Among the more meaningful choices Oregon voters will make this month is whether to reward Barack Obama for his restraint or Hillary Clinton for her ruinous campaigning in the Democratic primary. If the Iranians think Clinton is kidding about "total obliteration," they need only track the routine nastiness of this happy warrior in recent months. She is energized by the aroma of scorched earth, and her passion for the negative is only heightened by the smug certainty that Obama won't answer her in kind... But Obama has suggested he's better than such exhumations, and that we are, too. He wants to believe there's more of a future in inspiring and uniting voters than in demeaning opponents. And he understands that by following Clinton down the low and divisive road, he will not only lose his advantage in the primary but sacrifice the trust of the new and idealistic voters he's recruited into the Democratic fold... Obama has promised "a new kind of politics" . . . and has campaigned with a degree of sincerity, honesty and thoughtful introspection I've never seen in a presidential candidate. I don't know if the combination will bring him victories in Tuesday's primaries, but I trust that Oregon voters -- in what DeFazio calls "the first relevant primary we've had in 24 years" -- will reward him in spectacular and gratifying fashion.
Leonard Burman, a Brookings Institution economist interviewed by The Washington Post, calls the Hillary plan "utterly incoherent." Windfall taxes of the sort she proposes, he points out, reduce oil company income. What do oil companies do with all of this income? They typically use a good chunk of it to locate and develop new sources of oil. Grabbing profits, then, ultimately reduces oil supplies, which in turn raises prices, exacerbating the very problem panderers like Clinton and McCain claim to be addressing. (LINK)
Both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton have embraced a gas tax holiday in a transparent attempt to pander to voters. Sen. Barack Obama opposes the idea. On this issue, only one presidential candidate has shown he believes Americans' votes can't be bought cheaply and that citizens have the sense to understand where the nation's interests lie. (LINK)
Campaigning in North Carolina Saturday, Hillary Clinton said her disagreement with Barack Obama on the viability of the "gas tax holiday" is "part of a larger difference between us." And that's true. Clinton will embrace anything and pander to anyone to get elected. (LINK)
Sen. John McCain's idea to give Americans a summer holiday from federal gas taxes is about as weighty as a Barbie Dream Car, yet he can't stop driving it into the ground. Neither can Sen. Hillary Clinton. The two presidential contenders can't resist the chance to pander to voters and, as a bonus, paint Sen. Barack Obama as an elitist. By doing so, they're missing an opportunity to show leadership on some major long-term challenges -- such as updating the nation's crowded roads and aging bridges...This is an election-year sop, not a plan for the future. Yet the millionaire senator and presumptive Republican nominee has stuck with it, using it as shorthand to call Obama -- who opposes the tax holiday -- out of touch with ordinary Americans. (LINK)
Barack Obama is the face of the future for America - and Oregon. He also is our unanimous choice for the Democratic presidential nominee. This from an editorial board that include Democrats, Republicans and Independents, as well as conservatives and liberals. Why? First and foremost, Obama brings inspiration for our state, our nation and our Earth. Inspiration has not been a part of America's political scene since John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. It could not have come at a better time.
It was five years ago today that President Bush declared major combat operations in Iraq over in his infamous "Mission Accomplished" aircraft-carrier appearance. In order to demonstrate how little has actually been accomplished since, the Obama campaign held simultaneous press conferences today in five cities across Oregon with guest speakers discussing the misdirected priorities of the Bush Administration and reinforcing Sen. Obama's positions on the issues that matter most to Oregonians.
A gathering at the Salem VFW addressed how our continued troop presence in Iraq has diverted attention from veterans' issues back home. Similar sentiments were echoed in Bend, Eugene, and Medford press conferences, with the environment also ranking as a top priority being dangerously overlooked with our current spending priorities.
In Portland, a panel that included former Pennsylvania Sen. Harris Wofford, state legislators Mary Nolan and Ben Westlund, Vietnam Green Beret Jim Rassman, and Woodburn Mayor Kathy Figley touched upon the enormous fiscal cost of the Iraq War -- and how billions of dollars spent overseas could have been used to fund underserved public schools or insure the thousands of Oregon children without health care. Wofford cited Obama's commitment to bringing together coalitions to solve these problems -- and not just issuing compacts and plans -- as the reason why he strongly backs the Senator.
Here's a video from the event in Portland:
The dispiriting tone of the campaign echoes that of the past several election cycles, in which the voters' divisions over small matters have been exploited for transitory gain, obscuring the need for clarity of purpose in confronting the many large challenges that face the nation... Voters should grasp the opportunity to open a new chapter -- a chapter with a fresh political vocabulary, elevated discourse and rekindled hopes. Obama offers that opportunity, and Oregon Democrats should support him in the May 20 primary election...Democrats had a presidential nominee in 2004 who was both for and against the war, and it did not end well. Obama is free of all that baggage, which liberates him to credibly promise to move the nation beyond the past 20 years of Bush and Clinton presidencies. His domestic policy proposals differ in many details from Clinton's, but the biggest difference is that they would be received as representing not a reaction to the Bush administration or a continuation of the one before, but a real break with the past...Oregon has a rare moment of relevance in the nominating process. Oregon Democrats should use it to give Barack Obama the chance to become the first Democratic president of the 21st century.
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... 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.
Way back in the ‘70s, a young couple raising a little boy who would grow up to be the leading Democratic contender for President of the United States befriended a fellow University of Hawaii student named Neil Abercrombie. Abercrombie, now a nine-term congressman from Hawaii’s first district, returned to the mainland last night to represent the couple’s son, Sen. Barack Obama, at the Oregon Democratic Party’s convention in Eugene.
