Mandate for Political Division

Let's be clear about what happened on Tuesday. There was no "nationwide" mandate for President Bush and his conservative policies as Vice President Cheney smugly concluded yesterday. President Bush ran on fear and divisive cultural issues and turned out more voters than his opponent. Despite the president's sunny calls for coming together, this election was a mandate for political division not unity. Progressives must remain strong and prepare for what is coming our way. The planks of this mandate include:

A full frontal assault in the culture war. "Now comes the revolution," stated right wing culture war dean Richard Viguerie yesterday. The president's fundamentalist base will demand payback and the Bush administration and its cohorts will respond in kind. They will push for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and civil unions; seek to criminalize a woman's right to choose; funnel more public funds to religious groups; and try to further erode the constitutional separation of church and state.

Creating more enemies than they eliminate. In the short-term, having postponed difficult operations in Fallujah and so-called "no-go zones," we face an enormously difficult task of preparing Iraq for elections in January that are unlikely to meet international standards as free and fair. Having admitted no mistakes in Iraq, it is doubtful that the president will be able to attract greater international support for Iraq. In this regrettable environment, Iraq will remain a terrorist safe haven and recruiting tool.

Dismantling of the social safety net and more tax policies for the wealthy. On the economic front, the president's people have already promised to begin efforts to privatize Social Security and begin attacking the foundations of public education. They will certainly seek to fully eliminate the tax on massive inherited wealth and will seek to permanently shift tax burdens off of capital and investment and onto labor.

Bush Administration's Mounting Fiscal Disaster

November 5, 2004

President Bush said yesterday, "I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it." Translation: President Bush and congressional conservatives plan to drive the country into severe economic distress by permanently extending supply-side tax cuts for the wealthy, privatizing Social Security, and giving more handouts to corporations with no means to pay for these schemes. All of this domestic spending will come on top of potentially hundreds of billions of dollars that will be spent in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Bush and congressional conservatives have promised trillions of dollars in corporate kickbacks and tax cuts for the wealthy. Over the past four years, conservatives spent lavishly on a faulty Medicare drug program, corporate tax subsidies, a bloated farm bill, and multiple rounds of tax handouts to the rich. Now they want to gut Social Security by opening a $2 trillion hole in the retirement program and ensuring billions in handouts to the financial services sector.

They have no intention of paying for these schemes. The days of conservative fiscal hawks are long gone. The current crop of conservative leaders believes it's their duty to capture government resources to dole out as they see fit. They care little if the government falls into bankruptcy or the American economy grinds to a halt. The current situation makes it impossible to properly prepare for the retirement of the baby boom retirement, yet the president has offered no viable solutions to our longer-term fiscal challenges.

The president's corporate backers will be laughing all the way to the bank while American taxpayers will be forced to clean up the mess. Who wins in this scheme? Energy companies, the pharmaceutical industry, health insurers, and the financial services sector all paid lavishly to elect Bush and his cohorts and now expect a return on their investment. But generations of American taxpayers will have to pay to clean up this fiscal disaster long after the president has retired to the ranch.

California: Right-winger angery over passage of stem cell proposition

This email was sent out to all "pro-lifers" and religious conservatives. It is suspected that they are going to move to try and overturn the vote of Californians.
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November 3, 2004 - Wednesday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 3, 2004
CONTACT: Amber Hildebrand, (202) 393-2100

FRC Denounces California Support of Proposition 71

Washington, D.C. - Californians voted yesterday in support of Proposition 71. The deadly legislation will grant the biotech industry and other affiliated researchers the go ahead to receive borrowed taxpayer funds in the amount of $3 billion. With little to no oversight, Proposition 71 requires these funds be used specifically for human cloning and the destruction of human embryos for stem cell research.

"California has voted to support embryonic stem cell research jeopardizing both their moral and financial standing," stated Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council (FRC). For the first time, Californians have voted to use their money to finance highly controversial science that intentionally destroys nascent human life and will likely create cloned embryo farms."

"As a country we cannot afford to let this type of egregious disregard for human life to become common and accepted practice. There is absolutely no ethical or scientific reason for public funding of embryonic stem cell research. The approval of Proposition 71 diverts scarce resources from the successful adult stem cell research, which has already provided thousands of cures," Perkins added.

Lars Larson Explodes On Radio

November 3, 2004
Larson voices anger on air after death threats to wife

Local conservative radio talk show host, Lars Larson, exploded on air Wednesday in response to several death threats against his wife.
"Let's make this deal. Stop threatening my wife. Come and threaten me, so I can just fill you full of bullets. You come threaten me in person. You bring it on, but leave my wife out of this," Lars said in response to the threats to his wife and family.

Larson spoke about how disturbing the calls were on air to listeners, explaining that they brought his wife to tears.

