Tonight at our UniServ Council meeting we had call-ins from two of our Senate hopefuls, Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick. We will have a tough choice to make at our PIE Convention March 7-8 in Salem!
Jeff called first tonight. He is every bit the skilled politician. By that, I mean that he is smooth and knows what to say. He has real substance and some great ideas. He would be an excellent advocate for education in Washington, D.C. and he has done good things for us here in Oregon as our House Speaker. I'll be watching him during the upcoming legislative session to see how he is able to handle the partisanship that has been so difficult for us in Oregon.
Steve also had great things to say. He is a renegade, an upstart, but he has enough political experience under his belt to prove that he can get things done. He has an amazing ability to pull coalitions together and has helped to defeat our foe, Bill Sizemore, on BM 91. His ideas about health care are interesting and the concept that by having everyone insured there will be more money for education (to say nothing for having healthier kids!) are worth considering. The question is, will he be able to build a coalition and get things done in Washington as a freshman senator?
I'm still on the fence about who to support in March. These are both great candidates and would give Gordon Smith a run for his money. Like many of you I'll be watching and listening between now and March 7 to get more details!
1 comment:
The US Senate race in Oregon will be very interesting. Gordon Smith has attempted to play the moderate card and will draw votes from the middle. I predict Jeff Merkley will win the Democrat primary due to his experience and name recognition. Steve Novick is a strong contender and an all around good guy, however, he must overcome a lack of name recognition.
The OEA PIE Convention will be a great place to meet the candidates. An OEA recommendation will go a long way towards helping the candidate we choose win the election.
If any OEA members need help at the PIE Convention, be sure to seek out Judy T. for assistance. Judy is a trusted veteran of OEA PIE and is a savvy player in the Oregon political field. I know I will consult with Judy when I get to the Convention. See you there.
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