Eugene Weekly : Views : 10.14.04

Give Us 'West Wing'

Watching the debates? Following local politics? Pulling out your hair? Suffering from uncontrolled fits of crying, laughing and nervous diarrhea? Then you are among the educated and enlightened who know how critical this election is — not only on the cosmic level (the sun might not come up Nov. 3), but also down here on the ground where we walk around and try to make sense of the human condition.

We're bleary-eyed and giddy from wrestling with the endorsements in this issue. We don't claim great wisdom and insight, and we're biased as hell in favor of democracy, free speech, education, accountability and other radical concepts. So we urge you to also do your own research. Read the Voters' Pamphlet, study daily newspapers, check out the League of Women Voters election guide, attend City Club debates, listen to public radio, watch CTV, talk to friends and neighbors, get involved in campaigns, etc.

The biggest decisions in Eugene concern renewing the five-year local option levy to keep teachers on the job; and the $7 million for a crime victims' facility to be added to a new $29 million police station. We've twice voted down the fancy cop shop, but now it's back in a pretty package. A vote for needy crime victims will likely be used as a mandate for the police palace. Sneaky. Irritating.

At the county, the Don Hampton/Faye Stewart race is a big one. Will an environmental progressive or a pro-sprawl conservative carry the swing vote on the polarized Board of County Commissioners? The implications are huge for the future livability of Lane County.

The Oregon Senate is evenly divided going into this election. Republicans dominate the state House, but that could also change in November. Holvey, Barnhart, Ackerman and Ficek need our help. Some statewide measures on the ballot would have little impact on our daily lives, but Measure 37, if it passes (shudder), would in effect eliminate land use planning in Oregon. Picture Eugene sprawling away a la Las Vegas.

Nationally we expect DeFazio and Wyden to continue representing us in Congress. Wyden sometimes acts more like an R than a D, but he's better on the issues than Al King, so he gets our nod. The presidential race is anybody's guess. Pollsters are predicting another photo finish, but our country has changed over the past four years. We are more politically polarized, fewer of us are reading newspapers, more of us rely on talk shows and TV for our "news." Mainstream media conglomerations are flexing conservative political muscle. Grassroots organizations are breaking records registering new voters. All these things contribute to uncertainty in the presidential crap shoot. At this point, the outcome of the election will be determined not by undecided voters, but rather by which campaign inspires more people to get off their butts and vote.

We could grit our teeth and survive another four years of Bush's bumbling, embarrassing incompetence. The bigger problem is his administration. The White House thugs have to go. Fanatical hawks are driving our foreign policy in reckless directions and quashing our civil rights, polluters are in charge of dismantling our environmental protections as quickly as possible. All attempts to rein in greedy, corrupt corporations have been subverted. Thanks to Bush appointees and Congress, the drug companies, oil companies, insurance industry and government contractors are cashing in while the deficit soars and the poor get poorer. We are being driven to national bankruptcy in order to stuff corporate coffers.

We would support almost anyone running against Bush, but fortunately the Dems have come up with a candidate who has the ability to lead us in a whole new and more positive direction, both at home and abroad. John Kerry would put together an administration that makes sense. No more rats guarding the cheese. Kerry would give us a fresh start in world affairs. Kerry would give us a White House that looks more like "West Wing" and less like "Dynasty."

Half the people in our country who can vote don't vote, which means those of us who do vote are taking on even more responsibility and power. Our national election will be carefully watched in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, because what we do is felt around the world. Let's make some big ripples Tuesday, Nov. 2. Then we'll wash our faces, put on some fresh underwear and watch the sun come up Wednesday on a whole new world. — TJT

From the Bullpen

Chawin' and spittin' as politics goes to bat

BY TONY CORCORAN

Greetings, sports fans. I've just emerged from my catacomb in a Trappist monastery called the Employment Appeals Board, surrounded mostly by lawyers, all of whom are women, who use a lot of commas in their sentences. It's scary — I'm forced to read 300 pages of transcripts each week, and vote on 60 cases. And if I mess up, there are seven women lawyers to remind me I'm Irish and male. Ouch! So naturally, I've withdrawn to politics. Here's my picks:

Federal: Bush is a bubba/bimbo, Cheney and Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz are war criminals, A.G. Ashcroft is PATRIOTically killing civil rights. The whole package is friggin' scary. I've never been so embarrassed to be an American, seriously. Anyway, I'm for that guy, Kerry Edwards, he seems to be a nice combination of patrician and populist. Anybody but Bush wins!

Peter DeFazio has drawn an odd guy in the 4th Congressional, a former spook, Feldkamp, who only lasted five years in the FBI? Aren't those guys usually lifers? What's his story, and why hasn't the Oregon media even looked at this guy's history? Granted, Feldkamp's a patriot (so is DeFazio) but he's also a total Bush psychosycophant.

State: Ballot measures? I'm just saying NO to all of 'em. Measure 36 is especially scary. One woman, one man? Is this mandatory? What if I just want one woman, and not interested in the man part? And what about those poor guys over in Eastern Oregon? One man, one lamb?

