Op Ed:
Candidate-Character
Now Top Concern

Impacts of Ad-Distortion/Perversion Irrevocably Smear Saxton.

Salem-News.com

(SALEM) - From the very first-shot foot-in-mouth open-attack on each and every State and local public agency worker, corporate counsel Ron Saxton has multiplied and mangled responsible statement of his true stands on each and every issue in the campaign-book. First he rapidly earned ID-status as “Silent Saxton”, known more for what campaign cohorts “said he would say” than for what he ever actually enunciated --especially in public-- while openly conversing and conferencing with cohorts of his cult-ID’d campaign contributors --”Press NOT Welcome !”. Then suddenly: --as if someone had pressed the “GO”-button--
he became as vocal as various versions of issues-and-points can permit; while promulgating whatever point-of-view very nicely snugged around the audience expectations. Despite desperate misdirection and determined high-dollar support at high costs not only in monies but also in credibilities, his nationally-directed and solidly supported key-run --essential in “Blue Oregon” for a collapsing national GOP-cohort-- has devastatingy demonstrated the truth of the old political adage: “Watch what we DO, not what we SAY we’ll do”. While some-few still deplore and decry the record of incumbent Governor Ted Kulongoski, many more now understand the extensive and solid accomplishments achieved so far. That record has been compiled dead-on in the face of desperate and determined sabotaging and destructive actions undertaken in and around the Legislature; by those seeking simply, singly, and by any means to preserve and if possible strengthen a defensive, confrontational and self-defeating demise of longtime Oregon representative government; and defend, again at any cost, corporate tax control crucial to --you must have guessed !!-- those sacred corporate bottom-lines.
(“See Also”: “In Oregon, the alcohol industry runs the show”, Edit Page, The OREGONIAN, 10/10/06.) If documentation is sought, one need only visit the corporate campaign contributions record to “see with own eyes”; while those responsible neglect all that press furor and fine description of those forgotten frivolous forays to Hawaiian resorts and reserved-facilities so felicitously furnished by the forgotten-sponsors for all those following legislative activities.
(“See also”: “Legislators in all their sordid glory”; Steve Duin, The OREGONIAN 10/10/06.) But many more Oregonians are much more mindful of meaningful manipulation than most malign political-campaign managers can ever comprehend -- no matter how Schein-ing their light may be. So now the Saxton section of the longterm-led Norquist et Cie cabal are coming to climax against candidate credibility: For which every cogitating Oregonian will read “character” as the key issue here-and-now; unavoidably, unmistakably, unforgivingly, and irrevocably. No matter how thin you slice it, salami is still thin-stuff to support any nutritional need; hardly sufficient for the solid cogitation now demanded of us if we are in truth (no pun !!) to solve Oregon’s very pressing problems; revolving around state income flows and outgoes. To question any part of credibilities on these surely-continuing and catastrophic problem-situations simply because the participants in the demanded democratic dialog have providentially (in pure political terms); or even peculiarly (in common-sense ones); declared their stated preference for ANY candidate at ANY level is not only inane; but particularly defeating to the entire spectrum of democratic analysis leading to representative choice for governance leadership. To allow such flawed and consequentially fearsome false reasoning to assist any candidate in eluding and frustrating all responsible demand for full information in advance of the vote-sought is to strengthen and supplement the damaging impacts of arrogant and imperiously-denied candidate-statement while it NON-arrives. In fact that open, complete and continuing demand should be the very foundation of any possible trust and confidence to be garnered from the entire group, as the foremost essential for any governance-pattern; and the underlying motivation for full and proper work-force completion of responsibilities by those properly led, in all common sense. “Those who corrupt the public mind are just as evil as those who steal from the public purse”, Adlai Stevenson declared in similar circumstances at national level, in 1982 ; surely a true bellwether for the kinds of constant content-villainy and violent factual distortion demonstrated in this campaign: Named only today by David Sarasohn, OREGONIAN Edit Page columnist, as “...what may be the most dishonest media campaign in Oregon memory.” (OREGONIAN, Edit Page D6, 10/13/06) But Sarasohn furnished still further demonstrative detail, too.
Here is what he wrote: “From the spring primary race through the current media buy, Ron Saxton has spent huge amounts on tv spots that turn out not to be exactly true, not to look at the white line” --stating the seduced-source for the distorted-perverted citation. Explanation by ostensibly-responsible minions of the monied Saxton-gang slickly slide-away from solid press-question with similar elusive non-statement and “thinly-sliced” similar salami.
(”See with own eyes” in the remainder of the Sarasohn expose.) That’s SOP-now for the GOP-cult/remnant clinging precariously to party-control with front-man Abramson now tied tightly to telltale money-transfer “sliced thinly off the top” of checks-exchanged with Indian clients and the Norquist-connected ATR: To which Saxton is tightly-PLEDGED; as he has publicly acknowledged; despite its challenging impact on his possible Oath of Office, if “slick overcomes sensible” in Oregon in these very peculiar times. Indeed, one might even state that: “Revolutions have been fought over that very principle”; including our American Revolution revolved-into-place just in time to produce the world’s most admiring governance-pattern; as one practical consequence of continued and very determined resistance to the distorting/perverting “tell them whatever they want to hear” other-way pattern. So somehow all the other parts, pieces, patterns and problems for Oregon’s return to responsible ongoing governance now has come full circle from the starting-gate: Right back to the single overwhelming and overriding question posed by that first foot-in-mouth shot smearing the entire State and public agency work-force, essential to any leadership record: The very last thing any truly responsible and character-credible candidate should have done --and could have avoided; if, indeed, character had been the compelling guide-involved.