Author Topic: The Beltway GOP Establishment is Pushing a Pro-Abortion Senate Candidate on Oregon  (Read 1582 times)

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Offline Rapunzel

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http://www.redstate.com/diary/gayle2dearg/2014/03/18/beltway-gop-establishment-pushing-pro-abortion-senate-candidate-oregon/

The Beltway GOP Establishment is Pushing a Pro-Abortion Senate Candidate on Oregon

By: Gayle (Diary)  |  March 18th, 2014 at 04:56 PM

The national narrative today suggests that the chances of the Republican Party taking over the Senate in November are increasing as the map of competitive races expands.

One of the states that the pundits are increasingly talking about is Oregon.  If you are listening to the Beltway establishment, including Rove, you would think that there is only one Republican candidate running in Oregon — Dr. Monica Wehby.

The problem with this is two-fold:

1)    Monica Wehby is not the only candidate running for the Republican nomination

2)    Monica Wehby is a liberal Republican and proudly pro-abortion.

Luckily, Oregonians have an alternative. His name is Jason Conger, and my organization, Oregon Right to Life, has proudly endorsed him.

Despite being abandoned by his mother as a child and suffering periods of homelessness, he nevertheless worked his way through community college and graduated from Harvard Law School.

Conger has been endorsed by nearly every Republican state legislator in Oregon and 97 percent of Jason Conger’s itemized contributions have come from Oregon.

Meanwhile, 40 percent of Monica Wehby’s itemized contributions have come from out-of-state, thanks to the DC GOP establishment’s support of her candidacy – including contributions from Senators Susan Collins, Saxby Chambliss, and Richard Burr.
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The Beltway GOP establishment – likely orchestrated through the NRSC – thinks they know Oregon better than those of us fighting here in the trenches.

It is simple: the Beltway GOP establishment does not believe that a conservative can win in Oregon. So they are trying to hoist a liberal Republican on Oregon conservatives.

I have a simple request: Stay out of our state, and let us choose the best person to represent our values to be on the ballot this November.

Gayle Atteberry, Oregon Right to Life
�The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves.� G Washington July 2, 1776

Oceander

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It's nice to see people complain about disinformation by spreading further disinformation.

Here is a more nuanced description of Dr. Wehby, from The Oregonian, a news outlet that, to say the least, is not left of center:

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Portland doctor Monica Wehby will seek to unseat Democrat Jeff Merkley

Monica Wehby, a Portland pediatric neurosurgeon, formally jumped into the race for the U.S. Senate Tuesday, joining a growing horde of Republicans hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

Among those Wehby will compete against in the May primary are state Rep. Jason Conger, R-Bend, and Bend businessman Sam Carpenter, who loaned his campaign $100,000 of his own money.

Wehby said she’s driven to run for Senate in order to correct what she sees as a decline in opportunity for the young thanks to the fallout of the Great Recession.

“I look at the way things are going and I want our kids to have the same opportunities that we had,” Wehby said. “I’m really concerned when I look at the way things are going we may be the first generation that can’t say that their kids are going to be better off.”

But it’s her background as a doctor that will likely define Wehby’s candidacy. In 2004 Wehby was the chief petitioner of Ballot Measure 35, which would have limited non-economic damages in medical lawsuits. Voters narrowly defeated the measure, but Wehby has remained active in medical policy circles and serves on the board of the American Medical Association.

A critic of the Affordable Care Act, Wehby said she opposed the requirement that individuals buy health insurance and that as the new program is rolling out, its weaknesses are becoming apparent.

“There’s a lot of problems with the law and I think that’s what happens when you push it through so I think there’s a lot of things that have to be addressed,” Wehby said.

Whoever prevails in the primary election will have face a tough challenge in defeating Merkley, who has already amassed a campaign warchest worth $2.2 million.

"Senator Merkley is focused on doing the job Oregonians want him to do: making this country work for middle class people again by fighting to create good paying jobs, make college more affordable, and cracking down on the predatory practices of Wall Street and the big banks,” said Merkley campaign spokesman Tim Leahy.

Democrats also enjoy a 181,000-voter edge over Republicans in party registration.

“Because of party registration none of these candidates will be close to Merkley in the initial and developing public opinion polls,” said Jim Moore, political science professor at Pacific University. “This is Merkley’s first defense, thus it is his most vulnerable time. We haven’t seen him on the list of vulnerable candidates.”

Len Bergstein, a lobbyist with decades of experience in Oregon politics, said the primary could prevent the party from finding a moderate Republican that could appeal to the electorate by forcing moderates to appeal to a fired-up conservative base.

“They’re going to out do each other on shutting government down,” Bergstein said. “You’re not going to be able to get a Republican moderate.”

A Catholic mother of four, Wehby, 51, grew up in Tennessee, then studied at Notre Dame and Baylor. She moved to Portland 15 years ago to work at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.

