Live from the Rose Garden as the the Portland Trail Blazers take on the Los Angeles Lakers Clippers.

What? Los Angeles has another basketball team? And they are named the Clippers? For real? And they have uniforms and everything? Huh, who knew?

Also, I should mention that with the NCAA tournament going on right this very second, plus other action in the NBA, I am about to live blog the least important basketball game on the planet. I feel honored.

Get ready to read some words about two non-playoff basketball teams playing a meaningless game on a Friday night…

Pre-Game:
The Clippers have lost five in a row and 13 of their last 15, meanwhile Portland is on a strict win a game, lose a game, regiment. They lost on Tuesday to the Suns, so according to the plan, they'll be winning tonight.

Bad news Kamaniacs, your God and master, Chris Kaman will be on the bench again with a sore lower back. Sorry Hulksters, he'll live to fight again.

First Quarter:
9:23 - Foul called on "Disaster" Dan Dickau, the onetime token white point guard for the Blazers. 11-9 Portland.

6:51 - Roy to Przybilla who pump fakes a 12-foot jumper (!), only to wise up and slowly dribble in for the dunk. Smart move, Vanilla Gorilla. 17-13 Portland.

3:38 - Wow, almost nine minutes have gone by and finally the first time-out of the game. Everyone just wants to get out of here and get to the club. Plus, the Rose Garden PA is on the fritz, so things just seem a bit off tonight. It's so quiet. Everyone must be exhausted from all the Obama action earlier in the day. 21-17 Blazers.

2:03 - Dickau flopau! 25-19 Portland.

0:01 - Sergio for a long three (almost a half-courter), BOOM! Nice way to end a high-scoring first quarter. 32-24 Blazers.

SECOND QUARTER:
10:40 - Sergio (again!) making a smooth drive down the lane and a last second dish to Jarrett Jack for a three. 37-29 Portland.

8:32 - There's nothing like taking on a team with no defense. Or starters. Or stars. But hey, at least the Clippers have Smush Parker! If this NSF video is any indication, he has, um, good hands. 39-32 Blazers.

5:59 - Panic! The Blazers are suddenly being outplayed by Smush Parker (!), and are about to lose their lead. Panic! 41-39 Portland.

5:50 - Tie game! Double Panic!!! 41-41 tie.

2:57 - 53-50 Clippers lead! Bow down to the Clippers!! They are our new rulers!! I can see the writing on the wall, I am switching sides...

Welcome to my brand new Clippers live blog. Go Clippers!! Yay, Nick Fazekas, you are a superstar! Clippers are number one!! Wooo.

2:06 - Breaking news, Tim Thomas has just left the game with a "stomach virus." Now that he is gone for the night with a tummy ache, that makes zero starters for the Clippers. The Blazers are playing against 100% bench players, and are losing. 55-54 Los Angeles.

0:03 - The unstoppable force that is Smush Parker is stuffed as the buzzer sounds, so it's all tied up at halftime. Impressive! 57-57 tie.

THIRD QUARTER:
9:59 - Roy with a jumper and the Blazers are dramatically clinging to a one point lead. Yikes. 66-65 Portland.

8:02 - Finally, the Blazers wake up, rub the sleep from their eyes, and realize that they are playing the lowly Clippers. Points for everyone! Roy, Aldridge, Blake, Przybilla and Webster. Oh just kidding, no points for Webster. That was mean. 72-65 Blazers.

7;19 - Blazers just give up four offensive rebounds in a row to the Clippers. The Clippers took five shots, missed them all. NBA - Where Amazing Happens™
74-65 Portland.

5:01 - Fast break steal by Roy, to Aldridge, to Webster for three, BOOM! It's a little cruel to pick on a Clippers team like this, but hey, we'll take it. 83-67 Blazers.

2:53 - Steve Blake with 10 assists! If he takes those assists, and all the skee-ball tickets he's been saving since the start of the season, he can finally go to Wunderland and exchange them for that air rifle he's always wanted. 83-69 Portland.

0:48 - Know who the Clippers need? That Shaun Livingstone fellow. I wonder what happened to him... 87-76 Blazers.

FOURTH QUARTER:
11:02 - Look up your daughters, it's Nick Fazekas Time™! He's leading the spirited Clippers comeback. 87-79 Portland.

8:58 - Travis Outlaw, you've been Smushed! Parker with the steal, but the Clippers are still down by 11. I do wish the Blazers would sit Roy right now. He needs to be resting during games like this. We all saw what happened to Shaun Livingston, the human body is our enemy and cannot be trusted. 92-81 Blazers.

6:08 - Here come the Clippers! The lead, which was once a mighty 16 is down to 5. Dear Blazers, don't blow this. Signed, Ezra. 92-87 Portland.

4:07 - Oh, so I guess the Blazers realize that losing to the Clippers in a game of 5-on-5 basketball is a bad idea. I agree. 97-89 Blazers.

2:27 - On the cusp of a chaulpa, Steve Blake barrels his way into an offensive foul. Two minutes to go, and the Clips are still in it. Yikes. 99-93 Portland.

0:05 - They. Won't. Die. Cuttino Mobley for three, and the Clipper ships are only down three, 105-102 Blazers.

0:00 - Finally! Blazers win. A little too close for comfort, but they'll take it. Final score, 107-102 Portland.

Shit yeah. 8 am-2 pm every day but Tuesday.

Biscuit sandwiches with toppings like egg, bacon, veggie sausage, etc; scrambles; biscuits and gravy; something called a “hash pile” which is apparently a chef’s choice of grilled stuff; grits; chicken fried steak; benedicts; French toast; and the “hand banana,” a peanut butter, honey, and fried banana French toast sandwich. Which better look a little something like this:

Red Flag, 344 NE 28th, 232-0507

Some late-breaking news: Tonight at the 7 pm showing of Paranoid Park at Cinema 21, Gus Van Sant will be in attendance to introduce the film. Gabe Nevins, the film’s star, will also make an appearance. So now you know.

BLOGTOWN: WE CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE TOO, EVEN IF THEY AREN’T NAMED BARACK OBAMA.

There are many dangers associated with Easter (besides the obvious “being nailed to a cross and being buried in a cave for three days” type of dangers). To protect yourself this Easter weekend, please take serious note of this animated PSA from your friends and mine, the “Happy Tree Friends.”

Is anyone else sick and tired of dealing with inept movie theaters? I understand that no one is a properly trained projectionist anymore, but even a pizza-faced teenager can twirl the focus knob. I really shouldn’t have had to sit through 90 minutes of blurry, mis-framed PG-13 horror last night. Even after asking the manager to fix the focus and the framing, I watched the POS Shutter with Pacey’s head chopped off. Maybe it was a blessing—it added a bit of avant-garde to an awful predictable mess.

Check out the web exclusive review here.

And if you’re really a glutton for incredibly awful “cinema,” check out the trailer (which has very little to do with the actual film). It’s after the jump…

I do not get up early. This is the first sunrise I have seen in months.

But the whole sunrise thing feels appropriate this a.m., since the reason I’m up at an ungodly hour is to stand in line outside the Memorial Coliseum, hoping I’ll be able to get in to hear Obama speak.

Getting in turns out to be a non-issue—despite the rush on tickets when they were announced, they either undersold the venue or some ticket holders just didn’t show. But outside, waiting, we didn’t know that yet; unlike some fancy-pants Mercury people I could name, I didn’t pull the press card to get in. No, readers—you see, my place is among the people.

Turns out I don’t really like the people.

Look, I get it: Having a bunch of politically-minded people milling around in one place with nothing else to do is an irresistible opportunity for activists and petitioners of all stripes--from the crazy guy screaming about impeachment at the top of his lungs while menacingly brandishing a putter to the beleaguered girl from the Oregon Center for Christian Values. ("I believe that poverty, health care, and the environment are Christian moral values," reads the mail-in card she hands to me. Because my wit is roughly as sharp as a marble, I don't think until 15 minutes later to ask her why "equality" wasn't a moral value. Oooh! Snap! Or it would have been. Right?!)

But between the people wanting signatures for their petition about having an open primary to the seemingly inexhaustible flood of Steve Novick supporters (all wearing "Hooked on Novick" shirts, and one woman, depressingly, offering a bribe of hot coffee to anyone who would put on a Novick sticker), standing in line to get in to the Coliseum is less like... well, standing in line, and more like receiving suitors or something. Everybody who approaches you wants something from you, and sometimes they're cool about leaving you alone and sometimes they're annoying, but none of them seem to realize it's entirely too fucking early to be signing petitions or pretending to be interested in what they were saying. Even if, as previously noted, a disproportionate number of the women who're making sure we're all registered to vote are pretty hot. (Like, seriously hot. The guy activists are, across the board, goofy as shit, though. But maybe those dudes have just figured out that political volunteering is a pretty solid angle if you're a goofy-looking guy*.)

