Maybe presidential access to its nuclear reactor has been prescribed as the cure to his ailment.

Guess those bunions got better!

I cannot say this in polite terms. F*** that guy. Can't believe I felt bad for him.

I cancelled my monthly gift to the Reed Annual Fund immediately after hearing this news. Olde Reed is dead.

"Whatever happened to the mystery illness that made him too sick to run for re-election?"

Apparently that issue vanished along with any Kroger memories of ANY quasi-legal activities in Salem - Just sayin'

The price of silence is going up - Reed College president? I'd check and see if any FoN (Friends of Neil) are on the board.

I posted on the OLive article as well, but this is bad. I felt sorry for Kroger when he stepped down, but based on the timing (and barring one heck of an explanation - i.e. I was misdiagnosed with a terminal illness like a bad Eddie Murphy movie plotline)this is a cushy gig for Kroger to settle in, press some rich flesh, and build a donor base for his next run at public office. I wonder if the stink from this hurts Holton's chances - fairly or not (and probably not), I think everything and everyone Kroger's done/associated with is up for skepticism, so was this in part a favor for Holton to open the AG spot? Pure naked ambition - it's the Oregon way!

I'd check and see if any FoN (Friends of Neil) are on the board.

Well, of course they are. Guess there was no room at the gas company.

We'll find out in about three years, apparently.

Actually, it's typically a five year term, and the last two presidents have served 10 years.

I cancelled my monthly gift to the Reed Annual Fund immediately after hearing this news. Olde Reed is dead.

Thomas, I'm honestly confused. In what way does this somehow signal the end of "Olde Reed"? You do know Paul Bragdon's and Colin Diver's backgrounds before their Reed presidency, right?

That is just weird! WTF? I thought Kroger was supposed to be on the way to the mortician. I guess there is a "resurrection" .

I struggled to see why Reed would be interested in this guy until the last line of the news release: he rode his bike across the US. That's gotta be it.

"Guess there was no room at the gas company."

Don't worry, between PSU, NW Nat Gas and Port of Portland, there is plenty of deep clover for political hacks that toe the line to fall into after their usefulness is outlived.

You can now add Reed to that list.

Too bad, MacPherson had some semblance of decency, that kinda torpedos your political career in Oregon.

Six years Jack. Not four. In six years, Kitzhaber will be finishing his second second four year term, and the Demo gubernatorial nomination will be open, i.e. no incumbent.

AS a real chuckle, and an odd bit of serendipity, IIRC, Dem AG hopeful Ellen Rosenblum's father was at one time a very high muckety muck at Reed. Reed and Oregon AGs and AG wanna' bes. Whoda thunk.

Once he gets used to college president money, Kroger may not be interested in politics any more.

Kroger was talking about a serious but not fatal threat to his political life.

Kroger may find out that being prez of a college, all be it a small one is way more work and stree than he had planned on.

Should read stress.

Seeing how he singlehandedly mucked up DOJ in such short time, I'm just hoping he doesn't accidentally detonate the nuclear reactor. Wouldn't want your karma, buddy.

Occam's Razor. Kroger said he was ill. Taking him at his word on that, he needs a job with health care and not too many demands. Voilà.

Guidestar.org lists Diver's reportable compensation as $432K for the year ending June 2010. Nice step up from the AG's $99K total compensation.

And free lunches!

Paul G.

Bragdon had experience in college administration. Diver is a legit academic, and not merely public, intellectual. I see nothing in the Kroger decision other than politics. Truly disappointing.

For the record though, I hope to be comfortable giving money to Reed again soon. But for now, it is the best way to make a statement.

Lewis & Clark Law Professor = Reed College President.

Go Pios!

Kroger turned out to be such a disappointment. If you’re going to hold public office, you have to accept that some aspects of your private life must be shared – health problems, for one.

I wouldn’t use Kroger’s deficiencies against Dwight Holton, though. I’d be curious to know if he and Kroger are still so chummy now.

As for Kroger’s next move, I could imagine him setting his sights on president of Harvard – but secretly missing the rush of real politics.

Four years ago, Mr Kroger was not the choice of the O, the PTrib, or WW:
http://bojack.org/2008/05/our_picks_in_the_primary.html

(And Mr Novick was preferred by all three organs to Mr Merkley, who seems to have worked more productively during his term for the people of Oregon than Mr Novick, who voluntarily would walk in Mr. Wyden's footsteps, would have.)

This is not to suggest that opinions expressed by the O, the PTrib, or WW should be accorded any less skepticism than the candidates themselves.

A month ago, WW's Hannah Hoffman observed:

"Attorney General John Kroger, who campaigned on a promise to put environmental polluters behind bars, has doubled his count of jailed polluters: The total is now two."
http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-28400-cattle_rancher_faces_jail_and_%24300000_penalty_af.html

Ms Hoffman's piece certainly undercuts the O's very recent unsupported assertion that "[Kroger] has been aggressive in prosecuting environmental crimes and mortgage fraud and protecting civil rights."
http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2012/04/oregon_attorney_general_john_k.html

(Mr Marquis proffers no support for his platitudinous declaration:
"'He afflicted the comfortable and comforted the afflicted,' said Marquis. 'He did a lot.'"
But perhaps reporter Graves neglected to request examples.)

Public service that satisfies the expectations of even 50% + 1 cannot be easy. Still, it does seem that the residents of this state have been sorely short-changed by Mr Kroger. But disappointment has become the norm. Too bad consumer protection has such a low priority in this state.

It'll probably take at least five years to get the real scoop on what is happening here. Its just crazy. He gets elected, gets in trouble, gets sick (?) but won't say with what, promises to finish his term, then doesn't and now leaving for a cushy job. Hmmm

I almost forgot about Margaret Carter and Ted Kulongoski .

In six years, Kitzhaber will be finishing his second second four year term,

That's why we need a change to the state constitution. Eliminate the "8 out of every 12 years" loophole for gubernatorial term limits, and make it so that self-righteous megalomaniac can't run for governor ever again.