Oregon GOP leaders toss around accusations

Associated Press (Statesman-Journal) ^ | 11/21/2002 | Julia Silverman

[B Knotts]

PORTLAND - The post-election infighting among Oregon's Republican party officials is escalating, with some saying U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith hogged the party's pot of money this year, at the expense of other GOP candidates.

Smith disputes the charges, and so does narrowly defeated gubernatorial candidate Kevin Mannix, survivor of the party's highest-profile loss, who says he blames no one but himself.

[B Knotts]

There was an story posted here from the Medford Mail-Tribune which recycled much of this story, but this version has some interesting bits that were left out of the other story, such as Kevin Mannix distancing himself from some of the anti-Smith people.

[newberger]

Actually, this shows Kevin's character more than it does
Smith's innocence.

Newberger

[newberger]

Oh, by the way, when Al King saw that hte votes he needed
to be re-elected Klamath County chair were not there on
Tuesday night, he dropped out of the running.

If he isn't elected state chair, he's out of the Central Committee.

newberger

[B Knotts]

Did Al King have much support?

[newberger]

I don't know the numbers but statewide,
his antics with those of his cronies have turned
people off so much that I have no fear of him
winning in February.

His only possible danger to Atkinson is as a
"bad cop" foil against Atkinson allowing Snodgrass to
appear as a "good cop".

Several days ago you asked me who I was referring to
as "disaffected republicans". They are a series
of OCA types and, believe it or not, moderates
on the exec committee (that means they are officers
or congressional district officers)who are headed up
by Al King.

They are constantly complaining about imagined
corruption in the Atkinson-run ORGOP office.

Having seen them in action for the past two years
at Central Committee meetings, I can tell you they are
really inane and ignorant of what is really going on.

One of them (who is not on the Exec Committee) was recently
recalled as county chair.

[B Knotts]

Thanks for the info. That's interesting. I had assumed that the OCA types would be supporting Atkinson.