We may post a streamable version later, but for now, here’s the downloadable mp3 of this morning’s Hillary Clinton rally. Bear through the first minute or so—after an aide announced Clinton, Kulongski and Hooley’s arrival, they kept blasting the awful music through the audio feed, as the trio made their way to the stage.

Download the Clinton rally audio file.

(Photo by Chris Ryan.)

My God, it’s 8am Saturday morning and we’re headed towards Hillsboro. That’s right—8am, Saturday, Hillsboro. I don’t fucking believe it. But if that’s what Hillary wants, well, that’s what Hillary gets. And if she wants to drag a bunch of people out of bed to drive 20 minutes out of town, well godammit, it’s her choice.

Thoughts and apprehensions about how this ill-concieved rally will stack up against Obama’s recent rock-star blow-through of Memorial Coliseum fill my mind. But as we pull into the massive Liberty High School parking lot I’m surprised.

There's a massive line of people waiting to get in. It wraps and twists for maybe a quarter mile or more. Hundreds and hundreds of them, almost all of which are white and suburban looking. They don't look like people new to the process. But to be fair, there are a few younger people, and I must say that getting anyone under 30 to drag their asses out of bed on a Saturday morning for a political rally is something.

A very dignified, quiet, classy protest of China's crackdown in Tibet is out front--actually, I'm not sure if you can call it a protest. Maybe more of a simple statement. Tibetan flags, literature and signage. Totally devoid shouting or in-your-face type shit, just there, in a neat line, being seen.

Amongst those waiting to get in there are hippies hawking bootleg Hillary buttons and shirts, and the usual cadre of petitioners and obnoxious issue people who are too perky and intrusive for these types of early mornings, or for the matter, anytime--especially weekends.

A father and son are parked right near the entrance with a mavise cloth banner that reads: "Monica Lewinsky's ex-boyfriend's wife for President." The duo are getting an equal amount of chuckles and abuse. The dad said someone told him his "penis would fall off if he voted for Hillary" (???) and another told his son that he "needed a good blowjob" because it would "help change his perspective." Of course, there were a lot more usual calls of "How does it feel to be a sexist jerk?" and "do you remember how good the 90's were?"

Inside the immaculate high school gym was filling up. Three thousand people would make it in while many would be turned away. For whatever reason there were many areas of the gym which were off limits that could've held, perhaps, everyone who wanted to come.

Buzz is building. Two young, coifed, and totally obnoxious aides appear to kill some time. They are snotty, bland, little status-climbers--the kind of kids in high school that took student government much too seriously, and still they barely won (and only because no one else wanted to do it.)

They told the crowd how they could help Hillary right now, and handed out cold-call lists with names and phone numbers. They actually asked people to phone bank for them, right then and there. It was incredulous and people went for it. I got one of the lists.

Each one has five names and numbers of potential voters, each with their own corresponding bar-code. There are checkboxes for "Supporter: Yes / No". Below there is a "Persuasion Script":

Hi, my name is _____ and I'm calling from a Hillary Clinton event in Hillsboro and Hillary is about to take the stage. I'm supporting Hillary because she has spent the past 35 years fighting for American families and she has real solutions to tackle the tough issues we're facing...

I couldn't believe it. It seemed sick. Volunteer shortage? Campaign office behind on setting up the phone bank? Give me a break and get your shit together. But people did it. I listened as some really enthusiastic callers had their pitches both accepted and rejected. Overall, it's got to be pretty strange to get a call from some jackass who's in the middle of a very loud room, whom you've never heard of. I'll tell you, if I get a call like this--from any campaign--the caller is going to get a wicked tongue-lashing.

It's getting close now. The crowd is pretty goddamned excited. Here she comes in a brown pantsuit, along with Congresswoman Darlene Hooley and Governor Ted Kulongoski. The gym bursts with love and loud as cameras and cellphones pop like firecrackers. Clinton is doing her patented Clap Clap, Point Point routine. Hooley opens with a short speech which totally outshines the limp-dicked Kulongoski. He is devoid of charisma. It's a miracle the man was re-elected.

Hillary is standing with them on the stage and hardcore fans are foaming at the mouth for a taste. Once Kulongoski waddles aside, Clinton is treated to a good solid minute of applause. Her crew isn't as large as Obama's, but it's hardcore members are fucking fierce.

For good reason, people are bonkers over the Democratic race, and with all the media and hype surrounding it, they're here to play and revel in it somewhat. They want a feel that rockstar life--to be a part of something crazy and new. At first, the entire crowd is standing. After a quick lighthearted joke about Obama's bad bowling skills that falls somewhat flat (she aint no comedian), Hillary shuffles towards ill-advised low-energy talk of malaise. She fires off shots of thick buzzkill, mentioning troops without body armor, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy and Vietnam all within the opening two or three minutes. She plods forward like a flat-footed, small-town boxer who's fighting for a judges decision (she does this in the speech, but by god, it's a pretty perfect metaphor for the campaign as well...).

Despite the slow start, Clinton's rabid fans aren't going to let it get them down--hell, maybe they expected it. She moves into her usual stump--on healthcare, Iraq, schools, etc.--and the fans get up for the usual applause lines. At one point the applause continues long passed the normal interval, but not because of the particular topic--it felt like a, "hell yeah, we're pumped and we're not giving up this fight no matter what" moment.

Clinton did talk a lot about refusing to give up, both in the work that she does, and against Barack Obama. That the speech even has to include the assurance of continuance to a bunch of snarling fans is odd. Should it be part of the conversation in this place and time? Wouldn't appearing confident enough to act as if calls to drop-out were a non-issue be just as strong or stronger?

Hillary's life of past battles leaves her with a view of the future that is paved by struggle. Certainly it is her campaign narrative that the country needs a fighter because partisan politics are so rough. But at times her vision seems overly bleak. If the power of the president is largely the control of the bully pulpit, it seems counter-intuitive to bag on hope.

In hopes of making that local connection, Hillary says of her new Oregon campaign office, it's good to "blaze a home in the land of the trailblazers." I'm not sure if she's referring to basketball or what. Later she used the term "silicon forest" to describe the area.

The crowds furor has dampened a little bit and the standing ovations are now split. Some are getting up and others aren't. I move into the middle of the closest bleachers and find some in attendance are starting to look a little tired. There are a few yawns. But still, for every person lacking exuberance there is a hardcore supporter making enough noise for two. One guy behind me, during every big applause moment shouts a most aggressive "YEAHHHH!" His tone is strangely jockish.

In a brief pause during talk of foreign oil someone blasts out "9/11 is a lie" loud and clear. It certainly turns some heads, but Hillary, of course, is wise enough never to go near that one.

The speech feels like it's been going on a while now. To Hillary's credit she knows every wonky angle on the issues, but she can't seem to leave them out to keep up momentum. Suddenly, and pointlessly, she invites a local organic farmer to the stage to tell her story of a struggle with imminent domain laws. It doesn't seem like the time or place. It goes on, and at the end the farmer asks Hillary a question which she doesn't quite answer. By this point, people are pretty much done standing during their applause.

Now begins the town-hall portion of the show, which Hillary prefaces with, (and I'm paraphrasing) "I know it's Saturday and you've got things to do, but if you want to stick around I'm going to answer some questions." Not exactly compelling. As Amy later put it, "that's what the unknown writer says at Powell's--not a candidate for President."

A slow drip of people begin heading towards the exits.

Clinton took four or five questions, most of which she had already covered in her speech. A local teacher asked her which current Supreme Court justices she admired and she didn't name one, rather sashayed around and left it at that.

After looking for a question from a child--as the first she picked out was just waiving--Hillary got a ridiculously open-ended question: "What will you do about the loss of water?" Wide-eyed, Hillary went all over the place with this one. During the windy response, which went from environmentalism to Darfur, I began feeling like she was wasting my time.

Though the room remained mostly full throughout, the stream of people towards the doors was growing.

Clinton took one more question and then, perhaps finally noticing that people were getting a little warn out--although I do think she'd be happy hash out over policy minutiae all day--quite abruptly, she wrapped it up. There wasn't a big applause line, or nice ending, it was just kind of done.