My first thought about the line--which stretches from the front doors of the Coliseum to the opposite side of the Rose Garden--is that I haven't seen this many people lined up this early for anything unless they were carrying toy lightsabers and/or wearing homemade Samwise Gamgee costumes. But then I realize something: Political wonks are way dorkier than your average geek standing in line for Star Trek or whatever. For proof, I offer two T-shirts and one button.

T-shirt #1: "ROCK WITH YOUR BARACK OUT."
T-shirt #2: "got hope?"
Button #1 (Photo of Obama, American Idol font): "Vote for Barack! My American Idol."

Just FYI: If you own either of these shirts or that button, you should know that there are only two people responsible for the past eight years: You and the screaming dude with the putter. So thanks for that, guys. Now go back to making those giant goddamn papier-mâché puppets you like to carry around in protests so goddamn much.

Anyway, once inside, things normalize: I make my way down to the floor, despite some dude warning me I'll have to stand for at least three hours. I am fine with this. I scoff! I am young, and virile, and standing for hours on end is nothing to me.**

The range of people here: Everybody. A girl who's maybe eight and a boy who's maybe 10 are standing next to me, and I can only assume they are missing school for this, which is awesome.*** Old people and young people are all here, and it's Portland so it's mostly white but, importantly, it's hardly homogenized. And there seem to be a ton of people in their 20s and 30s, which can only be good. And everybody's stoked.

Once Blumenauer and Richardson start in, though, the momentum builds, and builds, and this "change" business starts to feel less like a tagline and more like--dare we dream?--an actual possibility, and by the time Obama begins, forget about it--everybody goes crazy, and justifiably so. Yesterday, a friend and I were emailing about Obama, and he wrote of him, "Have we ever had a 'great man' in national politics during our lifetime? I thought that was just an anachronistic conceit." By the time Obama finishes, that idea doesn't feel nearly as outdated as one would expect.

---

*Lesson learned. I'd like to take this opportunity to inform you that I've accepted an invitation to volunteer for the Oregon Center for Christian Values! Soon, this goofy-looking guy will be hitting it off with more self-righteous homophobic chicks than he can count! Ka-ching!

**My back hurts.

***My parents took me out of grade school once to see then-President George Bush, Sr. land in Air Force One at the Salt Lake City Airport one year. Seeing Obama speak is significantly cooler than that. These children are already far cooler than I will ever be.

The Portland Flash Choir is mostly made up of singers who participated in
Rinde Eckert’s 2007 TBA performance “On the Great Migration of Excellent Birds.” During the rehearsals and performance of the Migration piece, the singers realized they all wanted to continue working together and so, months later on the first day of Spring, 16 singers and their two conductors braved torrential rain to sing (about Spring and rain).

The first song was “When the Glass Falls Low,” a charming collection of “historical aphorisms pertaining to the barometer.” For the second, longer piece, co-composers Sarah Dougher and Pat Janowski reached out to the singers, artists, and people of Portland for submissions concerning the weather, and compiled them, one singer voicing each lyric while the others thrummed out a pattering beat.

The Portland Flash Choir sang three performances in as many hours, and despite being pummeled by downpours and rushing around, still performed with palpable joy and energy. I wish I dealt with the rain so well.

The Portland Flash Choir performed on March 20th, 2008 at the following locations:

5 pm : Portland Rose Garden Shakespeare Wall, Washington Park
6 pm : Tanner Springs Park, NW 10th & Marshall
7 pm : The steps at Laurelhurst Park, SE 39th and Stark

To join in, or find out where they’re singing next, email picasing@gmail.com.

Had enough Obama coverage yet? Yes? Well shit, not much can be done for you because this thing’s a goddamn tidal wave. Amy has done the ever-so-dilligant job of bringing you the facts (and might I add she’s an insane typist with way above average memory). I’m here to pass along a few observations from the land of camera flashes, Blackberrys, crying women and the like.

Long before Obama takes the stage, Memorial Coliseum is totally electric--buzzing on a high stronger than all the coffee in Portland could ever provide. Thank god for it, too. I'm running on about two hours of sleep but the energy makes it easy to cut through.

Earl Blumenhour takes the stage and he's fired up. Seems as if he's been backing Obama almost as long as he's been wearing bow ties. Bluemehour's steadfast, and early support of Obama makes me that much happier and proud to call him our own.

Except for a few sections with terrible views, the Coliseum is jammed. Unlike a sold-out Blazer game there aren't swaths of open seats.

Unlike Amy, I'm digging the Earth Wind and Fire, and all the other meaty funk playing in the lead-up towards our man of the hour. Was that just a bit of Otis Redding? To quick to tell. It's cut short for Will.i.am's ridiculous Obama sample song, "Yes We Can". And though it seems to make some of the older folks feel fresh, it doesn't seem like the right time. Why play clips of a man speaking who's just about to speak IN PERSON? Leave that crap on Youtube where it belongs.

From time to time the audience shifts, supposing Obama's entering the arena. They crane their necks and perch on their tip-toes, hoping to catch a glimpse. It's like their looking for some mythical creature like Elvis or Sasquatch.

As Bill Richardson and Barack finally enter, what was already livid enthusiasm amps up to completely ludicrous. The volume dial goes past 10 to 11.

The look on Obama's face is honest. It is of humility and, even though he's witnessed the scene so many times before before, what appears to be genuine awe. The qualities are affirming.

Richardson, sporting a Good Luck Beard, begins. He is in fine form and the endorsement rings true. It should hold more water than most.

But we're here for Obama and Richardson aint no fool. He steps aside, giving Barack the lectern, but before he's allowed to say a word the audience treats him to two solid minutes of screaming applause.

Then, strangely enough, he roar out of the gates. His opening words were stilted--less inspiring than I had hoped. Could this be, I wondered? Could we be unfortunate enough to catch the most impressive and inspiring politician in a generation on a slow day? Indeed, Barack is notorious for less than stellar performances when he's fatigued. Could it be?

After a few moments Obama picked up a wireless mic, left the lectern and pacing back and forth across the stage. In doing so, he began to find his rhythm. He was working himself into it, and maybe five minutes deep he hit full stride. This was the man we hoped he was.

Things became more and more emotional and electric. People who were looking for a rock star were now looking for Jesus. They strained immensely for eye contact, as if their very well-being depended on it.

So many singular burdens were thrust upon the stage. The glassy-eyed woman standing stoically alone. The decorated Veitnam vet. The lady standing while no one else did, stretching out her "Proud Teacher" t-shirt. The one with tears streaming down her cheeks. And the mother who cried out, "bring my son home!" during talk of the Iraq war.

They were all there, and so many more. Such weight in hopes and dreams for one man to shoulder... Almost crushing.

Still Barack takes the crowd higher. He's preaching, really. It's clear in his rhythm and tone. He resonates like a deep ringing bell.

The content is his usual stump, which you've heard before if you follow the campaign with any regularity. Still though, there are moments where all the air rushes out of my body. I choke up. It's as if his words reach into your chest, strangle your lungs, and don't release until you take to heart and head the actuality of what's being said. You go there, you understand, and then the grip is released. This happens many times.

Working totally without notes or a telepromter, Obama's speech peaks and falls slightly before it's over.

"I've gone on too long," he says.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" the crowd collectively shouts, not wanting to let him go, ever.

One more time he ramps it up, and ends the thing on a high note. And boom! It's over. He and Richardson are shaking hands on the rope-line. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered is cranking out over the P.A.

It's hard to say how long we were there. The moments were mostly surreal.

I keep thinking about to what Richardson said about Barack in his endorsement, and again later at the press conference. It's overly simple and it works: "Barack is a good man." And now, having seen him operate, it seems all the more clear.

I can’t stop thinking about shoes lately. Here’s my favorite so far today (though the hour is young!).

These are from Keller, and only available in New York apparently. Though I’m sure an enterprising local shoe purveyor could look into it…

Footwear musings and more on M.O.D.

