Oregon Senate: Election Called For Merkley (85% Reporting)

Weekly Standard ^ | 11/6/08 | Weekly Standard

[careyb]

A sizable chunk of the vote in the Oregon Senate race between Republican incumbent Gordon Smith and Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley has not yet been counted, but The Oregonian is calling the race for Merkley. Though Merkley only holds a lead of 2,000 votes, most of the uncounted votes are from heavily-Democratic counties. If this projection holds up, that would give the Democrats 57 seats to the Republicans' 40.

In the three other races still up in the air, GOP incumbents are poised to hold on to their seats by razor-thin margins, and thus help sustain the Republicans' ability to filibuster.

[careyb]

Didn't see this one posted. Sorry if it's a dupe.

[careyb]

most of the uncounted votes are from heavily-Democratic counties

Funny how they always seem to save those for last.

[Perdogg]

I wonder if they found votes in a box in the basement.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

I know we need every seat we can get, but Gordon Smith is a nasty piece of work, not to mention a complete and total idiot. I hope he’s never seen or heard from again.

[ScottinVA]

Probably waiting until the other counties report, decide how many they need to overcome a lead, plus 10,000 or so more, and pull out the ACORN ballots to seal the “victory.”

The cities should have to report FIRST.

[soycd]

>If this projection holds up, that would give the Democrats 57 seats to the Republicans’ 40.

Huh? Last check there were 100 Senate seats. 43 Republican maybe?

[truthkeeper]

I wonder if they found votes in a box in the basement.

Or in a car trunk.

[Uncle Chip]

most of the uncounted votes are from heavily-Democratic counties

you mean "from the basements and closets of heavily-Democratic counties".

[a real Sheila]

and it may get even worse with a runoff in Minnesota for a Senate seat and also in Ga.
Ugh!
They may have 59 before it is all over.
Ugh!
Wake me in 2012!

[a real Sheila]

and it may get even worse with a runoff in Minnesota for a Senate seat and also in Ga.
Ugh!
They may have 59 before it is all over.
Ugh!
Wake me in 2012!

[savedbygrace]

Three races are still in limbo - Coleman (MN), Chambliss (GA), and Stevens (AK). The rest of the article explains them a little bit.

[dbacks]

“In the three other races still up in the air, GOP incumbents are poised to hold on to their seats by razor-thin margins, and thus help sustain the Republicans’ ability to filibuster.”

As I understand it, the dems will change the Senate rules to make the filibuster limit 50% instead of 60%.

[TNCMAXQ]

I suppose it would have been a surprise if Smith had won. OR seems to be gone now. Pretty sad. They, like the other 56 states, will have to learn the hard way.

So Repubs will have no more than 43 Senate seats. Just like 1992. Deja vu. Though Coleman could still easily lose, and it sounds like a lot of absentees have yet to be counted in AK. If Chambliss goes to a runoff we can hope he wins big this time. It will be the first sign of dissent against the 0bama admin.

[Beagle8U]

Who won the Washington state Gov race?

[tobyhill]

Another RINO out. This is how the Liberals reward the RINOs, they throw them in the trash when they're done with them.

[Busywhiskers]

I agree with you completely. Time he went back to packing peas in Pendleton. I have always believed that any Republican is better than the best Democrat. In Smith’s case I found an exception and there was no I could vote for him, so I vote “none of the above”.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

I saw their Web site and they are correct. Most of the Red counties have been counted, but the remaining uncounted votes are in that big county where Portland is and it has been going two thirds for the Dem. Looked at a Blue/Red map of the U.S. by county today and shows a mostly Red U.S. with the blue counties in the large Urban cities. Looks like the cultural divide is between Rural and Urban. guess the Lib.s control the Urban areas and the Conservatives the Rural.

[OBXWanderer]

As I understand it, the dems will change the Senate rules to make the filibuster limit 50% instead of 60%.

Would they have to have 60% to change it to 50%??

[palmer]

2010. And it starts now.

[careyb]

They need 67 votes to change the filibuster rules.

[pointsal]

Local ground rules.... make every vote count, then count again

[mono]

Two independents voting with the Dems, Leiberman(CT) and Sanders(ME).

[mono]

Oops. Sanders is indy from Vermont not Maine.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

It will be interesting to see if they throw Leiberman under the bus.

[Froggie]

In order to sustain a filibuster - which they should do on every piece of marxist legislation Obama proposes, the 40+ Rep. senators will need to grow some gonads!! They rarely show any fortitude in this regard. Hopefully Mitch can keep them in line and not give in to the socialists on the other side. If not, we are doomed, they are our last wall of defense against the Europeanization of America!

[savedbygrace]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008355851_apwagovernor6thldwritethru.html

[Merlinator]

They just resurrected a few dead people or had their pets vote

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Amongst those “Republicans”, you still have Snow and Collins and probably one or two I have forgotten. Coleman who is in a recount gets a little wobbly kneed at times also. Smith from OR just got taken out.