Hundreds crowded down to the rope-line for autographs and hand-shakes and baby kisses as "Don't Stop Believing" came over the PA. It's a very strange song, somewhat ineffective song for this--or any--campaign. It starts off slow, and the words "she was just a small town girl / living in a lonely world" are just a bit eerie for Clinton's situation.

In the car I asked Amy how long the thing went. She had an hour and fifteen minutes of audio recorded, ten of which belonged to Hooley and Kulongoski. The rest was Hillary's time. Barack, when he came to town, did a little more than half that.

Someone in Hillary's campaign staff might want to remind her of the old showbiz maxim: "always leave them wanting more." I'm not sure she did that today.

With control over the city budget, what can our next mayor do about the worsening economy?

From the collapse of Bear Stearns nationally, to news that home values locally are now dipping, it’s no secret that the economy’s in bad shape. What would—or could—you do as mayor to protect homeowners from foreclosures, keep citizens employed, and generally strengthen Portland’s economy, both in the short and long term?

Blaming it first on illegal immigrants, first up is Chris Rich. After the cut, read more about Bob Leonard Forthan’s plan to build more bars—and fallout shelters! Plus, :

Christopher Rich
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/chrisrich4mayor
Financial status: $0 in contributions, $0 currently in the bank

The most important thing a commissioner can do to protect our Citizens ability to work and maintain a home is to stop giving our jobs away to an illegal work force. This will strengthen our economy and allow folks to keep their homes in the short and long term.The second most important thing a commissioner can do is to stop wasting money on “pet projects” and spend more money on higher education and vocational training. Our Citizens have been left under-educated and without a trade to support themselves. Those are the things that I will focus on in regards to this issue.

Jim Lee
Position sought: Mayor
Website: blogmayor.com
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

The housing/mortgage/homeless crunch is but a symptom of social and financial attitudes in this country. They have been festering for many decades; there is no easy policy fix, certainly none that local government could implement in a few years.

Americans long have used home ownership as their main source of wealth, so it is understandable that almost all are anxious to join the game. But is is a biased game, because the mortgage interest deduction on federal income taxes is dissuasive of other
forms of building familial wealth. Also, the mortgage interest rate deduction encourages those who are well qualified to acquire larger homes than they need, and to continue to purchase even larger dwellings as they move up the income ladder.

Ultimately that deduction acts as a subsidy to home-builders, encourages the “Street of Dreams” phenomenon, and feeds our national obsession with housing.

Then there is the “Assortative Mating” phenomenon: lawyers marry lawyers; Fred Meyer clerks marry Fred Meyer clerks; homeless people marry homeless people. This, compounded by our abandoning the principle of progressive income tax, is the reason for the ever increasing maldistribution of American income and wealth. The present Administration’s blatant promotion of the wealthy and suppression of the poor is but a portent of the post-industrial feudalism that is nearly upon us. At least the Bushites are open about it--that much can be said for them.

Our Federal Government is almost totally dysfunctional. But my Social Security payment does arrive on time every month, and I do have Medicare. You should have it too!

I never have owned a home, so personally am uninvolved with this fiasco. However I do sympathize with those about to be pitched out onto the street. Having lost their McMansions, some may be able to live in their “Her” and “His” SUVs. Payments on those are lower, but interest is not deductible.

My professor of civil engineering once remarked that depressions are the best times to build major infrastructure. It looks as if we are headed into a severe one, so I’d encourage local, state, and federal governments to build useful and economical bridges,
streetcars, high speed intercity rail, and all the other great stuff we could not afford when we were rich!

David Ackerman
Position sought: Mayor
Website: none
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

We need to be ready for the worst,unfortunately, studying the history of a depression we will look back at the innovations made by F.D.R. which had similiar issues nationwide. Hopefully a more progressive administration will be most helpful in our endeavour...

Bob Leonard Forthan
Position sought: Mayor
Website: rfortha.wordpress.com
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

As, a city commisoner, you can't protect homeowners from foreclosure, bacause banks are privatly owned interprize.

To keep citizens employed, I would open more bars, thoughtout the city, and make them family ran, with the city invested in each new bar, five percent city, ninty-five percent company. Each new company will recieve twenty-four hour monitoring of their bussiness, and the city would used their five percent bussiness profits to keep the monitoring program aflot. Note: in the depression time bars and solons were the best bussiness to get in.

I also want to build fallout shelters thought Portland using city employees and city property which would keep alot of employees busy for one hundred years.

Sam Adams
Position sought: Mayor
Website: samforpdx.com
Financial status: $167,544.77 in contributions, $71,551.79 currently in the bank

Actually, this issue is so critical, it cannot wait until January of next year. We started this work over the last several months and just published a report. Please visit my blog for more information. The full report is linked at the bottom of the post.

Craig Gier
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/craiggierformayor
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Well I am running for mayor but, the way I would help things would be to make sure that the commissioners stick to their budgets and that they don't engage in special projects. If the city's funds are managed well then the city and all its people will be in good shape. This would help in both the long run and short run.

Kyle Burris
Position sought: Mayor
Website: site not up yet
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Did not respond by deadline.

Jeff Taylor
Position sought: Mayor
Website: portland123.com
Financial status: -$31,420.95 currently in the bank, the balance of a loan to himself

Did not respond by deadline.

Sho Dozono
Position sought: Mayor
Website: shoformayor.com
Financial status: $99,295.65 in contributions, $78,409.04 currently in the bank

Did not respond by deadline.

Beryl McNair
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/301848721
Financial status: $220.00 in contributions, $220.00 currently in the bank

Did not respond by deadline.

Patricia Stuart
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/votepatriciastuart
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Did not respond by deadline.

Steven Entwisle
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/votepatriciastuart
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Did not respond by deadline.

We’re a minute away from 15 minutes into waiting for Hillary Clinton to take the stage in Hillsboro. Keep refreshing after the cut for all the liveblogging action you can handle.

(Originally posted at 8:49 am) The Mercury Presidential team is in Hillsboro (!?!?) this morning, covering Sen. Hillary Clinton’s visit to Liberty High School’s gymnasium.

She’s slated to go on in 40 minutes, and the gym is already nearly full—but there’s no way the crowd outside is all going to get in. The line snakes back and forth enough times that it looks like the crowd could circle this massive suburban high school—it’s blocks and blocks long.

Inside, people are patiently sitting in bleachers and folding chairs, and there’s a stage in the middle of the room for Clinton, who’s going to hold a town hall.

Whenever the cameras behind me turn on, and a TV reporter starts filing a report, a gaggle of women between the press and the stage turn around and wave their arms and yell “YEAH HILLARY!!!” They very much want to be on TV.

The soundtrack here is markedly different from that at Barack Obama’s rock-driven Memorial Stadium event a few weeks ago. We’re currently being serenaded by Des’ree with “You Gotta Be.”

We’ll be audio recording the event and posting it later, and I’ll do my best to liveblog all the action below!

Our photographer Chris Ryan just got through security and into the auditorium. He reports that the line outside might have more people in it than the 3,000 or so stuffed into this gym. I mean, that makes sense—if 8,000 people want to see you, you should make more than half of them go home without seeing you.

The crowd is now on their feet—because Gloria Estefan's "Get on Your Feet" is playing, naturally—and they're chanting for Hillary with two minutes before showtime. The topic of today's town hall is "Solutions for the American Economy," and there are lots of folks iin the audience waving signs that say "JOBS!" Other have signs that say "We've Got Your Back, HILLARY!"

My favorite person here is a middle-aged guy in ill-fitting gray track pants and a Drake law sweatshirt adored with a few Clinton stickers, wandering around screaming "Hillary! Hillary!" at the top of his lungs. He stomps when he does this.

One of the women who was trying to profess her love for Hillary on camera has apparently grown impatient: "We're waiting for you, Hillary!" she just yelled.

An announcer just asked the people who are in here to squeeze in even tighter, so they can let more people in. The people in the folding chairs can't do much, but the bleacher crowd is doing an admirable job sitting on top of each other.

The Mercury's Andrew R Tonry found a cache of food in the press room, apparently provided by campaign volunteers. He's munching on a burrito filled with "eggy breakfast stuff." He says it could be the best burrito he's ever had. By way of contrast, the Obama campaign fed the press continental breakfast style with bagels and fruit, catered.

