FMA: So I called Senator Smith's office

[gratuitous]

I called the office of my Senator, Gordon Smith, about the Federal Marriage Amendment. I spoke to a nice young-sounding man, who was quite polite in telling me why Sen. Smith was walking point for the Federal Marriage Amendment.

He said that the issue of gay marriage is "very important to him and to a lot of people" in Oregon. I corrected him on one or two items (federal judges have not ruled on the issue, rather it was Massachusetts state judges; also, marriage has not been solely between one man and one woman throughout recorded history, not even in the Senator's church -- he's Mormon), and we had a very cordial exchange.

I left the aide with my assurance that at least one of Senator Smith's constituents was very dissatisfied that he had been tying up the Senate for three days on this meaningless, doomed constitutional amendment when there were so many other more pressing items to be taken up, such as the federal deficit, which it was just announced has topped $326 billion for the current fiscal year.

Gordon Smith is such a tool.

[iconoclastic cat]

1. Good job! I faxed Durbin today, to thank and prod him.

I hope they give a damn.

[LittleApple81]

2. You have a Mormon as a senator? My condolences. Everybody

has a right to participate in politics but the Mormons are a very controlling cult.
I have read and seen documentaries about gays who want to stay in the church. The dissonance is so big they commit suicide.

[gratuitous]

3. Smith's Mormon, but he tries to hide it

Oregon isn't the stronghold that Utah or Idaho is for Mormonism, though Smith's patch of eastern Oregon has its share and more. Smith carefully puts his religion away when he's on the hustings in his home state.

I'd dearly love to see the state Democrats put up a credible opponent to Smith, but the only folks who seem to want to challenge him are non-establishment maverick types like Harry Lonsdale, whom the "machine" (such as it is) doesn't crank up to support.

[Parche]

4. Our Oregon

When can we get him out

Ron Wyden rocks when it comes to issues like this!!!

[dr.strangelove]

5. Gordon Smith isn't going anywhere & Matthew Sheppard

He has the support of the Lott family, which has a wealthy and powerful Oregon branch. He raises a great deal of money for him and the party, and he is the lone voice from teh extreme religious right in the quickly left leaning Northwest.

I'd love to see a meaningful challenger take on Smith, but no one has even tried to rise to that level. I think David Wu is going to make a run at it in 2008, but thats a long way off.

In October 2002 Gordon Smith ran an ad with Matt Sheppard's mother. He was trying to court the gay vote. He made some statements about trying to promote hate crimes legislation and that he was fairly moderate on Gay Rights issues. What bullshit.