Did you miss Obama-nia ‘08? Are you jealous of those in attendance who are now walking around with beatific smiles on their faces? WELL, BE ENVIOUS NO MORE! Now you can listen to Obama’s Portland speech in its entirety RIGHT HERE either on your computer, or download it for later listening on your iPod. And it’s all courtesy of your friends here at Blogtown (aka Obamopolis).

CLICK AND LISTEN NOW!

DOWNLOAD FOR LATER LISTENING HERE!

Obama’s in the press room, with Richardson, telling us all how grateful and honored he is to have the governor’s endorsement. “I’m looking forward to campaigning with him in the weeks to come.”

A reporter asks about the news that his passport file was breached: “This is something that has to be investigated diligently and openly. One of the things that the American people count on is that if they have to disclose personal information, that it’s going to stay private… it’s one of a series of attempts to tap into people’s personal records… I expect a full and thorough investigation.”

Jaymee Cuti of Just Out jumped in, to ask about equality for gay Americans. “I was one of the chief architects of the human rights ordinance in Illinois, that ensured no discrimination in housing or employment. We are now trying to support a similar effort at the federal level. We should have a strong civil union that is recognized by the Federal government. Right now, even if you enter into a civil union you aren’t getting the same right and responsibilities at the federal level. I think we need to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

Richardson, on the timing of his endorsement: “I decided to endorse Obama a week ago. I was torn, legitimately, between the two candidates. I think Senator Obama is something special, that the country needs right now, that can bring the country together. It was just reinforced to do the endorsement, by his speech on race. He could have just said, I’m going to do a safe speech in response to what his pastor said, but instead he faced the issue head on. It just reinforced my decision. I was in the race myself, I’ve seen this man up close… he has great judgment. That’s what you need in a commander in chief. But most importantly, he’s got a wealth of international experience. His background… that’s what you need.”

How can Obama tie down this nomination? Richardson responds: “I’m not going to advise any other candidate when to get in or out of the race. Senator Clinton has a right to stay in the race. But eventually we don’t want to go into the Democratic convention bloodied… we want to go in unified… this was another reason for my getting in and endorsing, the need to send a message that we need unity.”

Richardson, on superdelegates: "There's too many of them. They should be reflecting the views... of their constituents. The voters should decide... that's where the nomination should come."

Does Obama agree that there are too many superdelegates? "Of course not. I'm happy to have the support of this superdelegate."

Obama, on his white grandmother's stereotypes. "We all harbor stereotypes, and that doesn't make us bad people. The context in which I stated it is fear of young black men on the streets. That's not unique to white people.... Fear that resides in the body politic, the fear and the resentment and the stereotypes that sometimes surface publicly and sometimes surfaces privately... African Americans harbor their own stereotypes... [my former pastor] painted with a broad brush... It's been suggested by a number of conservative commentators but even some who were favorably disposed toward the speech that somehow there was a flipflop to my previous statements of not being aware of Wright's statements... I want to be clear. I was not aware that he had made some of the more offensive statements that had been looping on the news. I was not aware of the AIDS statement that were out of line... those statements I was not aware of until the story broke a week and a half ago. The 9-11 statement I became aware of in the New York Times shortly before I announced my candidacy...."

On his fundraising and spending: "I don't think that we would expect to sustain [February's pace] because we don't have a primary every week. Now that we've got a little bit of a break, I would expect that those who have been contributing so diligently need a little break too."

Richardson, more on his endorsement: "There's something special out there, there's something special about this guy. I'm trying to figure it out. My message is that for the sake of party unity, and I'm not advocating an end... tomorrow. But in the end we Democrats have to unite around a candidate."

"I talked to Senator Clinton last night. Let's say we've had better conversations," Richardson says, referencing his service in the Clinton administration. "A Clinton official said today that my endorsement came too late, implying, there's a stereotype there, that my endorsement should have come before Texas, there are a lot of Hispanics there."

"Go back and read your own clips in September and October, when you had written us off... This is part of the process for me, growing as a candidate. It's not going to be a smooth straight line. What I've discovered is when it's going well is when I'm close to the ground and talking about the things I'm passionate about and talking about the things Americans are passionate about. When I'm talking to workers and remembering how I got into politics in the first place, working alongside steel workers who'd been laid off of their jobs... when I remember the hardships of Michelle and I paying off our student loans, and connect that to people right now struggling to pay for college for their kids... when we lose that and it becomes conventional and textbook and painting by numbers, there are other campaigns that are better at that. Governor Richardson's endorsement is important at any time. I think having Governor Richardson campaigning actively on my behalf in the weeks to come... as someone who frankly has more concrete accomplishments on the international stage than my opponents, Democrat or Republican.

OMG, Teresa Teater—she who screamed at Laura Bush when she was in town recently, as Matt documented on Blogtown—is asking a question... about the Del Monte raid. Obama: "I need you to ask a question." Teater talks about creating jobs here...

Obama: "We've got to have stronger border security, there's no doubt about it. We've got to have some structure to immigration enforcement. In the Pacific NW for example, the agricultural workforce is largely immigrant... [we need to regulate that]. We need to crack down on employers [acting unscrupulously]. And we've got to provide a path to citizenship."

Should Oregon's primary be pushed forward to make it more relevant? "It's pretty relevant... What I've tried to do is play by the rules this whole process. I was told there's going to be Iowa and New Hampshire... I didn't campaign in Florida and Michigan... Senator Clinton played by those rules [until she realized she needed the votes].

Clearly we need to bring some order to the process that is perceived as fair to the entire country. I can tell you the benefit to starting in a few small states. The kind of retail politics that Bill and I engage in... [work better in small states]. I think Senator Clinton would have wrapped up the nomination in the first week [with a national primary].

I think there's a benefit to having a series of smaller contests that are more intense and give people a chance to see it up close and personal. But I will leave it up to the Democratic party."

On China's treatment of Tibet: "I've already made a number of statements that we can't back off of human rights. And Tibet has been a chronic source of tension between the Chinese government and the American government," he says, saying what's important now is to not let the situation escalate. "Whether it's the situation in Tibet or their support of the government in Khartoum helping perpetuate the genocide in Darfur, we've got to speak out forcefully and clearly on these issues."

Obama speaks, you download and listen. Or, here’s the streaming version.

I’m in the press room now, where everyone’s sitting patiently and looking at a podium. Will Obama join us and answer questions? Or will a campaign flak do the spin? Stay tuned.

You know, we all engage in the democratic process on different levels. Some of us closely follow the news, compulsively check polls and tally delegates. Some of us go to Obama rallies. Some of us… dress up our cats in campaign gear and post their pictures on the internet.

What.

Ezra already blogged about Cats for Obama, but today seems like a fine day to revisit:

I totally have that skirt

When I Googled “cats for Hillary,” in an attempt to be fair and balanced or whatever, this was one of the first results:

INTERESTING.

My own cat hasn’t made up his mind yet, but he seems rather unimpressed by the Obama hype. (To be fair, he’s unimpressed with everything but paper bags and this pink teddy bear he likes to hump.) As soon as he decides, we’ll do a photo shoot.

Obama’s up now.

“I am so grateful to be back in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I am grateful to all of you for taking the time to be here. What a magnificent crowd. I am extraordinarily grateful to have the support of [Richardson].”

“Bill Richardson has served in so many different capacities, as a member of Congress, a member of an administration’s cabinet, as a governor of one of our most beautiful states. In each task that has been assigned to him, he’s done extraordinary work.”

“He’s been motivated to make his constituents’ lives a little bit better, and to make America a little bit safer, a little bit stronger, a little more prosperous.”

“On foreign policy, he understands the importance of restoring diplomacy… he understands the need to reach out, not just to leaders we like, but to leaders we don’t. And so not only does he understand it, but he has done it. He has accomplished it. For him to stand here before you today and not just offer you his endorsement, but to offer his confidence that I will perform as commander in chief of the United States… I can’t be more honored.”

Whenever Obama turns, the crowd he faces goes apeshit.

He’s had a number of people ask him, “why are you running at this time, why are you running so soon… you can afford to wait. What I’ve explained to people is I believe in what Dr. King called the ‘fierce urgency of now.’ The belief that there’s such a thing as being too late. And that hour is almost upon us. This week we mark the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq [crowd boos]. We have spent well over half a trillion dollars. There are some estimates that by the time this is over, we will have spent three trillion dollars. We have lost thousands of lives. Thousands more have been maimed. And yet we’re not more safe. And our standing in the world is drastically diminished.”

