Act Four: Merkley’s partisanship

Dr. Monica Wehby for U.S. Senate

Jeff Merkley Is The Embodiment Of The Pot Calling The Kettle Black

Portland – Hypocrisy is the scarlet letter of modern day politics, and Jeff Merkley is wearing it. From Main Street to Wall Street, Senator Merkley’s actions rarely match his rhetoric. Saying one thing, and doing another is the recipe by which Merkley and his political cohorts hold on to power, proving his allegiance lies not with the people of Oregon, but rather D.C. special interests.

The fourth act of hypocrisy we’ve caught Senator Merkley in is his extreme partisan voting record, despite running against partisanship during his 2008 campaign for U.S. Senate.

Sold Oregon A Bill Of Goods…

“When he was running, people didn’t expect him to be quite as progressive as he turned out to be.” – Tim Carpenter, National Director of the Progressive Democrats of America

During Merkley’s 2008 Senate bid, he repeatedly called Sen. Smith a “rubber stamp” for voting with the President just 90% of the time.

• “Merkley has spent months speaking often about Smith and his pattern of Senate votes that cancel out those of Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and that align with the positions of President Bush 90 percent of the time.” (Eugene Register-Guard, October 30, 2008)
• “Gordon Smith is a 90 percent Bush-Cheney rubber stamp.” (Eugene Register-Guard, October 17, 2008)
• “He [Gordon Smith] has been a rubber stamp…” Merkley said of Smith. (The Oregonian, May 21, 2008)

Pledge to Work with Republicans

Shortly after taking office in 2009, Merkley pledged to work with Republicans; however, the chart below shows that he never followed through on his promise. Merkley said the Senate was small enough at 100 members that every senator has a chance to influence the process. “It’s certainly my intention to have a strong policy team and to reach across the aisle to work with (Republicans) on things we do agree on,” he said. “It’s the style I used in the Oregon Legislature and I certainly think it’s appropriate here.” (Gannett News Service, January 8, 2009)

But, when he was finally entrenched in Washington, Merkley showed his true colors:

Presidential Support & Party Unity Ratings, 2009-13

	Presidential Support		Party Unity
Year	Support	Oppose	Support	Oppose
2013	96%	4%	96%	4%
2012	95%	5%	95%	5%
2011	92%	8%	98%	2%
2010	95%	5%	97%	3%
2009	96%	4%	98%	2%

(Congressional Quarterly, 2014)

The chart above details Merkley’s presidential support, and party unity ratings during his time in Congress.

• “Merkley is one of the most committed liberals in the Senate” (“CQ Politics In America Profile,”CQ Website)
• National Journal: Ranked Jeff Merkley tied for most liberal Senator in the U.S. Senate ( National Journal, 2012)

Given Merkley’s reputation as an extreme liberal, it is not surprising that he has voted with his party 95-98% of the time.

• In 2009, Merkley was described as a “reliable” vote for Harry Reid’s agenda . “There’s not a whole lot of public agonizing or doubt about how Merkley will vote most of the time,” Baker said. “From Reid’s point of view, Merkley is pretty close to a sure thing.” (The Oregonian, September 8, 2009)

The Jeff Merkley of 2008 is a world away from the Jeff Merkley of today. His campaign promises have rarely come to fruition and it’s become painfully obvious they were never meant to. Career politicians like Senator Merkley have no problem lying to voters; they’ll do or say anything if it means keeping their job in Washington. Jeff Merkley is the embodiment of the pot calling the kettle black – just another reason you can’t trust Jeff Merkley.