She said her Catholic background and work taking care of children informed her “personally pro-life,” stance on abortion, but said those views weren’t going to change the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade.

“The Supreme Court ruled that this is, that abortion is supposed to be safe and legal,” Wehby said. “And that’s where we are. I don’t think this should be used as a litmus test for people.”

--Christian Gaston

To summarize:

1) she's a pediatric neurosurgeon - that means she ain't dumb and she loves kids;

2) she fought for a ballot measure to restrict non-economic damages in medical lawsuits - that's a fancy way of saying she fought for tort reform;

3) she's a critic of Obamacare, including the individual mandate - she ain't dumb;

4) she's a Catholic - Catholics generally don't think abortion is a good idea, and that's putting it mildly;

5) she's a mother of four - she really, really loves kids;

6) She studied at Notre Dame - Notre Dame is not a liberal catholic university;

7) she is "personally pro-life" but also recognizes that Roe v. Wade is not going to go away, period - she's pro-life and realistic or, to put it another way, she's in a very small group of pro-lifers who understand reality and understand that they have to work with what they're given, not with what they wish they'd been given.


Finally, to address the specific accusation:  Dr. Wehby is not pro-abortion, she's pro-life, she just also happens to be a realist.  Being realistic about Roe v. Wade, including that it will never, never, never, not in our grandchildren's lifetimes at least, go away or even be substantially cut back.

I have no idea if overall she'd be a better Senator than this other fellow, but she certainly doesn't deserve to have such lies and calumny heaped on her, especially not from people who themselves are claiming that they've been misrepresented.

Offline Rapunzel

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And since we don't live in Oregon then Oregon should decide who they want to represent them and this is why the RNC, RNSC and RNCC should stay out of primaries.
�The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves.� G Washington July 2, 1776

Oceander

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Speaking of State Rep. Jason Conger, he, too, doesn't approve of Ted Cruz and his take-no-prisoners actions:
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Republican Jason Conger enters Senate race, calling Democrat Jeff Merkley 'missing in action'

*  *  *

He said he probably "would have voted against" a spending bill that didn't include the delay or defunding of the health care law at first.  But he said he would "not have engaged in the brinksmanship" undertaken by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and other hard-line opponents of the health care law.

*  *  *

And on abortion, and the Senate, Mr. Conger has had this to say:
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Conger described himself as "strongly pro-life," but added that "the U.S. Senate doesn't play a big role" in crafting abortion law and "that's not what I'm expecting to spend my time doing in [Washington] D.C."
Source:  On the Issues:  Jason Conger on Abortion (citing to Statesman-Journal article: "Conger announces bid" , Oct 15, 2013)

Hmmm ...?  Is he really a "true conservative" then?  And is he really the candidate that he's being portrayed as?

Oceander

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And since we don't live in Oregon then Oregon should decide who they want to represent them and this is why the RNC, RNSC and RNCC should stay out of primaries.

Then you shouldn't be posting articles here about Oregonian politics where anyone other than someone who lives in Oregon can read them.  Otherwise, you're just interfering in Oregonian politics and, last I recalled, you don't live in Oregon.

Offline Rapunzel

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Then you shouldn't be posting articles here about Oregonian politics where anyone other than someone who lives in Oregon can read them.  Otherwise, you're just interfering in Oregonian politics and, last I recalled, you don't live in Oregon.

Chief lives in Oregon I think he can decide. 

And frankly your comment is silly I post articles all the time - I didn't state you shouldn't refute what is posted I said I don't believe the RNC, RNSC and RNCC shoud be endorsing in primaries -- aka the RNSC and John McCain, Cornyn, etc,., in Florida during the Crist -Rubio campaign and many other states.  Once there is a winner then and only then should they take sides - their jobs are to be neutral in a primary.
�The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves.� G Washington July 2, 1776

Oceander

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Chief lives in Oregon I think he can decide. 

And frankly your comment is silly I post articles all the time - I didn't state you shouldn't refute what is posted I said I don't believe the RNC, RNSC and RNCC shoud be endorsing in primaries -- aka the RNSC and John McCain, Cornyn, etc,., in Florida during the Crist -Rubio campaign and many other states.  Once there is a winner then and only then should they take sides - their jobs are to be neutral in a primary.

You're still interfering in Oregonian politics.  If you can, then why can't the rest of us?

Offline Rapunzel

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You're still interfering in Oregonian politics.  If you can, then why can't the rest of us?

