of Oregon's Republican Senator?
Q: To Gordon Smith; on Presidential race: Is Palin qualified to be President?
Gordon: "I've met Sarah Palin once. She's a lovely person. She's a great governor of California.
MY JAW JUST FELL ON THE FLOOR, WHICH WAS THAT SMASHING SOUND YOU HEARD. Umm, someone maybe wanna whisper in Gordo's ear that she's the governor of ALASKA???? Holy crackers and toast. That was the gaffe of all gaffes.
Meanwhile, back in Gordon's dreamland, he continues to answer the Q:
... She's a strong executive. No doubt she has learning curve. Just like Obama. He has same experience in gov't as Palin. It doesn't work to besmirch her. Great that Repubs reached out, including women on nat'l ticket; women 51% of pop., glad my party's including them. I support John McCain b/c he doesn't need on-job training; he's strong on nat'l defense, strong on lower taxes, strong on reform; we need a reformer, not someone who talks about it but someone who actually does it. I've passed 104 bills in 12 years. Puts me in 90th percentile in terms of productivity. You don't do that as partisan, you do that looking to solve problems, not picking fights."
Jeff: "Gov'r Schwarzenegger will be surprised to find out he's been succeeded by Gov'r Palin in Cali. I don't think Palin ready for prime-time - lack of judgement on McCain's part to bring in someone w only modest experience; she's incredibly intelligent, capable woman (OKAY, WOAH. SLOW IT DOWN, JEFF. Gonna have to disagree here. She's a politician, yes, but intelligent? Incredibly so? Um, huh-uh). Concerns me to have her one heartbeat away from Pres. I'm a proud, community organizer. Even tho Palin put down community organizers, they are right in grassroots, working w people and real challenges they face, that understanding tremendous aid to take to Senate."
Gordon: "I, uh, I owe Gov'r Schwarzenegger an apology..."
moderator: "Yes, Senator, it was a - a misspoke. No problem. You're wonderful. Sign my boob?" (Alright, she didn't say the last part. I made it up. But she wanted to. I read her thoughts. I'm kind of awesome like that.)
Gordon: "Truth is Alaska is biggest land-state, Cali biggest population state..." (Clearly, the man spends a lot of time on the west coast. Only, without actually really spending time here. He lives in Maryland, btw. True Oregonian!! p.s. Jeff Merkley? Is my frickin neighbor. I live in OREGON. Totally true, Gordon. Check it out! Visit us sometime! California is just beneath us on the map, and Alaska is also in the northwest! Srsly!
gah.)
okay, bla bla bla environmental tussle. Can't repeat. Too silly.
Iraq Q:
Gordon (trying to disenfranchise himself from BushCo here, which - oy. He's just so obvious in his mechanical Republican maneuvers - yuck): I wanna end the war, really, I do, I swear. Please do not examine the crossed fingers that are currently pressed against my shoulderblades. (I'm totally paraphrasing now bc I can't repeat his drivel. It's gross.)
Jeff: "We need to get out of Iraq. I support Obama. We need to come home. Refocus on Afghanistan."
...
I'm getting really full of political rhetoric. There's still about twenty-five minutes of the debate left, but unless there's something big that crops up that hasn't already, I'm done.
In general, Merkley responds to Qs with examples from his time as House Speaker. Gordon sounds like a pompous, disconnected, self-important country-club entitlement fella; his answers mimic Bush's. He still thinks trickle-down economics works. "We'll encourage growth through shopping!, and, uh, more shopping!. Also, the regular Republican threat of corporations leaving if they don't get massive social welfare, er, "tax breaks," I. hate. that. The whole "we can't attract trade if we don't give it away" bullshit? Is TIRED. "Outsourcing works for us! It does! Jobs created! Etc." So. tired. He plays up the idea that Jeff doesn't know what he's talking about, too, in his exchanges with him, kind of a you-just-fell-off-the-turnip-truck-didncha attitude. It's so condescending.
Classic! - they just posed a Q from an email, which was to say three positive things about the opponent's voting record. Gordon talks about Jeff's daughter, wife, and lovely, all-American family. The moderator points out that he's not answered the question, and he blanks. Says he'll think of something. She goes to Jeff. He lags a little, but then jumps in on how, with a 90% voting-w-Bush record there's still 10% to agree with (zing! kablam!). Begins w listing mental health parity, then support for tobacco tax to provide universal health care for kids (love), finally, taking on hate-crimes, and he commends Sen. Smith in those areas. Gordon, when reauthorizing state children's health program, notes that Jeff made nice comments about Gordon's bipartisanship (oy) - but gets CUT OFF BY THE MODERATOR bc he isn't naming three things; rather, he's just listing his own awesome bullet points. She kinda giggles her way out of it. Which, still, gotta give her credit for pointing his fail out.
Q from email: what do you think of pork in bailout bill?
Jeff supports, advocates, in the bill, mental-health parity, treating mental health same as physical (THANK YOU), support for timber counties - so important to OR. Overall, doesn't like the 700 billion blank check w/out oversight.
Gordon isn't answering the question. Just defending the bill, defending "getting things done in Washington." Whatev, bro. If it helps you sleep at night. Then just rambling. No idea what he's talking about. Some McCain-like flashes of wandering. "When my country, when Oregon, needed me, I stood up. I said yes." Dude. Yikes.
Jeff's tying Smith to Bush beautifully. Keeps bringing it back that Gordon voted lock-step with Bush on -- everything.
Jeff hammering Gordon on his lack of awareness of global warming, and then concisely pointing up his own awareness. He's clearly well-versed in alternative-energy issues. Speaks fluidly on the subject.
Gordon - here we go. bla bla bla. Fluff-chatter. No idea what he's saying. Just, "oh, this, and it's a good debate, and an important one, yammer." It's truly like listening to Bush. Just stringing it out, w some personal anecdotes that relate to nothing.
Great wrap-up for Merkley. "We can do better. We need to change the Senate. We cannot remain on course Smith has set. Smith part of problem, canceling out Wyden's vote for Oregon. I fight for Oregon. Kicked payday loan sharks out of state. Established rainy-day fund for fiscal responsiblity. Will carry same values to US Senate to end war, work w Senator Wyden on health care, restore oversight to Wall st, fairness to consumers, tax cut to middle class."
(It's painfully obvious that I'm biased as hell. I never said I wasn't, yo. Just - Gordon Smith sickens me. He's like Dubya's second head.)
So, yeah, I kinda wanna throw a brick at the TV while he's wrapping up. But then I would have no TV. And that would be sad. So I won't.
His wrap-up, for the record, is simply more attacks on Merkley. Cold, dirty attacks. Yuck. That's all he has. He can't speak to what he's done or what he'll do; just - don't vote for That One. Vote for me!, so I can go back to my cushy clubhouse. Thanks.
Thanks for joining me. If you read it all, I'm kinda thinking you need to have your head examined. But I'm glad you read it. Jeff is clearly head-and-shoulders above in this race. If you can vote for him, do it. He's worthy.
The End.
Ha, that was fantastic and fun! Glad to have spent time in your head. Your shoes? Your stead?
No wonder you blanked out on Gordon's parts. Are all Republicans robots who have the same "trickle down, bootstrap up" chip implanted? When you can spot the moves coming, the moves, yo, they aren't so fresh no more.
Posted by: cynematic | October 10, 2008 at 12:34 AM