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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2018)
Page 4A East Oregonian Thursday, April 19, 2018 KATHRYN B. BROWN Publisher DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW What gives us the right? Over the next week, this newspaper will turn over much of its space to endorsements of candidates, its determination on ballot measures of local importance, and to make our recommendation in political races from the U.S. House to local city councils. We’d like to take the opportunity, before you read those endorsements, to explain why we do it. In this day and age — when everyone has an opinion and everyone else is going to hear about it — many newspapers are rethinking the endorsement. They can be contentious. Almost every election season we hear from someone who so heartily disagrees with our recommendation that they cancel their subscription. And they are especially fraught in local races, when we’re not arguing about dense economic policy or the far-away concerns of peace in the Middle East. We’re talking about people who we see on a regular basis in our jobs and on our sidewalks. And who we will likely have to work with if they win, whether we endorse them or not. Yet we feel that as an editorial board, we can offer some helpful insight to voters. We have the opportunity to discuss issues and ask questions to all of the candidates running in local elections. We sat down with both local judge candidates, more than a dozen candidates for city councils in Hermiston and Pendleton, all county commissioner candidates, most candidates for governor and U.S. Representative, both candidates for the Labor Commissioner, proponents and opponents of the OSU Extension District and more. Perhaps no one else in Umatilla County has been able to sit down with all those people for a frank and fruitful discussion. We believe that has some value. And we’d like to tell you what we heard, thought and learned. You are certainly welcome to disregard our advice. But we do our best to present nonpartisan, unbiased, independent summation of our meetings, as well as our thoughts about who we think will make the best use of the tax dollars we entrust them with, and will do the best work for all of their constituents. It is possible to do that. Sit down with enough people running with political office (especially in a primary), and political distinctions seem to fade away. We look for people who are experienced. We look for people who have new, interesting ideas. We look for people who answer our questions honestly. We look for them to be knowledgeable about the position they are running for and Staff photo by E.J. Harris Umatilla County commissioner candidates participate in a forum recently in Hermiston. committed to learning more if elected. We look for people willing to work hard. We look for people with a record of accomplishments, and time spent as a partner and leader in our communities. Federal and state representatives, county commissioners and judges receive a healthy salary from taxpayers, so we ought to hold them to high standards. City councilors and mayors receive a pittance in return for the thankless tasks they take on. Yet we know those jobs are important, too. And those running for them require a critical eye to their qualifications and their proposals. Our endorsements will run over the next two weeks. This page will be peppered with our thoughts about candidates in the May elections — a primary election for some partisan races, and a binding general election for most local questions. But you have the final say. And your vote is powerful in local elections. With our endorsements, we’re not trying influence your vote as much as we’re trying to empower it. We’ll tell you what we know because we want you to know it, too. OTHER VIEWS James Comey’s debasement J YOUR VIEWS Murdock is dedicated I met George Murdock shortly after coming to Pendleton. We have become close friends with a mutual interest in the future and well-being of our community. I continue to be amazed by his energy and personal commitment to making a difference for the world in which he lives. He lives his job as a county commissioner seven days a week. It’s not surprising to see his car outside the courthouse on Saturday or Sunday — let alone during the rest of the week. But it isn’t just his commitment that makes a difference. It’s his remarkable experience as a successful leader of both public and private enterprises. He understands what it takes to make a government entity viable over the long term. Al Plute, Pendleton Slanderous to insult teenage mass murder victims Stuart Dick cannot be serious with his latest diatribe. The students from Parkland “paraded” around by anti-Second Amendment people and given prescription meds as if they weren’t in control of their own actions? It’s ludicrous at best to think these obviously very intelligent young people couldn’t see the dishonesty coming from the pro-NRA, anti-do anything about mass murder crowd. You cannot see your own bad logic in condemning video games in the same manner people condemn gun ownership. There are many young people playing video games without going out and committing violent crimes, just as there are many gun owners not acting irresponsibly with their guns. All these young people are saying is that if the adults in this country can’t or won’t do anything about it, they will when it’s their turn. Standing pat is not an option. As far as saying they are medicated and being used is the height of irresponsibility Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. on your part, Mr. Dick. It’s slanderous and demeaning to people that you don’t even personally know. You and people like you could learn a lot from the fine examples these young people have set David Gracia, Hermiston Collins for Circuit Court Candidate Rob Collins would be an excellent choice for Umatilla County Circuit Court judge. I was a lawyer in Pendleton for almost 40 years. My family law practice took me to almost every courthouse in Eastern Oregon, where I appeared before many