Republican Candidate Art Robinson, Oregon 4th Congressional District challenger to Democrat Peter De Fazio, was in Corvallis Sunday afternoon going door to door looking for votes. Robinson canvassed the area around Garfield Park and Linus Pauling Middle School.

Robinson did have some assistance from representatives of the Tea Party of Oregon which has endorsed Art Robinson for Congress. Art Robinson told me that he wanted to speak directly to voters to make certain that they understood what his message was and why he wanted to bring fiscal restraint back to Washington D.C..

Art Robinson was to speak to Republicans and take questions on Sunday evening at the King Tin Restaurant in Corvallis. Robinson will be in Philomath on Monday morning at the Philomath Library (10 am) and in Monroe on Monday afternoon Sweet Spot Bakery (2pm).

Republicans Meet to Find Successor to Retiring Senator Frank Morse

Update: After the vote was taken and ballots tabulated at 1 am on Wednesday morning three candidates were selected by the Precinct Committee Persons to be sent to the Linn and Benton County Commissioners for further action. The three individuals selected are in Alphabetical order Betsy Close, Clinton Johnson and Larry Mullins.

Next Wednesday The Benton and Linn County commissioners are scheduled to convene and vote on which of the three candidates will be selected to replace retiring Oregon State Senator Frank Morse.

Tuesday evening at the Comfort Suites in Corvallis Representatives from the Republican Party in Linn & Benton County gathered together to attempt to find a successor to retiring Republican State Senator Frank Morse Senate District 8 in Oregon. The 66 Precinct Committee Persons, 28 from Benton County and 38 from Linn County, listened to the group of nine interested candidates seeking to replace retiring Senator Morse.

Prior to hearing five minute speeches from the candidates there were procedural battles, points of order and a sometimes contentious atmosphere in the meeting room. After almost two hours of wrangling over the rules to be followed the business at hand, hearing from the nine candidates began. Each candidate presented their case for why they would be the best person to succeed Senator Morse.

Alphabetically the candidates are Stanley Baker, Betsy Close, Andrew Decker, Van Hunsaker, Al Hutchinson, Jeff Jimmerson, Clinton Johnson, George Mears, and Larry Mullins.

The process was tedious, a late start to begin the evening due to credentialing, and ultimately became a marathon session. Nothing was decided by 11 pm.

More information is expected early on Wednesday.

For the first time in years the 4th Congressional District is up for grabs. Art Robinson (R), from Cave Junction, and incumbent Peter DeFazio (D) from Springfield have presented their views in numerous forums over the last few months.

Having attended several forums, and interviewing the major candidates myself I hope to bring out some of what I see this election has been about. Art Robinson, echoing the national frustration with the Obama government, with incursions into the private sector, such as the federal intervention in the financial and auto industries, is running on an anti-Washington platform. Although at times Robinson has seemed to play further to the extreme right-leaning Tea Party with his views on social security, healthcare and the education system.

Art Robinson, by education, is a learned man with significant life success. What one could argue is that Art Robinson lacks the political savvy to deal with the workings of Washington. It takes more than good intentions to achieve results. In terms of eloquence Art Robinson has not fared well in the forums I have attended. Now one could argue that eloquence alone does not make for quality in a candidate, but when the answers are analysed there is a severe lack of temperance in his approach to the issues. When it comes to a woman's reproductive rights, Robinson is out-of-touch; on the issue of healthcare he is anti-reform when he should be looking to solve a worsening problem.

What Art Robinson has made public as his agenda is either too extreme or too impractical in both the politcial and real world of most individuals.  It is commendable to want to return more money to individuals by cutting taxes, although he has not articulated how he would reconcile cuts in spending with cuts in taxes. Mathematically the ledger will not balance.

Peter DeFazio has served two decades in Washington D.C. representing the citizens of Oregon. He is smart, resourceful and very much an independent Democrat. Sometimes this puts him in a position to distance himself from his party, and sometimes he may be more liberal than practical.

Healthcare is an issue that remains a bone of contention with voters in the 4th Congressional District, and DeFazio was instrumental in getting additional language in the healthcare bill that would help medicare patients in Oregon with payments to hospitals. Art Robinson wants to essentially throw out the current legislation and privatize healthcare. While this newspaper may not totally be in favor of the healthcare bill, remedies need to be found, and it is difficult to trust that Robinson would add to the discussion in a positive way.

Peter DeFazio will bring to Oregon a continued sense of political balance and independence. Consider the issues facing our Cities and Towns, our State and our Nation, then consider the temperment of each of the candidates prior to filling out your ballot.

We live in an imperfect world. No candidate can be all things to all people. At the end of the day this newspaper heartily endorses Peter DeFazio as the right person to lead the 4th Congressional District in Oregon.

Green Party Presidential Candidate Dr. Jill Stein was in Corvallis on Sunday and stopped by the new Pacific Green Party Headquarters. Dr.Stein arrived at the Green Party Headquarters in grand style via Corvallis Pedicab, owned by local Corvallis resident Dan Crall. A crowd of about fifty people was on hand to cheer for Dr. Jill Stein with a very warm welcome.

Dr. Jill Stein was immediately surrounded by supporters anxious to ask questions. Dr. Stein wants real financial reform. Stein stated that President Obama and Congress bailed out the big Banks and Wall Street but not homeowners in foreclosure. Stein went on to say that President Obama betrayed the American public on his promises made in 2008.

Stein argued that President Obama has continued with the policy of more American jobs moving off shore. Stein told the crowd that President Obama has "Expanded NAFTA, North American Free Trade Agreement, and is currently negotiating for another Free Trade Agreement in the Pacific Asian Rim which will result in more jobs being lost in America."

Dr. Stein stated that "Greens have always been ahead of the curve on the issues." Stein advocated for more pressure on Wall Street. "Waste, greed and abuse by big banks on Wall Street, Banks too big to fail should go to jail," stated Dr. Jill Stein.

Dr. Stein also told the crowd that George Bush started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and President Obama went back on his word to stop those wars. Instead Stein told the crowd, "President Obama expanded those wars." Dr. Stein wants the billions spent on the wars to be brought back home and spent on education and infrastructure.

Stein had this to say about President Obama, "President Obama was not the lesser evil but the more effective evil" referring to the difference between President Obama and the Republicans including Mitt Romney.

Stein exhorted the crowd that the Green Party needs to "Take back the White House and turn it into a greenhouse."

Dr. Stein quoted Alice Walker by saying, "The biggest way people give up power is not knowing they have the power to begin with."

Stein also added, "The Politics of fear brought us everything we were afraid of."