Most of the corruption in the progressive machine is so abstract (and uncovered by the fading mainstream press) that the average mouth-breathing Oregonian can't fathom it...and, judging by votes on idiotic measures such as 110, they aren't interested. Too many sour beers on the menu.
This one has legs. It's simple, outrageous, more than slightly sex-creepy, and has happened to a governor who isn't well liked and has left too many political corpses bobbing in her wake. She's never held a real-world job and it's starting to show.
She should pray that Janelle Bynum gets elected to Congress. And that every woman on the progressive bench stays put...otherwise, it's primary-time.
One errant thought: I wonder what the vibe is in the WillyWeek newsroom: two hotshot killer-reporters (Jaquiss and Peel), each head-hunting. Interesting rivalry. Peel took down a Secretary of State; Nigel's got an even bigger target.
Plus they must be wincing over at the Oregonian, having to credit WillyWeek with the monster beat (something the O isn't very fastidious about). GuvTina is one of the Big Girls--and every major slot on the O's masthead is a woman of a certain age, along with the county chair and many others. This will be fun to watch...the sisterhood is getting stressed.
Just because Kotek drove an old car doesn't mean much.
Like all Oregon governors, she now has armed state troopers as drivers, but in Oregon it can be a crime (a misdemeanor called Official Misconduct) if an elected official's family financially benefits BECAUSE of their relationship. That is why "First Others" can be appointed to initiatives or commissions, so long as they do not get a state paycheck or get staff who are paid solely to assist someone who was never elected or hired by the government.
Does it happen in other states? Sure, but in Oregon we were supposed to be different, although as Jeff points out, the members of the party to which I have actively belonged for 45 years, has shown some recent spectacular mis-steps...or worse.
Undemocratic is the first word that comes to mind in connection with Kotek's shameless act of nepotism.
Kotek didn't run on a twofer platform, so she can't claim a pre-existing popular mandate for installing her spouse and bedmate into her office in an official role.
In a similar vein, there's been no reporting that would indicate Kotek ran the arrangement past the legislative leadership in Salem as a courtesy or in preparation for seeking funding for the office of the first spouse.
Finally, Kotek hasn't bothered to make a case to the voters for new office. To the contrary, the media is presenting it as a fait accompli. The First Lady already has a standard sized cubicle within the Governor's office, for Pete's sake. A responsible governor would have offered assurances to the public by now on at least four critical topics.
The first is to convince the public that there is a legitimate, organic need for an Office of the First Spouse of Oregon to fill a long-standing gap that could not be covered in any other manner. Why now? Why Kotek-Wilson?
To put it differently, has there ever been the slightest buzz about the concept before Kotek sprung it on us? Does Oregon actually need a First-Spouse enhanced executive branch, or do Kotek and Kotek-Wilson simply need Kotek-Wilson to have this gig? Will Dems love it if and when a Republican governor appoints her pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, Evangelical husband to the job?
The second concerns the measures to ensure there is transparency as to the nature and extent of the First Lady's official responsibilities. Will there be any limits, or will Kotek-Wilson be Salem's Jared Kushner, a roving agent of the big boss who's authorized to sit in on any meeting she pleases?
The third is how the First Lady will be held accountable in the event questions arise concerning the propriety of her conduct in office, particularly with respect to conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof. The buck really can't stop on her wife the Governor's desk. There must be a mechanism to remove the First Lady from the Office of the First Lady that operates independently of her wife.
Finally - and perhaps this is a matter of first importance - what qualifications, apart from being the spouse of the Governor, justify giving the current First Lady an official role in Kotek's administration? How does Kotek-Wilson's CV compare to that of other individuals who have held similar roles? How high a perch would another job applicant with the First Lady's credentials, skills, knowledge and experience land on in state government if she were not married to the Governor?
In closing, this move is not going to endear Kotek to Oregon's hard-right Republicans, be they office holders or ordinary citizens. I fear Kotek is now going to face near-Hilary levels of loathing in certain quarters. Is Tina old enough to remember how badly Bill and Hillary bungled their attempt to pull off the two-for-the-price-of-one thing? Finally, since this isn't a progressive space, I don't need to worry about being canceled if I point out that we can now strike Tina Kotek from the list of upstanding role models for aspiring gay politicians. Let's hope her Evita doesn't make so-called "trans kids" her pet political project.
It may smell but Tina don't care. Name something odeous she hasn't got away with. You've done a dynamite job listing the stuff she has; and of course there's Hoyle and God knows who else our dominant media hasn't bothered to check. I still believe the only reason Fagan was forced out was because her actions were so egregious that she was in danger of blowing the biscuit wheels off the dems gravy train. As someone on another blog pointed out until the average Oregon voters IQ exceeds 80 ain't nothing gonna change
When you have the rigged election system on your side, and a feckless opposition party, less the handful of brave souls that prevented quorum, you can do anything you please. Is the sewer starting to back up in the marble nut house? Maybe, I'll pinch my nose but not hold my breath.
Great piece, Jeff...
Most of the corruption in the progressive machine is so abstract (and uncovered by the fading mainstream press) that the average mouth-breathing Oregonian can't fathom it...and, judging by votes on idiotic measures such as 110, they aren't interested. Too many sour beers on the menu.
