Political Desk

This week’s story about the Weidner-Bunn thing has hit the blogosphere: Over on NW Republican, there’s a discussion unfolding in which a couple of inaccuracies have popped up.

Blog host Coyote says that Bunn’s response to the “alert” that Weidner’s supporters sent out over the weekend was that “he took umbrage that Jim Weidner’s name wasn’t one of the signatories on the letter.”

That’s not exactly true.

I interviewed Bunn briefly about the mailer, and while he obviously was critical of the letter, I don’t recall him making any reference to or expressing an opinion about the fact that Weidner did not sign it. What he did say was that it was difficult at first to determine who was responsible for sending it: Something along the lines of “Paid for by Friends of Jim Weidner,” or whatever. I reported the fact that the candidate himself was not one of the signatories. It seemed like a relevant point, given that the return address was the post office box for Weidner’s campaign.

Then, someone called “CommonSense” follows with the declaration that: “It was the News-Register who sought Bunn out, not the other way around.” How does he know this? “I know,” he says.

That is inaccurate. I learned about the mailer because Jim Bunn called me Monday afternoon and told me about it. The reason he knew about it was that members of his own family had received it.

Does this constitute “planting” the story, as CommonSense suggests? That seems unnecessarily conspiratorial. Reporters talk to sources, and sources talk to reporters. I suppose if I arrived at work and found a copy of the letter in a brown paper bag on my desk with no note, we could talk about “planting” stories. And actually, I’ve had campaigns where a candidate who felt slighted called and asked for a story; that wasn’t the case here. Bunn brought it to my attention, made the comment that appears in print, and left it at that.

Frankly, I don’t regard the question of how the News-Register learned about it as particularly important. You cannot do a mass mailing to voters, or even some of them, in a hot primary race and expect to keep it a secret. If Bunn hadn’t called me, someone else surely would have, and then I would have called him for his comment.

Hello everyone, back in the saddle here. It’s been a busy few days. There’s a lot going on.

First, here’s our coverage of the House District 24 Republican primary race, which ran in Saturday’s edition. It’s been termed “the primary to watch,” and I would not disagree. In fact, I spent a fair amount of some time watching it yesterday, as the following roil concerning Jim Weidner and Jim Bunn spilled out into the open. Also had a lively but cordial discussion this afternoon with a Weidner supporter over what constitutes “going negative.” Read it and judge for yourself.

Also, speaking of lively: Last night’s candidates’ forum over at the McMinnville Senior Center ended with a bang, as Donna Nelson and Leslie Lewis got into it over that veterans’ park issue that we’ve reported on previously.

Challenger Kris Bledsoe, meanwhile, I thought made good case contrasting her positions with Lewis’. Between those two, I thought it was one of the more useful exchanges on land-use and private property rights I’ve heard in quite a while: They were articulate, passionate and made good arguments for their respective positions. Look for that on Channel 11 in the next few days.

Some other tidbits, unrelated to stories in today’s paper: I’m told by my editor who saw it with his own eyes that Obama’s office has, in fact, opened an office on Third Street. (I don’t know where it is.) We’ll have something on that Thursday.

Also: The Newberg Graphic weighed in on the House 24 race Saturday, giving their nod to Ed Glad. How big a deal is that? I haven’t the slightest idea: I had a publisher one time who joked that for political candidates, a newspaper’s endorsement during a campaign was the proverbial kiss of death. Who knows? Depends on a lot of things. Like: The candidate. The other candidate. The newspaper. And, of course, the readers and voters.

I had to chuckle last night at the comment by Clerk candidate Jeff Doty regarding newspaper endorsement interviews: “It can be pretty daunting,” he said. “They hit you with some pretty intense questions.”

I’ve only sat in on one here — it was years ago, and I can’t remember who it was or why I was invited to be in the room. Standard operating procedure is for the candidates to meet with our editorial board alone — no reporting staff allowed: Unless I pick up some office gossip, I typically don’t see who’s getting the endorsement until I pick up the News-Register on my front doorstep Saturday mornings. Which is probably how it should be.

Published: May 3, 2008

By JULIA SILVERMAN
The Associated Press

PORTLAND — Oregon Sen. Gordon isn’t waiting for Democrats to pick a candidate for him to face off in November.

On Friday, the Smith campaign launched an ad that takes equal aim at the two Democrats vying to challenge Smith, Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley and Portland lawyer and activist Steve Novick.

In the ad, a male narrator questions whether Merkley and Novick can truly claim to be the “candidates of change,” the buzzword that every politician seems to be trying to appropriate.

The ad dings first Merkley for accepting campaign contributions during the one-month legislative session in February, then Novick for a newspaper profile that alleged that he “doesn’t just tolerate taxes, he celebrates them.”

But the ad leaves out a few key points. Merkley voluntarily did not take money in the February session from lobbyists and others with an interest in legislation. He did raise funds from other individuals, citing an opinion from the legislature’s lawyers that the fundraising rules did not apply because he was running for a federal office.

And Novick has disputed with the characterization of the newspaper profile, though he has been a longtime advocate of educating consumers about how their tax money is spent.

Smith, who faces only token opposition in the GOP primary, has made it clear he intends to use some of his $4 million-plus campaign cash on hand to go after his Democratic rivals now rather than waiting for the fall campaign.

In a statement, Smith’s campaign spokesman said that the ad “shows voters what they need to know about Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick,” after nearly a year in which Smith has been silent in the face of the Democrats’ attacks on his record.

But Jake Weigler, Novick’s campaign manager, said the ad, “makes clear that Gordon Smith knows he can’t run on his record. The fact that that he would claim that he is an agent of change after sitting in Washington and doing nothing for 12 years is almost laughable, if the results weren’t so stark for America.”

And a spokesman for Merkley, Matt Canter, accused Smith of “lying about Jeff Merkley’s record out of the box.”

