Hey Jeff, welcome back to Firedoglake! Glad to see you again. Tell us what’s new with the good folks of Oregon.

Jeff welcome back to FDL. I’m sure I speak for this whole community when I say how heartened we all were this week to see your poll numbers surpass Gordon Smith’s. I hope they keep climbing. I wanted to ask you about the FISA bill that passed a few weeks back. I noticed that Smith was one of the 6 biggest recipients this year of Telecom “donations” (leaving out presidential candidates) and that just as he was getting this pretty massive infusion of cash from companies desperate to keep their top executives out of the Justice system. Smith was voting for retroactive immunity and warrantless wiretaps. Can you tell us if this is something that voters in Oregon are aware of and how’s it’s playing out as an issue and how you and Smith differ on it.

Thank you Firedoglake and the Blue America communities for having me back to live blog. I also want to thank you for endorsing my candidacy and helping me defeat Republican Gordon Smith. I look forward to continuing a dialogue with the netroots and working together to advance a progressive agenda once I’m elected to the Senate.

egregious:

I visited town number 41 and 42 on my 100 Town Tour for Change this morning. Visiting these towns and hearing from citizens across the state reinforces my determination to win this campaign so that ordinary citizens will have an advocate and a voice in the halls of power.

Hi Jeff, Polls seem to show you back two points and closing strongly- does that sound about right to you?

Jeff, many candidates say they will continue dialoguing with the netroots and working to advance a progressive agenda once they get elected. Some do, some don’t. I’ve never been more confident in a candidate than I am in you. Your record in the Oregon legislature speaks for itself. I know when you get to the Senate the concerns of this community are going to have another real champion.

Meanwhile, that kook you’re running against seems to think he can avoid his fate by making believe he’s a Democrat. First that silly ad trying to attach himself to Obama and now he seems to be trying to wiggle out from even attending the Republican convention and being photographed with Bush and/or McCain!

Howie:

The issue of protecting the 4th amendment is extremely important to Oregon’s citizens. I hear about this at just about every campaign stop.

The pattern of Gordon Smith receiving huge donations from the most powerful special interests and then protecting them rather than protecting citizens and the constitution is well established.

The latest poll (Rasmussen) shows Jeff ahead of Smith by 2%

I just want to thank Firedoglake and the Blue America community for hosting this live blog and for adding Jeff to your Act Blue fundraising page. It means a lot to this Oregonian to see the netroots start to rally around a great progressive Democrat like Jeff Merkley.

sarahlane, netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

Hello Jeff!

I loved seeing you at Netroots Nation! I know how important its been to you to engage the netroots in your campaign. As Howie stated, the progressive online community has a friend in you as our U.S. Senator once you’ve sent Smith packing.

My question: What is the first thing you’ll do when you get into office..and why?

rwcole:

The most recent poll, the rasmussen poll, actually shows me 2 points ahead. This is an incredible position to be in after Smith has spent about 2 million dollars over the last 2 months on television. It’s clear that his effort to pretend to be a Democrat isn’t believed by Democrats and isn’t liked by Republicans.

So now Gordon Smith is taking his campaign back into the gutter with negative attack ads.

His campaign has been the earliest and most negative campaign in the nation. My goal, on the other hand, will be to hold Smith accountable to his record and to paint a vision for America in which we fight to strengthen our families and protect the planet.

Ah, it’s just too bad that Gordo might not get to have a family reunion on the floor of the Senate during the 111 Congress.

More on FISA…

To continue my comment from above on FISA, the recent FISA bill that grants retroactive immunity is completely unacceptable. I applaud Senator Dodd, Feingold, and the roughly two dozen other Senators who stood up for the 4th amendment and opposed this bill.

The netroots can expect me to stand strong and protect the Constitution when I am elected to the Senate.

Welcome to FireDogLake, sir — we are very excited about your candidacy, as the “five years on/one year off” GOPs are among the most dangerous to our democracy. I don’t mind the true conservatives and oligarch-enablers who are honest about what they believe; we can defeat them on their own terms. But politicians like Gordon Smith who spend five years on the side of the have-mores and then spend their election year sounding like green, anti-war, people-powered candidates are wrong for democracy.

Great stump speech — more like this please!

What are you asked about most on the campaign trail by voters?

The first thing I will do, Carla, is fight to end the war in Iraq and bring our sons and daughters home. This war should never have been authorized or fought. The administration strove to deceive and manipulate the American public.

I am proud to have been opposed to this war from the beginning. We have turned Iraq into a California-sized terrorist training camp at great expense to our national security.

