It looks like Steve Novick is putting the ego back in Oregon:
Democratic Senate candidate Steve Novick says the most qualified candidate in the race besides himself is not one of the other Democrats but independent John Frohnmayer.
Novick, a Portland lawyer and consultant, does say that he would back his chief rival, House Speaker Jeff Merkley, if he wins the nomination. But he told The Oregonian on Thursday that Frohnmayer “would be a better senator than Jeff Merkley.” […]
Novick, Merkley and two other candidates in the Democratic primary, Candy Neville of Eugene and David Loera of Salem, were asked in the weekly newspaper’s joint endorsement interview who in the room they would support if they couldn’t vote for themselves.
Merkley immediately said he would back Novick. But Novick said, “I’d vote for John Frohnmayer.” When he was asked what other Democrat he would support, Novick paused for a long time and said, “I have a hard time answering that.” (emphasis added)
A while back, I wondered what kind of campaign Steve Novick was running. Now we have our answer.
(H/T: Senate Guru and Progressive American Patriot)
Hat tip to kieran at Senateguru.com
http://www.rasmussenreports.co…
Landreiu 55%
Kennedy 39%
Favorables:
Landreiu 65/32
Kennedy 51/42
I was a huge fan of Steve Novick but this really, really isn’t good.
I would now be surprised if Novick breaks 25 percent.
Merkley’s got a really long and solid history of being a progressive champion in the state legislature. Hes for gay marriage, ending the war, expanding workers rights, protecting our environment from global warming. Merkley’s been endorsed by Basic Rights Oregon, the AFl-CIO, SEIU, the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, and a cadre of other amazingly progressive organizations. Merkley would easily be on of the top 5 most progressive Senators and he has an amazing talent for getting progressive policies passed with the slimmest of margins, which he showed time and time again at as Speaker of the Oregon House. Merkley is all about bring people together in the spirit of Obama’s new politics and I am really proud to support him.
but some of his quotes are absolutely moronic. i understand him being frustrated at the way pundits and party leaders have ignored him, but come on! at least be a professional if you can’t be senatorial.
I re-registered from Pacific Green to Democrat a few months ago, just to be able to vote for Novick. Now, I’m stoked to vote for progresses up and down the ticket.
I too, would vote for Frohnmayer over Merkley. I am so disappointed in the Democratic class of 2006, the last thing I want to do is send back more of the same.
Why are we still in Iraq? Why is Bush still in office? Spineless Dems… And Speaker Merkley fits the mold.
I share Novick’s POV. Novick’s opponent has a small cadre of attack bloggers, some of whom have created blogs for the sole purpose of slagging Steve. I see some of them have already swarmed over here. Hi, Brad… Is Kevin coming soon?
Merkley did some push polling and along the way and discovered which attacks push people buttons.
we have one of the best classes of freshman senators since perhaps 1992…
You left out McCaskill who, although a bit more moderate than the others you listed, is a political powerhouse in the Senate and probably will able to hold onto that seat for another 2-3 terms for us. Thanks to her, the MO Dem Party has life again…
Although I support Jeff Merkley for the nomination to run against Gordon Smith, I am disappointed to read that Steve Novick is inclined to back John Frohnmayer instead of the Dem nominee (if it’s not him).
Here in Oregon, we have an uphill battle to defeat Gordon Smith. It’s going to take everything we’ve got. And we’ll need to close ranks oh so quickly in order to mount a good campaign.
Jeff Merkley has said that he’d back Novick in a heartbeat if he’s the nominee. Steve Novick apparently ‘has a hard time answering that question’ if he can’t support Frohnmayer. So, I guess he’ll hold his nose and say he’ll support the eventual nominee.
But after all of that trouble, it makes he think he’s only doing it to save face in the primary election.
Novick’s been saying a lot of things that he’s wanted to take back over the last few weeks. We don’t have the time or room for error to allow for that kind of campaigning in the general election.
We’ve got to everything we can to beat Smith. And only a Democrat can do it.
You want substance, you got it:
Jeff Merkley opposes the death penalty. Period. Steve Novick supports it.
how much clearer can he be? it is sad to see the swing state project join the chorus of merkley smear blogs (lead by blue oregon and connected to this site by senate guru).
“But if I could vote for the person I think is best qualified other than myself, I would vote for John Frohnmayer.”
The he snuffles unenthusiasticlly that he would vote for the “Democratic nominee.” Come on! You’re a democrat, you wish to be a leader of the state democratic party and you think a republican who was the chair of the NEA in the 80s is best qualified for the US Senate. that’s laughable – as well as a slap in the face to the other democratic candidates and all the people who will be working hard to elect a democratic alternative to Gordon Smith.
trashing fellow democrats makes Novick an ineffective candidate and an ineffective senator.