"They said, 'We're going to come and rape your wife to death - we're going to rape her until she bleeds.' If this is offending anybody - good! 'Cause I'm mad," Larson said.

Larson said police have been slow in responding to the threatening phone calls against his wife.

"My wife gets death threats - and I cannot get any help from the cops. Ya' know this is so messed up I cannot believe it." Larson said. "I have been telling the police about this for two weeks and I am not getting any help."

In an interview with KATU, Larson said he carries around a gun for self-defense, and he has a right to protect his family by any means necessary.

"It's the only defense you have to make people afraid of coming after you because I have no other way of protecting my family," he said. "It's not extreme at all."

The phone threats to his wife and family go back one year, after filmmaker Michael Moore publicly aired Larson's cell phone number at a rally in Portland.

Larson's boss said that he stands by Larson's statements on the air.

Full Dialog: Lars Larson speaks about the threats

Oregon Democrats consider Republican gains in U.S.

By DAMIAN MANN

Mail Tribune

With the Oregon Senate now controlled by Democrats, Gov. Ted Kulongoski predicts a better working relationship with the Legislature next year, but a relationship tempered by a more conservative national agenda.

"I don’t think Oregon sits in isolation from the rest of the country," he said. "I think a lot of the tone of our ability to come together is set at the national level."

Ashland Democrat Alan Bates, who won the Senate District 3 race Tuesday night, agreed, but added, "I worry about the national level moving too far to the right."

Bates and Kulongoski reflected on what the Democratic shift in Oregon means with a more conservative U.S. Congress, which is likely to continue with policies affecting everything from the environment to health care. In particular, Congress could side with the president on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage that are a big concern with many Republican voters.

Bates said he’s worried about social programs taking a hit in Oregon and the potential for overturning Roe v. Wade, creating new social problems. "The social changes will be huge," he said.

Kulongoski expects the Legislature will focus on the state’s continuing budget problems and likely will not get sidetracked by other debates.

While many legislators hope education gets enough funding — $5.4 billion — to maintain current service levels, Kulongoski remains skeptical, given escalating costs such as the state’s Public Employee Retirement System.

"They all believe that until they see what’s left on the table," Kulongoski said. "Then they’ll change their minds."

Bates will push for bipartisan committees and for bipartisan leaders of committees to make sure all sides work together on the issues.

"We have a better mix of people," he said. "We’re going to be a lot less partisan."

Bates said he believes the Democrats were successful this election because they provided voters with moderate candidates.

Rep. Dennis Richardson, a Central Point Republican, agreed with some of the sentiments of Kulongoski and Bates, but said, "It is easy for liberals to imply there is a problem when we’re moving to the right."

But he said liberals need to accept the reality that more and more people share fundamental social values.

"It is about: Who is America, what is America and what do we stand for," he said.

Richardson doesn’t predict any more of a shift to the right in the next four years, although he doesn’t think there will be any shift to the left, either.

He said the Legislature’s primary role will be to show constituents how money is allocated and how it’s spent.

"The governor is the person who is in control of how well things work in the Legislature," he said. "The last session we never saw him."

Sen. Jason Atkinson, a Central Point Republican, said the control of the Senate was the direct result of a Democratic plan.

"It’s going to be very difficult" to function in a bipartisan manner, he said. "They (the Democrats) took it because of gerrymandering."

Atkinson, who moved to Central Point from Jacksonville when his district boundaries were redrawn in 2001, said Democrats outspent the Republicans in the various races.

"There is a very calculated plan that the Democrats have had to take control of the Senate," he said. "I think there is going to be a tremendous amount of backlash."

Still, Atkinson said he is optimistic that the Legislature can find some way of working through these differences. "It’s time to show up and go to work," he said.

Bates, referring to Atkinson’s comments about Democrats outspending Republicans, said the Jim Wright campaign outspent him by a 2-to-1 margin.

He pointed out that he was also forced to move from Eagle Point to Ashland as a representative.

"I got hammered too," he said. "I had to move. I was stunned by it."

Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail

OREGON: GOP's Move To Disenfranchise Voters

UPDATE:

GOP distances party from Ore. vote-blocking attempt
02:51 PM PST on Monday, November 1, 2004

By KGW and AP Staff

Oregon Republicans sought to distance the party on Monday from a letter sent by a Portland attorney to Multnomah County's election director that questioned ballots cast by new voters who were not asked to provide identification.....

UPDATE:

While listening today to Lars Larson's off-air dialog, it became apparent that Kevin Mannix would not come on the show and discuss the letter. Lars made several statements to his producer to the fact that Mannix was not being upfront about the letter and that he was ducking out.

