OR-5: Republicans Trade Blows

Accusations continue to fly in the Republican primary election for Oregon's 5th congressional district between Mike Erickson and Kevin Mannix. Today's Oregonian features a more detailed account from the friend of the woman whom Mike Erickson allegedly impregnated and then paid to have an abortion:

On Tuesday, Kristi Oetken sent an e-mail to reporters providing this account:

"In 2000 (or) 2001, a very close friend of mine had dated Mike. During this time she became pregnant with his child. Mike drove my friend to a (Northeast) Portland abortion clinic, on the way he stopped by an ATM withdrawing $300 for her procedure and dropped her off across the street from the clinic.

"In tears, she walked across the street and into the clinic alone. I left work early, met her at the clinic and held her hand through the entire procedure."

Oetken declined to speak directly with a reporter or to answer further questions. In her 2006 e-mail, Oetken identified the woman who had the abortion as "Tawnya." She said she and her friend were motivated by Erickson's portrayal of himself as an anti-abortion, pro-family candidate.

Late Monday, the Portland Tribune reported on its Web site that a woman claiming to be Erickson's ex-girlfriend also confirmed the allegations. The newspaper did not identify the woman, citing privacy concerns.

Meanwhile, Erickson has tried to put his own unique spin on the accusations, hitting Mannix for being pro-tax. KGW has Erickson's statement in response to the story:

“Kevin Mannix’s smear tactics are the last gasps of a desperate candidate who is sinking under the weight of his long record of raising taxes. Time has run out on Mannix running for office with nothing but lies and deception. All the voters know about Mannix is his dirty politics and shady financing.

Mannix does not have any other message for voters except his politics of personal destruction. Mannix is desperate to hide his 83 votes for higher taxes. Mannix would rather use smear tactics than admit he has supported over $3 billion in tax hikes.

Is that the character of a person you would like in Congress? Deception, deceit, accusations, and higher taxes?”

The Oregonian ran an editorial this morning that courageously called on whichever candidate is lying to drop out of the race:

If reports about past conduct by Mike Erickson can be substantiated, he's the one who should beat a hasty exit for the sake of his party. His opponent, Kevin Mannix, in an 11th-hour direct mail appeal to 60,000 GOP voters, raised allegations that Erickson got a woman pregnant eight years ago, gave her money to have an abortion and callously dropped her off at the door of a clinic where she had the procedure.

Erickson says the story isn't true, but if it holds up, it could doom his candidacy in November should he become the Republican nominee. His party's anti-abortion constituency would not be alone in seeing hypocrisy in his claim to be a "pro-life, pro-family" candidate.

However, if the story proves untrue, Mannix would become the poisoned candidate. He would be guilty of spreading a falsehood so reckless that it would leave him unfit for office.

Also today, PolitickerOR reports that Erickson has donated another $275,000 to his campaign.

Discuss.