Smith: Bush’s Scary Political Doppelganger October 31, 2007

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (yes, that DSCC) may strike fear into the hearts of Novick supporters, but they can probably get behind the latest video from the organization, which features the Republican ‘monsters’ that inhabit the U.S. Senate.

Sure, it’s no Willamette Week’s ‘The Good, The Bad and the Awful’ (which has absolutely sucked recently), but it’s timely :

Ah, dig that 1930s Universal production value!

And of course, they save the scariest Senator for last: Oregon’s own Bush doppelganger Gordon Smith, who has perpetrated a 90% pro-Bush voting record on his own Oregon constituents.

The Boundary just watched 1980s horror classic The Reanimator last night. And while Smith’s political career may well be dead, there’s no limit to the amount of re-agent his campaign coffers can buy.

But who can stop him…?

For Democrats, Hass Top Pick To Replace Deckert October 29, 2007

Tonight, the Democratic precinct committeepersons (PCPs) from Oregon’s Senate District 14 convened in Aloha to nominate a slate of Democrats for the vacancy created by Sen. Ryan Deckert’s resignation yesterday. As you may have read here before, Senate District 14 mostly consists of central eastern Washington County, stretching from SW 209th Ave in Aloha through South Beaverton and into Portland’s West Hills.

Of the 25,204 registered Democrats in SD 14, 23,867 reside in Washington County, with the remaining 1,337 over the border in Multnomah County. The voting members divided up each county’s share of Democrats by the number of PCPs attending from their respective county. With 51 PCPs from the Washington County part of SD 14, each voting member from Washington County at the convention had 467 total votes to cast. Multnomah County’s portion of SD 14 only had one voting member at the convention, which means that he was allocated the full 1,337 vote share of his county.

The convention decided to send all four nominees to the joint Boards of Commissioners of Washington and Multnomah Counties, but with a weighted ranking according to the number of votes each candidate received.  Democratic National Committeeman Wayne Kinney advised the convention that usually such conventions narrow the field of candidates down to three.  But, either in the interest of time or of giving the joint Boards more choice, the convention elected to send all four but advise the joint Boards of its preference by ranking them according to number of votes received.

The candidates standing for nomination at the convention:

-Betty Bode, Beaverton City Councilor

-Mike Bohan, high-tech sector veteran and math/science teacher

-Mark Hass, former state representative (2001-2007) and journalist

-Shantu Shah, electrical engineer and former candidate for the Democratic nomination to U.S. Congress (2006)

After each candidate gave a speech, the convention went into question-and-answer mode, involving questions relating to health care, Measure 49 andeven what kind of tree each would like to be. (Mark Hass’s answer: a Douglas Fir, of course).

The result of the weighted vote:

Mark Hass 12,905 (51.2%)

Mike Bohan 6,746 (26.8%)

Betty Bode 4,662 (18.5%)

Shantu Shah 839 (3.3%)

Because the convention elected to send all four candidates to the joint Boards of Commissioners with an advisory ranking, the result of this vote is non-binding. The joint Boards of Commissioners may pick any of these four candidates to serve as the next Senator for SD 14, or they may choose not to pick any and let Governor Kulongoski appoint a willing Democrat from the district. Of course, the allocation of votes to the members of the joint Boards will be similar to that of the convention, except that the Washington County share will be split 5 ways instead of 51 ways, and the much smaller Multnomah County share will likewise be split 5 ways between each commissioner, rather than having just one person with that share.

The joint Boards have not yet picked a date at which to choose from the four nominees.

For context on this story, see earlier articles at beaver boundary:

Date Set for Democrats to Replace Deckert

SD 14: Return of the Hass, or a New Hope?

OR GOP: Out of Touch with Time and Distance October 29, 2007

Doomed missionary Marcus Whitman often has this quote attributed to him: “My plans require time and distance”.

It’s an expression that’s doubly lost on the Oregon Republican Party and its erstwhile digital mouthpieces, Oregon Catalyst and NW Republican, in a botched attack on a Democratic candidate.

First, the OR GOP fumbled a rudimentary understanding of geography and distance. In a press release issued earlier this month, Vance Day and his minority party wrongly criticize U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley for failing to take his campaign ‘east of the Cascade Mountains’ during its inaugural phase. In fact, Merkley and his staff had visited Deschutes County before the break of the GOP’s press release. Twice.