different judges. I handled many, many cases in which Rob Collins was the opposing attorney. During my career, without exception, I found Mr. Collins to be hard working, honest, ethical and very smart. He was a worthy opponent. Mr. Collins has all of the qualities necessary to be an excellent judge, including the most important one — impartiality. Michele Grable, Pendleton We have known and admired Rob Collins for over 36 years since his return to his hometown to practice law. He has been a leader by example in both his professional and community endeavors. He is first and foremost personable and kind as well as a good listener, informed on local issues and has the temperament to serve as a judge. He has, in fact, served as pro-tem municipal court judge for five years. His pro bono legal contributions have helped multiple regional nonprofits. He has served as a Pendleton Round-Up volunteer and is currently in his eighth and final year as a Round-Up director. We heartily endorse Rob Collins in his quest to apply his character, experience, knowledge and fairness as a circuit court judge. Jake and Cathy Cambier Pendleton ames Comey’s book is titled the book. Comey, for example, “A Higher Loyalty,” but it mentions his experience in two surrenders the higher ground, at administrations before Trump’s least partly. To watch him promote it and has judicious complaints about is to see him descend. members of each. He thus makes Not to President Donald Trump’s clear his broad frame of reference level — that’s a long way down. But and ability to find flaw on both sides Comey is playing Trump’s game, on of the aisle. Trump’s terms. And in that sense, he But he revisited Trump’s Frank has let the president get the better of physical peculiarities with Bruni him. Stephanopoulos on Sunday night. Comment Trump has sought, by accident Didn’t Comey always tell us that he and by design, to define leadership was better than this? downward and establish new norms of He could have set the record straight and behavior for political candidates and settled any scores that need settling without government officials. a tour this extended or details this catty. His Everyone is out for himself or herself. choice of a different tack suggests some No gambit is too tawdry unflattering motives in and no accusation too the mix. It gives Trump’s speculative, not if the allies plenty to attack him television cameras with, and it has goaded approve. The only thing Trump — predictably better than a whole lot of — into his most infantile attention is a whole lot epithets. more. There’s obviously And here we have no contest of character the former head of a or credibility between supposedly scrupulous, detached federal Comey and Trump. I believe most and agency reaching for Mafia metaphors, maybe all of what Comey has to say, and indulging talk of the so-called pee tape and much of it needs saying, as an answer to taking cosmetic digs at the president in the the president’s lies and an exposure — service of a book tour as exhaustive and affirmation might be the better word — of elaborate as they come. There’s apparently who and what Trump is. room in Comey’s primness for a measure of But in succumbing to this showboating Michael Wolff. and spite, hasn’t Comey joined Trump His demeanor may not be fiery almost as much as he’s defying him? or furious. Talking with George Comey says that he means to shine a Stephanopoulos for an hourlong ABC News spotlight on what leadership should and special on Sunday night, he maintained a shouldn’t be, and I hope that’s the long-term subdued, steady voice and communicated takeaway of the “Higher Loyalty” rollout sadness more than anything else over and all the hours and miles being devoted Trump’s conduct in the White House. to it. But other aspects of that special told a But right now I’m cringing at a food more complicated story. For starters, Comey fight. In fact, “Good Morning America” didn’t just agree to a single, straightforward displayed a snazzy graphic of Trump’s sit-down with Stephanopoulos. He granted various Twitter tirades against Comey — a level of access akin to a pajama party. “Slippery,” “Slimeball,” “Leaker & Liar” Meet the wife. Here are some great shots — as Comey was asked to respond. of the kids. And here are the long fingers Trump personalizes everything. Ideas of Comey’s normally sized hands on the don’t joust. People do. And it’s vanity, not very keyboard that he used to type the verities, at stake. With the way that Comey has written his book, which charts every last memos that documented his interactions tremor of his conscience, and the staging with Trump. Comey was game to provide of his appearances in promotion of it, he footage of that — and to follow up with has abetted his own transformation from a interviews on Tuesday on “Good Morning crucial witness to a character in the serial America” and on Wednesday on “The melodrama of Trump’s life. View,” which is not a place where I would That spectacle only serves Trump. If have expected to see a former FBI director he can convince American voters that anytime soon. what they’re beholding has as much to I mention hands because Comey does. do with the egos of the actors as with the That was one of the first bits of his book egregiousness of his acts, he has inoculated that leaked out last week. Flashing back to himself against Robert Mueller, and he his initial up-close encounter with Trump, he recalls how orange Trump’s skin looked, shapes the movie that’s made of this. Its title? “Honey, I Shrunk the FBI.” how improbably his hair glistened and ■ how inferior his hands were. “Smaller than Frank Bruni, an Op-Ed columnist for mine,” Comey writes, but not “unusually The New York Times since 2011, joined the so.” newspaper in 1995. Over his years, he has I chalked that up to a fleeting passage worn a wide variety of hats, including chief overplayed by the media, and I was restaurant critic and Rome bureau chief. heartened by other advance material from Hasn’t Comey joined Trump as much as he’s defying him? The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
