@Admiral Naismith Hee hee :)

While I'm glad to see that they sat down with Mary Nolan, I'd be interested to know their specific rationale for not including any women....

Ummmm... Carol?

If you go to local county Democratic party gatherings, candidates and elected officials show up all the time. These are also somewhat like "coffee claches", in that coffee is served, people talk about the issues, and at least among Democrats, people are very knowledgeable and liberal.

Many officials would love to have the time to talk to every single constituent. But they don't. So they need pick. I've generally noticed that the way they pick is by first: A] Getting an invitation from someone is actually interested, B] Deciding if the people generally are persuadable, C] Seeing if their support will aid the policy they are trying to get into law (or their candidacy) or not.

Judging by the way that our state representatives positively beg people to show up at their town halls, my guess is that for your coffee clach, you never even got to A.

You would be overwhelmingly surprised at how accessible our state leaders are. But before you work yourself up about this group of old rich Democratic lawyers, who got local candidates to come to their shindig via the nefarious method of "politely inviting them", I remind you that 90% of all success is just deciding to show up.

Jeez, it can't be THAT much of a world-domination conspiracy. After all, I've never even heard of it - much less been invited.

And as every BlueOregon comment-thread conspiracy-theorist knows, I'm the guy who pulls the strings with every politicians in Oregon! BWAH HA HA HA...

Well said, Steve. I was amazed when I was a college student in Eugene at how willing leaders like Vicki Walker and Pete Sorenson were to just, well, show up.

In the College Democrats there, we constantly had opportunities to talk with folks like John Kroger, Floyd Prozanski, Steve Novick, Rick Metsger and many more in a room full of fewer than 20 students. What an opportunity! ...for those that showed up.

And in the spirit of not blowing smoke, I admit that I dropped off from that group pretty quickly after the 2008 elections.

Full disclosure: Kari built the super-secret, password-protected Web site and private, invite-only Google Group for the Junto, but speaks only for himself.

I think they should invite Karol to join. That way when we sit down for girlfriend political chat, she can give me all the good dish.

Steve, It's Karol - not with a C. I'm the messenger, not the writer of the article. It's curious and wanted to have a broader conversation. Of course electeds show at Dem meetings and Young Dem meetings - those are usually populated with various people; not an apparent group of power players (men), deliberately selected.

I'm more with Roey's line of interest - no women and no apparent people of color. It's interesting, that's all.

I'd say it's more than interesting that no women have been invited,it's downright creepy. What is this, the promise keepers of progressive oregon politics?

Of course, the Junto, for their own purposes, should be more diverse in its membership.

I note with historical amusement the affirmations required of new members of Franklin's Junto (here):

"Any person to be qualified as a member was to stand up, lay his hand upon his breast, and be asked the following questions, viz.

"1. Have you any particular disrespect to any present members? Answer. I have not. "2. Do you sincerely declare that you love mankind in general, of what profession or religion soever? Answer. I do. "3. Do you think any person ought to be harmed in his body, name, or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of worship? Answer. No. "4. Do you love truth for truth's sake, and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others? Answer. Yes."

Maybe, just maybe, anyone commenting on BlueOregon should make similar affirmations.

The makeup of this Democratic group tilts toward business and corporations. What ever..now that they have been outed will they go futher underground? They'd better be careful they just might tunnel into the Republican's underground hole where they practice their influence peddling. Reminds me of the movie The Dirty Dozen.

I'm sorry for misspelling your name, Karol. I type very fast and sometimes I end up spelling things as I think of them.

Plus, my mother's name is "Carol" with a "C". So there's some familiarity with that alternate spelling.

But as for your broader point that you're just passing along this information, not it's originator, it sure seems to me that these are your words:

"if I invite candidates to my coffee clatch, they don't actually show up"

My question is this: is this something born of actual experience? Or something you merely suppose to be true?

I strongly suspect it is the latter. And please remember: supposing something to be true that is actually utterly false, and reporting it in the media without any supporting fact (and then trying to BS your way out of it when you get caught), is the hallmark of modern day Republicans. I don't want us to start getting into that habit.

Sigh...Steven. I work for an elected and I've worked in politics almost exclusively since I moved here. Would it be easier for me to have coffee with an elected? Probably. My link between quotes was intended to say that these folks are unlikely - outside of party related meetings or functions - to meet with indiviuals in "book club" style meeting. And I know that to be true because there just simply isn't enough time in anyone's schedule for that. Not BS because I know this after enough years of working these elected.

These men are not a just having a book club. They are power players in town (and know it) and have convened a group to work in politics without having to go through the usual channels. They have money and influence; more than say, the Young Democrats at PSU. To assume it's the same is naive.

Who's the grand strategist behind this move? Because I want to slap him for what he's done to the image of white guys working in Portland politics.

Unsolicited advice: if you included more voices in your development plans, you wouldn't need to form a special group of guys to launch successful plans. There's a huge need for family housing in the central city for large low income families. Perhaps those of you who want to make money building this housing could be troubled to partner with organizations who represent the people who most need the housing.

I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd.

They couldn't find one woman in all of the greater Portland area that had the requisite intellect, charm and wit to be seen as a valued addition to the group? Really?

More likely they couldn't find a woman with those qualities willing to spend time with them.

Steve wrote "If you go to local county Democratic party gatherings, candidates and elected officials show up all the time. These are also somewhat like "coffee claches" ... "

What is different is that any registered Democrat can show up to a Democratic party meeting, and even become a voting member (PCP) on the spot, if they choose.

I could be wrong, but I doubt The Junto would be so open and welcoming to folks popping into the Ballaboosta Room.

All this being said, SCOTUS affirmed several years ago (Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, 530 U.S. 640 (2000)) that, absent a compelling state interest to the contrary, the First Amendment allows groups to gather in a manner which excludes other based on a common characteristic, such as gender, etc.

Karol: These men are not a just having a book club. They are power players in town (and know it) and have convened a group to work in politics without having to go through the usual channels.

I guess you missed my point. The "usual channels" are so open that they gain no privilege.

Given the way candidates beg to be met, saying "candidates meet them when they're invited", is somewhat akin to saying: "when this elite group goes into a Starbucks and plunks down money, a personal server behind the counter makes one of dozen different coffee-related beverages for them, to their exact specifications".

They're takin' over the world, I tell ya. Takin' over the world!

dudes, there are all kinds of places where people show up when invited. for example, at the Bus Project & Mercury's BrewHaHa last night we had 2 private citizens, Brad Avakian, Sam Adams & Steve Novick on the panel. they not only played the evening's game (won by Brad) but were available to chat with whoever showed up.

over the past few years, i've had chats with virtually every elected official in the state, in some part because of posting here & also because they know i walk the walk by doing the donkey work of going door-to-door for candidates & campaigns. this is Oregon, the state equivalent of a small town. not every group will have the pull of this Junto (btw, did you notice they listed the entire membership? not exactly hiding who they are) but a bit of involvement in the process, and you will have access to most elected officials, their staffs and others. it's one of the very cool things i love about my home state.

Karol, time to start a women's equivalent. i'm pretty sure in the Metro area, the star power & clout might knock the boy's club ass-over-teakettle (though you'll never have a Novick of your own)

Yes, Joe. You caught me. I can't wait to call people racist or sexist. Yay, let's spread the hate!