Dems Get ‘Establishment’ Senate Candidate in Oregon House Speaker

[babylonsister]

Dems Get ‘Establishment’ Senate Candidate in Oregon House Speaker
By Jesse Stanchak | 4:45 PM; Aug. 03, 2007 | Email This Article

Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Democratic-leaning Oregon has been a fixture on Democratic strategists’ target list for the 2008 elections. Yet for most of this year — while Smith was generating headlines for his switch from relative support of the war in Iraq to sharp criticism of President Bush’s handling of the conflict — the Democrats were more in the news for their difficulties in finding a politically experienced challenger to the well-funded incumbent.

The party achieved a breakthrough as August dawned, though, with state House Speaker Jeff Merkley’s announcement that he is running to challenge Smith. Merkley, who entered the race on Wednesday, had emerged as the favorite of the party establishment after three of the state’s four Democratic U.S. House members — Peter A. DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer and David Wu — publicly mulled Senate bids but decided not to run.

Merkley brings in nearly a decade of experience in the state House, and more foreign policy credentials than a typical state legislator, having worked at the Congressional Budget Office on strategic weapons studies and having been president of the World Affairs Council of Oregon. He also has potential to bridge Oregon’s regional divide: Though he lives in the Democratic stronghold of Portland, the state’s biggest city, he spent part of his youth in more rural and Republican-leaning parts of southern Oregon.

Merkley does not have a free ride to the Democratic nomination. Steve Novick, a liberal activist who spearheaded the successful effort to defeat a conservative “taxpayers’ bill of rights” initiative on the November 2006 Oregon ballot, is running and reported raising nearly $200,000 for his campaign through mid-year.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/08/dems_get_establishment_senate.html

[bluestateguy]

1. On Kos they called Smith a WINO

Waverer in Name Only: someone who talks a good game, says critical things about Bush on Sunday gasbag shows and on the Senate floor, but always ends up cooperating with Mitch McConnel and Trent Lott when it comes time to vote--when it really counts.

[maximusveritas]

2. I like Novick, but I'm glad Merkley is entering as well

The more options the better. Whatever it takes to defeat Gordon Smith.

[LWolf]

3. I will be happy to lend my support and votes

to the efforts to oust Smith. I have no particular preference in candidates at this moment; I've been hearing all kinds of names thrown around the rumor mill, including my state senator, but he's considering a run for state treasurer.