The COBRA will strike!

Well, yesterday was a big disappointment for real conservatives in Oregon.  But one bad night doesn't kill a movement.  My chosen candidate may be out of the race, but there is still much to do to advance conservative principles and reform Oregon government.  Therefore...

The "Atkinson Bloggers" are transistioning.  We are now the "Conservative Oregon Blog Roll Alliance."  Yes, that spells COBRA, and this cobra is ready to strike!

If you are a conservative Oregon blogger, you can join this blogroll.  All you need to do is:

1) Add the following code to your blog sidebar:

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"

src="http://rpc.blogrolling.com/display.php?r=ca8c47cb3777320a3bd0b4697882dc21">

</script>

Note: If you can't read what's above this, it is because I made the font extra small, to fit it in without unwanted line breaks in the middle of continuous text.  You can run your mouse over it, and copy/paste into a text editor or Word, then increase the font so you can read it more clearly. Make sure you don't have any unwanted spaces or carriage returns -- there should be one space after the first word "script," one space after the quotation mark after each "javascript," and no other spaces or returns.

Feel free to copy my cobra logo!  And please include a link to this post.  Then,

2) Let me know who you are so I can add you, by e-mailing:

c o b r a D O T b l o g g e r s A T g m a i l D O T c o m

Why should you join?

1) Joining gets your blog linked on the blog of every other member, and,

2) Once a member, you can more easily share conservative ideas with fellow members.

Let's take back Oregon for the conservatives, one voter at a time!

Comments

[hilsy]

My 2 cents on the GOP primary:

The Republican party is becoming more conservative. Four years ago, the moderates split between Saxton and Roberts, leaving Mannix with a plurality win. But note that a majority of republicans voted for the moderate candidates.

This time, the conservatives split between Mannix and Atkinson (a little "I told you so" on that one), leaving Saxton with a plurality win. However, this time a majority of republicans voted for the conservative candidates.

[Bob]

Works for me! I hope I'm consersative enough for you.

[Gullyborg]

I think it is also important to note that Saxton tried hard (and apparently succeeded) at positioning himself as the "most conservative" candidate, winning support from folks like Lars Larson and OFIR. I know several people who didn't support Jason because they thought he was "too soft" on some big issues.

The GOP is really, really conservative. Ron Saxton will need to follow through on his message of conservatism, or else the base will be very disappointed and undervote in November.

[Sid Leiken]

Gully

Good to see you last night. Good luck in Salem and I will be in touch per our conversation.

[Jeff]

So... should we vote for Kulongoski in the general election, on the theory that he will do less damage to the Oregon Republican party and the reputation of conservatives over the next 4 years than Saxon would?

[Tony]

Jeff,

Yes.

[DarePDX]

Saxton did not position himself as the most conservative candidate. In fact he still was liberal on many issues compared to the other two front running candidates.

What Saxton did do was provide a strong argument with in depth explanation of how he would win the primary and general election. Ron's campaign had a consistent message - "Ron is the only candidate guaranteed to win." With this argument and the campaign plan to back it up Saxton swept the endorsements of many influential conservatives.

With this he built his campaign forward. He was disciplined in his message, constructive in his strategy, and professional in his implementation. Many people I respect have made many glowing comments about Saxton for Gov reduex. Saxton also had the most professional staff I've seen in a long time.

Saxton won because he had the best campaign money could buy and it was well managed and well staffed to boot. Mannix had a well funded campaign with many well resumed people who did an okay job. Atkinson had the best people you could hope for who ran the most effective campaign. But without the money to get the message out the extreme low voter turnout hung his expectations. Either way - Saxton had money and talent.

He deserves his win - we deserve a position within his campaign. We can not let him sit the fiscal and social conservatives of our party on the curb. He deserves a coalition conservative adminstration which will overturn decades of liberal laws and service based budgetary bloat.

Get involved and participate.

So Gully - Do I hear an Amen? Are you going to stand by your party?

