I go back to check the Oregonian’s coverage of the Kitzhaber story before the election.
The Oregonian newspaper this week called for John Kitzhaber to resign. Once the state’s newspaper of record came to the realization there was gambling at Rick’s, official Oregon began scrambling in a chorus of ‘me-toos’. It would be amusing if it didn’t reveal how morally bankrupt these one party rulers are.
It points out something else. When the Oregonian said jump, the Democrat ruling class hopped-to. That’s a lot of power. What would have happened if the Oregonian had done more due diligence before the election?
The editorial board claimed it called for the resignation because of revelations about his and his “first lady’s” conflicts of interest, appearance of impropriety, apparent illegality and sheer unseemliness, among other things.
So, here’s the question: What changed between now and before the last November’s election?
More details of everything we already knew. Everything mentioned above was true before the election. Indeed, the Kitzhaber Administration, in all of its transparency, engaged in a cover up before the election. But the Zero did not condemn this obvious slow roll of information in order to get past the November election.
What was the response of the Zero? It endorsed him for Governor.
I checked the stories done by the Zero using these search terms ‘kitzhaber cylvia October 2014 oregonlive‘– covering the month of October–mere days before the election–to go over the Zero’s coverage.
Even as Willamette Week was eating the Oregonian’s lunch in coverage of this story, by looking back at these October (please see my comments below on this) stories you get a clear- eyed view of how Oregon’s newspaper of record gave Kitzhaber a pass at the most crucial time of the election cycle. The part of the cycle when the disengaged voters become engaged.
I’ve included the photos and headlines used with the stories. Photos and headlines convey the mood of a piece even when people don’t have time to read the full story.
October 5: One full month before the election, the Oregonian’s editorial board endorses Kitzhaber for reelection.
Headline: Re-elect John Kitzhaber: Editorial Endorsement.
October 9: Cylvia Hayes lied about selling her citizenship in a previous marriage of convenience for $5,000. It’s her third marriage. The Zero used Willamette Week as its source.
Headline: Gov. Kitzhaber’s fiancee Cylvia Hayes confirms third marriage to Ethiopian immigrant, WW reports
Oct 11: The paper does a puff piece on how Kitzhaber is wounded but is a survivor! He’ll win the election. This carries the underlying theme of ‘nothing to worry about. He’s going to win and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Headline: Cylvia Hayes scandal: John Kitzhaber wounded but probably will win
Oct 13: Kitzhaber calls for ethics commission probe on Hayes. The paper only blithely mentions the commission will take until after the election to do its job. It’s clear Kitzhaber is bamboozling the media while playing for time–as in waiting till after the election.
Headline: John Kitzhaber asks for formal state review of Cylvia Hayes contracts, first lady role.
October 16: The paper editorializes how wonderful it is the governor no longer allows his girl friend to do paid work, noting the ‘cascade of increasingly embarrassing’ stories about this relationship. The message: He’s got this covered. Nothing to worry about.
Headline: At last, Kitzhaber tells voters that Cylvia Hayes won’t accept paid work if he is re-elected: Editorial
October 29: Kitzhaber says he won’t release Hayes records until lawyers cull through them. Oct 29
Headline: John Kitzhaber aide says Cylvia Heayes records require ‘rigorous legal review’ before they’re released.
October 29: John Kitzhaber refuses to turn over documents relating to shady dealings between him and Hayes. The cover up is out in the open, but the Oregonian, having already endorsed him, refuses to condemn a man they’ve already previously said will ‘likely win’ the election notwithstanding his and his girlfriend’s financial skullduggery.
Headline: John Kitzhaber slow to release office records on Cylvia Hayes as election nears.
The Oregonian was missing in action.
As a result of the newspaper of record’s dereliction of duty, this state has as its chief executive a man who controls his life with his zipper while his far left activist girlfriend has full reign at Mahonia Hall and the Governor’s office. I must note here the Governor scrubbed her ‘First Lady‘ page from public view as I reported this week.
Re-call
He needs a little jail time. Sure all that money on the Cover Oregon went there? I doubt it. He’s a disgrace to Oregon and needs to step down.
