Western Democrat

Meanwhile back at the ranch: Senate Edition

Seven of the thirteen Western states have Senators up for election this year: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The Republicans are defending six of these seven Senate seats. Montana’s Max Baucus is the sole defending Democratic incumbent in the group, and his seat is considered safe. Colorado, Idaho, and New Mexico will be open seats, and Wyoming will have both their Senators up for re-election, due to the death of Senator Craig Thomas in 2007.

Colorado and New Mexico look like the best opportunities for Democratic pick ups, and both states are considered swing states in the 2008 presidential contest. Our candidates, Mark Udall in Colorado and Tom Udall in New Mexico, are cousins from the long prominent Udall family.

Larry LaRocco is our Western Democrat running for Idaho’s Senate seat to replace the retiring and embarrassing Larry Craig. It would be great if red-state Idaho could turn purple.

The remaining campaigns are still shaping up. The contests in Alaska and Oregon could be particularly interesting. Senator Stevens (R-Bridge to Nowhere) is the poster child for pork gone wild and an opponent of transparency in government. The Iraq War puts Oregon’s Gordon Smith in a bind. He voted for the war and has been a Bush enabler. Yet he has broken with the Bush administration on the war, and hence will be at odds with Senator McCain on that issue.

Leo Brown | April 8, 2008 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) Permalink: Meanwhile back at the ranch: Senate Edition | TrackBack (0) Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Republicans, Senators

Every State Counts, Every Voter Counts

If you were tired of a few voters in a handful of states determining the nominee, this is your year. If you are told only the big states count, don’t believe it. Every state counts, and every voter counts. In the West the remaining contests are

Wyoming March 8 (caucus)
Oregon May 20 (primary)
Montana June 3 (primary)

Montana and South Dakota (also on June 3 and partly in the West) will be the last contests before the convention, unless a couple of states that jumped the gun earlier in the year have a “do over.”

Democracy may be messy, but I prefer it to the alternatives.

Leo Brown | March 6, 2008 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) Permalink: Every State Counts, Every Voter Counts | TrackBack (0) Montana, Oregon, Wyoming

Best in the West

From the beginning of Western Democrat, it was recognized that the West offered the Democratic Party a way out of a recurring pattern of electoral defeat.

The primary season reaches another critical junction this Tuesday. Democrats looking to win in November would do well to visit 270toWin.com and look at the state polls. Poll numbers can be fickle things, but the overall impression is clear: Barack Obama would run much better in the West than Hillary Clinton. The margin is, in fact, the difference between victory and defeat in November.

Consider six states in the West. The first three were won by Kerry, and are must wins in 2008. The second three were lost my Kerry, but would have put him in the White House had he won all three.

The first three are California, Oregon, and Washington. According to recent state polls, Obama would win California by 27%, Oregon by 1% and Washington by 17%. Hillary would win California by 19%, lose Oregon by 3%, and tie in Washington.

The second three are Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. Obama would will all three by 7%, tie to 15% (two polls), and 12%, respectively. Hillary would lose Colorado by 14% and lose in Nevada by 9% (no recent poll from this source for New Mexico).

Leo Brown | March 2, 2008 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Best in the West | TrackBack (0) California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Presidential Politics, The Big Strategy, Washington

Wyden: Western Democrats take the lead

In Oregon (and much of the West), there's been no bigger federal issue than "county payments". Those are payments that the federal government makes to rural resource-dependent communities in lieu of resource extraction. (Some great background, including the promises by Teddy Roosevelt and Bill Clinton over at BlueOregon.)

Anyway, the county-payments program should have been reauthorized in the 2005 congressional session - but it wasn't. In 2007, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) got it done - in partnership with Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).

Senator Wyden spent the Easter recess traveling the rural parts of Oregon, praising the work of Western Democrats in the Senate:

"We got a huge, huge, huge victory on the floor of the Senate. Seventy-five votes in the Senate is an army," said Wyden. "I was hoping to get 55 bipartisan votes. Instead I got 75. Every Western state senator voted for the bill."

Wyden said he just completed a series of town hall meetings in small resource dependent communities in Eastern Oregon. Folks, he said, just kept coming back to the county payments issue.

If Wyden had his druthers, he said he would have had the county payments reauthorized last Congressional session, but Congressional leaders didn't understand the issues.

