Video: Obama Chooses Running Mate

... and she's older than John McCain.

Willy Week Taps Novick For Senate

Portland's award-winning alternative weekly, Willamette Week, has endorsed Steve Novick in the Oregon U.S. Senate Democratic Primary.

Novick’s outsider campaign has raised nearly as much money as Merkley’s camp, even without the help of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which tapped Merkley as its favorite. And Novick surprised many who can’t imagine a 4-foot-9 man with a hook for a left hand entering what’s known as the “world’s most exclusive club.”

We were hotly divided between the fun, speak-his-mind insurgent who calls to mind the late Sen. Paul Wellstone and the impassive Merkley, who calls to mind the widely respected Sen. Al Gore—the wooden version, before he became as steaming as the planet.

In the end, we rallied around Novick because we see a capacity for a refreshing independence and an unwavering willingness to tackle our toughest issues, like providing universal health care and ending the war in Iraq.

The toughest and smartest guy in this race is Novick.

Regular ballots go out May 2.

Gordon Smith Releases First TV Ad

Register-Guard reporter David Steves has posted Gordon Smith's first ad of 2008. It boasts a slogan, "Gordon Smith: Common Ground for the Common Good," that Oregonians will certainly hear a lot from the Smith campaign between now and November. From Steves' blog:

(The ad) is simple, straight-forward, and a pretty good indication of his plan to run as an independent-thinking guy who can work just as well with Democrats as Republicans ...

Tuesday Tune: Poor Old Dirt Farmer

Today In Oregon

From The WMD Stockpiles: The Scalia Collection

Tonight 60 Minutes focused on that combative rascal of modern wing-nut judicial philosophy, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (also known as "Nino"), one of the five judges who handed the White House to George W. Bush in 2000.

In honor of Nino's national network publicity, WMD has unearthed these scuds from the stockpiles.

March 25, 2004

CONTEXT: If Dubya is The Decider, then Scalia is The Recuser.

April 9, 2004

CONTEXT: Controversy ensued when a U.S. marshall assigned to protect the Supreme Court justice during a speech in Mississippi forced two reporters covering the event to erase their recordings.

(Click on images for larger versions)

The Oregonian Endorses Novick

As far as newspaper endorsements go, a statewide candidate can't land a bigger fish than the Oregonian.

And that's just what former underdog candidate for U.S. Senate Steve Novick did today.

Fresh off the heals of wrapping up a nod from Southern Oregon's Medford Mail-Tribune, Novick's bold campaign and forthright style have impressed the editorial board of the state's largest newspaper.

Novick is an unusual man with an unusual resume -- characteristics that some suggest aren't suited to the U.S. Senate. But we think his passion, his intellect and his personal style give him an intriguing combination of qualities that most senators don't possess.

We think Novick represents a bold choice for Democrats who seek to dislodge a veteran incumbent. He has the potential to press Smith as he has done Merkley. And, should he pull off what would be a major electoral upset and go to Washington as the new junior senator from Oregon, he has the potential to make Oregonians proud.

Read the rest of the Oregonian's endorsement HERE.

Regular ballots start going out Friday, May 2.

Go, Steve, go!

Tuesday Tune: Sammy's Late

I know, I know, I'm a day behind. Maybe this'll help catch me up ...



Ronnie Montrose with Sammy Hagar from 1974. The only thing missing is the faux engine-revving that Ronnie used to play with a slide to start the song.

Oregonian: Merkley Takes Heat For Mid-East Politics

Over at his blog, Way West of the Beltway, Oregonian reporter Jeff Mapes has posted a preview of a story that will appear in the print edition Wednesday morning that details some heat Senate candidate Jeff Merkley is taking for his shifting position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Pro-Palestinian activists say Merkley had been courting them for campaign contributions while expressing sympathy for their cause until he suddenly announced a hardline pro-Israeli stance last week at a forum sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Portland.

...

Part of the flap involves a donation Merkley returned to a pro-Palestinian activist who accused Israel of terrorism.

Hala Gores, a Palestinian-American lawyer in Portland, said a tearful Merkley visited her office in March to return her $2,300 contribution to his campaign and said: "I don't know if I am doing the right thing or the wrong thing. I want to win."

Merkley disputed her account of the conversation, saying that "I don't think I said something like I want to get elected."

Mapes has more on this story, first reported by Willamette Week, including other unhappy Merkley donors. Read the rest at his blog.

WMD Stockpiles: George W. Bush, Comedian

3/26/04

At the annual Washington Press Association dinner in 2004, George W. Bush presented a "humorous" slideshow that featured himself searching the White House for the weapons of mass destruction we never found in Iraq.


(click image for larger version)

Merkley Campaign Bitter About New Novick Ad

The Steve Novick for U.S. Senate campaign released another winning new ad Monday that pokes fun at same-old-tired political campaigns, although disheveled Jeff Merkley Campaign spokesman Matt Canter seems to disagree.