But apparently we were all supposed to know what they meant–not ‘east of the Cascades’, as they originally stated, but ‘Eastern Oregon’. Talk about literally moving the goal posts a hundred miles or so just to make a stupid press release seem consistent. Maybe the OR GOP can’t afford a proofreader in these tough times for the ultra-right wing?

Not content to call ‘Mulligans’ on the first foul-up, the OR GOP had to come out all wrong on time, too. Today the Catalyst and NW Republican blogs chastise Merkley again for failing to come to Eastern Oregon, instead of just ‘east of the Cascades’. Problem is, both articles came the very day after Jeff Merkley announced his extensive tour of Eastern Oregon! Perhaps before issuing an attack article, the OR GOP and its blog spots would do well to make sure that there are in fact grounds, or at least facts, for such an attack.

It’s obvious that the OR GOP directed the Catalyst and NW Republican to post this–NW Republican even has a graphic that says “Authorized and Paid for by the Oregon Republican Party” on its post. It’s a coordinated effort, and since it’s so badly botched, it has the fingerprints of party leaders Shawn Cleave and Vance Day all over it. Such incompetence is standard from both blogs, but the synchronization of this attack’s execution clearly points to the blundering leadership of the Oregon Republican Party.

With the OR GOP seriously screwing up an early attack, as it has with both attempts of this geography gaffe, it suggests that there are some serious gaps in the Party’s research abilities. Is the OR GOP so worried about Gordon Smith’s weakness in Eastern Oregon that they need to stoke the base with such flimsy material? Smith’s re-elect numbers are surely swirling in the toilet, but that definitely isn’t helped by Cleave’s butchering of an attack that was lame to begin with.

Take a look at Jeff Merkley’s Eastern Oregon kickoff agenda over at new blog Lefty Lane. It’s an extensive tour that undoubtedly went into planning well before the GOP’s first press release.

We’ll have to wait for Shawn Cleave’s next gaffe, but probably not for too long. Unlike Marcus Whitman, he’s too impatient for time and too ignorant to understand distance.

Smith’s Honorary Campaign Chair Fined for Ethics Breach October 27, 2007

Did you know that Gordon Smith’s re-election campaign has organized itself into geographical units by congressional district, with an honorary chair for each district? Together they compose the ‘Smith 2008 Republican Leadership Team’. Well, one of Gordon Smith’s honorary chairs, House Republican Leader Rep. Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg) just resolved his breach of ethics with a state commission yesterday.

According to David Steves of the Eugene Register-Guard:

Hanna, whose district includes eastern Lane and Douglas counties, will pay $100 for each of his two ethics-law violations. They involved two trips to the Sunriver resort that were paid for by lobbying organizations, but which Hanna did not publicly disclose as required. Hanna’s $215 trip in 2005 to the Central Oregon resort was paid for by a trade group that lobbies for hospitals. His $147 Sunriver trip in 2004 was financed by the grocery industry’s lobbying arm.

Hanna was on a hunting vacation Friday and not available for comment. The Roseburg lawmaker has previously acknowledged that he failed to comply with legal requirements to disclose such gratuities when furnished by those that lobby the Legislature.

That’s two trips to the same place, both paid for by lobby groups. It sounds a little fishy that both groups would hold a conference in the same place, but it could possibly be entirely coincidental. Or maybe Rep. Hanna can easily find himself sponsors to his favorite resort. Who knows?

The thing is, ethics violations are commonplace to a good number of Smith’s honorary campaign chairs. Heck, it seems like past ethics problems are nearly a requirement to sign up with the Smith campaign! To name the obvious:

• Rep. Wayne Scott (R-Oregon City), who accepted a trip to a Hawaiian resort from the beer lobby
• Rep. Karen Minnis (R-Wood Village), accepted a free trip to Israel worth over $4,000
• Sen. David Nelson (R-Pendleton), who went with Rep. Scott to Hawaii courtesy of Paul Romain and the beer lobby
• Sen. Jason Atkinson (R-Eagle Point), who went to the Hawaii conference in 2002

And one other thing: after Nelson and Scott were fined for failing to report the 2004 trip Hawaii, they went again in 2006 to collect over $30,000 in campaign contributions!  What’s more, Hanna joined Scott and Nelson on that second trip–creating a complete ‘Lobbyist Luau’ contingent on Smith’s team.