"In the last Congress, our leadership was from the south. They just didn't understand the county payments issues," said Wyden. "This year the leadership is from the West, and Westerners were more aware of county payments. We went in there this session to get it done. We will get it done as soon as possible."

Here's the rest from the Curry County Reporter.

Kari Chisholm | April 16, 2007 | Comment on This Post (3 so far) Permalink: Wyden: Western Democrats take the lead | TrackBack (0) Oregon, Policy Issues, Senators

New Mexico considering Oregon vote-by-mail

Not going to happen this next year, but it could happen:

Since 1998, Beaver State voters have dropped their ballots in special mail receptacles or popped them in the regular mail.

Could New Mexico be next for similarly easy, and cheap, elections?

Maybe, says Secretary of State-elect Mary Herrera.

She's got mail-in elections on her to-look-into list, although not for the 2007 legislative session.

"Mail-in is a lot cheaper and you get a lot higher turnout," she said.

The turnout statewide was more than 52 percent in this election, in which voters picked a governor, statewide officials and members of Congress. In 2002, about 53 percent of voters showed up at the polls on Election Day.

By contrast, Oregon in recent general elections has seen as high as a 90 percent voter turnout, said Connie Higgins, Curry County, Ore., elections administrator and chief deputy county clerk.

There are so many reasons for all states to move to the vote-by-mail system - turnout, cost, ease of use, general enfranchisement and promoting a deliberative voting process (voters get time to consider the issues and candidates, instead of just voting on the spot).

Coming from Oregon to New Mexico, I must admit I was a little frustrated by the voting process. I'm not saying it was especially hard to vote here but rather it is so easy in Oregon. Every year I would just receive my ballot, take my time to consider it and then send/drop it off. If we had systems like this in place across the nation, let alone out west than we could make vast strides towards a more more healthy democracy.

Landon Mascareñaz | December 15, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) Permalink: New Mexico considering Oregon vote-by-mail | TrackBack (0) Election Reform, New Mexico, Oregon

Post-Election Statehouse Roundup

To quote Buffalo Springfield, "there's something happening here". Post-election, Western Democrats have made great gains in the states, building strong majorities in the legislatures and taking or retaining several governorships. Here's a look at the numbers, courtesy of NCSL.

Arizona

Pre-Election

Senate 12-18 Republican majority

House 21-39 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 12-18 Republican majority

House 28-32 Republican majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House - +7 seats

Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano was overwhelmingly re-elected.

California

Pre-election

Senate 25-15 Democratic majority

Assembly 47-32-1 (Ind.) Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 25-15 Democratic majority

Assembly 48-32 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

Assembly - +1 seat

Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected.

Colorado

Pre-Election

Senate 18-17 Democratic majority

House 35-30 Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 20-15 Democratic majority

House 39-26 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – +2 seat

House - +4 seats

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter was elected Governor.

Idaho

Pre-Election

Senate 7-28 Republican majority

House 13-57 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 7-28 Republican majority

House 19-51 Republican majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House - +6 seats

Republican gubernatorial candidate C.L. “Butch” Otter was elected.

Montana

Pre-Election

Senate 27-23 Democratic majority

House 50-50

Post-Election

Senate 26-24 Democratic majority

House 50-49-1 (Ind.) Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – -1 Seat

House – stays the same

Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer is up for re-election in 2008.

Nevada

Pre-Election

Senate 9-12 Republican majority

House 26-16 Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 10-11 Republican majority.

House 27-15 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – +1 seat

House - +1 seat

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Gibbons was elected.

New Mexico

Pre-Election

Senate 24-18 Democratic majority

House 42-28-2(Ind.) Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 24-18 Democratic majority

House 42-28 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House – stays the same

Democratic Governor Bill Richardson was overwhelmingly re-elected.

Oregon

Pre-Election

Senate 17-11-2(Ind.) Democratic majority

House 27-33 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 17-11-2(Ind.) Democratic majority

House 31-29 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House - +4 seats

Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski was re-elected.

Utah

Pre-Election

Senate 8-21 Republican majority

House 19-56 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 8-21 Republican majority

House 19-56 Republican majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House – stays the same

Republican Governor Jon Huntsman is up for re-election in 2008.

Washington

Pre-Election

Senate 26-23 Democratic majority

House  56-42 Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 32-17 Democratic majority (not since 1965)

House 63-35 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – +6 seats

House - +7 seats

Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire is up for re-electionin 2008.

