Oregon
updated
4:07 p.m.
Last month the NY Times wrote a scathing piece about the Bush Administration's secret Pentagon propaganda machine. The Bush Administration created a program where they unleashed military analysts to speak the Bush gospel on Iraq and other foreign policy matters on television without proper disclosure. Media watchdog group Media Matters researched how many times the members of the military propagan...
Lefty Lane - 4:07 p.m.
The past couple days I've been watching the cable news networks coverage of the Edwards endorsement. It was a big night for me and Obama supporters considering the weight of such an endorsement. In between my excitement for John and Obama, every commercial break reminded me that I have another big fight on my hands. Gordon Smith is airing a negative attack ad on my preferred Senate candidate Jeff ...
Lefty Lane - 4:07 p.m.
Two problems become apparent on the 3rd floor of Ballard Hall on a 94 degree day. One, the heat is cranking in my office full blast. I think there is no real control over it here, if the steam plant is making steam, the heat is ON. And with some days coming up in the 60s, I guess they think they are still going to need heat. This makes my office about 173 degrees. Two, by about 1pm the facult...
Oregon Economics Blog - 4:07 p.m.
Yeah..uh huh. From Huffington : Former GOP hopeful and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is back in the news this week, making a splash when he took a hit at Senator Barack Obama during the annual National Rifle Association meeting. Huckabee made an off-color joke during his speech in Louisville, Kentucky, when a loud bang was heard off-stage. "That was Barack ...
Not a Well-Behaved Woman - 4:07 p.m.
As primary day approaches, campaigns statewide are making their final push to inform voters why their candidate is the right choice. Often times, these campaigns will give misinformation about their opponents. In this campaign for Attorney General, there are several rumors being thrown around about Greg. This is where you come in. We need you to be our eyes and ears in these final days. Here...
Greg Macpherson for Attorney General - 4:07 p.m.
Multnomah County today advised voters that Friday, May 16 should be considered the last day for voters in Multnomah County to rely on timely USPS delivery of ballots in time for the May 20, 2008 primary election. Ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20 to be counted. Postmarks do not count. Official 24-hour Ballot Drop sites: A-Boy Supply: 7365 SW Barbur Blvd. Goodwill...
Commissioner Jeff Cogen - 4:06 p.m.
Click here to read about former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, the Georgia law maker who authored the federal Defense of Marriage Act The "states rights" advocate is seeking the Libertarian nomination. ...
Just Out - 4:06 p.m.
I just got back from Wonder Ballroom, where Basic Rights Oregon is busily preparing for tonight’s third annual fashion fund-raiser, Strut , produced by gay designer Jonny Shultz and Q6 Model and Artist Management. Besides supporting a great cause, look at all you get for $15: • Schmoozing with more than 500 fair-minded fashionistas who will don fierce attire for the occasion. R...
Just Out - 4:06 p.m.
From the Washington Post: The Fix by Chris Cillizza Oregon: State House Speaker Jeff Merkley has been one of the most disappointing candidates so far this cycle. Recruited into the race by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Merkley has struggled to transition from state legislative politics to a U.S. Senate campaign. Those struggles have been exacerbated by the surprising strength -- fu...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
With just six days to go until the primary election, there's news breaking every hour it seems. Use this post to post links to news stories, make comments, and discuss anything you want. (One request: If there's another recent post that's more appropriate, comment there. Let's use this space to talk about campaigns that aren't getting enough coverage. We're looking at you, people obsessed with Mer...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
Editor's note: In yesterday's open thread, Ed Bickford commented on Measures 51, 52, and 53. Use this space to discuss those measures. Where are these three legislative referral measures coming from? There are no arguments in opposition in the Voters' Pamphlet, yet they look suspicious to me. How can there be none? M51 & 52 were pushed by Kevin Mannix, and seem to be more of his relentless exploit...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
By Sybil Ackerman of Portland, Oregon. Sybil is one of Oregon's leading environmental advocates. I know Jeff’s work first hand and he will do amazing things as our next US Senator. My passion is environmental conservation. Every once in a while I find someone who can translate my passion for this issue into political reality. Jeff Merkley is such a person. He helped make the 2007 session in Oregon...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
By Rob Milesnick of Portland, Oregon. Rob is a candidate for Multnomah County Commission, District 3. More information at RobForCounty.org The Multnomah County Commissioner races haven’t received a lot of publicity this year, and are less glamorous than other races on the ballot this primary. Still, Multnomah County manages the third-largest budget in the State of Oregon, and the things that count...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
