Changing Face of Oregon at the DNC?

Jesse Cornett

[Editor's Note, 11/29: The comments to this post now include posts by candidates Jenny Greenleaf and Mary Botkin. Originally published 11/27.]

Next Saturday the Democratic Party of Oregon is going to choose representatives to the Democratic National Convention. Mary Botkin, a lobbyist for AFSCME, is the current DNC Committeewoman and Wayne Kinney of LaGrande, who in his official capacity works for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, is currently the DNC Committeeman (the State Party Chair and Vice-Chair also serve on the body, as does Gail Rasmussen, one of the nearly 200 out of 450 seats that are appointed by the DNC Chair).

Jenny Greenleaf is campaigning to unseat Botkin, who has held the position for multiple four-year terms. So far nobody has announced their intention to run against Wayne, who is just finishing up his first term, yet there have been rumblings.

Anyone have thoughts for Mary, Wayne, Jenny, and anyone else who steps into the fray?

  • LT (unverified)
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    Best of luck, Jenny!

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    Why is Greenleaf running against Botkin?

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    Let's hope she takes your invitation and lets us know....

  • Aaron (unverified)
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    The clash of the old guard vs. the new guard.

  • Marcello (unverified)
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    I am not sure why the election of the DNC delegates is on the agenda at this meeting, since according to he DPO bylaws (Article 8 Section 3 )

    "The Democratic National Committee Members shall be elected at the Organizational Meeting following a Presidential Election year."

    And I am pretty sure that this is not going to be the organizational meeting, since many counties are still working on electing the delegates to the DPO central committee. And it would be too early anyway, according to the bylaws (Article 6, section 2):

    "The initial meeting of a newly-elected State Central Committee shall be known as the organizational meeting. It shall be called by the retiring State Chair, or as provided by statute, and shall be held not earlier than fifty-five (55) and not later than seventy-five (75) days after a general election for the purpose of organizing and electing officers."

  • Wayne Kinney (unverified)
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    Marcello has a sharp eye. The bylaws were changed in May, moving the DNC members' election to the fourth quarter of a presidential election year, in order to comply with DNC rules. The officers of the DPO (chair, etc.) are elected at the organizational meeting, in a time frame set by state law. The DPO had traditionally elected its DNC members in the fourth quarter of the presidential year, but it was changed in 2000 to have the DNC members and the DPO officers elected at the organizational meeting. The first and only time that happened was in 2001. The DNC informed the DPO that it was out of complaince last spring, and the DPO voted in May to put the DNC member elections back where they used to be. Unfortunately, the DPO website hasn't been updated with the new bylaws. I've been pestering them about it, and I'm sure the updated bylaws will be up soon.

  • Christy (unverified)
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    I think Mary and Jenny are both great...I really do not get why they are running against eachother. Maybe because Jenny is not "establishment"?

    More info needed :).

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    Tell us about Jenny Greenleaf and Wayne Kinney. Strengths/weaknesses. Thanks.

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    Mary, Jenny... Feel free to use this space to tell us about your candidacies, why you're running, what your goals are, etc.

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    Hi all. Sounds like I need to explain myself a bit! Thanks for the opportunity, Jesse.

    I'm running for DNC for several reasons. They fall into categories: I want the DNC to do more to nurture its grassroots. I want to be there when a new chair is elected. I want the DNC to refine and update its message. I think the party needs to change.

    Grassroots organizing is my passion. I think that the DNC can do more to help the state and county parties. While I'm under no illusion that I can wave a magic wand and shower the local parties with money, I do think that I can work with others to enable the party to provide assistance. Here are some of the areas where I think the DNC can help:

    1) Training. We had to invent basic training for precinct people and canvassers. It took awhile, and it was some time before it reached a level that I'd consider professional. We did it, though, and I'd like to see that training refined and spread to other states. It's not expensive to copy CDs! We also need training materials and programs for people who become state chairs, run committees, and manage volunteers.

    2) Technology infrastructure. The basic email and database tools the DPO used this election cycle were primitive. Since so much open-source development has been done, it makes sense for the DNC to champion some of the better efforts dedicated to activist organization and make them available at no or low cost to state and local parties. Every state and county party shouldn't have to invent their own technology. Good solutions exist (the Dean and Kerry sites were good examples). Even the smallest county parties need basic databases and the ability to communicate to their members using email.

    3) Bridging the rural-urban divide. The party has to learn to speak to the needs of rural Americans. We've lost many of them, and we shouldn't have. I think that the DNC provides a forum for discussion among us all to help refine our message and make the party relevant to more rural voters. There are Democrats in every part of the country--let's help them grow rather than writing off whole states.

    A new chair will soon be elected to head the DNC. While the chair doesn't determine direction on his or her own, the chair has a tremendous amount of power. Much of that is because the chair gets to appoint nearly half the members of the DNC! Wayne should post something about the rules change he's supporting that will reduce that number.

    I support a chair who is progressive, media-savvy, and grassroots-oriented, preferably with some fire in the belly. This year's election proved that we can fund election campaigns with small-dollar donations. We're never going to win the race for corporate funds, and while I believe that they have their place, I'd much rather we put the focus on people rather than corporations. The people who have been suggested for chair have differing views on this issue. I should also state that I am no fan of the DLC. I don't think Republican-lite is a winning formula.

    I also want a chair who fights back hard. We know that the Republicans give no quarter. While I don't want to get in the mud, we need people who are articulate, media-savvy, and not easily bullied to represent the Democrats on the airwaves.

    The DNC also needs to update and refine its message. We're obviously not cutting through, since many Americans continue to vote against their own economic interests. We need to rebrand the Democratic image, simplify the message, and connect with the grassroots. I am not a marketing wizard, but there are lots of them out there, and we need to tap their expertise. Being truthful and earnest is not enough.

    I believe that we're not explaining ourselves clearly enough. We have a year, at most, to understand what messages do appeal and to learn to frame our arguments better. (I hope all of you have read at least some of George Lakeoff's work.) I think some committed folks at the DNC level can orchestrate this effort with lots of input from the grassroots.

    I also think the party needs to change. I believe this needs to happen both from the bottom up and from the top down. I've been working at the grassroots level, and I want to move up to the national party to help facilitate change at the upper levels as well.

    The party needs to be revitalized. Many state and county parties are mere shadows of their former selves. We need to make it "cool" to be a Democrat. I think that this past year saw much turnaround, but we need to take advantage of the momentum to continue organizing. We need to attract people who want to work and who will dedicate their skills.

    I often hear people talk about "the Democrats, they need to..." I'm asking people to start thinking about who the Democrats are. It's not a mysterious "they", it's us. It's our party, and what happens to our party is up to us. I'm running for DNC because I want to build the party and make it strong again. The values of the people running our government are NOT my values. I want our side to win.

    I've posted my campaign letter on my personal website. This is the letter I sent to the members of the state central committee who vote for DNC committee members. It talks a bit more about my background and political efforts.

    Please continue with comments and questions. I'm happy to answer them and will be monitoring this topic.

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    Thank you Jenny for providing more information. How can Dems help you?

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    The people who vote for the DNC committee members must be members of the Democratic Party of Oregon's State Central Committee. Those folks are elected by county parties. At the meeting on Dec. 4, Mary and I make 5-minute speeches and the election occurs. Pretty simple after what we've all be through in the past few months!

    If you know anyone on the state central committee, you can put in a good word for me. Other than that, the only thing I can think of is providing me with good talking points about the needs and concerns of Democrats outside Multnomah County.

    If I can get elected, I'll have lots of ideas how you can help. Oregon has been very innovative, and we obviously did some things right. We did develop standardized, customizable training; the email newsletter I wrote for 31 weeks successfully got volunteers to many campaigns, our house party team was second only to California in dollars raised, I think. In addition, our vote-by-mail system has very few problems, yet we have the highest turnout in the nation. We need to spread these ideas to the rest of the country. (Adopt Idaho, anyone?)

    I also think we have an excellent laboratory right here in Oregon for addressing the rural/urban split.

  • Dale Thompson (unverified)
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    A few words about Wayne Kinny from the vicechair of Gilliam County Democrats (an endangered but surviving species). My hope is that Wayne will be reelected as DNC Commiteeman. I won't repeat all the good things that Wayne has done for the DPO in the last few years because you already know or can easily find out what they are and how effective he has been. I would rather talk about what he has done specifically for Dems on our side of 'the great divide.' Wayne has done an excellent job of getting many of us who have been kind of sitting on the sidelines more involved the DPO through his personal contact and encouragement.
    Though I was born and raised 'in the valley' (that's our way of saying the other side of the mountains) I have lived over here long enough to learn that people over here do view the world from quite a different perspective and feel that our views are not often addressed in Democratic circles. Wayne not only understands that but has worked diligently to change that. He has gone to extra lengths to keep us informed of things going on around the state and nationally. Indeed I will also say that the DPO has made a much greater effort in the last couple of years to support and involve us in the work of the DPO and I give Wayne a lot of credit for that. I'm just sorry that I won't be able to make it to the meeting in Portland this Saturday (I have a job). I want him to continue his good work for us, for the DPO and for the national Democratic party. Wayne Kinney deserves to be reelected. Dale Thompson Condon, OR

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    A Quick Message to our DNC Candidates:

    It's more clear than ever that Howard Dean had the right method and the right message against Bush--- both were adopted from him by the eventual candidates, Kerry and Edwards, but not strongly enough. I would hope that our next DNC delegates have a very clear understanding of Howard Dean and his importance to our Party's base. The old rules of conciliation and triangulation simply do not apply. We must revolutionize our approach and, hopefully, promote Howard Dean to DNC Chair.

    Moreover, the grassroots networks Dean created are not to be treated like a glorified ATM! Our ideas and efforts should be tapped to create and implement the new D party infrastructure. Also, give no ground on moral values (R policies and execution are morally bankrupt!) and finally, do NOT, by ANY MEANS, move to the right!

    Thanks Blue Oregon! I feel much better now! And Good Luck, Jenny! Democracy for Oregon is right behind you. And Good Luck Wayne, especially if our guy decides to run :-)! Seriously, I respect and admire the hard work of all our candidates --- it's just that we want progressive action, and we want it now. No more Mr. Nice Guy or Gal(D-OR), okay?