Wyoming

Pre-Election

Senate 7-23 Republican majority

House 14-46 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 7-23 Republican majority

House 17-43 Republican majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House - +3 seats

Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal was overwhelmingly re-elected.

kencamp | November 22, 2006 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) Permalink: Post-Election Statehouse Roundup | TrackBack (0) Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Governors, Idaho, Legislatures, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Oregon Democrats take a page from Brian Schweitzer

The Democratic Party of Oregon has approved a Gun Owners Caucus. Alt-weekly paper Willamette Week has the story:

Oregon Democrats are borrowing a page this election from party colleagues in gun-friendly states like Montana, where Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer—a bolo-tie-wearing former mint farmer—has said his idea of gun control is, "You control your gun, and I'll control mine." At a recent Democratic Party of Oregon meeting, state leaders voted to approve the formation of the party's Gun Owners Caucus , which joins the party's Faith Caucus and Motorcycle Caucus, among others.

Over at BlueOregon, Zak Johnson - one of the Gun Owners Caucus co-founders - explains:

As Democrats, we OWN the civil rights issue. The Bush administration daily violates the 1st, 4th, and 5th amendments (unless you consider confessions under torture not to be self-incrimination). Tom Delay's cronies continue to violate the 13th amendment in the U.S. Mariannas. It has never been clearer that the Democratic Party is the nation's primary defender of the Constitution. This is an unequivocal, easy-to-understand position that resonates with voters. It's a uniting position as well, one that should attract patriots to the Democratic banner.

But to promote that message requires consistency on the whole Constitution. Frankly, the Party's reputation on the 2nd Amendment is, as Montana Democratic Chairman Bob Ream has said, that people think we want to take their guns away. ...

The perception that Democrats are anti-gun also hurts the party badly among our natural constituencies like hunters, most of whom consider themselves environmentalists, and rural residents in general.

Kari Chisholm | September 23, 2006 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Oregon Democrats take a page from Brian Schweitzer | TrackBack (0) Montana, Oregon, Policy Issues, Urban/Rural Divide

Monroe Sweetland, one of the original Western Democrats

On Sunday, Monroe Sweetland passed away. He was 96 years old.

Monroe spent a lifetime building the progressive movement in the West - from fighting for interned Japanese-Americans, to creating educational opportunities for Latinos, to shepherding the Democratic Party of Oregon throughout the entire second half of the 20th Century, and more...

I won't attempt a complete remembrance here at WD - as I've inadequately summarized his life over at BlueOregon already.

I'll just quote the speech that Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) made about him on the Senate floor in 2004:

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I would like to say a few words about a citizen of the great western part of America, Monroe Sweetland.

Monroe lives in Oregon, where he has enjoyed a wonderful life of public service. He has been a State Senator, a national leader of teachers, a journalist, and the publisher of a number of small newspapers.

He served in the Pacific with the Red Cross during World War II. After returning home he became the political director for the National Education Association in the western States.

He was a confidant of Eleanor Roosevelt and an ally of President Harry Truman.

His home in Milwaukie, OR, which was built in 1878, is a historic landmark. That isn't just because it is an old house, but also because of the many important people who visited him there.

The most famous visitor was President John Kennedy. In fact, I have been told that Monroe's wife Lillie was the person who suggested to JFK that a rocking chair would ease the pain in his back.

Others who visited Monroe and Lillie included Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Ambassador John Kenneth Gailbraith, and Senators Wayne Morse, ``Scoop'' Jackson and Estes Kefauver.

Monroe recently turned 94 years old. Although he has been legally blind for several years, he is fond of saying that he has lost his sight, but not his vision. As a former newsman, he still enjoys having the paper read to him by visitors.

He has been called the father of the modern Democratic Party in Oregon, and a founding father of Portland State University.

He is also responsible, more than any other person, for a very important piece of Federal legislation--the Bilingual Education Act of 1968.

That law opened the doors of education and opportunity to young people in the West and other parts of the country who are native speakers of Spanish.

Up until then, these students were often placed in classes where they couldn't understand what was going on, with disastrous results. But in the early 1960s a number of innovative programs began to spring up, including a successful one at Pueblo High School in Tucson.

In 1966, Monroe organized a symposium on the education of Spanish speaking children. Prominent educators and elected officials from Western States came together, and a consensus emerged that bilingual education was a realistic approach to the needs of Spanish speaking students.

