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Smith and Drescher

Rep. Adam Smith Endorses a Card-Carrying Republican 

People who don't ordinarily follow Newcastle, Washington politics aren't going to know this, pretty much, but Representative Adam Smith, Democrat from Washington state, actually endorsed a card-carrying Republican, John Drescher, for Newcastle City Council.  Drescher supported George W. Bush and John McCain, respectively, in two recent presidential elections (2004 & 2008).  Smith is the same rightist Democrat (the kind of Democrats also known as "Blue Dogs") who benefitted from the other curious election of 2004, though unwittingly.

Smith's voting record is like a dream to America's far right wing, shown here as follows:

Congressman Adam Smith has voted for the following (pretty much not in accordance with his district):

  • the national defense authorization act proviso that ends Habeas Corpus (judicial review for persons who are jailed), even for American citizens, though clearly unconstitutional;
  • the 2002 Iraq War resolution;
  • Gramm, Leach, Bliley Act (the law that effectively dismantled the Glass-Steagall Act);
  • Wall Street bail-outs;
  • nuclear energy deal with India (despite that this involves the energy sector, the deal undermined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty);
  • the 2001 Patriot Act and 2011 Patriot Extension Act, acts that are overbroad and have enabled the N.S.A.'s (and other agencies) overreaching, out-of-control surveillance of law-abiding American citizens.

[Originally published on Commoner under the title, "Rep. Adam Smith Endorses Card-Carrying Republican."]

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