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    Here's a question I should know the answer to but don't: Are party meetings such as this upcoming one closed, or open to the public and/or media?

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    Open! Thank goodness. I would be so pissed if the Democratic Party of Oregon didn't make decisions like this out in the open.

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    All party meetings are open to the public, although not necessarily to the media. You can find info on the meeting and directions at www.dpo.org.

    If you want to come as a member of the media, why don't you check with Neel Pender at neel (at) dpo.org.

  • Aaron (unverified)
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    Jesse, don't blow a major vein or artery.

    I think that Kari or others on the board that knows Mary; should invite her to post her platform and idealogy of being a DNCwoman, to be fair and unbaised.

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    If they are open to the public, I'm not sure how they even could be closed to the media. Open is open.

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    Aaron, I've both posted a note earlier in this comment thread to both Jenny & Mary - and also emailed Mary inviting her to post her thoughts. Thanks for the heads-up.

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    Why would I blow a vein over that (though I thought I might over actually getting the advance post up)? I emailed everyone named in the post and more as an FYI. Hopefully Mary will get that email when she gets to work tomorrow and hop on (if not I may give her a quick call and tell her to take a look so she can comment, should she choose).

  • Aaron (unverified)
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    Jesse, I was stating not to blow a vein from your post stating: "I would be so pissed if the Democratic Party of Oregon didn't make decisions like this out in the open."

    Kari, Thanks. I just want to see open dialog from so the only 2 women running for that position.

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    It's great to see such interest out there! For many years, there hasn't been much of a contest for these positions.

  • Mary Botkin (unverified)
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    I have never done this before so I apologize ahead of time for the length. It is hard to boil down 20 years into a single pithy paragraph. Please read on at your leisure.

    Taking stock of what one has achieved as an elected official of the Party is an opportunity to both look back at accomplishments and look forward to what is left to do.

    Let's take a look forward before we revisit the past. Here, in my view, are our top five goals for the immediate future:

    1. Elect a new Chair. This is the first thing the DNC must do. The new Chair needs to exemplify the moral fiber of the Party and its members — all of its members — not just the "blue states" but the red ones as well. This person must show a proven ability to heal the country and the Party. I look forward to doing that as your DNC woman.

    2. Revitalize and maintain ties to young voters. Nowhere in the U.S. has anyone shown a better example of how to motivate young voters than we have in Oregon through our innovative Bus Project. Young voters are our future and must be brought into the leadership of our party. It is through internal organizations like the College Democrats and Young Democrats that we can continue to provide the kind of training camps necessary for this to happen. I have consistently worked with these organizations in mentoring and training programs to assist in promoting their leadership. This work has resulted in their leaders becoming executive directors of state parties, full-time staff people for Congressional and state elected officials and professional political positions. I am currently working on — and intend to continue expanding my efforts — to address the specific needs of minority youth through the ethnic caucus structures respecting their elected leadership.

    3. Prioritize training. I have worked with the Training Department of the DNC to expand training opportunities and advancements at all regional and national meetings. As one of the original "partners" for our own Voter File project, I made sure our model was utilized at several meetings as an innovative and valuable tool for all state parties. Because of this effort more state parties now own and operate their own Voter File and have broken their dependence on outside "vendors" for voter information. I intend to continue promoting the Oregon model as a viable alternative to expensive voter information that must be re-purchased by the candidates each election cycle.

    4. Emphasize "grass roots." Grass roots organizing began with the Labor Movement. I am a graduate of the Midwest Academy on Organizing for Power. I am a student of the Labor Movement and numerous organizing campaigns. I started organizing grass roots efforts with Oregon Fair Share, the New American Movement and DSOC. I followed the teachings of Saul Alinsky and Bill Whipisinger starting in the 1960s on through the '80s till now. When others promised hundreds, I promised 10 volunteers — and mine came. When others promised to train their volunteers, mine already were trained. Grass roots isn't just a "term of art" for me — it is a way of life. It is what makes my union one of the strongest and most respected in Oregon. It is why in the last days of the election we were able to call other states. One of my proudest moments was when I chaired Women for Clinton - set up the location - expecting 30-50 women -- over 200 showed up--ready to voluteer and work hard. Being re-elected to the DNC simply allows me to continue to do what I have been doing most of my life: organizing, motivating and disseminating volunteers. I want to continue to learn more and do the work on the DNC.

    5. Continue to improve communications. In my tenure on the DNC I have seen us go from tin cans and string to sophisticated, cutting edge technological advancements. We have now built our own office and facility with state of the art television, radio and computer equipment. The DNC is no longer in a position to be held hostage by contractors who profit from our message delivery system. This has been possible through massive fund-raising efforts by every member of the DNC, me included. My greatest accomplishments are being part of the "partners group" that set up the voter file through Astro for use by local central committees and Democratic Campaigns, establishing phone banks with "predictive dialers" for volunteer calls to Democrats and Union members. Our predictive dialers were "leased back" to the Oregon Democratic Party for GOTV calls in Oregon and around the country this year.

    Of course, people will always be the most important component of our Party. Paige Richardson ... Paddy McGuire ... Neel Pender and more — all came to us from inside the "Beltway" years ago and are now considered Oregon's own. John Kerry did not send us a new "staffers" because we already had our own respected professional staff — in-house. We have been successful in developing our own state experts and through the years the National Party has come to respect us for that work. I want to expand on our reputation, credibility and respect through my work on the DNC.

    Like our nation, Democrats are diverse, complicated, opinionated and complex. No single message works for all and no single strategy fits in every area. The Oregon delegation has great ideas, good experiences and some tremendous successes. Still, we must be careful as we share not to sound arrogant or self-important. I have built relationships over the years with delegates from every state. We have shared ideas, strategies and messages. Some have worked; others have not. We are still learning about our challenges. Urban - rural splits are one of my top priorities. As staff for a state-wide Union I face this challenge every day at work. I don't have the answers yet --because like you I too am still learning.

    Historical perspectives come with age and experience. There is room for both youth and vigor and steady, solid experience. I'll admit I can no longer claim "youth." But I continue to combine vigor with steady and solid experience.

    In 1980, I became a precinct committeeperson and continue to serve in that capacity. For several years I served as District Leader for House District 14. Over the last 25 years, I have served my national, state and local party faithfully.

    When I was first elected to the DNC, the Oregon Committeewoman had moved to California and refused to resign until after the 1988 convention. This left Oregon with only three representatives on the DNC. I was outraged, and made a promise to make a difference for our state. At my first meeting, I diligently attended the Women's Caucus expecting to see strong leadership and great guidance from national women leaders. Instead, I found a caucus with no leadership ... no money (in fact over $2,500 in debt) ... no direction ... and no plan for the future. I gave them two more meetings and then decided to run as the Chair of the National Women's Caucus of the DNC. I won a hard-fought election against Congresswoman Ruth Rudy with the active support of DNC Chair Ron Brown and Congresswoman Bella Abzug.

    That election launched my 6-year tenure as Chair. I was proud to be able to appoint women from around the United States to serve on the national board. Under my leadership, this board took on the monumental task of researching, writing, publishing and distributing a national Gender Gap Report which outlined talking points for candidates on women's issues. We were able to raise sufficient funds for this project from union and private sources — this project was done completely by Oregon women from the research to the final printing and national distribution at the 1992 Convention. We successfully raised over $45,000.

    As a DNC Executive Committee member, and in addition to my activities with the Women's Caucus, I worked closely with Black and Latino caucuses and was instrumental in establishing the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus.

    Prior to my tenure as Chair, women were NOT equally represented on the floor of the National Conventions in clear violation of DNC rules — but no one had ever bothered to demand enforcement of the rules in the past. After lengthy discussions with my board we determined that we would refuse to seat two state delegations because of their lack of compliance with the gender balance rule. Those states were then forced to "re-balance" their delegations to meet the 50-50-gender balance rule. We joined with other ethnic caucuses to force the DNC to abide by their own rules and "goals" for a balanced delegation from every state. When I chose not to seek re-election, one of my board members, Susie Turnbull, ran for the vacancy. I was able to turn the Women's Caucus over with goals, credibility, great women leaders and a healthy bank account of over $50,000. Today the Caucus Chair is Mame Riley from Virginia another of my original board members.

    When the DNC tried to disqualify Oregon's delegation because of our groundbreaking vote-by-mail system, I and the other members of your DNC leadership organized Congressional members and major donors to amend the DNC rules so that our state delegation could participate and be full voting delegates at the 2000 Convention.

    For the last 20 years I have been committed to the needs of working families. As a member of AFSCME Council 75's political department and Local 2346 (Tillamook County), I have had the honor of being senior staff in the political program and hold the distinction of being the senior labor lobbyist at the Capitol in Salem.

    My employment has given me the opportunity to actively work on issues most important to the Democratic Party and myself. These issues include: equality in the workplace ... pay equity and equal pay laws ... increases in minimum wage ... the Oregon Health Plan and heath care policies ... injured workers rights ... tax policies ... rights for the mentally ill and retarded ... equal housing ... usury controls ... and campaign finance laws. I'm personally proudest of my work on establishing Martin Luther King's birthday as an Oregon state holiday.

    This last election was one of the most exciting I've worked on in many years. The involvement of so many young and energetic people has given me hope for the future. We have every reason to be proud of the innovative Bus Project and I'm personally pleased that I and other active AFSCME Democrats were able to convince our union to provide badly needed start-up money. While all the new people involved encourage me, I feel I still have much to offer and with George W. Bush unfortunately still in the White House, my experience and national network is vital to our future success.

    As your DNC committeewoman, I will work to strengthen the caucus system within the Party structure. I will continue to encourage and empower our future leaders. I will utilize all the resources at my disposal to win back the U.S. House and Senate in 2006 and the White House in 2008. I have served Oregon well and ask that you support my re-election.

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    Inside the Beltway? Come on. Neel's from Virginia (I think) - which is close; Paige is from West Virginia; and Paddy's from Alaska (which couldn't be further away). Quite the insiders. Way to bridge the "Oregon vs. Everyone Else" divide.

    Here's what I've heard: Mary has a reputation as a bully; Jenny has a reputation as a hard worker. That said, both Mary and Jenny have always been nice to me. As for the super title of Oregon's rep to the DNC - seems like the main duty is a vote for the chair and the main perk is an automatic ticket to the convention. Good luck to them both!