Steve Novick has sent voters a new attack mailer accusing Jeff Merkley of failing Oregon's children on health care. From Jeff Mapes: Senate candidate Steve Novick has leveled a new hit against Democratic rival Jeff Merkley that seeks to blame the House speaker for the failure of a cigarette-tax bill aimed at expanding children's health care. ... The Novick mailer charged that Merkley "failed to de...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill asked all 97 Senators who are not running for president whether they'd consider taking the veep slot on a presidential ticket. Senator Gordon Smith: “Let me put it this way: I’m not on the list, so it’s a hypothetical question.” Senator Ron Wyden: “I have a unique perspective on this. I am the only senator to have announced I am not running for president because the...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
At the unofficial Lane County Bus Project blog, Rose Wilde reflects on going canvassing for County Commission candidate Rob Handy. Lane County is on the verge of financial crisis, yet the voters’ rejection of any attempt at new taxes in spite of our extremely low tax base speaks a fundamental truth – Lane County voters are compassionate, but terribly mistrust our county government. They will not v...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
Writing in the Oregonian, columnist David Sarasohn takes note of the massive $312,500 donation that SEIU has made to attorney general candidate John Kroger. As The Oregonian's Jeff Mapes reported this week on his blog, "Mapes on Politics," the Service Employees International Union just came up with another $162,500 for John Kroger's campaign for attorney general. Together with earlier contribution...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
Ben at Witigonen takes a look at Sho Dozono's ties to Oregon Republicans, including his endorsement by the Multnomah County Republican Party: Okay, so Sho Dozono has received the support of the Multnomah County Republican Party. The same party that vehemently opposes basic rights and equality. But, as the Willamette Week reports, Dozono is honored to have this support and says it doesn't color his...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
According to Talking Points Memo, the American Leadership Project - a 527 group supporting Hillary Clinton - has bought at least $300,000 (and up to $500,000) in television time in Oregon. The American Leadership Project -- the big pro-Hillary 527 put together by major Hillary-backing unions and major donors -- is buying $300,000-$500,000 worth of TV time in Oregon for a new ad touting Hillary's r...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
By Fred Stewart of Portland, Oregon. Fred is a candidate for Portland City Council. Portland needs diversity on the City Council, not just of color but more importantly, diversity of priorities and life experiences. The sum of my experiences makes me, Fred Stewart, the best candidate for Portland City Council, Position 2. Six things that make me uniquely the best choice For Portland City Council a...
BlueOregon - 4:04 p.m.
Merkley Will Fight For Kids, Families, Not Special Interests Today Jeff Merkley's campaign for U.S. Senate released a new television ad featuring Merkley's ten year old daughter Brynne. She knows exactly why Gordon Smith is attacking Jeff Merkley. It's because Merkley has plans to change Washington D.C. and fight for kids and families, not the special interests. View the new ad . La...
Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate - 2:00 p.m. - 5 clicks 
New Radio Ads Distort Merkley's Record Fighting for Rural Oregonians For Two Weeks Smith Has Falsely Attacked Merkley to Swing the Primary to Political Consultant Steve Novick Gordon Smith has spent $500,000 falsely attacking Jeff Merkley in an effort to swing the Democratic U.S. Senate primary to professional political consultant Steve Novick. Smith has spent more than $430,000 on te...
Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate - 2:00 p.m. - 5 clicks
Over at local Oregon blog Sound and Fury, Dade Cariaga discovers Gordon Smith's very obvious concern about having to face Jeff Merkley in the general election: Well, well, well. Gordie showed his hand by revealing who it is that he does not want to run against this fall. Merkley got you looking over your shoulder, Senator? It sure made me glad that I cast my vote for Merkley. And the idea th...
Merkley for Oregon Blog - 2:00 p.m. - 4 clicks
In a guest column posted on an anti-immigrant blog yesterday, Rick Hickey, Vice President of Oregonians for Immigration Reform urged their registered Republican members to run as Precinct Committee Persons (PCP). How? Mr. Hickey explains: You can become a PCP by voting for yourself (write-in) and having just two others write you in on their form and mail it in with the ballot. These two others ...
CAUSA:blog - 2:00 p.m. - 6 clicks
Matt Stoller at OpenLeft lays out the case for Steve Novick: This is a fascinating contest of an establishment-progressive versus an activist-progressive. While I have a great deal of sympathy for Merkley and his adherents, I support Novick in this race. Sherrod Brown was celebrated as a great progressive hero in 2006, and he has begun to carve out a nice path in the Senate. But I've al...
Novick for Senate - 1:59 p.m. - 4 clicks
The sixth D'Merde Salon—featuring Portland's most talented and creative painters, writers, sculptors and musicians—takes place from 7 to 11:30 p.m. today at 6310 S.E. Steele St. Read on: A beautiful assassin serving absinthe, readings from legendary socialite and writer Viva Las Vegas, art from the inimitable Miss Mona Superhero (pictured) and live mural painting by Mayorga and Holdt will be ...