It's 9:50, and a campaign staffer named Katie is up at the podium asking people to call five people with their "free weekend minutes" to stump for Hillary. The campaign has handed out sheets with names and numbers of people who live within six miles of this high school—each person has a bar code next to their name, too—so strangers can call RIGHT NOW and ask them to support Clinton.

"Hillary is close!" Katie says, claiming that an insta-phone bank like this has never been done before. "Let's finish up these calls so we can get Hillary in here!" The campaign office will open at NW 5th and Couch on Monday, Katie says. "Oregon for Hillary has a home."

Governor Ted Kulongoski, Congresswoman Darlene Hooley and Clinton are finally here, working the crowd on their way to the stage.

"Welcome, welcome!" says Hooley. "I'm delighted to be here today. This is going to be the first time in decades that in a presidential primary Oregon matters! You matter!"

"This could be the place where we elect the first woman President of the United States! People ask me 'Are you for Hillary because she's a woman?' Well, I like that she's a woman, but that's not the only reason I'm voting for her. She's the only one who has the experience to lead us out of this disaster" that Bush put us in. "How many of you yearn for the day that we experienced prosperity?" How many want universal health care? How many want a president that cares for all of us, instead of a privileged few? Hooley asks.

"There's only one person who has the know how and the experience and the plan on day one to make that happen, and that is Hillary Clinton!" Hooley says. "Hillary has been a great friend of mine, and a great friend to Oregon for many years. I am so proud to be here today before all of you. Before we get to my friend and our next president, Hillary Rodham Clinton, I want to turn this over to another great friend, great governor, Governor Kulongoski."

"Hillary, Hillary, Hillary!" Kulongoski is yelling. "I want to thank you all for being here today... but most of all I want to tell you why I am here... to tell you why I'm supporting Senator Clinton, and why I hope... we all know the reason to vote for a person for president is a personal decision." People look at who is best for themselves, "best for Oregon, and best for America. And that person is Senator Hillary Clinton for me."

"Let's get some things out of the way. Senator Clinton is the smartest candidate of any candidate running. And she's the most experienced. But I want to tell you, when I say the most experienced, it's not just about political experience, it's real life experience that identifies with each and every one of us... and she wants to make our lives better."

"I believe that Hillary Clinton from day one is prepared to be the commander in chief of this country... to make us proud of who we are as Americans," Kulongoski says. "Hillary Clinton will be the voice for the working people of America. She has a comprehensive economic plan that is built around restoring the middle class of America. She wants to be the voice for the working people of America. She wants every child in this country to have health insurance. She has a plan for making sure that every man woman and child in American has the health care that they need."

"Senator Clinton has been a champion for a sustainable economy... and for addressing the issues of climate change. She will lead the fight for America on global warming. I will promise you this... that Senator Hillary Clinton will never give up. She will never give up being the voice for the working people of America. She will never give up fighting to end this war in Iraq."

"She will never give up fighting to make America the place we all want it to be and believe it can be. I want you to join with me in welcoming the next president of the United States of America, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton!"

And the crowd goes wild.

"Hello Oregon!" Clinton says, smiling. "Thank you so much. Boy, it is so great. I am as excited as you are... that your votes will be counted to pick the next president."

"I want to thank you, thank you so much. It is a great pleasure for me to be here with your governor... I admire his leadership, I am very humbled by his life story, his incredible commitment... to the people of his state. And there's another reason I like him—he's an enthusiastic and good bowler." She challenged Obama to a bowl off on April Fool's Day, "but I'm not much of a bowler..." If Obama had accepted, "I would have sent in Ted, my ringer." She's promised him he can be the first bowler in the White House bowling alley.

"I also am so pleased to be here with Darleen. Congresswoman Hooley has been so effective for her district and for her state. I am grateful to here because she was one of the leaders in the Congress who stood up against the Bush administration and said time and time again, you are sending our sons and daughters to war without giving them the body armor they need and the armored vehicles they deserve. And taking the Bush administration on over veterans health care funding... and I am sure that I will have a chance to say this in her district as we campaign across Oregon... she's recently announced her retirement... I for one will miss her." If Clinton wins, she says, "Hooley will keep working on behalf of Oregon and on behalf of America." Cabinet post for Hooley?

"It's great to be here in the Hillsboro School District with all of you. One of the great privileges of running for president is you travel all across the country." Yesterday she was in Memphis, "standing on the balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King was shot 40 years ago."

"Having a chance to be influenced by him, his vision of nonviolence... for people to have a chance to live up to their own dreams. I remember where I was when I heard the news that he had been killed. I was a junior in college, and I was just devastated. Those of us old enough to remember 1968 remember that it was a year of incredible shocks. Dr. King's death, Robert Kennedy's death. The escalating and greater movement toward war in Vietnam. But because of the personal sacrifice and moral leadership of Dr. King and so many other who got outside of their comfort zone... who endured the beatings and the gassings and the jailings, I am here today looking out at this crowd, seeing this little baby, on her back a sign saying 'born a Democrat,' knowing that she and every child here and every child across America will grow up taking for granted now that a woman or an African American can be president of the United States."

"As I said yesterday and would say again and again and again, the best way to honor Dr. King's legacy is to fulfill it. There is so much work left to be done. [There are] so many people who don't have the tools to fulfill their own lives... college out of financial reach of families... we may for the first time in our history leave our country worse off than when we found it. I'm running for president because I believe we can not only keep the faith... but actually solve the problems... and seize the opportunities of this time."

"The stakes are huge, and everyone knows that we have to change direction. It's a question of whom we choose. There are now three of us left vying for the presidency. And I believe that this is a special moment, not just in the history of the Democratic party, but in our country. We have ten contests still to go. And those who want to end this election, which is so close, it's... closer than we've seen in decades and decades. It would be like saying we've got two minutes left to go on the clock, let's quit. Well. One thing I hope you know about me is that I don't quit. I don't quit on you, and I don't quit on us."

"And I offer a very clear choice in this election. I am a fighter, and I happen to believe, I believe this country is worth fighting for. That is what I intend to do. And I also believe you don't make difficult, consequential change merely by wishing for it or hoping for it. I believe you get up every day and work for it... that's what all of you have done as well."

"So I am competing hard across all of these states that have yet to vote, and people say to me, how do you keep going? And I often tell them stories about what happens to me as I travel around our country. Invariably people will come up to me and ask me for my help, or thank me or thank my husband for something that benefited them... [In California] I was at an event, and there was a woman in the crowd... she had something for me. And she showed me a picture of this handsome young man in his military uniform shaking hands with President Truman. Her father had received the medal of honor... the highest honor... and on the other side of the picture was the citation describing what this then young private first class had done in Okinawa... I was overcome by the description of his heroism. [The woman said] my father isn't well now, but he asked me to find this and bring it to you... and he wrote on this picture, Senator Clinton, keep fighting for us. And yes I will."

"I will also keep fighting to make sure that the votes of the people in Florida and Michigan are counted as well. 2.3 million voters turned out, it was the highest turnout in a primary in either state. Now some people say the vote should... be discounted. Well, I have a different view. The popular vote has already been counted... has been tallied by the secretary of state in each state... and the question is whether those votes will be honored... as we move to put together the strongest campaign... we cannot afford to give up on Michigan or Florida to do that." (She talked fast through that one - sorry!)

"So I'm here to meet with you and talk with you and hopefully make my case. This is my first trip in a campaign of first... because I believe that the next president has to be ready on day one, to be commander in chief of our country and chief executive of our economy. We have to have a president ready to offer those solutions, and then to build for a positive and optimistic future that is in our reach. For me, I will take on the special interests who by my calculations have been given about $55 billion in tax breaks, and instead let's start offering tax breaks... $100 billion a year... to middle class families... for your family's needs. We have to address the housing and credit crises. I hope they're addressed before January 2009, because it seems apparent we are sliding into a recession. The job numbers... were discouraging. This administration can find [billions of dollars] to bail out Bear Stearns, but [they can't find the money] to help people keep their homes."

"Why on earth should there be one penny of tax benefit to any company that exports a job from Oregon to a foreign country?"