  • Rorovitz (unverified)
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    I totally disagree with Anne. Mary doesn't have a reputation of being a bully. She has the reputation of being a belligerent bully. Sheesh, get it right.

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    I want to correct a couple of details, some of which I posted erroneously.

    1) The chair of the DNC actually appoints 75 members of the committee, not 200. Still, this is a major source of power and patronage and skews the committee. There's a move afoot to reduce that number to 25 through a rules change. Many members are appointed from other organizations. For example, the leaders of the Young Democrats and the Democratic Conference of Mayors are automatic delegates. If you're interested in who serves on the committee, the composition can be found in the bylaws:

    http://www.democrats.org/about/ (look for Resources, then click on Charter and Bylaws to get the pdf file)

    2) The position for DNC committeeman has been contested frequently in the past decade. The position for committeewoman has not been contested since 1992.

    I think that while the DNC has been a bit of a rubberstamp organization in the past decade, many members and wannabe members want to change its direction to a more activist body. I'm all for that. Too many decisions get made by Washington consultants. If we want to understand what plays well in rural areas, we need to listen to the people who live there.

    I'm pretty good with rounding people up and getting them excited to make changes and much my work with the state party and Multnomah County party has involved just that. There's a huge amount of talent out there that we can bring to bear on revitalizing the party. It just needs encouragement, leadership, focus, and hard work.

    If I win, I look forward to meeting people from other states to understand best practices and how techniques developed elsewhere can best be modified to work well in other areas. I want to see practical assistance to state and local parties. While the DNC has done some regional training, it seems to whip in, do the training and leave. I'm more interested in teaching people how to fish: to give them the materials and techniques to pass on the knowledge and to practice what's taught.

  • Mary Botkin (unverified)
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    A belligerent bully-um? That is a new one me - I have heard a lot of things over the years but never that. I guess if you call strong views - open opposition - never backing down from an honest fight being bully or a belligerent bully then I am guilty. Cause sometimes you have to bully you way through a crowd to get heard. I thought those were strengths - I guess some view them a weaknesses. I'm struly sorry to those who have felt bullied or belligerently bullied by me.

  • Mary Botkin (unverified)
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    Thought this might help all of you in your discussions. Here are the "official" duties as adopted by the 2004 Convention and outlined in the DNC Charter.

    Charter

    ARTICLE ONE

    The Democratic Party of the United States of America

    The Democratic Party of the United States of America shall:

    Section 1. Nominate and assist in the election of Democratic candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States

    Section 2. Adopt and promote statements of policy;

    Section 3. Assist state and local Democratic Party organizations in the election of their candidates and the education of their voters;

    Section 4. Establish standards and rules of procedure to afford all members of the Democratic Party full, timely and equal opportunities to participate in decisions concerning the selection of candidates, the formulation of policy, and the conduct of other Party affairs, without prejudice on the basis of sex, race, age (if of voting age), color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, ethnic identity or physical disability, and further, to promote fair campaign practices and the fair adjudication of disputes. Accordingly, the scheduling of Democratic Party affairs at all levels shall consider the presence of any religious minorities of significant numbers of concentration whose level of participation would be affected;

    Section 5. Raise and disburse monies needed for the successful operation of the Democratic Party;

    Section 6. Work with Democratic public officials at all levels to achieve the objectives of the Democratic Party; and

    Section 7. Encourage and support codes of political ethics that embody substantive rules of ethical guidance for public officials and employees in federal, state and local governments, to assure that public officials shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner that reflects creditably upon the office they serve, shall not use their office to gain special privileges and benefits and shall refrain from acting in their official capacities when their independence of judgement would be adversely affected by personal interest or duties.

    CHARTER ARTICLE THREE Democratic National Committee

    Section 1. The Democratic National Committee shall have general responsibility for the affairs ofthe Democratic Party between National Conventions, subject to the provisions of this Charter andto the resolutions or other actions of the National Convention. This responsibility shall include:

    (a) issuing the Call to the National Convention; (b) conducting the Party's Presidential campaign; (c) filling vacancies in the nominations for the office of President and Vice President; (d) formulating and disseminating statements of Party policy; (e) providing for the election or appointment of a Chairperson, five Vice Chairpersons, three of whom shall be of the opposite sex of the Chairperson, one of whom shall be the President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs and one of whom shall be the Vice Chairperson for Voter Registration and Participation, a Treasurer, a Secretary, a National Finance Chair and other appropriate officers of the National Committee and for the filling of vacancies; and (f) all other actions necessary or appropriate in order to carry out the provisions of this Charter and the objectives of the Democratic Party.

    Section 2. The Democratic National Committee shall be composed of:

    (a) the Chairperson and the highest ranking officer of the opposite sex of each recognized state Democratic Party; (b) two hundred additional members apportioned to the states on the basis set forth in Article Two, Section 5(a) of the Charter, consistent with the full participation goals of Sections 3 and 4 of Article Eight of the Charter; provided that each state shall have at least two such additional members; (c) the Chairperson of the Democratic Governors' Association and two additional governors, of whom, to the extent possible, at least one shall be of the opposite sex of the Chairperson, as selected by the Association; (d) the Democratic Leader in the United States Senate and the Democratic Leader in the United States House of Representatives and one additional member of each body, who, to the extent possible, shall be of the opposite sex of, and appointed by, the respective leaders; (e) the Chairperson, the five Vice Chairpersons, the National Finance Chair, the Treasurer, and the Secretary of the DNC; (f) the Chairperson of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors and two additional mayors, at least one of whom shall be of the opposite sex of the Chairperson, as selected by the Conference; (g) the President of the Young Democrats of America and two additional members, at least one of whom shall be of the opposite sex as the President, as selected by the organization biennially in convention assembled; (h) the Chairperson of the Democratic County Officials and two additional county officials, at least one of whom shall be of the opposite sex as the Chairperson, as selected by the organization; (i) the Chairperson of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and two additional state legislators, at least one of whom shall be of the opposite sex as the Chairperson, as selected by the Committee; (j) the Chairperson of the National Democratic Municipal Officials Conference and two additional municipal officials, at least one of whom shall be of the opposite sex as the Chairperson, as selected by the Conference; (k) the President of the National Federation of Democratic Women and two additional members selected by the Federation; (l) the President of the College Democrats of America and the Vice President, who shall be of the opposite sex, as elected by the organization annually; (m) the Chairperson of the National Association of Democratic State Treasurers and the Vice Chair who shall be of the opposite sex, as selected by the Association; (n) the Chairperson of the National Association of Democratic Lieutenant Governors and the Vice Chair who shall be of the opposite sex, as selected by the Association; (o) the Chairperson of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State and the Vice Chair who shall be of the opposite sex, as selected by the Association; (p) the Chairperson of the Democratic Attorneys General Association and one additional attorney general who shall be of the opposite sex of the Chairperson, as selected by the Association; (q) the Chairperson of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Committee, who is not otherwise a member of the Democratic National Committee and one additional member, who shall be of the opposite sex, as selected by the Coordinating Committee; (r) the Chairperson of the National Democratic Seniors Coordinating Council, who is not otherwise a member of the Democratic National Committee and one additional member, who shall be of the opposite sex, as selected by the Coordinating Council; (s) additional members as provided in Article Nine of this Charter. No more than seventy-five additional members of the Democratic National Committee may be added by the foregoing members. Section 3. Members of the Democratic National Committee apportioned to the states and those provided for in Article Eleven who are not otherwise members by virtue of Party office, shall be selected by each state Democratic Party in accordance with standards as to participation established in the Bylaws of the Democratic Party for terms commencing on the day the National Convention adjourns and terminating on the day the next Convention adjourns. Such members shall be selected during the calendar year in which a National Convention is held, through processes which assure full, timely and equal opportunity to participate. Vacancies shall be filled by the state party as provided in the Bylaws. The members of the National Committee from each state shall be divided as equally as practicable between committeemen and committeewomen. Members of the Democratic National Committee who serve by virtue of holding public or Party office shall serve on the Committee only during their terms in such office. Members of the Democratic National Committee added by the other members shall serve a term that runs coterminously with the Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee, through the election of the new Chairperson, and until their successors are chosen; members in this category shall have the right to vote for the new Chairperson. Members of the Democratic National Committee who serve by virtue of holding state Party office shall be selected by such parties in accordance with standards as to participation established in Bylaws. Section 4. The Bylaws may provide for removal of members of the Democratic National Committee for cause by a two-thirds vote of the National Committee and may also require continued residence in the jurisdiction represented by the member and affirmative support for the Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees as a condition of continued membership thereon. The Bylaws may further provide for a minimum level of attendance at National Committee meetings for Democratic National Committee members. The Bylaws may establish that any member of the Democratic National Committee who misses three consecutive meetings of the Democratic National Committee has failed to meet the minimum level of attendance and is deemed to have resigned from the Democratic National Committee. Section 5. The Democratic National Committee shall meet at least once each year. Meetings shall be called by the Chairperson, by the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee, or by written request of no fewer than one-fourth of the members of the Democratic National Committee.

  • (Show?)

    For what it's worth, I'll say this: As a Democrat, I am absolutely sure you could not go wrong with either one of these women representing Oregon at the National Committee.

    Jenny did yeoman's work for Oregon for Dean and across the board - I saw that with my own eyes. I've never spent an election season volunteering, without hearing her name associated with a campaign somewhere, and from what I could see, her campaigns usually won. She's motivated, organized, and willing to fight, I think.

    For her part, I've seen Mary at County Democratic Precinct Committee, and I've definitely heard her name - usually at the top of a roster of State Delegates, National Delegates, important committees in County. Mary's experienced, tenacious, and smart, I think.

    However the vote comes down, Oregon could do a lot worse than either of these women.

    And I fervently hope that whoever 'loses' this 'race' wins an equally-important post in our State Committee. Maybe then we could make some progress in not only bridging the urban/rural divide, but also closing the ever-broadening gulf between labor and small business.

  • Steve Bucknum (unverified)
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    I am a rural Democrat. I have the issues of a rural Democrat. When I got a flier from Mary Botkin about her run for re-election, I sent her a letter to address my concerns as a rural Democrat. Weeks have passed with no response. Finally, I got a call from a Bill asking if I would vote for Mary at the Dec. 4th meeting.