“He (Merkley) went beyond what he had to do, and refused even a penny from lobbyists in Oregon while Gordon Smith was collecting contributions from lobbyists in Washington, D.C.,” Canter said. “It is the height of hypocrisy from Gordon Smith.”

When an American presidential campaign swings through McMinnville, that’s a pretty good sign that the nation’s political temperature is hot — and rising. The News-Register had several reporters, including yours truly, and photographers at Saturday’s Clinton visit, so be sure to pick up a copy of today’s print edition for the big spread. For those of you reading this, here’s a peek at some — but not all of it.

Also, we continue our local coverage today with a package on the race for Yamhill County Assessor. Scott Maytubby and David Devine each want to be the guy who takes the office over from David Lawson when he retires, so here’s something to help you see how these guys think. Be sure to see the links at the bottom of the story for a full-length Q&A with each candidate.

Next up: County Commissioners on Thursday — Leslie Lewis, facing three challengers: Kris Bledsoe, Donna Nelson and Curt Johnston. We’ll round it out Saturday with a look at the very interesting Republican primary race in House District 24.

Also, mark your calendars for Tuesday, and check Thursday’s paper for further details, on a candidates’ forum that Friends of Yamhill County and several resource groups will sponsor next week. And: Larry Bohnsack’s guest on KLYC’s “Political Cup of Coffee” tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. will be the House District 24 candidates - Ed Glad, Jim Weidner and Jim Bunn.

Hello everyone, please accept my apology for letting way too much time go by since my last post. I’ll try to do better. Obviously, things have been happening quickly on the political front, it’s been crazy trying to keep on top of it all.

So here’s where we’re at: As you surely know by now, former President Bill Clinton will be at McMinnville High School Saturday afternoon in a free, open-to-all event. Doors open at 1:45 p.m., and while it’s likely he’ll be running late, I’d show up quite a bit before if you want to get in, as space is limited. When I covered Obama at the Salem Armory a few weeks ago, I showed up something like two hours or more before the scheduled start time, and there was already a really long line snaking through the parking lot. Those planning to attend are asked to visit Hillary’s web site first and register.

Some fallout from Clinton’s visit: Rep. Donna Nelson tells me that her Yamhill/Carlton town hall that was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon has been bumped to Tuesday, May 6, 6-8 p.m. at City Hall, 205 S Maple in Yamhill. She’s also running for Yamhill County Commissioner.

In other news: Kathleen Hall Jamieson was in town this week and termed this year’s presidential election “unprecedented” for a number of reasons. Of special interest: Polling by her research outfit, the Annenberg Public Policy Center, shows that there is more than the usual amount of disagreement within households this year, as teens are arguing with their parents about something other than how late they can stay out: They’re having Obama-Clinton debates.

Also, U.S. Rep. David Wu (D-District 1) threw his support to Obama this week, having had a telephone conversation with the congressman from Illinois on Wednesday night. He wouldn’t tell reporters, in a conference call, what swayed him, but I got the sense that he regards Obama as better able than Clinton of uniting different factions than his opponent. (Wu insisted that he was not saying that Clinton is divisive.) Of course, it’s a significant development because Wu, who represents Yamhill County in the U.S. House, is one of Oregon’s superdelegates, who can vote for any candidate at the Democratic Convention.

Published: April 24, 2008

Clinton: Will campaign in Mac Saturday

By STARLA POINTER
Of the News-Register

McMinnville High School history and government teacher Larry Saunders is scrambling to rearrange his weekend plans so he can be at school on Saturday, when former President Bill Clinton makes a campaign stop there.

“To miss a president coming to Mac High? There’s no way,” he said.

The former president will visit the high school gym at 1:45 p.m., speaking on behalf of his wife, Hillary Clinton, in her campaign for the presidency. The McMinnville visit is part of a whirlwind tour that will start on the southern Oregon coast Friday night and touch down in Monmouth, Oregon City and Portland on Saturday, as well.

Saunders expects to see many of his students in the crowd, as well. They always are interested in elections, he said, especially seniors who are turning 18 and getting to vote for the first time.

But the interest is even higher this time around, he said. Students are interested in the close race for the Democratic nomination, but many are even more excited about one particular candidate - and it’s not Hillary Clinton.

“I think they’re pumped about Barack Obama, more than the ongoing campaign,” Saunders said. “They’re interested that he’s young, African American, attractive, articulate and a newcomer.”

Mac High students who support Obama have a table set up in the school commons, where they are encouraging classmates to register to vote, said Principal Kris Olsen.

Olsen said he’s pleased to see students interested in taking part in the election process. The presidential visit should only add to their excitement.

“We’re not in a position of promoting any one candidate, of course, but for a past president to come to our school … I expect we’ll have a good turnout of students just because it’s a past president,” he said.

More than half the members of the Class of 2008 already have reached voting age. At Mac High and other high schools, many students are registering soon after their birthdays just so they can have a say in the presidential election.

At Dayton High, history teacher Dave Fluke also has noticed a great deal of interest in voter registration. He offered registration forms at a senior class meeting on Wednesday. By the end of the day, 10 students had filled them in - a particularly large number considering the class is comprised of about 70 students, some of whom already had registered and some of whom aren’t yet 18.

“I had a junior come up and say she’s upset because she can’t vote this year, because she won’t be 18 until December,” Fluke said.

While Mac High’s Saunders is seeing more interest in this year’s election than in the one four years ago, Fluke said the interest he’s seen at Dayton High is about equal to the 2004 level.

However, Fluke said, there is a difference: Four years ago, the majority of students tended to lean one way. This year, there’s more debate, with students showing support for both parties and both Democratic candidates.

