Forward Oregon

I’ve got the flu. YAY!!! best way ever to start the new year! But I thought I would give the top 5 Oregon Legislature accomplishments of 2007, according to Forward Oregon.

1.  The Oregon Equality Act:  Before this legislation passed, you could fire someone, evict them, or deny them a seat at a restaurant because they were gay.  This is a huge step towards equality for all Oregonians.  Major props go to Basic Right Oregon, Rep. Tina Kotek , Sen. Kate Brown, and many others for their tireless advocacy in addition to House Speaker Jeff Merkley, Jon Isaacs, and everybody at FuturePAC for getting enough House Democrats elected in 2006 to make this happen.
2. The Oregon Family Fairness Act: This bill created Domestic Partnerships to protect Oregon families.  The credit goes to the same advocates listed above for both getting enough Democrats elected and then hammering through these significant protections for families.
3. Renewable Portfolio Standard:  This bill is landmark legislation for the implementation of renewable energy standards in Oregon.  The bill requires that by 2025, 25% all of the non-hydro power in Oregon must come from renewable sources.  This impressive effort to fight global warming comes was another bill that was able to pass due to House Democratic election success.  Also deserving of props are Sen. Brad Avakian and Rep. Jackie Dingfelder, who shepherded the bill through their respected committees.
4. Majority Sign Up: This bill allows workers to form a union when 50% of workers sign up.  This prevents employer intimidation which is frequent during the waiting period that was a part of the previous law.  Unions are the lifeblood of the working middle class and this legislation allows more Oregonians to access their benefits.  Props go out to Reps. Mike Schauffler, Dianne Rosenbaum and Speaker Merkley along with Sens. Brown Avakian, and Walker.  Of course one cannot forget the Oregon AFL-CIO.
5. Shared Responsibility Model: The Shared Responsibility Model is an innovative new model for need-based aid in Oregon that would reinstate students’ ability to work our way through college, as did generations before us.   Props go to Governor Kulongoski for leadership and the Oregon Student Association for their advocacy.

Remember that none of these great legislative success would be possible without the 31 Democrats that Jeff Merkley and FuturePAC helped get elected.  If you haven’t used your 2007 Oregon Political Tax Credit do so TODAY, or it runs out!  A great place to do that is at Forward Oregon’s ActBlue page.  Support Jeff Merkley and Forward Oregon’s other candidates before time runs out!

After a nice mellow holidays, Forward Oregon returns, ready to take on 2008!  There is much excitement awaiting us in the new year starting with the Rebooting Democracy Conference, which is put on by our fabulous friends at the Bus Project.  The conference will springboard us into election 2008, so if you don’t have your tickets yet, get them now.

I am super excited about the Democrats chances in 2008, both nation wide and here in Oregon.  There is a lot of intrigue to be had both on an national and state level: Can Democrats expand their advantages in the Oregon Legislature despite a general shake up of their caucuses, who will be our Democratic Presidential nominee and will they win the whole shebang, will Democrats perform well enough in senate races throughout the country to stop Republican obstructionism, and will Jeff Merkley, who I expect to handle his primary challenger, be able to take down Gordon Smith?  Forward Oregon will be here with you through all of it.

But, before we turn our attention to next year, there is still some business left to be dealt with in 2007, quarter 4 fundraising.  I have created an Actblue Page for Forward Oregon endorsed candidates.  Remember, that in order to take advantage of your 2007 Oregon Political Tax Credit, you must give before the end of tomorrow.

Jeff Merkley is a candidate that is especially deserving of your 2007 donation.  He showed good fundraising rates during Q3, but since he was only in the race for half the quarter, the total wasn’t as impressive as the rates were.  A strong Q4 showing could help secure his standing as a top tier candidate, garnering national attention and support for taking down Gordon Smith.  He is a great progressive and you can help his campaign out by giving the campaign what essentially amounts to a $50 loan, as when you file your taxes, the state will give you your first $50 back.  I supported Jeff with $50 bucks despite paying my way through college so you can too!

With all the holiday cheer and being home, the posts have been coming a little slower so I am officially declaring a vacation until after Christmas, or until something so major that I can stay away comes along.

While you are reading this remember that time to use your 2007 Oregon Political Tax Credit is almost up. Here are some great candidates to think of during the holidays and send a little something their way.

Update: So WordPress hates me today so use this link instead.

Its been a fun week with Gordon Smith being exceedingly stupid.  With a whole bunch of holiday fun to attend to, here are your Saturday Morning Quick Hits:

• Oregon really needs to allow for live music venues and dance clubs to have patrons that are over 18 but not allowed to drink.  It keeps young people in a safe environment rather than going to some sketchy house party.  Furthermore, its hard to get really drunk when you have to pay bar prices for your booze.
• Greek yougurt is sooo good.  Especially the fig flavor.
• Food prices in San Francisco seem to be double the price of food in Salem.
• The Nice Thing I Say About Steve Novick This Week: He had some nice forshaddowing on the Smith-Lott escopade with a press release a couple of weeks ago.