He’s guilty of being one of the worst administrators in Oregon history. Not sure that’s against the law.
Although…maybe we could make an exception to cover clueless Kitzhaber. 😉
I wonder if that will go anywhere.
How’s things with your old buddy Bernie? Gosh, he used to be here all the time.
I’ll get him on a post or two in the near future I hope. He’s busy.
And why can’t you folks come up with a good alternative? I heard Richardson say if they’d done it in September, he’d be governor. Scary. Do your own work.
Kitzhaber should have stepped aside a long time ago. We need strong term limits and this guy violates the conscience of good government. I think most Oregonians are for good government and we sure aren’t getting it lately…
Totally agree! Oregonian master manipulation of the election, to endorse Kitz. Then he wins. Next they ask him to resign. Their goal seems to be to put Kate Brown in the Gov office without her running for the position. Oregonians didn’t get to vote on a Gov Brown. Could she have won on her own? I doubt it. Had the Oregonian been more honest we may have had a Gov Richardson. If this scenario plays out, The Constitution says Brown will get to choose her SOS as the Gov gets to appoint the replacement. Wonder who she will choose? Got in guesses?
The Oregonian and others of their ilk selected Kitzhaber instead of Richardson. Why? Because Richardson thinks marriage should be between one man and one woman and doesn’t like abortion. Both gay marriage and abortion are legal. Richardson says he would honor the law. Who do you think is more likely to ‘honor’ the law now?
The easy answer is Richardson.
Oregonians’ bigotry against people of traditional values and people who disagree with progressive policies is hypocritical and is itself a faith-like extant and seeming tenet of progressive faith.
Hi Victoria,
“”Forty years ago I completed my internship in Denver and moved to Roseburg — a freshly minted 27 year old ER doctor: young and naive and idealistic,” Kitzhaber said. “After 36 years (in government,) I am no longer young and I am certainly not naive, but I am still idealistic.”” Kitzhaber Inauguration Speech, 2015
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2015/01/12/gov-john-kitzhaber-lawmakers-take-oath-office/21651745/
One has to wonder; Kitzhaber was sworn in to uphold the US Constitution and the Constitution of Oregon. Seemingly he has displayed an immaculate record as three term governor. Suddenly he emerges as a victim, blind sided by a scheming and blatantly dishonest younger woman. Simply a victim of his own misplaced emotions? A high official with an impeccable record ensnared by circumstances beyond his control? His ethics have always seemingly been presented as beyond reproach. Then given this line of reasoning, the only lingering question becomes who’s sinister spell will he succumb to next?
A stellar example of this ethical past, mortgage professionals must maintain the highest integrity, he insisted during the 1990’s. As the Senate Leader he spearheaded legislation to regulate mortgage bankers and brokers, which ultimately passed on his watch. As a first term governor, he managed the creation of the agency structure and implementation of the state system under this bill to regulate the mortgage banking industry in Oregon. Then as incoming second term governor, he took out a personal residential mortgage from then Bidwell and Company, a financial institution unlicensed under the in the State of Oregon’s Mortgage Banking Bill to originate residential mortgages. Subsequently he rewarded the head of Bidwell and Company with a position on the Oregon Investment Council. A mere oversight or an ethical breech and pronounced conflict of interest? Are his ethics really beyond reproach? Given his involvement in the formulation and passage of the legislation followed by his implementation as Governor of the nascent regulatory structure, one can hardly believe the assertion he was ignorant about the mortgage banking laws when he took this loan.
So is he really as ethically pure as he has been portrayed by the press and others? Is he truly an innocent dupe who has been victimized? He certainly suggests in his inauguration that he isn’t naïve. Or was he actually a teacher and mentor to a much younger, naive, and impressionable “intern”, an “understudy” turned love interest? As a three term and newly re-elected governor, pleading ignorance of the State’s ethics laws, ignoring the appearance of impropriety, and failing to distance his new found mate from potential scandal would seem to suggest he is blinded by the perception of his own invulnerability and the expansive power of his office. If he really ever was idealistic in his youth as he maintains, he has seemingly left that idealism behind. And it certainly seems naïve to assert that Cylvia Hayes is solely to blame!