Now that former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman has tesified before Congress that the Clear Skies Act of 2003 actually allows more mercury pollution, would you change that part of it? She resigned instead of supporting such an awful bill. Of course, at the time she gave the standard answer about “other opportunities”.

By the way, Carla, I had a terrific time at Netroots Nation. It was incredible to see the collective power of the roughly 2,000 bloggers and progressive activists who together can communicate directly and honestly with Americans about the challenges we face as a nation.

I look forward to going to Pittsburgh for next year’s conference.

I know that the blogging community can have an enormous help for candidates like me who are fighting to defeat incumbent Republicans who are supported by the most powerful special interests.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Hi, can you please DIGG this? And Howie’s?

Since Gordon Smith makes such a nice neighbor, the folks in Oregon are gonna bring him back home. And get the Senator that they actually want and deserve.

Jeff:
Are there any hard feelings from your primary contest with Steve Novick? And are there any third party candidates that might cause a problem?

Congratulations- I missed the latest poll. Looking good!

Kossacks please recommend this diary at the Orangerie: Jeff Merkley (OR-Sen) at FDL to chat NOW.

Thanks!

Teddy:

Smith is indeed one of those politicians who transforms himself when he runs for election. For example, six years ago he promised to lead the fight against drilling in ANWR. Then he voted repeatedly for drilling and ran up a terrible environmental record as he spent his energy advocating for the oil companies’ interests.

Now he’s running for re-election and is suddenly interested in alternative energy.

The huge advantage I have in this race is that whereas Gordon Smith is searching for a set of positions designed to preserve his political life, all I have to do is fight for the things I believe in and that I’ve always fought for!

You asked what question I’m asked most on the campaign trail…

That question is about how we fix our broken health care system.

Is Gordon Smith proud of the largest expansion of government in the history of the US, going from $1.9 trillion in 2000 to $2.9 trillion in 2007? Or does he pretend not to notice?

Dugg here and at Howie’s, and rec’d at kos. Fast work guys!

We are truly in a strange world where titles used by Republicans mean the opposite of what they say time and time again.

This was certainly a terrible environmental bill and we have a lot of work to do to fix it and many other environmental challenges in 2009.

Several years ago, I sponsored a bill to reduce mercury pollution in Oregon by keeping mercury out of a variety of products like thermostats, thermometers, and even shoes (mercury switches were embedded in shoes to turn lights on and off).

Re: Broken Health Care System
My Endocrinologist charges $354 for a 7 to 10 minute office visit, it does seem a little high.

Howie:

Thanks for your comments on my progressive record. It will always be one of the great joys in my life to have led the most aggressive, progressive agenda in a state legislature in the United States of America in 2007. We got an incredible amount done, from domestic partnerships to kicking payday loan sharks out of Oregon, to expanding education and lowering the cost of health care. But, here’s the thing: Oregon can only go so far if our nation is fundamentally off track.

After I win this race (with your help!), I look forward to working in partnership with the netroots to advance a progressive agenda.

Who was stuck with the enormous cost of demolishing the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant in Oregon?

NelsonAlgren:

There are no hard feelings. Steve and I have very similar views of the world and had both pledged to support each other regardless of who won. Steve has been a tremendous help in this general election campaign. He is a tremendous talent who we treasure in Oregon and who will be a force in Oregon policy discussions and political battles for a long time to come.

The former independent candidate, John Frohnmeyer, has dropped out of the race. This is a big help. Meanwhile, there is a constitution party candidate who will give disaffected right-wing Republicans an alternative to Gordon Smith.

That’s what we all want Jeff.

I’d like to take a moment to ask people to consider donating to Jeff’s campaign at our Blue America ActBlue page. I have a huge box of books I’d like to send off today. Anyone who donates at least $30 to Jeff this weekend on the Blue America page will get a copy of 50 Simples Things That You Can Do To Fight The Right. And if you donate at least $30 to Jeff + any amount to any other Blue America candidate, you get a bonus souvenir CD in your package, an as-yet unreleased song that will mean something to Blue America participants.

Sandman:

Not only did Gordon Smith support the largest expansion in spending, he supported every single giveaway of our national treasury to the most powerful special interests and richest Americans, changing a $500 billion annual surplus into a roughly $800 billion shortfall this year.

This irresponsible fiscal record is doing enormous damage to the United States of America and to ordinary families.

As Speaker, it was my responsibility to make sure that we had a balanced budget and we succeeded. As a U.S. Senator, I will continue to be a fiscal conservative and will work to end the huge giveaways championed by Gordon Smith.

