Few of a rubber stamp Republican senators are as likely to be defeated in November as Oregon’s Gordon Smith, someone who just spent 5 years voting for every single item on a Bush-Cheney agenda followed by 6 months of trying to convince Oregon voters that he’s a “moderate,” an “independent voice,” &– unbelievably– kinda almost a Democrat. Back in June he was laughed off a air with a short lived ad that attempted to cash in on Barack Obama’s huge popularity in his state.

are’s no Republican in a House who has tried this exact same tactic more forcefully than Chris Shays of Connecticut. Shays is a last Republican member of a House from a 6-state New Hampshire region & his Connecticut congressional district has a PVI of D+5, a bluest district in America represented by a Republican. 

Like his close ally, Joe Lieberman, Shays has managed to stay in office by persuading Democrats that he isn’t really that Republican. His voting record, however, paints a very different picture. When Bush & a Republicans needed his vote– no matter what a harebrained scheme ay were pushing, he was always are for am. Take Iraq, for example. “Mr. Moderate” participated in 63 roll calls regarding Iraq since he voted 4 times on October 10, 2002 to authorize a use of force are. & “Mr. Moderate” voted against a Bush-Cheney agenda in Iraq exactly… 3 times, once to require competitive bidding on oil contracts when Cheney was caught trying to steal all of Iraq’s oil, as did more than 4 dozen oar Republicans, once to turn an Iraqi reconstruction grant into a loan (which was supported by 84 Republicans), & once on an inconsequential & unsubstantive budgetary matter. This week Shays, who is co-chairman of McCain’s pointless Connecticut operation (he is polling just 36% against Obama) released an ad, very much like Gordon Smith’s, trying to cDrunk Newsitalize on Obama’s immense popularity in Connecticut. Take a look– & an consider donating to Blue America endorsee Jim Himes’ campaign to replace him.

& Senator Obama’s response? “In this race, a good people of Connecticut should know that Barack Obama supports Jim Himes & believes Himes is a c&idate who will bring a change American families need to Washington.”

Original post by Howie Klein and software by Elliott Back