Just Out - 1:59 p.m. - 6 clicks
Out/Loud, a two-day festival formerly known as Lesbopalooza, kicks off today in Eugene. Click here for details. If you can’t make it to that event, here’s the next best thing: Queer Control Records ’ “Pass the Torch” Tour—featuring its five resident bands—comes to the Egyptian Club on May 30. Read on: The QCR artists that will be participating in the “P...
Just Out - 1:59 p.m. - 3 clicks
I was in search of happy hour last week, and found it at the Rose & Thistle on Northeast Br oadway and Northeast 24th Avenue. The pub boasted Scottish atmosphere and grub but it mostly reminded me of bars on Hollywood Boulevard in touch with classic Los Angeles. There wasn't much for this vegan to munch (I'd already had hummus for lunch) but the beer poured cold and I enjoyed the rowdy scene....
Just Out - 1:59 p.m.
The dudes who put together Portland's nonfunctional "free" municipal wi-fi system are about to shut it down . Or get this -- they want the city to buy it from them for $894,000! Let's see... used computer equipment... that doesn't work... gee, $894,000 sounds about right......
Jack Bog's Blog - 1:59 p.m. - 12 clicks
Where will you be on election night, as the returns pour in? It looks as through we'll be blogging all evening, but perhaps not so much here. We've been asked by the folks at KGW to blog on their site as the moments we've all been waiting for arrive next Tuesday evening. We're told that we'll be joined by Len Bergstein, the famed Portland political consultant (currently working with Portland ma...
Jack Bog's Blog - 1:59 p.m. - 6 clicks
Remember back in October whan I charted the evolution of Washington Post columnist Chris Cillizza's analysis of the Oregon Senate primary? He does a monthly "Senate Line" column, ranking the seats on their flippability, and the comments over the months show the transition from Jeff Merkley, designated and ordained nominee, to....well, read this month's entry for yourself: 8. O...
Loaded Orygun - 1:58 p.m. - 7 clicks
As you see at right in the new and competing ad from the Novick campaign (see what a little tough love does for your ad revenue?) Steve has now racked up 12* papers in the state, and they really do run the gamut of west, east, south, north, urban, rural, staid, irreverent, conservative, liberal, daily, weekly--you name it. If it's a general circulation paper and it reaches a decent number of ...
Loaded Orygun - 1:58 p.m. - 8 clicks
A lot of blogs are going on and on about Novick's "attack"mailer on Merkley. Thus far, none of the postings I've seen have given the actual context or even the content of the mailer. Since I received one, I thought I'd share. Here's the full mailer, with the exception of the area with my name and address (click images for larger version): The part that is getting...
Blog for Oregon - 1:57 p.m. - 9 clicks
Portland City Hall hasn't been spared the liveliness that's characterized the other electoral choices we face next week. Erik Sten's resignation means that four seats are on the ballot: a new mayor, two new commissioners, and Randy Leonard's re-election bid.......
Isaac Laquedem - 1:57 p.m. - 12 clicks
The Portland State Daily Vanguard has chosen to endorse Amanda Fritz for Portland City Council! In their 05/09/08 edition, Vanguard staff wrote: City Council seat 1 Fritz is involved "Amanda Fritz has been a watchdog of Portland politics for years, commenting on issues and improprieties through her blog. A nurse at OHSU, she is very aware of the problems with the city, such as the f...
Amanda Fritz for City Council - 10:54 a.m. - 11 clicks
I think we're going to have to face it on this one , Bush is right. Appeasement has never worked. Ever. I refer you to the chapter on WWII in your history texts for proof. The result of talking with tyrants? Poland gets invaded. Every freakin' time. Name me one war that talking has prevented. Do it. I'll wait, I've got the time. That's what I thought, you can't. We have a solution t...
Green Blog of Revolution - 10:54 a.m. - 2 clicks
No matter how much he claims to not bow to special interest lobbies : Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain secured millions in federal funds for a land acquisition program that provided a windfall for an Arizona developer whose executives were major campaign donors, according to a USA Today report. McCain, an Arizona senator, inserted $14.3 million ...
Not a Well-Behaved Woman - 10:54 a.m. - 4 clicks
Steve Novick's campaign for the U.S. Senate has attempted to strike a ridiculous blow against Jeff Merkley. It might just end up backfiring. Over the past few days, an attack mailer has been landing in our mailboxes; it criticizes Jeff's leadership in being unable to muster a three-fifths majority to pass last year's Healthy Kids initiative. Some background: Oregon's Democrats, working hard to...
Witigonen - 10:54 a.m. - 19 clicks
Merkley Has Surged Since April, Built Significant Lead Among Women A new KATU-TV Portland News poll released tonight conducted by Survey USA shows House Speaker Jeff Merkley leading the Democratic race for U.S. Senate. Merkley has surged 20 points over the last month and has built a significant lead among women. Late last week Gordon Smith began running false, negative ads attacking o...
Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate - 10:54 a.m. - 28 clicks
Stay cool out there today, it's getting hot! See the below information from Portland's Emergency Management Department (click the expanded link for more CITY OF PORTLAND, OREGON OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Tom Potter, Mayor NEWS ADVISORY May 15, 2008 For immediate release. For additional information, contact: Kerry Dugan (503) 823.2360 kdugan@ci.portland.or.us With temperatures e...
Commissioner Jeff Cogen - 10:54 a.m. - 6 clicks
Work on several Willamette River bridges will require motorists to use alternative routes this weekend. Burnside Bridge: Will be closed to road traffic from 8:00 pm on Friday, May 16 until as late as 6:00 am on Monday, May 19 to allow a contractor to lay down permanent lane striping, following last year’s lift span project. This work was delayed until warm weather allowed the use of therma...
Commissioner Jeff Cogen - 10:54 a.m. - 11 clicks
The Fix by Chris Cillizza Published May 16, 2008 8. Oregon : State House Speaker Jeff Merkley has been one of the most disappointing candidates so far this cycle. Recruited into the race by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Merkley has struggled to transition from state legislative politics to a U.S. Senate campaign. Those struggles have been exacerbated by the surpris...
Novick for Senate - 10:53 a.m. - 7 clicks
If you watch The Ellen Degeneres Show today you'll see the comic announcing that she and partner actress Portia de Rossi will be among the Californians taking advantage of the state's very new same-sex wedding laws. The talk show host can't announce a specific date yet as none has been set for the implementation of the new laws. Watch a clip of the announcement here . ...
Just Out - 10:53 a.m. - 5 clicks
Not everyone in the sexual minorities community was thrilled with what US Rep. Barney Frank , D-Massachusetts, had to say to Just Out (May 2 issue: "Franky Speaking") in defense of his work on the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill offering workplace non-discrimination protections to gays and lesbians (but not transgender persons) which passed the US House last...
Just Out - 10:53 a.m. - 6 clicks
GAYCATION! It may be hot outside, but it can be hotter inside! Join all your queer friends at Holocene tomorrow. Featuring your favorite Gaycation DJs and all the way from sunny San Francisco, my fabulous friend DJ Chelsea Starr. See you there! ...
Just Out - 10:53 a.m.
Some bummer news just arrived moments ago from dyke cartoonist Alison Bechdel. Check out the May 30 edition of Just Out for the final installment. I'm both sad and a little relieved to announce that this is the last Dykes To Watch Out For episode for the foreseeable future. I'm facing other pressing deadlines, and need to focus on that work for the time being. I'm sorry I didn't give y...
Just Out - 10:53 a.m.
With less than a week before Oregon's May primary election, presidential candidate Barack Obama is coming back for a rally at 12:30 p.m. May 18 at Waterfront Park on the corner of Southwest Columbia Streeet and Naito Parkway. Click here for details. ...
Just Out - 10:53 a.m. - 2 clicks
The next planning meeting for Portland Latino Gay Pride will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. May 18 at Jupiter Hotel, 800 E. Burnside St. For updates and to sign up for blog notices, click the link above. Check out the May 30 edition of Just Out for full coverage on Latino Pride and this year’s special guest, ¡Gaytino! actor Dan Guerrero. ...
Just Out - 10:53 a.m. - 3 clicks
The Mt. Tabor Art Walk—a great neighborhood walking tour featuring 40 artists in 30 sites—will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17 and 18. To download a map click here . ...
Just Out - 10:53 a.m.
By now most of you have at least heard about Chris Matthews smack C-list right-wing talk radio figure Kevin James around the head and upper body for loudly jumping on the "appeasement" bandwagon yesterday while having no idea what the historical facts of the "Chamberlain" reference might be. If you missed it, here's a bit of harmless fun: Around the table at Drinking Liberally last nig...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - 10:53 a.m. - 10 clicks
For people involved in politics across Oregon, it's (almost) time to party! Where are you going to be election night, May 20th? We've collected a list of election night parties and put them in the handy map here. We've left......
OLCV Talk - 10:52 a.m. - 14 clicks
We're headed into the final weekend, and Jeff Merkley is doing everything humanly possible with every kitchen appliance he has to beat Steve Novick for the nomination. The three prongs of his support base--the DSCC network, the legislature and the beholden unions--have all come into play on his behalf over the last couple days, most urgently just now. First, the grotesque display of wanton ...
Loaded Orygun - 10:52 a.m. - 8 clicks
I think I'm going to try to talk the Mrs. into splitting our votes between Boston and Dembrow . That way, we're not helping Metro C(l)oney , but we're not exactly choosing between our two consummate junk mail artists, either. They both wound up insulting our intelligence. At least this latest mailer, appropriately, displays the color of Homer Williams's money ....