[Tammy Brotton]

Hello Gully we are not voting for anybody in the main election we are leaving it blank the Governor races as a christian conservative we can not vote for TED K and or Ron saxton we concerned conservatives who care about Marriage between one man and one woman and no on civil unions and pro life the sanctity of marriage and life is very important as we get closer to a demoralization of our nation and even our churchs we need to be careful I am only voting on the measures this main election We will turn in our ballots but we are only going to vote on measures Atkinson gave us a real reason for conservatives to vote for we live already in an state that is unchurched unchurched you say when we have churchs in oregon yes we need missionaries even here in oregon
OR: 5/16 Primary primer
By: GOB · Section: Diaries

First diary here - please don't bite. Hard.

The Oregon primary is today, May 16, and you won't see the poll-going frenzy prevalent in so many places. Why, you ask? Well, two reasons:

1. We have mandatory vote-by-mail. Pushes turnout up, makes an easy paper trail, and gives people weeks to sit at home with the voters' pamphlet and make up their minds. Fraud-proof, too - every signature has to be matched with the voter file.

2. No senator faces re-election. No congressman faces a serious opponent of any kind - primary or general (4 Ds, 1R). Only governor looms as a major race - a primer to it follows below the fold.

Print This Story
May 16th, 2006: 12:26:53
There are seven legitimate, serious contenders for the governorship. From conservative to liberal, here's the rundown:

Jason Atkinson (State senator, R - Central Point) - A young, Christian conservative with lots of blogosphere support. Bright and articulate, but viewed by many as too inexperienced to live at Mahonia Mansion. Additionally, Democrats have held the governorship with often less-than-inspiring candidates for 24 years, and the Republican Party has made it clear that they want to put up a candidate who can get elected, and that they don't think Atkinson has the moderate cred. Polling shows him lagging about 15-20 points behind the other two major candidates.

Kevin Mannix (State party chair and former state legislator and failed candidate for AG and Governor, R-Salem) - A former Democrat, Mannix has become the face of conservatism in Oregon. He has the sole endorsement of Oregon Right to Life, which matters a great deal in the primary but less in the general (Oregon being one of the most pro-choice and the most unchurched states in the union). His ballot measure instituting mandatory sentencing for certain crimes still wins him accolades. The problem? He already lost to the incumbent once, about half his financial support comes from a wealthy Nevadan eccentric named Loren Parks, and he's been going seriously negative on the airwaves. Lagging five or so points behind...

Ron Saxton (Former school board chair, R-Portland) - Ron ran 3rd in this primary in 2002, but this time he's done making rookie mistakes. He's emphasized his conservative credentials - anti-spending, anti-waste, all enforcement on immmigration, and willingness to sign anything Oregon Right to Life pushes through a split legislature - at the expense of his moderate/liberal ones - fundamentally pro-choice, pro-public schools, and being from notoriously liberal Portland. He has garnered the support of the most popular conservative radio host in Oregon, Lars Larson, and many Republicans expressed the sentiment at their annual Dorchester conference that he would be as conservative as they could get elected. 24 years out of power will cause people to put up anything they think will work. Saxton is leading in the polls, but it's not insurmountable. The ads from Mannix and his eccentric backer have tried to tie him to disgraced pedophile - and former Governor and Transportation Secretary under Carter - Neil Goldschmidt. Because Saxton has no real connection to Goldschmidt, these appear to have backfired. They might, however, hurt the incumbent in the longrun (see below).

Ben Westlund (State Senator, I-Bend) - A Republican until a few months ago, Westlund is going to get on the November ballot as an independent, and polling shows that his so-far meager support comes largely from the left. He's conservative economically and on the environment and abortion, but liberal on gay rights and universal health care, which he believes is a fundamental right. Insiders say that his candidacy might give Saxton the governorship.