"And why should there be tax benefits for Wall Street [workers]... rather than a teacher working right here in Hillsboro making $50,000 a year. All my life I have worked for a fair and equal society. I was raised by parents who worked hard, instilled a work ethic, but I've also seen over the course of my life that bad things happen to good people. The genius of our American system was to strike the right balance, to encourage people to be risk takers... but to have a government that would be on your side, so that when times got tough they would be there to get you through those days. What we have is a President George Bush who believes in ... a government by the few, for the few."

"I've always believed a progressive agenda is the best way to move America forward together. [I have] the boldest plans and the biggest goals... aiming high means presenting a truly universal health care system, leaving no one out. That's why I am so proud to have both the American and the Oregon Nurses' Association support and endorse me. I have an economic blueprint that will pave the way for a return to economic prosperity."

She hears people criticize the 1990s, "And I think, which part didn't they like? The peace, or the prosperity? Because we know how to do this. It wasn't so long ago we were. 22.7 million new jobs, the average family's income going up by $7,000, people being lifted out of poverty for the first time in decades, people believing that if they worked hard they had a shot at the American dream."

"When George Bush became president, oil was at $22 (20?) a barrel, we had a balanced budget, and a surplus."

Her plan is at hillaryclinton.com. "We've had enough false promises and speeches, we need solutions and results!

"And I have a specific plan for education, starting with preschool education, universal preschool education, and I will end No Child Left Behind, which is not working! And I will make college affordable again for hard working families..."

The crowd is eating this stuff up. "I just think it is a grave error for our country not to invest in our young people. This is not so much about the next election as it is about the next generation." Her family couldn't afford law school, so "I worked, to pay for things that I needed, like books... but I also had the advantage of being able to borrow money directly from the federal government. I borrowed at about 2% interest... and that meant that when I graduated from law school, I could go to work and do the work that was my passion, working for the Children's Defense Fund... and then I could pay back my loan over time. Look at what's happened today, the cost of college has gone up by so much... and the amount of aid has shrunk. When I travel across the country and ask how many of you have college debt... raise your hands. What is the highest interest rate anyone is paying, anyone paying more than 22%? How much, 25%? Those of you who haven't been in the college financial market recently, I want you to hear that. This is a scam. Interest rates are historically low, and people are being charged 20, 25 percent... I'm going to get the predatory lending companies out of the way..."

For those willing to do public service, "we will forgive that debt over time."

"And we will restore our moral authority around the world... that means ending the war in Iraq and bringing our troops home... as soon as possible." The crowd loves it, they're standing and stomping.

"We all know how important this is. But it's important to look at it in the broader context of how we do it and how it affects our security and how we move forward to protect our interests and keep our world safer.... [we must] commit ourselves to energy independence and make it the highest priority of our country. Right now our dependence on fossil fuels threatens our environment, our security and our economy. Any fair assessment of where we are leads to the conclusion that we are weaker and more dependent than before George Bush became president... since before 9/11. I waited for President Bush... to challenge us to become energy independent. Remember who flew those airplanes into the Trade Center and into the Pentagon... but we've... bought billions of dollars of oil from the Saudis. I am proposing cutting oil imports by 2/3, cutting green house emissions by [80 %]. I believe we can create at least 5 million green collar jobs, which are jobs that won't be outsourced. I'm the only candidate with a real plan to transform [our energy structure]. I have proposed the highest fuel efficiency standards, and I believe with the appropriate policy we can meet the highest fuel efficiency standards that have been set."

"Oregon is already doing it! I can point to this state, I can look at Portland, Portland has no reduced greenhouse gas emissions below the 1990 levels, we see the fast growing market for renewables like wind power in this state. I will support you by setting a goal of 25 percent electricity from renewable sources by 2025. Oregon is already a leader in green buildings... your carbon footprint is one of the smallest in the nation, and I propose to create a green building fund to create... green building jobs... make buildings more energy efficient... and build more energy efficient buildings in the first place. I proposed a "made green in America" fund, to invest millions of dollars in green manufacturing, at least $6.5 million dollars in Oregon alone... to make America the leader in green exports."

"How will I pay for it? By doing two things... taking the tax subsidies away from the oil companies. They do not need your money to make a huge profit. And I will give the oil companies a choice, they can either be part of the solutions, investing in renewable resources. Or we will impose a windfall profits tax. I'm very excited about what we can do across the board with energy and to combat global warming. But we have to work to combat some of the changes of the past few years."

"Dick Cheney..." Boos! "You guys are a great audience," she says, talking about Cheney's energy policy, "which is having a direct impact on your state and mine. It removed from states the power to determine whether liquified natural gas terminals would be placed in states. I'm fighting one in Long Island Sounds. One of the companies wants to site a floating LNG terminal in Long Island Sound. Here in Oregon there are plans on the boards for three... and what this bill did was to take all power and put it into the Federal Energy Commission which is of course stacked with those that have the same mind set as George Bush and Dick Cheney."

She's calling up a farmer from local organic farm Gales Creek. "She concerned that the federal government may use eminent domain to lay LNG pipes through her property... which may have environmental ramifications for her property and the rest of the region."

The woman—Anne Berblinger—is up showing photos of her farm, and the orange line representing where they want to put the line. "It would wipe us out for an entire season while giant machinery would come and build a trench through soil we've been building for 15 years... it would take out our irrigation system, it would run over our well and our neighbors' well... good wells are few and far between. It goes beyond our farm. It's public and private forest land in Oregon, it would run through the Mt. Hood forest with a clear cut... it would have terrible impacts on the fishing industry, there's beautiful steelhead in Gales Creek... there's coho salmon that spawn about a mile from our property... our wineries, our nurseries, would all be impacted. And finally we would have a pressurized 3 foot gas line going right through our yards, our neighborhoods, within five hundred feet of the Gales Creek Elementary school... these things blow up."

Clinton: "Let me tell Anne that I am the only candidate who voted against Dick Cheney's energy bill. I believe this is a clear difference in this campaign between me and my opponent.... you can talk... or you can act. I acted. I voted no. I will continue my efforts to hold the oil companies accountable."

"Now, we're going to turn to questions in a minute, and I hope people will raise their hands... but I want to ask for your support. This primary will be closely watched, people are interested in what Oregon thinks, because everyone knows Oregon's about the future. It's about tomorrow, it's about planning to get there. So much progress Oregon is made because people [make goals and work hard]... that's what I want to do as your president."

This campaign is a long job interview. "Really, think about it. The American people hire a president. When you go to vote for someone, you can vote for or against somebody based on whatever you decide. But when you're hiring someone for a really hard job, you want to know, what have they done? Here in Oregon I helped create the Children's Health Insurance Program. Here in the Oregon the national reserves that have done such an admirable job [but didn't have health care]... and I worked across the aisle... and we changed that law and now the guard and their families can access health care."

She put safety requirements into SUVs. "George Bush just actually signed my law into law, and we're going to protect thousands of kids every year. Often the best way to tell what someone will do is to see what they've done... I'm coming to offer solutions for the problems America faces. I know it's not going to be easy, but there isn't anything we can't do if we start acting like Americans again. If we get over the fear... and we're going to resolve that we're going to take our country back and move with real optimism into the future again! Thank you, and god bless you all!"

The music started up, but Hillary killed it to take a few questions, "and then I'll shake as many hands as I possibly can."

A man in the back is asking if it's a priority to get out of Iraq. "As the first woman president of the United States... is it really all that complicated to get out of Iraq?" and will it be her priority?

"It is my highest priority, but it's also important that we do it the right way, because withdrawing troops can be dangerous. We have to move them out on the same roads that have been prone to attacks... but I will ask [my advisers to formulate] a plan so we can start moving troops out in 60 days." She "admires John McCain, he is my friend," and he will run on national security—which makes her the best candidate to take him on, given all the military folks she just reeled off who have endorsed her, in addition to "staunch anti-war critics... because I have the best understanding about how to actually get us out of Iraq, which is what I will do."

Clinton is congratulating a local kid who just won $50K from Intel for his discovery of a better solar cell. "Thank you very, very much."

A woman asking a question wants to ask about how she would "hold schools accountable without being punitive."

