For immediate release
He's been on the job only two weeks, but already my former colleague John Kroger has broken the record for most press releases by an Oregon attorney general in an entire career. His p.r. flack, Tony Green, has been popping them out like waffles -- about one every other day. Kroger gives a swearing-in speech. Kroger and Ted K. attack Bush on his way out over the environment and abortion. Kroger accepts the guilty plea of some scam artist they indicted last year. Hardy Myers wins his last case in the U.S. Supreme Court; Kroger thinks it's great. Kroger accepts a settlement from a big drug company. Kroger will be available to talk to the press tomorrow morning. Kroger is giving a speech to the black community on MLK Day. Kroger this, Kroger that.
Do you get the feeling that he's already running for something else?
| Posted at 4:41 PM | Permalink |
|
Comments (17)
Or possibly Al Gore's replacement.
Kroger appears to be adopting the activist's role similar to Bill Bradbury's approach.
All that extra time and all gives them the opportunity to do take on extra curricular activities like protesting the LNG terminal. Never mind the stimulous that terminal would mean for Oregon's economy. It's better feel green then to have green.
Posted by Ben | January 17, 2009 5:13 PM
I hope so. He would make a great one. I bet he'd let you help write the new sales tax statutes- if you asked nicely and promised to blog the whole thing.
Posted by Nick | January 17, 2009 5:19 PM
Ben, we need to chip in and buy you a spell-check button. On the merits, I think that if you put it up for a vote of the people, a pipeline would go down, big time.
Posted by Jack Bog | January 17, 2009 5:20 PM
Yes, Jack. The same way I felt like Sam Adams was already running for something as soon as he was elected commissioner and started printing press releases like the Fed prints dollars these days.
Posted by Ted | January 17, 2009 5:20 PM
he'd let you help write the new sales tax statutes
My fee would cripple the state budget even further.
Posted by Jack Bog | January 17, 2009 5:22 PM
Oh gosh, one word "stimulous" versus "stimulus".
Ok so I hurry and do that often. Excuse me.
On the "merits"? Which ones?
The true merits of the LNG terminal and pipeline not requiring any taxpayer money while providing additional clean burning energy, creating many jobs, adding revenue to starving government agencies?
Or the opponents campaign of "merits"?
Posted by Ben | January 17, 2009 5:40 PM
Ben, your spelling has become legendary. Second only to the predictable content.
Posted by Jack Bog | January 17, 2009 5:51 PM
Why not Kroger for governor? One party rule has served this state well. First into a recession, last out of a recession, and an unemployment rate two or three points above the national average. Again and again and again.
Oregon, land of many firsts... which are never followed by any other state.
If you're not part of the neponistic daisy chain, you're just a working stiff... and who cares?
Oregon... land of the SEIU. God bless us everyone.
Posted by anon | January 17, 2009 5:53 PM
Yeah, we need more Ted Ferriolis.
Posted by Jack Bog | January 17, 2009 6:15 PM
I'm wary. Facing this subject, my spidey-sense tingles.
What's his birthday? ... anyone? ... anyone?
Early life and career -- Kroger was born in 1966 in Ohio,
growing up in Indiana and then Texas. He left the Marines in 1986
and entered Yale College to study philosophy, graduating
in 1990 at the age of 20.
Huh? Things around him seem often to not add up ... except a pile of p.r.'s starting to really add up ....
Posted by Tenskwatawa | January 17, 2009 6:37 PM
Ben, politics as usual I guess. I really did not expect Kroger to engage in such one sided activism when it is so obviously important for him to remain neutral on issues like the LNG terminal.
Tensky, Try not to get too lost in thought. It will only confuse you.
Posted by Gibby | January 17, 2009 7:16 PM
1. Ben: maybe a thought check button?
2. anon: It's not the SEIU so much as the initiative and referendum that have consigned us to the bottom of the economic heap.
3. Tensk: so what if it took Kroger 24 years to reach age 20?
Posted by Allan L. | January 17, 2009 8:14 PM
Jack, Ben made some good arguments for the LNG project and all you seem to be interested in is his spelling. Allan L; all I see you doing is demeaning Ben also. How about some thought out of you.
This is a good project, tell us why you think it isn't.
Posted by Richard/s | January 18, 2009 9:31 AM
This post isn't about that.
Posted by Jack Bog | January 18, 2009 11:16 AM
It looks like those who criticized Kroger's motives in the democratic primary may have been on the right track. First AG, then Governor (or senator?), then on to national politics, leaving Oregon and heading back to the east coast. He's a carpetbagger who has always viewed Oregon as a means to move onto the national scene.
Posted by Stepping stone | January 18, 2009 3:49 PM
If Kroger actually does worthwhile stuff, no reason not to have him run the state.
Of course, what you are seeing may all be an illusion. It could just be that Tony Green, so recently in daily newspaper work, doesn't realize the state doesn't keep a byline count.
Posted by niceguy | January 18, 2009 9:42 PM
As Tenskwatawa demonstrates ably why the discerning reader never uses Wikipedia as an authoritative resource...
Posted by Jud | January 19, 2009 11:37 AM