Ted Kulongoski (Governor, D-Portland) - The 3rd least-popular governor in the nation, Kulongoski has governed tepidly from the middle, and therefore gets no love from either the left or right. Public sector unions hate him for eviscerating their retirement benefits. Gays wish he had pushed harder for a civil unions bill that just barely died in the legislature this year. Also, doesn't help that he learned the game at Goldschmidt's feet, and has had to distance himself fast from Goldschmidt's sex with a 14-year-old babysitter. Widely viewed as OK at policy, not so good at politics, Kulongoski will win the primary, but may fall short of 50% - a strong statement about an incumbent governor. His saving grace in the general? He's against the Iraq War, goes to every Oregon soldier's funeral, is fighting to keep the Oregon National Guard in Oregon for fire season, and is several points more popular than the President. If he can make this a referendum on national issues, he may eke it out. Otherwise, he's toast - can't lose the primary, can't win the general.

Jim Hill (Former state treasurer, D-Portland) - The only African-American statewide elected official in Oregon history, Hill is running on anti-Kulongoski sentiment and union backing. Doesn't have much to say specifically about what to do about the sorry state of affairs in Salem. Will get something like 30-35%.

Pete Sorenson (Lane county commissioner, D-Eugene) - The token super-liberal, Sorenson is appealing for protest votes, but without Hill's support. Viewed as small potatoes credentials-wise, he's basically in it at this point to build name recognition for the future. Might get to 10-15%.

So there you have it - I'll post results late tonight (PST). And sorry for no links - I'm just learning how to do it, and I don't have the time to labor through it right now. Feel free to google any of these candidates or issues if you have the interest.

OR: 5/16 Primary primer | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
Welcome to the diaries! By: Crank
Gob-smackingly good stuff! Keep it up.

"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
(User Info) (#1)

Thanks By: GOB
I appreciate it.

[ Parent ] (User Info) (#2)

Recommended. By: Adam C

Social Security Choice - Club For Growth
(User Info) (#3)

Update By: GOB
Survey USA just released an automated poll from last night - could be quite accurate, because more than half the population has already voted (the rest are taking their ballots to drop boxes today to avoid $.39 in postage). Showed Kulongoski winning by 20 with 47% and Saxton winning by 10 with 36% and Atkinson in a surprising 2nd with 26% - he raised only about 1/3 of what the other two Rs raised.

As I said, besides the gubernatorial primary, not a whole lot to get excited about - and the Ds aren't even excited about that, mostly either not voting or voting very reluctantly for the incumbent because the CW is that he has the best shot. All this despite Saxton, Mannix, and Kulongoski clearing $1 million in fundraising so far and heavy radio saturation. Turnout is going to fall short of 50%.

Also note that The Oregonian - by far the most influential publication in the state - endorsed Kulongoski and Saxton.

For good coverage, check out:

The Oregonian: www.oregonlive.com
BlueOregon : blueoregon.com (note: lefty site).
NWRepublican: nwrepublican.blogspot.com

I will still post actual results later tonight - and more summaries of relevant issues and other local topics will follow as the general heats up.

(User Info) (#4)

Overrated? By: Slade
I really think people are handing this to Kulongoski too early. Dem turnout is going to be very low, and it's not inconceivable that he could lose. Hell, even the unions don't like the guy much anymore.

In terms of the general, Saxton's the only Republican with a shot, and I think he's really shot himself in the foot with his 'no more taxes' promise. The state's budget is in trouble; some kind of tax increase isn't a horrible idea, and a lot of the I-5 corridor that Saxton might have been able to win from Kulongoski will vote Dem only because they're afraid of what Saxton will have to cut. To be honest, Saxton's message folks just seem sub-par; a lot like last time he ran for governor.

Westlund is the most intriguing candidate here; I signed his petition. He probably doesn't have much of a chance; I agree with the diarist in that his main effect on the race will be to siphon votes from the Democratic nominee.

(User Info) (#5)

good points all By: GOB
I'm going to disagree marginally with the Kulongoski coronation - someone pointed out the other day that he's been unspectacular, but hasn't done anything approximating a "firing offense" for Dems. Much as they delude themselves into believing otherwise, labor doesn't control a majority of the caucus, and the protest vote is split by Sorensen's presence. The Survey USA results back this up - although you are right about low turnout, especially in the metro area, being dangerous for him.

