When Politicians Treat Us As Stupid.....Part 2

In Oregon we have a contested primary for the honor of beating Gordon Smith next November.

I went to a Merkley fundraiser Tuesday because a person whom I respect asked me to go and keep an open mind - which I did.
[Merkley is one of 3 front running candidates - Novick and Neville are the other 2]

It was a low key evening and I did not ask the questions I had thought of - which were about the Schumer group pushing him into the race and the seemingly lack of enthusiasm in his ads - and the ads seeming disconnect from Oregon issues for this cycle.

The people who introduced him and the "money pitcher" were very enthusiastic, had worked with him in the Oregon House and said things about Jeff that made him seem like a really neat caring person and I was about to more seriously consider voting for him.

But then I the saw his newest "ad" - the one where Merkley takes Novick's old-ish blog comments out of full context and presents them as Novick name calling. I won't post the ad here [you can Google it and watch if you wish] - but I am so tired of politicians thinking the electorate is stupid. We are smart, many of us pay attention and have heard/read about those comments for a while now and know the full context or we at least in this state, can use Google, YouTube and other ways to research what was said and in what context.

And of course as I have this blog, and others, I might be a bit more sensitive - as I sure should I ever choose to run for something - some of my content would be take out of context and posted to prove my hate/love/antipathy to whatever. Ah - but as I never plan to run for anything except local PCP - I am safe : - )

The ad seemed beneath the Jeff I had just met and had heard personal commentary about - and I was so very disappointed.

So politicians - please respect the minds of voters. Some actually read, think and know or can ask others about what is going on!

This type of campaigning turns people off - we are not stupid voters...we care and we pay attention.

When Politicians Treat Us As Stupid.....

Here in Oregon we have a contested race for Attorney General.

After having lived in states with lukewarm or ineffective AGs, I decided to vote for John Kroger, a newcomer to Oregon like myself and not vote for Greg MacPherson, who has been a state rep.

This is from Kroger's campaign - quoted with permission but emphasis is mine alone

John is a law professor at Lewis & Clark and a former federal prosecutor that took on the mob, drug traffickers and the crooked Enron executives that ripped-off so many people. He will be a tough, independent and aggressive Attorney General and he will fight for all of us on two key issues: tackling Oregon’s meth crisis and protecting the environment.

John cares about meth because it’s the number one cause of property crime in the state and, more importantly, because it’s the number one cause of child abuse. John’s plan to address Oregon’s meth epidemic has two parts. The first is better enforcement, John will revitalize the organized crime unit under the Attorney General and go after the big drug traffickers in the state. The second is more profound, John has a plan for drug treatment and prevention that will lower the demand for the drug. Right now Oregon has one of the worst drug treatment programs in the nation, and John plans to change that.

John also believes we can do a better job holding polluters accountable when they break our environmental laws. Right now, we put good laws on the books, and then we don’t enforce them. We need tougher fines for polluters that willfully break the law, and we need to charge the most extreme bad actors with environmental crimes.
I ask you to join me in voting for John Kroger for Attorney General this May.

If you want more information, visit www.johnkroger.com.

Well today MacPherson came out with an ad [below] that treats the public like stupid idiots. Because Kroger is a Law Professor and only recently became a member of the Oregon Bar, Mac wants us to think Kroger is a newbie lawyer! [Go back and read the first paragraph in the campaign letter above.]



Sorry Mac, but you just called me stupid and I do not like that. I think most Oregonians understand that Federal Prosecutors actually do a task called PROSECUTION! And that requires actually being in a courtroom. Me, I'd love an AG who actually knows how to prosecute and has been successful at it! [And I may be wrong in this but I understand Mac never tried a case!]

Furthermore, some people, like myself, have law degrees but are not members of any state bars. I could take the Oregon Bar but do not wish to practice law here or elsewhere. But - if I did take it, you'd also picture me as a newbie...and you'd be wrong there as well. FYI - I went to a public interest clinical law school and was ready to be in court in Washington, D.C. even before I took the bar exam - and later won every case I took to a hearing. But you'd still imply I was a beginner...

Poor Mac, poor ad, poor choice for AG.

VOTE for KROGER!

Support Our Service Members

Yesterday Tom Udall joined with other members of the House of Representatives to introduce the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act, also known as the new GI Bill. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill, was originally enacted by congress to provide for veterans returning from World War II. The GI Bill enabled a generation of veterans to get a college degree and help build the strongest economy our country had ever seen.

But the benefits provided for in the GI Bill have not kept up. With college costs skyrocketing, our veterans deserve a new GI Bill that will pay for a full four-year college education.

Visit http://www.tomudall.com/Petition/0805_GIBill.html to become a co-sponsor.

Excuse me, Mr. McSame

This "news" about McSame: He vowed to fight religious persecution, human trafficking, child pornography and other "evil" if he becomes president.

Well - golly gee and gosh almidgity..shucks...Am I supposed to be astounded and impressed?

Does he not remember we KNOW he has been in the Senate for a very LONG time and has rarely, if ever, uttered sentences about these "evils" when he could have done so?

Maybe his brain is really addled - again I hate to say it's his age as I am only a few years younger as are many of my friends - but they and I don't have senior moments and he has nothing but. So he has a brain issue or a brain trust issue [in the form of his advisors ] - either way - he is not someone to whom even more power should be given...