Obviously, Gordon Smith is showing Oregonians the kind of Senator he’ll continue to be by appointing these ethically-challenged lawmakers as honorary chairs of his campaign. By virtue of association, Smith reveals his true agenda for the continued exploitation of government by the special interests for the benefit of a few powerful and influential individuals.

Oregonians deserve a senator who believes in good government of, by and for the people. That senator is Jeff Merkley, who in the 2007 legislative session successfully pushed for greater accountability in our public officials. To show just how important this bill was to him, Speaker Merkley carried this bill himself on the House floor:

“Restoring the public’s faith in their elected leaders starts with a strong ethical standard,” said House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland), who carried the bill during floor debate. “When our constituents see us receive exotic vacations and expensive dinners, they wonder if their interests are really being served here. They wonder if their voice is as important as someone giving a lavish gift. Today, we’re putting an end to that.”

Jeff Merkley puts process before power. And that’s more than anyone can say for Gordon Smith and his collection of corrupt co-chairs.

Congratulations, Sen. & Mrs. Wyden October 26, 2007

Sen. Ron Wyden and Nancy Bass Wyden just had twins! And if genetics has anything to do with it, the world has two new future brainy liberals.

From the Oregonian’s politics blog:

Ava Rose Wyden was born at 9:23 this morning,” said Wyden spokesman Tom Towslee. “William Peter Wyden was born 45 seconds later. Everyone is doing well.”

Ava Rose weighed just over 5 pounds; William Peter came in at 6 pounds.

On behalf of Oregon lefty blogs, the Boundary wishes Mr. and Mrs. Wyden congratulations and best wishes with their children.

(Now, this could be considered ‘puff’, but the Wydens have earned it!)

Jeff Merkley at Washington County Democrats, Oct. 24 October 25, 2007

U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley spent part of his birthday last night addressing a big group of Washington County Democrats in Aloha. He was on the stump, and the Washington County crowd was visibly excited as he talked about his leadership in the state legislature and his commitment to making health care for all a priority in the U.S. Senate. Of course, he didn’t waste any time saying that his first priority in the Senate would be to end the war in Iraq.

There’s a video up at jeffmerkley.com and at the Washington County Democrats’ site.

Cut to the picture after the jump. (Having problems with wordpress…will post more pictures later).

Gordon Smith Puff Parade, Entry 26 October 25, 2007

Why spend money when you can earn media for yourself? And hey, while we’re at it, why earn media when it’s just handed to you for merely existing? The latter question frames the current puff parade for Gordon Smith, who’s riding a series of hollow news stories to keep his name in the press and in the public mind, all without doing anything particularly notable.

And now, for entry number 26 in the parade, we have the Oregonian’s Charles Pope on a typical new-guy assignment. In this hollow float of a report, we see Gordon Smith receiving an award in a star-studded reception for his fake leadership on gay rights. Cue Pope:

On Saturday Smith will be honored by the Matthew Shepard Foundation for his “longstanding leadership in replacing hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance” at a splashy dinner in Los Angeles.

The “Making a Difference” award will be presented to Smith at the group’s celebrity-tinged ceremony. Smith will accept the honor in person, his staff said, joining Cyndi and Elen Lauper, Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga., Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wi.

Also honored will be Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who co-sponsored the hate crimes bill with Smith.

Those who have been paying attention know Smith’s record on gay rights. He’s voted in favor of the federal marriage amendment, and he stayed silent this year when the Oregon Legislature narrowly passed anti-discrimination and domestic partnership laws for gay Oregonians. Most recently, he canceled out Sen. Ron Wyden’s vote by supporting the confirmation of Judge Leslie Southwick, who “found that a mother’s sexual orientation alone was grounds for denying her custody of her children”, to the federal bench.

When he could have made a difference in support of gay rights, he has cowered away from the spotlight. Yet, Smith gets his political cover by offering a bill that he knows that President Bush will veto–an anti-hate crimes bill. And, apparently, he’s relishing the chance to rub elbows with congressional Democrats and Hollywood personalities in an election year.

