on "who caterwaul about how Oregon sucks for business"

Good, that explains our low unemployment and all tht new employers comming here. Erm, maybe not so much.

Since the Congress is now majority Democrats, what the approval rating for COngres? It should be sky-high, right?

Keep spinning.

The author makes the common mistake that dissatisfaction with the republican party equals approval of the democrats. The reality is that people are leaving both parties and becoming independents. People are leaving the republican party earlier as they do not accept the corruption and dishonesty that pervades both parties nearly as readily as the liberal fascist do. When the honorable members of the democrat party see past the party line and refuse to accept any more lies and and immoral behavior the rise of the independents will shock those that believe there will always be only two choices: evil and lesser of...

Hey, Steve...it ain't spin. We've got the lowest, by far, corporate taxes of all of the "WC" states and in the Pac NW. That is a proven fact. Corporations get a free ride in this town, and not only that, they can skip out on paying health care costs (well, they used to until your GOP buddies started chipping away at the Oregon Health Plan), paid a song compared to Washington or Cali in real estate costs (thanks to lower estate taxes), and could even skimp on parking and ask their employees to pay for bus passes (I sure can't get a parking place at the place I work after 9am).

It's cheaper to run a corporation in Oregon than it is in Vegas. The reason why there's such high unemployment is simple...this state's bread and butter industries were slammed the hardest by the overall worldwide economic recession. We simply aren't as diversified as states that are doing better. That's why Michigan had so much trouble as well. The bottom line though is that companies have realized that they don't have to pay ridiculous health care premiums to keep their skilled college level workers alive in India and China. Not to mention, those countries artificially deflate the value of their currency to boost the business coming in.

because obama suck as a pres

Carla,

While I agree with your overall assessment about the Republican Party, what do you make of these numbers as reported by the Washington Examiner:

As he heads into an August recess that could be a make-or-break moment for his health care makeover, Barack Obama's job approval ratings continue to slip, little by little. The newest poll, done by the Democratic firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner for National Public Radio, has Obama's job approval rating at 53 percent, with 42 percent disapproval. In the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Obama is at 54.0 approval, 41.1 disapproval. (As it happens, his disapproval in the RCP average topped 40 percent for the first time last Wednesday, the day of his health care/Gatesgate news conference.)

Just look at the last ten polls listed in the RCP average. If you take out the two extremes, the most recent ABC/Washington Post poll, which had Obama at 59 percent approval, and the Rasmussen, which had him at 49 percent, this is the trend in Obama's job approval rating in the last three weeks:

57 - 56 - 55 - 55 - 54 - 54 - 53 - 53

Until Republicans stop whining and start reorganizing themselves nothing is going to change. That's the one thing you have to give democrats credit for in 2006 and 2008.

They, too, were always complaining and made off like cry babies, but they were smart enough to change course and focus their efforts on making changes within the party and their message. Obviously, it's worked.

Until the R's do the same thing - and make their platform something other than gay marriage and abortion - the free fall will continue.

"Since the Congress is now majority Democrats, what the approval rating for COngres? It should be sky-high, right?

Keep spinning."

--Not that I like the Democrats, but this is faulty logic Steve. There might be a relation, but it is not certain. Not that I buy the idea of this garbage many Democrats say about the problem of the filibuster, but that filibuster idea is the perfect example of why the majority party might get a good approval rating (or 50%), but Congress might not as try as they might, legislation might not get moving because of the filibuster.

It's bullshit, by the way, but your logic is off.

Wow the GOP is still outpolling Brian Clem. How come Clem has not released his poll? I have heard it was embarassing. I hope the TV spots work. He is being smart waiting until Labor Day before he purchases the TV time.

Fox News ain't the best place to look at for polls. The two best show Obama's approval at 53% (Gallup) and 48% (Rasmussen).

Things are sliding for the Democrats quickly. Americans want a different platform than the current Democrats and Republicans.

Carla, your right! Oregon is great place to business, in fact Oregon is leading the nation in jobs...LOST! I am sure that the 250,000 Oregonians with a job think Oregon in a great place to business as well. Don't worry the business climate in oregon is getting better thanks to the wealth impeding liberals in the state legislature...higher taxes + slim profits margins always equates to job creation. But don't listen to me, just read the newspapers..

“The job situation in Oregon keeps going downhill, and the majority in the legislature keeps making things worse. How? By making life tougher for employers and refusing to encourage things that might generate more private-sector jobs, such as the BLM timber management plan.”- Albany Democrat Herald, 6/23/09

“The corporate minimum tax and corporate income tax proposals would collectively harm companies with small profit margins as well as businesses looking to invest more in capital equipment...Raising the taxes could cause the state to lose 6,000 jobs, according to state revenue office estimates.” - Portland Business Journal, 6/2/09

“Oregon Lawmakers approved more than $1 billion in new taxes while vastly expanding health care programs and launching some of the state’s most expensive construction campaigns. They thumbed their noses at the business community’s efforts to work out a tax compromise, even as Oregon’s unemployment soared.” - Tacoma News-Tribune, 7/2/2009

