Mitt Happens to Ron Saxton
Jon Perr
There's an old saying that you can judge a man by the company he keeps. By that standard, you can learn a lot about Ron Saxton.
Still trailing Ted Kulongoski in the polls, the Saxton campaign trotted out the gleaming teeth and perfect hair of Massachusetts Governor and 2008 GOP White House hopeful Mitt Romney. But far from giving Saxton a boost, the increasingly unpopular Romney may only draw attention to his mirror image.
The similarities between Saxton and Romney begin with their desperate attempts to have it all ways on women's reproductive rights. Masquerading as pro-choice friendly, Saxton kowtowed to social conservatives with what the Oregonian's Steve Duin deemed his "his allegiance to the priorities of Oregon Right to Life," including parental notice and a ban on late-term abortions. During his 2002 gubernatorial run in liberal Massachusetts, Romney flip-flopped on the choice issue, reversing his 1994 pro-life stand and declaring "I fully respect and will fully protect a woman's right to choose." Preparing for the '08 Republican primaries, presidential candidate Romney rediscovered that "my political philosophy is pro-life." It's no wonder that Michael Murphy, Romney's version of Karl Rove, pronounced of Mitt, "He's been a pro-life Mormon faking it as a pro-choice friendly."
Saxton and Romney also apparently share a slash and burn approach to the economy, especially where their own pocketbooks are concerned. BlueOregon has previously detailed anti-immigrantion crusader Saxton's dependence on undocumented immigrant labor at his Saxtonville farm. Similarly, Romney during his heyday at Bain Capital led the investment in an Indiana firm that proceeded to layoff hundreds of workers and drop health care coverage for many more.
Last but not least, Saxton and Romney have played fast and loose with residency rules to their respective benefit. Saxton, of course, famously ran for the school board from Southeast Portland while using a downtown address to enroll his son in Southwest's Lincoln High School. As for Romney, he almost failed to qualify for the 2002 governor's race after the revelation that he had listed his Park City, Utah home as his principal residence for tax purposes. (Romney eventually paid back the $54,000 windfall to Utah in order to secure his place on the Bay State ballot.)
With friends like that, who needs enemies?
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connect with blueoregon
Oct 31, '06
So here's the tactical question:
Is Mitt helping Ron, or vice versa? I mean, really, how does Mitt Romney coming to Oregon help? I don't get who is supposed to read about the event in the O and say "Well, if he's good enough for Mitt, he's good enough for me."
Thoughts?
Oct 31, '06
Romney in Oregon is no different than John Kerry in Washington.
Remember: HE SUPPORTED AMERICAN SOLDIERS BEFORE HE TURNED AGAINST THEM.
Oct 31, '06
As I've made mention before I spent a little time in Utah. One of my close friends had a mother who was very high up the in Olympic chain in Utah. She is now living in Turin preparing for the games there. Mitt Romney is nothing more than a squishy smiling face who will morph into whatever it takes to be popular. He's a great politician. He really reminds me of Saxton...he'll do whatever it takes to get him the power.
Nov 1, '06
No word on Saxton pulling even with Kulongoski according to the latest Zogby (internet) poll?
http://politicsupdates.blogs.oregonlive.com/default.asp?item=260344
I have a hard time putting any stock in this because of the suspect methodology, but I'm surprised not to see any mention of it here anywhere... nwrepublican has it featured (as one would expect).
Nov 1, '06
Ummm...not exactly. Mitt Romney has never made a secret of his personal views regarding abortion. However, you're not going to be elected governor in one of the most liberal states in America taking a hard pro-life stance politically. Better to represent the majority of your constituents than try to be an activist governor.
Perhaps you're familiar with Jimmy Carter and his moral opposition to abortion. Wouldnt have been politically expedient to make that personal view a political issue, huh?
In Saxton's case, he's never made any bones about being pro-choice. Running as a republican, that puts him in a tough spot. He can sign a bill requiring parental notification for minors or one that places restrictions on late-term abortions and still be pro-choice.
Nov 1, '06
Let's hope that Romney "helps" Saxton in the same manner and with the same effectiveness that Kerry is "helping" Dem candidates around the country.
Nov 1, '06
Note to Romney Advance Team... Mitt Romneys' cousin Jim was the 2nd patient-plaintiff in Oregon v. Ashcroft and a spokesperson for Compassion & Choices. Jim broke ranks with his Mormon-Republican lineage because he believed in choice at the begining and end of life. When Jim was diagnosed with ALS, he told his family, "My God would not want me to suffer. Jim accompanied Compassion & Choice's legal team to court and heard attorneys from Ashcroft's DOJ attack the Dignity Act and Jim's right to use it. Surrounded by microphones and cameras Jim told the world, "I want to know I can die when I choose." Jim's candor facing death and his passionate beliefs mesmerized reporters.
Advance Team ...Google Mitt's cousin Jim. Every major newsgroup interviewed him. It was in all the papers. Jim stood up for the rights of Oregonians when we needed him. He stood for choice and dignity at death. If Jim were here today he'd explain it to you. He'd say Mitt... you're backing the wrong candidate.
12:21 p.m.
Nov 1, '06
any evidence Kerry is having ANY effect whatsoever, BlueNote? I didn't think so.
Zogby interactives aren't worth mentioning as polls. They're nearly worthless. If you must refer to them, watch the trend from poll to poll. This one is static.
1:02 p.m.
Nov 1, '06
Mitt Romney has never made a secret of his personal views regarding abortion
Yeah, he's pro-life AND he's pro-choice!
3:09 p.m.
Nov 1, '06
Kerry voted for a supplemental funding bill for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan that funded the $87 billion by cutting some of President Bush’s tax cuts, and voted against the GOP version of the bill which simply heaped the the spending on the already out-of-control deficit spending and increased the national debt. Stop being an idiot.
3:22 p.m.
Nov 1, '06
LOL considering that poll was conducted back in Oct. 27 and released on the 28th and was, as other noted above, an internet poll whose numbers are worthless... it is also polling done and published before the more recent (and substantive) Rassumussen poll which showed Ted up 51-43. The running average of the last 5 public polls (including this dubious WSJ/Zogby one) has Ted up by +4 at 46-42.
Not counting chickens at all, but Saxton has some serious ground to make up before the final ballots are delivered in 6 days.
Nov 1, '06
The October Surprise came late this year...Scroll past the first story until you get to
The Goldschmidt Affair Democrats, Sex Crimes and the Press
Remind me again why Denny Hastert should resign?
4:21 p.m.
Nov 1, '06
Comedy gold. So if the shit-eater that wrote that hit-piece was Governor Neil Goldschmidt's senior staff from 1987-1991, why didn't he do anything about this "open secret" when he was working for the man?
Doesn't even pass the laugh test.
Nov 1, '06
Besides, if Saxton wants to go into the mud and make the "protecting Goldschmidt" tack, he's welcome to. I'm surprised he hasn't.
Then again, Foley is political poison. You live by mud, you get drowned in mud. Payback's a bitch, isn't it, Karen Minnis?
Nov 1, '06
Lestatdelc?
Are you serious? Why didn't a subordinate accuse his boss (the Attorney General) of covering up a rape allegation against the most powerful politician in the state?
<h2>Why did the Oregonian shitcan it? For many of the same reasons, except the Oregonian didn't have to worry about losing their paycheck.</h2>