Thanks for answering, Jeff. I am glad everyone is on board with the most important goal, dumping the rubber stamp Gordon Smith.

Gordon Smith talks about “defining marriage” in the context of his ancestors who were driven from the United States for their bigamist beliefs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiab0khdOcQ

I hope you TROUNCE Gordon Smith!
I don’t live in Oregon anymore, I grew up there, but I am directly across the Columbia and Oregon and Washington kind of blend together there.
Gordon Smith has been horrible. He needs to go yesterday. Good luck Jeff!

I’m in at Blue America for $30.01, adding a penny since I want my copy of the book to go to the person who matches my $30.

Anyone care to match that right now?

Sandman:

You wouldn’t believe the incredible stories I hear every day about the costs in the health care system. We absolutely need affordable, accessible health care for every single American.

The cost of a day in a hospital is now about $5,000. Therefore, ordinary families are just one health care crisis away from bankruptcy.

In the last few years, I’ve knocked on doors all over Oregon for House candidates, and it is clear that health care is the top factor stressing our families. People who have health care are worried about losing it. People without health care are worried about getting sick.

I hear stories about the function and dysfunction of our health care system every day from my wife, Mary, who is a registered nurse. I think we could use a few Senators who are hearing about the challenges in the health care system directly from their spouses on the front line.

By the way, there are no U.S. Senators currently who have a spouse who is a registered nurse. Let’s change that!

Too broke to pay attention right now Teddy or I would be all over that!

Teddy:

I led the fight in Oregon for basic rights and domestic partnerships. I believe that “equality under the law” actually means equality under the law.

I will continue to fight for marriage equality as a U.S. Senator.

Bustednuckles:

It’s great to have support from friends north of the river. We in Oregon appreciate Washington and California’s success in getting two Democrats elected to the U.S. Senate. We would love to have your help to end the tenure of the last Republican serving in the U.S. Senate on the West Coast.

Let’s turn the West Coast completely blue!

People who have health care are also terrified they’ll try to use it, and be denied basic services because their employer chose a stupid plan. This system is utterly and completely broken, and any attempts to tinker around the edges to accommodate the insurance companies — who are responsible for the mess to begin with! — are doomed to failure.

Please bring to Washington the uncompromising voice you speak as a candidate — especially on health care! There’s no room to compromise with the agents of this crisis. Better to ask one’s rapist for a ride to the hospital.

I can always tell the compromisers on this issue: they talk about “access” to health care, or “health insurance for everyone.” We don’t need that; we need Medicare for all.

Thanks for being the voice of uncompromising change on this issue, sir, and best wishes in your quest to defeat Gordon Smith. No more chameleons, Gordo!

Right on!
We need to get rid of some Blue Dogs while we are at it.
Brian Baird comes immediately to mind….

Teddy:

Thanks for your donation and for challenging other to match it.

The only way Smith can win this election is if we are drowned out. Thus, while I hate that funds play such a critical role in campaigns, we can’t get our message out without them and every donation really helps.

The good news is that Smith has spent 2 million dollars on television over the last several months and hasn’t been able to raise his numbers at all. This explains why he is simply going back to launching negative attacks.

Thanks again for spreading the word about this campaign.

You’re on, Teddy.

Donations:

I’m in.

Great!

On defending contraceptive choices…

I hope you have all noticed that the Bush Administration is trying to push through a rule change that would force health care clinics to hire people who oppose the clinics’ mission of providing contraceptive services to women.

This is absolutely unacceptable. I am encouraging people to sign a petition to oppose this rule change. Please visit my web site and add your voice to the opposition:

http://www.jeffmerkley.com/petition/righttochoose

MayDaze and egregious:

You both rock! Let’s go change the world!

Jeff, I know Smith tries attaching himself to Ron Wyden and doing joint meetings with him– even though he negates most of Wyden’s votes. Is Ron helping you with your own campaign?

Here’s another issue that really matters: home ownership and affordable housing.

I saw through my time as Director of Portland Habitat for Humanity how much home ownership can transform the stability of a family.

We need to do a lot more to support home ownership and affordable rental housing in this nation. Imagine for a moment that we spent $100 billion of the Clinton Administration’s year 2000 surplus on down payment grants for low-income families.

That would result in down payment grants for 20 million families! Assuming that there are three people per family, such an investment could create home ownership for 60 million Americans or, roughly one fifth the population of the United States of America.

When we create pathways for families to thrive, not only do the families do much better, but we all benefit. The parents pay more in taxes and use less in social services and the children obtain a foundation for living to their full potential.

