Possible Kitzhaber run
divides Democratic Party
BY CHARLES E. BEGGS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUNRIVER, Ore. — Former Gov.
John Kitzhaber’s appearance at a
weekend conclave of Oregon De
mocrats fueled more talk of his
possible return to state politics,
perhaps challenging Democratic
Gov. Ted Kulongoski in a primary
that’s already being eyed by three
other Democratic officeholders.
Kitzhaber won’t flatly rule out a
comeback bid, saying only that he
has no present plans do so. He told
the press last month that people
are urging him to run.
“I have no political action com
mittee. I have raised no money,” he
said in an interview during the
state party’s biennial Summit con
ference.
That, of
course, does
n’t mean he
couldn’t
gear up a
campaign
before the
March 7 fil
ing deadline
for the May primary.
Kitzhaber by law couldn’t run
for third successive term and was
succeeded by Kulongoski in the
2002 election.
Kitzhaber scolded the party in a
conference speech, saying Democrats
and Republicans are “skillfully evad
ing the real questions of the day. ”
Officeholders are avoiding risk
taking and boldness, he said, and
worrying mostly about the next
election and the interest groups
from which they will seek money.
“We need to lead the base, not
just react to it,” he advised his fel
low Democrats.
He drew hearty applause. So did
Kulongoski, often interrupted in
his talk as the meeting opened Fri
day. Kitzhaber made another
speech Sunday on his forte —
health care — an issue that’s
occupying him full-time since he
left office.
Some said they wouldn’t oppose
a Kitzhaber comeback effort.
“Kitzhaber impressed me a little
more” in his conference speeches
than did Kulongoski, said Donald
Gunderhus of Eugene, a retired as
tronomer who moved to Oregon in
2000. “I would consider supporting
Kitzhaber.”
But his wife, Gloria Gunderhus,
said Kulongoski “hasn’t had
enough time to show his effective
“I can’t imagine what it would
take to deny Gov. Kulongoski
the nomination. ”
John Kitzhaber | Former Oregon Governor
ness. He
deserves
another
term.”
Some
Democ
ratic of
ficehold
ers such
as state
Rep. Diane Rosenbaum of Port
land, while avoiding criticizing Ku
longoski, say election competition
is a healthy thing.
“Competition in the primary
helps focus the debate,” she said.
Party leaders downplay any
chance of Kitzhaber running in the
May primary.
“It’s a nonstarter,” said state De
mocratic Chairman Jim Edmunson
of Eugene — “spice for the salad
course” of the coming campaigns,
he added. “I have a suspicion the
talk is from folks with wishful
thinking about the good old days.
“I can’t imagine what it would
take to deny Gov. Kulongoski the
nomination,” Edmunson said.
State Sens. Vicki Walker and
Rick Metsger are considering
taking on Kulongoski in the pri
mary. Lane County Commissioner
Peter Sorenson, a Democrat, is the
only contender who has an
nounced he will challenge the
governor and has been running
since January.
None of the three has run
statewide and face tough odds get
ting name recognition to match
Kulongoski’s. Gunderhus, of Eu
gene, said he knew little of Soren
son despite living Eugene, the Lane
County seat.
Metsger said he plans to decide
by Nov. 1 whether he will run.
Walker, an outspoken Kulongoski
critic, had previously said
she would make a decision by Jan
uary but now says it will be
“very soon.”
Kitzhaber says nothing about
when he might make a definitive
statement.
He refrained from criticizing Ku
longoski by name, whom he
backed in 2002, but referred to the
state’s “vacuum of leadership.”
“If it’s unclear what he’s doing
to do, it creates background noise
and makes it hard to raise money,”
Kulongoski said in an interview.
He said he’s disappointed that
Kitzhaber, whom he said remains
a friend and whom he has known
since they served in the Legislature
in the late 1970s, might oppose
him.
“But disappointment doesn’t
mean anger,” Kulongoski said.
“Any resentment is very self
serving. Things may be said that
will hurt.”
Kai-HueiYau | Freelance hotographer
During a meeting in 141 Knight Law Center, SBA President Ed Wilson explains the
reasoning behind the law school’s proposal to manage its funds autonomously.
Law: Student groups may
achieve financial autonomy
Continued from page 1
program budgets, don’t understand
the law school’s priorities and sched
ules, Wilson said.
“Most other law schools have more
autonomy in their budgeting and fi
nance, (so) I thought it would be better
to adopt a mold that other schools
have adopted,” Wilson said.
Wilson said he presented the idea
to attendees of the SBA meeting on
Thursday — the first of several
meetings — and the responses were
constructive.
Balderas said the SBA wants a
thorough and transparent explo
ration of the proposal so law school
group members can determine
whether there is broad-based sup
port. The exploration will be a year
long process, she said.
ASUO President Adam Walsh said
he will examine the possibility of mak
ing such a change but said that it
would take some time and would be a
huge task.
“I’m still figuring out if it’s even pos
sible in the first place,” Walsh said,
adding that the necessary changes to
the constitution would require broad
support from the Student Senate, the
University president and other con
cerned parties.
Student Senate President
Stephanie Erickson said a similar
idea was suggested last year, and
law school programs were offended
by the attempt to combine all the
groups into one account.
“I don’t think it’s a very good idea. I
don’t think groups would be happy
with that,” Erickson said.
Ben Miller, treasurer of Land Air
Water, the nation’s oldest student-run
environmental law society, said he is
not supportive of the idea at all.
“It’s conflictive and adds another
level of bureaucracy” to the budgeting
process, he said.
Contact the campus and federal
politics reporter at
nwilbur@dailyemerald.com
IN BRIEF
'Green' chemistry benefits
environment, bottom line
PORTLAND — Remember the
famous line from the classic movie,
“The Graduate,” when a helpful
family friend whispers to a young
Dustin Hoffman that there is one
magic word of advice for the future
— “plastics”?
The leaders of a growing scientif
ic revolution called “green chem
istry” might rephrase the line
to something more modern like,
“biodegradable, renewable, nontox
ic and environmentally friendly
plastics.”
They say the world can’t afford
the pollution and health risks asso
ciated with toxic industrial chemi
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“For many people, chemistry is
dangerous, scary stuff — I think
they have a hard time seeing the fu
ture where we can do chemistry
safely,” said Ken Doxsee, a Univer
sity of Oregon chemist who is one
of the leaders of the movement to
educate the next generation of sci
entists and industrial researchers
about green chemistry.
The concept has been embraced
by the American Chemical Society
as one of the best ways to reduce
pollution while cutting the huge
cost of toxic waste disposal and
cleanup, making it more profitable
for industries to switch to safer
chemicals.
“Chemists are getting very good at
designing molecules,” said Paul Anas
tas, director of the society’s Green
Chemical Institute.
“You can design them to be toxic
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