Sen. Smith concedes

November 6, 2008 9:15 AM

According to the Oregonian, Republican Sen. Gordon Smith has called his challenger, Jeff Merkley, to concede. This brings the Democratic majority in the Senate to 57 votes.
posted by oneironaut (16 comments total)

Also, North Carolina's just been called for Obama.
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:19 AM on November 6, 2008

Merkley's was one of two campaigns I contributed to. We used to live in Oregon, and my wife went on strike when Smith tried to cut the benefits of public employees. I'm so glad he's gone.
posted by mecran01 at 9:23 AM on November 6, 2008

I voted for The Hook in the primary, but I'm still glad that hot dog eating Merkley beat Smith. I'm think I'm going to have a hot dog at lunch today in celebration.
posted by Muttoneer at 9:35 AM on November 6, 2008

57...
posted by DU at 9:36 AM on November 6, 2008

I dislike Smith as much as the next Portland State student, but a single link to Oregon live because Smith conceded? Surely anyone who really cared about the Oregon senate race is following it anyway.
posted by Caduceus at 9:37 AM on November 6, 2008

Alaska is looking highly possible based on provisional ballots. Georgia will go to a runoff. Minnesota is going to a recount.

"If the White House political team can't figure out a way to get two Republican senators to vote with us between Air Force One, tea at the White House, U.S. attorneys and judges and dams and roads and ambassadors and all that other stuff, somebody should take them out to the woodshed. Sixty is less a magic number than a zone."

-- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), quoted by the New York Times, on the importance of getting a filibuster-proof 60 Democrats in the U.S. Senate.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:40 AM on November 6, 2008

Wha? Oh, I read that wrong. Smith conceded, he didn't call on someone to concede - gotcha.

And as an Oregonian, this is great news. Gordon Smith was never a very good fit with the rest of our delegation.
posted by elwoodwiles at 9:41 AM on November 6, 2008

Isn't 58 enough, since the two independents are usually sympathetic to Democrats?
posted by stbalbach at 9:41 AM on November 6, 2008

stbalbach, it includes the independents.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:42 AM on November 6, 2008

I donated to Merkley as well. Oregon is one of the few places left in American where a folksy guy can still be elected. I loved to GOP ads against him. Merkley really is way better than Bradbury, who i am glad didn't run again.
posted by parmanparman at 9:43 AM on November 6, 2008

Plus, one of the two is Lieberman, who it would be nice to not need. For anything. Ever.
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:43 AM on November 6, 2008 [2 favorites]

Also, I'm not entirely convinced that Lieberman will be voting with the rest of the Dems very often.
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:44 AM on November 6, 2008

He will if he wants to be re-elected.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:45 AM on November 6, 2008

I dislike Smith as much as the next Portland State student, but a single link to Oregon live because Smith conceded? Surely anyone who really cared about the Oregon senate race is following it anyway.

It's not so much about the specific state's race, Caduceus, it's about what the outcome of that race means to the makeup of the rest of the government. That is the noteworthy part, the fact that there is now a 57-seat majority in the Senate.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:45 AM on November 6, 2008

Actually, as the Democrats' number in the Senate approaches 60, Lieberman becomes more important. His value lies in being the vote that crosses an important threshold. This is why he got to campaign for McCain but retain an important committee chairmanship in this Senate session, because he was the Democrat's 51st vote. In the next Senate, he won't be nearly as important, unless he is the 60th vote.

To get there, Begich has to pull it out in Alaska, and Franken will have to win in Minnesota, getting to 59 votes (including Lieberman) and then the Democrats would have to win the run-off in Georgia (highly unlikely, but possible).
posted by thewittyname at 9:49 AM on November 6, 2008

Rumor has it Harry Reid is meeting with Lieberman today to tell him he won't be chairing the Homeland Security Committee any longer. If that's the case, he faces a difficult choice: does he swallow his pride and continue to caucus with the Democrats, or join a virtually powerless Republican minority and likely lose his seat in four years?
posted by EarBucket at 9:59 AM on November 6, 2008 [1 favorite]