[Philly Nomad]

They’ve done a good job of it since 2006. Really, name one piece of liberal legislation to make it out of Congress.
- No conditions on Iraq War funds. They couldn’t even force the president to suggest a timetable.
- No S-Chip which they love.
- No Restrictions on free trade.
- No Amnesty for illegals.

And there are probably a few more things which I forget because well you can’t remember something that never existed.

[Issaquahking]

Don't be ignorant! Obama has identified all 57 states.

[riverdawg]

Absentee ballots are still being counted in Georgia, and Chambliss is so close to 50% that he's not conceding the need for a runoff until the final election results are certified by the Georgia Secretary of State next week. Stevens in Alaska appears to have won. I hope the Dems throw Lieberman out and he then caucuses with the R's. I'd much rather have a wobbly-kneed Coleman in the Senate than a flaming imbecile like Franken.

[mwl8787]

The people on this thread who do not understand the regrettable blow to losing Gordon Smith’s seat do not understand legislative procedure. Their ignorance of Senate procedure and cloture votes is astounding. They should learn some basic civics before assaulting a decent GOP senator with a 70% ACU rating.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>Two independents voting with the Dems, Leiberman(CT) and Sanders(ME).<<

Sanders voted against amnesty. He does vote with the Dems a lot though.

And you know on what issue Lieberman votes against the Dems.

[ExSoldier]

What about Jim Jeffords and that POS from Vermont that is a member of the socialist party? They both vote with the RATS.

Also I'd like to know which Democrats that were elected in 2006 ran on a "pro gun" platform and were hand picked for exactly that ideaology by the DNC as most likely to win in a heavily conservative state (in the case of the Senate) or District (from the House). Anybody have any data on that? How likely are these folks to stand up against their leadership because they pretty well know their political blood will flow in the next election?

Also, if Obama moves to enact a federal ban on CCW permits, how likely is it that a 2nd Amendment challenge can be successfully mounted by the progun states and actually be heard by the high court as an emergency injunction? If it's a state that is challenging a federal law, isn't there automatic "standing?"

[darkangel82]

He was at 48% last year. He was a thorn in our side like Voinovich and the others.

[Nonstatist]

it may get even worse with a runoff in Minnesota

What are you talking about? What runoff?

[Fishrrman]

“They need 67 votes to change the filibuster rules.”

Nope. Absolutely wrong.

Senate _rules_ can be changed by a majority vote, IF the issue is raised properly.

This is why “the nuclear option” _was_ an option for Republicans a few years’ back. They chose not to go that way.

The democrats will go that way, full speed ahead.

- John

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[...most of the uncounted votes are from heavily-Democratic counties.]

Funny how they always seem to save those for last.

That's so they know how manu votes to be manufactured.

[rahbert]

Fraudoire did

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Another RINO out. This is how the Liberals reward the RINOs, they throw them in the trash when they're done with them.

Nobody loves a traitor.

[a real Sheila]

oops!
I mean recount, but each time they do it, amazingly Franken is getting more votes!
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/33900844.html

I’m sure that once he is the winner, they will stop recounting.

[sam_paine]

They’ve done a good job of it since 2006. Really, name one piece of liberal legislation to make it out of Congress.

And even still... Freepers throw more (R) Senators under the bus than Obama throws casual associates.

If you were a Republican senator, would you trust the conservative base to have your back for a millisecond?

The Schumers and Boxers and Clintons never have to worry about their constituents. Hillary voted for the frikkin WAR and the peacenik-feminists still love her.

[dbz77]

Sanders voted against amnesty.

What would be the case against amnesty from a socialist perspective?

[BlueStateBlues]

Another RINO bites the dust, drops his horn, hightails it to lobbyist-land. Good riddance, and if the house cleaning must go on, so be it. A true conservative party is taking shape, and, if I step away from the horror of Tuesday, I like it.

[dbz77]

How likely are these folks to stand up against their leadership because they pretty well know their political blood will flow in the next election?

Almost all of them. John Murtha retained his rating in the NRA, after all.

[Redbob]

"...GOP incumbents are poised to hold on to their seats by razor-thin margins, and thus help sustain the Republicans' ability to filibuster."

Except for the preening egos of RINOs like Susan Collins...

[Redbob]

"...GOP incumbents are poised to hold on to their seats by razor-thin margins, and thus help sustain the Republicans' ability to filibuster."

Except for the preening egos of RINOs like Susan Collins...

[Redbob]

"...GOP incumbents are poised to hold on to their seats by razor-thin margins, and thus help sustain the Republicans' ability to filibuster."

Except for the preening egos of RINOs like Susan Collins...

[Redbob]

"...GOP incumbents are poised to hold on to their seats by razor-thin margins, and thus help sustain the Republicans' ability to filibuster."

Except for the preening egos of RINOs like Susan Collins...

[batter]

It appears we’ll be able to filibuster. So long as that is the case, I’m not going to shed a tear to see Gordon Smith get tossed out. Another RINO gone and a cleaner house, as far as I’m concerned.