This one has legs. It's simple, outrageous, more than slightly sex-creepy, and has happened to a governor who isn't well liked and has left too many political corpses bobbing in her wake. She's never held a real-world job and it's starting to show.
She should pray that Janelle Bynum gets elected to Congress. And that every woman on the progressive bench stays put...otherwise, it's primary-time.
One errant thought: I wonder what the vibe is in the WillyWeek newsroom: two hotshot killer-reporters (Jaquiss and Peel), each head-hunting. Interesting rivalry. Peel took down a Secretary of State; Nigel's got an even bigger target.
Plus they must be wincing over at the Oregonian, having to credit WillyWeek with the monster beat (something the O isn't very fastidious about). GuvTina is one of the Big Girls--and every major slot on the O's masthead is a woman of a certain age, along with the county chair and many others. This will be fun to watch...the sisterhood is getting stressed.
Just because Kotek drove an old car doesn't mean much.
Like all Oregon governors, she now has armed state troopers as drivers, but in Oregon it can be a crime (a misdemeanor called Official Misconduct) if an elected official's family financially benefits BECAUSE of their relationship. That is why "First Others" can be appointed to initiatives or commissions, so long as they do not get a state paycheck or get staff who are paid solely to assist someone who was never elected or hired by the government.
Does it happen in other states? Sure, but in Oregon we were supposed to be different, although as Jeff points out, the members of the party to which I have actively belonged for 45 years, has shown some recent spectacular mis-steps...or worse.
Undemocratic is the first word that comes to mind in connection with Kotek's shameless act of nepotism.
Kotek didn't run on a twofer platform, so she can't claim a pre-existing popular mandate for installing her spouse and bedmate into her office in an official role.
In a similar vein, there's been no reporting that would indicate Kotek ran the arrangement past the legislative leadership in Salem as a courtesy or in preparation for seeking funding for the office of the first spouse.
Finally, Kotek hasn't bothered to make a case to the voters for new office. To the contrary, the media is presenting it as a fait accompli. The First Lady already has a standard sized cubicle within the Governor's office, for Pete's sake. A responsible governor would have offered assurances to the public by now on at least four critical topics.
The first is to convince the public that there is a legitimate, organic need for an Office of the First Spouse of Oregon to fill a long-standing gap that could not be covered in any other manner. Why now? Why Kotek-Wilson?
To put it differently, has there ever been the slightest buzz about the concept before Kotek sprung it on us? Does Oregon actually need a First-Spouse enhanced executive branch, or do Kotek and Kotek-Wilson simply need Kotek-Wilson to have this gig? Will Dems love it if and when a Republican governor appoints her pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, Evangelical husband to the job?
The second concerns the measures to ensure there is transparency as to the nature and extent of the First Lady's official responsibilities. Will there be any limits, or will Kotek-Wilson be Salem's Jared Kushner, a roving agent of the big boss who's authorized to sit in on any meeting she pleases?
The third is how the First Lady will be held accountable in the event questions arise concerning the propriety of her conduct in office, particularly with respect to conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof. The buck really can't stop on her wife the Governor's desk. There must be a mechanism to remove the First Lady from the Office of the First Lady that operates independently of her wife.
Finally - and perhaps this is a matter of first importance - what qualifications, apart from being the spouse of the Governor, justify giving the current First Lady an official role in Kotek's administration? How does Kotek-Wilson's CV compare to that of other individuals who have held similar roles? How high a perch would another job applicant with the First Lady's credentials, skills, knowledge and experience land on in state government if she were not married to the Governor?
In closing, this move is not going to endear Kotek to Oregon's hard-right Republicans, be they office holders or ordinary citizens. I fear Kotek is now going to face near-Hilary levels of loathing in certain quarters. Is Tina old enough to remember how badly Bill and Hillary bungled their attempt to pull off the two-for-the-price-of-one thing? Finally, since this isn't a progressive space, I don't need to worry about being canceled if I point out that we can now strike Tina Kotek from the list of upstanding role models for aspiring gay politicians. Let's hope her Evita doesn't make so-called "trans kids" her pet political project.
It may smell but Tina don't care. Name something odeous she hasn't got away with. You've done a dynamite job listing the stuff she has; and of course there's Hoyle and God knows who else our dominant media hasn't bothered to check. I still believe the only reason Fagan was forced out was because her actions were so egregious that she was in danger of blowing the biscuit wheels off the dems gravy train. As someone on another blog pointed out until the average Oregon voters IQ exceeds 80 ain't nothing gonna change
Reminds me of Governor John Kitzhabers Partner who basically was responsible for taking him down
words fail me. unmitigated chutzpah was first out of the wikibox. welcome to Wonderland, Ms Kotek.
A new take on employees leaving to spend more time with the family.
When you have the rigged election system on your side, and a feckless opposition party, less the handful of brave souls that prevented quorum, you can do anything you please. Is the sewer starting to back up in the marble nut house? Maybe, I'll pinch my nose but not hold my breath.
Dumb would not be a word I use to describe Kotek so this is quite a surprise. Her political views are pretty deplorable but she is open about them.
Did we not just take out the last Governor for doing something like this? Can we all just
move part of Oregon to become part of Idaho?
Can Seniors on Fixed Incomes finiancially survive in Oregon?