"It looks like the Novick campaign pulled the plug on their funny ad strategy," Canter told the Oregonian's Harry Esteve. "Like all the reporters I was ready and waiting to see what crazy thing the Novick campaign would come up with next. The first ads were kind of funny, but this one falls flat."

Judge for yourself:



Upon further review, I'd say this 30-second spot is a perfect response to off-the-shelf ads that feature the candidate standing next to blue-collar workers, then health-care professionals, then educators, then firemen, then soldiers, etc., etc, while the deep-voiced announcer reads throwaway platitudes about the candidate being a fighter and so on.

And the ad also succinctly explains Novick's position on Social Security tax.

Canter's overtly bitter comments should be considered a reflection on how good the ad is and how under-whelming Merkley's once-viewed-as-inevitable campaign has been. In less than 24 hours, Novick's ad got 1,738 views on YouTube. Merkley's "fighter" ad, which has been out for two weeks, has 1,728, according to Loaded Orygun.

But don't judge the Minnesota import Canter too harshly. Surely any Oregonian can emphasize with Canter's frustration.

I imagine for Merkley's supporters, watching Novick's ads is like watching Michael Jordan sink another three pointer against the Blazers in the NBA finals.

Or, as Spike might say, "Hey Money, it's gotta be the ads."

Mapes Recalls McCain's Temper

At his OregonLive blog, Way West of the Beltway, Oregonian reporter Jeff Mapes recalls his personal encounter with John McCain's infamous temper.

The Washington Post ran a front-page story Sunday devoted to McCain's temperament, starting with a shouting-and-shoving match McCain had with Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in early 1992.

Mapes remembered seeing "flashes of temper" when he covered McCain's appearance in Portland at a 1993 dinner for the Oregon Citizen's Alliance, an anti-gay group.

McCain was visiting Portland to speak at a political dinner, and he clearly wasn't happy to be doing it. Back in 1991, McCain had agreed to help out a small conservative group, the Oregon Citizens Alliance, which had decided not to run a third-party candidate against then-Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore.

In 1992, however, the OCA ran an anti-gay ballot measure that attracted national attention and turned even many Republicans away from the group. After McCain agreed to attend the 1993 fundraiser for the OCA, an Arizona newspaper columnist headlined it this way: "Hate group finds friend in McCain." Then-Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, R-Ore., encouraged McCain to back out, but McCain felt he couldn't.

In such a situation, many politicians would simply pour on the charm and the candor - smilingly telling reporters that this was an opportunity to encourage a conservative group to be open-hearted and tolerant.

McCain didn't do that.

Read the rest at Mapes' blog.

Michael Moore Endorses Obama

Filmmaker Michael Moore joins former Clinton Administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich on the list of prominent Democrats recently endorsing Barack Obama in the presidential primary.

My Vote's for Obama (if I could vote)

...by Michael Moore

April 21st, 2008

Friends,

I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.

So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?


I haven't spoken publicly 'til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don't give a rat's ass whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there's a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word "Democratic" next to the candidate's name.

Seriously, I know so many people who don't care if the name under the Big "D" is Dancer, Prancer, Clinton or Blitzen. It can be Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Barry Obama or the Dalai Lama.

Well, that sounded good last year, but over the past two months, the actions and words of Hillary Clinton have gone from being merely disappointing to downright disgusting. I guess the debate last week was the final straw. I've watched Senator Clinton and her husband play this game of appealing to the worst side of white people, but last Wednesday, when she hurled the name "Farrakhan" out of nowhere, well that's when the silly season came to an early end for me. She said the "F" word to scare white people, pure and simple. Of course, Obama has no connection to Farrakhan. But, according to Senator Clinton, Obama's pastor does -- AND the "church bulletin" once included a Los Angeles Times op-ed from some guy with Hamas! No, not the church bulletin!

This sleazy attempt to smear Obama was brilliantly explained the following night by Stephen Colbert. He pointed out that if Obama is supported by Ted Kennedy, who is Catholic, and the Catholic Church is led by a Pope who was in the Hitler Youth, that can mean only one thing: OBAMA LOVES HITLER!

Yes, Senator Clinton, that's how you sounded. Like you were nuts. Like you were a bigot stoking the fires of stupidity. How sad that I would ever have to write those words about you. You have devoted your life to good causes and good deeds. And now to throw it all away for an office you can't win unless you smear the black man so much that the superdelegates cry "Uncle (Tom)" and give it all to you.

But that can't happen. You cast your die when you voted to start this bloody war. When you did that you were like Moses who lost it for a moment and, because of that, was prohibited from entering the Promised Land.

How sad for a country that wanted to see the first woman elected to the White House. That day will come -- but it won't be you. We'll have to wait for the current Democratic governor of Kansas to run in 2016 (you read it here first!).

There are those who say Obama isn't ready, or he's voted wrong on this or that. But that's looking at the trees and not the forest. What we are witnessing is not just a candidate but a profound, massive public movement for change. My endorsement is more for Obama The Movement than it is for Obama the candidate.