“Our economy is in shambles… all around this country I meet people desperate for health care… all across this country we see schools that despite the slogans are leaving millions of children behind. All across this country you meet people who are working sometimes two, three jobs while their incomes have flatlined. While their costs… have gone up and up and up. In such circumstance, we cannot afford to wait. We cannot wait to fix our schools… to fix our health care system… to end the war in Iraq. We cannot wait. The time is now.”

"So when I got into this race, I know Bill felt the same thing. What we understood was... that the American people were hungry for something different. A politics that wasn't based on tearing people down, but on lifting the country up. A politics that wasn't based on spin and PR... but based on honesty and straight talk, and truthfulness. But most of all, when I decided to run, I was betting on you."

"I came to Chicago after college, because I wanted to work at the grassroots level, to help people in need. I went and worked with these churches setting up job training programs for the unemployed and after school programs for the youth and economic development for the community. It taught me that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when given the chance. Change does not happen from the top down, but from the bottom up, because the American people stand ready for change."

"I was absolutely convinced that if we all came together... if we could all come together to challenge the special interests that dominate Washington... then there'd be no problem we could not solve, no destiny we could not fill... that was the bet I was making 15 months ago. And I am happy to report that after 15 months of criss crossing the country... after kissing hundreds of babies... after eating hundreds of chicken dinners... I am here to report that my bet has paid off. That my faith in the American people has been vindicated. That everywhere I go, Americans are standing up and saying... we want change, we want to write a new chapter in American history."

"So we have been seeing record turn out everywhere we go. People who've never participated, young people, coming out in record numbers like never before. Those who have been disaffected, getting reengaged like never before. Part of the reason everyone's so excited is no matter what happens, people will be going into the polling booths to chose the next president, and the name George W. Bush will not be on the ballot. No Bush."

"The name of my cousin Dick Cheney will not be on the ballot. Some of you read about this. Cheney and I are distant relations. It hurt me in the polls. But people have been forgiving me lately."

"So that means that the era of Scooter Libby justice, and Brownie incompetence... and Karl Rove politics, all that will finally be over next year. But you're not here because you want to be against something. You're here because you want to be for something. [So much] politics are based on 'he's not as bad as that guy.' That's not the path to a more perfect union. It may win elections... but it doesn't tell us who we should be, or what this country should do, the course we should take. And so what I've spent the last 15 months doing, the greatest thing about running for President is, you're in a conversation with the American people... and they've lost trust and confidence in their leaders. They don't feel like they're being heard. They don't feel like anyone's fighting on their behalf. That politics has become a sport. That if we as leaders were really listening, here's what we would do... I love you back [to a girl in the crowd]. We'd hear the voice of the young woman that I met when I was campaigning, is going to school full time, has a sick sister who has cerebral palsy, so she works too...gets up at one in the morning to work at Federal Express... gets three hours of sleep a night... and she's determined to make a better life for herself. She's not looking for a handout, but she doesn't feel like anyone is listening."

"I see SEIU in the house, I see AFSCME in the house. SEIU organized to have each one of us walk a day in the shoes of one of its members..." He worked with a home care worker who cares for an amputee. "Hard work, back breaking work... she does this every day. She cannot take a day off, because she cannot afford it. And talking to her, she's glad to do it. She wasn't looking for a handout. But she's looking for someone who might fight for her so she can have some decent health care, so she can retire with dignity and respect. So maybe she can take a day off once in a while to rest her tired feet."

He meets veterans. "They are proud of their work and rightfully so. They have performed magnificently on behalf of this nation. But they think about the buddies who have been left behind. They worry about being sent on a third or fourth rotation, about the strain on their families.... and sometimes I'll hug mothers after rallies like this one, who weep silently on my shoulder in memory of a son or daughter... and ask me that no mothers have to go through what she has gone through."

"All across this country, people love their country, they are patriots, but they ask me how our standing in the world could have declined so rapidly. They love this country but they are ashamed of Guantanamo, they are ashamed of Abu Graib. They are ashamed of wire tapping... They are ashamed that we're still having a debate about whether this country tortures or not. Those voices aren't heard. All those people on the brink of losing their homes, they don't know if Congress is fighting for them. They know... it's more likely that the bankers get bailed out than they get bailed out."

"And so what this campaign has been about, what this election has been about, what... all of us have to stand for. It's not just a change in parties, its... restoring a sense that this government is working for you and is fighting for you and believes in you and is of and by and for the people of America. That is what this election is about."

"And so, for that vision to become real, to perfect this union, we are going to have to stand up. Not just me, not just Bill. We. All of us are going to have to fight for change. That's why I said at the beginning of this campaign, we will not take PAC money... I want to see the American people fund our campaigns. That's why at the beginning of this campaign when we weren't getting all the endorsements of Washington insiders, I said that's okay—I want to see the American people endorse us."

"The status quo is not going to give up easily. They are cynical and they are resistant. But if you are ready for change, we can tell the fat cats that their days of setting the agenda are over... "

On health care: "I've got a plan that says every American should have health care that's at least as good as members of Congress... if you have health care, we're going to lower your premiums by $2500 a year. If you do not have health care... [you can buy into a government program]. We will do it by the end of my first term as president of the United States of America."

"We can make sure that every child in America has the best education we have to offer... The problem is we don't have the will, we don't have the urgency... [We think, that's a black child, a hispanic child,] that's an immigrant child, we don't have an obligation to him. That's not someone else's kid, those are our kids."

"[We're going to] close the achievement gap. Then we're going to pay our teachers more money, and give them more support. We're going to hold them to the highest standards... we've got to have high standards for our kids, but high standards cannot be measured by a high stakes test... we want our students to learn music and art... and science and poetry... "

"And I don't know about you, but I think it's time we make college affordable for everyone. But you're going to have to do something in return, hours of community service... join the Peace Corps, join the foreign service. We'll invest in you, you'll invest in this country," he says, talking about a $4000 per year tuition credit.

"We can make our economy more fair. We have a short term problem, because of the subprime lending crisis that has now affected the financial markets, the credit markets are frozen... and so the economy is contracted. We've got to act immediately, to shore up the housing market. That's why I've put forward my own plan... so that people can refinance their homes so we can assure that people won't lose their houses... banks will have confidence that people can make their payments... we've got to look and see how we can deal with some of the other problems we are facing. For the last decade the average family has seen their real incomes drop. And the reason was because Bush economic policies were so tilted toward the wealthiest among us.... I believe in economic growth, but when CEOs are making more in ten minutes than ordinary workers make in a year... and CEOs get tax breaks... and when the company goes belly up, the CEO gets a golden parachute and the worker loses his pension, something is broken, something has to be fixed. Just like we need bottom up politics, we need bottom up economics. We need to think about working people. We're going to close those tax breaks that go to companies with workers overseas, we're going to give those tax breaks to people with workers in America."

"We need to invest in science and research and technology. I'm tired of a president that doesn't believe in science. I want an administration that invests in science and research and knowledge. That's how our economy will grow... broadband lines that will connect this country in the way the Interstate connected this country. We have not invested in the infrastructure of this country... [instead, we've invested in the war in Iraq].. I want that money back here, I want that money in Portland, putting Americans back to work."

"I want the next generation to create the kind of energy policy that will mean a sustainable planet for our country and for our children and our grandchildren. We are sending a billion dollars every day to other countries, many who are hostile, [for foreign oil]. We are going to cap emissions, and we are going to charge polluters, and we will invest that money in clean energy... we can put people back to work building windmills, building solar panels, creating the next clean alternative fuel. If we just have a little imagination, there's no reason we can't accomplish it. If we can increase our fuel economy standard to 40 miles per gallon [we can end our dependency on foreign oil]."

In Detroit, "we told them they had to change their ways... part of my job as president will be not just to tell you what you think you want to hear, but to tell you the truth. That will be my job as the president of the United States of America."

"Finally, it's time for us to create a foreign policy we can be proud of. ...As commander in chief, my job will be to keep you safe. And I will do whatever is required... I've got two little girls, nine and six, who I've got to protect along with your children and your grandchildren... that means we're training our troops properly and equipping them properly... and we're treating them properly when they come home... no more homeless veterans, no more disabled veterans begging for their benefits... "

"It means using our military wisely. It means when you answer that phone call at 3 am, that you're not trigger happy, that you get a diverse range of opinions, that you act on your best judgment. That's what leadership is... It's being tough by being smart and being disciplined... about the use of American military power. The war in Iraq was unwise. I said in 2002, this will distract us from going after real enemies in Afghanistan. It will fan the flames of anti-American sentiment.... it will cost us hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of lives, and will not make us more safe. It has not made us more safe. That's why I opposed it in 2002. That's why I will bring this war to an end in 2009. We will end this war in Iraq. But I don't want to just end the war. I want to end the mindset that got us into war. I am tired of the politics of fear, that uses 9-11 as a way to scare up votes instead of a way to bring the country together. I don't like seeing the politics of fear being used in our own party... it is not the way to solve our problems. I want to implement what Bill Richardson understands so well from his years of experience. We can't just talk to our friends, we've got to talk to our enemies."