Now, I go to finish my holiday shopping.

Tags: SaturdayMorning Quick Hits

There are times where I wonder how often outrage in the blogoshpere correlates with outrage on the part of voters.  For example, the people that read Forward Oregon almost certainly fall into one of two categories: political junkies searching the vast internet for inside baseball style political commentary, or people that know me in the “real world”, like my friends and family (Hi Mom!).  Try explaining the importance of Senate holds, something that has earned Harry Reid the ire of the liberal parts of the blogosphere, to an average voter on the doorstep, they just don’t care. 

That brings us to Gordon Smith’s farewell ode to Trent Lott, in which Smith claimed that Lott was unfairly criticized for suggesting that our problems would be solved if only we had elected segregationist Strom Thurmond President in 1948.  This issue, unlike Senate holds, seems to have cross cutting appeal to both more active participants of the blogosphere and the less active voters.  The Oregonian editorial board chimed in today:

On issues carrying as much emotional freight as race — and there aren’t many — a U.S. senator needs to speak with care and consistency. Otherwise, he could find people speaking at his own retirement tribute.

As typical of the Smith apologists at the Oregonian, the board gave Smith more than ample column inches to try ridiculous spinning in an attempt to cover their tracks.  The contradictory answers Smith attempted to pull over the eyes of Oregonians don’t fly anymore.  As StopGordonSmith.com says:

“Gordon Smith is learning that he can’t speak without regard for the truth and get away with it,” DPO Communications Director Marc Siegel said. “There should be a warning label on future Gordon Smith comments. Warning, the content of this Senator’s comments are volatile, may not be truthful and can change quickly.”

I can just see a highly successful Jeff Merkley attack ad in about 10 months, with Smith’s Trent Lott blunder in a long line of flip flops, helping lead to Senator Smith’s own farewell tribute.

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Tags: OR-Sen, Gordon Smith, Oregonian, Trent Lott, Flip Floping

Recently, Jeff Merkley won the Oregon AFL-CIO endorsement. Many cited his long legislative record defending of workers rights as the reason Merkley won the endorsement. On Friday, Merkley showed that his support for workers extends far beyond the House of Representatives, rallying with striking members of AFSCME Local 1995. The rally was outside the Multnomah County ESD office in Portland where workers had been on strike since November 30. This is a video of Jeff’s speech:
In the hours following the rally, the strike was settled. While some candidates in the race are content to bash the AFL-CIO, Merkley showed his deep commitment to working people on the picket lines. We need a US Senator that will stand with workers, passing legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act, paid sick leave for all workers, and reforming our disastrous trade regime that costs good paying jobs here at home. That Senator is Jeff Merkley.

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Tags: OR-Sen, Jeff Merkley, Labor, AFSCME, Strike

Considering the size of the storm, you may have heard this elsewhere, but today Gordon Smith opened his mouth and said something profoundly stupid:

“I was half way around the world when an event befell Trent Lott that shook me deeply,” Smith said, referencing Lott’s 2002 remarks in praise of Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond’s 1948 run for the White House. “I was celebrating my re-election and on vacation. I watched over international news as his words were misconstrued, words which we had heard him utter many times in his big warm-heartedness trying to make one of our colleagues, Strom Thurmond, feel good at 100 years old. We knew what he meant. But the wolfpack of the press circled around him, sensed blood in the water, and the exigencies of politics caused a great injustice…”

You know who disagrees with that statement? Oregonians and Gordon Smith.   In 2002, Smith didn’t seem to think that Lott was treated unfairly:

“However they were intended, Senator Lott’s words were offensive and I was deeply dismayed to hear of them,” Smith said in a brief statement. “His statement goes against everything I and the people of Oregon believe in. I look forward to working with my Republican colleagues to arrive at a decision that is best for the U.S. Senate and the country.”

And three days latter when Lott stepped down:

“I appreciate that Senator Lott has stepped down, it was a courageous thing for him to do…”Senator Lott’s decision is best for the Senate and best for the country.”

We need to stop the pandering to racists and the flip floping Gordon Smith gives us instead of representation.  This is just one in a plethora of reasons that Jeff Merkley should be our next US Senator. He is going to be everything that Smith is not, an amazing progressive US Senator.

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Tags: GordonSmith, Trent Lott, Jeff Merkely, Stupid, Racist

One of Forward Oregon’s favorite reads is Senate 2008 Guru, who does an excellent job with keeping readers abreast of all the Senate campaign happenings across the country.  This morning the Guru broke some potentially big news:

On Saturday, the Guru mentioned that he had heard rumors that the Constitution Party candidate for Governor of Oregon in 2006, Mary Starrett, is considering a 2008 Senate bid.  Well, I engaged in a little investigative journalism and simply contacted Ms. Starrett.  I mentioned the rumor and asked if a 2008 Senate bid was something she was considering.  Her response by e-mail:

Anything’s possible…and let’s face it Gordon Smith needs a spanking, don’t you think?

