GOP House Nominee Banged for Backing Obama

[babylonsister]

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/339250

GOP House Nominee Banged for Backing Obama
posted by John Nichols on 07/25/2008 @ 2:31pm


In June, businessman Joel Haugen won more than 70 percent of the vote in a contested Republican primary to carry the party's banner in this fall's race to represent Oregon's 1st congressional district.

But Haugen's name may not appear on the fall ballot as a Republican.

That's because many of his fellow partisans are upset with the fact that Haugen is an outspoken supporter of Democrat Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency.

Obama, says Haugen, is right on the issues and far more likely than Republican John McCain to unite the country.

And he's been saying it for some time.

more...

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/339250

[Hope And Change]

1. K & R!

[vaberella]

2. Now this is an interesting post. Anyone want to post info on Haugen?

This is the first time I'm hearing his name.

[stevedeshazer]

8. See post #7

:)

[bunnies]

3. "Banged" makes me think of something totally different.

:evilgrin:

[On the Road]

4. You Mean Like:

Girls say 'Yes' to boys who say 'O'

:smoke:

[bunnies]

6. ...

:rofl: Exactly!

[rndmprsn]

5. K&R #5 off to the greatest page with ye!

[stevedeshazer]

7. I know a little about Haugen

The First District is right across the river from me.

It's fair to say that the incumbent, Re. David Wu (D) isn't the best congressman. He's a back bencher who basically hides from the media. He won't light any fires among the Dems in his district, which is Democratic-leaning but has plenty of independents and Republicans, too.

Haugen is actually something of a progressive Republican, a throwback to the days when we had Tom McCall as governor and who pushed legislation which got us the first bottle bill (deposit on cans and bottles, land use planning, and 100% public beaches.

This cannot be tolerated in today's Republican party, even in Oregon.

Here's a link to a popular Oregon political blog that may help shed some light on the situation: http://www.blueoregon.com/2008/07/or-1-running-ag.html

<snip>

Haugen has been barred from speaking at, or attending, the GOP nominating convention for Congressional District 1 this weekend. He also claims that he has been barred from attending Republican booths at fairs and festivals in Columbia and Yamhill Counties.

"He's not a Republican", said Fred Yauney, Chair of the Columbia County Republicans. "He's a Republican in name only", in response to questions about why Haugen was excluded from the nominating convention and not permitted to sit in the county booths.

<snip>

Neal Lockhart, a veteran GOP activist in the district, recently informed Haugen that, "As a lifelong member of the Republican Party, I am stunned that you would actually think ... anybody that is a true Republican would even think of helping you."

"You are not a real Republican, you are a shill," Lockhart told Haugen. "You are exactly what I have warned everyone about. Please do us a favor, quit the party."

---

You see, even though the guy won the primary with 70% of the vote he's being thrown under the bus by his own party fruitcakes.

And that's why Republicans have won only one significant statewide office here since our last Republican governor, the fairly reasonable Vic Atiyeh, was elected in 1982.

Interesting to me that this is getting some national buzz.

[depakid]

10. Spot on analysis

Along with being a timid backbencher, I would also note that David Wu crossed over and provided Bush with what turned out to be the deciding vote on the Medicare part D scam- and also had no problem crossing over on the Bankruptcy bill during hard times in his district, while misleading his constituents about what law actually in it.

With his money advantage and the fact that Republicans won't back anyone who shows the slightest bit of rational sense- Wu's a probably a shoe in, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's popular or that a candidate like Haugen wouldn't beat him under different circumstances.

[stevedeshazer]

12. I can't figure Wu out.

But since he won't talk to anyone in the media, the only public record we have are his votes.

And the two you've cited are great examples.

Who is Wu?

Weird. But good to see ya.

[sniffa]

9. I just want, bang bang bang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRzc0bA121w

K&R

[grantcart]

11. Growing up in Washington State we had a lot of Repbulicans like this

including Governor Evans.

I didn't think that there were any left.

[stevedeshazer]

13. More about Haugen here

http://www.oregonindependent.com/node/281

<snip>

Joel Haugen is an interesting man. A lifelong Republican who learned the political ropes during the Hatfield/McCall/Paulus/Atiyeh era of Oregon politics, Haugen is a poster-child for progressive Republicanism.

Running as the Republican nominee in Oregon's first congressional district against incumbent, David Wu, Haugen is staunchly conservative on fiscal issues. However, he also supports universal health care, US energy independence by 2019, a timetable for the removal of US troops from Iraq, and is arguably more progressive on many issues than Democratic incumbent, David Wu.

And though Republican voters seem to agree with Haugen on the issues -- he was elected over social conservative, Claude William-Chappell, with more than 70 percent of the vote in the May Primary -- the party's apparatus has not been kind to its' nominee.

---

This is really getting interesting.