Hasn't Westlund recieved a lot of Republican endorsements already?

a Republican who worked for a Democratic Governor.

Yeah something tells me that Governor Kulongoski is regretting that right now.

"Alley...wrote an email in November –after initially being approached to run for the position—from his government account which claimed he would not run, as “the best opportunity for me at this time is to continue to work in the Governor's office.” -Politickeror.com

http://www.politickeror.com/alley-announce-tomorrow-824

Rumor around the capitol is that the e-mail mentioned was written in response to the Governor who sat down with Alley and told him that if he was even considering running for office he couldn't just quit the Governor's staff then announce "I'm running for office." Governor Ted didn't want Alley to give the appearance that he was using the Gov's office to campaign.

The subtext is this is Alley's way of saying to Kulongoski, "Hey boss I won't screw you over" and then he went and screwed him over 4 months later anyway.

I'm sure the Gov is a little pissed, but then what did he really expected from a Republican, business pirate who managed to cripple a multi-million dollar company but not before he made off with millions of dollars.

But hey, Governor Kulongoski has gotten a little revenge by endorsing Ben Westlund, already.

"That sets up a general election race between Ben Westlund - a Democrat who used to be a Republican; and Allen Alley - a Republican who worked for a Democratic Governor."

Correction:

"That sets up a general election race between Ben Westlund - a Republican who has has registered as a Democrat but continued to legislate for a host of traditional Republican positions; and Allen Alley - a Republican who worked for a Governor who has never been much of a Democrat"

Notice, fellow readers, how JQP is Allen Alley's troll, trying to convince the Democratic faithful to ignore this race. ... Or perhaps he is simply advancing the Republican strategy unknowingly? (Is that better or worse?)

JQP, can you cite any basis for your attack? Do tell: What are some of the bills in the "host of traditional Republican positions"?

I don't agree with Westlund on everything under the sun, but I'm voting for him because he genuinely cares about the same progressive issues that I do: Health care, renewable energy, workers' rights, education.

Meanwhile, we have Allen Alley on the other side, who left Pixelworks in the lurch after squeezing out his millions. He exemplifies the Republican "I've got mine" mindset.

There is a pretty stark difference.

Jack, you may be right!

We need a treasurer with a firm grasp of the issues and the ability to explain them to the public, along with all the other duties of St. Treasurer. Westlund wins that battle hands down. But then, he's been W&M chair among other things. I've heard him speak.

Pat, your Exchange idea made me laugh! :)

But Politicker alluded to the fact that Alley promised the Goevrnor in an e-mail months ago that he wasn't going to run for Treasurer...

I don't think it's against the law to lie to the Governor, but it's certainly not an attractive quality in an official who's going to have to work closely with the Governor if he wins.

Also, I just saw the Oregonian story this morning... he announced from OMSI?! Is there anywhere that Allen Alley goes that doesn't get itself into dire financial troubles?

JQP, can you cite any basis for your attack? Do tell: What are some of the bills in the "host of traditional Republican positions"?

Westlund's tax policies are pure Republic favor the privileged (which include a lot of DINOs and DLCers): Dramatically increase the estate exemption, eliminate capital gains, decrease property income and taxes disproportionately for the better off, enact a regressive sales tax. Unless he's introduced new legislation right before the 2008 play-time session, the actual numbers show that when his policies are added up they amount to a downward shift of the tax burden, and an actual net increase on lower-income, non-elderly working people, who rent.

His version of health care reform as passed in 2007, SB-329, that would force working people to buy private health insurance is welfare for the corporate health insurance industry and corporate medical industry. Previously, I witnessed him stating he is categorically opposed to a public health insurance system and believes fully in the power of competition in the private system. We'll have to see if the public succeeds in turning the final version into something more equitable in the 2009 session.

He has a poor civil rights rating by the Oregon ACLU. Interestingly enough, so do a lot of "Democrats" in the leadership right now who long ago let their own political interests come before what Democrats have always stood for. (Like opposition to Real ID.)

He may have voted with the moderate mainstream on social issues and certain environmental issues just like a DINO or DLC Democrat, but that is quite in step with plenty traditional socially-liberal, fiscally conservative Republicans who similarly have such views. Westlund couldn't be further in his public positions on key economic or important civil rights issues from the grand tradition of Democrats from the New Deal to the Great Society.

Alley is even worse, so your comment about being an Alley shill is about as laughable as they come. In fact, Pixelworks has not been a success story, and so whatever role he played in that company is hardly an endorsement for this office. And I fully agree with Pat Ryan that if you want a business person in this role, he or she ought to have a fair amount of knowledge about the realities of small businesses in Oregon.

I agree with Jack Roberts that the Treasurer should be a non-partisan office. But as long as it is partisan, any candidate who claims to represent one party or the other should be held accountable for that claim.