I was curious, so I decided to call the OR GOP, pose as a Republican and ask them why Kevin Mannix won't come on the Lars Larson Show to discuss the issue. Joe, at the Oregon Republican Party, told me that neither the party nor Kevin Mannix had anything to do with the letter. Joe said that it was a volunteer for the GOP that decided to take it upon himself and have a letter sent on behalf of the party. I asked Joe if the Oregon Republican Party and/or Kevin Mannix would come out and issue a press release condemning the letter. Joe said that they are investigating the matter and by the end of the day Mannix would make a statement.

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An article appeared yesterday evening in The Oregonian stating that the Oregon GOP and Bush/Cheney Campaign started the process of getting ballots thrown out in one of Oregon's most liberal counties.

THE CHALLENGE

In a letter issued Friday, attorneys for the Oregon Republican Party demanded that officials set aside ballots cast by new voters in Multnomah County who have not provided proof of identification.

PARTISAN MOVE

It is interesting to note that Multnomah County is a strongly Democratic County. Furthermore there has been no other challenges such as this in Baker County or Deshutes which are strongly Republican. Many are suspicious that this is strictly a partisan move by the GOP.

THE LAWYER

The Republican challenge is set out in a letter dated Friday signed by Matthew Lowe, an attorney in the Portland law firm of O'Donnell & Clark, which according to the letter represents the Oregon Republican Party and the Bush-Cheney 2004 re-election campaign. It is addressed to John Kauffman, director of elections in Multnomah County.

MATTHEW D. LOWE
(registered Republican)
Matthew D. Lowe is a graduate of Willamette University's College of Law where he was Associate Editor of the Willamette Law Review. He is licensed to practice law in Oregon and Washington. Matthew's undergraduate degree is from Villanova University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in History in 1991.

From 1993 to 1995, Matthew served as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Bob Packwood where he advised the Senator on various policy issues including banking, housing, urban development, foreign relations and national defense.

During the 1997 Oregon legislative session, Matthew served as chief of staff to Senator Tom Hartung and specifically focused on education policy and analysis with emphasis on charter schools.

His practice areas include for-profit and nonprofit corporate and business law; taxation issues affecting small business and non profit entities; employment matters; and business and real estate.

Matthew has served as a part-time instructor at Mt. Hood Community College teaching a course on hotel, restaurant, and travel law. He has also written several articles for a number of professional and public publications regarding legal issues.

Contact Info:

Matthew D. Lowe
Attorney
1706 NW Glisan Street
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 306-0224

FIRM: O'DONNELL & CLARK

Kelly W.G. Clark
(registered Republican)

Political Activity

Founder and Chairman, Oregon Republican Leadership Institute, 1997 - 2002

Steering Committee or Legal Counsel:
2004 Ballot Measure 36: The Defense of Marriage Amendment
2002 Jack Roberts for Governor Campaign
2002 Rob Kremer for State School Superintendant
1998 Molly Bordonaro for Congress Campaign
1996 Tom Simpson for State Representative Campaign
1994 Craig Berkman for Governor Campaign
1994 Anti-Child Pornography Initiative Campaign

State Representative, Oregon Legislature, 1989 - 1993

http://www.oandc.com/clark_CV.html



Mark O'Donnell


Developing.....



CLIENTS

Interestingly enough, the Republican Party of Oregon isn't listed as a client for O'Donnell & Clark Client List


excerpts from: Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to block thousands of votes

Oregon: Sign vandalism at the County Elections office

This report came from a guy that lives in Portland, Oregon:

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Another local example of Republican antipathy to democracy

About 9:30 tonight, I saw a man ripping down the large "VOTE HERE" signs from the light poles at the Multnomah County Elections office. He had a stack of 2 or 3 other similar signs, and threw them all into the back of his pickup. I was sitting at the light at SE 11th and Morrison waiting for the light to turn. He pulled away from the curb and stopped at the light at 11th and Belmont where I pulled up behind him.

It was a white Toyota Tundra pickup, license plate YCU 964, with Bush/Cheney stickers and a "I'd rather be RIGHT than Politically Correct" bumpersticker.
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A report was filed with the Portland Police and the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office. We will update this story as it develops.....

GOP HOTLINE FOR REPORTING DEMOCRATS

The Minnesota GOP set up a hotline so people can report on Democrats.

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NEGATIVE DEMOCRAT PHONE CALLS

The Democrats and their Third Party attack dogs have begun unprecedented attacks on President Bush in the final days of this election. We want to be able to track these negative and false attacks as much as possible. In order to do that, we have set up a toll free number for you to call and report any messages or phone calls they've received from the Democrats. If you receive a message attacking President Bush, please call (866) 826 9136 and report to us what message you've received. If you receive a voice mail or answering machine message, please save the message as it may become helpful if we need to pursue these false attacks legally. Please forward this email to your volunteers and activists and ask for their help with this as well.