Good morning, it’s April 23, and I’ve got some news to report. Quickly, I attended last night’s talk by political commentator Kathleen Hall Jamieson at Linfield, which focused on this year’s presidential race, with a bit of good old-fashioned media-bashing. Also: I’ve just learned that Obama’s campaign is opening an office in Yamhill County, if you can believe it. Check back in later today for details. Also: the News-Register’s coverage of local political races begins Saturday in the print edition, kicking off with the 4-way race for Yamhill County Clerk. Stay tuned …

Wednesday, April 23: Rep. Donna Nelson, running for a seat on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners, continues her string of town hall meetings tonight at the Dayton Fire Hall, 416 Ferry Street in Dayton, 6-9 p.m.

Friday, April 25: Yamhill County Board of Commissioners candidate Kris Bledsoe will have a fundraising event from 5-8 p.m. at Currents Gallery, 532 NE Third Street in McMinnville. For more info, visit www.krisbledsoecommissioner.com.

Saturday, April 26: Another town hall for Nelson, moved from a previously advertised date to today at Yamhill-Carlton City Hall, 1-3 p.m.

Tuesday, April 29: 5 p.m. is the deadline to register to vote in the May primary if you are a) not already registered to vote or b) you are registered, but want to change your party affiliation. Voter registration cards are available at post office branches, and, of course, at the Yamhill County Clerk’s Office, 414 NE Evans Street in McMinnville. Or, you can download one here.

Monday, May 5: A candidates’ forum — traditionally one of the biggest voters can count on during election season — will once again be sponsored by Friends of Yamhill County, the Yamhill County Farm Bureau and the Small Woodlands Association. It’s at the McMinnville Senior Center on McDaniel Lane, 7 p.m. Candidates, political parties and groups: If you’ve got something you want listed, send the info to me at dbates@newsregister.com, or call: 503-472-5114, ext. 245.

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

NEWBERG - Less than 25 percent of Americans approve of the Bush presidency and more than 80 percent think the United States is on the wrong track. But you wouldn’t know it from Tuesday’s Republican Revival bash in Newberg.

Intended to inject some energy into Yamhill County’s Republican Party in preparation for the 2008 election, the evening event at George Fox University seemed to accomplished that goal.

More than 100 turned out, many of them candidates themselves, and the crowd enjoyed pep talks from some prominent Oregon conservatives.

Framed at the podium by life-sized cardboard replicas of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, they pledged that victories will be at hand come November, if candidates do a better job at associating themselves with causes popular with voters.

“Guess what,” said Portland talk radio host Rob Kremer. “People in Oregon agree with our principles. When they actually have to cast a vote on one of our principles, we win.”

He cited a number of conservative ballot measures that have passed muster over the years with Oregonians, notably Measure 37, which voters approved statewide three years ago to ease state land-use restrictions.

“How many people in Oregon connect Measure 37, protecting people’s property rights, which was a 60-percent winner statewide, with Republican principles?” he asked. “I’d guess they really don’t. They look at the issue, and say, ‘Yeah, that makes good, logical common sense to me that we should do this,’ and they vote yes on Measure 37.”

“Time and again, people in Oregon have proven they like Republican principles,” Kremer said. “They like what we stand for.

“They happen to like our candidates a little less. And that is our challenge.”
Matt Wingard, a state legislative candidate in House District 26, echoed that theme - the notion that, given time and broader awareness, voters gravitate to conservative principles.

He pointed to three recently prominent conservatives who recently died - commentator William F. Buckley, economist Milton Friedman and former NRA chief Charlton Heston - as Republicans who are regarded favorably in hindsight, even in some “liberal” publications.

Buckley, the wealthy founder of National Review magazine, was “the Ann Coulter of his time,” Wingard said. In hindsight, he blazed the way for Rush Limbaugh and FOX News, the candidate said.

“Each of these men made their mark and spoke out at a time when they were in the minority,” he said.

Wingard characterized Oregon as home to “enclaves of socialism” where Republicans are likely to face disproportionately liberal newcomers drawn here precisely by the things many conservatives can’t stand - land-use, light rail and “green utopia” sensibilities that are “filtering into state policy.”
Even so, Kremer said he’s optimistic about November.

Although Democrats have adopted “36″ as their battle cry - that’s the number they need in the Oregon House to render Republicans basically irrelevant - Kremer predicted the GOP may pick up a few seats it’s not expected to. He said a 30-30 split is not totally out of reach.

He also predicted Kevin Mannix will triumph in the 5th Congressional District, where Democrat Darlene Hooley is calling it quits.

“I believe we’re going to have one of the few Republican pickups in the nation in the House of Representatives in the U.S. Congress,” he said. “Now that’s a big deal, and those types of things start to build momentum for a party.”

Given that party functions ordinarily might be lucky to draw a dozen or so volunteers, organizers were thrilled with attendance. Dundee’s Neil Cohen, a former county party chairman, suggested that’s a sign of things to come.
“These will continue to get bigger,” he said.

Published: April 8, 2008

Flanked by Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton waves to a crowded Liberty High School gym Saturday morning in Hillsboro. Clinton is facing off against Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. Marcus Larson/News-Register

By JILLIAN BEAUDRY
Of the News-Register

More than 5,000 lucky locals crammed into Liberty High School in Hillsboro on Saturday morning to hear presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton talk about universal health care, the environment, the economy and what she can do for Oregon.

This trip was planned to try to sway Oregonians to vote for her in the May 20 primary. Her daughter, Chelsea, joined her for a Eugene stop later in the day.

Details of her Portland visit were not finalized until Thursday. Coordinators did their best to pack the stands without violating the fire code.

The line to see the senator wound far around the school. Attendees clutched coffee cups for warmth, praying the morning’s light sprinkle would not turn into a full-blown rainstorm.

Inside, the event carried something of a “girl power” vibe. However, a lot of men also turned out, many holding up signs in support of their candidate.

Don Steven of Gaston showed up early, eager to get more information.

With me, I’m either going to vote for Hillary or McCain,” Steven said. “Obama would be a great vice president, but I think his term is next time. I would like to see Hillary do eight years and Obama do eight years after Hillary.”