U.S. Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas credited Monroe for his decision to attend the symposium, which influenced him to sponsor the Bilingual Education Act of 1968.

Once the bill was introduced, Monroe Sweetland helped marshal support for it. He arranged witnesses for the hearings, and he persuaded the NEA to endorse it. Without his efforts, it would not have passed.

The Latino community in the United States has come a long way since 1968. But we are still fighting to provide better education opportunities for Latino students. As we continue to press onward, I hope we never forget the contributions of Monroe Sweetland and others who helped pass the Bilingual Education Act of 1968.

On a personal note, my long-time chief of staff Rey Martinez was nurtured in the ways of politics by Monroe. Rey would be the first to acknowledge Monroe's political acumen, and I would be the second. Oregon and our entire country are a better place because of this good man.

I'll close comments here, but feel free to post your thoughts over at BlueOregon, as his family and friends are looking for them there.

Kari Chisholm | September 13, 2006 Permalink: Monroe Sweetland, one of the original Western Democrats | TrackBack (0) DNC, Oregon

Down ballot races

We don’t want to neglect the down ballot contests. Good government requires good people at all levels. The contests are too many to catalog here, and as the saying goes, all politics is local.

CQ Politics highlights the following legislative battlegrounds that should be of interest to our readers:

Colorado (House and Senate). Democrats presently hold a 35-30 advantage in the House and an 18-17 lead in the Senate. They would like to expand those majorities in November and also install Democrat Bill Ritter as governor. Ritter, a former Denver district attorney, is polling well against Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez.

Montana (House). The state House is split 50-50 (but has a Democratic Speaker because Montana law requires the Speaker to be of the same party as Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer).

Oregon (House). Democrats, who control the governorship and the Senate, are seeking to erase the GOP’s 33-27 majority in the House.

The article suggests that Democratic prospects are good for these and similar elections this November.

USA Today highlights the Secretary of State contests in Colorado, Nevada, California, and New Mexico, among others.

Winning at the local level is a precursor to winning nationally, but prosaic as it may be, the most important thing is to have good people in public offices--honest, hardworking, intelligent, and pragmatic people, men and women who can get things done for the common good. Of course, since the Secretary of State counts the votes, honesty and fairness are paramount qualifications for that position. The Secretary of State, governor, and the legislature can assure that we have clean elections with a verifiable paper trail, or, if the offices fall into the wrong hands, they can corrupt the very foundations of democracy.

Leo Brown | August 24, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Down ballot races | TrackBack (0) California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon

Gas and Property Rights and fishermen

Now here's an interesting mix of issues. On one side you have the current gas and oil boom across the west that is pitting not only ranchers and small property owners against big Oil and Gas, their state governments and the BLM, but also (as pointed out here by the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel), hunters and anglers (thanks Coyote Gulch).

On the other side, you have a somewhat under the radar, astro-turf, sagebrush rebellion sweeping the West with five eminent domain initiatives.

One of the key pieces to the entire Western Democrat theme is the connection of the bullets and bait folks to the Democratic Party. Once they feel that we have their interests in heart (like protecting stream access in Montana for Schweitzer), they'll forget about voting for a Republican.

Anyway, here is a good part of the Daily Sentinal piece, leaves you thinking how to bring the bullets and bait crowd into the property rights fight:

Alliances among groups who once considered themselves at odds with popular environmentalism are occurring throughout the West, and they’re being noticed by politicians, chief among whom are Colorado’s gubernatorial candidates.

“It feels like a natural alliance, a coming-together of common interests to fight forces that are threatening our outdoors,” said Evan Dreyer, spokesman for Democrat Bill Ritter’s gubernatorial campaign. “I think that for a very long time, this was something that was fought on the fringes, the environmentalists on the far left and the hunters’ groups on the far right. I think there is an agreement that they can be more effective by coming together and finding that middle ground.”

Emmett O'Connell | August 22, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Gas and Property Rights and fishermen | TrackBack (0) Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, The Big Strategy, Urban/Rural Divide, Washington

Cry for the roadless rule

When the Bush administration announced their plan for handling the Clinton era Roadless Rule, I chimed in saying that we shouldn't be afraid (as Western Democrats) of Bush's idea. The opening of allowing Western governors a chance to influence the final product was a place for Western Democrats to show how they could wisely balance local concerns and by coming up with a better plan that the federal government.

