CSPAN2 - what the hell is going on?

[jannyk]

If anyone saw Warner/Snow & Collins impassioned plea earlier to debate the 'surge' and are now watching Gordon Smith's 40 minute dissertation on the 'spotted owl' would you agree that they are 'filibustering' so Warner cannot get the rest of his 'men' to the floor?

If not, explain what the hell is going on? He's reading how to spot the differences in 'owl' species from Audobon for christ's sake. And now has asked for 15 mins more!!!




/to correct error

[goclark]

1. Is Smith a RepubliCON? nt

[swag]

6. Yes. He was for the war until the midterm elections changed his mind.

His seat is up in 2008.

He's an ass.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. let him bust his phili.

it will come back to haunt him and other GOoPers.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. YES. Smith is a repuke. :(

[Mass]

2. Apparently, the Bush administration has cut some type of subventions that allowed

rural Oregon to pay for schools and law enforcement. Wyden was on the floor earlier, saying that some villages would only be able to open schools 3 days a week if something was not done.

May be somebody from Oregon can explain more than that, but it seems that the situation is really a problem.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

3. Here's the explanation: (thread over here)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3109581&mesg_id=3109581

[jannyk]

9. thanks nc!!!

still doesn't make any sense though. Has all the hallmarks of a filibuster - inane and arcane reading of facts, figures and statistics for an hour!!

[Jane Austin]

4. Gordon Smith is a Republican.

And I don't know what they are up to, but he's not a Democrat.

[utopian]

5. Smith is filibustering for an Oregon budget provision

He and Ron Wyden are together on this. It has to do with county monies being cut from the budget. I'm a bit foggy on the details.

[Roy Eidelson]

7. A Republican, Not a Democrat

Gordon Smith is a Republican, not a Democrat.

[nancyr]

11. some facts

Smith is a Republican and Wyden a Democrat. They are working together to renew federal funding to Oregon counties from the federal government. Oregon depends upon this revenue to fund basic services, and without it being in place our counties are facing catastrophic funding shortfalls. Most of Oregon belongs to the federal government in the form of the Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, etc. If Congress fails to act on this it isn't going to be pretty. Several counties are facing bankrupcy. This isn't a matter of partisanship....it's a matter of survival. Thank God our two senators understand this. It is definitely NOT politics as usual for the timber states involved. While this can be boring to watch it can also educate people who don't understand what the problems are out here. That is...if they care about how government policies can drastically affect actual human beings. We're not just statistics.