It’s an old story, but Oregon Democrats are still hoping to score political points with it: Gordon Smith once paid more than a million dollars for four golf clubs.
Smith, who is a very wealthy man thanks to his family’s frozen food processing business in Pendleton, paid $1.25 million for the four antique clubs, including a 16th century putter once owned by King James IV.
The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee has put out a video in which working Oregonians are asked what they’d do with $1.25 million. (None of them think it would be a good idea to spend it on golf clubs.)
Then, for comparison, the video points out that $1.25 million would buy more than 350,000 gallons of milk, fill up your gas tank (at $4 a gallon) for 625 years or pay for 50 students to get educated at the University of Oregon.
“Why does Gordon Smith pay $1.25 million for four golf clubs and think $5,000 for a round of golf is a good deal?” the Stop Gordon Smith website asks. “Because he spends his time with well heeled donors and lobbyists who shape his values and priorities. …
“Smith will spend the cost of four upscale homes on golf antiques, vote to freeze the minimum wage and raise tax breaks for corporations because the country club atmosphere he lives in is far removed from the needs of Oregon’s working families. The latest example of his country club world view is Smith’s $5,000 per person fundraiser at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort next weekend.
“Smith, who hits the links with lobbyists more often than he holds Ron Wyden style town halls with Oregonians, can’t relate to Oregon’s working families.”
Ah, good old-fashioned class warfare. We love it.
This article appears in Jun 19-25, 2008.
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OpenSecrets.org puts Gordo’s net worth at between $8.2 million and $38.5 million, making him the 12th richest senator. But he’s small potatoes (pun intended) compared with John Kerry (over $221 million), Herb Kohl of Wisconsin (over $171 million) and Ted Kennedy (almost $103 million).
And what does this have to do with anything?? Gordon and Ron have both been good for Oregon!
Smith is a low life who only caters to the ultra rich, cutting taxes for the rich and is no better than Bob Packwood who after kissing the butts of the local loggers was the one who signed the agreements with the japanese to ship our logs offshore to be milled. Bob got a hefty pay check for that one…however it was at the expense of all loggers in Oregon.
Gordon Smith is in the same league and should end up in prison for being a criminal. It is ok to rob from the poor and give to the rich into the millions…but to run into a bank with a shotgun and a ski mask and the poor bastard gets 12 years hard time.
We have all turned into weaklings and are too concerned with our micro brews and medicinal marijuana cards to bother to curb politicians like Gordon Smith from ruining all of us…along with Bush.
“And what does this have to do with anything??”
Nothing, I guess. Except it’s kinda funny that these country-club Republicans are always calling Democrats “elitists.”