He thinks McCain is streetwise and understands the economy, but is concerned about McCain’s statement that we could end up spending another 100 years in Iraq, as he opposes the war.

“I’m concerned with his comments, and I’m not sure being a POW really helps,” Steven said.

He praised Clinton for her knowledge of the economy, environment and health care, and her views in those areas seemed to resonate with the crowd.

Jennifer Palmquist, a lawyer from Portland, said she does not want to see a Republican in the White House. She began her career as the first woman her firm had hired in its 80-year history, so can relate to the trials Clinton has faced as a woman lawyer.

She showed up with a friend to see the first major run for the presidency mounted by a woman.

Retired professor Jack Timmons of Hillsboro first met Clinton in 1980, when she was the first lady in Arkansas. She spoke about education at a conference he attended, and he was so impressed he walked up to her afterward and invited her to move to his home state of Missouri to run for governor there.

“I don’t need to hear her in order to support her,” he said. “I just came to see her again.”

The speech was carried live on local TV stations. She was introduced by a pair of prominent Oregon supporters, Gov. Ted Kulongoski and U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley.

“This is going to be the first time in decades in a presidential primary in Oregon matters,” Hooley said. “She is the only person who has experience to lead us out of this disaster.”

Hooley said Clinton can restore prosperity and peace, fix the economy and provide universal health care. “There is only one person with the know-how, the experience and the plan to make that happen on day one,” the congresswoman said.

A former labor lawyer, Kulongoski called Clinton the voice of the working people. He said she would work to restore the middle class and lead the fight against global warming.

“(She’s) the best for Oregon and the best for America,” he said. “She will never give up.”

Clinton said she believes too many Americans lack the tools to make the most out of their lives. She said she would work to fix that.

“I believe we can not only keep faith and give our children the future they deserve, but actually solve the problems, meet the challenges and seize the opportunities,” she said.

Though behind in the delegate count - irretrievably so, according to her critics - she said she won’t be giving up.

“One thing I hope you know about me is, I don’t quit,” she said. “I am a fighter. And I believe this country is worth fighting for.”

The environment was a major theme for her in environmentally conscious Oregon.

Praising Oregon’s low-carbon footprint and developments in green technology, she said she would encourage creation of more “green-collar” jobs, commit the country to energy independence, cut reliance on fossil fuels and slash oil imports by two-thirds, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, set higher fuel-efficiency standards and establish a green building fund. She said her goal is to see renewable resources supplying 25 percent of the nation’s energy needs by 2025.

Clinton said she would set about undoing the environmental damage done by the current administration, starting with repeal of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which cost Oregon any say in the siting of liquefied natural gas terminals.

“I am the only candidate who voted against Dick Cheney’s energy bill, and I believe this is a clear difference in this campaign between me and my opponent,” she said.

She said she planned to return to Oregon before the primary.

Suzanne Kaster, a community college math teacher, called Clinton’s speech inspiring. She said she would be happy to support either of the Democratic candidates, in order to restore the face of America.

Tyce Winship, a 19-year-old Lake Oswego resident, said gender has proven a handicap for Clinton. “She is holding her own with all of the stigma behind being a woman in this age,” he said.

Winship said of critics, “I don’t think they understand the issues that she’s here for. They don’t see her as someone who can do the job and take control.

“I think the environment is our main issue in Oregon. We’re all the new hippies.”

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

SALEM — Many students in the Willamette Valley got a head start on spring break this year by jumping aboard the Obama Express.
Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama made a four-stop swing through Oregon on Friday. His tour, including a stop at the Salem Armory where a seemingly endless line formed at the gates Friday morning, included a lot of young people who say Obama’s their man — children with parents in tow, others on their own and many, many students.
“It’s more of an emotional thing,” said William Weins, a Willamette University computer science major. “When I read what he has to say, I feel inspired.”
Those sentiments were universal across all age groups and demographics, as about a dozen people interviewed while waiting spoke of the Illinois senator in terms that went light on the nitty gritty political issues and heavy on character issues.
“Honesty. Integrity. New ideas,” said Delana Beaton, a retired school counselor from Salem. “He will get us out of Iraq.”
Three generations of the Beaton family attended Friday — Delana and her husband, Russ, a retired economics professor; their son, Alan, a paramedic; and his son, Seth, a second-grader who wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about.
Russ Beaton said, “I told him about 15 minutes ago. I said, ‘Seth, you’re going to remember this for the rest of your life.’
“He said, ‘How do you know?’ Then he smiled.
“He probably will.”
Not everyone who attended Friday had made up their minds who to vote for, but Beaton has.
“I take the way they campaign as an indication of their personality,” he said. “I’ve always been a Clinton supporter, but I don’t like the way the Clinton machine has gone after Obama.”
Sara Decoster, a 27-year-old self-employed financial coach, who was reading Donald Trump’s “Wealth Building 101” while waiting in line, said she wasn’t a backer of either Democrat.
She said the presumed Republican nominee, John McCain, might still win her vote, “unless Obama steps up or Clinton says something she hasn’t said before.”
McMinnville resident Marilyn Van Dyke, a retired Yamhill County employee, managed to snag tickets both for Obama’s appearance in Portland — where he scored a highly sought endorsement from New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the nation’s only Hispanic governor — and his Salem stop. She opted for Salem and gave her Portland ticket to a friend.
“Actually, I used to be an Edwards supporter,” Van Dyke said. “But I do think Obama is a person who has a vision of how to get people to work together. It does seem new, you know?”
She said, “Hillary would be a good candidate. But it just feels like politics as usual. Fortunately, we have two good candidates.”
As is typical of such events, others with various causes showed up to do some lobbying. Those arriving at the Salem Armory were greeted by a pair of anti-abortion protesters holding large placards featuring decapitated fetuses.
As the line wound through the gate, attendees were greeted by someone with a poster informing them, “Planned Parenthood Targets Blacks.” Just outside the gate, Patrick LaMaster stood alone, advancing his own cause: raising public awareness of the homeless and mentally ill.
LaMaster, 46, said he’d had a successful flooring business in Salem about a decade ago, before bipolar disorder threw his life into disarray and he ended up on the street. He said he’d installed marble floors in both private homes and in public sites in Salem.
“They need to be recognized,” LaMaster said. “People, starting at the local level, in the community and in the churches, need to sit down with the homeless and hear what they have to say.”
Garbed in black, holding a handmade sign, and lacking his own ticket to the Obama event, LaMaster said he was getting back on his feet through a local nonprofit. He said he was now attending classes at Chemeketa Community College.
Ultimately, he wants to advocate for the homeless and mentally ill. “I’m going to be out here until the last person goes in, so I can get my message across,” he said.
As it turned out, he got in, settling into a seat perched just behind the press corps. And, like Seth Beaton, he’ll probably remember the day for the rest of his life.