Jack Bog's Blog - 7:25 a.m. - 27 clicks
Is it pants on fire ? I hope this guy wins the primary, because he'll be cream chipped beef on toast by Fourth of July....
Jack Bog's Blog - 3:19 a.m. - 3 clicks
There’s still some serious funkiness at the parade. Love the old trucks (I moved to Oregon from Iowa in a ’63 Chevy Step Van). Copyright © 2008 More Hockey Less War. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only.Share This ...
More Hockey Less War - 1:11 a.m. - 22 clicks
I've got a new challenge for all those people who think they're hardcore by diving into a body of water during the winter just so they can be a part of the Polar Bear Club: Take a dip into the Columbia River's sturgeon ball. Now that, my friends, is living. During recent winters fisheries biologists have discovered an estimated 60,000 sturgeon - some of them 14 feet or longer - hanging in one ...
New West Bend - 1:11 a.m. - 10 clicks
LA radio host Rick James gets taken down for stupid ignorance by Chris Matthews much to John Cole's amusement over at Balloon Juice and his many Commenters. I engaged in the same amusement as James wailed, "Appeasement!" over and over without knowing what Neville Chamberlain actually did to earn the appellation appeaser. Talking to Hitler wasn't Chamberlain's sin, giving him "Sudetenland" Czecho...
Chuck Butcher - 1:10 a.m. - 15 clicks
You know, the primary is sort of an inconveniently supreme event right now, which pushes a lot of important information to the back burner. But as someone who admittedly rides his Congressional delegation hard on the war (rhetorically anyway), the four Democratic House members from Oregon once again established themselves as a reliably united bloc for some of the most progressive stances in the b...
Loaded Orygun - 1:10 a.m. - 14 clicks
So, once again today we received correspondence from the Oregon Republican Party. Apparently they know that we haven't voted yet, but what they've failed to notice is the party affiliation change - there are no registered Republicans in this household. Today we received this post card: So they're definitely still working hard to ensure the Republicans have someone on t...
Blog for Oregon - 1:09 a.m. - 17 clicks
At least Mayor Potter and superintendent Smith had the courtesy to follow up on the Mayor’s January week in residence at Jefferson High School. The school board — who met at Jefferson that same week, and heard testimony from the same students and same community members about the same issues — seem to have lost [...]...
PPS Equity - Thu 11:26 p.m. - 8 clicks
With only five - count 'em, five! - days left until Election Day, Jeff Bissonnette's grassroots campaign to make Portland the city that works better is going whole-hog to make sure that Jeff gets elected.If you can volunteer some time for the campaign before Election Day, it would be a big help since Voter-to-voter contact is the most effective way to get votes. Your doorstep conversation...
Jeff Bissonnette for City Council - Thu 11:25 p.m. - 8 clicks
We're having our first heatwave of the season here this week. It reached the high eighties yesterday and the mid to high nineties today and tomorrow is expected to hit the triple digits. I can barely stand the heat coming off my laptop keyboard. It wouldn't be so bad if it had crept up by increments over the last couple months but we were in the mid seventies last weekend and the nights still c...
JoyStory - Thu 11:21 p.m. - 2 clicks
The Daily Journal of Commerce is reporting on a survey that pegs Portland drivers as the 2nd most courteous in the nation, after Pittsburgh. I can believe it. When I moved here two decades ago from the Boston area, I... ...
Portland Transport - Thu 11:21 p.m. - 10 clicks
A True™ Story® from REAL LIFE™® … 6:53 PM, PDT He knew his schtick: first the quick, low knock, as though it were a child, and then the friendly doorbell ringing. It’s an old process server trick, which made me instantly wary. I stopped my work on today’s blog and went to the door. I peered through the [...]...
His Vorpal Sword - Thu 9:53 p.m. - 3 clicks
Is this the Horned God’s hat trick? Bush has succeeded in appointing a generation of twisted judges. He has politicized the Department of Justice. (And created his OWN courts, prisons and detention, all outside the USA). Now, is he politicizing the next generation of military leaders? Army’s Next Crop of Generals Forged in Counterinsurgency By Ann Scott Tyson Washington Post Staff Wri...
His Vorpal Sword - Thu 9:53 p.m. - 11 clicks
I received this email from Free Press this afternoon. Just moments ago, by a near-unanimous vote, the Senate stood up to Big Media. They voted to throw out the FCC decision to let the largest media companies swallow up even more local media. This is simply an astounding victory, and it would not have happened without the massive grassroots effort by you and thousands of ot...
Not a Well-Behaved Woman - Thu 9:52 p.m. - 9 clicks
One of my classes this term is about political ideologies, where they come from, how they view humankind and the world. At the core of every ideology lies their view of human nature, what we are and are not capable of. Every belief and policy follows from that one thought. It's a very enlightening class. For example, a traditional liberal (not how we currently define by the way) would say that ...
