Due to a highly successful planting job into The Oregonian in later editions, the slowly developing "Minnis is the White Whale" story is getting some play in Oregon blogs. Like this one, now. (For those non-Oregonians among you, Karen Minnis is the current Speaker of the Oregon House, and has earned a reputation through unique political behavior. Her two grandest achievements of the last session were hiding and manipulating the passed Senate civil rights bill so as to avoid a vote at all costs; and taking her caucus out of traditional budget committees to write her own version.)
The story had become the street final headline above the fold, and as I saw it walking by I figured someone would pick it up online. Sure enough Blue Oregon weighs in by concentrating on the rather peevish commentary from Minnis flack Chuck Adams, crying foul over the hurtfully personal things allegedly being said. At this point, the offensive acts appear to be a reference to her suggested matriarchally monarchial stature, and a call to stick it to her, in some metaphoric and nonpenetrative fashion. Apparently the more ridiculous the projection the better for Chuck.
A commenter at BO makes a salient point that Middle Earth Journal raises as part of a more discerning overall view of the article: so who's the tout who's going to run against her? It's early in the season, but who's out there? How about the person who ran last time? Is any Democrat in East County known and available? Is there a recruitment effort in earnest, and who's running it? Those are my questions, actually*; Ron's got a sober assessment about how the O treated Democracy For Oregon's attempt for press. They let DFO put a message out on their backs, but they also took a subtle editorial stance for Minnis, apparently to balance it into a "news" story. Blue Oregon wouldn't have gotten to titter over the lameness of Minnis' spokesperson, if the O hadn't given him several column inches in which to be lame.
The article claims that NARAL Oregon and BRO are part of the Summit Against the Speaker in Sunriver (rough gig!) and I don't disbelieve them for a Minnit. But it also seems to want to puff the workshop into an already organized, furious campaign to take Minnis out. DFO is definitely motivated and focused on what they want to do--get rid of Minnis--but even the Minnis Watch is still getting started.
And they're really the only ones. NARAL-OR has nothing on Minnis I could find, and neither does BRO beyond their frustration piece once civil unions died on her watch. Multnomah Democrats? Not so's you'd notice. The state party page continues to be rather clueless, although the House Dems at least made the point in August. (Note that top Dem Peter Merkley seeks to take a lead role in the effort, and has East County credentials to translate the message if necessary. I'd like to be talking to him about this soon). And that's pretty much the online face of the movement.
So kudos to DFO for getting the meme across, but there's much more work to do if people are serious. Now is the time to capitalize on Republican party weakness at all levels. If candidates on the Democratic side aren't ready, focus on the person we know is running again.
*questions Jenni Simonis answers personally in later comments at BO...thanks Jenni!
--TJ
PS--sorry for the gap in stories. Zap will be back soon, but while he's gone you notice the breaks I take a lot more clearly...
TJ--
Not a problem. If you have any other questions, just let me know.
I'm always glad to help.
Posted by: Jenni Simonis | September 29, 2005 at 14:54