"There are those like Senator Clinton and Senator McCain and President Bush who say you can't do that. I say 'watch me.' Watch me, because I remember what John F. Kennedy once said—we can never negotiate out of fear.... we reach out to our adversaries, tell our adversaries where we stand... that is the essence of wisdom. And when we do that, we can go before the world community and say America is back, and we are ready to leave. We will lead hunting down terrorists, but also... ending nuclear stockpiles... we will also lead by bringing an end to the genocide in Darfur. We will also lead by having the highest standards of human rights and civil rights... we will close Guantanamo, and restore habeus corpus and say no to renditions, because you will have a president who has taught the Constitution and... will obey the Constitution of the United States. I've gone too long, let me wrap up by saying this. We are on the bring of doing something special. But it is hard. It is hard because we're used to division. We saw this over the last several days. I gave a speech about it. We are divided in many ways... we're divided along partisan lines... there are difference believe rural beliefs and urban beliefs, there are differences among hot button social issues... the central issue of the 21st century, the color line, that has always been with us."

"All of us are complicit in these divisions. I talked about my former pastor... his believe that this country was inevitably locked into racism, and his... [belief that it couldn't change]. I'm not immune from them, you're not immune from them... they make for good soundbites, they make for good talk show host fodder. They don't help a child get a decent education. They don't help that senior citizen pay for her prescription drugs. They don't help that worker who suddenly lost his job because his ... went overseas. It doesn't save our planet from global warming. Those old habits, they just lock us down. And we don't change. And in the meantime we don't see these problems start spinning out of control."

"If we don't have the courage, the wisdom to say not this time... we don't give up this time, we won't be divided this time, we won't let the politics of division overcome the politics of unity this time... if we lock arm in arm, if we seize this moment, and say we are all Americans and we all believe in a better future and we're all willing to fight for it... we will not just win this nomination, we will not just win the general election, but you and I together will change this nation, we will change this world."

According to Amy and the gang at Obama-nia ‘08, the music there… well, it could be better. QUICK, OBAMA CAMPAIGN! Pump this song over the loudspeakers at the Rose Garden, because…

HE’S OBAMA-ISTIBLE!

Wait, that can’t be true. If Elvis Costello really hated the CD, he wouldn’t be reissuing My Aim Is True every six months or so. Anyway, Elvis has just added his name to the growing list of music industry rabble-rousers (say hello to Radiohead, Saul Williams, Gnarls Barkley…) by announcing that his 136th record (give or take a hundred or so), Momofuku (out April 22nd), will be available only as an LP and digital download.

What, no cassette?

Oh yeah, no CD too.

Following the lead of a few forward-thinking indie labels (namely Saddle Creek and Merge), the LP will contain a code for a free digital download of the album, but there will be no CD. Granted, Elvis is at a point in his career where he can release everything on cassingle and it wouldn’t really kill his bottom line, so the real test of this move will be if/when smaller, less nationally known, acts do the same.

Elvis, performing “Radio Radio,” before CDs were invented:

End Hits: We prefer reel-to-reel.

Obama and Richardson just hopped up on the stage, and the crowd went fucking nuts.

I’ll type as fast as I can, and we’ll post the entire audio as soon as the speech is over!

“My friends, earlier this week an extraordinary American gave a historic speech,” Richardson says. “Obama address the issue of race with honesty and sincerity.”

“He inspired us by reminding us of the awesome potential residing within us, and our own responsibility. Senator Obama could have given a safer speech. After all, he is ahead in the delegate count…” Huge roar.

“Instead, Senator Obama shows us again what kind of leader he is. He spoke to us as adults.”

“Senator Obama reminded us that cynicism is not realism… he called upon us… to do the hard work needed to build such an America. He asked every American to see the reality and pain of other Americans, so together we can rise above that with divides us. He appealed to the best in us. As a Hispanic American I was particularly touched by his words. I’ve been troubled by the demonization of immigrants.”

“[Obama] rejects the politics of pitting race against race. He understand that only by bringing people together and bridging our differences can we succeed in bringing people together. His words are one of a courageous thoughtful leader, who understands that a house divided against itself cannot stand. And after eight years of George W. Bush, we desperately need that kind of a leader. Our national security and our global standing have been greatly damaged… we need a president who can bring us together as a nation so we can face global warming…”

“We need a foreign policy based on diplomacy, and respect for human rights.”

“He opposed the Iraq war from the beginning… [crowd drowns him out]. He also opposed the war because he saw the president’s rush to employ military force, and to do so without the support of our allies… Now, I trust him to do what is long overdue. End the Iraq war and bring our troops home!”

During the earlier campaign when Richardson was also a candidate, “I also realized that here was a really good guy. And I’ll tell you why, I’ll tell you why. You all watch those long, tedious Democratic debates, right? I could barely get recognized at any of them. The one time that I was recognized and I was sitting next to Mr. Obama, I said finally I’ve been recognized… ” He tells an anecdote about getting caught up in chatting with Obama, and forgetting the question when the moderator got to him. Obama whispered to him, “Katrina, Katrina!” and Richardson gave his Katrina answer. He thanks Obama for not throwing him under the bus.

“You will be an outstanding commander in chief. Above all, you will be a president who brings this nation together and restores American leadership. Your candidacy is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our nation, and you are a once in a lifetime leader. You will make every American proud to be an American, and I am very proud today to endorse your candidacy for president.” The crowd goes wild.

“Si se puede!” Richardson says. “Before concluding my remarks, I do want to say we’re blessed to have two great American leaders… running for president.” His admiration for Clinton will never waver. “It’s time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will have against John McCain in the fall. The 1990s were a decade of prosperity and peace [because of the Clinton administration]. But it is now time for a new generation to lead. Barack Obama will be a great and historic president. He can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad. And I know [you all] are going to work tirelessly to get this man elected. So it is my distinct honor to introduce mi buen amigo, the next president of the United States, Barack Obama.”

OBAMA UPDATE! This is more like it—instead of Earth Wind and Fire, we’ve now got Will.I.Am’s “Yes We Can” playing. The crowd has shut up, and is rapt, looking up at the big screen hanging from the ceiling, which is playing the music video.

OBAMA UPDATE! Congressman Earl Blumenauer is up, telling the loud crowd how excited he is that Oregon’s primary “matters for the first time in 40 years!”

Before Bluemenauer got up on stage, the crowd started chanting “Obama! Obama!” Listen to ‘em go crazy here here.

We’re “turning the page on one of the saddest chapters in American history, to a new page with President Barack Obama,” Blumenauer says. “Before he was a United States Senator even, I knew this guy was special.”

Blumenauer says he’s never seen anything like this Obama movement. In Arizona on their primary night, the Obama and Clinton parties were in the same hotel, he says. “The Obama party was three times bigger, and ten times more energetic. And people were focused on where we need to go next. And where we need to go next is to get organized here. Anyone who knows someone in Pennsylvania, you need to call or text!”

Listen to Blumenauer’s whole speech, preceded by a duo of volunteers rallying up the crowd.

We’re technically two minutes from show time, but the coliseum isn’t quite full—more like 90% full. But the crowd that’s in here has started doing the wave!

With 45 minutes to go until Obama (and, reportedly, Gov. Bill Richardson, who’s slated to endorse Obama) takes the stage, here’s the scene:

Hiiiii there folks! Your faithful Friday newsman has arrived! You know what’s coming first…

1. Obama. That’s right. He’s here. After the fourth forwarded email detailing how to register for tickets, you already know this (…and you’re getting slightly annoyed). Nevertheless, you heard that speech on Tuesday and you’re more impressed with the man than ever (…a politician speaking to us like adults?? Get outta town!). If you’re not at Memorial, then you’ll want some sort of Obama visual while you daydream/fantasize about your future president. Watch it live online. And stay tuned to the Mercury blog for updates from inside!