Not a Well-Behaved Woman - Thu 9:52 p.m. - 2 clicks
I love this little bit from Politico . Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: “We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.” Asked a few minutes later for a more official explanation, Conyers told us that Rove has a week to appear before his committee. If he doesn’t, said Conyers, ...
Not a Well-Behaved Woman - Thu 9:52 p.m. - 6 clicks
This one is getting beat pretty ragged, which generally means it was a non-starter, just something the media fines pretty-shiny and so, like an idiot kitty, wants to play with it until something more bouncable comes along. I can only pray that it is not true. Not because I think Hillary is Ms Antichrist, but for the same reasons I didn't want her as president: She was horribly wrong about Ira...
Oregon for Obama - Thu 9:52 p.m. - 8 clicks
I normally can't stand Chris Matthews (hell, I can't stand most of the talking heads on tv; nothing extra special unstandy about Tweety), but the guy showed something today when he smacked-down the uber loud Kevin James. It's worth sitting thru the first 4 minutes so you get to the fun part. Still not a Matthews fan, but at least he got this one right. ...
Tin Cup Chalice - Thu 9:50 p.m. - 4 clicks
Ignoring all the bones in my typical snarky body, I love weddings. The outfits, the food, the wine and oh, the love. Despite all the up and downs of my own romance, I still revel in the celebrations of others. There is nothing quite like finding the person you love and knowing after all the crap, that boy or girl is your lobster. First, you want to scream it from the rooftops; then, you want to lo...
BlueOregon - Thu 9:49 p.m. - 3 clicks
Now that I've tossed the non-cloudy Nalgene water bottles, I've been casting my angry eye around the rest of the kitchen. Sippy cups? Flour storage containers? Teethers? Wish I could just see the stuff. So good thing I stumbled across......
Activistas - Thu 7:35 p.m. - 4 clicks
Published May 15, 2008 Oregon has had its share of nationally recognized, independent-minded senators in my lifetime including the likes of Wayne Morse and Mark Hatfield. I think Steve Novick might well be the next in this category. Listening to him in several debates and conversations, he is full of thoughtful, common sense solutions to difficult problems. He is willing to say that t...
Novick for Senate - Thu 7:34 p.m. - 12 clicks
Published May 15, 2008 As a leading Democratic political pollster, I was pursued by both the Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick campaigns. I said "no" to both because I feared a contested primary would distract us from the important truth: Gordon Smith is a George Bush Republican who led us into war, let profiteers such as Halliburton run amok and who sides with corporate special in...
Novick for Senate - Thu 7:34 p.m. - 12 clicks
Published May 8, 2008 Voting readers of the Chieftain should know that while the recent editorial calling Jeff Merkley to task on a number of issues defined Mr. Merkley as the Oregon Democratic Party's "hand-picked" candidate to face Sen. Gordon Smith in November's general election, that statement is arguably only true of the Party establishment. There are a number of candida...
Novick for Senate - Thu 7:34 p.m. - 9 clicks
Western China is still digging out from the 7.9 earthquake that hit on 5/12. Time is running out for anyone still alive under rubble. I can think of no greater horror that could come into my life than to stand-by, watching, as worker dig through the rubble of a collapsed school building for survivors, perhaps including my only child. Two videos are below. The first shows university students ...
Loaded Orygun - Thu 7:33 p.m. - 4 clicks
My wife works in Clackamas County and got home from work one night last week with a flyer on her car from Rick Lamanna, who wants to be the next Sheriff of Clackamas County. I’ve heard of him somewhere I thought, and after reading his flyer I googled and found a Rogue of Week recently about him. Under state law, Lamanna had to live in Clackamas at least one year before the general election to be e...
BlueOregon - Thu 7:32 p.m. - 10 clicks
In many ways Street Roots has remained rather quiet on the protests in front of City Hall. While most newspapers, TV and radio stations in Portland covered the homeless protests – Street Roots stepped back – one because of our publication schedule, two, we have a small staff working with individuals on the streets throughout Portland. Instead of trying to report every single detail, while mis...
Street Roots - Thu 4:55 p.m. - 14 clicks
Yesterday was my birthday, one of those "big ones', the kind that end in 9, implying that the next will end in an even bigger-yet 0. Staying true to my birthday traditions, my best arcade pals and I spent the evening pumping nickels into the economy at the Avalon Arcade. I spent about 40 bucks earning enough tickets to buy a five dollar ball for the real cutest dog in the world , Shasta. The b...
Just Out - Thu 4:54 p.m. - 2 clicks
National gay news sites seem to be "all Cali, all the time" today but here at Just Out , we're cranking out local coverage for your education, entertainment and perusal. Tomorrow's issue contains a controversial story about gays voters who do not back Sam Adams for mayor. There's a piece about the new Office of Human Relations, which might have the funding knocked right from under it after ...
