DISCLAIMER: This is just a profile of a Democratic elected official. While I may or may not agree with the politics of the selectee, this year long series will profile EVERY single elected Democrat on the Federal level, as well as state Governors. So no bitching about the selection, as the selection is random, and if you must bitch, feel free to do so in the Comments.
Also, this is the second Democrat of the Day as I was too busy at work on Friday and Monday to post those day's installments.
Today's Second Democrat of the Day is Governor Ted Kulongoski
"The Republicans are smarter. They've created these social issues to get the public to stop looking at what's happening to them economically. What we once thought - that people would vote in their economic self-interest - is not true, and we Democrats haven't figured out how to deal with that."
A spot on diagnosis by Ted Kulongoski. Perhaps that is why he is being talked about as a darkhorse presidential darkhorse in 2008, and if not that, then a strong Vice Presidential candidate.
Theodore R. Kulongoski was born in rural Missouri on November 5, 1940. His father died shortly after Ted was born, and was sent to be raised by Catholic Nuns at a Boys Home in St. Louis. After high school, he enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps. He served in the 11th and 12th Marine Regiments as a forward observer with the artillery. During his tour of duty he met Mary Oberst, his future wife, on the Pacific coast, where he was a guard at the Calaveras Naval Base, and later married her in Missouri. They have three children today. With the assistance of the GI Bill, and money saved from jobs as a truck driver and a steel worker, Ted put himself through college and law school at the University of Missouri. He graduated in 1970 with his Juris Doctorate.
No sooner was he at home in a new state than he became counsel for the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee and wrote Oregon's Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act. In 1974, he won the election for state representative of Lane and Douglas counties. Four years later he was elected to the State Senate. In 1980, he lost in the race for the U. S. Senate and again two years later in a bid for governor. But he did not quit. In 1987, Governor Neil Goldschmidt appointed him Oregon insurance commissioner. Five years later in 1992, he was elected attorney general. In 1996, he was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court, where he served fro 4 and ½ years.
As such, even before he became Governor, Kulongoski had the rare distinction of having served in all three branches of state government.
During his campaign for Governor in 2002, Ted Kulongski began the race as the favorite, until he ran into Republcian Kevin Mannix (who will be running in the 2006 Republican Primary hoping for a rematch). Mannix, a former state senator, tried to paint Kulongoski as soft on crime. Mannix aired TV ads playing up Kulongoski's remark in 1994 that a law toughening sentences for violent criminals was "bad public policy." Kulongoski said he meant that tougher laws would take away judges' discretion to determine how long offenders should serve. But he said he had no plan to change those laws.
To thwart the Republican attack, Kulongoski created a everyday working man's campaign by traveling in a 40-foot motor home and stopping in bowling alleys throughout the state. His visits to the lanes became trademarks of his campaign. They were featured in his television ads, and his campaign distributed blue-and-gold Kulongoski bowling shirts, rather than t-shirts.
"I'm a lawyer, but don't hold that against me," he often quipped at campaign stops.
Kulongoski won the 2002 election with 49% of the vote. The Republican Mannix received 46% and a Libertarian candidate received 5%.
Governor Kulongoski, as a former Marine himself, has been especially sensitive to military issues. In 2004, he set up a plan for the families of National Guardsmen/Reservists who are also state employees. Normally these families would face economic hardship due to the lose of income. Indeed, in Oregon, there are over 200 Oregon state employees in the National Guard and Reserves. Eighty are currently serving on active duty. Under the Governor's plan, state employees are able to donate leave time to co-workers who are serving in active duty in the National Guard or Reserve. That time will be translated into dollars and paid to the state workers while on duty in order to help them and their families make ends meet.
In December 2003, the Governor announced a collaborative effort aimed at providing assistance for Oregon National Guard families to pay their heating and electric bills. A handful of local utilities have donated specially earmarked funds to the Oregon National Guard's Emergency Relief Fund. Further, unlike President Bush, Governor Kulongoski goes to the funerals of Oregon soldiers as he respects the sacrifice his citizens have endured.