First off, that certainly isn’t a “Nope, not considering a bid.”  And it certainly sounds like she’s no fan of Gordon Smith.

Gordon Smith needs to look out, as he could have shrapnel incoming from all sides.  Starett’s rise to fame was came from her roles as a morning show news anchor and as a founder of the Oregon Right to Life.  Her run for Governor, as you can see below on her literature, was predicated on being a pro-life purist, anti-immigration zealot, both issues on which Gordon Smith has base problems.

Starrett’s role in the general election would be interesting due to Gordon Smith’s machinations of being perceived as a moderate.  The most notable area of danger to Smith is a woman’s right to choose.  Lets make this clear, Gordon Smith is not pro-choice, earning a 15% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2006.  However, he has made attempts to appear moderate on the issues, especially in an Oregon that turned away a parental notification law in 2006.  Being a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, an organization with close ties to Republicans for Choice, and being a supporter of stem cell research are two way that he attempts moderate himself.  As you can imagine, those positions don’t square with pro-life puritans like Starrett.  Having shown her ability to pull votes in a statewide race, to the tune of 3.6% in the 2006 Governor’s race, Smith might be forced take a more conservative stance to protect his right flank from Starret, freeing up more moderate voters on choice for Jeff Merkley’s taking.

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Tags: OR-Senate, Mary Starrett, Gordon Smith, moderate, abortion,

Three minutes ago, I sent in my last paper for the Fall 2007 semester.  Finals are over, thank God!  After spending nearly three days without sleep, this will be a tired edition of Saturday Morning Quick Hits:

• Note to self the following things are not good in combination with each other: no sleep for three days, 2 cans of Rockstar, 5 Jello chocolate and vanilla swirl pudding cups, drinkable yogurt, and apple cider airborne.
• If John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice is a silly thought experiment, and as completely unimplementable as I think it is, why do I use it so often to write papers?
• Here is a good frame buster: Waterboarding doesn’t simulate drowning. It simulates death.  Stop doing it!
• This Weeks Nice Thing I Say About Steve Novick: His article in Harpers this week was really good press, and he didn’t talk once about Merkley.
• Danny Haren was traded by my beloved Oakland A’s yesterday. I am crushed but “In Billy Beane We Trust.”
• Speaking of baseball, I enjoy rebuilding teams, as I find the strategy behind building a team absolutely fascinating.

There will be a special Sunday post here on Forward Oregon. Tomorrow, before I go home for the holidays, I will be writing about the Merkley-Tester event in Portland tonight.  Hope to see you there.

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Tags: QuickHits, Baseball, Dan Haren, This Weeks Nice Thing I Say About Steve Novick, Finals, Fall 2007, Jeff Merkley, Jon Tester

Recently, former Congresman Les AuCoin endorsed Steve Novick in the Senate race.  Unfortunately, his endorsement of Steve Novick was as solid on the facts as Swiss cheese.  The errors are not small typos, but rather play a central role in AuCoin’s support for Novick. AuCoin goes down the HR2 rabbit hole:

Or, better, as House Minority Leader, Jeff could have out-maneuvered Republicans by engineering a Democratic Minority Report supporting the troops without glorifying Bush. Minority Reports are voted on before the bills to which they are attached; thus, it would have separated the issues, allowed Democrats to support the troops, and then oppose Bush on the war. It didn’t happen. This reveals a key difference between the Democratic candidates as we look for someone to effectively fight the neo-conservative putsch that threatens us.

Over at Preemptive Karma, Kevin writes a great post taking AuCoin to school for the factual errors:

Jeff Merkley wasn’t House Minority Leader in 2003. That job belonged to Deborah Kafoury. Furthermore, a Democratic Minority Report on the issue would have been sent out from the House Rules Committee and the Minority Leader didn’t serve on that committee that year. Maybe she could have pushed it through one of the members, but that’s a question for her, not Jeff Merkley.

Ironically, Kafoury has endorsed Novick. Will AuCoin be sitting Kafoury down at the next Novick holiday gathering and dressing her down for her lack of leadership on HR2? Not likely.

Personally, I don’t care about non-binding resolutions. I do, however, care about hypocrisy and this endorsement has more than its fair share of that. The main stated reason that AuCoin endorsed Novick over Merkley is that Deborah Kafoury, a Novick endorser, refused to, as Minority leader, get a minority report from her caucus on HR2.  Does that sound like a good reason to oppose Merkley to you? So are AuCoin and Novick going to ask Kafoury to take back her endorsement?  Did Kafoury cave to the GOP by not issuing a minority report? Or is it just not meaningful enough for Novick and AuCoin to stick to their principles here, unless they can use it as another shameless excuse to try to smear Merkley?

Finally, if AuCoin is so wrong about his chief issue in the race, can anyone trust his endorsement?

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Tags: OR-Sen, 2008 Senate Democratic Primary, Les AuCoin, Steve Novick, Jeff Merkley, Endorsements, HR-2