We need to work hard to build this vision of America in which all families thrive rather than the Bush-Smith agenda of governing for the wealthiest and the most powerful.

Howie:

Wyden is doing a great deal for my campaign. He has held a rally to endorse me, noting that I share his progressive values. And he has assisted in fundraising and reached out to brainstorm other ways he can be helpful.

I am looking forward to working with him throughout this campaign and then working together in the U.S. Senate to help put America back on track.

Jeff, another Blue America candidate, Alan Grayson, is running against Bush rubber stamp Ric Keller in Orlando, FL. Alan’s an attorney who has been fighting the Bush Regime in regard to war profiteers. He’s promising to make sure criminals are brought to justice if he’s elected. Friends in Oregon tell me that war profiteering is one of your favorite issues as well. I hope you and Alan can introduce legislation together in the House and Senate. Do voters in Oregon understand the scope of the criminality going on in Iraq?

I’m in for $25.

Gordon Smith’s website and ads are howlers! You’d never know what party he is in — all that talk about bi-partisan across-the-aisle success!

Do you think Barack Obama’s success in Oregon will help your campaign, Jeff? Those pictures from the Portland rally were amazing.

Hiya. Are you 100% behind Obama? Any reservations?

Wow! The folks from Blue America have already raised a ton of money for Jeff! Thank you all so much for your support. As long as we can compete and air ads of our own, we’re going to win this race and send a strong-willed progressive Dem to the Senate.

sarahlane, netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Merkley

Hey Teddy! Am happy to match your donation to future Congressman Merkley & am off to the Blue America linky post haste.

Thank you Jeff Merkley for your candidacy and committment to progressive values. Here on the central CA coast we are fortunate our popular, long term congressman, Sam Farr, should prove a faithful colleague from the get-go when you take office in January. ;~)

Howie:

One of the most egregious acts of the Bush Administration has been to give huge contracts on a “non-compete” basis to companies with close ties to the administration.

Even when these companies, like Halliburton, are caught ripping off the American public, their hands are barely slapped and they are given the next single-source contract.

We desperately need the philosophy epitomized by the Truman Committee during WWII, which scorned war profiteering, and held investigations to hold companies accountable. Establishing such an effort would be a tremendous accomplishment for 2009.

Of course, the lack of accountability of this administration extends far beyond just military spending. The Bush Administration’s incompetence reminds me of the joke in which the Republican politician says, “Government doesn’t work. Elect me, and I will show you.”

Teddy:

The rally of 75,000 on the Portland waterfront was incredible.

Obama’s campaign is helping all Democrats by creating a strong grassroots organization and by inspiring millions to get involved in politics in order to put our nation back on track.

A year ago in Oregon, there were 62,000 more Democrats than Republicans. Today that number is closer to 210,000!

We need to make sure that all of those brought into the political world through Obama also help us down the ballot. It would be terrible if we succeed in electing Obama only to see every initiative stopped by the Republicans in the U.S. Senate.

That’s why this and other races for the U.S. Senate are critical for our nation.

Jeff, I think I read somewhere that Bush’s approval rating in Oregon is the lowest in the country. Do voters there realize that Bush couldn’t have accomplished most of the things they hate about him if NOT for rubber stamps like Gordon Smith? Is that message sinking in? Or is the mass media still protecting him and referring to him as “independent” and a “moderate?” Is the media being fair in the state?

LS:

I am completely behind Obama. I can’t believe how far he has come since addressing the Boston Convention four years ago. It is perhaps the most incredible political story of my lifetime.

One thing that I really appreciate is Obama’s experience in the Chicago neighborhoods. We need leaders who have worked in neighborhoods with families struggling to gain stability and traction, leaders who understand the devastating impact of inaccessible health care, leaders who fully appreciate the value of a living wage job.

I also appreciate Obama’s determination to end the war in Iraq. I think that he will open the door - as evidenced by his recent world tour and rally in Berlin - to restore relationships with the rest of the world. Meanwhile, McCain is obsessed with continuing the war in Iraq with devastating implications for our national security, our economy, and our relationships with the world.

Thanks for answering. I believe his experience in “organizing” is a really huge asset.

LS

newspaperbrat:

Thanks so much for your donation. I look forward to working with Sam Farr.

Howie:

Smith is dramatically out of sync with Oregon. He is a 90 percent Bush-Cheney Republican in a state that, I am proud to say, has the lowest opinion of Bush and Cheney of any state in the union.

It is completely inappropriate for the citizens of Oregon to be represented by a Republican who has rubberstamped every major initiative of the Bush Administration and who has voted to confirm every extreme judge nominated by the Bush Administration.