If there is a Grand Marshal of the Smith Puff Parade, it is the Oregonian. Pope’s article aides and abets Smith’s head-fake on gay rights leadership and lets him walk away with the illusion of bipartisanship.

There’s perhaps no better political contrast to Smith here in Oregon than House Speaker Jeff Merkley. In 2005, then-minority leader Merkley fought like hell against the anti-democratic and bigoted grip of the House Republicans on SB 1000, which would have created civil unions for Oregon’s gay couples. After session adjourned, he went hard to work to recruit candidates and win back the Oregon House. And, of course, after Democrats retook the majority, Merkley delivered, passing SB 2 and HB 2007.

Smith, supposedly a leader on gay rights, looked on from the sidelines, probably trying to figure out his multiple conflicting positions on the Iraq war.

Fight back at StopGordonSmith.com, who has a special Halloween poll up about Smith’s scary scorecard in Congress.

Then head over to JeffMerkley.com to see how he’d fight for fair-minded judges through his seat in the U.S. Senate. And wish him a belated Happy Birthday while you’re at it!

Future Ballot: Filings as of October 2007 October 24, 2007

The filing deadline for running in the 2008 election cycle isn’t until March, but many candidates have gotten an early start with the paperwork. The list below is not unlike a ballot of the future, except no one citizen would be able to vote in all 60 state representative contests. The list below contains mostly incumbents and primary fights in open seats. You’ll rarely find an incumbent and a challenger in any of these contests–the challengers are probably counting on some element of surprise. Or, perhaps in the Republicans’ case, they just can’t find anybody to run!

The Boundary will try to post this list every month or so to show progress on the filings and evolution in the contests.

Here’s the actual filings as of noon today (October 24, 2007):

United States Senator

David Loera (D), Roger Obrist (D), Pavel Goberman (D), Candy Neville (D)

Representative in Congress – First District

Mark Welyczko (D)

Attorney General

Greg Macpherson (D)^, John Kroger (D)^

Secretary of State

Vicki Walker (D), Brad Avakian (D)^, Kate Brown (D)^

State Treasurer

Ben Westlund (D)^

State Senator – Fifth District

Joanne Verger (D), incumbent

State Senator – Ninth District

Sarah Arcune (R), Bob McDonald (D)

State Senator – Fourteenth District

Mark Hass (D)

State Senator – Nineteenth District

Richard Devlin (D)^, incumbent

State Senator – Twenty-First District

Diane Rosenbaum (D)

State Senator – Twenty-Third District

Jackie Dingfelder (D)

State Senator – Twenty-Fifth District

Laurie Monnes Anderson (D), incumbent

State Senator – Twenty-Seventh District

Chris Telfer (R)^

State Senator, Twenty-Eighth District

Doug Whitsett (R), incumbent

State Representative – First District

Wayne Krieger (R), incumbent

State Representative – Second District

Tim J. Freeman (R), Mike Ward (D)

State Representative – Third District

Ron Maurer (R), incumbent

State Representative – Fourth District

Ronald Schultz (R), Dennis Richardson (R), incumbent

State Representative – Seventh District

Bruce Hanna (R), incumbent

State Representative – Eighth District

Paul Holvey (D), incumbent

State Representative – Ninth District

Arnie Roblan (D), incumbent

State Representative – Tenth District

Jean Cowan (D), incumbent

State Representative – Twelfth District

E. Terry Beyer (D), incumbent

State Representative – Fifteenth District

Andy Olson (R), incumbent

State Representative – Seventeenth District

Fred Girod (R), incumbent, Dan Thackaberry (D), Steven H. Frank (D)

State Representative – Eighteenth District

Vic Gilliam (R), incumbent

State Representative – Nineteenth District

Kevin Cameron (R), incumbent

State Representative, Twenty-Second District

Betty Komp (D), incumbent

State Representative, Twenty-Fourth District

Jim Weidner (R)

State Representative, Twenty-Fifth District

Kim Thatcher (R), incumbent

State Representative, Twenty-Sixth District

Matt Wingard (R)