You obviously have a very superficial knowledge of Westlund's positions JHL. I wouldn't never vote for Alley. I vote for real Democrats. If Westlund actually "finds god" and becomes a real Democrat, I'll give him a second look. In the meantime I won't reward with my vote someone who has scammed people as he has.

JQP, I get it... you're one of those ultra-liberals for whom no mainstream Democrat will ever be liberal enough, and you'd rather see the office go Republican than to a Democrat who advocates for a kind of universal health care that's different than the kind of universal health care that you want.

Is that about it?

I only ask because you seem to be on a really tall pedestal, taking for yourself the progressive mantle over Westlund supporters such as the AFL-CIO, SEIU, OLCV (who rated him 100%), AFSCME, the Working Families Party, Jeff Merkley, Ron Wyden, Barbara Roberts, Jim Hill, Sam Adams, etc, etc.

JQP, I get it... you're one of those ultra-liberals for whom no mainstream Democrat will ever be liberal enough, and you'd rather see the office go Republican than to a Democrat who advocates for a kind of universal health care that's different than the kind of universal health care that you want.

JQP, I get it. You're one of those childish, selfish Oregonians who are shallow thinkers with no character, and who have an excuse for everything when you are nailed to the wall for your shallowness and lack of principle. And for the record, Westlund has never articulated a genuine policy in support of universal health care, only enthusiastic support for stick-it-to-the-working-guy, corporate-and-industry-friendly, mandatory universal health insurance, all the while shamelessly scamming the people with typical slimy Republican rhetoric about how this will magically (not really of course) result in those average folks for whom he demonstrate no genuine respect some irregular and inequitable level of medical care. Big difference to anyone with half a brain. And I notice you don't have the guts to address his poor record of protecting our civil liberties. Jack Robertson already made the point why it's character and positions on the issues that matter. He's just wrong about Westlund when Westlund's actual record is held up to objective scrutiny.

And Jack, thanks for the typical Republican excuse making about Alley. When a business is successful, the executives take all the credit and expect the big bonuses. When a business has not executed well (and Pixelworks hasn't) then those same people who claim all the success always deflect all of blame to big, bad, impersonal forces and anybody but themselves. Can't have it both ways and Alley's record is not one of establishing the right business model for the long term success of Pixelworks. You may know both Westlund and Alley personally, that just tells me you're a schmoozer and counts for zip when one is evaluating the concrete evidence of their records.

And by the way, Jack, high-tech businesses like Pixelworks are not categorized as "small businesses" in the sense we are talking about here: Few "small businesses" actually work on the high-tech model of bootstrapping startup operations through VC and an exit strategy that includes going public or being acquired to yield high multiple payouts for the VCs, the founders, top-executives and early employees (who themselves start at lower salaries in exchange for a gamble on the value of equity). High tech startups like Pixelworks are considered to be "start-ups" and when they are small they are "early-stage startups". Small businesses in my book are operations that seek to be sustainable through continued operations, startups are operations in which the initial funding and exit model are a key part of the founders' strategy for financial return. Big difference, and I'm confident I have at least as much first-hand experience as you with both true small-businesses and high-tech startups.

Oh, Jack, I think we just got served! It's on now! :)

When you grow up, I'll think you'll find that you really don't know people when you simply judge them by "the concrete evidence of their records."

Probably the single most childish comment by a former elected official.

By the way, nice ultra right wing position from your own statement in the Voter's Pamphlet several years ago:

JACK ROBERTS: A CONSERVATIVE LEADER WHO CAN WIN

Roberts will defend 2nd amendment rights; support parental notification for abortion; protect property rights; appoint common sense judges.

And I bet I support 2nd amendment rights and protecting property rights as much or more than you too. Judges are elected, not appointed, except for the corrupt game in Oregon where they resign before an election so the Governor can appoint a successor. I personally prefer judges with strong intellects and a commitment to equitable application of the law regardless of one's social status.

You'll forgive me if I don't find you credible, and don't find your lame encomiums about a Republican scammer like Westlund convincing.

Hey John Q Public...

Your writing style seems oddly familiar. Eugene, right? ;)

I worked at Pixelworks for many years and had beers with Allen Alley several times. He's a nice guy and did a good job getting the company off the ground. But soon he was completely out of his league and made a string of absolutely bone-headed decisions. His business judgment has been proven awful. He has absolutely no loyalty to Oregon, as he shipped off every job he could to the low-wage and zero results engineers in China. His choices for key positions in his executive staff were horrible. He started up a promising new technology company and then proceded to destroy it with a complete lack of trust in the people who made him rich.

Just compare Alley to Jen-Hsun Huang, the Oregon State University alum who built Nvidia into a semiconductor powerhouse. Huang is creating a large presence in Oregon, and doing it right. I have no idea what Huang's politics are, just that his business skill and judgment provide stark contrast to Alley's ineptitude.