Flanked by a strong visibility presence outside the local Hilton, Rep. Abercrombie – a superdelegate and early backer of Obama’s candidacy – discussed with the crowd how the 2008 election is about the future, not the past, and that Barack is the only candidate who can truly "stand up to the special interests" that have permeated Washington.
The congressman is also a prominent member of the House Progressive Caucus, and has been a staunch opponent of the war in Iraq since the beginning. Abercrombie cited Sen. Obama's opposition as another reason why he's the country's best choice in November.
In addition to his appearance at the convention in Eugene, Rep. Abercrombie will be heading up to Salem this morning to cut the ribbon on the Obama campaign's sixth Oregon office. Then on Sunday, we'll be opening yet another new office in Medford. And yes, there'll be more office openings in the near future, building on the overwhelming grassroots support of Oregonians for Sen. Obama.
Representative Mary Nolan took the microphone and explained how there's only one candidate in the Democratic race that can bring the kind of change that Oregon and the country need right now after the failed policies of the Bush years. Treasurer Edwards also spoke, citing Sen. Obama's vision to end the war in Iraq, fight global warming, and provide healthcare to all Americans as the reasons for his endorsement. Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley agreed, referring to Barack's "detailed agenda" as the reason behind his support. Senator Ben Westlund noted Obama's electability as the key factor in his decision, remarking that having "a strong candidate at the top of the ticket is critically important" for Democrats in Oregon and around the nation.
At the press conference, State Sen. Avel Gordly - a registered Independent - filled out a voter registration card to formally change her party affiliation to Democrat so that she could vote for Barack Obama in Oregon's closed primary next month. She then headed across the street to the secretary of state's office to drop it off. State law says that you must be a registered member of a party to vote in its nominating contest, and April 29th is the last day Oregonians can register or change their party status to Democratic in order to vote for Obama. Gordly encouraged all registered Independents, Republicans, and members of other parties do the same if they desire the kind of change being sought by Barack Obama, who she called "a unifier."
Obama's legislative supporters include Senate President Pro Tempore Margaret Carter (Portland), Sen. Alan Bates (Ashland), Sen. Avel Gordly (Portland), Sen. Floyd Prozanski (South Lane and North Douglas Counties), Sen. Ben Westlund (Tumalo), Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley (Portland), Speaker Pro Tempore Diane Rosenbaum (Portland), Rep. Jeff Barker (Aloha), Rep. Phil Barnhart (Central Lane and Linn Counties), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (Washington County), Rep. Peter Buckley (Ashland), Rep. Ben Cannon (Portland), Rep. Brian Clem (Salem), Rep. Chris Edwards (West Eugene), Rep. Dave Edwards (Hillsboro), Rep. Larry Galizio (Tigard), Rep. Paul Holvey (Eugene), Rep. Betty Komp (Woodburn), Rep. Tina Kotek (North Portland), Rep. Mary Nolan (Portland), Rep. Tobias Read (Beaverton), Rep. Mike Schaufler (Happy Valley, Rep. Chip Shields (Portland), and Rep. Brad Witt (Clatskanie). Earlier this spring, Obama secured the endorsement of Portland-area Congressman and superdelegate Earl Blumenauer, who spoke on the Senator's behalf at our Portland headquarters office opening last weekend.
Multnomah County Regional Field Director Jim Nam spoke about the importance of Oregon in the Democratic primary battle, and then lead Field Organizer Kristin Gwinn got into the gritty details of the volunteer army we are building that will lead the campaign to victory on May 20th. Two special guests also addressed the crowd. Portland Congressman Earl Blumenauer – an Obama superdelegate and co-chair of the campaign here in Oregon – discussed why we need a leader like Barack Obama in the White House to bring about the change that’s eluded us after 8 years of President Bush. Rep. Blumenauer endorsed Sen. Obama back in February and has been one of his most outspoken advocates throughout Oregon. Accompanying Rep. Blumenauer was Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Chicago, who’s served alongside Sen. Obama for many years in both the Illinois legislature and then in Washington. She spoke to the fired-up crowd about the importance of grassroots organizing and why volunteers are the most important part of a winning political campaign. She also headed out with the canvassing teams later in the day so she could make the case for Sen. Obama face-to-face with the voters of Oregon. After the speakers were done, the mass of newly recruited volunteers broke out into groups based on which part of Portland they wanted to canvass. The field staff then trained them with canvassing instructions and voter registration cards before sending them out pounding pavement and knocking on doors for change. Canvass for Change events will likely happen every weekend, as April 29th is the last day to register as a Democrat in Oregon, which you must do to vote in the primary. A potluck followed the day’s canvass, as hundreds of hungry volunteers returned to HQ to feast on some homemade grub. Meanwhile a couple hours south in Eugene, State Representative Phil Barnhart addressed an equally excited crowd about the new Obama campaign office in Lane County and the importance of devoting time to a cause you can believe in. He described how Sen. Obama is the right agent of change at the right time in our country’s history, but that it’s the volunteers and grassroots supporters who will make the difference. A large group of canvassers then headed out across town to spread Barack’s message of uniting this country. In addition to the office openings in Portland and Eugene, more than 1,000 Oregonians Canvassed for Change. Teams of supporters also knocked on doors today in Corvallis, Tigard, Hillsboro, Oregon City, Forest Grove, Beaverton, Salem, Newberg, Keizer, Medford, Bend, Ashland, Grants Pass, Roseburg, Prineville, Terrebonne, Gresham, and Troutdale. The Eugene field office is located at 1280 Willammette St, while the Oregon state HQ is at 3016 SE Division St in Portland. Additional field offices throughout the state will be cutting their ribbons in the coming weeks.