"That's exactly the right way to ask that question," Clinton says. "I've been involved in education reform [since Arkansas, which was a very poor state]. I know that this is not easy, and it has to be a partnership... I've worked all my life to give families more support to do that most important job, and we have to have institutional support to have good [preschool and the rest of it]. If our schools are going to do the job that our country needs, we need to be creative, not to lock them down into a one size fits all approach, but to look at how we're going to do the best for each child... where we judge the progress each child is making, not the child as a member of that group, whether the group is succeeding. And I have a lot to say about this because I think if we don't support and sustain public education, we will not recognize our country... I believe the federal government should be using our resources to help bring schools up... I intend to be a good partner to have that kind of an accountable education system."

A nurse at OHSU in the stem cell transplant clinic is wondering about her views on stem cell research. "One of the first things I would do as your president is to ask Congress to send me the bill President Bush has vetoed twice, and I will sign it, and we will start having stem cell research... I will end President Bush's war on science! You've seen a steady decline in the budgets of the national institutes for health, and all the other agencies... so we continue to move forward and lead the world. [Science] is a job creator... right here in the Silicon Forest you have people benefiting from prior investments... and out of that, we had no idea when we started that the Internet would be created, we didn't know where our investments would lead... we have to get back to funding basic research, and be unafraid of where it might lead."

Who on the current Supreme Court does she admire, asks a young man who got quite a cheer from the crowd. Clinton says one of the most important reasons to put a Democrat in the White House this fall is the Supreme Court. "The Roberts court is on an ideological mission, and it's not just about a woman's right to choose. It's about economic and government authority. I would appoint someone who understands the genius of our system, that our constitution has expanded as our hearts have expanded. When the Constitution was written, neither Barack nor I was in it. I want justices who know that you have to be constantly balancing... but don't side with the most retrograde version of America. How can we have a more just society as people pursue life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness?"

She doesn't have a litmus test, but she has an "experience test." "I want people who have lived, who have had the ups and downs, who have been knocked down and got back up... and we need a court that understands that."

"I see a little hand..." A little girl is asking "what do you plan to do about the loss of water... the rivers are drying up."

"That's an excellent question, a really important question. And I like the color you have on. I think water is going to be one of the most contentious issues we face in the 21st century... some of you see that already.... We know the water wars throughout the west, we know the farmer-salmon wars right here in Oregon. Water is unfortunately too scarce a resources in many regions. We need a president who takes seriously the issue of water... but I believe we've got to take a broad look at our entire country... how we're going to conserve water... everything we can think of to do to preserve more of nature's water, and Oregon has a lot of that. And we need to be smart about it, how to recover it, and we've got to work out the very legitimate differences [between those with claims to water.]" Darfur's genocide is partly about access to water: "But there was a recent study that showed there is water under Sudan, which no one had every thought of or expected. How do we get to it? How do we have some international process...? These are all issues that I would address as president... if we deal with it now, we will have a better chance of avoiding the kind of horrific crises that will come."

What's her plan for universal health care, another young person asks. "I plan on getting it for every person in America!" She was working on it when Bill was in office, "clearly we were not successful then, but we haven't given up.... so universal health care is a personal passion of mine, but it's also the morally and economically right action for our country to take. Here's what I would do, and again I refer you to my website, in the short version we have two big problems, we have people who are uninsured, and people who are insured but the insurance company won't pay the hospital or doctors."

"If you are uninsured or underinsured, I will open up the Congressional plan.... the cost is on average lower than your employer or in the open marketplace. I want you to have the same choice your Congressperson has..." She'll limit it to "a low percentage of your income" what you'd have to pay for it. She's going to take away insurance company's power to discriminate based on health. "They should not be making life and death decisions, that should be up to doctors and nurses!"

She's off to shake hands, leaving with a promise to return, and saying she would be "honored to have your vote. Thank you very much!"

The city council campaign buzz in the last day has centered around Jim Middaugh, retired commissioner Erik Sten’s now-former chief of staff, and the only public financed candidate in the race to replace Sten.

The brouhaha in the past day has centered around when Middaugh knew Sten was going to retire—an announcement Sten made public on January 2—and, more significantly, whether that translated into a jump start in Middaugh’s candidacy.

It’s a fair question. But it’s also easily debunked.

Yeah, Middaugh knew Sten was going to retire before it was publicly announced. I spoke with Middaugh the night before Sten’s announcement—we were on to Willamette Week’s impending story with the announcement—and he said he didn’t know anything about it. But honest guy that he is, he called to apologize once the news broke—Middaugh’s not a guy who likes to be cagey (which may not make him the most politically savvy person around, but the honesty is refreshing).

But here’s how we can be fairly certain Middaugh not only hadn’t decided to jump into the race, but certainly wasn’t lining up any ducks—at least, any significant ones—before the weekend of January 12-13, the weekend Middaugh says he started actively exploring a publicly financed run. (He says he and Sten broached the topic the Thursday before, January 10, and he started exploring it that weekend.)

Once Middaugh started calling people in his network, someone spilled the beans to the press. Middaugh called me Saturday night—still feeling guilty that he’d evaded my Sten resignation questions—to alert me that another reporter had called him, because they’d gotten wind that he was working the phones. News of his probable candidacy broke immediately.

In other words, within hours of Middaugh’s laying the groundwork for a publicly financed race—the day he started asking people if they would collect $5 contributions for him—news leaked. How could it not? To line up over 1,000 supporters in advance practically guarantees someone’s going to spill the beans.

I love a good conspiracy theory, but this is borderline ridiculous. If Middaugh had been doing any significant preplanning of a candidacy, other than contemplating a run in his head and maybe chatting with his family, you’d have heard about it.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, as a musical and now a film, benefits from a certain amount of notoriety thanks to its apparently contradictory parts: On one hand, it’s a totally fruity musical, on the other, it has a bunch of blood in it. Onstage, that combination is probably more shocking than it is onscreen, where, in a lot of ways, it feels like something a lot more familiar: A pulpy revenge flick, albeit one in which the characters keep bursting into song. It hit DVD on Tuesday; here’s what to expect on the two-disc set if you’re renting it this weekend.

Sweeney Todd’s two-disc special edition has a bunch of special features, all of them solidly produced but largely bland and clip-heavy. There are a lot of 'em, and they’re fine, but overall, they’re pretty standard and underwhelming. (You mean cannibalism is a common theme in folklore? That the legend of Sweeney Todd might be nothing but exaggerated myth? Such is the mind-blowing truth revealed in one featurette, “Sweeney is Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber.”) “Moviephone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp” and “Sweeney Todd Press Conference” are exactly as engrossing as you’d expect (ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ), while “The Making of Sweeney Todd” has a few interesting snippets buried within, provided you have the patience to wade through its publicist-friendly junket-style interview sessions.

That’s kind of the gist of the whole second disc, actually: It's all very meh, with a few weird, too-brief side-trips that go to more interesting places. The darkly funny “A Bloody Business,” for example, focuses on the gruesome prosthetics used to create Sweeney’s victims’ gushing, crunching deaths, and it ends entirely too quickly--apparently to make room for not one but two featurettes for theater nerds, “Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition” and “Musical Mayhem,” a featurette about the origins of the musical, featuring interviews with composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. (The most interesting thing here is Sondheim’s awareness that it’s the story that has made Sweeney Todd so successful, not the music. Watching the film a second time, Sondheim’s prickly music didn’t bother me as much as it did the first time, but it’s still incredibly uneven.)

Considering how much music is in Sweeney Todd, it makes sense that there’s no commentary track from Burton, I suppose--though it’s still disappointing, considering Burton’s one of the few directors who can make commentaries interesting. (His defense of his Planet of the Apes was bizarre and fascinating and awkward.) But even more of a let-down is the all-too-simple look at the film’s production design, “Designs for a Demon Barber.” The look of Sweeney Todd is gorgeous and weird, with the art direction earning the film an Oscar--the film's killer production artwork and set-design deserves far more analysis than this cursory examination provides.

The results are in:

FOR MAYOR:

FOR COMMISSIONER NO. 1:

FOR COMMISSIONER NO. 2:

FOR COMMISSIONER NO. 4:

What do these highly unscientific results mean? That Adams is ahead is no shocker—though I think that spread might be a bit inflated here on Blogtown (another poll found Adams under the 50 percent line).