That is not to take anything away from this exceptional man. But what's going on is bigger than him at this point, and that's a good thing for the country. Because, when he wins in November, that Obama Movement is going to have to stay alert and active. Corporate America is not going to give up their hold on our government just because we say so. President Obama is going to need a nation of millions to stand behind him.

I know some of you will say, 'Mike, what have the Democrats done to deserve our vote?' That's a damn good question. In November of '06, the country loudly sent a message that we wanted the war to end. Yet the Democrats have done nothing. So why should we be so eager to line up happily behind them?

I'll tell you why. Because I can't stand one more friggin' minute of this administration and the permanent, irreversible damage it has done to our people and to this world. I'm almost at the point where I don't care if the Democrats don't have a backbone or a kneebone or a thought in their dizzy little heads. Just as long as their name ain't "Bush" and the word "Republican" is not beside theirs on the ballot, then that's good enough for me.

I, like the majority of Americans, have been pummeled senseless for 8 long years. That's why I will join millions of citizens and stagger into the voting booth come November, like a boxer in the 12th round, all bloodied and bruised with one eye swollen shut, looking for the only thing that matters -- that big "D" on the ballot.

Don't get me wrong. I lost my rose-colored glasses a long time ago.

It's foolish to see the Democrats as anything but a nicer version of a party that exists to do the bidding of the corporate elite in this country. Any endorsement of a Democrat must be done with this acknowledgement and a hope that one day we will have a party that'll represent the people first, and laws that allow that party an equal voice.

Finally, I want to say a word about the basic decency I have seen in Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton continues to throw the Rev. Wright up in his face as part of her mission to keep stoking the fears of White America. Every time she does this I shout at the TV, "Say it, Obama! Say that when she and her husband were having marital difficulties regarding Monica Lewinsky, who did she and Bill bring to the White House for 'spiritual counseling?' THE REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT!"

But no, Obama won't throw that at her. It wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be decent. She's been through enough hurt. And so he remains silent and takes the mud she throws in his face.

That's why the crowds who come to see him are so large. That's why he'll take us down a more decent path. That's why I would vote for him if Michigan were allowed to have an election.

But the question I keep hearing is... 'can he win? Can he win in November?' In the distance we hear the siren of the death train called the Straight Talk Express. We know it's possible to hear the words "President McCain" on January 20th. We know there are still many Americans who will never vote for a black man. Hillary knows it, too. She's counting on it.

Pennsylvania, the state that gave birth to this great country, has a chance to set things right. It has not had a moment to shine like this since 1787 when our Constitution was written there. In that Constitution, they wrote that a black man or woman was only "three fifths" human. On Tuesday, the good people of Pennsylvania have a chance for redemption.

Yours,
Michael Moore

Mother Jones Salutes Wyden's Health Care Ad

Mother Jones Washington reporter Jonathan Stein noticed on his blog Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden's attempt to make voters take a closer look at health care.

Sen. Ron Wyden Makes Health Care Reform Funny

The truly funny and risky political ad is a rare beast. This one, from Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, is about as close as they come. Wyden is trying to promote the "portability" of his universal health care plan (they're not just for presidential candidates!), which in human-speak means the ability to keep your health care coverage when you switch jobs, go back to school, or start your own business.

If you haven't seen the ad, why not take a second now?

Today In Oregon

Twisted Totem

Baracky: The Movie

WMD Stockpiles: Blind Leading The Blind

Jan. 14, 2004
After unceremoniously exiting his job during the first term, Bush Administration Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill told Wall Street Journal reporter Ron Suskind that Bush's behavior at cabinet meetings was like "a blind man in a roomful of deaf people; there is no discernable connection."


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Clinton Attacks Obama's "Electability"

While Oregon's wonks and other West Coast watchers wait for a delayed broadcast to see the presidential primary debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the New York Times is reporting that Clinton employed broad attacks on Obama's potential general election weaknesses.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton went on the attack against Senator Barack Obama on a variety of issues during a contentious debate Wednesday, warning that he would be deeply vulnerable in a general-election fight if he won the nomination.

Helped along by the questioning of the moderators, Mrs. Clinton mentioned several areas in which she said Mr. Obama was vulnerable, including the incendiary remarks by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., and his service on a board with William Ayres, a former leader of the radical Weather Underground. She even cited Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader, who has endorsed Mr. Obama.

In their final face-to-face encounter before the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, Mr. Obama largely refrained from taking the bait when offered the opportunity to go after Mrs. Clinton, like when the focus turned to her honesty and her claims of facing sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia.

Hillary did finally admit that she believed Obama could beat McCain in November, but she said also believes she can do a better job.

"Obviously. That’s why I’m here," she said.

It may be obvious to her -- not so much to many others.

The Boss Backs Obama

Bruce Springsteen has go got be one of the biggest rock 'n' roll endorsements in politics, and Barack Obama's got him.

