Burning Question of the Week
Readers have been asking me what I think about this week's announcement by my colleague, Jim Huffman, that he's running against Ron Wyden for the U.S. Senate. I don't blog about my workplace, and as with John Kroger's attorney general race, I'll keep this short. Jim is a staunch Republican. I can't imagine I would want his party having any more sway in our nation's capital than it presently has, and so I won't be endorsing him or voting for him.
On the other hand, as readers know, I have no use for Wyden, who's essentially a moderate Republican dressed up in blue clothing. Obstructionist on health care, obstructionist on tax reform -- whenever the chips are down and the party needs him, he starts talking about how he has a better idea, blah blah blah. He's neither a leader nor a follower. He won't stand up to the Republicans. And so I'm still waiting and hoping for another option, although I'm not optimistic.
In sum, though I hate to disappoint, don't expect too much commentary here on a Wyden-Huffman race. There's not much on either side to get excited about.
| Posted at 5:23 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
Here we go again. We could use a better Democrat in Wyden's senate seat. But that's not a good reason to support a Republican, who will join ranks with other Republicans on issues where Wyden would not. Like so many Democrats, Wyden has been better at being in the opposition than at being in the ruling party: he voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq, for example, and his bipartisan approach to federal judgeship nominations got us some pretty good federal judges when he worked with Gordon Smith. His record on health care, both before and after Obama's election, is deplorable. But would Huffman be better? Hardly. It's a seductive idea to oppose incumbent Democrats. Let's try to remember how much that idea helped us toward the judicial appointment of George Bush as president in 2000, and what we got for that.
Posted by Allan L. | March 6, 2010 7:00 AM
Tip to readers. If you want commentary on the Huffman campaign (er, I mean the Huffman-Wyden race), go over to BlueOregon.com. They're hanging on every word that falls he says or writes. By the end of the campaign, the water cooler kids will have enough material to fill the James Huffman Memorial Library.
The latest outrage? Huffman said in a speech that the stimulus did not work, but he gave that speech at business that got stimulus money. Gotcha, Jim! And great sleuthing, Kari!
Posted by Garage Wine | March 6, 2010 7:06 AM
What our country needs are more candidates like Alan Grayson (FL), public financing that isn't corruptible, and a mainstream media that reports news and doesnt allow politicians to lie and tell half truths without calling them on it...
Posted by Robert | March 6, 2010 8:39 AM
PS - and I'm tired of politicians that have to throw in the customary "god bless..." statement at the end of their speeches... get religion out of politics..
Posted by Robert | March 6, 2010 8:42 AM
Dear Ron , as it is an election year
it is time for you to do one thing
to show us you are a Dem , use your clout and get us The Public Option.
Posted by billb | March 6, 2010 2:44 PM
Good luck with that.
Posted by Jack Bog | March 6, 2010 3:00 PM
...as it is an election year
That implies that we let him off for the transgressions he's committed the rest of the time. I don´t buy it.
Posted by john rettig | March 7, 2010 3:58 AM
And don't forget that Wyden is one of the most ardent supporters of Israel's land grab in Palestine.
Have you ever heard him once, just once be critical of Israel?
Posted by Ralph Woods | March 7, 2010 9:06 AM
It is more accurate to describe Huffman as a staunch libertarian. The fact that he is running for the Republican nomination doesn't make him equal to, say, Bush or Mitch McConnell.
Posted by antiplanner | March 7, 2010 4:30 PM