    How could I possibly vote for her, she hasn't responded. 20 minutes later Mary is on the phone, and gives me her email address, which was oddly lacking on her flier, so I had sent me letter to her mailing address.

    It is now a day later, and I haven't heard from Mary.

    By contrast, Jenny Greenleaf called me up the other night and asked my opinion of how the Democratic Party could get more support in the "red" rural part of Oregon. We talked for 30 minutes about this.

    I think I know how I'm voting Saturday.

    Steve Bucknum

  • (Show?)

    Steve,

    You are seriously going to make a decision of this magniture based on one delayed response & a missing e-mail address?

    Do you think that's really fair? Maybe you should give Mary another chance. I'm glad Jenny was so responsive & I think either candidate would do a good job.

    I think that Mary deserves your ear as much as Jenny does - despite the oversight. Both of them seem to have great ideas, good intentions, & a firm understanding of where our party needs to go.

    For what it's worth, I admire Mary's efforts to connect to younger party members via new methods & approaches (ie, blogs, e-mail) that some of us often taken for granted (esp when it comes to their use by folks of another generation).

  • (Show?)

    In re: to the bully comment. Is that really appropriate to even put out there in this forum?

    I thought the whole point of this post is to give BOTH candidates an equal chance to be heard, not to call one of them names (either directly or by inference).

    I have to say I liked Mary's response. I think the DNC could use someone who's persistent & strong-willed. Isn't that what we want in our Dem candidates? Wasn't Kerry endlessly put down for being too measly-mouthed & weaselish (not that I necessarily agreed with that assessment).

    So, I must ask: why would you want that in a candidate but not in a party representative?

    I'd personally want someone who fights like hell for their beliefs as if they had nothing to lose by standing up for them (vs. someone whose overly concerned with their personal reputation & how they are perceived by others)...w/in reason, of course.

    Good luck to you both...I wish this whole thing didn't take such a nasty turn all of a sudden.

    We are all Democrats/progressives after all... so perhaps we should keep the generation power battles & turf wars to a minimum.

  • (Show?)

    I don't want this to be a nasty campaign! I honor and respect the work that Mary has done over the years. I do think, however, that it's time for change.

    The DNC is at a crossroads. There's a lot of talk about refocusing the DNC on state parties, grassroots organizing, and connecting with Democrats who don't live in urban areas. Check out this article in The Hill.

    I have been told that experience counts, and I don't discount that. In my professional life, though, I have worked a lot in the area of user interfaces and product usability. There's a golden time in which you can look at a system and see the problems. If you use a system for a long time, you get used to it and no longer have as much insight into why it's hard or uncomfortable to use. I believe that experience can be both a blessing and a handicap.

    I look at the DNC and see what it could be. I'm getting even more ideas from my conversations with people around the state. Win or lose, I'm grateful for the opportunity to talk with these folks. I am gaining much more insight into their issues and hearing thoughtful ideas about how Democrats can win back rural voters.

  • Mary Botkin (unverified)
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    Let me set the record streight. I never recieved Steve's letter - still have not. Did get an e-mail from him last night and responded - last night.

    For whatever reasons I have lost Steve's vote. Maybe it was because I never responded to a letter I never received or because I failed to include my e-mail address in my letter. I thought because I sent everyone an e-mail they woud have my address - silly me - it was a mistake - nothing more nothing less. If that is the reason you will not support me - then all I can say is sorry.

    I thought by particpating in this new Technology called "blogging" I would get to connect to a whole new group of progressive dedicated Democrats that I haven't gotten to know through one-on-one, face-to-face conversations. I have and I am delighted.

    To those who want to call out names or make unsigned and unfounded accusations - well - I sincerely wish you well.

    I am a who I am - a labor negotiator - a Union lobbyist - once a bra burning feminist who belives in gay rights - gay marriages - a womans right to choose - the right of everyone to vote and count every vote - outspoken - honest - pushy and often times aggressive - tax me more - a defender of everyones right to an opinon even if I don't agree - supporter of other yellow dog Democrats who belives that our Party is big enough for everyone and small enough to listen. If you want something different then don't vote for me - but don't call me names either.

    Mary

  • (Show?)

    I can't endorse either of these two ladies due to a split at the domestic level here at Chez Ryan. None the less comments are in order:

    Mary was a huge help to my wife Christine and her efforts during the recent campaign, with Mary representing organized labor and Christine representing small businesses, one might have expected conflict rather than support. Also, to expand on Mary's earlier comments, she was virtually the only member of the state apparatus to actively reach out to the Asian community.

    I can attest to Mary's in-your-face style, but this pot ain't gonna call no kettles black on that topic........I'm a big boy and as one who dishes it out, I can also take it with a smile.

    One caveat here is that the unions have yet to show me the endorsement of personal accountability when it comes to the work ethic. As a lifelong blue collar worker, I have been irritated every time that I've worked in union shops or around union workers. My personal experience has always been of carrying a few connected union boys who are priveleged to do nothing at all due to their positions in the unions. I believe that this is one reason that membership has declined in the blue collar fields outside of government. Likewise when I've called on union officials to get more rank and file members involved in the party, I was basically informed that they have their own system of showing up two months before the election and manning (personing?) the phone banks. For that I should be grateful, and I am. But.....

    Jenny was my go-to girl out here in grassroots land. When she first took up her volunteer post at DPO HQ, I asked that she help with updates of volunteers that were local to the Sandy area and secondarily to Clackamas County. She delivered in spades which is more than I can say for many long time DPO staffers and office holders. She worked hundreds if not thousands of hours with no pay and had a disproportionate positive impact in executing her duties. She is intelligent, articulate, innovative, and responsive.

    <hr/>

    There is a meme that circulates among the party insiders that one must "pay one's dues" before aspiring to party positions. THIS DOES NOT REFER TO MARY IN ANY WAY. It refers rather to a host of hacks who will go unnamed here, but many of whom will without a doubt be occupying the same positions that they now hold when the dust clears in January. This meme is absolutely BS in my book. If by "paying your dues" they mean scheming and clinging to offices within the party without doing a goldurn thing for 30 years, and showing up at a reorganization meeting every two years, I oppose that. If they mean hoarding information for personal positioning rather than freely sharing information for the betterment of the party, I oppose that too.

    To quote the once (and future?) king Jim Edmonson, "The first duty of the Democratic Party is to get Democrats elected to office".

    As an alternate to the state meeting this Saturday, I have already committed my vote if I am awarded the coveted red dot, but we could do way worse than these two candidates.

  • Salvador Peralta (unverified)
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    My name is one of those that has surfaced as one who is interested in running for the DNC Delegate position on Saturday. I wanted to let folks know that if people so move, I will accept the nomination to run for DNC Delegate.

    This has been a difficult decision for me because I have a great deal of respect for Wayne. But I have decided to go ahead with this because I feel a deep sense of obligation to help revitalize the Democratic Party and to do whatever I can to help bring us out of a very dark period in our Nation's history.

    During the last 12 years, under the current Democratic leadership regime, the party has lost 59 seats in the U.S. House and 12 seats in the U.S. Senate. There are now more Republican Governors than Democrat Governors, and in 2000, for the first time since the reconstruction-era, there were more Republicans than Democrats in State Legislatures.

    In the last election, for the first time ever, Democrats raised more money than Republicans in a Presidential race. And that money, our money, was squandered.

    It was squandered by a Democratic Leadership Council helped kill the candidacy of Howard Dean, the first populist candidate to emerge from the Democratic party since Bobby Kennedy in 1968.

    It was squandered by a Democratic Leadership Council that ran a candidate who failed to beat an incumbant President with a 45 percent approval rating and an agenda that a majority of Americans oppose.

    If we cannot reform the Democratic Party now, we may never be able to reform it, and this would be a catastrophic defeat for those who support civil liberties and the public interest.

    In my view, the first step towards reforming the Democratic Party and taking our country back, is to send people to the DNC who will challenge the existing power structure, particularly the Democratic Leadership Council, for control of the party.

    If I am elected, I will spend the next 2 weeks finding 20 delegates who are willing to nominate Howard Dean for DNC Chair should he choose to run. And, more importantly, I will spend the next two months working through the party's back channels to build a progressive voting bloc capable of challenging the DLC regardless of which candidates step up in February.

    I will support efforts to reduce the number of chair appointed committee-persons at the DNC. I will also support the efforts of the Democratic Governor's Association to assert greater control over the party at the expense of our Washington wing of beltway triangulators and back-room strategists.

    A little about myself:

    I am the chairman of the Democratic Party of Yamhill County. I am the director of Democracy's Edge Action Fund, a 501(c)4 non-profit, founded by Harry Lonsdale to help promote progressive political reform in Oregon over the next 10 years. Our executive director, Peter Buckley, is a newly elected State Legislator who was one of the "Dean Dozen" candidates in Oregon.

    I have strong ties to various issues and organizing groups in Oregon, including the Rural Organizing Project, Oregon Peaceworks, our local 1000 Friends chapter and, more recently, the Bus Project. I also have strong ties to our local business community as an active member of the McMinnville Downtown Association, and the Rotary Club. I also serve on the County Parks Board.

    I am the founding editor of ProgressiveTrail.Org, a public interest news and information web site that features top progressive writers including ProgressiveTrail.Org contributors include Arianna Huffington, David Corn, Michael Moore, Kathy Kelly, Juan Cole, Tom Engelhardt, Kurt Nimmo, and others; and am currently developing "Articles of Faith", a monthly print dispatch that is set to launch in February, 2005.

    In case it helps with the decision process, here are a few of my recent articles:

    A Veteran's Sacrifice http://progressivetrail.org/articles/040728Peralta.shtml

    Reclaiming the Democratic Party - Paging Dr. Dean http://www.progressivetrail.org/articles/041115Peralta.shtml

    Corporate Tax Law and the Politics of Greed http://www.progressivetrail.org/articles/041024Peralta.shtml

    Bush's Guard Service and the Right Wing's 60-Minutes Mythology http://www.progressivetrail.org/articles/040911Peralta.shtml

    Results Matter - The Record of George W. Bush http://www.progressivetrail.org/articles/040731Peralta.shtml

    Debate Wrapup - Cheney's Reality Gap http://www.progressivetrail.org/articles/041006Peralta.shtml

    Regards,

    Salvador Peralta

  • Wayne Kinney (unverified)
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    I've been trying to be quiet on this, because the Mary/Jenny race has drawn a lot of interest, and I haven't wanted to intrude on it.