I'm planning on voting for Westlund in the general, but if Saxton would propose an income tax decrease and implementing a sales tax, I'd be on that bandwagon. Of course, as Ted just showed us, that won't happen without it causing its sponsoring candidate to get pilloried in the media.

As for Saxton winning I-5 corridor voters, I'll assume you're not talking about automatically R areas like the rural valley, Medford, Salem, but rather Portland and burbs. In that case, it's actually his newfound passion for a hard line on immigration that will cost him those votes. It sounds like that's a risk he's willing to take.

[ Parent ] (User Info) (#6)

Results By: GOB
Not to say I called it, but I called it.

Reps (75% reporting):

Saxton 96,497 43.18%
Mannix 66,248 29.64%
Atkinson 48,434 21.67%

Dems (75% reporting):

Kulongoski 130,877 54.31%
Hill 71,084 29.50%
Sorenson 39,039 16.20%

Better than expected for both Kulongoski and Saxton - should be an all-out brawl in the general, with Westlund tipping the balance.

(User Info) (#7)

OR: 5/16 Primary primer
Christianity is topic of lectures

EUGENE—(May 11, 2006)—Retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong will give two public lectures on the future of Christianity on May 24 in Eugene and on May 25 in Portland.

The lectures, sponsored by the Oregon Humanities Center at the University of Oregon, will take place in Eugene at 7:30 p.m., 150 Columbia Hall, 1215 E. 13th Ave. and in Portland at 5:45 p.m. in the Mayfair Ballroom, Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway, Portland. Both lectures are free and open to the public. A reception will be held before the Portland lecture at 5 p.m.

In his lectures, Spong, who is the university's 2005-06 Kritikos Professor in the Humanities, will examine the future of Christianity in the 21st century. His Eugene lecture, "Who is the Popular God in Public Life in the 21st Century," will explore questions of faith and living in modern society. His Portland lecture, "Can 21st Century People Believe in God with Integrity," will answer questions of who God is for people today and how the concept of God can be experienced and what meaning it possesses.

Spong was the bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Newark, N.J. for 24 years before his retirement in 2000. One of the leading spokespersons for progressive Christianity, Bishop Spong has taught at Harvard University and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., lectured throughout the world, and is the author of 15 books, including his latest work The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Discover the God of Love.

Contact: Pauline Austin, (541) 346-3129

Source: Ruthann Maguire, (541) 346-3
------------------------------
we

[Tammy Brotton]

Hello Gully I do think that this movement is a really good idea though
Conservative Oregon Blog Roll Alliance."
and to be a part of it will be good
Just something else great that came out of being an Atkinson blogger.

[greenink]

Heh. Well, all I can say is that I hope the COBRA is every bit as effective as the "Bloggers for Atkinson" group was.
----
by the way, Gully, I did want to congratulate you on getting the JD. Although we need another attorney in this country about as much as we need another blogger, it's an accomplishment that required a lot of dedication and hard work. Congrats to you and the family, which no doubt had to sacrifice in order for you to achieve your goal.

[Gullyborg]

Oh, look who is back.

So... you are pleased the Atkinson Bloggers weren't able to get our man nominated. I guess that means you like Ron Saxton then?

Dare,

I am a conservative first and a Republican second. Come November, I *might* support Ron if, and only if, over the next 6 months he demonstrates that he will stay true to the conservative movement. I try to be optimistic about things, but I doubt he will. So, when he goes RINO on us, it will be my job to point it out. If that hurts his campaign and helps Ted, so be it. My goal is to elect conservatives, regardless of party affiliation.

We don't need to "rally around the winner." No siree Bob. We need to keep the fire on the winner, and make damn sure he knows that if he starts to remember the days of supporting partial-birth abortion, we will drop him like a hot potato. If he talks gun control, he goes down in flames. And if he starts talking about "guest workers" for the ag community, to do jobs "Americans won't do," he can rot in hell... seeing as how that was the one issue he used to turn Lars from Jason's friend into Jason's enemy.

If Ron stays conservative, and if in November he looks like he will truly pursue a conservative agenda in office, then I will reconsider and vote for him.