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

Candidate statements for the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet, which must be submitted within days of the filing deadline, typically provide some sense of the themes their authors will sound on the stump as Election Day approaches.
A quick glance at statements filed by the four candidates for the one open seat on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners reveals:
- Donna Nelson wants you to remember her eight-year tenure in the Oregon Legislature, where she threw herself into work on behalf of taxpayers, veterans and private property owners.
- Leslie Lewis, going for a third and final four-year term in the Position 1 seat, lists endorsements from some key movers and shakers, including McMinnville Mayor Ed Gormley, Sheridan Mayor Val Adamson, Newberg Mayor Bob Andrews and two of Nelson’s local House colleagues — Reps. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, and Kim Thatcher, R-Salem.
- Curt Johnson offers a lean, just-the-facts presentation of his occupational, educational and political background, which includes a stint on the Oregon Fryer Commission.
- Kris Bledsoe provides the same, along with a few short paragraphs summarizing her vision of Yamhill County and a direct, personalized appeal to voters.
In a considerably less crowded race, county assessor candidate David Devine’s submission is a straightforward, resume-style listing of his background, skills and goals. Most interestingly, his half dozen endorsers include the man he wants to replace, David Lawson.
Appraiser Scott Maytubby, the first to file for the seat, also lists the basic background material. But his submission, like Bledsoe’s, is primarily a direct, testimonial-style appeal to voters, outlining his vision of where the office stands and where he’d like to take it.
In the four-way race for county clerk, the winner of which will succeed Jan Coleman, the statements are heavy on lists — educational background, degrees, affiliations and goals — with very little “talking” to voters.
Kent Van Cleave, who has worked in the clerk’s office since 2004, presents most of his information in an informal, first-person narrative, noting his years of community involvement in McMinnville.
Brian Owen and Rebekah Stern Doll take that same approach at the end of their statements, which otherwise take a resume format. Jeff Doty rounds out the bunch, arguing that 20 years in the Washington County Clerk’s Office gives him “unrivaled experience.”

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

Two Yamhill County lawmakers are aiming to sponsor a statewide ballot initiative that would repeal Senate Bill 2, which the Legislature’s Democratic leadership shepherded through last year to prohibit discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation.

State Sen. Gary George, R-Newberg, and Rep. Kim Thatcher, R-Newberg, have submitted a ballot title to state elections officials, who announced this week that they will accept public comments on it through March 25.

The statutory amendment filed by George and Thatcher, who are partnering with Nazarene ministry worker Victor Vityukov of Salem, carries the following draft title: “Removes sexual orientation from statutes listing impermissible discrimination grounds; deletes other sexual orientation-related provisions.” While that clock is ticking, gay rights activists are seething over remarks George made to a reporter for Just Out, the state’s flagship gay newspaper, which posted them on its website.

On Tuesday, Just Out posted on its blog excerpts from what it termed “an explosive interview” with George. The paper said the interview would be published in its entirety in its print edition of March 21.

The exchange between George and the reporter, not identified in the posting, includes this response to a question about what recourse employees have if they are fired because they’re gay:

“As an employer, I don’t wanna hear about it. This workplace is for work purposes. My advice to the gay community is shut up, just don’t talk about it. If you walk around talking about what you do in the bedroom, you should be on the pervert channel.”

Contacted Friday, George said the comment had been wrenched out of context. He said he was referring to an incident in which one of the employees of his hazelnut operation complained that another worker was gay. Determining the gay employee hadn’t even spoken about his sexual orientation, he told the complaining worker to get over it, he said.

George said that he took the call from Just Out at 8 a.m. He said he’d just arrived home from an overnight flight, was dead tired and wasn’t even sure who he was talking to.

“It’s my fault for having three or four hours of sleep and engaging in a philosophical discussion,” he said. He said he hadn’t contacted the paper for a correction or retraction, saying, “There’s no way to win this thing.”

The flap comes against the backdrop of the initiative effort.

Once elections officials give them a green light, George and his co-sponsors will have until July 3 to collect 82,769 valid signatures from registered Oregon voters. And gay rights groups are already gearing up for an opposition campaign.

Shortly after the papers were filed in Salem, Basic Rights Oregon’s Executive Director Jeana Frazzini said, “Our opponents have said all along that they would file again. While I’m not surprised that initiatives to repeal the laws have been filed, I’m shocked that this effort has been spearheaded by legislators whose duty is to protect Oregonians.”

Given the already inflamed passions, Just Out’s interview with George has sparked a firestorm of criticism. And some of that criticism has reached McMinnville via e-mail.

Portland critic Keith Daly sent a blistering letter to Chamber President Phil Hutchinson, Mayor Ed Gormley and Yamhill County Commissioners Mary Stern, Leslie Lewis and Kathy George, the latter Gary George’s wife. He said he was inclined to boycott the area either until George leaves office, which he is scheduled to do voluntarily at the end of the year, or local leaders send a loud and clear message that gay people are welcome.

