Holding Senator Smith accountable

[ProSense]

UPDATE: DID YOU GUESS GORDON SMITH WOULD BE THE SECOND REPUBLICAN TO CALL FOR GONZALES' OUSTER?

Gordon must really be scared of Oregon voters. Today he was the only Republican to jump ship on his war-mongering party when he voted to support Harry Reid's S.J. 9 resolution which would have started the process of getting us out of Iraq. And, if that wasn't enough to make him persona non grata at the White House, he then went and called for Bush to fire Gonzales. Two factors may have had some influence on Smith. As Jonathan Singer points out, his approval rating in Oregon shows his re-election is in jeopardy, and the Oregon state senate's anti-escalation resolution passed in committee with a very healthy 6-1 bipartisan vote; it hits the Senate floor for a vote on Monday.

link

That's how it works.

Set a deadline the fight isn't over

[TwilightGardener]

1. Be nice to Gordo. We need all the help we can get. It's tough to

buck your party, especially one as evil and punitive of dissenters as the GOP.

[SteppingRazor]

2. Oregon's definitely the biggest tossup.

I think we pick up Colorado, Minnesota and New Hampshire, but Oregon and Maine are both very iffy. Oregonians should hold this dude's feet to the fire!

[central scrutinizer]

3. and then throw him out anyway

he is clearly holding his finger up to the wind. Total opportunist.

[gratuitous]

4. Gordon is vulnerable in 2008

The biggest question for me is whether Oregon Democrats will run a candidate who can win. I think now would be a real good time for Earl Blumenauer to move from his very safe congressional seat (it will stay Democratic in any event) and make a run for the Senate.

[SteppingRazor]

5. There's already at least one Democrat running against Smith:

As I pointed out in my 2008 Senate picks (shameless plug: http://blogs.southflorida.com/citylink_dansweeney/2007/02/a_filibusterfree_seante_in_200.html ), one Ty Pettit is already in the race.
http://www.pettit4senate2008.com/

[gratuitous]

6. Don't know much about Ty Pettit

No political footprint at all in the state, and that's not a good starting point from which to challenge an incumbent. Smith hasn't had a distinguished record, but he's not Bob Packwood either, so a lot of voters are going to be willing to vote for him if for no other reason than his being the devil you know.

I saw an item in the paper recently on former Portland City Councilman Jim Francesconi, and also saw him on the street for the first time since he lost his last race to be re-elected to the Council. I wonder if he's not testing the waters? I don't think he'd make a successful run for Smith's Senate seat, but he might be a decent successor to Rep. Blumenauer.

Bill Bradbury, the current Secretary of State, would also present a credible candidacy.