Eastern Oregonian to Merkley: Bend is not Eastern Oregon
Article from the Eastern Oregonian.Merkley snubs Eastern Oregon
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Jeff Merkley recently launched his campaign with an eight-city tour, but the Oregon Republican Party criticized Merkley for not having any stops in Eastern Oregon.
Here is what the Merkley campaign said in response in a news release:
"Perhaps the Oregon Republican Party should check a map of Oregon, which shows that Bend is in fact located east of the Cascade Mountains. Then there was last weekend, when Jeff and a bunch of folks from Team Merkley spent the weekend at the Oregon Summit in Sunriver (near Bend). Interestingly, Sunriver is also east of the Cascades."Well, perhaps Merkley and his staff should check a map. Bend - as Eastern Oregonians well know - is in central Oregon.
Just because something is east of the Cascade Mountains doesn't mean it's in Eastern Oregon. People who are natives of the Portland-metro area or Willamette Valley - and who never leave there - regularly make that mistake.
Merkley could have said he was coming to Eastern Oregon instead of issuing the ignorant statement he did. But his attitude is all too familiar out here.
If he does manage to somehow find his way past Biggs Junction and deeper into Eastern Oregon, no doubt locals will treat him with the respect his campaign apparently doesn't know how to extend.
Merkley could have said he was coming to Eastern Oregon instead of issuing the ignorant statement he did. But his attitude is all too familiar out here.
If he does manage to somehow find his way past Biggs Junction and deeper into Eastern Oregon, no doubt locals will treat him with the respect his campaign apparently doesn't know how to extend.
I hope he does get the nod since that means he won't be able to run for his current seat, that can only be good for the district and this state.
The original OR GOP hit release said he hadn't been "east of the Cascades". It would seem that it's the Oregon GOP that doesn't know that Bend is east of the Cascades.
Meanwhile, funny that y'all should release this hit -- like two weeks after the state party did -- on the day AFTER Merkley announced his Eastern Oregon tour.
http://www.jeffmerkley.com/2007/10/jeff_merkley_fo_1.php
Y'all trying to look incompetent, or is it an accident?
Can you say botched?
That said, while I personally disagree vehemently with Merkley's political ideology, it is his almost total lack of leadership ability that singularly disqualifies him from effectively representing Oregon in the U.S. Senate. Had the business at hand been less serious, his management of the Oregon House during the 2007 session would have been laughable at best.
The stark political reality is that he doesn't need the Eastern Oregon hillbilly vote to get elected - but the even bolder reality is that he is demonstrably incapable of representing the urban folks who do elect him.