“Should I worry about how close I sit to my partner at Bistro Maison?” he asked. “Can I get a room at Hotel Oregon with just one bed without feeling like I should be on the ‘pervert channel’? When we’re winetasting with friends, can I be assured of my personal safety?”

George said that the incident on his farm is indicative of his own live-and-let-live libertarian streak, which is plainly at odds with the bigotry he’s being branded with. “To scream that we’re just some sort of homophobes is just ridiculous,” he said.

Readers responding on the Just Out blog have termed George’s comments horrifying and hateful. One has called for his resignation and others have called him a “lunatic” and a “whack job.”

George said Friday that the backlash might actually help him with his initiative, because it exposes the intolerance of gay rights supporters

“I think it’s just within that community,” he said of the roil. “I think it would be good if it just stays there.”

Published: March 13, 2008

Jim Bunn (left) will seek the Republican nomination in House District 24; Democrat Kevin Nortness files to run in Senate District 12.

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

Jim Bunn spiced up the Republican primary in Yamhill County’s House District 24 with an eleventh-hour filing Tuesday in Salem. The former congressman thus became the third candidate trying to persuade fellow Republicans he’s the one who would make the strongest candidate in the November general election.

His surprise filing marks a return to politics by a family that has produced politicians at all levels of government, from city council all the way up to the U.S. Congress, where Bunn served in the 1990s. He is one of three brothers claiming past service in the Oregon Legislature.

Meanwhile, it appears Polk County Republican Brian Boquist won’t get a free pass after all for Gary George’s seat in Senate District 12, which encompasses Yamhill and Polk counties.

Literally minutes before the filing deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Willamina Democrat Kevin Nortness, an attorney who serves on his local city council, filed his candidacy. They will run unopposed in the May primary, then face off in the November general election.

Bunn, 51, will appear on the ballot along with two men mounting their first campaigns.

Jim Weidner, 38, a software developer and restaurant owner, filed in September. Ed Glad, a 51-year-old carpenter with a trade union background and lobbying experience in Salem, filed in December. Both live in Yamhill.

The winner of the three-way Republican primary will face McMinnville attorney Al Hansen in November. The veteran of two countywide district attorney races, he’s the lone Democrat on the May ballot.

The winner will succeed Donna Nelson, who has held the seat since 2000. She’s giving it up to seek a seat on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners.

Bunn, one-time head of Oregon’s Republican Party, was appointed to the Oregon Senate in 1987 and elected in his own right twice. In 1994, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon’s 5th District.

He was defeated two years later by Darlene Hooley, who has served ever since but is giving the seat up this year. Having already acquired status as a reserve corrections officer, he went to work in the Yamhill County Jail, where he handles the training of new employees.

Bunn said he waited to see if someone with legislative experience might file, but lacking a last-minute filing by Nelson or some other veteran politician, he went for it at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“Yamhill County is losing two politicians who have been in the Legislature for a lot of years,” he said. “I think the experience I’ve had in the Legislature gives me a real advantage in being able to start serving in January.”

Bunn said he likely shares many views with Weidner and Glad, but that for him, “experience is one of the keys.”

“It’s going to be important to have a voice to say, ‘We can’t go out and raise taxes,’ but to also have some alternatives,” he said. “It’s not just about saying ‘no’ to everything.”

Over on the Senate side, it seemed for a while that Boquist, who wants to jump from the House to the Senate, might find himself with no challenger from either party. He enjoys strong name familiarity from two strong but ultimately losing congressional runs against Hooley.

Nortness said Democrats didn’t put much effort into recruiting someone to challenge Boquist, as he’s considered an able campaigner in a conservative district that trends Republican.

“The party’s got its practical concerns,” he said. “Tactically, you want to hang on to your majority and not put too much energy into picking up another seat.”

But Nortness, who has done political consulting for several prominent Northwest Democrats, including Bob Straub, Frank Church and Phil Keisling, couldn’t resist. Citing concerns about a recession, he says bread-and-butter issues will be crucial in the race.

“It’s going to be about the bottom line,” he said. “I think the economy is going to be huge.”

Published: March 13, 2008

Kris Bledsoe (left) is a photography artist and chaplain. Curt Johnston is a Dayton farmer.

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

The race for Position 1 on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners got crowded Tuesday.

Previously, incumbent Leslie Lewis faced a single challenger - Yamhill County’s representative in the Oregon House, Donna Nelson. But two more candidates jumped into the nonpartisan race this week.

If one of the four claims a majority of votes in the May 20 primary, that will be the end of it. If not, the two leading vote-getters will square off in the Nov. 4 general election.

Filing just before the Tuesday afternoon deadline were Curt Johnston, 57, a self-employed farmer from Dayton, and Kris Bledsoe, also 57, a photographer and artist who volunteers as part-time chaplain at Willamette Valley Medical Center.

That’s a crowded field, but isn’t without precedent.

In May 2006, Commissioner Kathy George narrowly fended off three challengers in the primary. It ultimately came down to a recount.

George led her nearest opponent, Cassie Sollars, by more than 2,500 votes. But she was right on the edge of the 50 percent mark needed to avoid a runoff.

A seven-hour manual recount put her over the top, giving her 50.3 percent of the vote.

Johnston filed Tuesday afternoon, saying he wasn’t happy with the choices thus far, which featured just Lewis and Nelson at that point. He also said he was troubled by the problems that have afflicted implementation of the county’s new emergency radio system, dragging the work our for several years now.

“I’ve been a little disappointed in that,” he said. “There doesn’t seem to be any accountability.”

After graduating from Woodburn High School, Johnston did coursework at Chemeketa Community College and the Oregon College of Education, now Western Oregon University. He has previously served on the Yamhill County Education Service District and McMinnville Rural Fire District boards.

