Conceeding Defeat

Sad but true: Steve Novick was defeated by Jeff Merkley in the Oregon Democratic Primaries last night. Steve had fought the underdog battle but came could not overcome the odds. The only politician I ever campaigned for is no longer running but I do hope that Gordon Smith can still be unseated.
Here is what I hope for in the coming battle to snag the seat in the Senate:
1. Jeff Merkley BEATS Gordon Smith
2. Jeff Merkley uses the same negative campaign tactics on Gordo as he did on Steve.
3. Jeff Merkley does not sing "Kumbaya" with Republicans if he does win.
4. Jeff Merkley repairs rifts amongst Democrats immediately.
5. Jeff Merkley learns how to land a punch in a debate rather than giving the politically safe answers.
To Steve: Let me say thanks for helping me believe in someone rather than just something. I do not trust politicians and they constantly prove that my lack of faith in them is warranted. Instead, I usually focus on issues of policy or broader ideology. You were endearing, approachable, down to earth, and one of "us" however. You were the rare candidate that did not thirst for power but instead saw your run as a matter of responsibility. You were not the well-groomed career politician but your ideas had broad appeal. I don't know what your future plans are but I wish you the best and hope to see you continue standing up for the little guy. Thank you Steve. You made this Oregonian proud.








Onto Obama...
He now has the majority locked up for pledged delegates. The race will none the less continue and, as much as I am sick of it, I think it should. Why stop now right?

So Long Suckas!

So all three presidential hopefuls are coming to town. Truth is, two out of three are already here. My response? I'm getting on a plane and high tailing out of here!
No, it isn't so that I can escape the hype, the motorcades, or the political ads. Really, I'd like to stay and help the Novick campaign. But alas, I'm going on vacation (in part thanks to my mother-in-law). I got a house sitter and I'm tying up the loose ends at work. If anyone wonders where I've gone, here are some pics but there will be no more blogging for at least the next 9 days.
Peace out everyone (that is aimed at the three people who actually visit this site!)

Ding Dong

Well, the witch is almost dead, though apparently she has yet to get the memo. Last night she scraped by in Indiana but got completely trounced in NC. Although many pundits framed this as a split between the two the delegate count reveals a little different story. Last night almost nullified Clinton's Pennsylvania victory. If you put the three states together Hillary's net gain in delgates was a mere 7 and with the finish line within sight it would take a miracle (or something tragic) for her to overtake Barack. Even if she were able to get 60% of all the remaining primaries and 60% of the remaining super delegates she would still loose. So although she may still fight on it may very well be the fat woman singing her theme song.
That said, if you are in one of the the last few states get out there and vote Obama!

Indiana & North Carolina

Indiana and North Carolina:
Democrats, please, for the love of your country and your party, do the right thing and shut the door on the Clinton campaign!
She can't win. She has transparent tactics designed for dummies (Gas Tax Holiday anyone?). She is willing to tear the party apart for her own ambitions. She caters to corporate America. She doesn't inspire (save for the rabid anti-Hillary crowd). She doesn't provide a stark contrast with her buddy McCain. Oh, and did I mention she can't win?
To Indiana Voters: Back Barack because if he is good enough for Illinois, he's good enough for you.
To North Carolina Voters: Since John is gone, go Obama. He may not be a southerner but he does seem to be a gentleman.
Come on Dems! Make my state obsolete on the national stage.

And now back to Oregon politics...

Come out for a good time with Gov. John Kitzhaber

Wednesday, May 07 2008
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Join Governor Kitzhaber and over 30 movers and shakers for a reception at the Northstar Ballroom in Portland. The event is free and open to all ages. The evening promises to be filled with good times, good people, and good food with music by Brooklyn Street Jazz, highlighting vocalist Ashley Henry, and Lebanese appetizers from Al-Amir provided by Donya Massaad.

The Northstar Ballroom
635 N. Killingsworth Ct.
Portland, OR 97217

directions for public transit
directions for driving

Another Shameless Novick Plug

I have much work to do so I'm not going to write much. Although I have provided a link to the Oregonian article about Steve here is much of the text. Enjoy (and vote Novick!)