Now, they're just ignoring what our Western governors are saying and going their own way. Washington state recently joined a lawsuit with California, Oregon and New Mexico to force the federal government to listen to the locals.

Now we can complain, but ironically because the Republican federal government is ignoring the concerns of states, that according to the Western Republican credo have a better understanding of what is going on in their own communities. "Screw local communities though, we want to make some money," is pretty much what the rest of the GOP is saying.

So, chock with one up with Rep. Jim Gibbons plan to sell federal land to big companies back east and the federal government allowing gas and oil to run over ranchers. Oh, and I might as well mention the administration's plan to pay for tax cuts by increasing the utility bills of Northwesterners and by selling public land to companies back east.

Emmett O'Connell | February 11, 2006 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Cry for the roadless rule | TrackBack (0) California, Governors, New Mexico, Oregon, Policy Issues, Regionalism, Washington

Supreme Court Upholds Oregon's Death with Dignity Law

In a victory for state’s rights today, the United States Supreme Court upheld Oregon’s law on physician assisted suicide. In the 6-3 decision, new Chief Justice John Roberts, joined Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas in dissenting, in support for the Bush Administration’s position.

By a vote of 6 to 3, the court ruled that Attorney General John D. Ashcroft exceeded his legal authority in 2001 when he threatened to prohibit doctors from prescribing federally controlled drugs if they authorized lethal doses of the medications under the Oregon Death With Dignity Act.

The ruling struck down one of the administration's signature policies regarding what President Bush calls the "culture of life" and lifts the last legal cloud over the state's law, which is unique in the nation. It also frees other states to follow in Oregon's footsteps, unless Congress acts to the contrary.

Conservatives constantly claim that government is too big and intrudes on the rights of citizens. This clearly was a case of the federal government playing the role of the Big Bad Wolf in opposition to Oregon’s Goldilocks. The religious right is fervently for state’s rights until it is politically inconvenient.

The Bush administration has shown this disdain for state’s rights before, specifically in the Gonzales v. Raich case, in which the Supreme Court upheld federal raids on medical marijuana users who were following state law.

Prior to Gonzales v. Raich, we all witnessed how horribly the Bush Administration, the Republican Congress and Florida Governor Jeb Bush handled the Terri Schiavo matter. There is a clear pattern of the Bush Administration violating the rights of states and the rights of individuals.

It has become clear that when it comes to your death, President Bush does not want you to have the ability to consult a physician, who operating under state law, could prescribe you a substance (medical marijuana) that would give you a better quality of life in your final days, even though your state may allow it. Bush has also made it clear that you will not be allowed to die with dignity or to choose to end your life in accordance with state law and your own wishes. In other words, your life is not your own; it belongs to the government of the United States of America.

Thankfully, the current Supreme Court gave Bush a cold dose of reality today. It may not be much of a reality check, in light of everything going on, but to those who struggle with end-of-life issues in
Oregon, this decision by the Court was huge.

kencamp | January 17, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Supreme Court Upholds Oregon's Death with Dignity Law | TrackBack (35) Judiciary, Oregon, Policy Issues

Kitzhaber on the march

While the former Oregon governor has been much rumored to take on sitting Democrat governor Ted Kulongoski, John Kitzhaber is planning a ballot initiative that will turn upside down the health care system in Oregon. He may also still run for governor:

All Oregonians would receive at least basic health care coverage under a sweeping reform plan spearheaded by former Gov. John Kitzhaber, who says he may try for a ballot measure or run for his old seat again to help push his ideas.

In the most detailed description of his proposals yet, Kitzhaber told The Oregonian he wants the state to press the federal government for waivers on the use of billions of dollars from Medicare, Medicaid and employer tax breaks to pay for a radically revamped health care system.

He said he expects action by Oregon would provoke a national debate on the rapidly rising cost of health care, which is cutting deeply into state budgets, taking money away from schools, stifling business growth, and leaving millions of Americans without coverage and exposed to debilitating medical problems.

Beyond all the deep policy implications for Oregonians, this move begs a big question for me. Start with this almost give-away phrase from the Oregonian story: "he predicts the plan would become a key issue in the 2008 presidential race." Isn't the best way to make something a key issue in the 2008 presidential election by running in the 2008 presidential election?

Kitzhaber may not be gearing up for another run for Salem, he may have his sights set on DC.

