Kitzhaber rules out third-term candidacy.Byline: David Steves The Register-Guard PORTLAND - Call him Citizen Kitzhaber. The former governor said Friday that he will not become a candidate for governor - the office he held for two terms. The news - although less surprising than the alternative would have been - still sent political tremors across Oregon's political landscape. This means that Gov. Ted Kulongoski Theodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski (born November 5 1940, in rural Missouri[1]) is an American Democratic politician. Since 2003, he has served as the Governor of Oregon. He was re-elected in 2006. , also a Democrat, will almost certainly face no primary challengers who have his level of name recognition or donor support. Kitzhaber has been entertaining the possibility since last fall of a run for a third term as governor. He said the threshold question has been whether he could best help lead an effort to remake re·make tr.v. re·made , re·mak·ing, re·makes To make again or anew. n. 1. The act of remaking. 2. Something in remade form, especially a new version of an earlier movie or song. the nation's health system from within or outside government. "At this point, I can make the greatest difference not by entering a campaign for governor, but by launching a campaign to change the American health American Health Inc. is a company that manufactures health supplements. It is located in Holbrook, New York. One of its products is labeled the "Chewable Original Papaya Enzyme" with the attached registered trademark, "The 'After Meal Supplement'". care system, and by offering people the opportunity to engage around an idea, not just a candidate," he said. Kitzhaber said he had looked into running as an independent candidate but concluded that it would be too difficult, especially with changes in the law passed by the 2005 Legislature. He said he decided to stay out of the race in large part because of concerns that his efforts to reform Oregon's health system would be discolored dis·col·or v. dis·col·ored, dis·col·or·ing, dis·col·ors v.tr. To alter or spoil the color of; stain. v.intr. To become altered or spoiled in color. by what he called a "partisan overlay (1) A preprinted, precut form placed over a screen, key or tablet for identification purposes. See keyboard template. (2) A program segment called into memory when required. " imposed by political opponents seeking to discredit TO DISCREDIT, practice, evidence. To deprive one of credit or confidence. 2. In general, a party may discredit a witness called by the opposite party, who testifies against him, by proving that his character is such as not to entitle him to credit or his ideas because of the threat he posed as a candidate. Kitzhaber said the same problems that hindered the political system when he left office in 2003 - with the comment that Oregon was "ungovernable" - remain. The former emergency room doctor's diagnosis: The relationship between elected officials and the public is too "transactional" - voters choose candidate A if she promises to cut their taxes; others side with candidate B if he vows to cut prescription drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, costs. `The problem is that these transactions are all about `me.' They have nothing to do with `us,' ' Kitzhaber said. "They neither foster a sense of the larger public interest, nor advance the common good." Kitzhaber made his announcement at the Old Town Clinic for low-income Portlanders, which he chose as a symbolically important venue. He wanted to make clear that he is committed to his role as a public-minded citizen who will be engaging the state - and potentially the nation - in his effort to replace a broken health system that leaves hundreds of thousands of Oregonians and millions of Americans without access to basic medical care. So, instead of launching a campaign for governor, Kitz- haber launched a new Web site: archimedesmovement.org, which is named for the mathematician of ancient Greece The term ancient Greece refers to the periods of Greek history in Classical Antiquity, lasting ca. 750 BC[1] (the archaic period) to 146 BC (the Roman conquest). It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the foundation of Western Civilization. who proclaimed, "Give me a lever and a place to stand, and I can move the Earth." The Web site will be a source of information and a means of organizing people and groups interested in Kitzhaber's proposal for universal coverage of basic health needs. This coverage would be financed, he said, with the $6.3 billion he estimates is already spent publicly on health care in the state. That figure represents the sum of the state and federal spending for Medicaid, Medicare and the additional dollars employers' would pay in taxes if not for the exemptions they're entitled to based on what they pay for workers' health insurance premiums. Kitzhaber wants to push legal changes - either through the 2007 Legislature or via the initiative system in 2008 or conceivably this year - before taking the newly formed Oregon model to federal leaders with the request that Medicare, Medicaid and tax policy rules be waived for Oregon's experiment in universal health care. Maribeth Healey of Oregonians for Health Security said she was hopeful Kitzhaber could bring momentum to the health care reform movement, even without the platform of a statewide candidate or a gover- nor. "He is seen as Dr. Health Care, right, not just a citizen. His weighing in on this as we look to reform the health care system is just going to increase dialogue and get more Oregonians engaged," said Healey, whose union-backed group also is involved with efforts to expand access to, and improve the affordability of, medical care. Professor Jim Moore said it would take more than just Kitzhaber's stature as a former two-term governor who championed the ground-breaking Oregon Health Plan The Oregon Health Plan is the Oregon state healthcare program for low income residents of Oregon. Eligibility Basic eligibility requires that the applicant be a resident of Oregon, as a citizen or otherwise. for him to gain headway in his crusade. Gaining audiences who will politely listen won't translate into the radical change Kitzhaber seeks. "It's going to take money, because simply traveling from Rotary Club to Rotary Club is not going to be enough," said Moore of Pacific University. "He's going to have to run a campaign, have a public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most campaign, all those kind of things." Kitzhaber's absence from the primary leaves Kulongoski; challenger Pete Sorenson, a Lane County commissioner; and potentially Vicki Walker Vicki Walker (Born on May 29, 1956 in Monroe, Washington) is a politician from the U.S. state of Oregon and a member of the Democratic Party. She has been elected to political office in both houses of the Oregon Legislature. , a Democratic senator from Eugene. Sorenson said the ex-governor's decision not to run would make it easier for him to pull off an upset of the current governor. Walker said in a statement that she would now "continue to explore my political options" after previously indicating she was likely to enter the governor's race Noun 1. governor's race - a race for election to the governorship campaign for governor campaign, political campaign, run - a race between candidates for elective office; "I managed his campaign for governor"; "he is raising money for a Senate run" if Kitzhaber stayed out. Walker said Friday evening that Kitzhaber waited so long to make a decision that she was not sure if sufficient time remained before the May 16 primary for her to raise the money required to knock out to force out by a blow or by blows; as, to knock out the brains s>. See also: Knock an incumbent governor. "John had three months to think about running, three months to leave people dangling," she said. "Now I need to go back and see if I can pull back those commitments, those pledges." Kulongoski said he looks forward to working with his predecessor to find "common sense answers" to Oregon's health care problems. OREGON GOVERNOR'S RACE: WHO'S IN Democrats: Incumbent Ted Kulongoski, Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson and potentially state Sen. Vicki Walker of Eugene Republicans: Ron Saxton Ronald L. Saxton (born 1954, Albany, Oregon) is a lawyer[1] and Republican politician in Oregon. He graduated from Albany High School in 1972, earned a bachelors degree from Willamette University in 1976[2] ; Kevin Mannix Kevin Mannix is a politician, business attorney, and former chairman of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Oregon. Mannix has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as a Democrat and, later, a Republican. , former Oregon GOP chairman; and state Sen. Jason Atkinson Jason Atkinson (born November 6, 1970 in Sacramento, California) is a Republican politician in the State of Oregon. Atkinson earned a Bachelors degree from Southern Oregon University in 1992 and a MBA from Willamette University in 1997. of Jacksonville |
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