Novick no stranger to beating long odds

The political insider, a onetime Justice Department star, transforms himself into a credible U.S. Senate candidate

Friday, May 02, 2008

JEFF MAPES

The Oregonian

By his early 20s, Novick had overcome so much in the eyes of those around him that they had trouble believing that he could fall prey to the normal doubts and uncertainties of life. Literally from the time he was born -- when his mother says a doctor saw his deformed feet and tried to strangle him in the birth canal -- he had been overcoming a deck stacked against him, often in spectacular fashion.

Now, at 45, Novick continues to challenge the odds. He has turned himself from a political insider virtually unknown to the general public into a credible first-time candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, one who just might beat the pick of the party's establishment, House Speaker Jeff Merkley, to face Republican incumbent Gordon Smith.

Unconventional childhood

Novick's upbringing was far from conventional. His mother was forced to drop out of college when she became pregnant with him at 18. She briefly married his biological father, but the marriage soon ended. Rebecca Novick Harmon says she later learned that her doctor had tried to prevent her son's birth, and she described a series of challenges in his early years.

[ ... ]

His mother taught at a Head Start center in San Francisco, and her son was the only white kid in the class. Within a couple of weeks, by sheer force of personality, he had turned bullies into friends. Whether it was hanging laundry or playing pickup softball, he always wanted to be part of the action.

"I just sort of did what I could do," Steve Novick says. "It's not like I remember that I had all these obstacles to overcome."

Superfund expert

Novick, whom colleagues called the "king of costs," became one of the lead government attorneys in legal action stemming from the notorious Love Canal chemical pollution disaster in New York state.

By the fall of 1995, Novick and other Justice Department attorneys were locked in intense negotiations with the Occidental Chemical Corp. over how much the company would pay.

Steve Yablonski, Occidental's lead attorney in the final negotiations, described Novick as one of the few people who could have successfully reached a deal that called for the company to pay $129 million in damages. "He is just several notches above most people," Yablonski says. "He is a really bright guy, and yet he is not an egghead who can't function with most people."

Back in Oregon

As the caucus administrator for Oregon Senate Democrats in 1997, Novick always looked for a catchy issue to tweak the Republicans then in the majority.

"He would whisper something in my ear about the corporate tax rate or the kicker," recalls Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard, then a state senator, "and before you know it he and I would sitting down and I would be writing out some remarks that I would take to the floor and would just outrage the Republicans. . . . I essentially became a mouthpiece for Steve."

Money not a priority

Novick rarely made as much as he had as a lawyer at the Justice Department, but that didn't seem to bother him. His girlfriend, Julia Bunnell, an Environmental Protection Agency official in Washington, explains: "There is so much going on in his mind all the time, he's always reading, learning and talking and getting information, I'm not sure he has the time to think about" acquiring things.

Read the entire story at OregonLive.com

More on Novick

Here in Oregon we have had an intense battle to see which Democrat will face Gordon Smith this fall in the general election for U.S. Senate. When the race first began, Steve Novick, who is not a politician, tried to convince numerous party leaders to run against Gordo. No one stepped to the plate so Steve did himself. At first, many thought his chances were slim and his attempt quaint. After two months of trying to drum up support another Democrat, Jeff Merkley, threw his hat into the ring. This he did after national Democrats in D.C. convinced him to run.
Fast forward one year to present: Novick leads in the polls, he has run a great, grass-roots campaign, and nobody thinks of his candidacy as a joke anymore. He has recently been endorsed by the major papers here in Portland: the Oregonian, the Willamette Week, the Portland Mercury, and the Portland Tribune. Steve has raised almost as much money as Merkley without a such "outside" help.
If you are an Oregonian who is sick of politics as usual, who wants a real progressive representative willing to fight for the people rather than find common ground with those who seek to reduce people's rights click here for a good party, click here to donate (or here to buy some beer), and click here to get involved with the Novick campaign.

Just Some Pictures

I am not feeling very inspired. I am working a new job, I am just about done with the cold and grey in Portland, and John Edwards is still out of the presidential race. Of course, I am a Barack fan but the big negatives of electability (i.e. black, inexperience, takes corporate money, has a Muslim name) would not be an issue for John. Clinton's issues would also not be issues for him (i.e. woman, insider, takes corporate money, has the Clinton name). Alas, the battle of the Dems continue on....