Bledsoe is an Oregon native, although she spent much of her adult life working in bank management in Washington. She holds a bachelor’s in economics from the University of Washington and a master’s in pastoral studies from the Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry.

She and her husband, Stephen, an anesthesiologist at the Willamette Valley Medical Center, moved back to Oregon early last year to be closer to their daughter and son-in-law, who farm on Grand Island.

Bledsoe said she’d been considering the run for a while and had been encouraged to make it, particularly by people who saw a Measure 37 photo show she had on display at Currents Gallery in downtown McMinnville.

Intrigued by the continuing debate over a ballot measure she hadn’t been here to vote on, she took a camera into rural areas and shot many of the sites where property owners have filed claims.

“I think people really approved of the fact that I didn’t come to that as a warrior,” she said. “And that’s true. I really went out and studied it.”

The commission race isn’t the only one that drew additional last-minute candidates. Brian Owen, 40, of McMinnville, an agent with the Bella Casa Real Estate Group, became the fourth person to file for Yamhill County clerk.

Having previously worked in the title and escrow industry, Owen said he spent a decade or so going through mortgage and deed documents for a couple hours a day in the clerk’s office - the repository of such records.

He’s a past chairman of the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce and served on the McMinnville School District Budget Committee. He said he has strong community ties and wants to see a historically “positive outflow” from the clerk’s office continue.

Owen joins Rebekah Stern Doll, Kent Van Cleave and Jeff Doty on the May ballot. Their race is also nonpartisan.

Editor’s Note: Print editions of this article gave an incorrect first name for candidate Curt Johnston. We regret the error.

Published: March 11, 2008

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

Two more candidates filed papers Tuesday to run for a seat on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners, meaning that incumbent Leslie Lewis will have to fend off three challengers in the May primary election.

Along with McMinnville’s Donna Nelson, who currently represents District 24 in the Oregon Legislature, she’ll also face Kris Bledsoe, a volunteer chaplain at Willamette Valley Medical Center, and Curt Johnson, a self-employed farmer from Dayton.

Also, Yamhill County’s Jim Bunn, a former U.S. Congressman and state lawmaker, filed to run as a Republican in House District 24, becoming the third candidate in that race. Two other Republicans, Jim Weidner and Ed Glad, filed earlier.

Finally, Brian Owen, a self-employed realtor in McMinnville, became the fourth candidate to file for Yamhill County Clerk.

Also seeking that job, now held by Jan Coleman, who is not seeking re-election, are Kent Van Cleave, Rebekah M. Stern Doll and Jeff Doty.

The News-Register will have complete coverage in Thursday’s print editions.

Published: March 8, 2008

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

State Rep. Donna Nelson finally broke her silence about her 2008 political plans Thursday.

The McMinnville Republican won’t seek re-election to her District 24 seat in the Oregon House of Representatives. Instead, she will challenge the fellow Republican she replaced in District 24, Yamhill County Commissioner Leslie Lewis of rural Carlton.

That promises to pit two of the county’s most visible Republican politicians against each other in a race that is, per a 2002 voter mandate, nonpartisan. It may also mark the first time one of Yamhill County’s legislative representatives has run against one of its former legislative representatives for an entirely different office.

“I think this is a first,” said Yamhill County Clerk Jan Coleman. “It’s kind of an interesting one.”

If the race remains a two-person affair, or someone secures a majority in the May primary despite the surfacing of additional candidates, it will be decided then. In the event more than two candidates file and none of them is able to secure a majority, the two top vote-getters will square off in the November general election.

Nelson announced for the race Thursday in an eight-page, single-space press release detailing the highlights of her four terms representing House 24. She turned in her paperwork Friday morning, five days before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. filing deadline for the May primary.

A 64-year-old McMinnville resident and retired Evergreen International Aviation executive, Nelson already has some experience with county government. She did a tour on the county budget committee, and also has served on county parks and transportation boards.

But she cited her tenure in Salem, where she served both in the majority and minority, as her key training ground.

“I feel that tough environment has prepared me well for focusing on county issues,” she said. “I believe I can add a new perspective to county government.”

The 54-year-old Lewis served in the Legislature in the mid-1990s, quickly rising to the rank of co-chair of the powerful Joint Ways & Means Committee, before unseating former Commissioner Ted Lopuszynski in a hard-fought partisan race in 2000. She was re-elected in 2004 in a considerably quieter election that was conducted on a non-partisan basis by voter mandate.

Nelson does not mention Lewis in her announcement, although the two are known to be at odds on at least one local issue: The location of a proposed veterans’ park being touted by state Sen. Gary George, a Newberg Republican who is not seeking re-election.

George and fellow park supporters want to site the facility on county property on the old Newberg landfill site. Lewis has joined other county officials in objecting on numerous logistical grounds.

Park supporters have taken that as an affront. And Nelson, a longtime veterans advocate who once chaired the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has rallied to their cause.

“As a county, we can show greater appreciation and respect for them with the establishment of the County Veterans Memorial Park,” Nelson said in her announcement.

Nelson said she had decided to make the run at the urging of constituents. There’s been some buzz about another candidate emerging, but so far, no one else has announced, let alone filed.

Informed of the news Friday, Lewis said she was looking forward to the opportunity to discuss policy issues and her record in office.

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a fun race.”

Mac man files for Wu’s congressional seat

Published: March 1, 2008

Chappell: Seeks Republican bid

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

A 31-year-old McMinnville man has filed to seek the Republican nomination in the First Congressional District in the May primary.

Claude William Chappell IV, who’s backing the long-shot presidential campaign of conservative Texas Congressman Ron Paul, is the first Republican to officially qualify for the ballot. Two others filed papers, but one was declared ineligible and the other hasn’t cleared the verification process yet.