More reading
Onward Oregon: Kitzhaber's plan and small biz
Blue Oregon: Kitzhaber on health care

Emmett O'Connell | January 12, 2006 | Comment on This Post (5 so far) Permalink: Kitzhaber on the march | TrackBack (28) Governors, Oregon, Policy Issues, Presidential Politics

Oregon Resolution on Guns

Over at BlueOregon.com, prominent rural Democrat Steve Bucknum has the story - the Democratic Party of Oregon has approved a resolution acknowledging the Second Amendment. It's another step in helping the Democrats develop a nuanced position on gun ownership - that respects hunters while reducing urban gun violence.

Speaking for myself, it was a great relief that this passed, as the perception of the Democratic Party being "anti-gun" is one of the most prevelent false beliefs stated by those that have left the Democratic Party to vote elsewhere.

Of course, it's generally lots of heat - as many progressives believe in a stronger gun-control position. Check it out.

What do you think?

Kari Chisholm | July 19, 2005 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) Permalink: Oregon Resolution on Guns | TrackBack (18) Oregon, Policy Issues, Urban/Rural Divide

Rural Democrats Caucus launching in Oregon

Like the nation, Oregon is rift with a blue/red urban/rural divide. And yet, there is growing interest in Democrats in the rural parts of the state - and Democrats are organizing in the red parts of the state.

Steve Bucknum, chair of the rural Crook County Democrats, has now called for a Rural Democrats Caucus for the Democratic Party of Oregon. They will organize in two weeks.

Key thoughts from Bucknum:

We need to speak to rural voters about rural issues; and we need to learn to be "politically correct" in terms of sensitivity to rural issues and rural people....

One of the first things to learn about rural Oregon is that it is very diverse, perhaps more so than the urban parts of Oregon....

The methodology of gaining more support in rural areas will need to be different than that used in urban areas. Urban methods of door-to-door work and telephone canvassing do not work well in rural Oregon, unless the canvasser is the actual candidate for office....

Read the rest.

Kari Chisholm | July 4, 2005 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Rural Democrats Caucus launching in Oregon | TrackBack (14) Oregon, Urban/Rural Divide

Environment vs. Jobs: Toward a Western Democrat approach?

Environmental protection is a tough issue for Western Democrats. On the one hand, we're Democrats - and we're for preserving the environment. On the other hand, for years rural voters have felt excluded from the conversation about conservation by urban folks who "just don't get it": it's about jobs and helping rural communities.

In Montana, Governor Brian Schweitzer has been a leader in helping us find a new way to talk about environmental protection. It's instead about protecting the environment for the sake of the people who live near it (as opposed to protecting it for city people who like to think of it theoretically or look at nice picture postcards.) It's about saving rural communities by protecting natural resource jobs. It's about hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation and tourism. Also, it's about a populist approach to natural resource extraction that emphasizes jobs, not corporate profits.

Of course, all this doesn't often sit well with more traditional environmentalists who see this sort of approach as a capitulation to industry and the gun lobby.

For a great example, dive in and check out the comment exchange on BlueOregon on a post entitled "Unsustainable levels of logging". (It relates to a 2004 ballot measure that would have set aside 50% of the Tillamook state forest for preservation.)

From Steve Bucknum, a leader of Oregon's rural Democrats:

In rural Oregon there is no issue more responsible for making the Democratic farmer, the union lumber mill worker, and the "common" person on the street turn from being a progressive Democratic into a rabid Republican than land/environmental issues. I attribute Geo. Bushes Presidency to the long term effects of the cancerous influence of the down side of environmentalism in rural areas.

Here is what is wrong: People got left out. For example, if "sustainable" forest management was framed in rural areas as "sustainable" jobs, then everyone would be for it. But, when we hear "sustainable" out here, we hear the double speak that means job loss. If keeping streams healthy and flowing were about sustaining cattle ranching and farming, everyone would be for it.

Environmentalism ... has painted itself into a corner of coming across with religious zeal in a manner that never mentions the people. If the people that live in rural areas were mentioned as often as salmon, we might start to feel cared for.

This is, of course, about framing. But it goes beyond that. A core Democratic/Progessive value has been left out of public pronouncents about environmentalism - human compassion.

Put human compassion into the environmental movement - in overt ways - and it might start to make progress, and we might elect more Democrats.