Anyways in light of that, here are some of my pics from around Oregon:

Mt. Hood from Powell Butte


Winter Light


Sturgeon Lake, Sauvie Island


Seaside at Night


Me

Hildebeast, Earth Day, and Pulling the Plug

Clinton's win in Pa. leaves Obama battered, party reeling
As Dems stumble toward summer, GOP cries for more
Oh for the love of God?!! The Hildebeast lives to fight another day... and tear the party apart while squandering an opportunity to take the country in a different direction. NOOOOOO!!!! So here is the going theory in my office: Hillary's continued presence keeps the party divided. This then leads to McCain winning in '08. Then, after 4 more miserable years of economic hardship, continuous war (and possibly another war with Iran), and complete inaction on climate change Clinton will come in on her white steed and gallop into the White House. Personal ambition trumps all.

No Dah: Smog contributes to premature death
Yes, let's do more studies that show what is blatantly obvious. Do we really need conformation that smog is BAD? The Bushies say they do but the rest of us hacking asthmatics think otherwise.

Scientists study Arctic haze
Bush climate plan said too little, too late
Jet stream moving north
March the warmest on record over world's land surfaces
More good news about the melting ice caps. Another happy Earth Day to you! But on the plus side: US hybrid sales up 38 percent

Help Stop "Greenwashing"
Any of you tired of the world's worst polluter trying to claim that they are going "green"? I am. Commercials to dumb you down in some sort of capitalism double speak: Shell and its healthy reef ecosystem. Chevy and its eco-friendly SUV. Exxon and its search for renewable energy. The list goes on. But now there is a new phrase coined presumably by my friends at Greenpeace: Greenwashing.

Earth Day Beyond Bush
Maybe things will be better in the future. Maybe...Pull The Plug
Sick of politics as usual? Registered as a Democrat in Oregon? Then Vote for Steve Novick.

Letter to Wet-noodle Democrats

Dear wet-noodle Democrats considering more funds for the war,
Please refrain from signing off on continued funding for the war in Iraq (again). To vote for more money for this war would be selling out your constituents, your party, and your country (again). And no, your add-ons to the bill will not off-set the inherent "wrong-ness" of the bill itself.
Please remember that the Democratic Party's '06 victory was due to the anti-war, anti-Bush sentiment. "We the People" wanted our elected officials to stop the madness, to stop the tyranny. The Democrats have long decried Bush's insanity yet the elected party officials like yourselves have continued supporting it. I hope this does not cost the Dems in '08.
To all you Democrats not willing to stand up against the hawks and their minions, please stop squandering the blue momentum. Our country needs the war to end, needs to spend money on fixing our own issues, and needs to step it up on the issue of global climate change. We do not need to continue an unjust, illegal, and incredibly costly war which ultimately is being fought to secure a natural resource whose use is quickly killing our world.
END THE WAR NOW BY STOPPING ITS FUNDING. STAND UP FOR YOUR PROCLAIMED PRINCIPLES, STAND UP FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS, AND STAND UP FOR YOUR COUNTRY.
Sincerely,
one of "the People"

Random Thoughts

ABC and the Debate
I'm glad to see that I am not the only one who thought that the recent Democratic debate was absolutely vile. I guess with a former senior Clinton advisor as one of the moderators who used a question from Sean Hannity no one should be too terribly surprised. And on the plus side, at least Hillary can no longer cry about the unfair media bias against her. The final bit of silver lining would be that the corporate media reveal led themselves to be true hacks more concerned about ratings than about objective reporting. I actually felt a little bad for Barack up there fielding question after question, none of which were very substantive. But again there is a plus side: His point about "petty" politics was on full display. And even better for the guy who should get the nomination is that Hillary could not keep that smugly satisfied look off her face anymore than she could keep that haughtily disgusted look off her daughters face whenever Obama spoke. No, if Stephanopoulos and the guys at ABC wanted to help get Hill to the White House than their plan miserably failed. Can you say "backlash"?

Novick and the "Other" Debate
Oregon's own debate was 100 times better. The moderators seemed to have no bias, they asked thoughtful questions regarding relevant issues, and everyone got their fair share of coverage. My general reaction to the three candidates' performances was:
1. Jeff Merkley- Cookie cutter politician giving "safe" answers. Although I largely agree with him on many issues his approach to a campaign is the status quo, his desire to be friend with everyone will inevitably water down his messages (and hence his policies), and his general demeanor reminds me a bit of Hillary. "I should be the nominee. How dare these challengers try to rain on my parade"
2. Candy Neville- Well meaning citizen out of her league. Granted, she had a couple of zingers, she did way better than I expected, and she came off, like Steve, as being a "real" person. Her level of understanding on the issues seemed to be only surface deep. Both Merkley and Novick are obviously more qualified and more capable of beating Gordon Smith.
3. Steve Novick- The man with a plan. His closing statement said it all. No, he is not smooth. No, he isn't trying to make friends. No, he doesn't have "the look" of a politician but... he came across as smart, genuine, and ready to take on Gordo. He showed that he would provide an alternative to "business as usual". He made clear that politics isn't about being chums with those that are opposed to you. He showed that he would be a fiery representative for our state and that his appeal would probably extend beyond party lines.