    That situation changed this evening, when Salvador Peralta, the Yamhill County chair, called to tell me that he's going to challenge me.

    Sal's a good person, and is going to be a leader in our Party sooner or later. I believe, however, that my record, experience and the role I have played in the DPO justify my re-election.

    I'm not going to type in yards of verbage -- you can see my website at wkinney.netfirms.com. There, you will find my letter to the central committee members, a list of the things I've done while in the DPO, letters from people who have endorsed me, and the county chairs guide I wrote last fall. If anyone has questions, concerns or comments, I'll be happy to visit with them.

  • (Show?)

    I've waited a long time to chime back in on this subject but wanted to make a few observations. First, I am active in the Democratic Party of Oregon. I’ve never before posted an entry related to Party business, and don’t know if I ever will again. Not to say this post hasn’t been good, in fact I think the comments have been great.

    The original intent of my post was for people to give comments to the candidates – which they have done. All candidates took the time to comment, at my later urging, and the post became sort of a virtual debate for the positions at best, a place where one can find information on all candidates at worst. We’ve discussed everything from bylaws to the candidates, including the announcement of Salvador’s candidacy.

    Unfortunately, I think this format places Mary Botkin at a disadvantage. Jenny is an avid blogger (or at least was at the Democratic Convention). Mary has not been so active in this arena.

    I support Anne’s post, stating what she knew about the candidates but didn’t necessarily like it. It wasn’t glowing for Mary, but she was stating what she’d heard. For some reason, I can’t help but shake the thought that her message was lost by Rorovitz taking it just one step too far. I hope that when this all shakes out, Mary doesn’t hold any ill-will toward Jenny for a slight negative tone against her, since Jenny had nothing to do with that. So to answer Elizabeth’s question, I think the bully comment was fair game. There was no name calling, just people talking about what they’d heard. I don’t think it’s nice but it was fair game.

    Finally I wanted to point out that Wayne's post came in prior to Salvador's, but shows up later due to a technical glitch. I think he's a heck of a gentleman to try to be first to let people know he's got an opponent and to say nice things about him.

  • Steve Bucknum (unverified)
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    Elizabeth,

    Of course one non-response is not the sole basis of how I make up my mind. By the way, Mary still hasn't responded.

    Listen, I don't know if you got the orange colored flier from Mary Botkin over a month ago. My letter to Mary was about this flier. I found it strange, and noted that in her page long flier Mary managed to not once mention anything that pertained to the 97% of Oregon outside of the urban growth boundaries.

    Heck, let me paste my darn letter into this space -

    Dear Ms. Botkin:

    I received the orange flyer indicating that you were running to return as our Democratic National Committeewoman. I have read it, re-read it, put it aside, re-read it again, and finally I am ready to contact you.

    I found your flyer vaguely disturbing. As a rural Democrat, I saw nothing in your flyer than was even remotely sensitive to the 97% of Oregon that exists outside of the urban growth boundaries of our State.

    Instead I see that you like to “drink whiskey, smoke cigarettes, and talk trash”, but you have had to give up the whiskey and cigarettes for health reasons. I’m not sure what to make of that. I suppose that you say things like that to convey to us that you portray some sort of romanticized image of Oregon to the national venue. If this is an attempt to show some sort of rugged frontier image, it fails. If this is some sort of street-wise urban image, it fails to fly in rural Oregon.

    I am of the belief that on the national level we lost the election for two reasons this time. 1) Diebolt helped Bush steal Ohio, and 2) the Democratic Party is completely insensitive to rural America – completely in the dark. In Oregon, I look around and see that if our State Democratic leadership were more sensitive to rural Oregon, we could easily pick up 10 to 20 thousand votes each election cycle. If I could demonstrate Democratic Party sensitivity to rural issues, I could get a thousand more votes right here in little Crook County. Rural Oregon could well be a good place to have a laboratory of experimenting on what would work to change rural voters minds to vote more Democratic.

    So, when I come to vote for the Democratic National Committee seat, I will be looking for rural sensitivity. I thought that I would give you a chance to respond to my concerns prior to the point in time when we hold the election for the position you current hold.

    If you would like my vote to continue to be the “Grand Dame of the Oregon Democratic Party”, I would like you to respond to the following:

    1. What are your thoughts on the key issues affecting rural Oregon that the Democratic Party could use to make a difference in the perception of rural Oregonians of the Democratic Party?

    2. Where do you think the Oregon Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee should stand on the effect of resource issues on those living in rural areas?

    3. Senator Ron Wyden is well regarded throughout rural Oregon for his commitment to visit every Oregon County every year. In Crook County, a heavily Republican County, his vote out performed Kerry’s vote by 25 percentage points. What plans do you have to get out to rural Oregon as our Democratic National Committeewoman?

    4. What would be your core message to the people of rural Oregon should you visit here and speak to our local press?

    I hope to have your answers to these questions prior to the time of the election for your position.

    Sincerely, Stephen C. Bucknum, Chair Crook County Democratic Central Committee

    -- So, please don't think I'm somehow sand bagging Mary Botkin - these are relevant concerns that are the basis of my thinking about the vote on Saturday. So far, Jenny Greenleaf has "passed the test" and shown rural sensitivity. So far, Mary Botkin hasn't responded.

    Steve Bucknum

  • (Show?)

    Jesse, I appreciate the forum. Part of the reason many people are so disconnected from the party is that they don't understand the party itself: who makes decisions, how those people get chosen, and who those people are accountable to. It's a big mystery, and when people start to get involved, they're confused for months just trying to figure it out. It's off-putting, dull, and doesn't help us recruit competent, intelligent people to be active members of the party. Forums like this pull help back the curtain!

    I'm not sure why our party isn't more user-friendly. That's one of the things I want to change. I'm sure there are good reasons why things were set up to be as convoluted as they are, but I'm not sure that serves us well anymore.

    And, breaking news....I have heard that Dominga Lopez is running for DNC Committeewoman. Claire McGee has also expressed interest, but was not sure she could attend the meeting.

    The exciting thing is that so many people want to run for a position that hasn't been contested since 1992. And remember all the people who ran for national convention delegate? It gives me hope that the party really is reviving. Competition makes us stronger, as long as we remember that we're really on the same team after the election is over.

  • Aaron (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Wow, I away from the BlueOregon for a day and it gets interesting. I am glad to see the DNCman position is not going uncontested. I do not like to see critical positions in the party go uncontested. If I were a voting delegate this Saturday, after reading Salvador Peralta's post and links, I would have a very hard choice in-between Sal and Wayne. For the DNCwoman position, it is a lot tougher race since I admire both Jenny's and Mary's work at different angles for and within the party. For the reference of the post of Steve Bucknum--I think that the urban-suburban-exurban-rural divide issue is absolutely the biggest challenge for the DNC members will have to resolve in a quicktime fashion. The questions that have been posted by Steve here are very critical for the urban-suburban-exurban Democrats to think about and remember. Without a doubt, that Oregon's rural Democrats need an equal voice at the table because we, the members of the Democratic Party of Oregon; cannot have an exclusivity mindset based on geography. On building the party with the knowledge that we need to make clear and progressive framework and policies that will work in all areas of the state. However, Ryan's statement of: "There is a meme that circulates among the party insiders that one must "pay one's dues" before aspiring to party positions"—personally, I glad that Ryan came out and stated that. If you desire a position, work damn hard for it and throw the dice.

  • Mary Botkin (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Since Steve seems unable to read the repsonse I sent to him two days ago I have pulled it off my "sent items" file from last night and posted it here.

    Mary, I mailed this letter to the address as show below, as your orange colored flier had no email address on it.

    Steve Bucknum

    Text:

    November 11, 2004

    Mary Botkin

    3215 SE Stark St.

    Portland, OR 97214

    Dear Ms. Botkin:

    I received the orange flyer indicating that you were running to return as our Democratic National Committeewoman. I have read it, re-read it, put it aside, re-read it again, and finally I am ready to contact you.

    I found your flyer vaguely disturbing. As a rural Democrat, I saw nothing in your flyer than was even remotely sensitive to the 97% of Oregon that exists outside of the urban growth boundaries of our State.

    Instead I see that you like to "drink whiskey, smoke cigarettes, and talk trash", but you have had to give up the whiskey and cigarettes for health reasons. I’m not sure what to make of that. I suppose that you say things like that to convey to us that you portray some sort of romanticized image of Oregon to the national venue. If this is an attempt to show some sort of rugged frontier image, it fails. If this is some sort of street-wise urban image, it fails to fly in rural Oregon. [Mary Botkin] wasn't trying to relay anything - it was the Oregonian who said that - I just repeated it.

    I am of the belief that on the national level we lost the election for two reasons this time. 1) Diebolt helped Bush steal Ohio, [Mary Botkin] I sort of agree but waiting till all the investigations are completed - if they ever are - till then I think we have to continue to push vote by mail - since we have less voter fraud than any other state that I can think of.

    and 2) the Democratic Party is completely insensitive to rural America – completely in the dark. In Oregon, I look around and see that if our State Democratic leadership were more sensitive to rural Oregon, we could easily pick up 10 to 20 thousand votes each election cycle. If I could demonstrate Democratic Party sensitivity to rural issues, I could get a thousand more votes right here in little Crook County. Rural Oregon could well be a good place to have a laboratory of experimenting on what would work to change rural voters minds to vote more Democratic.

    So, when I come to vote for the Democratic National Committee seat, I will be looking for rural [Mary Botkin]

    I guess I need more information on the type of sensitivity you are looking for and what issues you see as critical-I am actually interested in listening a little.

    I thought that I would give you a chance to respond to my concerns prior to the point in time when we hold the election for the position you current hold.

    If you would like my vote to continue to be the "Grand Dame of the Oregon Democratic Party", I would like you to respond to the following: [Mary Botkin]

    My sense is - I have made you very cranky by insulting you accidentally. My effort at humor has failed miserably - for that I apologize-it is all I can do.