That's a lot of ifs.

Now, let's remember all the other races. We need to get Jack Roberts elected. We need to get Debra Vogt elected. We need to keep the House and make gains in the Senate with Torrey and Thatcher (and we need to hold that seat with George).

These are all things we conservative Republicans can unite on, regardless of our thoughts on the governors race.

[Independent Thinker]

you said:

Heh. Well, all I can say is that I hope the COBRA is every bit as effective as the "Bloggers for Atkinson" group was.
----

So, considering that the Atkinson bloggers helped an unknown youngster with no money and no campaign, with nothing other than a message of conservatism and a bike, go from obscure nobody from a podunk town into a serious candidate who not only earned 20% of the vote in a three way race (impressive enough) but forced the other two candidates to spend a ton of money and tack to the right... I guess that means you hope COBRA can help the entire conservative movement in the same way?

OK. Sounds good to me.

[Tony]

It really sickens me when people talk about watching Ron and making sure he keeps talking like a right winger.

He is a liberal. I don't care how he talks. I care about what he will do. And I don't believe what he will do has any connection to how he talks.

Ron Saxton has done nothing to help the conservative cause, ever. He was president of Nader's OSPIRG a long time ago, and he cozied up to every Democrat in the state and every portland liberal, has made consistent actions, donations, and statements in favor of liberal postiions.

Now that he talks a good game while running for office, a bunch of people think that his words matter. When you will say anything to get elected, they dont matter. When you say things inconsistent with your life's actions over 30 years, without some sort of period of proving yourself through your actions, your words are USELESS.

Ron Saxton is a liberal. I don't care what he says. And I am not voting for him, and neither are a lot of Oregon conservatives.

You "moderates" and liberals are going to learn that your stupid plan of running a liberal that appeals to the squishy middle so that he gets all the Republicans and the squishy middle is infantile and shows a lack of political understanding.

You have to get the base to turn out, and somehow appeal to the middle...you know, like Kevin Mannix did last time?

Not go for the middle and think that the base has nowhere to go so they will support your guy.

That's really dumb. we have options. Undervoting. Westlund. Democrats. Constitution Party. Libertarian Party. Write ins.

We don't vote for phony Republicans.

[Gullyborg]

Tony,

Believe me, I hear you. I am very disheartened that Ron is the nominee. I am merely saying that the optimist in me wants to hope that, if Ron is elected Governor, he will at least follow through with some of what he has promised.

But the realist in me doubts very much this will happen. Realistically, Ron will provide plenty of ammo for me to use against him, just by being Ron between now and November.

Sigh.

I figure the best thing I can do at this point is fight hard for all the other good candidates in November, while riding Ron's ass to expose any return to the left he makes, so that readers will be armed with the truth about him.

Since I do expect him to "triangulate" towards liberalism, I expect to spend a lot of bandwidth on pointing out his flaws. As such, there is a high probability that, by November, you will be able to look back at this blog and see a pattern of active campaigning against Ron.

We'll just have to see what unfolds.

In the meantime, join the COBRA list.

[DarePDX]

Gully-

I will pitch a simple logical reason for why you should support the lessor of three evils. (And yes I agree with you that a lesser evil is still evil)

The Oregon Republican party has one disadvantage with maintaining our majority in the Legislature and gaining statewide office.

We need a new generation of conservatives to get involved, experienced and capable of building a staying conservative presence. The fact that Saxton's out of state hired guns spanked Mannix's staff of Oregon's most experienced says it all. Currently in our state all I see are people who've gotten their experience in DC or on failed campaigns. We need a few terms of a republican executive - any republican - to build momentum. I would prefer many others to be the candidate and worked hard for Jason but Saxton is the candidate I've got so I will pay my dues and work for him.

Though Saxton is more liberal than you would ever see yourself supporting he is republican and I can testify that there are many real conservatives that will make up his administration and appoinments. There are many now supporting his candidacy because they were sold early on by Saxton of his viablity in the general combined with the organization he put together.