Tom Civiletti, a former candidate for state legislature in suburban Portland, argues that there may be no magic solution to the environment vs. jobs problem:

Although better communication and more inclusiveness can help sometimes, I think the problem is not totally avoidable. Unsustainable logging did provide many jobs at one time. Environmentalists called for forest preservation at the same time that the forests were about logged out and more mechanized mills were coming on line. There was no way that the number of jobs in the timber industry could be maintained. Sustainability means in longterm balance with nature.

The number of sustainable jobs cutting and milling timber is many less than what rape and pillage logging provided, at least as long as the trees held out. It's hard to think of losing your job as sustainability. The same goes for Klamath Basin farmers who want to see their subsidized water and subsidized electricity "sustained" even as their "way of life" further degrades the ecosystem.

The nation should help those displaced by environmental protection. All that would take is convincing Republicans to vote for environmental regulation and social spending. Of course, they would rather see rural folk suffer so they can use environmentalism as a wedge issue, something R's have done well.

Dive in and check it out.

Kari Chisholm | June 4, 2005 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) Permalink: Environment vs. Jobs: Toward a Western Democrat approach? | TrackBack (16) Oregon, Policy Issues, Urban/Rural Divide

Connecting across the urban/rural divide

Over at BlueOregon, Steve Bucknum - chair of the rural Crook County Democrats - is reminding folks that sometimes it's the little things that make rural folks roll their eyes at the urban folks.

His example? A state law - perpetrated by urban folks - that insists that people remove their studded tires by Friday. The problem? Today, it's 28 degrees out and still snowing in his corner of the state.

Part of our Western Democrat thesis is the notion that it's the little cultural things that make all the difference, like knowing that you don't wear a Carhartt work coat with a dress shirt, you don't make someone else carry your dead fowl, and you don't take the studded tires off in the middle of a snowstorm.

It'd be real good to heed the advice of rural Dems like Steve Bucknum.

Kari Chisholm | April 14, 2005 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Connecting across the urban/rural divide | TrackBack (22) Oregon, Urban/Rural Divide

Kulongoski on Western Democrats

Once again, Jonathan Singer over at Basie! lands an interview and breaks news.

For starters, Governor Ted Kulongoski was pretty unequivocal about running for president: "No and no."

Beyond that, he talked about his views on the Western Democrat concept:

...The Democratic Governor’s Association is now looking for a new Executive Director and I was interviewed as to what we need, and I said the first thing is that someone understands that in fact there’s another part of this country on the western side of the Mississippi. And the other is one that has as much as a Southern policy, a Western policy.

...This may be surprising to you – but I think California is more in play than probably the Republicans want, because they’re putting all of their horses in out there. I think the Democrats can win Colorado this time. You have Freudenthal in Wyoming. I think that there are a number of Western states that the Democrats can win. I don’t believe that a lot of these Western states are as red as everyone says they are. I think that in fact we’re going to turn them. I really believe that.

Good stuff, Basie.

Kari Chisholm | March 20, 2005 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Kulongoski on Western Democrats | TrackBack (14) Governors, National Leadership, Oregon

Three Western Dems from the three Wests

I just noticed something in the last few days and I've been pondering if it means anything. The three Western Dems that we've talked about the most being Presidential candidates in '08 or beyond are from the three very distinct political regions (as defined by MassInc).

Gov. Bill Richardson representing El Norte, in more way than one.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer from Sagebrush, and

Gov.Ted Kulongoski from the Upper Coast.

Does this mean anything? It might.

My first thought is that which ever perfect Western Dem candidate we choose might indicated what region we see as the defining Wesetern region. So, in turn, we see our candidate as the key to unlocking the Western door for Democrats.

Also, it could be simple bias. We prefer one region, delliberatly or not, over another and the Governor from that region just appeals to us. That said, my bias certainly isn't for the Southwest region, but I'm pulling for Richardson, probably because he's a great Western Dem, a great Dem and an unbelievably qualified candidate, outside of his region and party.

Emmett O'Connell | March 17, 2005 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) Permalink: Three Western Dems from the three Wests | TrackBack (24) Demographics, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Presidential Politics, Regionalism, The Big Strategy, Urban/Rural Divide

Ted for Prez? Kulongoski Responds

The Portland Tribune reported today on the discussion here at Western Democrat about Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski as a possible presidential contender in 2008.

When asked for comment, Kulongoski remarked...

"Kulongoski is easier to spell than Schwarzenegger."

A non-denial denial if I ever heard one.