    1. What are your thoughts on the key issues affecting rural Oregon that the Democratic Party could use to make a difference in the perception of rural Oregonians of the Democratic Party? [Mary Botkin] I work for one of the few truly state-wide unions in Oregon and we represent a cross-section of working Oregonians in rural and urban Oregon. I face these issues everyday in my day job. I don't have any magic solutions for these problems but let me give this a honest shot. Some of the issues as I see them - are:

      Natural resources and endangered species: Our members I believe are pretty mainstream and family conservative on these issues and see the Democrats as totally committed into to a position of locking down all the rural lands. I think our position has more accurately been to "manage" lands in a way that preserves parts and provides for responsible development of some industrialized land set-asides. This is the Gov's position and I pretty much support that position. I have heard more about bear and cougar hunting, spotted owls and leg-hold traps than most. My family were working farmers and timber workers - all of which were either killed on the job or pretty much run out of business by corporate agriculture. Again, our position have been distorted and rumored while our real positions of appropriate and responsible resource management has not been properly reported in media sources and our lack of "new" language that people can "hear" has been lacking. Do we need to do better? - You bet- Can we do better? - We have to! Do I have an automatic solution? No - but I keep trying - both for my fellow democrats and my members who live and work in Southern, Central and Eastern Oregon.

      There are any number of moral and personal issues along with guns and religion that get us off on a tract that we can't win on. A friend of mine from Georgia told me that "Democrats down here aren't like you all in the North - we can't win by running against God and Guns and standing up for government and liberals". Sound familiar?

    2. Where do you think the Oregon Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee should stand on the effect of resource issues on those living in rural areas? [Mary Botkin]

    Not sure what type of "resource" you are referring to - but I will assume you are talking about campaign resources right now.

    I am one of the few (besides Wayne) who is a strong supporter of more campaign funding for rural Oregon. I do what I can through my Union by supporting the efforts made outside urban Oregon. I am all about putting more resources in rural Oregon-it takes a commitment from everyone on the Central Committee not just me. The DNC moves the resources to the state parties (not enough though) and then the Coordinated Campaign Committee makes resource allocation decisions. That committee is made up of campaign staff from all the democratic candidate and issue campaigns. This year Kerry dominated the decisions. I can't control that process - I can say that our Union made a huge commitment to rural Oregon Democratic Candidates - financial and in-kind. I am sorry it is not enough - I do what I can to fairly move the resources I have control over.

    1. Senator Ron Wyden is well regarded throughout rural Oregon for his commitment to visit every Oregon County every year. In Crook County, a heavily Republican County, his vote out performed Kerry’s vote by 25 percentage points. What plans do you have to get out to rural Oregon as our Democratic National Committeewoman? [Mary Botkin]

    Senator Wyden has a lot more resources available to him than I do. I visit rural Oregon as regularly as possible and meet with Democrats and our Union members when our schedules permit. I am going to Bend on Monday and am currently working on some District meetings in Ontario. I spent a week in the far east during the summer and another week in Central and southern Oregon in late September. I am one of the few Democrats (Wayne knows too) who actually knows where Huntington, Oregon is and have been there.

    1. What would be your core message to the people of rural Oregon should you visit here and speak to our local press? [Mary Botkin]

    My message to the rural press has been pretty consistent. There are two basic types of family wage jobs in rural Oregon - natural resource based and public employment. It takes real investments in transportation, high speed communication and tax policies for that influx of resources to result in a strong economy. We should not be diverted by issues meant to divide Oregonians. Issues like women's health care, who marries who and how land is developed only cause deeper resentments-we need to focus on our similarities and agreements. In my experience - a family wage job - a home - good schools - expanded transportation options - access to new technology through extended high speed internet connections - and fair tax policies - will solve most of our disagreements. If everyone feels they are getting their share of the pie they are less likely to fight over the type of pie it is.

    I hope to have your answers to these questions prior to the time of the election for your position.

    Sincerely,

    Stephen C. Bucknum, Chair

    Crook County Democratic Central Committee

    PO Box 1087

    Prineville, OR 97754

  • (Show?)

    i'm thrilled Sal has tossed his hat into the ring.

    here's what's going on in much of the state: we're sick of the current DNC & the possibility that the "lesson" it has learned is more-of-the-same. NO! the time has come to stop trying to play that game. we've been on a long slide at the national level since 1968, people. if it hadn't been for bill clinton's personna, we'd be toast by now.

    but at the local level, we're doing great. the democratic party had better local results than the Rs did this year. somehow the DNC does not see this. so the time has come for a major shake-up. no more incremental change, no more tweaking. goodbye terry mcauliffe: 3 strikes, you're out. goodbye DLC.

    and goodbye wayne & mary. i have no doubt of your service to the party or that you are quality people. you're also part of the problem, whatever your assertions that you'll help bring change. i'm sorry, but the time has come to put in people we know will fight for change, who understand the future of the party. i trust jenny & sal; i know they see the need for the DNC to be in service to the people, and not the other way around.

    in short, y'all had your chance. time for new people with the right perspectives. we're angry out here in the towns and counties around oregon, and we've no more patience for the old ways. we are, as howard dean urged us, taking back our country -- and our state, county, town. jenny and sal are part of this movement, and that's why they should be elected to the DNC.

    to quote a good friend: "grrrrrr."

    todd, in corvallis, where we passed M30, defeated M36, and are building new schools

  • Aaron (unverified)
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    Interesting, Ms. McGee is a great lady; I worked with her at OLCV.

    Jenny, yes we are on the same team at the end of the day of debate; even if there is drastic differences on personal ideology. We need to be able to create dialogue that will bridge these gaps of ideologies in a way to create a working framework for a progressive city, county, state and country.

    Intolerance and closed mindedness is what the other side thrives on and drives the wedges on and at us with; let us not go down that path.

  • Rorovitz (unverified)
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    Ok, so "belligerent bully" was over the top, apologies to Mary.

    That said, it seems that we are a little bit dancing around the question of who's going to vote for Dean or some other DNC head. It seems like Jenny is a Dean supporter but I don't want to assume how she'd vote. At least one candidate, I think Sal, indicated clear Dean support.

    Could the candidates say who they support to replace that three-time loser?

    Also, it's really important to recognize that the DLC really pushed us away from core progressive economic agendas. And if no one noticed, Unions and Greens ran the field for Kerry (and spent over $100 million)and his recognition of either groups issues was crappy at best.

    Pop quiz, how many times did Unions, or the right to form them, come up in the debates? Once, and it was Kerry talking about standing up to unions.

    Oh, and if you put a map of Blue states over a map of states with union density you see a 1:1 corelation of union strength with Kerry votes. 65% of union households voted for Kerry. Coincidence?

    Mary, how come you never said any of this? Advocate for your position. Don't just talk about what a bad ass you are. Very frustrating. Very, very frustrating. Why do I, a psuedonym-posting asshole, have to make your points for you?

  • (Show?)

    Thank you, Steve, for addressing my question & for posting your letter which Mary responded to.

    Jenny, could you post your response to Steve's letter as well - in the same format Mary did?

    Thanks.

  • (Show?)

    FYI, I've been told officially that this meeting is open, period. If you're not an actual participant, you have to sign in as a guest so you don't wrongly actually vote in the proceedings, etc.

  • Mary Botkin (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Apology accepted -I stood accused and had to respond. No more on this ok?

    Our Union was one of the first to support Dean in Iowa and spent $5m + on his campaign. I thought it was clear who I will support. Dr. Dean has not yet agreed to run though. Again I am assuming people know what happened where and when. Actually Sharpton was one of my early favorites (just kidding) - just because he really was saying the right (actually left) things.

    I have gotten the clear and distinct message that people want a "bad ass" as you put it - that will throw all the rascals out - I tried to do that last time - but because then everyone wanted "Terry" since he could raise buckets of money-he won. He did - twice - and lost both times. I've said this before but let me say it again - it takes a coalition to make changes at the DNC - the National Convention made no substantive changes in the power structure of the DNC and in fact added more "at large" positions (our own Gail Rassumssen has one of the at-large seats which I abolutely support). The national convention is where the changes had to happen - having said that I am prepared to go down in flames - trying or suceeding-to make needed structural changes within the limitations established by the National Convention actions-or rather In-actions. I have friends/colleagues around the country that I have suported on many issues for many years - I am willing to enlist their support to help make some of the changes - I know they already share our frustrations. It takes time to build relationships - who knows maybe every state is "throwing out" their experience for the promise of a new vision. I share that vision with all of you-I just don't think that every old hat on the DNC is part of the established problem!

    As for the Union lable - I have worn it proudly since I was a minimum wage waitress at a "Union House" - I have talked about it more than one time. It seems to have gotten lost in this on line debate. I am the ONLY union member from Oregon elected to sit on the DNC - I use that to our advantage. I am able to raise money that would go to other states because Gerry McEntee is my National President and Larry Scanlon is my National Political Director. We don't do politics for fun at AFSCME land - we live and die by policial decisions. I am proud to be a member and staff person for the Union that has Bill Lucy as it's second in command - the only african american officer at that level in any National Union. I am proud that Martin Luther King walked with our Union in Atlanta and saddened that his decision to stand with our members in the fight for equal rights cost him is life. It is why our Union stands at the forefront of getting that holiday in every juriusdiction in America. It is why I stood with the Black United Front against the Portland School District for an end to bussing and a re-investment in my neighborhood schools (I attended Vernon Grade School and Jefferson High School in NE Portland) - it is why I ended up in Jail in the 60's.

    Last thought - I am a believer of the great Emma Goldberg quote - "If I can't dance then I dont want to be part of your revolution!" When the day is done - we have to be able to laugh - we have to like each other - we have to honor and respect our differences - if we don't then we are just like the Republicans. Come on folks - there is room for new blood - room for old experiences - we are the Democrats - there is suppose to be room for everyone - if not then I have been wrong all my life.

  • Moses Ross (unverified)
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    In an deisre to establish dialogue between the DNC candidates and the statewide party faithful, Democracy for Oregon has arrainged for a open conference call to be held tonight, Thursday, Dec. 2 at 8PM with the two candidates for the Oregon DNC committee man position. Please read below for the details and how to participate.

    <hr/>

    The state wide group Democracy for Oregon, an offshoot of the Howard Dean for president campaign would like to invite you to a conference call interview/discussion with the two candidates for the Oregon DNC committee man position. Please scroll down for the details on tonight's call.