Take time to give his campaign a chance. Even if you can't support the man (and you'll have many reasons to throw bricks at his stances) support the people who make up our party. Jason Atkinson would do this - he would take one for the team because that is what our party is.

Reagan supported Ford and campaigned for him. I ask you to do the same. Back the movement even if the leader isn't walking lockstep.

As I said before - Better to sit at the table than on the curb.

[Gullyborg]

I will wait until later in the campaign before I decide *anything* about the governor's race.

And we can support the Republican Party and Republicans even if we don't necessarily support the man at the top. The days of the "straight party ticket" are over. We don't even have a party-line option on the ballot like other states have (some people in Oregon, who haven't been around long, might not even realize that in some states you can just check "Republican" once on the ballot, and you automatically vote for every Republican on the ballot!).

I will be working hard for the many important Republicans running for the Legislature. We can build on our House lead and possibly tie or even take the Senate this year. We don't need Ron Saxton to do that. In fact, an independent campaign for governor by an extreme right-winger (remember Al Mobley?) could HELP us win more legislative seats by getting more conservatives out to vote.

I will be working hard for non-partisans, too. Jack Roberts is a Republican in spirit, but his race is NOT allowed to get involved in partisan politics.

So fear not, the GOP will continue to grow. But it might do so despite, not because, of Saxton.

[The Conservative Pirate]

Hello gully,

Couldn't help but overhear your debate with DarePDX. I've heard this argument before about "they're the only person who can win". The only reason they say that is because of the Golden Rule. He/She who has the gold makes the rules. Not so.

In 2004, I heard this same nonsense about "only a moderate can win". I have 2 words for your friend. GOLI AMERI. Had lots of money, bought all kinds of endorsements to look conservative, amd won the primary. However, when the general came, she got her clock cleaned. She had all kinds of out of state help and still blew it. The real conservative, Jason Meshell, took 2nd in the primary and was seriously outspent by the competition.

Like you, I'm conservative 1st and Republican barely makes my top 5.Stick with what you know is true my friend.

[DarePDX]

Hey Conservative Pirate-

Who else can win the Governor's race that is a Republican this November?

I worked hard for Jason Atkinson. Given a choice between Kulongoski, Westlend, and Saxton - I choose NOT Kulongoski and therefore vote for Saxton.

Anyways - Meshell's 'Tony Robins' routine as the candidate who will pump you up is the reason he didn't make it through the primary. Meshell was a nice guy, a real conservative, and a hard worker. He should have started with a smaller office.

As for Ameri. Goli was an amazing candidate and was far from being as moderate as Ron Saxton.

[JerryS]

Ron Saxton looks like a chipmunk and he sounds like he has rocks in his mouth.

[Jeff]

I kept thinking that Ron looked more and more porcine as the campaign went on.
I had him labeled as "the candidate most likely to suffer a heart attack" after the Republican debate.

[Limbo Man]

If she was that good of a candidate, Dare, WHY THE HELL WAS SHE BEATEN IN A LANDSLIDE?!

[Gullyborg]

I remain skeptical that Saxton would be ANY better than Kulongoski, and could actually be worse. Like I said, now is the time for me to watch and think, not blindly support Saxton as "the Republican" or the "not Kulongoski."

Remember, some very bad people in history got elected to office out of a sheer reaction against the incumbent.

[Marraige between one man and one woman]

Hello All:
Hello to all of our blog readers- this bit of information came in from Matt Daniels
AMERICA NEEDS INVOLVED FATHERS
By Matt Daniels, J.D., Ph.D.

(The Hill, 6-16-04)

This Father’s Day, Americans may want to consider the words of the late Senator from New York, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who once said, "The principal objective of American government at every level should be to see that children are born into intact families and that they remain so.”

Moynihan understood that there is an integral connection between the institution of marriage and the well-being of children in the United States. After all, marriage is what makes fatherhood more than a biological event - by connecting men to the children they bring into the world.