Are you a member of the RNC, RNSC or RNCC???   If not you are just being pedantic...  as a matter of fact since this is such a flipping big deal to you why don't you go post what you found over on Red State  - or are you just saying I should not post articles for other members of TBR to read?  IF so take it up with Mystery and R4.
�The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves.� G Washington July 2, 1776

Oceander

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Are you a member of the RNC, RNSC or RNCC???   If not you are just being pedantic...  as a matter of fact since this is such a flipping big deal to you why don't you go post what you found over on Red State  - or are you just saying I should not post articles for other members of TBR to read?  IF so take it up with Mystery and R4.


Touched a nerve then, did we?

Being pedantic?  Hardly.  I'm asking a serious question:  you stated that non-Oregonians should butt out of Oregon's local affairs, but you nonetheless posted a very slanted article on Oregonian affairs for us non-Oregonians to read (and, presumably, to react to).  In other words, you aren't following your own advice.  That deserves an answer.

Am I telling you not to post articles about Oregon politics?  No.  I'm rather glad that you do because I would never have known anything about this race if you hadn't posted it.  What I am just pointing out is that a necessary conclusion from your own statements is that you should not be posting articles about Oregon politics since you are not an Oregonian and neither are most of us.

In other words, the only person saying you shouldn't be posting articles about Oregon politics is you.

I, for one, hope that you'll disregard your own advice (and, ultimately, reconsider your advice as well).

Offline Rapunzel

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Touched a nerve then, did we?

Being pedantic?  Hardly.  I'm asking a serious question:  you stated that non-Oregonians should butt out of Oregon's local affairs, but you nonetheless posted a very slanted article on Oregonian affairs for us non-Oregonians to read (and, presumably, to react to).  In other words, you aren't following your own advice.  That deserves an answer.

Am I telling you not to post articles about Oregon politics?  No.  I'm rather glad that you do because I would never have known anything about this race if you hadn't posted it.  What I am just pointing out is that a necessary conclusion from your own statements is that you should not be posting articles about Oregon politics since you are not an Oregonian and neither are most of us.

In other words, the only person saying you shouldn't be posting articles about Oregon politics is you.

I, for one, hope that you'll disregard your own advice (and, ultimately, reconsider your advice as well).

I said the RNC, RNSC and the RNCC should stay out of primaries.  I don't know why you are trying to pick a fight but go take it up with Mystery.  As a matter of fact I will do it for you.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2014, 02:01:14 am by Rapunzel »
�The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves.� G Washington July 2, 1776

Oceander

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I said the RNC, RNSC and the RNCC should stay out of primaries.  I don't know why you are trying to pick a fight but go take it up with Mystery.  As a matter of fact I will do it for you.

I'm taking exception to a particularly parochial, one-sided, view that pops up whenever somebody's favorite ox is being gored.  Aside from the fact that non-Oregonians might simply be motivated by care for their fellow humans - a motivation that I would certainly not ascribe to that alphabet soup - the person Oregonians choose to be one of their Senators is very much a national concern because who that person is, what party that person belongs to, and how that person votes as a Senator has a very significant impact on what happens to me and to all other non-Oregonians.  To start with, it matters whether that person is an 'R' or a 'D' because the party with the larger number of members is the party that gets to control the Senate and set its agenda.  Furthermore, how that person votes will determine whether a given piece of legislation becomes law or not, which means that how that person votes will determine how federal law will seek to control or affect the lives of every non-Oregonian.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2014, 02:46:09 am by Oceander »

Offline sinkspur

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Saying that the RNC and RNSC should stay out of primaries is ridiculous.  The RNSC has ALWAYS defended incumbents.

In Texas, for instance, can you imagine the RNSC not defending John Cornyn and acting as if it was just dandy with them if a total fool like Steve Stockman defeated Cornyn?

Don't be silly.  If the seat is open, I could see your point.  But if there's a Republican incumbent or a Democrat incumbent, then there should be no problem with the outfit charged with electing Republicans to take a stance.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline speekinout

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I want the RNC & the RNSC & every other R group to pay attention to all of the Senatorial races this year. We need as many R's as we can get, and from wherever we can get them. It's pretty important that some group vets the primary candidates so that the race isn't between a relatively good dim candidate and a GOPer with a problematic background or personality.
It's important to all of us that GOPers win in every state possible. We have as much interest in the Oregon elections as we do in the ones in our own state.

Offline Formerly Once-Ler

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OR has a rat Gov, 2 rat Senators(Ron Wyden is one), 4 rat congressmen and one GOP congressman (NRCC Chairman and RINO Greg Walden - Club for Growth is trying to get rid of the only GOP representation in the federal government from OR) and OR has rat control in both houses of the state legislature.  Clearly the GOPe has failed to offer a real choice of fresh and patriotic Conservatism to the people of OR.  FOR LIBERTY!!!

Most states have one or more restrictions on abortion.  A waiting period, parental notification, no tax payer funding.  Oregon has none of these restrictions.  The people of OR loves some abortion. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/sfaa/oregon.html

Great posts Oceander