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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2016)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016 Dorchester Conference aims beyond GOP Republicans take on the tough issues at annual gathering By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian The 52nd annual Dorches- ter Conference in two weeks is a tradition-rich, Republican gath- ering, started by U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood in 1965 “as a vehi- cle to get the senator elected,” Dorchester’s 2016 President Tom Simpson said recently. For most of the years, the confer- ence has convened in Seaside, except for a few when the group met in central Oregon. While traditionally associ- ated with the GOP, Simpson said the conference is aimed at the “moderate-middle, espe- cially the moderate side of the Oregon electorate.” “It is ‘Participa- their photo taken with tory Democracy 101,’ a Carlson, with proceeds way for people to come going to the nonpro¿t together and chat with Returning Veterans people they just met, Project. (be) challenged on the A presidential straw beliefs they have, and go poll Sunday will pro- Tucker away hopefully smarter vide a glimpse at the Carlson and having met some state’s November lean- people they might not ings, although they do normally have met,” not serve as an endorse- Simpson said. “That’s ment, Simpson said. what we set out to do.” While associated Opening ceremo- with the Republican nies begin March 11. Party, Simpson encour- Tucker Carlson of Fox aged Oregonians of all News appears as key- political af¿liations to Tom note speaker Saturday attend. Simpson morning, followed by “We like to think a Q&A. State Sen. Ted we’re allowing conver- Ferrioli, R-John Day, and Rep. sations that aren’t taking place,” Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, Simpson said. “There were cer- share the dais Saturday. After tain conversations that weren’t lunch, state treasurer candidates taking place in the Republi- from the Democratic, Republi- can Party. If you’re a one-party can and Independent parties state, what’s not being talked debate. Breakout sessions, a about? We try to set it up in social hour and a tent show fol- such a way that we can have low. For $40, guests can have that conversation.” EO Media Group/File Photo Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., was the keynote speaker for last year’s Dorchester Conference in Seaside. Simpson said he hoped to challenge the beliefs of those attending the conference. What does it mean, for example, if Oregon’s ranchers are ¿ghting to privati]e some public lands? “We want people to consider what it means to have a public land,” Simpson said. “Could beaches be privati]ed as an unintended consequence?” Gun control was an issue originally considered “off the table” for the conference, he said. Simpson fought to bring it back in.. “We were told that it’s not an issue open to debate. Which says to me that’s why we should be debating it. If you’re closing off argument on a topic because you believe it’s settled, I can guarantee in Oregon, it’s not settled. “We shouldn’t be throw- ing bombs at each other,” he added. “It needs to be talked about. Reasonable people can disagree.” When he’s not involved with the Dorchester Conference, Simpson, 53, works as director of government affairs for Stan- dard Insurance. The conference is an event, the Lake Oswego resident said, he’s been involved with all his life. “I have pictures of my mother Josephine running the forums,” Simpson said. “A lot of my peers would go skiing or play golf — I would go to Dorchester.” Those interested in signing up for the Dorchester Confer- ence may do so through March 12. Obama’s sacri¿cial lamb: High-court pick to face long odds By JOSH LEDERMAN and KATHLEEN HENNESSEY Associated Press WASHINGTON — Wanted: Top legal mind with Supreme Court aspirations, to serve as a national political football. Can- didate must be camera-ready and prepared for disappoint- ment. Contact Barack Obama. Republicans refusing to hold a vote or hearings on any candi- date nominated by Obama have complicated his sales job as he seeks a replacement for Antonin Scalia. Though Obama insists he’ll put forward an “outstand- ing candidate” no matter what the GOP says, the White House is hard-pressed to offer a con- vincing scenario in which that person gets con¿rmed. Overnight, Obama’s nom- inee will become the face of well-¿nanced, high-intensity, election-year campaigns both for and against that will rage across the country. Though guaranteed at least a footnote in the history books, the nominee will have little ability to inÀu- ence the debate and even less control over how the chapter plays out. For a Supreme Court hope- ful, the scenario is less than ideal. High-ranking judges and others ¿t for consideration tend to be loath to throw themselves into the middle of public controversy. “As much as you tell them it’s not really about them, judges don’t engage in politics and take pride in their impartiality,” said Christopher Kang, who prepared lower-court nominees for con¿r- mation as former deputy White House counsel. “It can be hard for them not to take it personally.” To be sure, a Supreme Court seat is most jurists’ dream job. Anyone asked to serve in the coveted, lifelong post would ¿nd it hard to turn down. And there could be some hope. Despite the GOP’s hard line, Republicans could relent and con¿rm Obama’s nomi- nee — especially if he picks a so-called consensus nominee — someone so well- regarded that Republicans lack a compelling rationale to reject him or her. Among those Obama is consid- ering is Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada, said two people familiar with the process, who weren’t authori]ed to com- ment publicly and requested anonymity Obama waxed hopeful on Wednesday that GOP oppo- sition would ¿]]le once the “abstraction” is replaced with a living, breathing person. “Let’s see how the public responds to the nominee that we put forward,” he said in the Oval Of¿ce. But unlike most Supreme Court nominations battles, which typically run a few months, this one is likely to turn into a circus that just won’t end. If Republicans hold their ground on refusing a vote, Obama will ostensibly keep pushing his nominee until his presidency ends in January 2017. If a Democrat wins the White House in November after an unsuccessful Supreme Court push, Obama could renew his efforts during a lame-duck ses- sion of Congress or his successor could take up the baton. Demo- cratic candidate Hillary Clin- ton’s campaign wouldn’t say whether she’d consider re-nom- inating Obama’s pick if elected, but in a statement she called the J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., right, takes the arm of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, to steady himself as he rises to pay tribute to civil rights lead- ers Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., during a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday. The two leaders have been at an ideological and political standoff since McConnell, the Senate’s top Republican, announced the Senate will take no action on anyone President Barack Obama nominates to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice An- tonin Scalia. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. is at left. GOP position “an offense to the president and to the American people who elected him.” Already, two politicians whose names were Àoated as possible contenders took them- selves out of the running. Cali- fornia Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for U.S. Senate, said she wasn’t inter- ested, and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has said she doesn’t want to be considered. InÀuential groups are poised to jump into action once Obama announces a nominee, digging through old yearbooks, scour- ing writings and speeches. Party campaign committees, legal groups, electoral super PACs and even the presidential can- didates are expected to join the public ¿ght for or against Obama’s nominee. Senate Republicans, ¿ghting to preserve their delicate major- ity in November, will all make a similar argument: Elect us, or a Democratic-run Senate will allow Obama’s nominee thru, said a senior Republican of¿- cial, who requested anonym- ity to discuss the party’s internal campaign strategy. History shows just how rough the process can be. In 2005, George W. Bush nominee Harriet Miers was slammed as ill-prepared, suf- fered the indignity of having to redo parts of her Senate ques- tionnaire, and forced to admit her bar license was once sus- pended. She eventually with- drew. Justice Clarence Thomas famously described his own televised con¿rmation spec- tacle, with its allegations of past sexual harassment, as “a national disgrace” and “a high- tech lynching for uppity blacks.” Dim prospects for con¿r- mation could give an edge to candidates who already enjoy lifetime appointments to a fed- eral bench, as opposed to cur- rent bureaucrats or elected of¿- cials. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson have both been Àoated as possibilities, but keeping their day jobs would be complicated. Current federal judges wouldn’t have that problem, and as an added bene¿t, they’ve already undergone a thorough public examination. Several of those under considerations — including Sri Srinivasan, of the D.C. 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