Fresh from his recent show at Portland's Rose Garden, Springsteen posted this letter on his website.

Dear Friends and Fans:

Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.

He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."

At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams of My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.

After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.

Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President.

The Latest Facial Hair Font

Introducing ... ... Beard!



Hat tip to The Daily Dish.

WMD Stockpiles: George's Prescription Conniption

One of George W. Bush's promises during the 2004 election was to deal with the problems caused by illegible prescriptions. He should have started with this one:


5/28/04 ...(click image for larger version)

Tuesday Tune: Mick 'n' Peter

Monday Morning Flak Attack: Oh Crap, We're Losing

Shocking as this may be for some to believe, the forces of Jeff Merkley's U.S. Senate campaign, an effort that has earned the candidate the moniker of second most hypocritical person on the planet (right behind Bono Vox) by at least one local journalist, are this week's winner for Flak Hero of the Week.

And they should be applauded for really stepping up the effort. There was an incredible amount of flak coming from the Merkleybots. I guess that's understandable, considering the former front runner, who despite all the advantages of the establishment political machine, is polling in third behind Steve Novick and uber-underdog Candy Neville.

So when news broke that several major recording artists had stepped forward to endorse Novick, the search-and-destroy software in the Merkleybots flipped into high gear.

From Eugene Register-Guard reporter David Steves' blog:

Former Vietnam War hero and veteran U.S. Senator Max Cleland will be coming to Oregon this month to campaign for Democratic candidate Jeff Merkley.

His campaign sent word out today via email. And Merkley spokesman Matt Canter could not help but contrast this against the announcement earlier today from rival Steve Novick that he was being endorsed by a slew of rock stars.

“War hero in Oregon vs. musicians on the east coast…When a professional political consultant runs for office he can rollout endorsements from his high profile clients.

"When a fighter like Merkley is campaigning to change the direction of our nation, America’s most distinguished war heroes come to help,” Canter wrote.

Just to set the record straight ... the East Coast reference is apparently to the Novick campaign’s offer that campaign contributors can receive a premium ticket to an upcoming East Coast performance by Pearl Jam, whose guitarist is endorsing Novick.

As far as the geography of today’s endorsers goes, it’s true that R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe is from the southeastern state of Georgia, as is Cleland. And Rufus Wainwright is a New Yorker. And perhaps some Oregonians consider Austin Texas, home of Britt Daniel’s band, Spoon, to be back east. But the rest of Novick’s celebrity endorsers are from right here in the Pacific Northwest — Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney - Olympia), Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam - Seattle), Thomas Lauderdale (Pink Martini - Portland), Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie - Seattle) Krist Novoselic (Nirvana - Seattle/Aberdeen), Dave Dederer (Presidents of the United States - Seattle).

So Canter, an import from Minnesota, is wrong again. And, given Canter's history of duplicity, I'll bet he knew that before he ever said it.

And of course, BlueOregon head cook and bottle washer Kari Chisholm, who counts Merkley as a paying client, couldn't help but jump on the bandwagon trying to tear down or taint Novick's success.

Huh.

Now, I'm a huge fan of almost all these bands (and have seen nearly all of them live), but this isn't exactly surprising. After all, Krist Novoselic and Stone Gossard are both clients of Steve's consulting firm.

It'd be surprising if they didn't endorse him.

Yeah, I won't argue that these endorsements are cool. Other than Garrett, I'm not sure many voters will pay attention - but yes, it's cool.

Meanwhile, Willamette Week adds more detail to the "Novick clients endorsing Novick" list.

Chisholm, who rightfully gets a lot of grief when he uses Oregon's largest liberal blog to openly shill for his paying clients, tries to taint Novick's endorsements by conflating his own obvious conflicts of interest with Novick being endorsed by people he's worked with at his communications firm.

In Chisholm's case, he endorses people who pay him. You'd expect someone to endorse his boss. It's commonly called sucking up, and he's got an economic incentive.

But when a former client of Novick's endorses his campaign, it's the equivalent of getting a letter of reference from a former boss. It's legitimate. They endorsed him once by paying for his services. Now they're saying they've worked with him in the past, and that experience leads them to believe he can get the job done. It happens everyday in the real business world.

Now let's look at Merkley's endorsement from the likes of Jon tester and Max Cleland. Do you think either of these guys knew who Jeff Merkley was before they got the phone call from the Democratic establishment machine asking for help? Doubtful.

So for those keeping score at home:

Endorsements stemming from a network of people who have worked with you in the past and know your work are somehow tainted and should be dismissed.

Endorsements from people in the party machine who don't know you from Adam are legitimate and carry a great deal of weight.

And that, folks, is an example of what common sense looks like to people with their heads shoved as far up the party establishment's butt as they can fit it.

Remember, flak doesn't have to make sense or be accurate, it just needs to fill the air.

Today In Oregon

Puzzling

WMD Stockpiles: Gordon Smith Poles His Constituents

What was Sen. Snowflake up to in early 2006?