    Moses Ross Portland, OR 503-226-0862

    <hr/>

    Deaners pride themselves on their passion and action on progressive issues. As you know, the Deaners have become more and more involved in the party around the state and have strong feelings about the direction Oregon needs to take. They also have strong feelings about Howard Dean and his potential as Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

    This passion has begun to manifest itself here in Oregon with the upcoming election of the Oregon DNC committeeman. The current committeeman is Mr. Wayne Kinney. He is being opposed by Mr. Salvador Peralta.

    The election will be held this Saturday, December 4, at the state central committee meeting of the Democratic Party of Oregon. This meeting will be held here in Portland.

    Many have wanted to learn more about the candidates and their positions on the issues that affect our state and national party. In light of that interest, we will be conducting a statewide conference call with the two candidates. Many thanks to the two candidates for agreeing to the forum.

    I urge your participation in this unique and important conference call. You are welcome to invite other interested Oregon Democrats onto the call that may not be on this email list.

    The call will be held Thursday, Dec. 2 at 8pm PST and is scheduled for one hour. Please call in a few minutes early. The number is 641-594-7510. You will be asked to punch in a passcode, which is PIN 78362# (make sure to use the pound key at the end).

    I will moderate the call. The first half hour of the call will be with Mr. Kinney exclusively and the second half with Mr. Peralta. They will be asked a series of questions which were submitted to both before the call for their review. Afterward we will take questions from the audience, if time permits.

    If you have any questions about the call, email Moses Ross at [email protected]

    Please scroll down to review the list of questions for Mr. Kinney and Mr. Peralta.

    All the best,

    Moses Ross 503-226-0862

    <hr/>

    Questions for the candidates for Oregon DNC committeeman

    1) Please introduce yourself and give us some quick background on your past history of service to the Democratic Party.

    2) Briefly explain the DNC structure and the role the state committeeperson plays in determining policy and priority for the national party. Also, the role they play in electing chair.

    3) Please discuss your priorities in your next term if you were re-elected. How would those priorities benefit progressive grassroots movements within the party? What will you do in your role as state committeeperson to foster, empower and channel that energy back into the party, statewide and nationally?

    4) Some quick history. The success of Howard Dean in mobilizing and motivating the grassroots has been revolutionary, to say the least.

    Howard Dean was and is the focal point of this rising grassroots/state-party movement. He changed the role of online fundraising and grassroots mobilization through use of the local meetups. This has now evolved from local and regional meetups to autonomous statewide groups representing thousands of volunteers committed to follow Dean's lead on progressive issues.

    Our question is this: would you support a Howard Dean candidacy for DNC chair. If not, why not?

    5) The rural/urban divide within Oregon is profound. How do you propose we help bridge that divide for rural Oregonians within the state and national democratic party structure?

  • Steve Bucknum (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Mary has finally responded to my letter about rural concerns. She responded via email, with red letter inserted comments. Unfortunately, the red letters don't come through in this format, so I am inserting some breaks and clarifications to show who the writer is in each part.

    Full Text:

    Dear Ms. Botkin:

    I received the orange flyer indicating that you were running to return as our Democratic National Committeewoman. I have read it, re-read it, put it aside, re-read it again, and finally I am ready to contact you.

    I found your flyer vaguely disturbing. As a rural Democrat, I saw nothing in your flyer than was even remotely sensitive to the 97% of Oregon that exists outside of the urban growth boundaries of our State.

    Instead I see that you like to "drink whiskey, smoke cigarettes, and talk trash", but you have had to give up the whiskey and cigarettes for health reasons. I’m not sure what to make of that. I suppose that you say things like that to convey to us that you portray some sort of romanticized image of Oregon to the national venue. If this is an attempt to show some sort of rugged frontier image, it fails. If this is some sort of street-wise urban image, it fails to fly in rural Oregon. [Mary Botkin] wasn't trying to relay anything - it was the Oregonian who said that - I just repeated it. (end)

    I am of the belief that on the national level we lost the election for two reasons this time. 1) Diebolt helped Bush steal Ohio, [Mary Botkin] I sort of agree but waiting till all the investigations are completed - if they ever are - till then I think we have to continue to push vote by mail - since we have less voter fraud than any other state that I can think of. (end)

    and 2) the Democratic Party is completely insensitive to rural America – completely in the dark. In Oregon, I look around and see that if our State Democratic leadership were more sensitive to rural Oregon, we could easily pick up 10 to 20 thousand votes each election cycle. If I could demonstrate Democratic Party sensitivity to rural issues, I could get a thousand more votes right here in little Crook County. Rural Oregon could well be a good place to have a laboratory of experimenting on what would work to change rural voters minds to vote more Democratic.

    So, when I come to vote for the Democratic National Committee seat, I will be looking for rural sensitivity.

    [Mary Botkin] - I guess I need more information on the type of sensitivity you are looking for and what issues you see as critical-I am actually interested in listening a little. (end)

    I thought that I would give you a chance to respond to my concerns prior to the point in time when we hold the election for the position you current hold.

    If you would like my vote to continue to be the "Grand Dame of the Oregon Democratic Party", I would like you to respond to the following: [Mary Botkin]

    My sense is - I have made you very cranky by insulting you accidentally. My effort at humor has failed miserably - for that I apologize-it is all I can do. (end)

    1. What are your thoughts on the key issues affecting rural Oregon that the Democratic Party could use to make a difference in the perception of rural Oregonians of the Democratic Party? [Mary Botkin] I work for one of the few truly state-wide unions in Oregon and we represent a cross-section of working Oregonians in rural and urban Oregon. I face these issues everyday in my day job. I don't have any magic solutions for these problems but let me give this a honest shot. Some of the issues as I see them - are:

      Natural resources and endangered species: Our members I believe are pretty mainstream and family conservative on these issues and see the Democrats as totally committed into to a position of locking down all the rural lands. I think our position has more accurately been to "manage" lands in a way that preserves parts and provides for responsible development of some industrialized land set-asides. This is the Gov's position and I pretty much support that position. I have heard more about bear and cougar hunting, spotted owls and leg-hold traps than most. My family were working farmers and timber workers - all of which were either killed on the job or pretty much run out of business by corporate agriculture. Again, our position have been distorted and rumored while our real positions of appropriate and responsible resource management has not been properly reported in media sources and our lack of "new" language that people can "hear" has been lacking. Do we need to do better? - You bet- Can we do better? - We have to! Do I have an automatic solution? No - but I keep trying - both for my fellow democrats and my members who live and work in Southern, Central and Eastern Oregon.

      There are any number of moral and personal issues along with guns and religion that get us off on a tract that we can't win on. A friend of mine from Georgia told me that "Democrats down here aren't like you all in the North - we can't win by running against God and Guns and standing up for government and liberals". Sound familiar? (end)

    2. Where do you think the Oregon Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee should stand on the effect of resource issues on those living in rural areas? [Mary Botkin]

    Not sure what type of "resource" you are referring to - but I will assume you are talking about campaign resources right now.

    I am one of the few (besides Wayne) who is a strong supporter of more campaign funding for rural Oregon. I do what I can through my Union by supporting the efforts made outside urban Oregon. I am all about putting more resources in rural Oregon-it takes a commitment from everyone on the Central Committee not just me. The DNC moves the resources to the state parties (not enough though) and then the Coordinated Campaign Committee makes resource allocation decisions. That committee is made up of campaign staff from all the democratic candidate and issue campaigns. This year Kerry dominated the decisions. I can't control that process - I can say that our Union made a huge commitment to rural Oregon Democratic Candidates - financial and in-kind. I am sorry it is not enough - I do what I can to fairly move the resources I have control over. (end)

    1. Senator Ron Wyden is well regarded throughout rural Oregon for his commitment to visit every Oregon County every year. In Crook County, a heavily Republican County, his vote out performed Kerry’s vote by 25 percentage points. What plans do you have to get out to rural Oregon as our Democratic National Committeewoman? [Mary Botkin]

    Senator Wyden has a lot more resources available to him than I do. I visit rural Oregon as regularly as possible and meet with Democrats and our Union members when our schedules permit. I am going to Bend on Monday and am currently working on some District meetings in Ontario. I spent a week in the far east during the summer and another week in Central and southern Oregon in late September. I am one of the few Democrats (Wayne knows too) who actually knows where Huntington, Oregon is and have been there. (end)

    1. What would be your core message to the people of rural Oregon should you visit here and speak to our local press? [Mary Botkin]

    My message to the rural press has been pretty consistent. There are two basic types of family wage jobs in rural Oregon - natural resource based and public employment. It takes real investments in transportation, high speed communication and tax policies for that influx of resources to result in a strong economy. We should not be diverted by issues meant to divide Oregonians. Issues like women's health care, who marries who and how land is developed only cause deeper resentments-we need to focus on our similarities and agreements. In my experience - a family wage job - a home - good schools - expanded transportation options - access to new technology through extended high speed internet connections - and fair tax policies - will solve most of our disagreements. If everyone feels they are getting their share of the pie they are less likely to fight over the type of pie it is. (end)

    I hope to have your answers to these questions prior to the time of the election for your position.

    Sincerely, Stephen C. Bucknum, Chair Crook County Democratic Central Committee

  • Steve Bucknum (unverified)
    (Show?)

    Now, my thoughts on Mary Botkin's response -

    Overall I thought she made a good try at showing rural sensitivity, but fell short.

    It was odd that she thought my question about resource issues was about campaign finance - which wasn't even in my mind when I wrote my letter. I thought I was talking about natural resource and land use issues. Isn't it odd how two people can speak the same language, and not communicate what they mean?

    I found the comment about being one of the few Democrats that knows where Huntington Oregon to be strange. It probably shouldn't bother me, but it does. Huntington is right off of I-84 between Baker City and Ontario. To be "one of the few" implies that Democrats don't live there and sort of stumble into it. Democrats live all over the place. Heck, there are even some in Paulina and Izee.

    Rural sensitivity would mean that someone appreciates how rural Oregonians have been left feeling like they are under constant attack from their urban neighbors. Rural sensitivity would mean that someone would become informed about how our land use practices and our natural resource practice have affected those of us that live in rural areas. Rural sensitivity would mean that someone is beginning to understand that our government has made it much more difficult to live and work in rural areas than in urban areas. Rural Sensitivity would mean that you understand and honor the people who live in rural areas and contribute to the base economy of Oregon in spite of the hardships. - Urban people won't eat if rural people didn't grow the food for them. Honor and respect - and appreciate on that last note.

