FeedsMerkley Thoughts, News & Notes
Lots of little (and big) pieces of news from Jeff Merkley's U.S. Senate campaign. Some are fun and admirable, and others tangential to the campaign are just bizarre. So let's jump in and see what's around, in no particular order:
(1) AFL-CIO: In the biggest news of the past few days, Merkley snagged the key endorsement of the Oregon AFL-CIO. As someone who has worked for labor before, this is big. Beyond organization, it shows me that Merkley represents the values and policies key to the labor group-- which, where I come from, is really important and worth noting.
But the funny thing is that my co-blogger Michael was so right: these announcements spur comment battles, which seem to always degenerate into a volatile food-fight. With this case, I just need to go over to BlueOregon to look at this topic's thread; it's a sight to behold, and Michael says it well: "It's comment after comment of annoying nitpicking bullshit and idiotic attacks." In this case, the talk eventually ends up with discussion of the democratic nature of the endorsement, and both sides continue to throw punches.
While I might not have my finger on the immediate pulses of the campaigns, and while I support Merkley, it always makes me cringe that the comment threads continue to show the same patterns, the same ebb and flow of acrimony. I worry about bridges that might burn. So, here's my advice: knock it off! Support your candidate, argue with passion, but don't alienate each other or onlookers in the process. Don't get me wrong: some of the discussions and points might be valid, but there's just a tone that keeps on grating at me.
This advice isn't universal, but I think it's good for all of us to have a refresher. We're on the same side. And heck, isn't it just a tempest in a teapot anyway? While I don't have percentages, I can imagine portions of the electorate aren't floating around the blogosphere watching this unfold.
(2) Anti-Gouging. The Merkley campaign sent out an e-mail which highlights Jeff's support for Governor Kuolongoski's efforts to slow price-gouging after the recent, brutal storms. From the release:
Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, today praised Governor Ted Kulongoski’s declaration of an ‘abnormal disruption of the marketplace’ in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook Counties. The Governor invoked the provisions of SB 118, passed by the 2007 Oregon Legislature, which outlaws price gouging during emergencies:
Price-gouging is bad news. Good for everyone involved, standing up in support of Oregonians in areas affected. SB 118 was passed under Merkley's watch as Speaker, which is a nice little feather for that cap.
(3) Taps & Tester: And, finally, this Saturday the Merkley campaign will be hosting U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) in a fun little event. I'm sure you're all familiar with the tap ad that appears on our site, so I probably don't need to say much more. I'll be there with several others from the site, and it should be tons of fun. I especially can't wait to meet Tester, as I've heard so much about his humor and smarts from Montana natives whom I count as friends.
Have a great night, and take care!
Stumble It!We use Markdown to style our comments. **This is bolded.** *This is italic.* [This is a link](url)
For more options,
try reading the
wikipedia article or the
official style guide.
Comments
Comments from site editors have a darker background than comments from everybody else.And don't forget, this is the end of the tax year. Your $50 donation to an Oregon political campaign is fully deductible on your state tax.
We use Markdown to style our comments. **This is bolded.** *This is italic.* [This is a link](url)
For more options, try reading the wikipedia article or the official style guide.
So we should make our donations before the end of this calendar year. Thanks for the reminder, Paul! I can call you Paul, right?
We use Markdown to style our comments. **This is bolded.** *This is italic.* [This is a link](url)
For more options, try reading the wikipedia article or the official style guide.
No.
We use Markdown to style our comments. **This is bolded.** *This is italic.* [This is a link](url)
For more options, try reading the wikipedia article or the official style guide.
call me Herr Docktor Professor.
are you guys going tonight?
We use Markdown to style our comments. **This is bolded.** *This is italic.* [This is a link](url)
For more options, try reading the wikipedia article or the official style guide.
Yeah, will we see you there?
We use Markdown to style our comments. **This is bolded.** *This is italic.* [This is a link](url)
For more options, try reading the wikipedia article or the official style guide.
Good chance. Can I pay at the door?
We use Markdown to style our comments. **This is bolded.** *This is italic.* [This is a link](url)
For more options, try reading the wikipedia article or the official style guide.
Sure can. In fact, find us inside and we'll buy you a beer.
We use Markdown to style our comments. **This is bolded.** *This is italic.* [This is a link](url)
For more options, try reading the wikipedia article or the official style guide.