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From the Chicago Sun Times, June 2006:

Washington lobbyists getting ready for a long, hot summer filled with 2006 campaign fund-raising were jolted last week with a request to fund an election 2-1/2 years away by coming to a snowy venue.

The mailed solicitation was for the "6th Annual First Tracks Ski Trip" at Deer Valley, Utah, on Dec. 2 this year on behalf of Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon.

The high ticket cost is $2,500 for political action committees and $1,000 for individuals, with accommodations at the Stein Erickson Lodge costing extra.

Truly a man of the people.

New Video: Wayne Morse v. Mike Wallace, 1957

A newly released video collection of Mike Wallace's earliest interviews provides a remarkable glimpse into yesteryear, including a real gem for fans of Oregon political history.

More than 60 editions of "The Mike Wallace Interview," many of them unseen since their original ABC broadcast, have been posted online by the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

Sponsored by prominently featured tobacco pusher Phillip Morris (including a classic turn-to-the-camera pitch by a product-puffing Wallace), the show's guests include 35-year-old Harvard prof. Henry Kissinger, Salvador Dali, Aldous Huxley, Pearl Buck, Oscar Hammerstein II, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bob Feller and World War II hero Charles "Commando" Kelly, among many others.

But the 1957 episode of "The Mike Wallace Interview" that pitted cantankerous Oregon Sen. Wayne Morse against cantankerous Mike Wallace is by far the finest treasure for Oregon politicos.

Even before Morse became one of only two U.S. Senators to vote against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorizing the use of force in Vietnam, the guy that Wallace refers to as "the most controversial man in the U.S. Senate" was accustomed to blazing his own path and speaking truth to power.

As you'd expect, that independence earned Morse no small amount of criticism from his targets and their establishment backers, and Wallace spends quite a bit of the interview asking him if it's "responsible politicking."

Against a stubborn mule like Wallace, who made his name busting balls a decade later on 60 Minutes, Morse -- in the same Oregon independent vein as Kesey's Henry Stamper -- "Never Give(s) A Inch." Wallace starts by asking Morse to defend his criticisms of the Eisenhower Administration.

And I repeat that statement tonight, but you see, when I characterize the Eisenhower administration as an administration of great political immorality, I document it, and I’m perfectly willing to document it on this program. But let me make perfectly clear here, you see, that I think there’s going on in this country, among too many people, the idea that a President can be put upon a pedestal and you must not criticize him. As I said on the floor of the Senate, have we gone so far down the road of a police state in America, that a President shall not be subject to criticism if an elected official of a free people believes his record deserves criticism, and you need to describe it for what it is.

Then Morse tells Wallace "big business" supports Eisenhower because "his acts as far as his Administration are concerned of political immorality have accrued to the benefit of American big business." The exchange that follows is classic Morse.

WALLACE: Well, my question, the question I’d like to put to you is the one that Republican Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona asked on the floor of the Senate. He asked you, he said, “what does it take to please the senior Senator from Oregon?”

MORSE: Just clean government.

WALLACE: Wait just a second, please sir. “He has gone through two Presidents and he’s unhappy; he’s run through two parties and he’s unhappy. What does it take to please the senior Senator?”

MORSE: Just clean government and I’m going to continue to raise this voice for clean government whether there’s a Democrat or a Republican in power, if I think under that Administration there are evidences of injustices and unclean government...

The interview even ventures into an area that followers of this year's U.S. Senate Democratic primary might find especially interesting.

WALLACE: Then I’d like your answer to this criticism of Wayne Morse by political analyst Raymond Moley in Newsweek magazine back in October of last year. Mr. Moley wrote of what he called “the utter sterility of Senator Morse” and his “ineffectiveness as a representative and a statesman.” And Moley added, “the net for Oregon after 12 years has been words, more words, and scores of driveling resolutions and bills which have come to nothing, with the possible exception of a 1945 World Court Resolution, Morse has earned credit for no important legislation. What about that, sir?

MORSE: Well, Mike, let me say good naturedly, first, I can’t imagine anything that would concern me less than Raymond Moley’s views on anything, particularly his views on me; and I know him pretty well, because he is a very able spokesman for the reactionary big business forces of this country. But in my campaign last fall, the people of Oregon answered Raymond Moley ... and they answered (him) by giving me a resounding majority vote on November 6, and I just dismissed the Raymond Moleys because I know what I can expect if you seek to stand out and exercise an honest independence of judgment, you can expect the predatory forces of this country to try to get you, and they have been trying ever since I have been in the Senate; but I will leave my case rest with the people of my state.

And that, folks, is what an authentic maverick looks and sounds like -- just in case Gordon Smith or the sometimes-overly fawning media that cover him are wondering.

Wallace and Morse also touch on Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, Arthur Miller, and Joseph McCarthy.

Watch this video and check out the collection.