    Steve Bucknum

  • Salvador Peralta (unverified)
    (Show?)

    These questions were put to Mary Botkin, but they are relevent to both races so at the risk of being presumptuous, I'd like like to share a few of my thoughts...

    1. What are your thoughts on the key issues affecting rural Oregon that the Democratic Party could use to make a difference in the perception of rural Oregonians of the Democratic Party?

    The first step to reconnecting the Democratic Party to rural Oregon, and to rural America, is to promote leaders who understand the wants and needs of rural America's core constituencies.

    The way to do that is to recruit party leadership and candidates from local farm bureaus, service clubs, grange halls, churches, and other places where citizens connect with one another in our communities.

    We also need to cultivate leaders within the Democratic party in rural Oregon who will reach out to such groups regardless of whether they already belong to them, and who will take leadership positions with groups outside of the party in an effort to broaden our potential constituencies and to help connect our core allies with one another to form a solid core of issues-based voting blocs who will vote for our candidates because they know us and agree with our positions regardless of whether they are registered as a republican, independent, libertarian, democrat, or green.

    Since it will be difficult to elect viable candidates who can win in rural Oregon in the near future, I would encourage local party chairs to begin placing a greater emphasis on grassroots organizing around local and state initiatives and on cultivating leadership through school boards and the various county and municipal advisory boards, as we have done in Yamhill County.

    Finally, the Democratic Party of Oregon and its various committees need to rethink the strategy of funnelling such a vast majority of our resources into urban, winnable candidate races during an election cycle. We can't ignore those races, of course, but we should consider spending some money during off-year cycles to build leadership in our rural central committees and to teach those committees how to focus on party-centric rather than candidate-centric races. By that I mean that the DPO needs to help the smaller central committees to be in a better position to help candidates who don't really know the in's and out's of campaigning and who lack the ability to build their own campaign infrastructures. This needs to happen regardless of whether the political calculus says that a candidate will win or not. We also need to recruit multiple candidates and run contested races in every rural primary to help get our message out to the public.

    2. Where do you think the Oregon Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee should stand on the effect of resource issues on those living in rural areas?

    Water rights are, and will continue to be, a primary concern for farmers and ranchers in the rural west over the next several years, and the Democratic Party needs to pay more attention to the impact of water rights that folks in cities take for granted, but which literally mean economic life or death for ranchers and farmers.

    We also need to be willing to make the case to strongly support the positive aspects of our land-use laws while being willing to admit to, and minimize, the very real problems they create for folks in rural Oregon.

    Many of the family farms such as vineyards and hazelnut orchards that we have in Yamhill County would not be possible in an environment with urban sprawl, largely because of the water rights issue. For example, grapes are a major crop in Yamhill County, but most vineyards could not easily survive inside of an UGB because they would run into conflicts over heavy water consumption that comes with municipal development. We need to make realistic arguments about land-use laws based on practical economic concerns as well as quality of life concerns.

    We should also be willing to say that good environmental stewardship affects all of us and start cutting environmental and gun issues in different ways.

    Like most of the other gun-owners and fishermen that I know, I'm more concerned about the environment where I fish and hunt than I am with whether or not there is a three day waiting period before an eighteen-year old buys an uzi. I don't want anyone grabbing the carbine that I inherited from my grandfather and take hunting 4 times per year, but I would like to make sure that the forest where my grandfather and I went hunting and fishing will be there when my grandkids want to take their grandkids hunting and fishing.

    3. What plans do you have to get out to rural Oregon as our Democratic National Committeeman?

    One of the things I am working on professionally during the next two years is to promote campaign finance reform. I would like to visit every County Central Committee, Rural Organizing Project affiliate, and rural newspaper editorial board in Oregon during the next two years regardless of whether I am elected on Saturday.

    4. What would be your core message to the people of rural Oregon should you visit here and speak to our local press?

    As a committeeperson speaking to the County Central Committee, my core mission will be to ask questions about the needs and concerns of Democrats in the county. My core mission as a member of the Rural Organizing Project, speaking to editorial boards and ROP affiliates, will be to promote awareness and build support for the ROP's legislative and initiative agendas. My core professional and personal purpose will be to make every effort I can to help build a 60 percent progressive majority in Oregon over the next 10 years.

  • (Show?)

    I am not an expert on rural America, other than my family ties and my youth spent in North Dakota, and I do not presume to have definitive answers. I'm intensely interested in the question, however, because I see winning back rural voters as key to Democrats' success. I am very willing to listen and learn, and I've heard some thoughtful suggestions from rural Oregonians. Honestly, that's where the answers have to come from--not from Washington-based theorists or Portland politicians.

    That said, I'll provide some of my thoughts as well as repeating some suggestions I've heard from others. I still have more questions than answers.

    1. What are your thoughts on the key issues affecting rural Oregon that the Democratic Party could use to make a difference in the perception of rural Oregonians of the Democratic Party?

    At the Democratic National Convention, I attended the Rural Caucus. Tom Harkin said that it's insulting to rural voters to think they can be stereotyped and duped by a handful of wedge issues. I shudder when I see some of the misplaced anger directed at rural and red-state voters. Even in very red counties, Democrats usually won 30 percent or more of the vote. What does it say when we write these areas off?

    Democrats have to be more visible in rural areas. What Steve Bucknum calls "the Weyden effect" shows us that. Weyden won 55% of the vote in Crook County, while the Kerry/Edwards ticket didn't break 30%. Steve attributes this to the senator's frequent visits to the area, his willingness to listen, and his ability to work with locals to craft solutions. He suggests that the Democrats hold frequent hearings as well as Party functions in rural areas.

    I think many of the key issues are the same for all Democrats: having adequate employment, healthcare, and education. Democrats in Oregon can find ways to address these issues for rural communities.

    In many smaller towns, the biggest export is the kids. They leave to go to college, and can't find jobs when they'd like to come back to raise their own families. Democrats can work to champion rural economic development programs that actually produce jobs.

    Many rural communities struggle with attracting and keeping doctors. Democrats could seize this issue and provide more incentives for doctors to live and work in rural communities.

    School funding is a problem all over Oregon, and even more challenging in rural areas that can't pass special taxes. As rural schools deal with shrinking budgets by cutting classes and programs and consolidating districts, it hurts students. How can they compete with students from urban schools where wealthy parents ensure that advanced physics, four languages, and sports and arts programs exist?

    Democrats can try to address this issue. It's tough in Oregon, because there is simply no money right now. However, Senator Harkin mentioned a federal program to provide broadband access (for video classes, not just more computers in the classroom) of which only 10% of the $2 billion allocated has been spent. Implementing this kind of technology would enable rural schools to provide a fuller spectrum of class offerings. It's not ideal, but it's better than not being able to offer advanced physics at all. Democrats can make sure these networks get built.

    I also think that the Democratic Party needs to push a message of fiscal conservatism and social libertarianism. I don't want to stereotype, but rural people perhaps tend to be more self-sufficient and don't like others telling them what to do.

    2. Where do you think the Oregon Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee should stand on the effect of resource issues on those living in rural areas?

    One of the people I've talked to says "Rural Oregonians feel like they're being attacked by the green wing of the party." I think Democrats need to look carefully at how we frame issues. We should talk about "careful resource management" rather than environmentalism.

    Even though the Democratic Party doesn't sponsor them, we get associated with environmental initiatives that overreach, are badly written, or don't take rural needs into account. Although it may make the leftmost wing of the party cringe, we may need to distance ourselves from some of those initiatives publicly. Or, we should craft pre-emptive initiatives of our own to move things forward. For example, we could sponsor an initiative to reserve the rest of the old growth forest while also enabling more thinning of forests near communities. Just locking up the forests in the courts isn't really helping, and even though the Democrats as a party aren't doing it--we get the blame. I'm not suggesting that we abandon our commitment to stewardship of Planet Earth, just that we look at the reality and try to do something concrete to create jobs in rural areas.

    In my view, cleaning up the beetle-killed wood in our eastern forests was a worthwhile endeavor. I've watched them come back nicely over the last 20 years. I do believe we should lock up the old growth and protect roadless areas.

    Water issues, as Sal said, are also key. We will have to continue to seek compromise in the Klamath Basin and for protecting salmon runs. There have to be answers that aren't all or nothing, and Democrats need to get out on front on these issues with reasonable plans that provide balance between the needs of rural Oregonians, Native Americans, and other species.

    Land use laws in Oregon are now in flux, and I think we have to approach the coming changes with flexibility. While it's really, really important to control sprawl around our urban areas, is it so critical in Paisley? Is it realistic to expect someone to produce $80,000 of farm income from 80 acres of sagebrush? How can Democrats come out looking reasonable on this issue without seriously weakening the protections that ensure quality of life and reduce sprawl?

    Gun control isn't a resource issue, but I agree with Howard Dean: different policies are needed for different types of communities. In my home town, everyone hunts and has guns. I don't think anyone's ever shot anyone else unless they had too much schnapps in the duck blind and missed. We need to counter perceptions that Democrats want to take everyone's hunting rifles away.

    3. What plans do you have to get out to rural Oregon as our Democratic National Committeewoman?

    This one's easy for me because one of my favorite things in the world is traveling around Oregon. I've been to almost every part of the state--except Burns and the Steens Mountains, and I'd be delighted to go visit Democrats everywhere on a regular basis. I'll make a commitment to visit each county party or groups of Democrats in smaller cities around the state, and I'll do my best to bring other members of the Party along. If elected, I promise to buy snow tires!

    4. What would be your core message to the people of rural Oregon should you visit here and speak to our local press?

    Democrats are regular, normal people--and many of us live right here in your town. We're your neighbors, your friends, the people you do business with every day. We don't want to take guns away, force anyone to marry a person of the same sex, or compel your daughter to have an abortion. We care about living wage jobs, healthcare, and education and we want to work with all Oregonians to make sure everyone has access. We want the same things you want, and we'll fight things like outsourcing and giant agribusinesses. We're fiscal conservatives, and live and let live on social issues. Join us.

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