Just Out - Thu 4:54 p.m. - 6 clicks
Here's the president, speaking to the Knesset yesterday, via Huffingting Post : "Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along," said Bush, in what White House aides privately acknowledged was a reference to calls by Obama and other Democrats for the U.S. president to sit down for talks wit...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Thu 4:54 p.m. - 6 clicks
I've railed on occasion against the transformation of a select few neighborhood schools to language immersion magnets. Providing parents such choices, I've argued, takes from the poor and gives to the privileged. The Richmond Japanese Immersion School is a case......
Terry Olson - Thu 4:53 p.m. - 6 clicks
These are the remarks delivered by Chief Joseph parent Peter Campbell to the PPS Board of Education Monday, May 14, 2008. –ed. The mantra behind the common curriculum adoption has been equity. A legitimate case was presented that schools have inequitable curricular offerings, i.e., “good”/rich schools have better curricular offerings than “bad”/poor schools. The solution? M...
PPS Equity - Thu 2:08 p.m. - 5 clicks
So, we have this massive pool of highly liquid global capital looking for a place to land that offers a fairly safe investment with a modest yield. At the same time US Treasuries, that would normally be a first-choice option, are offering almost no return. Now comes the innovation in securities known as MBSs and CDOs. These were attractive because they offered a relatively high yield, had a steady...
Oregon Economics Blog - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 4 clicks
Enter the Fed... [Here is a picture of Ben Bernanke explaining the theory of heavier-than-air flight while in reality the plane is being kept aloft by 50 balloons ] Well, it is not a dramatic as that, the Fed has been keeping watch all along, but with the housing market in full meltdown mode, the Fed needed to act. The problem was that the traditional solution - keep credit cheap and in...
Oregon Economics Blog - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 4 clicks
Yesterday, I gave a talk to the Salem Rotary Club about the credit crisis. I attempted in about 20 minutes to give a broad overview of the short history of the crisis. Doing so forced me to paint in fairly broad strokes and neglect a lot of detail, but I think the essence is correct. The text below is a paraphrase of what I said as I did not speak from a script, I have also included my power p...
Oregon Economics Blog - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 16 clicks
Two hot letters this week. One goes up for the impassioned misunderstanding of the Democratic political system and an impassioned endorsement of John Grisham(!). The other letter makes the cut because I am still in love with the notion that a newspaper should reject ads because they advertize products made by corporations(!). Yes, the Weekly should only accept ads from local brewers. Come on...
Green Blog of Revolution - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 6 clicks
Here's the text of an e-mail I was forwarded, sent around to the Oregonian's advertising department and various campaign e-mails. Pavel Goberman, the subject of the e-mail, is running in the Democratic contest for U.S. Senate. Here it is, in all its glory: Thank for email, but: the Voters' Pamphlet is the BEST advertisement. I got a letter from high school students with Subject: Mock Elect...
Witigonen - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 24 clicks
Blue Oregon's Jeff Alworth lays it all out : The evidence that Merkley's the best candidate to run against him (Gordon Smith) is clear. The election won't be decided in Multnomah, Lane, and Benton Counties--voters there will back the Dem. It will be decided in rural and swing counties like Deschutes, Jackson, and Marion. The Dem doesn't have to carry these counties to win, but he must be...
Merkley for Oregon Blog - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 18 clicks
Eric Kleefeld of the highly popular and well-respected Talking Points Memo Election Central blog, sees the obvious with Smith's latest attack ad : If this new attack ad from GOP Senator Gordon Smith is any indication, he may recognize that he's facing a tough reelection fight and that the Dems have a shot at picking up this plum Oregon Senate seat this fall. What's particularly interesting...
Merkley for Oregon Blog - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 15 clicks
from Public Eye As many as hundreds of thousands of taxpayers - from legal immigrants to soldiers based abroad - are ineligible for the tax rebate checks that started going out last week because of a provision aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from getting rebates. The rule unintentionally snares taxpayers who would have qualified for the bonus but for having filed jointly with a spou...
CAUSA:blog - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 7 clicks
Watch for the rug and the broom. As Gordon Smith’s opponent emerges on Tuesday, Smith will re-energize his campaign to sweep his real record under the rug. He’ll have to convince Oregonians he’s on their side, not the special interests. He’ll have to convince Oregonians to believe him, after he's already broken their trust. Take our poll and let us know what part of his record you think...
Stop Gordon Smith - Thu 2:06 p.m. - 13 clicks
All of a sudden, even the reality-challenged Portland City Council is admitting that the city's transportation problems are here to stay. The public isn't going to vote in any new taxes until the recession is over, and that may take years. And so the potholes are only going to get deeper. But the delusions of grandeur continue with continued promises (or perhaps they're threats) to cover the ...
