Jack -- don't think I saw who you selected for the Multnomah County Judge seat opened up by Judge Gernant's retirement?

With Riggs retiring, don't you think Sleepy will appoint a woman regardless?

No. He didn't last time.

I voted for Trung Tu.

Jack,

Did Diane break into you garage while you were out of town and steal your Rope of Revelation?

Just as a point of interest I have had three different people call me for Linder, I know at least one was a robo call. The others were on my answering machine so I can't tell.

Google "Rope of Revelation"

I wrote in Jack Bogdanski for City of Portland Auditor.
Sorry in advance if you win.

Jack, will you run for auditor next cycle?

Not in your wildest dreams.

Absolutely the court needs a woman on it. If only to prevent people from concluding that only one gender is capable of abusing power.

I'm a middle-aged female appellate lawyer. Jack: I give up....why does the Oregon Supreme Court need a woman on it? Virginia Linder doesn't represent *me*. With her on the court, there will be four people from the Department of Justice, three people who have prosecuted death penalty cases, and nobody who has had a real live client...really ever. She is a fine judge on the Court of Appeals, and I hope she stays there. I voted for Hallman. (It's too late in the game to explain why I think he is a great choice by himself, not just better than Linder.)

The gender thing is baffling. We're about to get two guys replacing women on the county commission, and it will be a close call to see if there's going to be a woman on the City Council. What's the deal?

Are women becoming too smart to want to be politicians around here?

I think any branch of government benefits from having female and male perspectives. I'm a guy, yet I think this country's leaders could stand-down on the testosterone intake. I would welcome a woman in the White House with cartwheels and backflips, if only to focus on the things that really matter.... not cockfights, grandstanding and saber-rattling that we're accustomed to now.

How many days until Chimpy McFlightsuit is out of office??

I agree that it's good to have all kinds of people on the court, in councils, and so on. But why is Linder's sex more important than Hallman being from Eastern Oregon (for example)? And to be practical, nobody is threatening to have Supreme Court justices elected by gender; having justices elected by region would be a really bad idea.

Laura,

I don't think Linder's gender adds much to the law but I do believe having diversity on the Supreme Court adds something to our society. Some lawyers forget that the Supreme Court is not about them, their arguments, briefs, persuassion, et cetera. The State Supreme Court is the court of last instance where citizens of this state may seek justice, however defined.

Personally, I believe that since women make up a fairly significant portion of the parties to lawsuits as business owners, citizen advocates, politicians, mothers, and spouses, they should be able to look at the bench and witness a fair reflection of our society.

Being that Linder, as you put it, is a "fine judge" with appellate experience, she was the best candidate for the position, which is why I supported her. Too bad Roberts won (arg!).

I guess gender equality has gone a long ways when women act offended that some of us guys actually care about this.

Brighten up, Travis. I didn't win. Judge Linder and I will be in a run-off in November.

Jack (Roberts), why do you think you're qualified to be on the Supreme Court?