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Monday, December 28, 2009

Republican Bob Jenson gets award from left-wing Oregon Bus Project

We have already mentioned in the last few weeks that Republican Representative Bob Jenson has picked up a primary challenge from a fellow named Mike Mathisen.

Well now it looks like Rep. Jenson (pro-tax B0b) can brag about receiving the "Courage" award from the liberal group "Oregon Bus Project."

Bob Jenson and Greg Smith, for bucking their party when Oregon's future was on the line
That should go over well with his eastern Oregon constituents.

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Oregon House Dist. 51, John Swanson is in

Oregon House District 51 is the seat that was formerly held by Linda Flores and she barely lost it during the hiccup of 2008 to a young whipper-snapper named Brent Barton. Barton is now stepping up to try to win the coinciding senate seat so now HD51 is wide open again.

A fellow by the name of John Swanson is currently running for the HD51 seat.

I have met him a few times and one thing I do know about him is that he has the ability to organize. He used to be the chairman of the Oregon College Republicans and I was quite impressed with the direction that he took them. They seemed energized and active under his leadership.

He was also an Atkinson Republican during the Atkinson for Governor campaign a few years back and has been Sen. Atkinson's legislative assistant since 2005.

Here is his website and here is his Facebook page.

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The Union News - Week in Review

Here's a selection of videos from The Union News posts last week. For all the posts that day, click on the date.

December 25.

The Healthcare Jokers Holiday Celebration
Landmark deform fundamentally transforms U.S.



December 24.

We're all lamestreams now
Tax-funded social-justice fraud gets a free pass



December 23.

Moderate Dem rips SEIU-ism, jumps ship
Job-killing agenda defines corruption, unsustainability



December 22.

Listen more closely to a H8ful Progressive
Shame on U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)



December 21.

Metaphor for medicine under ObamaCare
Self-congratulation precedes destruction



December 20.

Subsidized HealthCare Explained
Collectivist propaganda exploded on YouTube



December 19.

AARP throws members under the bus
Jason Mattera takes on jumbo social justice fraud

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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Again, the Afghan occupation is lunacy

So this latest terror attempt was carried out by a man who was trained in Afghanistan.... Ooops... No he wasn't.

He was trained in of all places YEMEN. Wow I would have never thought of that.... Ooops... Yes I have mentioned it before as have other people with a lot more expertise.

The whole crazy idea for maintaining over a hundred thousand American troops on the ground in Afghanistan is to disrupt the training of Al Qaeda so that they don't attack America. The argument on the other side (my side) of the Afg is that we have already severely disrupted AQ in Afg and there are other areas much worse in training terrorists.

One of those places is Yemen and the Christmas Day terror attempt is further proof.

It is time for Republican Congressional Candidates to wake up, smell the lunacy, and start calling for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.

On a slightly different subject, I have to ask, is this the second terrorist attack since Barack Obama was elected president? The first was the Ft. Hood massacre and now this one?

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Rep. Bob Jenson is getting whacked again

I mentioned the other day that this guy Mike Mathisen seems to be making a pretty strong push to oust the tax increasing Republican Bob Jenson. Right out of the gate Mathisen seems to be gaining the initiative.

State Representative Bob Jenson Voted for More than just Income and Corporate Tax Increases

Local Challenger Cites Jenson’s Votes on Gas Tax, Title and Registration Fee Increases Among Others

(Hermiston, OR) – Candidate for State Representative in House District 58 Mike Mathisen wants to set the record straight when it comes to Representative Bob Jenson’s position on Measures 66 and 67.

“Representative Jenson took a stance on these job-killing tax measures when he voted for them along with House Democrats last session,” said Mathisen. “Despite having a 9% increase in the budget last session, Rep. Jenson saw fit to raise our taxes another $733 million. This vote was not about providing services for the citizens of Oregon; this vote was about out-of-control spending by Rep. Jenson and the House Democrats.”

Mathisen points out that Jenson also voted for HB 2001,a bill that included a gas tax on Oregonians and several fee increases, including car and truck title and registration fees, as well.