[Disclaimer: I built TedForGov.com during the 2004 campaign. I am not currently working in any capacity for Ted Kulongoski - and know nothing of his plans.]

Kari Chisholm | February 15, 2005 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Ted for Prez? Kulongoski Responds | TrackBack (19) Governors, Oregon, Presidential Politics

Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski

Over at BlueOregon, I launched a heavily commented thread about the presidential prospects of Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski. Quite a number of folks around the net, including at DailyKos, have been included Teddy K on their short lists.

Check out the post and the comments - lots of good thoughts, pro and con.

[Disclaimer: I built TedForGov.com during the 2004 campaign. I am not currently working in any capacity for Ted Kulongoski - and know nothing of his plans.]

Kari Chisholm | February 9, 2005 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski | TrackBack (26) Governors, Oregon, Presidential Politics

Enronizing the BPA

One of the few things that unite politicians across Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho is defending the Bonneville Power Administration. And, now there is a fight brewing between our states' delegations and DC Republicans over privatizing the good old BPA.

The Bush Administration sees asking Northwest ratepayers to act like BPA is a private utility, not a public trust, as an easy way to get more money into the federal coffers. This is one of those "good government" fights that Western Democrats can pick up and used against "no government" Republicans.

Ironically, the utilities that depend on BPA power the most are small, rural public utilities. The only reason these utilities exist is that progressives in rural counties (at least in Washington) stood up and created them.

The Billings Gazette:

President George W. Bush's fiscal year 2006 budget, sent to Congress Monday, would, if enacted, be costly to rural Montanans because of provisions affecting wholesale power rates and farm subsidies.

"It would increase our rates 35 to 40 percent," said Terry Holzer, general manager of Yellowstone Valley Electric Cooperative, which gets electrical power from the Bonneville and Western Area power administrations. "It would double the price of our wholesale power at a minimum."

And, oh yes, as a final point of irony: Haven't private utilities treated the Northwest well so far?

Uh, no:

The Aug. 4, 2000, conversation between Enron trader Tim Belden and Rick Shapiro, an Enron executive, began with Belden chuckling as he noted that it was hot in California, "and they don't have enough power. And they kill fish in the Northwest so that people in California can go enjoy themselves at a baseball game."

Shapiro responded, "And then what are we doing? Are we exporting some of the 'fish-kill power' out of California?"

"We are exporting some power from California to the Southwest," said Belden, former head of trading in Enron's Portland office.

Emmett O'Connell | February 9, 2005 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) Permalink: Enronizing the BPA | TrackBack (15) Idaho, Local Government, Montana, Oregon, Policy Issues, Washington

Richardson is running

We've suspected as much, but today it seems to be official: Bill Richardson is running for President.

Richardson is one of several Democrats and Republicans mentioned in the report. The story didn't provide any details as to which party leaders Richardson talked to or when he allegedly told them.

Richardson spokesman Billy Sparks downplayed the story -- but he didn't deny it.

"As the governor has said many times before, he is focused on this legislative session, running for re-election and being chairman of the Democratic Governors Association," Sparks said. "After that, the governor has said, 'We'll see what happens.' "

Emmett O'Connell | February 8, 2005 | Comment on This Post (7 so far) Permalink: Richardson is running | TrackBack (23) Governors, Oregon, Presidential Politics

Dean sweeps the Oregon DNC delegation

As posted over at BlueOregon, it looks like the entire Oregon delegation has decided to swing to Howard Dean. The vice-chair of the DPO Meredith Wood Smith said in the announcement, "He’ll be a strong advocate for state parties and grassroots activism."

Kari Chisholm | February 1, 2005 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Dean sweeps the Oregon DNC delegation | TrackBack (19) DNC, Oregon

On "Democrats need to connect with heartland" by Nicholas D. Kristof

This guy isn't totally right, but he's on the right track. There are Dems in the West that are very "competitive in the heartland." We just need to listen to those guys.

"The Republicans are smarter," mused Oregon's governor, Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat. "They've created ... these social issues to get the public to stop looking at what's happening to them economically."

"What we once thought -- that people would vote in their economic self-interest -- is not true, and we Democrats haven't figured out how to deal with that."

Emmett O'Connell | November 4, 2004 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: On "Democrats need to connect with heartland" by Nicholas D. Kristof | TrackBack (16) Governors, Media Coverage, Oregon, Supporters