The next two races are the most interesting. Fourteen percent in each race is unsure—in these down ballot races with so many qualified candidates, that’s another unsurprising development. When we re-run this poll in a few weeks, I think you’ll see the most movement in these races, as candidates get their literature out and meet more voters.

I have to say I’m surprised that Jeff Bissonnette is out ahead—the neck-and-neck numbers amongst his competitors is what I was expecting (Mike Fahey’s meager showing could be due to his lack of participation in our candidate questions). For those who voted Bissonnette (or any of the others, really), why is he your favorite?

Lastly, I’m of two minds on how close Nick Fish and Jim Middaugh are. I really didn’t know either of them before they jumped into the race, save for a few brief interactions with Middaugh in his role as Erik Sten’s chief of staff. But Fish should have plenty of name recognition around town, having run against Sam Adams most recently (it was a race this paper covered heavily). Has Middaugh really caught up that much in such a short time? Or are Mercury readers disproportionately leaning his way—and if so, why?

That Randy Leonard is ahead by such a wide margin shocks no one. His competitors are all lovely people—we just had then in for an endorsement interview, and the group gets along famously. But they’re all political unknowns.

(P.S.—WTF happened to the blog while I was in endorsement interviews all day??)

Thank goodness I’m out of the office today. Because if I were at work, I would be plagued with the inane chatter of my co-workers. To wit:

“Battle Ship Galactica is the best show ever!”

“OMG! I can’t wait for Battle Cat Eclectica tonight! I’m SO EXCITED!”

“Waaa!! I’m a big ol’ dork and science fiction is NEAT-O!!!”

“Yay! Battle Sun Galapagos is my favorite! Where’s my inhaler?”

When I’m back in the office on Monday, I shall be stealing everyone’s lunch money and giving out wedgies. Enjoy your weekends.

Do you know what the Galacticstar Battalica needs for all those hungry and war-weary space people? An egg co-operative!

(sigh… at least I tried)

Edible Portland has a great story in the spring issue about the folks from the Eastside Egg Co-operative. There is also video of the project, featuring some of the cutest chickens you ever saw. Eastside Egg Co-op operates out of Zenger farm with a volunteer crew collecting eggs and caring for the chickens. According to flyers posted in area coffee shops, they could use some more help. Get in touch by contacting Zenger farm at 282-4245 or info@zengerfarm.org.

There’s nothing like a good, local, non-industrial egg. Especially when you’re in space!

(sigh…)

Hey, there! I’m job-shadowing at the Portland Mercury today and was offered the chance to write my very first blog. So being the compassionate person I am, I wanted to write something that would help educate readers. Here’s my attempt!

The fourth season of Battle Star Galactica begins tonight, as you’ve certainly realized if you’re reading the Mercury’s blog. And while everyone here at the Mercury watches this show, I figure someone out there might not. If that person is you, some of the polls below might seem confusing. I’m here to help you make socially acceptable answers. And while I’ve never actually seen an episode of Battle Star Galactica, after job-shadowing here, I feel I’m somewhat of an authority on the subject.
Over the past few hours, this is what I’ve learned:
This show involves space ships. (But it’s not just space ships, it’s also social commentary.)
Everyone hates Cally because she is emo. (?)
Starbuck has a moose-face.
Apollo being the most attractive male on the show is debatable.

Hopefully that wasn’t too much information to digest in one sitting. If you’ve managed to grasp it all, then you now know enough to vote “yes” that Starbuck is moose-faced, “Cally” to throw out the airlock, and that it’s fine to decide for yourself if you would do Apollo in the bottom. That’s all I have! And to anyone that won’t give me the street-cred I’ve earned if I post this anonymously, this is Audrey White.

After you get done mentally punching Cally in the face and buggering the heck out of Apollo, it’s time to start planning the rest of your weekend. Might I suggest some music tonight after gazing upon the moose-like beauty of Starbuck…

Tonight! Frak Yeah!

Aladdin Theater–Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, 8 pm, $22-24, all ages
The Artistery–Karl Blau, Jerry Highlund, Nate Ashley, The Gift Machine, 8 pm, $6, all ages
AudioCinema–The Slants, The Harvey Girls, Yukari Yucca, 9 pm, $7
Berbati’s Pan–Santotzin, Mic Crenshaw, Brown Caesar, Serge Severe, Mystro, Parma John, 9 pm, $10, all ages
Bossanova–Common Ground Wellness Center Benefit: MarchFourth Marching Band, Axe Dide, 8 pm, $10, all ages
Chaos Cafe & Parlor–Westfold, Ah Holly Fam’ly, 8 pm, free, all ages
Crystal Ballroom–The Black Keys, Jay Reatard, 9 pm, $20, all ages
Doug Fir–American Music Club, Carla Bozulich, Ghost to Falco, 9 pm, $12
East End–Fly to the Rainbow: Inaksuk, Bronze, DJ Blackhawk, Magick Daggers, 9 pm
Holocene–Panther, Horse Feathers, New Bloods, DJ Nightschool, DJ Magic Beans, DJ Dog Daze, 9 pm, free
Kelly’s Olympian–The Subterranean Howl, Silverhawk, The Escapists, 6 pm; The Brilliant Channel, Eux Autres, The Village Green, 10 pm
The Know–Pattern Is Movement, William Holley, Paper Upper Cuts, 8 pm, $5
The Modern Age (PSU)–Party Killer, Beta Crack, Palo Verde, Scary Parking Lot Club, Don’t Hurt Miles, 7 pm, $3-5, all ages
Plan B–Imaad Wasif, Two Part Beast, Reporter, Adrian H & The Wounds, 8 pm, $5
Slabtown–Thee Emergency, The Magic Mirrors, The Wires, The Whips & The Whales, 9 pm
Someday Lounge–Say Hi, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, Invisible Rockets, 9 pm, $7
Tonic Lounge–Lasers All the Time, Another Cynthia, The Rainy States, 9:30 pm
Towne Lounge–The Contestants, Sea Caves, Welsh Rabbit, 9:30 pm, $5
Worksound–Better Homes & Gardens, Da’rel Junior, Shaped Like Sharks, 9 pm

I can’t find the picture of my cat’s head Photoshopped onto Adama’s body (kinda wish I was joking), so this will have to do:

From The Etch-A-Sketchist.

Sorry, Steve, but while I’d happily do Apollo in the bottom, he is not the only frak-able piece of man-meat on the Battlestar!! Behold:

Anders (my favorite, thus the bigger photo):

Nice pythons

Helo:

Also kind of a moose face, but…

Gias Baltar:

Maybe if he wasn’t such a twit…

Apollo:

Not always emerging half naked from a steamy shower.

Chief:

Loses points for marrying that puddin’-head Cally

Colonel Tigh

“Flibbity Floo!! I lost my FRAKIN’ EYE to those motherFRAKIN’ cylons, so shut the FRAK up and bring me my space whiskey… Flibbity Floo!”

WHICH BSG DUDE DO YOU MOST WANT TO FRAK?

That is all.

WHICH BATTLESTAR CHARACTER WOULD YOU THROW OUT THE AIRLOCK?

Gosh, that’s a tough one.

Isn’t it?

OMG! Only eight more hours until the new season of Battlestar Galactica premieres, and it should be of surprise to no one that I totally want to have sexual coitus with either a) Boomer, or b) Lee “Apollo” Adama. In fact, as it stands now, I would happily strangle 38.9% of the people in our office, if I were allowed to have sexual coitus with either of these characters. However, how do YOU feel? Let’s say it’s a given that you’d want to do Boomer in the bottom—but what about Apollo? Would you like to do HIM in the bottom? I WOULD! So let’s do a poll.

WOULD YOU DO APOLLO IN THE BOTTOM? I WOULD!

Polls close on Monday!

“Hello, I’m Commander Lee Adama… and I order you to do me in the bottom!”

One of the fundamental challenges for any dance company that decides to base itself on using ropes and rigging, is to explore the freedom of flight while avoiding unimaginative gimmickry. While the Brenda Angiel Dance Company is certainly more theatrical and “circusy” than some dance companies, its members transcend any tastelessness, and present works of breathtaking beauty and fantasy.