Mapes: Neville Invited To Televised Senate Debate

Oregonian political reporter Jeff Mapes says that Senate candidate Candy Neville of Eugene will get to stand to-to-toe with primary opponents Steve Novick and Jeff Merkley during the KGW/Oregonian debate April 15.

From Mapes' blog:

On Monday, Candy Neville turned 58 and got the good news that she's polling as strongly in the race for the Democratic nomination as the man who has been seen as the Democratic establishment's favorite: House Speaker Jeff Merkley.

Her celebration continued on Tuesday when she found out that The Oregonian and KGW TV have decided to include her in a televised debate - probably the most important of the campaign - to be held on April 15. Merkley and Portland lawyer Steve Novick, who led in a poll conducted by Survey USA, will also participate in the debate.

"It brings me clearly out of the term 'other' and makes me Candy Neville," said Neville from her Eugene home. "I'm really not a fringe candidate. I'm a factor."

To prepare herself for Merkley's, uh, devastating attacks, Neville may want to familiarize herself with this fellow:

WMD Stockpiles: The Weekly Speeches That Weren't

Remember when George W. Bush gave a speech before the 2004 election in which he promised to deliver four more weekly speeches on how he would achieve victory in Iraq, but then he didn't? The things he used to get away with ... ...


8-30-2004 ...(click image for larger version)

Tuesday Tune: Can't Happen Here?

KATU Poll: Novick Leads By Double Digits

Although the largest group of voters is still undecided, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Steve Novick has a double-digit lead over primary opponent Jeff Merkley, according to a poll conducted for Portland's KATU Channel 2.

From the Associated Press:

A poll ... by SurveyUSA gave Novick a double-digit lead over Merkley, with 23 percent of the 597 likely voters surveyed saying they planned to vote for him. Merkley came in third in the automated poll, with 11 percent of voters, a statistical tie with Eugene anti-war activist Candy Neville, who was supported by 12 percent of voters in the poll.

Forty percent of voters in the poll, which had a margin of error of 4.1 percent, said they were still undecided.

Novick's campaign manager said the poll reflected their momentum, but a spokesman for Merkley dismissed it, saying the results were not "legitimate."

Of course he did. When KATU Salem Bureau Chief Melica Johnson asked Merkley spokesman Matt Canter to show her the campaign's internal polling in order to back-up his claims that KATU's poll isn't credible, a disheveled Canter literally said, "Um, w-w-we're not gonna, ya know, I'm gonna decline to release that."

Johnson also reported that the poll results have generated a lot of media interest, including from the Beltway. Down south in Eugene, Register-Guard reporter David Steve's provides some analysis about the poll, some updates about campaign advertising buys, and then he comments on the race in general:

The poll numbers seem a bit suspect, since they also show Candy Neville with 12 percent, even though her campaign activities have been limited mainly to appearances at candidate forums.

But another number—the 40 percent undecided—means that even if Novick’s support is overstated and Merkley’s is understated, this race is up for grabs and will largely be decided by two things:

1. The vast group of voters who haven’t been paying attention yet, but will start weighing their choices in the next few weeks.

2. Each candidates’ ability to raise money and buy media and other methods of getting their word out.

...Novick campaign manager Jake Wiegler said his campaign is ready to start running ads on TV, too. Besides the Portland and Eugene markets, Novick plans to air commercials in Bend and Medford. A source who has reviewed TV station ad-buy documents said Novick is ready to nearly match Merkley in on-air presence; Merkley’s buy for April 8-14 totals about $57,000 for the two markets and Novicks’ for April 14-20 comes to about $60,000 in all four.

...One more possible factor: whether Republican Sen. Gordon Smith or any of his surrogates decide to jump in to steer primary votes in a way that gives them their preferred Democratic opponent for the fall race.

Oregonian political reporter Jeff Mapes also weighs in:

The margin of error is 4.1 percent in the automated poll. According to Associated Press, the Merkley campaign disputed the legitimacy of the survey, and some pollsters do have problems with Survey USA's methodology, which uses a recorded voice to question respondents.

But the poll is a sign that Novick has made inroads thanks to the buzz over his unconventional ads (which made light of his physical disabilities) and his strong volunteer organization. When I was in Medford a week ago covering former President Bill Clinton, I watched Novick volunteers handing out fliers to the 2,000 or so people standing in line - and there was no one in sight from the Merkley campaign.

...Merkley is now starting his television advertising campaign, which gives him the chance to connect with voters, who clearly are not yet very focused on this campaign. But it becomes clearer every day that this is a real primary race.

A little more than six weeks to go, folks. Hang on!

Let's Start With The Word "Moo"

Sen. Tim Calhoun, Saturday Night Live veteran Will Forte's creepy, fumbling perpetual candidate, is one of the funniest repeat guests they've had on Weekend Update for awhile.

Now he's running for president, and he's got some, uh, interesting ideas. Oregon State University's Agricultural Department may be especially intrigued by his "Cow College" proposal. Enjoy!

