A semi-refreshing republican: Senator Gordon Smith

Senator Gordon Smith has put himself at odds with the majority of his party, and that is the kind of thing I like to see. He's got moxy! Today smith went against the grain of his peers, and instead of fighting for big businesses helped out the little guy. I am delighted to see this, and I hope more quality work is on the way.

The Senate voted this afternoon to restore some $14 billion in Medicaid cuts that had been proposed for the next five years, setting up a confrontation between the two houses of Congress over tax and spending policy.

The 52-to-48 vote to restore money to Medicaid, a federal-state program for poor people, came on an amendment offered by Senator Gordon H. Smith, Republican of Oregon. His was one of a long string of amendments being deliberated on the $2.6 trillion budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

...An elated Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, called the vote "an important victory for states, families, seniors and children" and said it came about because of "a truly bipartisan effort."

-The New York Times

I hope that good things continue to happen like this in the face of Bush's budget, but I think that it is sad that Harry Reid called it a "true bipartisan effort," because I can not see how a 52-48 vote is bi-partisan, that is a near tie, however, I will take what I can get.

statistic brilliance