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:

Trio of Senate candidates find lots to agree on

By Bob Albrecht
April 3, 2008

The tone was mostly cordial Wednesday night when three candidates for the U.S. Senate debated before about 100 students at the University of Oregon School of Law.

Willamette Week writes on March 27, 2008:

But Independent candidate John Frohnmayer has the support of Funk Shui—and all the other 675 members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 99 (a union that includes Storm Large.)

Bruce Fife, the local's president, says the decision to endorse Frohnmayer reflects musicians' distaste for typical party politics. "They're mad at the Democrats," Fife says. (Meanwhile, they didn't have an official chance to be mad at the Republicans, or, more specifically, one money-bags Republican; U.S. Senate Gordon Smith (R-Ore), whose seat is up for grabs, declined an interview with the local.)

John Henry Bourke, a guitarist with Funk Shui, said Frohnmayer's experience with the National Endowment for the Arts during the first Bush administration swayed him. "He has such a specific orientation to the arts," Bourke says. "He seemed most in tune with helping artists and musicians."

As noted on the John Frohnmayer Blog:

Members at a very well-attended membership meeting on Monday, March 17, voted overwhelmingly to endorse the candidacy of John Frohnmayer for US Senate. The endorsement came at the end of a long evening at which Frohnmayer, an Independent, and Democrats Steve Novick and Jeff Merkley each pitched the members for their support.

Daily Astorian Editorial, January 3, 2008:

John Frohnmayer is the most interesting politician in Oregon this campaign season. Running as an Independent candidate for U.S. senator, Frohnmayer has a simple strategy.

John Frohnmayer's senate candidacy might be a pipe dream. Or it might work.
In a three-way race, he reasons, a candidate will likely win with 35 percent of the vote.

A poll by Riley Research shows John Frohnmayer leading Jeff Merkley (D) in the race to unseat Gordon Smith (R) from the U.S. Senate in 2008. Merkley is the top recipient of funds nationally for the Democratic Senate Candidate Committee (DSCC). Frohnmayer is seeking the Independent Party nomination for the U.S. Senate seat from Oregon.

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.

A windmill worth tilting at

Independent candidate John Frohnmayer joins the race for the
U.S. Senate from Oregon
Friday, September 14, 2007

John Frohnmayer, former Republican and former Democrat, said this week that he wants to be U.S. senator from Oregon as an independent because partisanship has driven moderation and compromise from modern politics.

Former NEA chair may run for Senate
STEVE LAW
Statesman Journal