State Representative, Twenty-Seventh District

Tobias Read (D), incumbent

State Representative, Twenty-Eighth District

Jeff Barker (D), incumbent

State Representative, Twenty-Ninth District

Chuck Riley (D), incumbent

State Representative, Thirtieth District

David Edwards (D), incumbent

State Representative, Thirty-First District

Brad Witt (D), incumbent

State Representative, Thirty-Second District

Deborah Boone (D), incumbent

State Representative, Thirty-Third District

Mitch Greenlick (D), incumbent

State Representative, Thirty-Fourth District

Suzanne Bonamici (D), incumbent

State Representative, Thirty-Fifth District

Larry Galizio (D), incumbent

State Representative, Thirty-Seventh District

Scott Bruun (R), incumbent

State Representative, Thirty-Eighth District

Linda Brown (D)

State Representative, Forty-First District

Carolyn Tomei (D), incumbent

State Representative, Forty-Second District

Regan Gray (D), Gordon Hillesland (D), Teddy Keizer (D), Albert Kaufman (D)^, Jules Kopel Bailey (D)^

State Representative, Forty-Third District

Chip Shields (D), incumbent

State Representative, Forty-Fifth District

Jon Coney (D), Michael Dembrow (D), Cyreena Boston (D)

State Representative, Forty-Sixth District

Ben Cannon (D), incumbent

State Representative, Forty-Seventh District

Jefferson Smith (D)^

State Representative, Forty-Eighth District

Mike Schaufler (D), incumbent

State Representative, Forty-Ninth District

Nick Kahl (D), Barbara Kyle (D)

State Representative, Fiftieth District

Bob Sherwin (D)

State Representative, Fifty-First District

Allen Taylor (D)^, Brett Barton (D)^

State Representative, Fifty-Third District

Gene Whisnant (R), incumbent

State Representative, Fifty-Fourth District

Chuck Burley (R), incumbent

State Representative, Fifty-Fifth District

George Gilman (R), incumbent

State Representative, Fifty-Sixth District

Bill Garrard (R), incumbent

State Representative, Fifty-Eighth District

Bob Jenson (R), incumbent

State Representative, Fifty-Ninth District

John Huffman (R), incumbent

State Representative, Sixtieth District

Cliff Bentz (R), Tim K. Smith (R), Dean Strommer (R)

^indicates candidate who has formed 2008 candidate committee for fundraising purposes but has not yet filed formal candidacy with the Secretary of State.

Gordon Smith is No Udall October 23, 2007

Colin Fogarty of OPB throws a nice media softball right at Senator Gordon Smith, who was ready at the plate with his corked bat. The central gist of Fogarty’s clip is clear: Gordon Smith is so moderate, he has elected Democrats in the family that he considers ‘brothers’. Hell, Smith’s part of a family dynasty that has its grip on government, so why even try ousting him?

It’s interesting to see that Fogarty, one of OPB’s sharpest analysts in the news department, has been relegated to the bureau of warm human interest pieces. To wit:

Following the meandering branches of most family trees is inevitably complicated. And in Mormon families polygamist marriages were common several generations back. So figuring out who’s related to whom can be even more complex. [. . .]

Having three Udalls in the U.S. Senate would be unprecedented. But it would not be out of character for a family dynasty that is full of so many state legislators, government officials, and state Supreme Court justices. The family is considered the Kennedys of the west.

Fogarty foretells the prospect of a political power family winning three Senate elections without even coming close to spelling out the process or likelihood of that happening. And that’s either sloppy or outright favorable coverage of Senator Smith, who gets to again wear his moderate clothing unexamined.

First of all, Congressman Mark Udall, Senator Smith, and, if he decides to run, Congressman Tom Udall will all stand in the 2008 Senate election, presuming they make it through the primary. Secondly, according to Senate race-rankers, Smith, a 10-year Senate veteran, faces almost as much difficulty in winning his contest as his two ‘brothers’, who would be running for seats currently held by Republicans. Congressman Mark Udall is actively campaigning for retiring Sen. Wayne Allard’s (R) seat in Colorado, while Congressman Tom Udall is mulling a run at the New Mexico seat that Sen. Pete Domenici (R) is leaving.

