Could Bill Sizemore challenge Gordon Smith?

BillsizemoreNW Republican is one of the leading right-wing blogs in Oregon - and while their prognostications often fall short of reality - this one seems to have a direct source. It seems that Bill Sizemore is considering a primary challenge against Gordon Smith.

I asked Bill Sizemore if running for the US Senate, in the Republican primary is a possibility. He said, “That’s not far fetched.”

In a brief discussion with Sizemore on a few things I learned that he is with the party mainstream on immigration (he is the chief petitioner on an English immersion ballot measure). He is of course with the mainstream on tax and land use policy. And he is with the party mainstream on the Iraq war. (He made sure to point out that he is not with ME on the war... We will just have to talk to him about that...yip yip)

Of course all of this is speculation at this point. Well except for the part about Bill Sizemore saying that a Senatorial run is “not that far fetched.” However if certain planets were to align correctly and if Sen. Smith continues his move to the left this situation could have the makings for an eventful fall of 2007. And beyond? I might also point out that images of Sen. Smith standing side by side with Ted Kulongoski favoring state sponsored health care can't be helpful in a Republican primary.

Some brief context for the out-of-state folks: Bill Sizemore is one of Oregon's bigtime anti-tax and anti-union ballot measure activists in the Grover Norquist orbit. He was the GOP nominee for Governor in 1998, but got hammered by Governor John Kitzhaber. His website is here.

Discuss.

  • Moderate Republican (unverified)
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    Don't hold your breath folks. Gordon Smith beats this guy in the repub primary handily.

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    Please! Please! Please Bill run and beat Gordon Smith. Now only if we could Newt to win the Republican nomination for President. Ooh Boy! Democrats dream opposition ticket!

  • Former Salem Staffer (unverified)
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    I doubt anybody would be able to beat Smith in the primary. But I think that running a challenger would sharpen Smith as a candidate and force him to defend some of the positions he's been taking as of late. There are a lot of grumblings among rank and file Republicans who are very displeased with Smith. However, Sizemore has far too much baggage at this point to be useful to anybody. I wouldn't vote for him in a primary, but I would love to see Smith get challenged by somebody because it would be nice to have a choice.

  • ugh (unverified)
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    Sizemore? Where's the emoticon for plugging my nose? :P

  • Becky (unverified)
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    Bill Sizemore is one of Oregon's bigtime anti-tax and anti-union ballot measure activists in the Grover Norquist orbit. He was the GOP nominee for Governor in 1998, but got hammered by Governor John Kitzhaber.

    That's the best you can do to describe this guy? Are you serious? Nothing about his organizations having been successfully sued by the teachers' unions for racketeering. Nothing about his being thoroughly personally chastized by the judge for his "unlawful schemes," his "calculated course of criminal conduct" and his "cynical, criminal manipulation of the democratic process."

    With this sort of forgetfulness occurring on the left, Sizemore is going to have a comeback for real, and you'll deserve what you get from him. I hope the rest of Oregon isn't as forgetful as you are.

  • Loner (unverified)
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    Even Republicans aren't stupid enough choose Sizemore as their US Senate Candidate.

  • Eric J. (unverified)
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    I thought there was a law prohibiting felons to run for office. Isn't Sizemore a convicted felon? Even so, who would be desperate enough to have an even more mean spirited person run for this office?

  • Becky (unverified)
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    Sizemore was never criminally charged for reasons that I will never understand. So no, he isn't a convicted felon. He hasn't ever even been charged or indicted. So his personal record is clean as a whistle.

  • Chris Hansen reimagined (unverified)
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    While taking breaks from my national show to enjoy coffee, cigarettes and the occasional chat room, I've noticed how angry Becky's been for a good two years (maybe longer) over Bill Sizemore. My question is did Bill make some kind of unwanted advances towards you or something? We could set up a sting for him. Say you call him and invite him someplace. I'll set up my camera crew and stand in the next room, only instead of me confronting him, I'll just nail him with a cattle prod. Not sure if that would make him a felon, but we /could post the video on YouTube.

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    Although our prognostications often fall short?

    You mean about announcing that Larry George would challenge Charles Starr?

    About Tom Cox switching parties? Then running for Metro?

    You mean about prognosticating that Sen. Atkinson would run for governor a year before it ever happened?

    You could not have been talking about NWR breaking the big Oregonian hit piece on Kevin Mannix could you?

    Oh there have been others but I am tired and think that you are probably not trying to be serious and instead making a weak attempt at being, what.. tart? You just can't help yourselves can you? But that is all in my plan... buhwhahahaha...

    Yip Yip

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    Sorry, but I forgot to mention one of the best... Heck I think I remember ya'll debating it right here. That was the Democrat fundraiser featuring Charles Starr and Vic Backlund.

  • mbraymen (unverified)
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    "No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen." Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 3. Nope, nothing about felons here.

    I think the biggest advantage of a Sizemore run at the Senate would be that he would probably spend less money and time promoting more of his destructive initiatives.

    I also think Guliani will draw fewer conservatives than Gingrich depending on the Democratic candidate.

  • Becky (unverified)
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    Chris -

    I have been aware for years that people have supposed that something of a sexual nature may have led to my actions. So let me put that ugly rumor to bed - no pun intended. Sizemore never made any advances and neither did I. He was a perfect gentleman in that regard the entire time I knew him.

    I am not "angry" (your word, not mine) with him for anything personal. I am disgusted with him because he has steadfastly refused to admit his own wrongdoing or change his ways, because he is a compulsive liar, because he has a habit of very unchivalrously puting naive women in difficult positions where they would be compelled to do his dirty work for him, because he takes people for all he can get from them, and because he did everything he could to try to shift blame onto me for his own wrongdoing. Despite all the warnings he continued to do his business as usual with nary a thought as to the impact it would have on people like me who were working for him. Oh, and because he is a fake Christian who gives them all a bad name. It is that simple.

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    Coyote--

    As a progressive blogger, I'm HOPING you're right on this one. This is fantastic fodder for writing.

    Plus--its another opportunity to watch the Oregon GOP continue its swoon.

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    That's the best you can do to describe this guy? Are you serious?

    Yeah, I thought about trying to include more of Bill's "resume" but gave up - because it would be so long... people can do their own research.

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    Sizemore? Where's the emoticon for plugging my nose? :P

    You took the words right out of my mouth.

  • Ed (unverified)
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    <h2>Please Bill Run! I can't wait to go after you with all the dirt I accumulated over years.</h2>
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