OR-1 roundup: Debates, attack ads, endorsements, and the BS championship!
Kari Chisholm
Ballots will be mailed on Friday to voters in the OR-1 congressional race between Suzanne Bonamici and Rob Cornilles. Voters will have until January 31 to return those ballots. (Note: The Voter Registration deadline is Tuesday. So if you've moved recently, register to vote online right away. Not sure if you're registered at your current address? Check here.)
With the vote imminent, attack ads are now up, endorsements are rolling out, and debates are underway. Here's a round-up.
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This morning, American Bridge 21st Century rolled out an ad awarding Rob Cornilles the first BS Championship. It's a really great video - nailing Cornilles on his repeated dishonesty about "job creation". Check it out above.
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On Friday, the Portland City Club hosted a debate between the two candidates. Other than a mention by the O's Jeff Mapes about a specific question on the Keystone XL pipeline, the debate was almost entirely ignored by the media (except OPB, which rebroadcasts City Club debates on-air.) You can hear the full debate here.
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On Tuesday, Cornilles and Bonamici will debate again on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on KGW-8. Tracy Barry will "moderate" (i.e. waste time with inane chatter and giggling) while the O's Jeff Mapes and KGW's Laural Porter will pose the questions. Questions will also come from the public, via the Facebook pages for KGW and Oregonian. I'm not seeing a lot there, so get your questions in.
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Suzanne Bonamici's campaign is now up with an ad slamming Rob Cornilles for failing to pay taxes for his business while criticizing Bonamici's policy positions on taxes with his own attack ad (see both ads at right). Like Bill Sizemore, this is so predictable: An anti-tax politician who can't be bothered to pay his own taxes.
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Bonamici won the endorsement of the Oregonian. Interestingly, the O noted that Cornilles is now "a stronger candidate than he was in 2010" - though they endorsed him back then, and aren't doing so this time. Citing his "lack of experience in how legislatures work", the O says that "Bonamici is the clear choice to represent the 1st district and raise its profile in Washington, D.C. The district had a congressman in a tiger suit; it can now have one with a tiger's tenacity."
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But Cornilles isn't going entirely without endorsements. As noted by the Willamette Week, Cornilles won the coveted endorsement of the pesticide industry. Of course, they don't call it that. They call it "Oregonians for Food and Shelter", a masterful case of spin -- and even setting aside the spin, the name contains an outright lie. (Notes WW: "The OFS board of directors includes representatives from Monsanto, DuPont, Crop Production Services Inc. and Syngenta Crop Protection, none of which are based in Oregon.")
Discuss.
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1:43 p.m.
Jan 9, '12
I am amused that once again the Oregonian's endorsement remains policy free as if there was no difference between how the candidates would vote. Only their past experience and personality appears relevant.
2:00 p.m.
Jan 9, '12
The pesticide industry? I would classify that as a poisonous, toxic endorsement.
3:27 p.m.
Jan 9, '12
Just back from the WashCo Public Affairs Forum Bonamici/Cornilles debate. We already knew that Cornilles is a tea partier in moderate clothing, but today he really showed how much of a newbie he is and that he's utterly out of his league. VOTE BONAMICI!
12:51 p.m.
Jan 10, '12
I founded the TP in Oregon. Rob is not a TP candidate (though he'd love our support I'm sure) ;o). Unfotunately, he's just too center-left for many of us. Actually, he'd be a pretty good Democratic candidate (were it not for his real world business success that is).
6:29 p.m.
Jan 9, '12
Kari, I am pleased to see that I am not the only one to think that Tracy Barry should not be allowed near a political event. I was embarrassed that she not only represented Portland in an interview with the President, but that the station touted her doing so for three days. Why does KGW do that when they have such a class act in Laural Porter?
9:09 p.m.
Jan 9, '12
Before picking on Tracy Berry, how about a candid critique of the questions posed by the Portland City Club debate? (Which where lame as a puddle of pudding.)
I listened to the whole thing, because, as the first Democrat to take this congressional seat, I've got an abiding interest in it, even in retirement.
Not one question on China, Iraq and the Middle East or the most pressing domestic issue of all--what do do with "Too Big To Fail" banks, which, because they know the Gubment will bail them, are still running devil may care risks and huge debts in derivatives that may exceed total annual federal revenues!
Thus threatening a Greek-like insolvency.
Hullo, City Club!
Where does Cornilles the Contortionist stand on this? Can he butter his bread on both sides of this issue, too, without getting greasy fingers? How about the virtuous Bonamici? Any voter depending on the City Club will vote in the dark.
Portland City Club? Pudding Club seems more apt.
Congressman Les AuCoin (ret.) D-OR District 1
The Les AuCoin Blog
8:00 a.m.
Jan 10, '12
While one may select the style of moderator Barry to focus on if substance is the choice then questions should be of a higher quality than afforded at the Portland City/Pudding Club.
Mine would be, do you favor a repeal of legislation passed in 2005 which required the US Post Office to set aside seventy-five years of pension funds within ten years? As some may recall this has artificially created a budget crisis. Circulation remains unchanged despite emails. The composition of what is mailed has changed. For example Netflix and medications for folks with prescription drugs.
Other than endangering Oregon's vote by mail this is a naked attack on workers and their union jobs. Lars Larson is thrilled as he has advocated this disaster for years; second district Tea Party Republican Walden is also thrilled with destroying the Post Office.
12:51 p.m.
Jan 10, '12
Marvin, what's a Tea Party Republican?
2:05 p.m.
Jan 10, '12
A tautology.
2:56 p.m.
Jan 10, '12
nice word, innacurate but, you taught me something today, thank you.
4:02 p.m.
Jan 10, '12
I suppose sensu strictu a Tea Party Republican would be one endorsed by the Tea Party, but it also means a Republican who supports Tea Party positions, as Cornilles says he does. Not sure about Walden's self-labeling.
If you don't like it Geoff, I'll make you a deal -- I'll stand up against the label absent a Tea Party endorsement if you agree to work in Tea Party and other Republican circles against the lie that the center-right Barack Obama (who is to the right of Richard Nixon on almost all issues) is a socialist.
The point of that isn't about socialism, it's about minimally honest debate over policy.
But of course in the Tea Party's funhouse mirror intellectual world center right = liberal, liberal = socialist, socialist = Marxist, & Marxist = communist, none of which is true, and Tea Partiers regularly scamper falsely across those equations. If you're going to act that way, you can't really expect people to scruple much about people who take positions the Tea Party supports being labeled as Tea Party Republicans.
3:30 p.m.
Jan 11, '12
And don't forget the most hilarious one of all - communist = fascist.
10:42 p.m.
Jan 10, '12
As I recall a corporate funded group with Dick Armey as part of the leadership arose pretending to be populists when President Obama was elected. Having been a Walden watcher for several decades I place him in the Tea Party group because the Republicans are the Tea Party.
Koch brothers fund Wisconsin Gov. Walker and Washington's third district congresswoman. Koch brother's father founded the John Birch Society and Walden is a traditional Bircher/Rpublican. He has always opposed everything that is defined as new deal. He wanted to privatize the Oregon DMV and turn it over to car dealers. He is the essential anti-people person who has learned to fake sincerity well. He is a deeply dangerous person and he personifies the phony tea party populist fascists. Does that help?