One of the ways Ms. Angeil's company do this is by incorporating the use of a giant black wall behind them, which, for many of her imaginative pieces, functions as a floor, giving audiences the perception that they are looking down upon, not across, the stage and watching gravity-obeying dancers from above. That is, of course, until the dancers decide to ignore gravity.

We are treated to this illusion in the company's opening piece, where five of the dancers are suspended like larva against the dark surface, and contort into various shapes against the rhythmic (and very Bjork-ish) soundtrack. But if these are the larvae, then in the following scenes we are treated to the butterflies: Leonardo Haedo presents a charming, gravity-defying Gene Kelly, but with street moves, and Viviana Finkelstein gives a heart breaking and beautiful performance as she struggles to fly against an ever present and cruel tether.

Other pieces (there are fourteen in all) offer other themes, like a humorous clown segment, inventive group pieces, and a kaleidoscopic dance/video segment. Certain pieces seemed superfluous, and this is my only problem with the show. Parts eight, nine, and ten for instance, were all "aerial tangos" with variations. While the first tango, in which Ana Armas effortlessly steps up her partner's arm and slides down his other side, was an incredibly sensual piece of breathtaking beauty, each successive tango watered down the magic, and I was left wishing that I had been withheld from a bit (or is that just Western Puritanism?).

Despite the repetitious elements of certain pieces, and a somewhat weak ending, the talent and originality at work here is amazing, and paring the show down to ten parts would make for a nearly perfect program. It is praiseworthy, after all, when the only fault in a performance is its abundance.

Fri April 4-Sat April 5, 8 pm, PSU's Lincoln Hall; the show is sold out, but standby tickets will be available at the door beginning at 7 pm

I just wanted to give a shout out to all my web developing homies via The SEO Rapper dropping some serious web knowledge. That’s how we do it in the cubicle.

Last night my cat emerged from the bedroom inexplicably wearing a Speedo. No human was involved in this, and she proceeded to mince around proudly. I took pictures. I am a cat lady. Case closed.

Short of handing out $300 checks to every taxpayer, what would these candidates do from their perch on the city council dais about the economy?

From the collapse of Bear Stearns nationally, to news that home values locally are now dipping, it’s no secret that the economy’s in bad shape. What would—or could—you do as a city commissioner to protect homeowners from foreclosures, keep citizens employed, and generally strengthen Portland’s economy, both in the short and long term?

Chris Smith
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: citizensmith.us
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $120,619.78 currently in the bank

Happily, if the rest of the country has “housing flu”, I think we’re going to get away with a case of the sniffles. I believe that’s because Portland continues to be a very attractive place to live, and because some other costs - like transportation – are less expensive here (see http://portlandtransport.com/archives/2007/08/updated_green_d.html).

I don’t favor the City getting involved in regulating mortgage lending practices, that’s much more appropriate for the State and Federal governments.

One of the major reasons I’m running is to make sure that Portland has a sound long-term economic development strategy that is embraced by both public sector and private sector partners. That strategy is to put the emphasis on clean industries (software development is a great example) and further developing our expertise in sustainability and packaging and selling that expertise to other regions. Any successful economic development strategy MUST be developed as a region, not just as a city. And our economic strategies must be integrated with our land use and transportation plans – something I uniquely have the expertise to do.

Amanda Fritz
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: amandafritzforcitycouncil.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $115,423.95 currently in the bank

With the downturn in the national economy, now more than ever we need Portland's City Council to spend taxpayers' money wisely. I will prioritize the provision of basic services in all 95 neighborhoods, and use the clout of the City of Portland's $3 billion budget to support our local economy. For details on how I will do that, please see Top Ten Ways to support Portland's local economy on my campaign web site.

In summary, if elected I will:

1. Ensure that Portland's economic development projects are directly and measurably tied to creating family wage jobs for Portland residents, retaining and growing the employment base, and taking advantage of Portland's unique benefits.

2. Continue to support general fund allocations to economic development projects and community development small grants, and increase direct participation by all City Council members in attracting and retaining businesses, in a coordinated and informed way.

3. Grow and invest in our housing stock to serve middle-income, working families. My experience of seven years' service on the Portland Planning Commission makes me uniquely qualified to watch out for housing affordability impacts in the zoning changes and implementation actions of the Portland Plan - a complete revision of the Comprehensive Plan which is due to be adopted during the next four years.

4. Invest in and build our preK-12 educational system, our workforce training programs, and our higher education system. I have been active in Portland Public Schools for 17 years, I have worked swing shift at OHSU for 22 years, and next year all three of my children will be in college. I see problems at the grassroots level that I will help fix as an elected official.

5. Increase investment in infrastructure that is needed to keep up with the global economy and encourage job growth here. Businesses need paved streets, good transit, safe pedestrian and bicycle access, and parking. Projects that strengthen our transportation system, improve our neighborhoods, provide basic services and enhance our livability also have the benefit of creating local jobs, as well as attracting more businesses to our city.

6. Continue ongoing efforts to streamline, simplify and reduce regulatory obstacles that get in the way of businesses choosing Portland, expanding here, or staying in business here.

7. Target efforts aimed at keeping at-risk homeowners and renters in their homes, such as education programs and emergency assistance funds, and emphasize services to seniors, people with disabilities, and those with low incomes. I will coordinate more efficiently with Multnomah County and community non-profit organizations providing these services.

8. Require that local businesses be given priority in City contracts and expenditures. Corporations from out of the area winning City contracts should be required to buy their products, services, and labor locally wherever possible.

9. Reform the City contract bidding process to assess the true cost of bids, including additional factors such as whether corporations provide health care coverage to their employees, past safety and performance records, environmental impacts, etc.

10. Amend City code so that contracts are no longer allowed to run 25% over budget before being re-authorized by the Council. I will ask for more performance audits of City contracts, and make sure that recommendations in previous ones are addressed and implemented.

John Branam
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: john4pdx.org
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $76,970.38 currently in the bank

Clearly the economy is slowing. While we’re fortunate that here in Oregon and in Portland there were far fewer sub-prime loans than elsewhere, and that our home values have not plummeted, that’s little consolation to our neighbors who are struggling to hold on to their homes. While the majority of the efforts to combat foreclosures must be done at the federal and state levels, there are a number of things we can do in the coming months and years to strengthen our local economy.

A strong local economy is vital to a healthy, livable Portland. Of course we all need good jobs with good benefits, but a stable, well-balanced and progressive local economy is also essential because it helps ensure, among other things, that our schools and social services are well-funded, and that we have the financial stability to plan for our city’s future.

Although Portland has taken important steps towards being more supportive of our businesses, we still have work to do. Most importantly, we must continue to invest in support small and medium-sized businesses. Not only do most of Portland’s businesses fall within these categories (and therefore a significant percentage of Portland’s workers,) but these businesses are responsible for the majority of our city’s economic growth.

As a Commissioner, I would advocate for, among other things, the strategic use of Urban Renewal dollars to support the sustainable growth of small and medium-sized businesses. I would also support providing training and assistance dollars for existing businesses that fall within zones targeted for improvements, and that would benefit from additional support to ensure they remain competitive in these redeveloping areas. Further, Portland should both support, and increase our investment in, the Association of Portland’s Neighborhood Business Associations as it works to support each of our 35 business districts. Ensuring small and medium-sized businesses have the resources and support to thrive is crucial to Portland’s ability to remain livable, and for us to combat the economic slowdown.

Portland must also prioritize additional investments in workforce development. As the economy slows and workers struggle, our city’s investments must be strategic in helping to ensure workers are well trained to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Worksystems, Inc., a nonprofit connecting job seekers with employers by funding career placement and training services, (it includes the City and Multnomah and Washington Counties) sets policy and provides strategic direction for the region’s workforce development. The Bureau of Housing and Community Development, via its Economic Opportunities program, also works to support those among us who most struggle during economic downturns. By working collaboratively with other key non-profits, our schools and community colleges, these organizations and programs are becoming increasingly important as we work to combat the slowdown. Ensuring these organizations and programs have the resources they need to do their work is, therefore, essential.