“Rep. Jenson has consistently voted to increase taxes and fees on Oregonians and at a time when families and individuals are suffering, higher taxes is not the right solution,” stated Mathisen. “As to Rep. Jenson’s ‘good position” to work on important things, he’s had 14 years to work on important issues and yet, our county and communities are still suffering,” stated Mathisen. Jenson recently stated in an East Oregonian article that “There are some important things to work on there and I think I’m in a good position to work on those.”

Mathisen cites the Oregon Progress Report and its findings that Umatilla County, since 1998, has actually seen a decline in job growth, per capita income and an increase in unemployment and behavioral crimes. Umatilla County ranks near the bottom in several important categories including net job growth, per capita income, eighth grade reading proficiency and overall crime.

“Rep. Jenson has had 14 years to improve the lives of his constituents without much success,” said Mathisen. “It is time for someone else to take over and be a strong leader for Eastern Oregon and this district.”

Mathisen can be reached at 503-999-2220 for more information.
###

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Friday, December 25, 2009

Wes Lematta: R.I.P.


I had tuned out the news early yesterday and did not check back in until just now only to learn that Wes Lematta, (the founder of Columbia Helicopters) passed away yesterday.

What a sad day. He was a truly wonderful man and a true self made man. Though he was a person of wealth you would never know it by talking to him. He would treat every person he ever met with the utmost in sincerity. No matter what the social situation was, it was always my experience that if I had ever approached him to talk about something he would put everything aside and listen intently, always smiling with a very eager smile that was beaming and full of life and expectation.

Though I did not know him as well as many through many personal situations, most of the time that I talked to him it was about politics and political philosophy. He always believed that America was the best place on earth to make something out of yourself and his life was proof of that.

From The Oregonian:

Wes Lematta, who started Columbia Helicopters in 1957 with a small helicopter and built the Aurora-based company into a world leader of commercial heavy-lift operations, died today. He was 82.

When he started Columbia Helicopters, Lematta sold helicopter rides at county fairs and from corner lots on weekends. Within six months after starting the company, Lematta rescued 17 sailors from a sinking dredge in Coos Bay.

The company, which Lematta ran with his brothers Ed, Bill and Jim, grossed $20,000 its first year. By the mid-1990s, it grossed $100 million.

Today, Columbia Helicopters employs more than 600 people worldwide. It is involved in logging, petroleum exploration, firefighting, and construction of cell phone towers and ski lift towers across the United States and in South America and the South Pacific...

Lematta helped develop the helicopter logging industry. He perfected a method called direct visual operational control, recognizing that he was better able to complete a project if he could look down at a load instead of relying on radio contact with the ground.

His technology enables a pilot to lean out the cockpit window and "fly" a hook at the end of a 200-foot cable suspended from the helicopter's belly. It continues to be used throughout the heavy-lift helicopter industry.

Lematta grew up in Clark County, the son of second-generation Finns. He attended school there but never went beyond eighth grade.
They just don't make many like him anymore.

Like a punch in the gut on Christmas Day.

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Merry Christmas!

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Oregonian Caught Deceiving the Voters on the Tax Increases!!!

If there was ever any question in your mind that The Oregonian was biased, leftist paper controlled by the tax-and-spend elitists in Oregon, then what you are about to read here should put the question to bed once and for all.

What happened yesterday on The O's website is about as unethical as I can imagine. I can't believe what The O did has any modicum of journalistic ethics. This should be a HUGE scandal in this town, but of course the MSM won't touch this with a 10-foot pole, otherwise the public employee unions will come after them as well.

First, here is an article that appeared on Jeff Mapes' blog (thank you Google cache):

The campaign in favor of the tax measures on the Jan. 26 ballot has just reported some major contributions from their union supporters as they catch up to their business opponents.

The campaign opposing the tax measures is also continuing to haul in big money from several of the state's major business interests. We're now getting a much better picture of spending because the campaigns are now required to report each transaction every seven days instead of 30 days.