“Business owners say tax increases could force closures or out-of-state relocation...Already dealing with a recession, business owners are doing the math to determine what it means to them — and many are left shaking their heads.” Medford Mail Tribune, 6/16/09

“Democrats picked a fight with business, recklessly spent reserves and risked their majorities....they dared to raise taxes, hundreds of millions of dollars on business and upper-income Oregonians, even as the state's unemployment climbed past 10, 11, 12 percent, to the nation's second highest rate.” - Oregonian, 6/30/09

“The legislature gave businesses a rude shock. It taxed gross income and made the tax increases permanent...in important symbolic ways lawmakers displayed a breath taking indifference to business, which provide jobs!” - Bend Bulletin, July 8, 2009

“By insisting on permanent tax hikes, legislative leaders are hurting Oregon’s economic recovery.” - Statesmen Journal, 6/12/09

“For a state that remains in economic crisis, permanently raising these taxes will create ongoing negative consequences for Oregon’s economy. These increases – as much as 30 percent on corporate income and about 20 percent on top wage earners – will force businesses to close, scale down or move away, inevitably reducing employment and income.” - Portland Tribune, 6/17/09

Portland is also the #2 city for startups as awarded by Entrepreneur magazine. Not bad for a fascist liberal anti-business city, eh?

ED--Clem told a home town audience he wouldn't make a decision about running until hearing what Kitzhaber plans to do--he is a big fan of Kitzhaber and won't run against him.

And about this: "Wow the GOP is still outpolling Brian Clem." which candidate would that be--Atkinson, Alley, someone else? Or generic Republican? How many answered "no opinion" or refused to participate in the poll? Is it a Moore poll or someone less partisan?

Newsflash to political junkies: a) Any poll taken almost 10 months before the primary and over a year before the general election is not going to predict very much.

Remember all that hype about "when Hillary gets the nomination..."?
I recall a statewide primary decided by a recount--even though this many months before that primary the campaign was not very well organized, did not have a permanent campaign manager or large campaign HQ, etc.

b) Believe it or not, 99% of the population is not currently discussing who is running for Gov.! Amazing as it may seem to some people, there are more important things to discuss: the heat wave, a former co-worker took a new job out of state, someone is turning 30 (or some other landmark birthday) what the kids/grandkids are doing, current events, etc.

"The results speak for themselves."

Yes they do - #2 or #3 in the nation in unemployment.

Yep, now is the time for all good democrats to shuck and jive while congratulating themselves for:

1. A national unemployment rate 2.2% ABOVE what the president stated it would be when he rammed though the democrat stimulus package (and it is rising)
2. A sum total average new jobs created in Oregon that lasted 35 hours - each with a 170 million borrowing.
3. Hopelessly locked up funds for recovery with less than 20% slated to even be spent before the 2010 mid cycle elections
4. Rising foreclosures
5. A stalled Health Care Reform package that is being blocked by your own party
6. Cap and Tax stalled and not going to pass - China and India laughing at efforts to bring them on board
7. The largest rising group of voters stae and nation-wide NAV
8. H1N1 percolating on the borders waiting to explode worldwide with a clueless legislative and executive branch

Yes, what could more fun than watching self styled, smug democrats laugh, play and fiddle wnhile the democract burns? Well it could be those who really hoped for change we could believe in watching the democrat machine back itself inexorably into the corner.

Great point Jeff,

Independents tend to lean left. Also, the young and minorities.

I went against the grain. I started my political life as a dittohead because my step-father was one. Years later I started researching the parties and discovered that if I was not making 5 Million or more a year, I was actually voting against my own self interest.

I truly believe in the saying "A poor man that votes republican is like a chicken voting for the colonel.

Paul: Since liberals have been in charge of government in Oregon, we've gone from 20th to 18th in the nation for business climate. That's not me, that's CNBC's analysis..and they're a pretty conservative group.

The results speak for themselves.

<hr/>

Carla: You are absolutely right....results do speak for themselves: 8,9,10,11,12 percent unemployment.

Rather than putting all your faith in this absurd CNBC survey, maybe you should read a newspaper or talk to someone who actually owns a business and provides private sector jobs about the Oregon business climate. I think they would disagree with you.

"the climate for business is improving under liberals"

Where the heck did you pull that out of?

How about the business climate is worsening everywhere else while we content ourrselves with building soccer stadiums instead of investing in education?

Obama and the dems really stink, and are truly destroying our economy and country. Dimwits like the author of this article desperately attempt to distract with stories about the "gop" who have -0- control, or attack celebrities and sarah palin on behalf of the worst president in american history, barack obama. Thankfully, the (thinking) public knows better. Obama, and his failed administration will be gone soon, with nobody to "thank" but themselves.

Carla, you might want to check Rasmussen Reports as of Aug 8. Obama's approval rating is at 50 percent, disapproval 50 percent. On the Generic Ballot poll as of Aug 4, Republicans are at 43 percent, Democrats at 38 percent.

Just sayin'....