Below are a few additional thoughts regarding our long-term efforts to further improve and develop Portland’s economy:

• Our economic development investments must reflect our city’s goals of substantially reducing our carbon footprint. Growing sustainably means balancing growth with a keen awareness of our planet’s health.
• We must capitalize on our role as a global sustainability leader and invest strategically and significantly in developing a green jobs corps.
• We must be intentional about supporting and growing women and minority-owned businesses. The benefits of doing so will be shared by all Portlanders!
• We must solve the Columbia River Crossing challenge and make significant investments in our transportation infrastructure in ways that, again, honor our environmental goals while keeping Portland moving.
• Finally, we must do a better job of marketing Portland as a business-friendly city. Certainly we must do the things that earn such a reputation, but we must also become better at sharing this message with others.

Charles Lewis
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: charleslewis.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $118,636.55 currently in the bank

As the Executive Director of a successful non-profit and a small business owner, I am personally responsible for the financial well being of many other hardworking families and individuals. Last year, Ethos Music Center had 78 people on our payroll. Ethos pays $21 to $35 per hour for music instructors and provides free health and dental care for all full time employees (part time employees received benefits at a discounted rate). City Council needs someone with a track record of both fiscal and social responsibility to lead Portland through our impending troubled economic times.

With regards to keeping Portlanders employed and strengthening our local economy, it is imperative that we support local, small businesses. Programs such as the revolving loan fund can leverage a tremendous amount of capital at very low risk for the city. Small business owners guarantee the loans personally, resulting in a very low default rate. Empowering small business owners with low interest (or even market rate interest) loans will create a stable economic base in Portland that will weather any economic downfall.

Housing has been central to my platform from the start of this campaign. It is crucial that homeowners can afford to stay in Portland. I applaud the State Legislature for taking steps to crack down on predatory lending. Now it is the City’s responsibility to use the resources at its disposal to help working and middle class families and individuals. We need to reevaluate our use of Urban Renewal Areas to ensure that both the City and County can draw on a healthy property tax base to fund vital services.

It is also crucial that someone on City Council be able to stand up to developers and demand public funds be invested in creating affordable housing rather than being used to subsidize million dollar condos. I would like to reinvigorate a “Homestead” funding program for lower income, first time homeowners and families. Specifically, this program would offer $10,000 grants to lower income, first time home buyers if they live in the house for 5 years. While it would be a significant investment by the city, the choice between bankrolling million dollar condos and helping working families own a home should be a no brainier.

To learn more about my proposals regarding jobs, small businesses and housing please visit CharlesLewis.com.

Jeff Bissonnette
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: portlandersforjeff.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $121,268.65 currently in the bank

Planning for the future is a key role for a city commissioner. A top reason I am running for city council is that we cannot today point to the two, three or four industries that we can say are going to drive our economy for the next 10, 15 or 20 years. I want to work with my council colleagues to develop those industries. I will utilize my background working with clean energy industries - such as the energy efficiency industry, the solar industry, and the wind industry - to make the clean energy sector one of those industry development targets. Other industrial development efforts need to similarly fit with Portland's existing assets and values.

To work toward that goal, the city council needs to improve the dialogue with the business community. Today, there is a high level of distrust between the city and the business community. I will work to remove the adversarial relationship with the business community and open an ongoing conversation so that we can address issues as they come along. This is not to say that the city and the business community will not have disagreements. But a better working relationship can help to address problems constructively and provide opportunities to work together.

In more specific terms, the city council needs to ensure a strong small business community and support locally-owned businesses. Portlanders need the resources to start, grow and sustain locally-owned businesses. I will work to expand the capacity of an existing infrastructure of microlenders, such as Mercy Corps NW, the Cascadia Revolving Fund and the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs, to make start-up loans of $35,000 -75,000 to help new business owners get their enterprises started. I will also increase the capacity of business mentoring to help new businesses owners make it through the crucial first two years of operation. I will also improve the capacity to help business owners determine how develop their businesses, whether that is expanding their operation, serving new markets, or developing new services or product lines.

The city council also needs to be focused on helping Portlanders meet immediate needs as well. Although we've been able to stay below the national average in home foreclosures, it is still a serious issue affecting Portlanders. To help those people facing foreclosure stay in their homes, the city needs to work with existing public agencies, private lenders and nonprofit organizations to get them help quickly. The national NeighborWorks American program has developed a program that has been proven successful in helping homeowners avoid foreclosure. I would work to expand this program locally through the local NeighborWorks affiliate, the Portland Housing Center.

First, public education needs to be undertaken so that homeowners who are in trouble know that they can get help and that they do have options. This is often the most difficult aspect because people are embarrassed about their situation and don't want to admit they need help.

Once there is contact with a homeowner, they must be triaged to determine whether the family needs help to fill short-term or long-term income gaps, aid to repair property damage, and/or assistance in budgeting and money management. Based on these needs NeighborWorks' formula is to coordinate range of services: face-to-face financial counseling referrals, help in working with lenders to negotiate new payment schedules that avert foreclosure, bridge loans to help consumers falling behind in payments catch up, small rehab loans for repairs and maintenance, and other resources to ensure that whatever intervention strategies used are effective. We need to build on the successful work already being done here and in other cities to ensure Portlanders get the help they need to stay in their homes.

Portlanders understand the need to develop a strong, locally-based economy by keeping dollars in our community, building the resources to address problems and create even more opportunity. We have a lot of assets to work with to create a future that offers opportunity to every Portlander and to help those who are facing troubled times. We can make Portland the city that works better for all of us.

Mike Fahey
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: friendsofmikefahey.com
Financial status: $14,630.00 in contributions to date, $10,523.99 currently in the bank

Did not respond by deadline.

Here’s the new video for “4 Minutes” from Madonna (featuring Justin “EEEEE!” Timberake, and Timbaland). I’ve heard some grumblings about this song, but I really think it’s bumpin’, especially when teamed up with this video—but I’d love to hear what you have to say!

SUGGESTED TOPICS:
• Madonna’s plastic surgery: Acceptable or botched?
• Justin Timberlake: Super duper gorgeous or merely extremely gorgeous?
• Madonna’s nude corset: oui or non?
• Hopping around on top of cars: moral or immoral?
• That girl at the 1:07 mark: Starbuck?
• Flesh eating diseases: Attractive on celebrities?

Watch it and discuss (quick before they yank it off the web)!

The fourth season of Battlestar Galactica starts tonight (though you can watch the episode on the Sci-Fi Channel’s site at noon), so it’s going to be a long day on the Mercury blogs. Among the many mysteries the next season will solve and perpetuate is this: what fab space-tramp outfits will Number Six wear next? Clearly, she is the best dressed sexy Cylon on the show (though I would argue that Sharon is cuter). My only quibble is that her clothes look like they are made out of super-cheap material, giving her wardrobe a sad, slightly Bebe-ish dark cloud, and considering the overall quality of the show’s production, there’s just no excuse for that. Still:

More fashion of varying degrees of nerdliness on M.O.D.

Jimmy Kimmel has had a lot of fun poking fun at exercise guru Richard Simmons—and on Jimmy’s 1000th episode, Richard returns the favor in spades. SUPER CREEPY SPADES.

This week’s news lede, Big Brother’s Little Brother, is about Mike Tabor, a citizen journalist who documents his interactions with police on his website using the pseudonym “Joe Anybody.” Tabor was cited and had his camera confiscated by a cop last week in apparent retaliation for recording an investigation on the street. Here’s a video of the incident, along with audio from an interview Tabor has just done with KBOO, explaining what happened to him on the street:

What do you think of the story? On the KBOO interview, Copwatch activist Dan Handelman says: “If Joe Anybody had been from Channel Two news, I don’t think the police would have been half as interested as they were.”

If he’s right, then it appears Portland has questions over what constitutes a journalist. In my view, a journalist is an interested party asking questions about the state of things, so that other citizens don’t necessarily have to. The journalist doesn’t need to be working for an established news outlet, in fact, they are likely to ask better questions if they aren’t.

I’m often struck, in my coverage of the Portland Police Bureau, by the ineffectiveness of the questioning done by other media, especially TV. They rely on the cops too much as a source of information about the latest criminal incidents to want to risk jeopardizing those relationships by antagonizing individual officers.

Yet Tabor was a concerned ci