Denis C. Theriault at the Oregonian reported that Republican state Representative Julie Parrish of West Linn (HD-37) is assisting Independent Party candidates running against Democrats, and Independent Party leaders are embracing her assistance.
But Parrish, who works closely with [Republican timber baron Andrew] Miller, has defied her party by recruiting and guiding a handful of Independent candidates who might conceivably face Republican foes. For example, when ex-Marine David Taylor announced his bid to unseat Rep. Joe Gallegos, D-Hillsboro, Parrish helped edit the press release.
What's more, the Independent Party has incorporated Parrish's plan for public records reform into a draft of its platform, alongside ideas from other Republicans. The Independent Party has also urged candidates to use a voter-mapping database operated by Parrish and her husband, Mark.
In fact the new party owes its major party status to them: Andrew Miller financed the voter registration push that put them over the threshold.
It's pretty obvious the purpose of this new party by now. If as a party we only cared about the cultural issues that Parrish supports like abortion and gay marriage, policies that don’t affect Miller’s bottom line, this would not happen. Democrats stand for an economic agenda that is better for everyone, and that is why rich conservatives like Andrew Miller are bankrolling this new party, and “socially liberal” Republicans like Parrish are assisting them in defeating us. If you live in places like Oregon City, Hillsboro, and Woodburn, where they have candidates running, do not be fooled.
By the way, we have a strong challenger to Julie Parrish. Attorney Paul Carlos Southwick is running in that district, a district that Barack Obama carried twice, John Kitzhaber won last year, and where we nearly defeated Parrish when it was open in 2010. We can defeat her. Help his campaign here.