JUST IN: NM Gov Bill Richardson just endorsed Obama

2. In other news, Duke fans don’t fuck around.

3. SHOUT OUT to PSU Men’s basketball, nice season, boys.

4. Obama-related: funny Onion article.

5. Weekend DANCE MUSIC: Hercules and Love Affair

6. Screw SXSW: Solid line-up right here in Portland next week:

Monday - Jens Lekman at Berbati’s Pan
Tuesday - Vampire Weekend at Doug Fir
Wednesday - Justice at Roseland

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

OK OK no more distractions…Go watch Obama. Remember: tidy up, be cool, and no salivating at the mouth…We don’t want you making a bad impression and messing it up for the rest of us! Just be nice, courteous hosts, like your mother taught you!

Alright have fun today!!

Live from Memorial Coliseum, I’ve been searched by TSA agents and had my stuff sniffed by bomb sniffing dogs. And now, along with every other reporter in town, I wait.

The line outside has been long since well before I got here, and the Obama team is starting to let people in.

Erik Henriksen reports from the line:

I’ve been in line for like 20 minutes. It is long. Novick supporters out en masse; various annoying petitioners everywhere. It is also cold.

Also, there are a bunch of hot girls making sure people are registered to vote. Well played, Democrats.

UPDATE @ 8:16 am—They’ve played Earth Wind and Fire’s “Shining Star” at least twice now. Maybe three times. I’m going to hate this song if they play it once more. We get it, Obama’s a star.

The coliseum’s about half full. If you’re still stuck outside going through security, you’ll be sitting in the second tier—but that’s virtually empty at the moment.

Tara Sulzen of the Bus Project is outside: “We’ve been registering hundreds and hundreds of voters. It’s awesome, everyone’s so excited.”

Before I go to bed—early, so I can be at the Rose Quarter before 6:30 am tomorrow, following the stern warning from the Obama campaign to all media about equipment set up—here’s the last set of council candidates, with their thoughts on the Columbia River Crossing project.

Our region is poised to consider what to do about the Columbia River Crossing—and we’re faced with an option that costs roughly $4.2 billion dollars, and possibly doubles the size of the bridge over the Columbia River. In your opinion, does the staff-recommended option—a 10 to 12 lane bridge, plus light rail transit, tolls, and improved pedestrian and bike crossing—meet Portland’s goals and needs? What would you advocate for as the optimal plan for the crossing, and how would you ensure that Portland’s needs and goals aren’t lost in a massive regional, bi-state project?

Transportation wonk Chris Smith is unsurprisingly up first!

Chris Smith
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: citizensmith.us
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $133,815.20 currently in the bank

The Portland Transport blog that I publish on regional transportation policy has been one of the major venues for skeptical discussion of the Columbia River Crossing project. I would invite interested readers to check out almost three years of discussion at: http://portlandtransport.com/archives/projects/columbia_crossing/

This project attempts to address a number of issues: freight access in an important corridor, high capacity transit across the Columbia, traffic safety, maintenance of 50/100 year old bridges, among others. All of these are valid goals, but we have to ask how this fits into the big picture. I have two key questions in this regard:

1) How does this project fit in the larger picture of Portland’s goals to get out in front of Peak Oil and Global Warming?

2) What is the opportunity cost of this project? Are there other ways to invest $4B+ that would have better returns for the community? What are the cost/benefit trade-offs for this project?

Recently three people that I greatly respect: Oregon Transportation Commission Chair Gail Achterman, Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder and TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen attempted to address the first question and essentially said “in the big picture this doesn’t increase greenhouse gas production very much” (I’m paraphrasing)

Well, that may be true (depending on how flexible your definition of “very much” is), but in the big picture we’re failing to address greenhouse gases in an effective way and this goes in the wrong direction. I’m imagining this question from my grandchildren in 30 years:

“You spent $4B, the largest public works project in Oregon history, on something that didn’t REDUCE greenhouse gases?!!”

If we’re going to make an investment this large, it MUST move us in the direction of sustainability. Even being “mostly neutral” is not acceptable!

Hear, hear! The rest of his response, and those of his challengers, is after the cut.

To the second question, local economist Joe Cortright has raised serious questions about whether this project returns as much to the economy as it costs (and it costs about $2,000 for every man, woman and child in the region). And one-fourth to one-third of the project costs will likely come from local sources, reducing funding for other much-needed transportation projects throughout the region.

I believe there are a series of smaller, incremental steps that could better and more cost-effectively address the real needs. Key initiatives would include:

- Build a Light Rail and bicycle and pedestrian bridge parallel to the existing bridges to create real choices for how we cross the Columbia
- Toll the existing bridges to manage demand, increase sustainability, and prioritize freight traffic
- Use the toll revenue to fund seismic and safety upgrades to the existing bridges

Coupled with smart investments of the local funds that would be saved by avoiding this mega-project, we can improve the transportation system for the whole region and keep on a path toward greater sustainability.

A $4.2 Billion, 12-lane mega-bridge would be a 180-degree-turn from decades of smart transportation planning in Portland. As Commissioner I’ll lead the effort to insist that we evaluate alternative options that improve our region’s sustainability.

John Branam
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: john4pdx.org
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $88,244.72 currently in the bank

What we decide to do as a region, regarding the Columbia River Crossing (CRC), will have a dramatic impact on our region for generations to come. How we spend our money; the degree to which we challenge ourselves to mirror our values in our regional spending; and the process by which we make our decision also speaks volumes about who we are, and who we want to be, as a community.

As a Portlander and having grown up here in Oregon, I’m passionate about reducing my carbon footprint. As a practical matter I also believe goods and services, as well as cars and people, must be able to move across the Columbia. This movement is an essential component of both a healthy economy (including jobs that pay fair, livable wages) and our ability to live reasonably comfortable lives.

As these two perspectives intersect, I find myself believing that we must work diligently to solve the congestion of the I5 crossing, but also that the $4.2 billion dollar proposal is likely not the right solution to meeting Portland’s goals and needs. Fundamentally, the solution we adopt must ensure freight and public transportation becomes more fluid, but that our reliance on SOVs (single occupancy vehicles) is reduced.

Among other specific ideas, I believe strongly that the following three elements must be part of the answer to the CRC if we’re to genuinely honor our regional values, and our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.

First, I believe we should add tolls to discourage driving SOVs, and in particular, discouraging doing so during peak usage times. Not only will this assist us in raising revenue by taxing those who use the bridge the most, but it will also serve as one mechanism for encouraging car-pooling and public transportation use.

Second, the crossing must include light rail and ample bike/ walk space that connects to user-friendly paths on both sides of the river. This, I believe, is the crossing’s most crucial element. Ample studies show that this piece, not adding more lanes, will significantly reduce traffic congestion. (And as we advance this idea I think we must examine whether, after building such a crossing, we would even need a new bridge for vehicles.)

Third, we must re-designate a lane for carpooling, public transport and freight to help increase, in particular, freight fluidity.

In terms of ensuring these values won’t be hijacked in the process, I believe the answer is to have firm leadership that is as unified as possible, but that negotiates in a way that is respectful, genuine, and collaborative.

Together, as a region, we will solve this challenge, but let’s do it in a way that honors our commitment to reducing our reliance on vehicles while also promoting our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.

Jeff Bissonnette
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: portlandersforjeff.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $136,258.48 currently in the bank

Back in November 2007, the staff and consultants made a recommendation to the Columbia River Crossing Task Force for a completely new bridge span to replace the Interstate Bridge . The new bridge is projected to be a twelve-lane span with either light rail or rapid bus transit capacity along with improved pedestrian and bicycle access.

A complete bridge replacement is the most ambitious, and expensive, option among the current project alternatives. While this project is not on my list of top priorities, I do not believe the current "no build" option will be adopted so it is our responsibility to fashion a plan that fits with the overall strategies to address global warming and better transportation for the residents of our region. I question the number of lanes in the current recommendation (an increase from the current six lanes to twelve seems excessive to me) and I am not convinced the expense of a totally new bridge is worth it at this point, although maintenance costs over the long term are projected to be lower than with other options.

While I am still studying the issue, I initially lean toward the project alternative that calls for a supplemental bridge built directly downstream (west) of the current bridge that would have a four-lane capacity and light rail included. The current bridge pair would be re-striped to four lanes and have capacity for improved pedestrian and bicycle access. It would also be seismically upgraded. I am more comfortable with this approach because:

* it calls for increasing the number of overall lanes from six to eight lanes;

* it appears as though it can be done at a somewhat lower cost;

* it focuses on light rail (rather than rapid bus transit, which would be more expensive than light rail);

* it seeks to improves bike and pedestrian usage; and

* it gets several more years of life out of the current dual-bridge span.