Its the Environment Stupid
WE ARE SO SCREWED!!! I'm sorry. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer but everyone is talking about doing something... too little too late. Cut emissions X% by 2025 as supported by a Neanderthal? Not good enough. What we experience in the climate today is from the gases emitted 20 YEARS AGO! We need real visionaries who say we must stop emitting greenhouse gases NOW. We need a plan that is not just about going neutral

but is also about getting what is already in the atmosphere out. One should not be taking baby steps to get out when the house is on fire. We need radical change. May Obama, Steve, and the rest of the world's leaders see this and realize that the issue of climate change trumps all issues. Climate change will exacerbate all other problems. War, famine, dehydration, economic collapse, etc... The sickness of our home is and should be the number one issue. May we all see the light before the light fades.

Letter to ABC regarding the "Debate"

There are so many important issues. How could those two moderators spend so much time on such trivial BS. Here is a list of major issues facing the country. Maybe it will help you, the "ever-important to a functional democracy" press provide the citizenry with a real debate.
1. Climate Change
2. "Endless" War
3. Mortgage Crisis
4. Slumping Economy
5. Failing US Dollar
6. Gas Prices
7. Osama bin Laden "Still at large"
8. Suspension of Habeus Corpus
9. Erosion of Civil Liberties (ie. illegal spying on Americans)
10. Lobbyists
Hope this helps you serve your country better!
Luke
Click Here to sign petition to ABC

Quote 'o the Day

There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.
-Albert Einstein

O.K. folks, I don't have much to say today so I figured I'd at least provide some cool links. Well, they are all articles close to my heart and maybe they're not "cool" per say (especially with the ones about Global Warming) but still, they are something to do other than what you should be doing at this moment.
I hope some of you Oregonian voters did catch the debate last night. I'll have my reaction tomorrow maybe if I feel more energetic. Truth is, Steve Novick still has my support, Jeff Merkley still is taking his campaign straight out of the Karl Rove/Corporate Democrat play book, and Candy Neville still seems to be a bit out of her league. That said, I'll be voting for whoever is the Democrat going up against Gordon Smith in the fall. I would be most happy with a fire-brand like Novick pushing a real progressive agenda in D.C. Personally, I don't think true progressives should be smoking the peace pipe with the extreme right. We don't need moderates singing "Kumbaya" with the Bushies who dug America into this pit. We need genuine people like Steve to drive those profiteering, hypocritical fat cats out of town!
Here are the links:
The Environment Links
Garbage Island
Melting Mountains
Governors to Gather
Rich countries not leading
The Next President’s First Task
Global warming has a new battleground
Amazon’s ‘Forest Peoples’ Seek a Role
Jim Hansen, the Big Ice Melt and the Mainstream Media
Climate target is not radical enough
Warming May Have Caused Salmon Collapse
6 million pounds of trash on world's beaches
Homeowners feel heat in West coal boom

The Other Links
Worst. President. Ever.
Obama: My AG to investigate Bush White House
The Boss endorses Obama
AP photographer freed by US military after 2 years
Portland: Bus Tour Visits Sites of Discrimination

Tuesday Debate

Tell your friends and family: don't miss Tuesday night's debate!

Fresh off of a SurveyUSA poll showing him with a double-digit lead over the rest of the field, Steve's ready to debate the two runners-up in that poll--Candy Neville and Jeff Merkley--in a debate sponsored by KGW Newschannel 8 and The Oregonian. Catch the debate live on KGW, Northwest Cable News, or streaming online at kgw.com this Tuesday, April 15th, from 7 PM to 8 PM.

Crack an ice cold Left Hook Lager and watch Steve prove that he is not the standard politician who'll sell you out quicker than Slick Willy!

