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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Politics Rep. Adam Smith Schools "Fox & Friends" on Fiscal Cliff Negotiations

Posted by Goldy on Wed, Jan 2, 2013 at 3:00 PM

As of Thursday, when the 113th Congress is sworn in, Representative Adam Smith (WA-09) will be my new congressman. So it was interesting to see Smith—who has reputation as a fairly centrist Democrat—join my old congressman, liberal firebrand Representative Jim McDermott (WA-07), as two of only 16 Democrats to vote against the "fiscal cliff" bill. So why did Smith vote no?

“I’m concerned that revenue has been sort of taken off the table at this point,” Smith said. Ninety-percent “of the Bush tax cuts are now locked in permanently, so any effort to deal with the very large debt and deficit that we have going down the road here revenue is pretty much off the table and we didn’t get much. Those are my concerns and that’s why I voted no.”

In previous interviews, Smith told the SECB that he would let all the Bush-era tax cuts expire before voting to extend them for the wealthy. Smith also suggested that given the more progressive makeup of his newly redrawn 9th Congressional District (which now includes ultra-liberal Southeast Seattle), he would "probably wind up with a more progressive voting record." So Smith's hard pro-revenue stance shouldn't come as a big surprise.

Even more encouraging was the way Smith handled the Fox & Friends team this morning, defending the President's leadership even while defending his own opposition to the deal, and actually laughing at their attempts at misinformation. It's a promising start for ex-7th-CDers like me, who loved being represented by McDermott, a Democrat Republicans love to hate.

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Comments (16) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

It's kind of sad that the FOX commentators are actually so stupid that they don't understand what they themselves purport to believe. They've surrounded themselves so long with idiots who simply agree with their nonsense that they don't know how to respond to a person of average intelligence merely pointing out facts.

Posted by kk in seattle on January 2, 2013 at 3:23 PM

I have never heard Steve Doocy or Brian Kilmeade say one intelligent thing. They really are retarded. Like, mentally retarded.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on January 2, 2013 at 3:25 PM

"A budget plan is not an appropriations bill, Brian," is about the most polite way he could have paraphrased, "Pipe down kid, the grown-up is talking. Go back to eating your paste."

Posted by Knat on January 2, 2013 at 3:33 PM

Those fiends at Fox sure are rude, aren't they?

Posted by Brooklyn Reader on January 2, 2013 at 3:35 PM

"Insert random blonde chick here".

Posted by heywhatsit!? on January 2, 2013 at 3:39 PM

Spend baby spend. Money grows on trees.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on January 2, 2013 at 3:39 PM

Ohio will win it.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on January 2, 2013 at 3:44 PM

I loved having McDermott be my Congressman, what with such notable accomplishments as , and writing or being key in passing such legislation as , , and .

Posted by Reader01 on January 2, 2013 at 3:50 PM

The country would be better of if Rep. Adam Smith were President. His reasoned arguments are way over the heads of the FOX automatons.

Posted by Farbe on January 2, 2013 at 5:08 PM

I am happy to share my longtime Congressman with you Goldy. Adam has represented my part of Tacoma since 1996 and is one of those smart, quick, articulate people you used to believe were common in Congress. I doubt Fox will ask him to come on again anytime soon.

Posted by Question Mark on January 2, 2013 at 5:26 PM

I am glad that Goldy, who was just yesterday complaining about gerrymandering, is enjoying his new gerrymandered district.

Posted by Cascadian Bacon on January 2, 2013 at 6:12 PM

I will admit I'm a bad person. I rather enjoyed seeing Rep. Smith hand the Fox people their purported brains on a plate with red sauce.

Posted by Calpete on January 2, 2013 at 6:25 PM

I don't mind the unregistered troll, because no one takes him seriously. What is irritating is having all of his clones on FOX, and how many millions of Americans take them seriously. Like Knat said, they're paste-eaters who belong in third grade, not on a nationally televised broadcast.

Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In on January 2, 2013 at 7:37 PM

#5 Don't be sexist, the Gretch is the brain trust of this trio.

Posted by tedb310 on January 2, 2013 at 10:10 PM

@11: I have often thought it funny that democrats are always complaining about gerrymandering when both parties gerrymander the fuck out of districts when they get a chance.

Both sides do it, we just need to move to a nonpartisan manner of making districts. Other devoloped nations think we are batshit crazy for letting political parties make any district they want. The problem is self-evident.

Posted by Theodore Gorath on January 3, 2013 at 7:54 AM

@15: Tell Rep. Del Bene about her supposedly gerrymandered district. Washington's legislature and Governor are Democrats, but 4 of our 10 representatives are Republicans, and any nominee other than the extremist Koster would have given the Rs a fair shot at a fifth seat.

Posted by kk in seattle on January 3, 2013 at 11:34 AM