It is time for change.

Jeff Merkley (OR-Sen) The agenda is super. I pulled green chain in a Pope & Talbot mill in Oakridge Or between Portland State and U of O studies where I graduated at age 40. I was a farmworker advocate and worked at Webfoot fertilizer warehouse (Portland) and painted basement pipes at PSU. Oregonians do work hard as it is an AG state. I have seen the disfigured salmon in the Willamette below the newspaper mill.
Oregom is a breathtakingly beautiful state with it basalt Cascade range and great coatline from the great Columbia to the california border, I rememeber Cov McCall and the signs saying don’r Californicate Oregon. Bought a house in Eugene lost it to the spotted owl forestry shutdown. Lived in a blue collar neighborhood half the house were up fot sale. Like the subprime frauds. The gov did zip for us.
Please pursue prosecution of these crimonals and support the Kuccinich impeachment bill if it gets to the senate.
Thank you knocking on doors is hard work as is a stump speech to 100 homes.

see www.clih.net my website for affordable housing and support the HUD 10 year plan to end chronic homelessness which now has 350 cities and counties with the plan in place.

Oh dear - of course I meant future Senator Jeff Merkley -too many late nites lately for this ole spaced out brat. I stand by my praise of Congressman Sam Farr. Only wish I had such confidence in DiFi and Bar Boxer. :~(

I would like to thank Firedoglake and Blue America for inviting me to blog today.

So often the voices of ordinary citizens get drowned out in conventional media. Fortunately, we have all of you in the netroots nation to make sure that ordinary citizens do have a voice and an opportunity to educate citizens about the important choices we face in our nation.

I appreciate all of your help in this campaign and I look forward to working with you on a progressive agenda in 2009 as a U.S. Senator!

Softail! Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. How have you been?

Jeff, thanks for stopping by. I know you’ve got a lot to do today and we appreciate the time you spent with us. I know Sarah will continue to keep FDL, C&L, Digby and DownWithTyranny readers aware of what’s going on with the campaign. I hope we’ll be able to help you get your message out and end Gordon Smith’s shameful deception– and even more shameful political career.

Jeff had to take off to head to another town on his 100 town tour for change in Oregon. If anyone has any questions you’d like Jeff to answer, please email me and I’ll get a response for you.

sarah@jeffmerkley.com

Thanks again FDL and Blue America!

Standy on platform applauding loudly. Obama is up to speed on affordable housing. And we need two things from congress/ More than double the section 8 vouchers and fund the National Housing Trust Fund to finance and buils low coat housing for returning veterans and the rest of our low income and poverty level folks. Maybe 60 million homes.
That and the renewable energy programs will get America back to work and the economy back on track. It will also reduce the balace of payment in our favor and create immense capital that is needed to do that job.
Again more power to you.

Thanks for coming, Jeff! Glad to hear the latest and keep us posted please!

Next week: our guest is Florida progressive Annette Taddeo who is running against a right-wing extremist, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who is being actively assisted by a very treacherous female version of Rahm Emanuel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

We need your help in Oregon! We need the voice of the netroots to counter Smith’s misleading messaging. He’s already spent over 1 million dollars on negative, misleading attack ads. Even with all the money spent on negative ads, we still took the lead in the most recent poll.

The great thing about the race in Oregon is that we have a chance to elect a very effective, progressive legislator. In the Oregon House, he helped pass a ton of enviro bills like updating the bottle bill. He championed payday lending regulation, the card check, domestic partnerships, anti-discrimination legislation, ethics reform, the rainy day fund for public schools….I could go on and on. A huge reason I was an early supporter of Jeff’s was because of what he was able to accomplish in the Oregon House. I have not encountered many legislators who are able to unite their own caucus and get Republicans on board with countless progressive bills. That’s why we need to work together to send him to the Senate.

I will definitely keep you all posted on the race, and if you have any questions etc. shoot me an email: sarah@jeffmerkley.com

sarahlane, netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Merkley

Teddy’s upstairs taking his Congress Critter to task for us

Thank you Sarah!

Jeff is a super candidate, just going down the checklist he has so many things we are looking for. Best of luck and please come back and tell us how things are going.

See, isn’t it better to elect the really good ones in the first place?

Blue America remains open for your donations for Jeff Merkley — let’s help get a real progressive to the Senate!

Thanks for all your hard work, sarahlane. We really need more people in the Senate like your guy. Please keep us up to date on the progress of the campaign, and drop by anytime!

Best of luck to you from this former Oregonian.