Jack Bog's Blog - Thu 2:06 p.m. - 22 clicks
I may be the last person in Portland to discover this, but in case I'm not, you may want to spend some quality time with it: ...
Jack Bog's Blog - Thu 2:06 p.m. - 18 clicks
I know I said I was going to vote for Michael Dembrow for the State House from my district, but after receiving this in the mail yesterday -- his fourth mailer in five days! -- I may not be able to bring myself to blacken the circle for him: Meanwhile, I believe this is four flyers total from this fellow, but at least spaced out slightly over the campaign: It's so nice to see Portlan...
Jack Bog's Blog - Thu 2:06 p.m. - 2 clicks
David Broder. soi disant "Dean of the Washington Press Corps" (which, after their performance of the last decade, is a little like being called "the best French Restaurant in Rolla, Missouri"), is cashing out . Veteran Washington Post political columnist David Broder is going to take a buyout from the paper. As of Jan 1, 2009, he will become a contract employee of the Post. One suspects this...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Thu 2:06 p.m. - 4 clicks
Join the Portland DL chapter for our regular meeting at Madison's Grill, at SE 11th and Madison ( map ), tonight--Thursday, May 15, at 7pm. [Want to share/recommend this post to others? Click the Digg button below.] ...
Persuasion, Perseverance, and Patience - Thu 2:06 p.m. - 13 clicks
I have lived in East County for over thrity years. This is my home: where I live, work and care for my family and friends. It is important for me to make this community, my home, the safest and healthiest......
OLCV Talk - Thu 2:06 p.m. - 13 clicks
Join the Portland DL chapter for our regular meeting at Madison's Grill, at 11th and Madison ( map ), tonight--Thursday, May 15, at 7pm. (DL meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month.) ...
Loaded Orygun - Thu 2:05 p.m. - 12 clicks
In an unsurprising vote Monday night, the PPS Board of Education moved to spend $1.2 million on middle school history materials, the first such adoption in over 20 years. I differ with some of my activist cohorts on the degree to which standardization is necessary to ensure equity (I’m pleased the district is moving toward more [...]...
PPS Equity - Thu 10:15 a.m. - 8 clicks
Published May 14, 2008 Something else remarkable has happened in this already remarkable primary election campaign. A Democratic candidate for the Senate nomination has defended one rival against the attacks of another. You’ve seen the television ads featuring a photo that makes Steve Novick look disreputable. The text accuses him of attacking fellow Democrats. Then we get photos of Jeff Me...
Novick for Senate - Thu 10:13 a.m. - 19 clicks
By Carol McAlice Currie Published May 14, 2008 Oregon candidates for public office long have insulted the intelligence of state voters with fertilized campaign advertising, but this year's decaying round of political muck is plumbing depths even I didn't know existed. Having voted since the Jimmy Carter election in 1976, I'm accustomed and indifferent to negative political ads and atta...
Novick for Senate - Thu 10:13 a.m. - 22 clicks
Published May 14, 2008 This spring, Oregon Democrats will try to choose the candidate who has the best shot at picking off the last remaining Republican senator on the West Coast. It’s a tall order, but we think the short guy is the best choice to do it. There are two main contenders for the Democratic Senate nomination. Both are well qualified, both have solid progressive credentials,...
Novick for Senate - Thu 10:13 a.m. - 14 clicks
Published May 13, 2008 Whenever a state looks among its best and brightest to send off to Congress' high chamber, the field often narrows down to those with "senatorial" qualities. In contrast to the more rowdy House, the Senate is, at least in theory, a more polite, deliberative body, where compromise rules. Not much imagination is needed to envision Jeff Merkley in that env...
Novick for Senate - Thu 10:13 a.m. - 12 clicks
Now that Opie Sten has retired from the Portland City Council for his mysterious pursuits up in Bridlemile, some new boo birds have arrived at City Hall to decry his harebrained and legally questionable idea of creating a "satellite" urban renewal district hooking up the Pearl District with the David Douglas School District. One of the Big Idea Dude's parting shots would be to take urban rene...
Jack Bog's Blog - Thu 10:12 a.m. - 35 clicks
In Columbus today, John McCain made his pitch that he, and not Barack Obama, is the candidate of hope. In a major if theoretical reversal of his commitment to a perpetual 100, a thousand or a million year American presence......
Perrspectives - Thu 10:10 a.m. - 4 clicks
(h/t New West Bend ) See what we've been missing without a meaningful primary election in the Presidential race? Acting Chief Alan Oja said police questioned Thornton Massie Tice, 63, of McCain Road in Astoria, after he attempted to get one of his business cards to former President Bill Clinton, who was giving a speech urging voters to support his wife's bid for the Democratic preside...
Loaded Orygun - Thu 7:20 a.m. - 14 clicks