Disqualified was Stephan Brodhead, a Hillsboro real estate investor. He had not maintained First District registration as a Republican the required 180 days.

Still undergoing verification is Joel Haugen, a small businessman from the Columbia County community of Scappoose.

Chappell grew up in a conservative household in the Portland area. His father worked for the telephone company and his mother worked as a nurse.

He attended public schools and a parochial school affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, then served three years in the U.S. Army.

Chappell holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Walla Walla College. He has also taken medical coursework at Mount Hood Community College.

He spent the last seven years working as a pathologist’s assistant. The required him to travel extensively, visiting hospitals and clinics. He recently launched an Internet-based business called ProMedPulse.com, designed to provide social networking opportunities in the medical field.

Chappell said he initially gravitated to the presidential campaign of Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, known for his role in a hit TV series. When Thompson’s campaign quickly fizzled, he switched to Paul, energized by the Texas congressman’s anti-war rhetoric.

“He was talking about exactly what I believed in - fiscal conservatism coupled with social liberalism,” Chappell said.

“The Republican Party once championed those values. It was once the party of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, a humble foreign policy and the absolute affirmation of individual liberties. Today, in the mire of terrorist threats and knee-jerk reactionary foreign policy, Republicans have lost their way and are losing the country.”

Paul, who ran for the presidency in 1988 as a Libertarian, is a maverick Republican whose long-shot bid for the White House has endeared him to both ends of the political spectrum. Those on the left like his opposition to the Patriot Act and Iraq War, those on the right his uncompromising and unwavering stance on illegal immigration.

Two candidates have filed for the Democratic nomination, incumbent David Wu, seeking his sixth term in the seat, and political unknown Mark Welyczko of Aloha.

The Portland Democrat claimed the seat in 1998, winning a tight race against a well-financed Republican opponent, Molly Bordonaro. He replaced fellow Democrat Elizabeth Furse.

Jeff Doty

Sheridan, Ore.
Occupation: Elections Supervisor, Washington County, Oregon, 2003-present, Elections Senior Administrative Specialist, Washington County, Oregon, 1995-2003, Elections Administrative Specialist II, Washington County, Oregon, 1988-1995, Records Clerk, Sheriff’s Office, Washington County, Oregon 1988.
Education: CEA (Certified Election Administrator); Oregon Association of County Clerks 2007, CERA (Certified Election and Registration Administrator); Auburn University/The Election Center, 2006, 3+ years of college coursework in business administration and leadership.
Family: Wife, Keri Doty, Daughter and Son-in-law, Matthew and Rockelle Smith, Lafayette
Government experience: Member of the Oregon Association of County Clerks, Member of The Election Center – National Association of Election Officials, 20 years of governmental service, Extensive training in elections legislation, policy and procedure.
Community: Kiwanis, past member, Volunteer, City improvement days, Sheridan, Volunteer, various community activities, Washington County OregonEducation
Links:
www.newsregister.com/news/results.cfm?story_no=224608

Rebekah M. Stern Doll
Nonpartisan
Sheridan, Ore.
Occupation: Information Manager, Association of Oregon Counties, Salem, Oregon, 1997-presentCashier/Receptionist, Larsen Motor Company, McMinnville, Oregon, 1996Support Technician, Educational Service District 123, Walla Walla, Washington, 1988-1995,Office Manager/Bookkeeper, Project READ, Walla Walla, Washington 1988.
Education: Walla Walla Community College, Accounting Classes, Walla Walla, Wash.,Walla Walla College, General Studies, College Place, Wash., 1987-1988
Family: Husband, Harry Doll, Daughter Katie, Stepdaughter Jessica
Community: Past volunteer – Kiwanis Bids for Kids, School Board Member, West Valley Christian School Information manager of the Association of Oregon Counties
Government experience: Association of Oregon Counties – 11 years, elections volunteer – 15 plus years
Web site: www.sterndoll4clerk.com

Brian Owen

Nonpartisan
McMinnville, Ore.
Occupation: Self-employed realtor. Previously worked as an insurance producer, title officer and recorder, regional logistics manager
Education: Chemeketa Community College, Clackamas Community College, Oregon City High School
Government experience: McMinnville School District Budget Committee

Kent Van Cleave

Nonpartisan
McMinnville, Ore.
Occupation: Yamhill County Clerk’s Office, elections. He previously managed the McMinnville Community Center and is active with Walnut City Kiwanis and the Gallery Theater.
Education:
Government experience:
Web site: Kentforclerk.com
Links:
www.newsregister.com/news/results.cfm?story_no=224608

Rick Olson

Nonpartisan
McMinnville, Ore.
Occupation: IS Strategic Planning manager
Education:
Government experience: McMinnville City Councilor, city budget committee
Links:
www.newsregister.com/news/results.cfm?story_no=231545

David Devine

Nonpartisan
Dayton, Ore.
Occupation: Real estate broker. Previously taught real estate appraisal and related instruction for Chemeketa Community College and the Oregon Department of Revenue, both in Salem, as well as worked for the Idaho State Tax Commission and the Arizona Department of Revenue.
Education: Oak Brook College of Governmental Law and Policy, Glendale Community College, education and business, Alhambra High School,
Government experience: Property appraiser in Arizona, assistant director of governmena affairs, Arizona Department of Revenue, 1 year, Write-in effort for an assessor position in Arizona.
Links:
www.newsregister.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=232009


Scott Michael Maytubby
Nonpartisan
Newberg, Ore.
Occupation: Appraiser analyst, Yamhill County Assessor’s Office. Previously was self-employed as an independent real estate appraiser. Also worked for TEC Appraisal Services and Sooner Appraisal Services.
Education: Oregon State University, master woodland manager, Central State University in Oklahoma, bachelor’s degree in finance, Rose State College, AA in business, Moore High School graduate.
Government experience: none
Links:
www.newsregister.com/news/results.cfm?story_no=230706