Cartoon: Jeff Merkley's Geico Strategy

(click image for larger version)

RELATED:
Oregon Primary Campaign,
David Sarasohn, The Oregonian, 4-06-08

Geico Insurance ad on YouTube.

Monday Morning Flak Attack: A Long-Distance Dedication

It seems Jeff Merkley didn't like the way things were stacking up in a race that featured himself against Steve Novick. So at Friday's Portland City Club debate Merkley tried to turn it into Novick against Merkley and U2's Bono -- like some kind of wonkfest version of a WWF tag team cage match that's gone horribly off the tracks.

But I'll be the first to admit it was morbidly fascinating to hear Merkley spend so much time fawning over a pop star in the middle of a debate for a U.S. Senate nomination while the country is at war, the economy is deteriorating and the planet's headed toward a slow-rolling boil.

Besides, who am I to stand in the way of such a beautifully budding relationship.

So maybe this long-distance dedication will help usher things along between Jeff and the newfound object of his debate affections.

Today In Oregon

Across


Left Behind

Mapes And Sarasohn On Novick v. Merkley

Oregonian political reporter Jeff Mapes and associate editor David Sarasohn weighed in today on Friday's Portland City Club debate between U.S. Senate candidates Steve Novick and Jeff Merkley.

Mapes called it for Merkley:

My sense is that Merkley probably got the most out of the debate. For the most part, the House speaker stuck to one theme: that he's been successful in getting legislators to work together while Novick is a loose cannon given to slashing attacks against Democrats with whom he disagrees.

Sarasohn gives the edge to Novick:

Just like it was supposed to, Friday's debate between two Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate focused on a vital issue of public policy: Is Irish rock singer Bono the most hypocritical human on the face of the Earth?

We'll have to wait for the returns from Roseburg on that one.

... If the best chance to unseat Smith belongs to the candidate most capable of biting large chunks out of him, the edge probably went to Novick. But whoever wins the May 20 primary will start the next day essentially broke, while Smith will face the morning with at least $8 million.

Oh, yeah, there's that bitter dose of reality as well. Ouch! Obviously it's gonna take somebody a little different to bite into Smith.

From The WMD Stockpiles: Leading The "Left Behind" Band

10-12-04...(click image for larger version)

Merkley On The Issues: Why Do You Hate Bono, Steve?

Silly but true, one of the three most pressing issues Jeff Merkley wanted opponent Steve Novick to answer for Oregon voters was basically, "Why do you hate Bono, Steve?" Yes, yes! Enquiring minds want to know, Mr. Novick.

Merkley also seemed oddly obsessed with BlueOregon. All of his questions for Novick were about blogposts there. Yes, Jeff, what's going on at BlueOregon is the top issue for Oregon Democrats.

Here's video of the entire debate. Watch for yourself.

Missoulian: Obama, Clinton Visits Bad For Plants?

News that the campaigns for Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are headed to Missoula, Mont., for back-to-back weekend appearances has local naturalists worried for the mountainside plant life.

From Missoulian reporter Besty Cohen's article:

As tempting as it may be, the folks who have been working hard to protect the natural plant life on Mount Sentinel are asking local politicos not to transform the landmark concrete “M” (above the University of Montana) into a giant “ObaMa” welcome sign this week.

For that matter, please don't spell out “Hillary Clinton” - or anything else - with the “L” (for Loyal High School) on Mount Jumbo, said Marilyn Marler, the University of Montana's natural areas specialist.

Although snow still blankets the hillsides, the ground is not frozen and plants are emerging, with some in early stages of blooming, Marler said Monday. “The ground is thawed enough - it's mud season up there and it is probably the most sensitive time right now,” she said.

“I would like to encourage people to stop treating our hillsides as billboards that are just waiting to be filled with our opinions,” she said. “I have been working hard to teach people that putting signs on Mount Sentinel (and Mount Jumbo and the North Hills) is destructive to the native prairie plants that live there.

Marler said she became concerned about the potential situation after reading several local blogs that suggested welcoming candidates to town by using the giant letters.

Marler said she doesn't want to dampen people's excitement when presidential candidate Barack Obama comes to town Saturday, and when presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visits on Sunday.

But she also doesn't want Missoula's treasured natural areas to be trampled.

“The ‘L' and the ‘M' are probably here to stay,” she said, “but let's leave the rest of the hillsides alone and respect the non-human components of our beautiful city.”

Maybe a non-human rights commission is in order.

In the meantime, click HERE for an incredible 360-degree controllable rotating view of Missoula from the "M" on Mount Sentinel overlooking the U of M campus.

I'm not sure how this technology works, but it's very cool, and the sunset scene is awesome. You won't be disappointed, unless you don't have QuickTime, which is required to view it.

WMD Stockpiles: Bush's Social Security "Crisis"

12-16-04 ...(click on image for larger version)

After George W. Bush earned his "political capital" by squeaking by John Kerry in 2004, he decided to make a big push for his much-hyped plan to "save" the Social Security by letting Americans play the stock market with their SS funds.

