David Jaques Editorial: No Knute is Good Knute

No Knute is good Knute

Editorial by David Jaques, Roseburg Beacon, 10/30/2019

Congressman Greg Walden announced this week that he would not seek re-election in 2020. He said the decision was not because he didn’t think the House would remain in Democrat control, but that it was time to pursue new interests at this stage in his life.

Well, many, me included, have been disappointed in the lone Republican Congressman from Oregon’s second congressional district for some time now.
He is in a safe district, comprised of a farming, ranching, and timber based economy and yet his voting record is one of the worst of the Republicans in congress when it comes to following the Constitution. On the Freedom Index out of a possible 100% Walden scored an anemic 49%, as compared to Jim Jordan from Ohio for example with a solid 81%, or Senator Rand Paul with a stellar 94%. The Heritage Foundation’s Heritage Action rating has Walden at just 63% out of a possible 100%.

Greg Walden was brought up, politically speaking by one of Oregon’s true conservatives, Congressman Denny Smith, a former Air Force Fighter pilot and current newspaper publisher, who once held the seat representing Eastern Oregon. Denny was in the 90% conservative voting index rating consistently throughout his congressional career.

Greg Walden has been at odds with his constituents on a number of key issues, among those breaching dams. He has been a consistent critic of President Trump. But enough about Walden, other than to say he stayed too long and it’s time for a new direction for CD2.

That said, two time statewide election loser, Knute Buehler has announced that he is considering running for Walden’s seat in the 2020 primary election. Buehler lost two statewide elections to Kate Brown, and that takes some doing! He lost in his race for Oregon Secretary of State in 2012 by more than 136,000 votes with a percentage gap between him and Kate Brown of more than 8%. Then in their rematch, this time for Oregon Governor, in 2018 he lost again by 120,000 votes and a margin spread of about 7 points.

Like the man he would like to follow, Greg Walden, Knute Buehler too, is anti- Trump. He has opposed him on immigration reform, took him to task on his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh, calling on the president to withdraw his nomination, and in general has been against the president from the get-go. And this will not y with CD2 voters, who overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016. And 90% of Oregon Republican voters support our president.

Buehler is wrong on abortion, stating during his run for governor he would not support changing one law on the books in Oregon, which allows abortion up to the day of delivery for any reason, including sex- selection and provides free abortions to illegals.

Buehler is wrong on the second amendment too, and had an “F” rating from Oregon Firearms Federation. In fact it is easy to make the case that Buehler is at odds with much of the Oregon Republican Party platform, yet he was sold as the best alternative to Kate Brown. Look how that turned out!

Oregon republicans do not support liberal RINO candidates. Ask Gordon Smith. He ran as a Reagan Republican, and like Walden apparently caught Potomac fever. When the republican voters discovered he was not a conservative, they turned him out. Monica Wehby should have been a slam dunk to win the U.S, Senate race, until she abandoned her pro-life position to try and court moderates, and she lost.

Buehler’s RINO brand of Republican just won’t y in Oregon’s most conservative district. He couldn’t win even when he had all the Portland metro, Salem, and Eugene liberals voting. How does he expect to do better facing real grass roots republicans in the primary in Oregon’s rural Eastern district?

The last thing we need is Buehler ghting against two or more conservatives in the primary, like he did in the governor’s race, while the conservative split the vote, liberal Rhodes Scholar Knute wins the primary and then loses the general, giving another seat to the Dems!

Oregon republicans had better get behind a conservative candidate early and decisively and head off another Buehler debacle! This is a time nationally when republicans need to gain new seats, not risk losing solid Republican held seats.

Buehler needs to stay down in San Diego, where he just started a new business, and let Oregon conservatives chart a new course, a traditional Oregon values course, for CD2. And we need a congressman who can work well with President Donald J. Trump in his second term!

–David J

(Note: David nailed this exactly. As for us, if Buehler decides to run, we will use every resource in our power to convince district voters to deny him the nomination. If he’s not working directly for the other side, his duplicitousness, political tactlessness and disdain for every-day Oregonians accomplishes the same thing. -sam and Diana)