Another issue of importance to Governor Kulongoski is the Employer Workforce Training Fund (EWTF) grant program, whose purpose is to support the retention and growth of living wage jobs, a skilled workforce, and competitive businesses in Oregon. The grant is a matching funds grant that must be matched with cash or in kind contributions from a private sector employer.
bassjhs of MyDD recently interviewed the good Governor.
Here are some excerpts:
Jonathan Singer: [Oregon Republican Senator] Gordon Smith hit the ball out of the park, so to speak, with the Smith-Bingaman amendment to reduce cuts in (Medicaid). But he also said this week that he's not going to vote against the budget if the Republican conferees rip [the amendment] out [of the Budget] in conference. What will you and the National Governors Association be doing to try and keep it in there?
Ted Kulongoski: First of all the NGA actually has a partisan side to it, as well as the United States Senate. I can't speak for the Republican Governor's Association. I can tell you the Democratic governors - I just talked to Janet Napolitano last week down in Arizona, and we're going to be down there in the beginning of April - I can tell you the Democrats are absolutely going to fight to the last to be able to void what the President wants to do with the Medicaid cuts.
Singer: Now I know this is extremely, extremely far away, but there's talk in the blogosphere, as we like to call it, about a run in 2008 for Ted Kulongoski.
Both: [Laughter]
Singer: Not if you're going to run, but what do you think of such talk?
Kulongoski: No and no.
Singer: Now one last question. The West seems to be the place where the Democrats are really having a resurgence. You look at yourself, you look at Washington, you look at Montana - Governor Schweitzer's doing well - Napolitano in Arizona you brought up, even Kansas has a [Democratic Governor], not such a Western state, but it's on the fringe, Colorado's having a turn around. What more can the Democrats do to turn these borderline "purple" states into "blue" states in the future?
Kulongoski: You know one of the things, it's a very good question, because the Democratic Governor's Association is now looking for a new Executive Director and I was interviewed as to what we need, and I said the first thing is that someone understands that in fact there's another part of this country on the western side of the Mississippi. And the other is one that has as much as a Southern policy, a Western policy.
---
I think the Democrats can win Colorado this time. You have Freudenthal in Wyoming. I think that there are a number of Western states that the Democrats can win. I don't believe that a lot of these Western states are as red as everyone says they are. I think that in fact we're going to turn them. I really believe that.
The Issues
Recent Speeches
Campaign Contributions
Quotes
On the Issues
Want to Help Governor Kulongoski get Reelected?
Governor Ted Kulongoski is currently looking for interns to work on his re-election campaign. This is a great opportunity for students to see the inside of a campaign and the function of the Governor in state politics.
Governor Ted Kulongoski's internship program offers students and recent college graduates an opportunity to witness and participate in the day-to-day operations of a political campaign. Interns gain valuable work experience in a truly dynamic environment. This is a great opportunity to learn the functions of the political office and the multiple roles of a Governor.
Interns will work out of the Portland, Oregon office, but will have the opportunity to visit locations throughout the state. Interns are expected to work 20-40 hrs/week for at least 2 months between now and November 2006.
To apply for an internship, please send a cover letter outlining interests and reason for pursuing internship along with a resume. You may mail, fax, or e-mail your application to Trent Lutz.
Kulongoski for Governor
PO Box 399
Portland, OR 97207
Phone: 503-546-0416
Fax: 503-224-5335
Trent@tedforgov.com
District Information:
Census and Demographic Data on the State of Oregon
Contact Information:
Website: http://www.governor.state.or.us/Gov/index.shtml
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047
503.378.4582
503.378.6827
Previous Democrats of The Day:
4-25-05: Senator Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii
4-26-05: Representative Artur Davis, D-Alabama 7th
4-27-05: Governor Brad Henry, D-Oklahoma
4-28-05: Representative Jim McDermott, D-Washington State 7th
5-3-05: Representative Sander Levin, D-Michigan 12th