Mannix the Liberal vs. Kulongowski the Conservative?

Oregon Magazine ^ | Aug, 2002 | Larry Leonard

[EBUCK]

It was an amazing end to July. Kevin Mannix, the Republican candidate for Oregon governor said that those employees whose retirement plan losses at PGE were due to the shenanigans at parent company ENRON, should receive compensation from the state.

If you live in Oregon, that would be from you. (The money the state spends comes out of your pocket.)

Next, Ted Kulongowski, the Democrat candidate for Oregon governor said that considering the tight fiscal situation the state faces, bailing those employees out that way is not a good idea.

Did you follow that?

The conservative wants to spend tax dollars covering the losses of people who work for a private company, and the liberal does not. It's like Hitler barring the way into a death camp, and the Jews fighting to get in.

The fair question to ask is, what's next?

Well, there's the matter of the schools. Mannix could continue adjusting his image to the left by offering to triple state support. Kulongowski, heading to the right, could demand teacher pay cuts. Only the terminally stupid would believe either man, but the terminally stupid comprise a surprisingly large portion of the general public.

You can identify them easily. They're all around you. They call "rap" music. They support arrest quotas based on racial, gender and sexual preference numbers. They think PBS is a non-partisan network, Democrats are not connected with big business, Janet Reno had nothing to do with Clinton escaping Senate conviction on the impeachment charges, Terry McAuliff never made a stock investment that gave him an 18,000% return, John McCain had nothing to do with the Keating Five, the Oregon Health Plan doesn't cover illegal aliens and Br'er Rabbit hates briar patches.

Well, Clinton proved it works. These days, a politican can tell the American public anything he wants. No matter how big the lie, how titanic the hypocrisy, the American public will mostly believe it. Up is down, wrong is right, day is night. It was P.T. Barnum who said you could never go broke underestimating the taste of the American public. Seems that holds for intelligence, now, as well.

Maybe I'll write in Clint Eastwood. Or that cartoon guy who sells propane in Texas. We need a real cowboy, I think. A straight shooter. Are there any left? (LL)

[EBUCK]

This Mannix guy is a RAT in RINO clothing. He's a gun grabber and a liar. If this is what we're going to have to choose between come Nov. we're never getting out of this funk.

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

Check this out.

EBUCK

[B Knotts]

What makes you say he's a gun grabber? He wasn't my first choice, but he has still made it clear he is against raising taxes, which Kulongoski would certainly try to do.

[EBUCK]

Go to Oregon Firearms Federation (OFF) and get into the links.

http://www.oregonfirearms.org/

http://oregonfirearms.org/news/audio.html
(This is an audio link to his house floor speech)

He's not the worst we have to contend with but he's not what he makes himself out to be, not by a long shot.

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

but he has still made it clear he is against raising taxes

He's against raising taxes but not against increased spending. Increased spending cannot be done without increasing taxes eventually. That's the gimmick IMO. Eventually the budget will be so overrun that increasing taxes will become necessary and "excusable" because we are so far in the red.

Bush is doing the same thing. While I do enjoy the tax cut we got he has done nothing to cut spending, as a matter of fact he's increased spending substantially. Same mistake his father made.

EBUCK

[B Knotts]

Well, he supposedly wants to cut other areas, to increase spending on police and colleges.

I voted for Jack Roberts in the primary, as I thought he was a marginally better choice, but now it's down to Mannix vs. Kulongoski, which is a no-brainer.

[EBUCK]

I voted for Jack Roberts in the primary, as I thought he was a marginally better choice, but now it's down to Mannix vs. Kulongoski, which is a no-brainer.

I hope he lives up to his rhetoric. I'll end up voting for Mannix only if he answers the following questions I've sent to him correctly.

1. If elected, what will you do about the wildfire situation?

2. If elected, what will you do to support Oregon's constitutionaly guranteed right to keep and bear arms?

3. If elected, what will you do to get Oregon's economy back on track?

EBUCK

[ThreeYearLurker]

He's not a rat in RINO clothing, he is a rat. He has been all his life until 1997. He didn't fool me, and that's why I didn't vote for him in the primary. If you are a conservative in Oregon, you are guaranteed to be screwed for at least the next four years.

[EBUCK]

If you are a conservative in Oregon, you are guaranteed to be screwed for at least the next four years.

And I was in such a good mood, until you posted that. Thanks.

EBUCK

[AuntB]

It seems all of them will say whatever it takes to get the liberal/enviro vote. Where the heck we go from here? We have to vote Mannix. I wish it were not so, but it is.

[EBUCK]

Sucks to be us. Lesser of two....oh whatever...this sucks.

EBUCK

[AuntB]

Sucks. Yes, indeed.

[WaterDragon]

I'm going to vote for Mannix THIS time, but he will definitely be ON PROBATION for four years.

I couldn't agree with you less about Bush, EBUCK. He has indeed slowed down the Democratic Congress spending as much as he could. It will take time for this nation to be weaned away from wanting a nanny gov't. Did you see that news item about the National Firefighters Union coming out against him for not giving them as much MORE money as they wanted?

We have to get him a Republican Congress this fall, and then hold the Republicans feet to the fire over taxes and for holding the socialists in our government-funded academia and federal bureaucracies accountable.

[blackie]

Them's the breaks...I'll vote for Mannix...sigh...

[EBUCK]

I couldn't agree with you less about Bush, EBUCK.

2003 proposed Presedential Federal Budget = 2.1 trillion.
Last year = 1.87 trillion.

Sorry, but I don't see it, that's an 11% increase.

Granted, if Gore were elected last it could be a slightly greater increase but "better" aint good enough for me.

As always, respectfully,

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

..sigh..indeed. Perhaps Mannix will allow some thinning at least.

EBUCK

[blackie]

Maybe...and he won't veto the helmet law repeal like Kizzy did, everytime...

[Clinging Bitterly]

> the terminally stupid comprise a surprisingly large portion of the general public

Yup.

A lot of what's said here about Mannix, I can believe.
It has not been all that long since he was a proud Democrat.

It's sad that of all the Republicans in the primary, Mannix was hands down the best choice. I did actually hold my nose when I punched out his chad.

And it's predictable that Ted K would run to the right of him, and that other Democrats are also running to the right on guns and other issues, such as taxes.
Recent polls confirm that the public is still opposed to tax increases to solve the current pretend budget crisis.

As for Hank Hill, I dunno. I like him, and we like our propane grills, but he and Ma Richards are a bit too chummy for my comfort.

Dave in Eugene

[EBUCK]

Now that would be great. I'd sing his praises from here to Bend if I wasn't required by law (or insurance companies as it were) to wear a helmet while getting there.

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

It's sad that of all the Republicans in the primary, Mannix was hands down the best choice. I did actually hold my nose when I punched out his chad.

Being a registered LPer I didn't have the "pleasure" of voting in your primary. It almost seems as though they put up a crappy candidate on purpose, but just crappy enough to not be as crappy as the other guy.

Can you imagine if Car dealers worked in the same fashion? People would be riding bikes in no time.

EBUCK