The Republican talking point during this attempt said that unless America immediately took a radical step like privatization, Social Security would implode within days (well, OK, not literally days, but you get the idea). As the cartoon above attempted to highlight, like the lead up to the war in Iraq, Bush's privatization push was another fear-based hype job intended to sway public opinion in favor of a bad idea that extreme elements of the Republican Party had dreamed for years about pulling off.

The reality, of course is that despite the right-wing noise machine, it is important for the American public to understand there is almost nothing "wrong" with Social Security itself, or so says U.S. Senate candidate Steve Novick.

You'd never know that was Novick's position, however, by listening to the rhetoric and negative polling conducted by Novick's primary opponent, Jeff Merkley, whose truthiness-challenged line of attack against Novick tries to tie the fighter with a hard left hook to Bush's wingnut plan to tear down a hallmark of the New Deal.

As Novick points out above, he wants nothing to do with the hysterical GOP claims that there is an immediate crisis with Social Security that requires radical action. But he is honest enough to realize, like Barack Obama and Peter DeFazio, that some modest tweaks may be necessary to deal with previous fiscal irresponsibility that could leave the program struggling when the 'boomer bill comes due.

Here's Novick's actual policy statement from his website:

"In 1983, Congress raised Social Security taxes on working people, collecting more taxes than needed to pay current benefits, in order to build up a trust fund that could be used to pay the benefits of the baby boomers when they retire. But every President since then - except for Bill Clinton in his second term - has borrowed from that trust fund to pay for other programs. George Bush has borrowed about $150 billion a year, to pay for the war in Iraq and tax cuts that favored the wealthiest Americans. In the meantime, he also continues to push for ‘privatizing' Social Security - so he can escape the blame for his borrowing endangering the funds for senior citizens in the future."

"It would be a betrayal of the worst sort to begin cutting the retirement benefits of working Americans, particularly after they’ve been paying extra taxes for the past two decades to shore up the system. To stop that from happening, the federal government will need to repay its debt to Social Security - which may require cutting other spending or raising revenue."

"One way to raise revenue would be to ask wealthier Americans to contribute more. Right now the Social Security tax doesn't apply to incomes above $97,500. In other words, if you make $1 million a year, over 90% of your income is exempt from Social Security taxes. We might need to apply the Social Security tax to incomes above $100,000. If we do, steps could be taken to limit the tax hit on families making in the $100,000 to $150,000 range - many of whom probably don't feel rich. Barack Obama, Peter DeFazio and I support lifting the cap, while my opponent in the primary does not."

That seems pretty clear. And it's nothing like the GOP talking point that says Social Security is so endangered it requires radical change. Anyone who says Novick is echoing GOP talking points is simply wrong. Anyone who makes that bogus claim repeatedly is something worse.

Video: A Debate With Hate, Or Is It?

From the fine folks at Mad TV, an equal opportunity purveyor of mockery. This clip is a classic, although I'm not sure which one of these guys is right. Enjoy!

Cartoon: HillaRocky 2008

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Hillary Clinton compared herself to legendary film character Rocky Balboa today.

From the Associated Press:

Recalling a famous scene on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art from the 1976 Oscar-winning film "Rocky," Clinton said that ending her presidential campaign now would be as if "Rocky Balboa had gotten halfway up those art museum steps and said, 'Well, I guess that's about far enough.'"

"Let me tell you something, when it comes to finishing a fight, Rocky and I have a lot in common. I never quit. I never give up. And neither do the American people," Clinton said in excerpts of prepared remarks to be given Tuesday to a meeting of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.

"The Republicans aren't going to give up without a fight," Clinton said. "And no matter how beautiful your rhetoric, the Republicans aren't going to turn off their attack machine — it doesn't have an off-switch."

"But one thing you know about me is that when I say I'll fight for you, I'll fight for you," the New York senator said. "I know what it's like to stumble. I know what it means to get knocked down. But I've never stayed down, and I never will."

This raises the question: Do you think Hillary has ever seen Sylvester Stallone's original Rocky? Rocky works as muscle for a loan shark in that movie. He also gets his butt kicked by Apollo Creed and loses the fight -- but not before inflicting a lot of damage on the eventual winner. Is that really how she sees herself?

Statesman-Journal: Merkley Campaign One Of The Week's Losers

The Salem Statesman-Journal weighed in on the Oregon Democratic Senate primary this week with a reaction to news that Jeff Merkley has been poll testing negative attacks against Steve Novick. In a column highlighting the week's winners and losers, Merkley fell into the latter category.

LOSER: Jeff Merkley's campaign. The Associated Press reported that the campaign is polling Oregon voters, testing negative messages about fellow Democratic Senate candidate Steve Novick. If Merkley's willing to wallow in the gutter, voters only can assume his campaign is going nowhere.

That sure seems to be the growing conventional wisdom.

Tuesday Tunes: A Little Slice Of Heaven

Bob Dylan's words and Sam Cooke's voice. Does it get any better than this?