So we got a slug of new spending reports overnight. The most eye-catching ones were from the unions to the Vote Yes for Oregon campaign. Perhaps most important was the $250,000 given by the national leadership of Service Employees International Union. That's the first real significant money coming from out-of-state, although it should be noted that SEIU Local 503 is the largest union representing state workers in Oregon. Local 503 recently gave another $210,000 (bringing its aggregate contributions to nearly $493,000).

Other big contributors to the pro-tax campaign:

--Oregon Education Association, $500,000 ($827,000 aggregate for campaign).

--American Federation of Teachers, Oregon chapter, $200,000

--Oregon Health Care Association, $75,000 (101,000 for campaign). The association represents nursing homes and assisted care centers, which rely heavily on state and federal health care spending.

Additionally, the Salem Statesman-Journal reported this weekend that the national headquarters of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has pledged $500,000 to the pro-tax campaign. Oregon AFSCME has already given $250,000 and pledges another $250,000, according to the story.

On the opposition side, Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes reports these large new contributions:
--Associated General Contractors, $24,500 ($214,000 for campaign). Plus, an associated committee, Building a Better Oregon, gave $27,000 (totalling $52,500 for the campaign).
--Oregon Bankers Association, $25,000 ($125,000 for campaign).
--Oregon Restaurant Association, $25,000 ($115,000 for campaign).
--Associated Oregon Industries, $17,000 ($223,000 for campaign).

The National Association of Realtors kicked in $6,500 and the Oregon Association of Realtors gave $50,000. Also of interest: the Oregon Business Council, which normally stays out of political campaigns, has spent just over $16,000 on research help for the opposition campaign.

All told, Vote Yes has raised $2.37 million while the opposition campaign has raised $3.1 million. But those numbers aren't comparable since Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes spent around $700,000 or so collecting the signatures to place the tax measures on the ballot.

And the opposition campaign says it is being outspent on the air when it comes to advertising.

Mapes' article was published at 9:35 am yesterday. His article is critical of the massive amounts of out-of-state money coming into Oregon for the "Yes" committees (parenthetically, isn't it ironic that when out-of-state money comes in to support conservative ballot measures the left is up in arms, but now, the moonbats at BO are just fine with out of state money coming in to support these tax increases. Just further evidence of their hypocrisy....).

Less than 12 hours later, Mapes' article is taken down from The O's website and replaced with this campaign piece...er...uh...article from Bent Walth. Notice the decidedly more favorable tone Walth gives to the out-of-state contributors as opposed to Mapes:

Public employee unions and business groups battling over two state tax increases on the January ballot have each raised about $2.3 million to wage their campaigns, new election finance records show.

The union-backed campaign to pass the measures has been raising money faster in recent weeks and still has nearly $1 million in cash. The corporate-financed opposition has only a fraction of that amount on hand as both sides continue their blitz of dueling commercials.

The numbers show that public employee unions, which once were routinely outspent by corporations and business groups, have found ways to even up the money game.

They also underscore the intensity of the fight over the tax increases, passed by Democratic majorities in the House and Senate elected in 2008 with big support from the unions.

"We've expected to be outspent, and we are being outspent currently," said Pat McCormick, spokesman for Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes, the group opposing the tax measures. "Public employee unions are clearly the most dominant, not just in Oregon politics but increasingly everywhere."

Scott Moore, spokesman for Vote Yes for Oregon, the lead group backing the measures, said he expects the campaign to draw national attention, which could bring in more out-of-state money.

"The immediate campaign is about protecting Oregon's critical services," Moore said. "But it's not just an Oregon fight. It's the first real effort by a state in this recession to come up with a progressive tax plan."

Measures 66 and 67 would raise $727 million over the next two years to prevent possible cuts to schools, social services and public safety, including prisons.

Business groups say the taxes strike too hard during a recession when tens of thousands are out of work.

Backers say the measures start to restore balance in an Oregon tax system that has shifted an increasing burden to individuals.

Measure 66 would raise personal income tax rates on taxable income above $250,000 for households and $125,000 for individual filers. The higher tax rate would move from 9 percent to 10.8 percent. The tax increase would affect about 3 percent of Oregonians, according to a state analysis.