Sadly, over 25 million American children (more than one in three) are being raised in a family with no father present in the home. And an overwhelming body of social-science research has confirmed Moynihan’s prediction (first made in the early 1960s) that many of the social problems commonly thought to be rooted in race would eventually move from the inner cities to the suburbs since these problems are ultimately attributable to family breakdown.

For example, research now shows that the percentage of fatherless families in a community more reliably predicts that community’s rate of violent crime than any other factor, including race. The same can be said for rates of child poverty. In fact, interestingly, white children in fatherless families are significantly more likely to live in poverty than African-American children who have a father in the home.

As compelling as this empirical evidence is, I do not need social science research findings to convince me that I paid a heavy price for growing up without a father. In fact, my own personal experience offers something of a miniature portrait of the tremendous human and social costs of fatherlessness in America.
After my parents married, my mother followed my father to New York City in the early 1960s. When I was 2 years old, my father abandoned my family. Divorce became the easiest way for my father to escape the responsibility of having to support a wife and child. Although my mother never expected that she would need to provide for a family, she obtained a position as a secretary and worked for several years to keep us in our apartment in a deteriorating part of Spanish Harlem.

A few years later, my mother was the victim of a serious violent crime. While coming home late from work one night, she got off at the wrong bus stop and was mugged by four men. She sustained injuries that left her disabled, depressed, and dependent on welfare for most of the rest of her life.

If my father had not abandoned my family, many of the most difficult aspects of my childhood could have been avoided. In this regard, my story is very much like that of many children growing up today without both a father and a mother in the home.

To help such children and to help restore a culture of married fatherhood in this country the Alliance for Marriage supports a wide range of public-policy and civil-society reforms. For example, we believe that:

*
Businesses should voluntarily do more to make it easier for their employees to be both good workers and good spouses by offering more flex time, job sharing and home-based work options.
*
Educational institutions should offer curricula and textbooks that accurately reflect the benefit of marriage for children, adults and society.
*
Religious communities should provide more teaching and counseling to help couples form, and maintain, lasting marriages.
*
The entertainment industry should do more to accurately portray the positive influence that marriage generally has on both children and adults.

In addition, the government should:

*
Lighten the tax burden on families with children in order to stop taxing many parents out of the lives of their kids.
*
Make adoption more affordable and easier for more married couples in order to increase the number of adoptable children placed in two-parent families.
*
Require counseling directed at marital reconciliation for families with children before granting a divorce decree.
*
Eliminate all state and federal welfare policies that penalize welfare recipients for getting, or staying, married.

The good news is that fatherlessness is a completely curable social disease. America is the greatest and most prosperous nation in the world. We can do better than accept historically unprecedented levels of youth crime and child poverty that result from high levels of fatherlessness. We can - and must - rebuild a culture of marriage and intact families in this country.

Matt Daniels, an attorney and political scientist, is the founder and president of the Alliance for Marriage, a non-partisan, multi-cultural organization dedicated to ensuring that more children grow up in a home with a mother and a father. (This article orignally appeared in the The Hill on June 16, 2004)
Tell this to senator ben westlund would u??Thanks
--------------
Hey what happened to blog roll?
Gods blessings
Capitol 3 republican

[Tammy Brotton]

Hello Gully we have decided to support for president in 08
Hello all I Have to go with senator George Allen for president if he decides to run we have written him a letter he is checking out the blogs to we have been in touch with two others who also want senator George Allen for president here is what one of my friends from says
Sign Senator Allen's ePledge of Support today!

Date : Sun, Jun 11, 2006 05:35 PM

[ Printable Version ]

I think George Allen would make a great presidential candidate
check out our blog and see what we are talking about

[Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports,]

[this comment deleted for violating terms of use by copy/pasting copyrighted material - Resistance is futile!]

[zoey]

hi. its so nice to find other conservative bloggers in oregon! i haven't been blogging long but enjoy it very much. i have added COBRA's blog roll to my site and wondered if you would please add me to the blog roll as well. i would also appreciate any tips for my site. i wanted to add the very cool cobra pic but i would need it in code to do so. would you happen to have that? thanks so much. please visit my site if you can. blatherings.blog.com