Senator Amy Klobuchar: "There’s a big difference between Smith and Merkley"

"Klobuchar: ‘There’s a big difference between Smith and Merkley'"
Britten Chase, PolitickerOR.com
8.27.08

DENVER -- U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) shrugged off her Senate colleague Gordon Smith's television ads that have touted his record of working with Democrats, saying that Democrats simply needed to elect more Democrats.

"People are going to do that, but I just think in Oregon there is a big difference between Gordon Smith and Jeff Merkley," Klobuchar said as she left the Oregon delegation breakfast.

Klobuchar addressed the delegation earlier Wednesday, urging them to put their efforts behind Merkley, the Oregon House Speaker, so that the Democrats in the Senate can pass legislation without the threat of filibuster.

"If we had just five more votes in the Senate, we would be able to guarantee lower prices on prescription drugs for seniors," Klobuchar said. "If we had four more votes we would have been able to over ride George W. Bush's veto of stem cell research. Three more votes and soldiers on a waiting list to receive mental health treatment. Two more votes and the senate would have more infrastructure funding. And one more vote we could have passed tax rebates for wind, solar, and geothermal energy."

Klobuchar said that by picking up seats in Colorado, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Kentucky and Kansas, Democrats would have the votes necessary to get the legislation passed. But most importantly, she told the Oregon delegation, they needed another Democrat from Oregon.

"I love working with Ron Wyden; he's incredibly smart and he gets things done," she said. "And we need another Ron Wyden from Oregon."

Posted August 27, 2008
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