Over at Jeff Mapes’ blog on Oregonlive.com, supporters of Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, who’s running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, have raised questions about comments from Merkley’s top opponent, consultant Steve Novick. In three separate blog post on Blue Oregon in 2006, Novick criticizes two presidential hopefuls, Sen. Barack Obama (who’s visiting Portland tomorrow) and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
In light of Obama’s visit tomorrow and the discussion over at Mapes’ blog, here’s a second multiple-choice quiz in the spirit of the first. (In case you’ve forgotten the first quiz, it’s here.)
Read the following statements from Novick’s blog posts:
1.
I do enjoy Obama’s bemused attitude toward his own celebrity. That’s a big selling point. And I respect the fact that he didn’t use Harvard Law School as a springboard to just making money at a big firm; shows character.But I am annoyed by his reflexive support of the environmentally meaningless domestic corn ethanol industry, to the point where he supports sugar tariffs, undermining the possibility of fighting global warming with more energy-efficient sugar-based ethanol. I’m glad Obama has stopped flying on Archer Daniels Midland corporate jets, but disturbed that he ever did accept such rides.
[Check out the whole thing at the source.]
2.
Speaking of global warming, corn-based ethanol doesn’t help, because it takes about as much energy to produce it as it generates. But ethanol from sugar is much more energy-efficient; it’s actually worthwhile. But tariffs on sugar, backed by our domestic sugar industry and corn ethanolites, prevent the U.S. from developing a sugar-ethanol-fuel industry. I am not against all tariffs per se, but this one is insane. And, according to a recent New Yorker article, Barack Obama of Illinois has stood with other Midwesterners in supporting the sugar industry. Doesn’t this prove that Obama is just another captive-of-special-interests fraud who doesn’t really care about global warming and doesn’t deserve to be hailed as some great Kenya-Kansas hope?
[Check out the whole thing at the source.]
3.
But does Al Gore think that any other possible President has the vision and the will to seize this moment, to do the right thing before it is too late? He can’t possibly. John McCain used to care about global warming … before he started Saxtonizing himself, selling his soul in pieces to the right wing. And if Hillary Clinton is a coward on the war, and a traitress on the First Amendment, why should we expect anything else when it comes to global warming?
[Check out the whole thing at the source.]
Are those statements from Novick, who has endorsed Obama:
A) Damaging to his electability in a state (not including said state’s blogosphere) that likes to make nice?
B) Evidence of a future inability to create consensus and get along with fellow Democrats when and if he disagrees?
C) Evidence of independent thinking and a willingness to speak one’s mind?
D) Two-year-old blog posts with the shelf-life of milk and dubious relevance to the Senate election at hand?
Joe Baessler, a political coordinator for the local AFSCME, which endorsed Merkley and broke with its national union in order to endorse Obama, has one answer. “It is this kind of disregard for consequences of what he is saying that makes it harder and harder for us to even be friendly anymore,” Baessler says. “It’s hurtful when things like this get thrown around.”
Merkley, like Novick, has also endorsed Obama.
Predictably, the Novick campaign has a different answer. Spokesman Jake Weigler calls the dicussion around the blog posts a “distraction” from substantive issues and evidence of the Merkley campaign’s “hack-n-slash” approach to the May election.
- Merkley “Wydens” The Gap Between His Record and Smith’s U.S. Sen.
- I’ll Take “Before & After” for $400, Alex: Novick in “Jeopardy” no more Look, we
- Two Prominent Oregon Ds (Just Not Super-Delgates) Endorse New York S
- Updated: Who Do the Republicans Fear Most? A “Tax-Happy” Liberal? Or a “Tax-Happy” Liberal? Jeff Merk
- The New York Times Looks For Frustrated Liberals, Finds Earl Blumenauer The New Y
I freely cop to being a Novick supporter but from where I sit it sure looks like Merkley is getting desperate if he is resorting to crap like this to try and turn people off of Steve Novick.
One vote for the latter option.
A) An emphasis on "making nice" is fine when there are trivial matters at stake. Steve may a little "over the top" from time to time, but the Senate could use a bit of a rabble rouser.
B) If we’re talking about ethanol, global warming, the Invasion of Iraq, or other vital issues, we don’t need more "go along to get along" Democrats. If something is wrong, we need someone with the integrity to say so.
C) Yes.
D) Agree.
Novick is my guy in the primary, and he’s the best chance we have in Oregon to give Senators like Russ Feingold some much needed backup and the Democratic Party some much needed backbone.
It sounds like Merkley’s campaign is accusing Novick of being just what he says he is, i.e., not a typical politician. After all, a typical politician would rescind all his previous criticisms of a fellow politician once he decides to endorse the other guy.
Novick sticks to his guns. No wonder traditional politicians (and journalists)don’t trust him.
and it’s why regular people love him, Jack.