American Idol, Kvetchfest, the Loss of Salmon, and Montana Oil

American Idol
Although I am somewhat ashamed to admit it I, Luke G., watch American Idol. I know: it's uber-dorky, it supports Faux, it reveals that plastic-y, uncultured side of America that five years ago utterly sickened me, and ultimately, the show helps turn the viewer’s brain to mush. But I gotta say that thanks to my wife, I watch AI and actually like it.

My reasons? Well… Part of me is wishing I was up there on stage singing for a big break (that for me never came, boo-hoo). Part of me is also the hater anxiously awaiting the night that the poser David Cook or that forgettable girl from Oregon finally gets the boot. And part of me likes being just plain mindless. Being a jaded political nut who works for a non-profit I desperately need an escape. What can I say? But excuses aside, this week's AI made me want to puke!
On one level, that obsessive lefty in me finally could take no more: This week Idol "gave back". For those of you that don't know, AI does what can only be described as a telethon. The viewers donate some money and AI distributes it to largely worthy humanitarian causes. AI gets a bunch of stars to come in hopes of upping the numbers. Brad Pitt was amusing, Forrest Whitaker proved how compassionate he truly is, and Teri Hatcher showed that she has no business holding a mic.
What's wrong with millions of dollars being forked out by the public for worthy causes? Nothing, unless you consider that

a) Rupert Murdock could double the donations in one quarter's profits and

b) the corporate sponsor Exxon/Mobile made over $11 Billion last quarter

That's right: as recession hits, well-meaning Americans are donating their hard earned dough while getting fleeced by the oil giants and dumbed down by Faux.
You think that is where I’m going with my tirade? Well, think again.
I swallowed the hypocrisy just like the other viewers but last night I did finally get to the point where I had to change the channel (Gasp!). AI had just gotten done hyping themselves up, Ryan Seacrest had just announced the contestants' opening number, and the singers themselves had begun singing their song: Shout to the Lord.
Now I am pretty tolerant of peoples' religions and, when last week some of the Idols chose Christian songs I didn't connect with them but I certainly thought that it was their choice. And when guest Dolly Parton sang about Jesus I again was o.k. with it: Besides free choice there are plenty of great songs about Jesus or other religious themes. I love a lot of gospel music after all, and who is going to deny the profound depth of "Amazing Grace"? But when AI forced its diverse crew of competitors to praise Jesus in this evangelical song, I felt sick.
1. Not all the contestants are necessarily Christian yet they had to sing. What were they going to do? Protest and get the boot next week?
2. Not everyone watching is Christian. In fact, I was sitting next to my Jewish wife and daughter. America is diverse filled with Muslims, Universalists, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, etc... I'm guessing I was not the only one offended.
3. Today I read that during the telethon the night before AI did the same number, except they omitted Jesus’ name. Apparently the evangelicals got ticked off and to make a statement, AI did a redo inserting J.C.'s name back in. DUMB. AI shouldn't have touched this with a ten foot pole yet they did and then played around with it. That's Fox for you ain't it?
Kvetchfest
Looks like I just had a ‘fest of my own huh? Well, check out the Willy Week for their annual issue of the same name. As a native of Stumptown I laughed my ass off and then started crying into a 14oz pint of microbrew.
Loss of Salmon
Speaking of crying, the Feds just announced that they are going to do what the scientists advised for a change. There will be virtually no salmon fishing off the Oregon and Californian coasts. They are doing this to help the depleted salmon population recover. I'm all for it but sadly, it also means high priced imported salmon and hence, my BBQ will be relegated to burgers and chicken. I do so love you red meat of the sea but I guess I love you enough to lay-off for the year. But tonight, sushi with Sharon!

Montana Oil
Four dollars a gallon for your gas guzzler at the pump? Erratic weather patterns reeking havoc across the country (flood water anyone?)? Foreign wars, no-bid contracts, & scandalous energy firms? Yeah, it’s the oil baby. Black Gold! And we just got more of it. Any of you hoping for the well to run dry so that that car exhaust would no longer march us closer to extinction or so that our money would be spent on reinventing our society into a sustainable green one smear that hope with tar 'cause you're about to get feathered! Scientists have confirmed that there is a shale layer under Wyoming and Montana that is one of the biggest reserves of oil found to date. Which undoubtedly means a chance for more greenhouse gases, more plunder of the world's resources, more life as usual, and more profit for the barons at Exxon/Mobile (those poor guys deserved a break didn't they?). Praise Jesus and give a Shout to the Lord!!!