Merkley's Macaca Moment

[Two days after the invasion of Georgia by Russia]

Questioner: With your national security background, what do think about what's going on in Georgia.

Merkley: [munch... munch... munch]

Questioner: I know you've been on the road, so you probably haven't exactly kept up...

Merkley: I haven' heard about what's going on in Georgia.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Jeff
• Merkley
• OR-Sen
• Georgia
• Russia
• Oregon

[DemGirrrrl]

FYI to poster. Jeff Merkley was driving in a car with no radio or cell phone service when the Georgia story hit this video footage was filmed ten min after he got out of the car to attend an event in the middle of Oregon. Jeff Merkley CARES about Oregonians, so much so that he visits them in their towns. VOTE MERKLEY

[EastBankThom]

CAC to commenter ("catch a clue")

Incompetence is no excuse. Sarah Palin CARES about Alaska. But I sure as hell ain't voting for her.

VOTE for the CONSTITUTION. Join the BLANK VOTE INITIATIVE.

[UnderTheFloor79]

Wow, how could he not know what was going on? Unbelievable.

[EastBankThom]

Merkley answers that himself in the video. He had been on the road campaigning and wasn't following the news.

[paulg22]

Are you kidding me? It was all over the news from the first moment Russia invaded. Now, I know he's been campaigning, but doesn't he have staff that monitors the news and briefs him on things he might get asked about during the course of a day? To be completely ignorant of the event it pretty bad.

[MauryDann73]

Steve Novick would not have made such a mistake.

[pointybongo]

When Novick lost the primary (thanks mainly to an ad blitz paid for by the DSCC), I knew that the GOP would keep that senate seat.

[dajinsta]

The raw footage isn't NEARLY as bad sounding as the cuts that the Republican ads are making him out to be.

[chipwhatup]

Need a moment? Crew it over with twix.

[getplaning]

The Georgian Army bombarded and invaded the capital of South Ossetia one full day before the first Russian even tank crossed the border. By the time the Russians arrived, the city was already in a shambles and thousands were dead. Did you leave that part out on purpose, or do you not know what is going on in Georgia either?

[MauryDann73]

His mistake was not in his initial misunderstanding -- I think most Americans would think the state of Georgia first -- but in claiming ignorance about the matter. You never look good doing that.

[EastBankThom]

Les, your point is well taken, but you use the word "Leftist" like it were some sort of slur. Furthermore, Tincan77's candidate is no Leftist. Like Smith, he is running to the center.

I think the term you were looking for is "establishment tool."

[lesatseaside]

tincan77

RE:"Merkley's focused on real Oregonians, as he should be."

If he were running for Oregon senate, that would be ok. But a person running for U.S. Senator has a responsibility to be informed of what's happening in the world, and this man didn't have a clue.

Further, this was 3 days after the invasion! It was on the front pages; national headlines, on radio, TV, radio. Merkley can't pick up a paper in three days?

It's very obvious that you are just a leftist tool.