All Politics is Local

Any love for Kitzhaber out there? I was out of the state through most of his tenure, so I have little to no idea. Anyone?

I have been grooving on the Sid Leiken story. For those of you not from here, or those who disdain the City-Region section, let me fill you in on what-I-find-to-be a hilarious example of really inept political corruption.

Sid Leiken is the mayor of the neighboring burg of Springfield, known to many as "Springtucky" because of its relatively lower level of income, education, and cleanliness. It is also my hometown. The street I grew up on was t-boned by a gravel street which conveniently provided the ammo for our semi-regular rock fights. That street remains unpaved in the 21st century; Springfield has other priorities. (I would like to point out that, while it is true that my daughter is technically my half-sister, this has little to do with my Springfield-based origins.)

Mayor Sid is young, good-looking (if you go for that sort of thing), and conservative. As such, he's been tapped to run for the 4th District Congressional seat currently held by one Pete "Peter" DeFazio. Because Leiken is a big favorite of everyone's favorite NW Wingnut, I've been especially looking forward to his trouncing at the hands of the Congress' sexist Congressperson. You see, whereas DeFazio bucked his party leadership to vote against the stimulus bill, Leiken had the political courage to accept the funds, then attend tea party protests against goverment waste. How could he lose?

Leiken is so confident about his eventual victory that he has decided to cripple himself even before the race starts. It seems Oregon has some obscure (and probably fascist) law that does not allow a politician to personally benefit from his campaign funds. (Fascist) Awhile back the Fascist Party of Oregon Democrats noticed that Leiken had paid himself $2000 out of his campaign funds (no links because the R-G archive is protected) and asked the Oregon Elections Division to look into it. The R-G was reporting this story on the inside of the City-Region section, but due to my twin loves of Mayor Leiken's eventual defeat and reading the obituaries to see if any of my peers have died, I was on it like grease on an elbow.

The next Jim Feldkamp had a very good reason he wrote himself a check out of his campaign coffers in violation of Oregon election law. You see, he was just paying himself back for some polling work he had done on behalf of the city regarding a proposed gas tax increase. Who did this polling work? His mother. Sure, this made perfect sense. Whenever I needed polling work done I always turned to my mother. And you know who was the bestest, brightest, handsomest son ever? This guy. Then she had to go and die and you all ended up with the mess of insecurities I am today.

The highly-partisan Democrats did not find this to be a sufficent answer. Possibly because they could find no evidence that Mother Leiken actually runs a polling firm. Simple answer, again. Like so many mothers of mayors, she was just dabbling in polling to see if it felt right. Turns out it didn't, as this is the only poll she conducted or plans to conduct.

Because of the vicious media hounding Sid and his mother were suffering (including a page two City-Region "expose"), the good Mayor held a presser where he pulled a Boehner, begged the media to leave his poor mother alone, refused to give back the puppy, and wrote a personal check (again?) for $2000 to repay his campaign fund.

End of story. Except one thing. Leiken is unable to produce any evidence that he wrote his mother a check in exchange for a poll. The future 25% vote-getter in the 4th is not good with paperwork or the keeping of the finances.

Is it necessary to even say that neither Leiken nor his mother can actually produce any evidence that she conducted an actual poll? The only evidence they can produce about the poll seems to be negative evidence. According to the Leikens, Glenda Leiken used a Springfield phone book and called 286 people to get 200 results for her poll on the proposed gas tax. Leiken has (thank God) stipulated that this poll was not "scientific." No cross tabs, no demographics. Apparently, some people were 'fer it, some were ag'in it. I could have told him that for 1900 dollars, American.

The Demorats, of course, will not let it go. It seems that they are suspicious that no actual poll was conducted. But to believe that, you'd have to believe that a good man like Mayor Leiken was dipping into his campaign fund for personal reasons, got caught, brought his mother in to lie with him, and then did that so transparently badly that absolutely no one bought it. (Well, not no one - go down to the letter from the Muches.)

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the future of the Republican party. I fear them.