My Neighbor, The New Junior Senator From Oregon

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Jeff Merkley lives in my neighborhood. I learned this by accident.

One day a few weeks ago, while me and my wife were leaving to do something necessary, we crossed paths with a pleasant woman who was out for a run with her dog. This woman turned out to be Jeff's wife, Mary, and she had taken the initiative to stop just to thank us for having a Jeff Merkley for Senate lawn sign up.

There we were, quite unexpectedly, talking with the wife of the man who was going to, we at the time hoped (and now know) was big enough to cause Gordon Smith to retire from the US Senate. And it was just folks. Neighbors talking to neighbors.

As the election days passed, we saw a bunch of cars parked out in front of the Merkley house. A bunch of friends and family had come by to help him watch the election tally progress. You couldn't tell it from a group coming over for Thanksgiving.

And, the day after it was announced that Jeff had finally done the unthinkable-unseated an incumbent Republican from statewide office-I waved at her as she drove down the street, rushing her kid to school.

And she didn't just wave and move on. She stopped and let me have a word with her. I got to say thanks to her directly, which was about the coolest thing you can name.

This is why Oregonians are fortunate to have Jeff Merkley as the new junior Senator. He has no "estate"; he lives on the east side of Portland, in a house with a mortgage. He's a bit more successful than me, but we almost share the same street. He lives in a regular, average house; he's a regular average fellow with no family fortune to see him through. His wife Mary gave up her job (with health insurance) to support Jeff's run; if they hadn't won, they'd be in the same boat as a lot of us) ...

... who has a staggering amount of courage, and brains.

He made the Oregon House of Representatives work after years of bollixing up by the Republicans. He and Ron Wyden are going to make Congress work, too.

(No, I'm not giving out his address. But just look up a map of Oregon State House District 47, then Google Maps the area. It's just the east side of town. Nothing special out here except passion and heart)

[dana_b]

1. that is so cool!!

so glad to have him in the Senate and it's great to here how nice his wife is.

[Mme. Defarge]

2. Self Delete

[Bluenorthwest]

3. I worked hard to elect Jeff

and I was proud to do so, and I'm so thrilled that he's going to DC. He was a candidate I could promote with full force. He will be a great Senator.

[zehnkatzen]

8. What can I say other than thank you?

I would have worked hard too ... but I'm working hard, working to pay the bills.

That's why I voted for Jeff.

But sincerely, thank you. You rock. And we all win.

[depakid]

4. Oregonians a very lucky to have Jeff Merkley

Some may not know this, but in addition to his tenure as Spoeaker of the Oregon House, he worked for years with Habitat for Humanity.

He's not just going to be a good senator- he's going to be a great one, very different from the mediochre backbencher he's replacing.

[zehnkatzen]

9. Yawp. That's a Bonus ...

Anyone who's worked for HH is aces in my book.

[swishyfeet]

5. His wife looks like a cool hippie chick

I had no idea where Merkley is from, but I remember thinking she looks likes someone I might run into picking up some coffee at Stumptown.

-Just not the Division store - they're kinda stinky :P

[zehnkatzen]

10. Seriously, yes ... she's charming in every way.

And my wife would agree with you about Stumptown Division ... she didn't like it either.

I want to thank Jeff in person before he leaves for Washington, but he's a busy busy guy.

[grasswire]

6. ten cats??!! (eom)

[zehnkatzen]

7. Yes, ten cats, yes...

... and all the vet bills that obtain perforce.

Pray for us. ;-)

[gratuitous]

11. It is rather cool to live in Portland

You never know, just walking down the street, when you might see the mayor or the governor, or a former mayor or governor, and once in a while a senator. I'm quite glad that Smith was unseated; if we hadn't retired him this time, I think he would have been Senator for Life.

[Arugula Latte]

13. My husband ran into Kitzhaber at the farmer's market one day (he was still the gov. then)

He thanked him for his good work. Said Kitz was very cool, down-to-earth.

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16. And his daily work clothes included jeans and a big belt buckle.

No pretensions, just smarts. I liked Kitz a lot too. Voted for him both terms.

[zehnkatzen]

17. I have something else in common with Jeff ...

... I was born in a small town too and moved to Portland.

Of course, I was born in Silverton (where they just elected a transgendered person as Mayor) and he was born in Myrtle Creek, but Oregon small towns are something of a different world.

[zehnkatzen]

14. Senators in Oregon do tend to stick around a while ...

... just a few years ago, Jack Ohman of the Oregonian made the joke that Gordon Smith was embarking on the second of his seven terms (or something like that).

Mark Hatfield stuck around until he was damn good and ready to go.

Bob Packwood would have as well, if he'd not let his libido get the best of him.

And all Oregonians liked them, even us Dems. The stereotypical Oregon Republican was someone like them or Tom McCall. The last decent Republican was Vic Atiyeh. Socially moderate, fiscally conservative, measured, reasonable, and smart.

If they were alive and/or active, today, all but Atiyeh would probably be ousted and find a home in the Democratic party. The Oregon Republican party is somewhere to the right of the John Birch Society these days, reactionary, and all they do is lust for power (how they settled on a wuss like Ron Saxton beggars the mind) and cry about how nobody will elect them. They think we just don't get the message.

Oh, we got the message. Loud and clear.

But if you're a US Senator from Oregon and you don't mess with our brains, we Oregonians will put you back time and again. We're loyal that way.

[swishyfeet]

12. I love that both Oregon senators come out of Oregon's 3rd district

My home town!

[Arugula Latte]

15. I live in Stumptown, too, but on the other side of the river now (used to live in SE PDX)

I am SO happy Jeff won. And it was so incredibly refreshing to hear him talk about restoring civil liberties and closing secret prisons during his acceptance speech. What a nice change from Gordo! :bounce:

[Quantess]

18. Unseating Gordon Smith was quite an accomplishment.

He wasn't terrible, but he just was out of touch with average Oregonians, and he agreed with Bush policies too often. Enough voters had gotten tired of him, and found Merkely to be a far better choice. And I think the stupid negative ads backfired, for example, showing Merkley chomping on a hot dog, like that was such a scandal.

Anyway, that's so cool that you live in his neighborhood. I know Portland very well. Your neighborhood isn't that fancy. ;)

[zehnkatzen]

19. Beautifully Put!

I read in Saturday's "The Oregonian" that Jeff essentially didn't want to let Gordon get a pass into the next term. He was gunning for Gordon.

Sighted Senator, sank same, neh?

This 'hood ain't fancy, it's true, but it's home. We love it here.

[swishyfeet]

20. Agreed. I really didn't think it was possible till I checked the polls a month ago

My very liberal mother voted for him - because there are FAR worse R senators.

A decent looking, well funded, incumbent, moderate republican just lost his seat. The 'pubs are dead in Oregon.

[nilram]

21. right on. what's the neighborhood name?

I'm in "West Portland Park"...

http://www.portlandneighborhood.com/westportlandpark.html
http://www.movingtoportland.com/portland_neighborhoods.htm

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22. I live in Mill Park.