Secretary of State Bill Bradbury will beat Betsy "Not Even" Close. Her biggest accomplishment in the Legislature was withholding unemployment benefits for 35,000 Oregonians after 9/11. Attorney General Hardy Myers will beat Connolly, Oregon's version of John Ashcroft. And State Treasurer Randall Edwards will beat his three opponents.

Hot legislative races include: Senate District 4. Floyd Prozanski, the appointed incumbent, will win. Norm Thomas, his Republican opponent, has been a real disappointment. When I first met Norm in 1998 — he finished third to Cedric Hayden and Cleve Dumdi in the Republican primary to run against me for the open Senate seat — he seemed fairly moderate. This time around, Norm was recruited by the right-wing of the Republican Senate. 75 percent of Norm's donations have come from one cowardly outfit, The Leadership Fund, which apparently is too embarrassed to admit that it is actually the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, and Norm is doing these nasty hit pieces on Floyd. Unfortunately for Norm, he picked fiscal responsibility as Floyd's flaw. But see, Floyd never left town owing 72 creditors $200,000 in Chapter 7 bankruptcy like Norm did. Nor did Floyd subsequently end up like Norm in the south Eugene hills in a fancy house with fancy cars while the creditors got bupkis. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Case #681-05353. Enough said.

Phil Barnhart has drawn a tough opponent this time in House District 11. Michael Spasaro sounds like a spooky dude. Who ever heard of the DEA demoting a narcotics agent … in Turkey? DeFazio and Barnhart both drew former federal agents with suspicious backgrounds. Manchurian candidates always make me nervous. Bob Ackerman has been working hard and will beat Gary Pierpoint in House District 13. Pierpoint is another one of those Republicans who yaks about education being important and then gets chewed up and spit out by the Republican right caucus. Speaking of which, Pat Farr is gone, and Bev Ficek has a tough race against Debi Farr in House District 14. Debi is much more conservative than Pat was. She says Speaker Karen Minnis is a role model, that means funding for K-12, higher education, services for kids and seniors would all be at risk. Bev is a class act.

Shirley Cairns is the Dems' sacrificial lamb in House District 7, but I admire her for throwing her hat in the ring. Paul Holvey, labor's new voice in the House, and a great guy, will beat Bill Young in District 8. In House 12, Terry Beyer — just like Lee — so good she didn't even draw an opponent!

County: I've signed on to the Don Hampton campaign because I think it's the most important county commissioner race in the state. I've known Don Hampton for years, as an Oakridge city councilor, mayor, and current county commissioner. I've never met his opponent, Faye Stewart, and I have nothing bad to say about him. He's never served in public office, so he doesn't have a record. Unfortunately, Faye's endorsed by Anna Morrison, a certified ideologue and a pawn of the developer class and Oregonians in Action. Given the choice, why wouldn't you chose a guy who's been there and has the experience, like Don Hampton?

And remember, sports fans, Vote early and vote often!

Turning Blue

An election Post-it note

BY DAN CAROL

Well, the debates are over — save for the spin.

Now the final dogfight for votes begins. So here are your 1-2-3 instructions to turn the map blue by Nov. 2. Please share widely.

Step #1. Strap on the right attitude. Forget the polls — we are going to win this election because our people are coming out to vote in droves. That's true no matter what happens. So, should George Bush produce Osama bin Laden in the next 18 days, just be happy. The guy is a murderer and we should all rejoice — even if the whole thing smells like a remake of Wag The Dog. But my X-file spider sense tells me that if THEY had Osama, those "they" guys would have produced him after Bush's first debate debacle. Therefore, forget about October Surprises and what THEY are doing. We win if we execute on steps 2 and 3.

Step #2. Make our votes count. Folks should be prepared to stand in line, all night if necessary, as a lot of county clerks may be overwhelmed by higher-than normal voter turnout. For paranormal activities like voter fraud, intimidation and funky touch-screen voting machines, do more than stand in line. Pick up the phone. Tell everyone you know, particularly your swing state buddies, that if they see something bad, or have trouble voting, don't give up but call (866) OUR-VOTE to get hooked into the national election protection hotline. Operators will be standing by.

Step #3. Get busy. Here are a few practical things that you can do:

Send money to JohnKerry.com or critical mobilization campaigns run by groups such as Floridiansforall.org, www.wi-citizenaction.org,and www.michcitizenaction.orgGo to BeatingBush.com to help support critical, on-the-ground work by state Democratic parties.

Volunteer on one of the three Saturdays left: Go to ElectionMatch.org for opportunities near you — or far away if you live in a very blue state and have the time to travel. Electionprotection2004.org is also looking for poll watchers.

House a volunteer in your spare bedroom. So if you'd like to host your own reality show called "Real World, The Election," contact the AmericaVotes.org affiliates in your state. You'll be glad you did.

Get dressed up on Halloween at TrickorVote.com

Make up your own voter guide and hand it out to friends and family. Check out www.busproject.org or www.indyvoter.orgfor good examples of how to develop and style your own "Three Minute Voter Guide." And don't forget about the League of Women Voters (www.lwv.org) — the League is still a great source for candidate voting records and the other "just the facts m'am" research you'll need to create a winning guide.

Convince any remaining Nader voters you know to be more strategic this time around, without wasting their vote or wasting away our country. Urge them to visit www.votepair.orgto learn about vote pairing.

Talk to you soon — after we've won.