I am completely opposed to a project that does not include light rail as a transportation option across the river.

As I said, I am still studying the issue. There are several questions that I am trying to answer for myself about the project before I take a firm position on it. They include:

* what is the actual remaining potential life of the current dual-bridge span? I've seen several conflicting reports about the bridges' viability over the long term and I'd like more clarity on that point.
* what is the actual effect on traffic flow? Are we simply moving traffic gridlock a few miles north and south from where it is occurring today or are we actually fixing the gridlock problem with a new bridge configuration?
* will the project improve the air quality in North and Northeast Portland?
* what is the effect of new configurations on the roads and streets adjacent to the bridge and any new interchanges?
* will a reconfiguration of the current bridge pair with better pedestrian and bicycle access actually make it more pleasant to walk or bike across the river?
* is there public support for instituting tolling as a way of partially paying for the project and can that tolling be implemented as "congestion pricing" so that more is paid when using the bridge at high traffic times (ie - during rush hour) and less at low traffic times (ie - at night).
* what effect will the project have on the businesses located in Jantzen Beach?
* how does this project fit with the greater regional transportation plan that seeks 1) to rely less on forcing people to use cars to get around and 2) to reduce our overall carbon footprint?

There are other questions but those are the key points I am considering. Lastly, while this is a very important project that we must develop thoughtfully, it is only one piece of a much larger picture. As my last question suggests, the project needs to be evaluated in that larger context. You can read more about the project for yourself at www.columbiarivercrossing.org and let me know what you think by writing info@portlandersforjeff.com.

Amanda Fritz
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: amandafritzforcitycouncil.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $124,099.22 currently in the bank

In this project as with all others, my questions are: "What is the true cost? Who pays, who benefits, and is that fair?"

It is premature for decision-makers in Portland to take positions on the staff-recommended option, or any other, since neither the Portland City Council nor the Portland Planning Commission has held a public hearing to review the options and their potential impact on Portland and Portlanders. Big Picture issues including global warming, international freight movement from Canada to Mexico, and Washington-Oregon commuters must be considered, and so must the local needs of folks in Bridgeton, East Columbia, Kenton, and other neighborhoods to get to and from Hayden Island. There have been many opportunities for input to the diligent committees working on this project, but none before the Portland City Council. Citizens must have opportunities to testify directly to their elected officials, before decisions are made.

Current estimates call for the citizens of Oregon to pay at least $800 million towards the cost - that's in addition to proposed tolls, and hoped-for federal money. I have not yet heard any proposal for how to carve out $800 million from our state and/or regional/local budget, at a time when schools, health care, senior services, and other transportation needs statewide and in Portland are underfunded. My campaign's core focus is on prioritizing the City's budget to fund basic services first. The Metro Council and State Legislators should also make thoughtful decisions about where the Columbia River Crossing fits into the overall plan for paying for the things we need most in Oregon.

I support the approach of the Coalition for a Livable Future - I urge evaluation of all options (including no-build) with respect to Oregon's mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to staff analysis, all the proposals being considered, including doing nothing, result in 40% or more increased driving by 2030. It is not yet clear which bridge option - replacement or supplemental - is better for achieving the goal of a "climate smart" Columbia River Crossing that will reduce driving in the future.

I am a member of the Coalition for a Livable Future's board, so I have been following this issue closely with member organizations such as the Environmental Justice Action Group, and staff serving on the Task Force. When I heard that no hearing was planned in Portland, I testified at City Council last fall, on a minor funding contract related to the Columbia River bridge, to bring the matter to the attention of the Councilmen. I talked with the Planning Commission President and staff, urging hearings before the Planning Commission and Council. Those hearings are now planned. Public input is important not only to help choose the right bridge options, but also to promote community buy-in on such an expensive project.

Portland has the right to veto this project, and I have consistently advocated for Portlanders on all sides to be allowed to testify to their own elected and appointed decision-makers. Once again, I did not wait to be elected before taking leadership on an important issue, making positive changes for Portland. If you elect me to the Council, I will make sure Portlanders don't have to make special requests to have the opportunity to be heard.

Charles Lewis
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: charleslewis.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $129,287.29 currently in the bank

The Columbia River Crossing will likely be the largest public works project in the history of our region. Taking on a project of this magnitude requires bringing leaders together from throughout Oregon and Washington to find real solutions. Six local agencies have veto power over the proposal, meaning that we need collaborative leadership to craft a proposal that satisfies the needs of all involved parties. The future of our environment and economy rely heavily on the decisions that will be made regarding this project.

Congestion on the I-5 bridge has gotten to the point where some action needs to be taken. Simply ignoring the problem is not the type of leadership that will serve the people of Portland well. However, I do not believe we can simply build our way out of this problem. We need a modern day solution that is responsive to our environmental, transportation, health and community needs. According to research conducted by the Coalition for a Livable Future, each option being considered would increase driving at least 40% by 2030. This is not a sustainable solution.

I will support a climate friendly option that increases transportation choices to reduce the number of drivers on the road each day. This includes investing in light rail, creating bike and pedestrian facilities, instituting a congestion based toll and encouraging carpooling. As Amy correctly pointed out in last week’s edition of The Mercury, tolls and light rail are the most effective ways to get drivers to consider alternative forms of transportation. I would like to see these options at the forefront of any Columbia River Crossing proposal.

Mike Fahey
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: friendsofmikefahey.com
Financial status: $14,530.00 in contributions to date, $10,629.60 currently in the bank

Did not respond by deadline.

Commissioner Sam Adams took a break from the Art Spark party at Living Room Theaters, to talk about Dozono’s loss of public funds today. Or, if you put it another way, to talk about Adams’ victorious appeal of Dozono’s certification.

“We’re obviously pleased with the ruling,” Adams says. “We initiated the legal action under a simple principle—to be treated fairly under city and state election law.”

The poll, Adams explains, gave Dozono an unfair $27,295 advantage. Adams had pledged to cap his funding to $200,000, and anything he would have raised over that would have been matched in public funding to Dozono. But the $27,295, under the Auditor’s ruling, wouldn’t have triggered a matching allowance for Adams’ fundraising (Dozono had earlier offered to let Adams raise another $27,295 without triggering matching funds, something the Auditor recognized at Monday’s hearing as a nice offer, but one he couldn’t actually do—the Auditor would have to offer Dozono the matching funds. Earlier today, Dozono pointed out that he wouldn’t have had to accept them. Anyway!)

When it’s all said and done, Adams says “I hope he stays in [the race].” A race as important as who will lead Portland as mayor deserves a robust debate, he says.

And Adams says he’s still willing to limit his fundraising to “$227,295” if Dozono does the same, which could alleviate Dozono’s original trepidation over private fundraising—he didn’t want to dial for the the million bucks he was told would be necessary to run a competitive race.

The poll situation has been “a major disruption to this campaign, and was totally avoidable had he been up front about it,” Adams concluded.

I am ashamed of it, but it’s true: I’ve watched a lot of Stargate SG-1. Like, way too much. Like, all of it. Almost universally, it’s a terrible show.

And maybe it’s just because I need to somehow justify watching a whopping 10 seasons’ worth of an jaw-droppingly cheesy TV show, but I started thinking about something a while ago—and when watching the recently released direct-to-DVD movie Stargate: The Ark of Truth (10 seasons not being enough, the show’s now continuing in DVD movies), some shit clicked. Here’s what finally dawned on me, though I’m likely not the first to realize this: Stargate SG-1 is all about killing off God.

Granted, it’s goofily allegorical about it, and it’s hard to take any idea, especially that of deicide, too seriously when the dude who played MacGyver is the one committing most of the intergalactic god-killin’. But still: A hugely successful American TV show that’s all about destroying religion? Crazy, right?

I pretty much want to pants myself and steal my own lunch money for typing this, but here goes: I have some Serious Thoughts about Stargate. And, yes, this is gonna get a whole lot geekier and a whole lot more embarrassing after the jump.