Measure 67 would raise the $10 corporate minimum tax to $150 for most businesses, or about 0.1 percent of total Oregon revenues. The measure also would raise corporate tax rates on profits beyond $500,000 in Oregon revenues from 6.6 percent to 7.9 percent. After four years, those rates would return to their current levels for companies with profits of less than $10 million a year.

As of Dec. 15, the biggest donations in support of the measures have come from the Oregon Education Association ($827,000), and local and national organizations of Service Employees International Union, which represent state employees and health care workers ($742,826 combined).

Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes shows that it has raised $3.1 million. About $800,000 was spent to pay for signature gatherers and force a statewide vote on the Legislature's tax increases.

The top giver to the opposition group is the Oregon Local Grocery Committee, which has donated $226,544. The group has received major contributions from the Northwest Grocery Association and from retailers such as Fred Meyer, Safeway and WinCo.

Associated Oregon Industries has donated $223,000 through its political action committee, which has received contributions of $25,000 each from Hoffman Corp., Siltronic and ESCO.

The campaigns won't reveal what their polls show, but both sides say the fate of the measures is still up for grabs.

Oregon voters have not approved a tax increase on the ballot in nearly 40 years.

In 2007, lawmakers asked voters to approve an 85-cent increase in new cigarette taxes over two years to expand health insurance for children. Polls showed the measure passing before the tobacco industry spent about $12 million to defeat it. Voters ended up crushing the measure.
Caught red-handed.

Clearly, the unions did not like what Mapes had written and they called their boys at The O and told them to take down Mapes' article "or else". I am not sure what the "or else" might have been (perhaps finally unionizing The O's employees? just a guess), but The O's editors did what their Public Employee Union Masters told them to do and took down Mapes' more critical article and replaced it with Walth's pansy piece.

In particular, notice that Mapes' expose on all the out-of-state money is absent from Walth's article. The left (and The Oregonians' editorial board) is always - ALWAYS - criticizing conservatives for relying upon out of state money in order to pass ballot measures. Now, when the left gets caught relying on that horrible out of state money, The Oregonian participates in an effort to deceive the public and cover this up.

This just goes to show that the left knows they can't win this election fair and square. Instead, the left has tried every trick in the book (even making some new tricks up), to wit:

  1. Remember the "Yes is No and No is Yes" attempt to deceive the voters?
  2. They drafted a ballot title that is nothing more than a campaign piece for the Yes campaign
  3. Now The Oregonian (a strong supporter of these tax increases) is covering up information in yet another attempt to deceive the voters.

The funny thing about all of this, though. The left is STILL going to lose in January.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Big Dog in the Northwest


Guess who Jeff Mapes says is the big dog in the Northwest?

Heh.

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I don't think you will hear a Christmas address like this from Barry

President Reagan was the best. This is a fantastic speech. There is no question the current president could never give a speech like this. His ACLU buddies would never let him EVER utter the words "God", let alone tell the story of the birth of Jesus on national television!

Notice, as well, that Reagan refers to the tree as the National Christmas Tree. This year, Barry and Michelle are calling it the National Holiday Tree.

What an embarrassment Barry is becoming to this nation.



Merry Christmas everyone. May the blessings of Jesus Christ be with you this season.

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Democratics Do XMas

Plague of corrupt, political fraud defines Year of the Hoax


(from NetRightNation)


(from NetRightNation)

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Developing Hard: WA State AG challenging the Constitutionality of Harry Reid's Health Care Bill

There are now at least seven state Attorney's General who are challenging the Constitutionality of the way Democrat Sen. Harry Reid bought votes for his Health Care bill. Specifically they are looking at the "Nebraska Compromise." Joining that list is Washington State's Attorney General Rob McKenna, his statement here.

From the Associated Press:

"The Nebraska compromise, which permanently exempts Nebraska from paying Medicaid costs that Texas and all other 49 states must pay, may violate the United States Constitution — as well as other provisions of federal law," Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said...