CQPolitics.com currently ranks the Colorado and New Mexico races as ‘No Clear Favorite’ because of the strengths of the possible Democratic nominees seeking election to seats currently held by Republicans. Senator Smith’s race is in the next-closest column, ‘Leans Republican’. These two categories represent the most unstable and up-in-the-air contests in the 2008 Senate electoral field. While it may be fun and light-hearted to talk ‘what-if’ about the makeup of the 111th Congress, it’s disingenuous of Fogarty to make anything more than a passing reference to the actual likelihood of that happening.

If you’re wondering, here’s the passing reference:

Smith says he considers both his cousins “brothers”. But they are Democrats, so don’t looking for any brotherly love on the campaign trail.

Gordon Smith: “I’m going to stay out of the race. And I wish them well. I’d love to serve with them. I also know there are forces at play that are bigger than any of us individually. But no matter how it turns out, they’ll still be my brothers and maybe they’ll be my colleagues.”

Smith statement, “I’m going to stay out of the race”, is quite ambiguous. Which race? His own, or one of the Udalls’? Of course, Smith’s absence in the former is only wishful thinking on his part–he’ll undoubtedly have to campaign his ass off to even try to hold on to his seat. But since Fogarty didn’t press Smith on his prospects of re-election, Smith gets a free pass to make it seem like he has no opposition at all! It seems that as Jeff Merkley’s campaign picks up speed and momentum in the grassroots, Smith may be in the most elective trouble out of all three ‘Udalls’.  

Finally, if instead of this ‘Smith-is-moderate’ fluff OPB’s news department really wanted a story of political dynasty, it would have done well to link Smith more inexorably with Congressman Mo Udall. Though it would have little ostensible connection in substance, the two will undoubtedly share one outcome: losing an election.

Mo Udall lost his bid for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency to Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Gordon Smith will lose his seat in the U.S. Senate to Jeff Merkley in 2008.

Novick Follows Up Pirate Talk with Lebowski Reference October 22, 2007

Senator Chris Dodd has taken center spotlight recently for his one-man crusade to preserve the constitution and civil liberties by placing a hold on the FISA bill in the Senate. As you probably know, the current version of the bill contains sections that grant telecommunications companies immunity for colluding with the NSA to spy on Americans. Senator Dodd deserves the accolades he’s receiving from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, but the one he just got from Senate candidate Steve Novick seems highly on the non-sequitur side.

The Men of Witigonen, a fine new blog about Oregon politics and zeppelins, among other things, caught Novick’s blog entry before the Boundary. A tip of the hat to them. From www.novickforsenate.com:

As an opponent of warrantless wiretapping and a fan of The Big Lebowski, all I can say is that Dodd’s the Dude! I appreciate his hard work to protect our civil liberties and stand up to the Bush Administration and I look forward to working with him, either as a colleague in the Senate or as our next president.

Is this another example of Novick’s convoluted political logic? People say he’s wickedly smart–perhaps Novick understands cultural references on an entirely different level. But the Boundary is an avid Lebowski fan, so let’s challenge this comparison and see if there’s any value in it.

Clearly, The Big Lebowski is a fine cult classic. But The Dude, aka Jeffrey Lebowski, is not exactly a statesman. Sure, he says he helped author the Port Huron Statement (the original, mind you, not the compromised second draft) and that he was a member of the anti-Vietnam War group called the Seattle Seven. And The Dude did spend time ‘occupying various administration buildings’, for whatever reason. But that’s the extent of The Dude’s politics: a sketchy haze of failed leadership in the New Left social movements of the 1960s, followed by a lifetime of slacking with thai stick and the occasional acid flashback. Certainly not a ‘Profile in Courage’.

Senator Dodd, on the other hand, is a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves during Vietnam and chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. And instead of occupying various administration buildings, he was president of the student association at the University of Louisville. In fact, Senator Dodd is what the Big Lebowski might call an ‘Acheiver’.

Senator Dodd is not The Dude. Far from it.

So, if there’s no substantive connection between The Dude and Senator Chris Dodd, is Novick just pandering to college students and fans of cult classics? Or if the Lebowski reference isn’t political, then does it symbolize another instance in the pattern of pure whimsy at the Novick campaign, which started with references to college mascots and most recently culminated in ‘Talk Like a Pirate Novick’?

It makes one wonder how seriously he takes this race. And, if Novick values Dude-like qualities in a Senator, does that mean he’ll spend his recesses bowling?