You guys absolutely rocked the Franken Road to 60 money bomb earlier so let's try to help out our other newest member of the Road To 60 list, Jeff Merkley who's running against faux moderate Bush enabler Gordon Smith up in Oregon.
Tonight at 7pm PDT Merkley and Smith face off at their first debate. It will be streaming live HERE.
Assuming the feed works, I'll be liveblogging the debate and in return, you'll be filling Merkley's coffers at our Road To 60 ActBlue page. Fair deal, right? Let's shoot for 15 new donors to Merkley by the end of the debate.
In the meantime, let's hear it for current Democratic Senator from Oregon Ron Wyden who shot an ad for Jeff.
Update [2008-10-9 22:3:11 by Todd Beeton]:Some great pictures of outside the debate at Sarah Lane's DailyKos diary.
I'm getting nothin on the livestream, which is appropriate since I have been plagues with technical mishaps. Yes, Mercury is in retrograde if you believe in that stuff (and I'm starting to.) So I'll be updating from what I read on other liveblogs. It's so meta.
Update [2008-10-9 22:44:32 by Todd Beeton]:Wow, and here's another interesting srategy of Smith's: oppose windfall profits taxes on oil companies. This is a perfect point of contrast between these two guys. Smith mumbles something about businesses leaving Oregon b/c of protectionism; Merkley says he supports windfall profits tax and that "70,000 living wage jobs exported because of Smith's tax and trade policies." Nice.
Update [2008-10-9 23:4:42 by Todd Beeton]:Smith's McCain moment when asked to name 3 positive things about his opponent's record (via Sarah Lane):
Smith: I think Jeff's daughter is cute even in an ad against me. His wife is nice.Moderator asks Smith to say something about his voting record. Smith is stumped.
Merkley: One is his support tobacco tax, mental health parity and your support to take on hate crimes.
Smith: Jeff said some nice things about me.
Even the moderator pointed out that Smith wouldn't say anything nice about Jeff. She gave Smith another chance and he couldn't answer. Pathetic. Looking familiar, folks? The Democrat outclassing the Republican.
Update [2008-10-9 23:4:42 by Todd Beeton]:A climate change question and Merkley goes on the attack: "Until very recently Smith didn't believe in global warming." Is that true? And this guy got elected in Oregon? Crike.
Update [2008-10-9 23:4:42 by Todd Beeton]:Over at Blue Oregon commenters are calling this game changing. The stark contrast between the two both superficially and substantively. Of course they might be biased.
Update [2008-10-9 23:4:42 by Todd Beeton]:Closing statements. Merkley: "I have been fighting for Oregon families and workers, kicked out the predatory lenders, established rainy day fund, I'll carry the same battle to the Senate. I'll end the war, invest in alternative energy, education, restore oversight to K street." He also talked about Smith canceling out Wyden's vote "1700 times." VERY interesting line of attack. Smith is boasting about being the 50th most liberal Senator -- right in the middle and Merkley is a liberal (Oh noes!) He also says Merkley would leave rural Oregon behind. That's your case, Gordo? That's all you got. Lame.
Watch Wyden's ad below.
Update [2008-10-9 22:27:50 by Todd Beeton]:Smith is asked to defend voting for the Bush tax cuts. "I believe in tax cuts that support families. Every Oregonian is paying lower taxes because of my votes. Every Oregonian is paying higher taxes because of Merkley." Merkley hits him for cutting taxes for the rich and says he wants to cut taxes for the middle class. Sound like anyone else we know?
Bailout question: cribbing exactly from Sarah Lane here:
Smith: He says he was a patriot for voting for the bailout. Attacks Jeff for opposing the bailout. Smith says he worked with Dems and R's, with Obama and Clinton, to solve a great emergency. This monster has many fathers and a long tail, they Dems/R's, include the public/private sector. Time to come together...Merkley: The economic crisis has been caused by the deregulation of K street. The bill that Smith supported, it doesn't provide oversight, doesn't address core issues. I'm ready to restore fair rules and oversight...Merkley will end predatory lending practices, restore complete oversight and accountability, and fairness to our families.
Update [2008-10-9 22:27:50 by Todd Beeton]:When asked about bucking his party, Merkley responded that he was against the war, against the bailout and against retroactive immunity for telecom companies. It's an interesting answer because basically what he's saying is "you know all those Democrats who caved on those fundamentally non-progressive votes...I won't cave. I'm not that guy."
Update [2008-10-9 22:27:50 by Todd Beeton]:The consensus seems to be that Merkley is on fire, taking Smith on and Gordon is quite lethargic, almost like he doesn't even want to be there...almost like he doesn't even want the job anymore. Smith was asked about Palin's qualifications and he totally dodged it. Really? Why isn't he throwing them under the bus? I really don't get it. Haha, McCain will so be blamed for having negative coattails downticket nationally. I love it.
Update [2008-10-9 22:44:32 by Todd Beeton]:Oh, OK, looks like Smith actually said "Palin has a learning curve but she has as much experience as Barack." Wow, I haven't heard that one since the first week of September.
Merkley hit it out of the park (via SarahLane):
Palin is NOT ready for prime time. Shows bad judgment on McCain's part. It concerns me to have her one heeartbeat away away from the President. And, I am a PROUD community organizer!!
On Iraq, Smith said "We have won the war, Iraqi's must win the peace." To Smith's credit, he's actually voted for withdrawal but he's sounding the same triumphalism as McCain. Except with McCain it makes no sense b/c McCain says "we'll come home in victory not defeat" and "we're winning" or "we've won" but withdrawal is still "surrender." Well, withdrawal on anyone's schedule but John Sidney "exceptional" McCain that is.
Update [2008-10-9 22:44:32 by Todd Beeton]:Merkley is ripping Republican borrow and spend policies. Smith is attacking Merkley as a tax and spend liberal. Seriously, whose criticism seems more potent right about now? This is a sitting senator using these knee jerk liberal tropes? How did this guy win in the first place?
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