"The arrangement that requires Washington state taxpayers, and those around the country, to permanently pay Nebraska's additional Medicaid costs carries a price tag of untold millions," said Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna,
And from the Washington Examiner this:
My colleague David Freddoso wonders what might happen if the governors of states bordering Nebraska - Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Iowa, and Missouri - announce that they are no longer funding their Medicaid programs and encourage those needing Medicaid services to visit the Cornhusker state.
Indeed.

This development could end up having ramifications in the Oregon gubernatorial race where the question could be asked of the various candidates, "would you instruct Oregon's Attorney General to defend Oregon taxpayers and join in this legal challenge?"

It could be pretty ticklish question for former Governor John Kitzhaber who is running as an expert on the health care issue.

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Chris Dudley wants to be governor but does not like to vote

Well OK so I may, just may be overstating things by saying he "doesn't like to vote." However, when you miss seven out of the last thirteen elections then that is a bit of a problem... For someone running for governor in their first attempt at electoral politics.

Jeff Mapes has the story
today that Chris Dudley, though packed with cash (and a high powered political consultant in Dan Lavey), has missed voting in over half of the last 13 elections. Ouchie.

I never usually make a big deal about things like that when campaigns start lobbing the "voting" charge. But that is because it is usually about missing an election here and there. That happens and I understand it.

But 7 out of 13? Are you kidding me? And he is blaming his NBA playing career for missing the votes? Puhlease, Jeff Mapes dug and found out that Dudley's reasons are bogus.

Chris, I spent four years in the US Army, was young and dumb and stationed all over the world. Yes I missed some local elections in that time period, but still found a way to vote in several elections at the time. And your excuse that as a grown man with a multi-million dollar job, you could not find a way to vote in over HALF of the last elections?

You can't blame that on not having the resources to stay up on the elections. You cannot blame that on youthful apathy. You cannot blame that on anything except just plain not being concerned enough to get involved. And now you want Oregon Republicans to send you to Salem?

And it looks like Dudley cannot even blame his "busy" NBA career for not voting:

The seven elections he missed came since he retired and began living full-time in Lake Oswego. They include the last gubernatorial primary in 2006, as well as a statewide election on a proposed income-tax surcharge in 2004. He also missed the statewide primary election in 2004 and the 2007 statewide special election on ballot measures to raise tobacco taxes and to tighten a property rights law. He also did not vote in three local elections.
I mean are you freaking kidding me?! You are RETIRED and you still can't find time to vote?

What's that sound I hear? I think it is the sound of a "bricked" free throw attempt. *CLANK*

Not quite the "biggest brick" in history. But the first in this campaign. BTW, here is the "biggest brick" in history. Chris Dudley better pay attention.


UPDATE: Brad Cain (Associated Press) also had the story it seems. Although Cain's story seems to take in Dudley's spin a bit more (that the reason he did not vote was because of his NBA career. Something Mapes found out was hogwash). However the takeaway quote from Cain's story is this:
State GOP Chairman Bob Tiernan said Tuesday he didn't think Dudley's disclosure would harm his campaign for governor.

"When you're on the road, when you've got a lot going on, it is extremely difficult to vote," Tiernan said. "It doesn't change my opinion of him. I think Republicans are extremely fortunate to have him in the race."
Uh Bob? Yes it does make a difference. Tell that to the hundreds of thousands of men and women serving our country.

UPDATE UPDATE: Kari Chisholm over at the BlueOregonner blog continues his misguided missives by stating that the GOP is "coalescing" behind Chris Dudley. Hey Kari? I doubt you are talking to many in GOP circles. I know the folks that I have been talking to are not only NOT coalescing behind Dudley but that they are completely nonplussed with his candidacy.

We understand that you hate everyone who is a Republican. That is a given. However please don't try to pretend that you actually know what is going on in GOP circles. It only makes you look all the more silly.

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Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Corruption) Jokerized

Fundamental transformation of U.S. saves-creates ridicule of destructive politicians

(from michellemalkin.com)
U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)


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