This post started off as a DVD review of Ark of Truth, but after trying to write about it for a bit, I realized that Ark of Truth just isn’t very interesting. It’s like a big, average episode of the TV show, which is bad in that, well, the TV show’s pretty bad, but it’s also good, in that despite its badness, Stargate is still consistently, dumbly entertaining. Wrapping up some plotlines that were left dangling after SG-1 was canceled midway through its 10th season, Ark of Truth hurriedly cleanses fans’ palettes and sets the stage for more direct-to-DVD movies to follow. (It also, for no real reason, has a bunch of teeny-tiny robotic bad guys that are roughly as terrifying as evil Legos, and one of the characters says “shit.” Take that, FCC!) Despite the inclusion of a brief primer for those unfamiliar with the show, it’s also utterly unwelcoming to new viewers: Jumping right into an aborted story from the series, Ark of Truth--despite a bigger budget and an ostensibly grander scope--feels like a hurried conclusion to the show’s main plotline of late, which had SG-1’s intrepid space explorers killing off some false gods.

And see, that’s where shit gets interesting, and where SG-1 differentiates itself from a slew of other recent and even crappier sci-fi shows (like Farscape, the new Doctor Who, and pretty much anything that isn’t the excellent Battlestar Galactica). Throughout, SG-1’s chief plotline played out thusly: A crew of explorers, called SG-1 and clearly based on the now-tired character templates of Star Trek, has goofy sci-fi adventures. The chief bad guys, depending on the season, are called either the Goa’uld or the Ori; both are races of powerful beings who have enslaved big chunks of the galaxy, and have done so by claiming to be all-powerful gods.

Most likely for budgetary reasons, almost all of the planets SG-1 visits look suspiciously like British Columbia, where the show was filmed; likewise, just about all of the “aliens” on the show look perfectly human. (Some of them have some gold crap glued onto their foreheads, and there are some ill-advised forays into puppetry and CG, but for the most part, aliens on SG-1 look exactly as exotic as whoever volunteered to be an extra that day.) But those traits are budgetary, negligible, and almost endearing--while an important, and more interesting, creative trait is that almost all of the races in the SG-1 galaxy are kind of retarded. Okay, maybe that’s putting it too harshly: More diplomatically, their level of technology is clearly inferior to that which we have on Earth. Unlike Star Trek’s diverse intergalactic cast, SG-1's aliens are usually mucking about in the dirt and living in medieval-style villages, following old-timey rules and rigid social codes, and they’re basically amazed and dumbfounded anytime they see technology that goes beyond an abacus. In other words--and even though they all speak like Canadians--they’re primitives, and, at best, most of them are incredibly naïve.

Which is important, because almost all of these races are enslaved by technologically advanced jerk-face aliens (either the aforementioned Goa’uld or Ori), and these jerk-face aliens are, always, utterly nonthreatening and silly. (The Goa’uld can make their eyes glow and they talk in comically deep voices, while the Ori, for reasons that’re never made clear, appear to be albinos suffering from eczema). But over the course of 10 seasons, these two races pretty much ruled the Stargate galaxy, and were always threatening to invade Earth, and always theoretically had the power to do so: They had amassed vast armies of loyal followers, all of whom were subjugated by faith, fear, or both.

So as these forces of evil gallivanted around the galaxy and glowed their eyes and scratched at their pale skin, it was up to SG-1 to confront them, to undermine them, and, ultimately, to destroy them. Their method of doing so? By visiting dumb little villages on foreign planets (all of which look like they’re not in some far-off solar system but rather in the Columbia Gorge), and showing naïve people that their gods are false. To do this, SG-1 usually uses either explosives or--more damningly--science.
Planet after planet, the heroes of SG-1 go about, making wisecracks and showing off their technology and pissing on the ill-informed traditions of countless alien races, all of whom simply don’t know any better than to be enslaved to fake religions and lying “gods.”

In Star Trek, there’s the idea of a “Prime Directive” that forbids advanced races from interfering with the natural development and evolution of more rudimentary ones; that shit doesn’t fly in Stargate, where Earth’s explorers giddily go about telling dumb aliens that their gods are just bogeymen who need to be wiped out. Usually these aliens are convinced, somehow--impressed by SG-1’s technology, or convinced by Space MacGyver’s wit, they become eager to rebel against their rulers--and [SPOILER ALERT, YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING] eventually, everyone’s freed from the oppressive false gods who have terrorized the galaxy. At which point the evil alien false gods are killed. Usually by blowing up their goofy-ass spaceships.

Which all works as a flexible, familiar, and repeatable plot mechanic--obviously, it’s one that the minds behind SG-1 were able to draw out for a decade. But the moral of all of these stories is this: Ill-educated, rudimentary people are prone to enslavement by dogmatic traditions and false religions; those of us who are enlightened, both technologically and scientifically, are obligated to free them from their mistaken beliefs so that they can join us in a safer, better, and more secular universe.

That’s just kind of astonishing. I remember reading some quotation, years ago, by Matt Groening--it was something like how if the religious right actually paid attention to what was said and done on The Simpsons, they’d absolutely freak out. And it’s true: Ned Flanders and his family are great characters, but they’re also pretty vicious send-ups of America’s religious conservatives (not to mention the fact that they perfectly embody the myth of the nuclear family that Homer, et al., in their earliest seasons, worked so hard to dispel). But that commentary went right over the heads of most of the people who complained about The Simpsons in those years: Caught up by the then-shocking idea that Bart was a proud underachiever or the very concept that The Simpsons weren’t The Waltons, the whole “Look how ridiculous the religious right is” message didn’t even click. And still hasn’t.

The best Stargate episode is far less impressive than the worst Simpsons episode, but my point is this: Like animation and comedy, the best sci-fi and fantasy have always managed to sneak in commentary via allegory. But occasionally, they’ve also been able to deal pretty obviously with ideas that many could consider dangerous or controversial, and, unlike other genres, they could do so right out in the open--because c’mon, like anyone’s going to pay attention, right? Who the fuck’s going to sit down and analyze the socio-religious dynamics of something like Stargate?

Um, me, I guess. Fuck.

ANYWAY.

So Stargate’s really about how science trumps god, which is a hell of a topic. And yeah, religious and social commentary in genre media is nothing new, but it’s usually contained in better, and better respected, works: In stuff like His Dark Materials and Battlestar Galactica, discussions about this sort of stuff make sense. But when atheistic allegory starts sneaking into crappy syndicated TV shows? That’s interesting--when ideas like these have saturated our pop-cultural consciousness to the point that even goofy aliens and Richard Dean Anderson are involved, that means something.

I’m not sure what.

This also means something, though: Tellingly, the members of SG-1 never turn their whole “your god and/or gods are false” mentality around to Earth. All the other gods in the galaxy, it appears, are false, and mockable, and malicious, and outright evil, and silly and killable. But while SG-1’s Earthlings are more than happy to demonstrate these facts to the naïve inhabitants of thousands of alien planets, never once is the idea suggested that Earth could be in the same position.

Then again, there’s at least one more direct-to-DVD Stargate movie in the works. So maybe that’ll happen in the sequel.

This one reportedly snapped by someone in the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, answers the question, how’d those kids get up on the roof?

Near the elevators just outside his campaign office, mayoral candidate Sho Dozono spoke—somewhat reluctantly—to the press. Occasionally accusing reporters of putting words in his mouth, and at one point asking that reporters speak to him one at a time—it wasn’t a press conference, he insisted—Dozono did answer most of the questions.

He’ll be spending the weekend wrestling with the personal decision—not a legal one—of whether or not to stay in the race with the limited funds he still has (about $20K is left in the bank, he says) or to drop out. Staying in and raising private funds didn’t sound like a strong possibility for Dozono (“at this point I’m not thinking about raising money,” he said), but it is on the table. So is an appeal of the ruling, but given the timeline, he didn’t spend much time talking about it (and he won’t be meeting with volunteer attorneys this weekend, as his campaign manager’s statement said).

His focus is on whether there’s “a viable way to continue the race with limited funds,” he says. “It’s a difficult decision.” He adds that he fully expected the certification to be upheld.

Despite his campaign manager’s strong words about Adams, Dozono said he wasn’t going to blame anyone for the decertification. “[Adams] had the right to appeal,” he says. He recalled Adams’ earlier hope for “a robust race.”

The Adams camp, too, is still looking toward a competitive race, according to campaign manager Jennifer Yocom. “Certainly, we look forward to his continued participation,” she said.

Dozono says he’s unlikely to announce his plans until after the weekend.

As we reporters were leaving, Dozono’s manager told him that “Vera just called.” I’m guessing that’s Vera Katz. Her message? That Dozono should stay in the race. Dozono smiled.

Dave Allen over at Pampelmoose writes:

Ok Portland, this Saturday, March 22nd you’re invited to a free concert and party. It’s a private event and you have to RSVP. It’s on a first come, first served basis and there’