Frohnmayer adds new dimension to U.S. Senate candidate forum

Posted by Harry Esteve
April 30, 2008

It wasn't much of a crowd at today's U.S. Senate candidate forum, but those who attended got a glimpse of the future of the race -- the third-party bid by John Frohnmayer.

Steve Novick is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Oregon who has so far won every poll over his opponents in the Democratic primary. In the most recent poll, SurveyUSA found Novick beating the candidate funded by the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Jeff Merkley, by 23 to 11 percent, with 12 percent captured by previously-unknown peace activist Candy Neville and 40 percent undecided.

Novick is apparently not very impressed by his Democratic colleagues. The Oregonian article below does not really capture the content of Novick's comments. Here is a verbatim transcript of the Willamette Week joint interview of the 4 candidates for the Democratic nomination:

Minor parties, nonaffiliated voters to play larger role in future elections nonaffiliated and minor party voters may determine who wins in Oregon

By Mark Brown
March 28, 2008

Although Oregon’s political leanings haven’t made a major shift in the past four years, a small gust of party-affiliation change has blown across the state.

A decline in the overall percentage of voters registered as Republicans in the state over a four-year span has been nearly equaled by an increase in the percentage of Oregonians registered as nonaffiliated and minor party voters.

Lawsuit Sparks Petition Signature Reform Bill

Oregon Public Broadcasting
By Chris Lehman
Salem, OR February 8, 2008 8:38 a.m.

Some people are calling for reform after a recent federal lawsuit over the way Oregon verifies signatures on initiative petitions. Salem correspondent Chris Lehman has more.

Opponents of a gay rights bill sued in federal court saying signatures on a petition to overturn the law were improperly rejected.

The judge threw out the suit but said it raised significant questions about Oregon’s citizen initiative process.

The Oregonian January 22, 2008

Americans may have become increasingly disillusioned with politics, but one new political party in Oregon is growing at a brisk pace.

The Oregon Independent Party reported this week that it now has more than 10,000 registered voters. That's a drop in the bucket compared to the state's 753,212 registered Democrats and 684,285 registered Republicans, but still an impressive accomplishment for an organization that was first certified as a minor political party in January, 2007.

Nation crumbles as senators play games America can’t survive alternate self-destructive cycles of D’s and R’s

Daily Astorian Editorial
Thursday, December 13, 2007

What's wrong with this picture? Across a broad spectrum, America is in crisis. In response, congressional leaders play a game of chicken in order to position themselves for the 2008 election.

When the Senate convened Wednesday, Majority Leader Harry Reid read from a list of some 100 bills that are held up by single Republican holds. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell responded by citing a Gallup Poll which reveals the low esteem of the Democratic-led Congress, because of its meager product.

Independent Party of Oregon Founder, Linda Williams sat down with Colin Fogarty to discuss the Independent Party -- why it was created, what are its goals, etc.

Click here to losten to the podcast on OPB

"We're trying to get away from that, give people the opportunity and the breathing space to say, what issues can we come together on?  And once we have candidates, we're hoping that voters at large will look at these folks and respect the fact that they're coming to the process in a way that brings important sunshine into what's become kind of gladiator events."

Former NEA chair may run for Senate
STEVE LAW
Statesman Journal