Jeff Merkley first US Senate Candidate tied to Roger Clemens

Press Release from Oregon State GOP 3-7-08:

JEFF MERKLEY FIRST U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE TIED TO ROGER CLEMENS

Portland, Ore. — Oregon Senate Candidate Jeff Merkley tested positive this week for hypocrisy after pitching the media like he was Roger Clemens and rewriting the truth about his family’s charter school application. The Bend Bulletin said Merkley’s actions were not a “flip-flop,” but worse, “hypocrisy”.

The Bulletin editorialized on March 4th:

We talked to Merkley about the application last week, and he pulled the Roger Clemens defense: It was my wife! Merkley told us his wife went to check out the charter school and signed a form that merely “expressed interest.” He could recall no actual application. In any case, Merkley said, both he and his wife agreed that they weren’t about to send their kids to a charter school. End of story.

Except it wasn’t. Willamette Week obtained a copy of the application for his son (it says “Enrollment Application” right on top). What’s more, the paper has obtained an application to the same school for Merkley’s daughter. Now, we suppose you could argue that Merkley’s wife went and filled out the charter school applications all by herself, without Merkley’s knowledge or consent. You could also argue that a Martian forced her to do it using a brain ray. Neither is particularly likely.

The Bulletin dismissed “flip-flopping” charges, but said Merkley was guilty of something far worse — hypocrisy.

Why not? Because flip-flopping refers to the practice of switching policy positions. Merkley told us last week that he hasn’t changed his position on charter schools. That means he opposed the legalization of an educational option for everyone else’s kids, then considered seeking the same option for his own kid. That’s not a flip-flop. It’s hypocrisy.

Merkley should explain to voters “” in non-hackneyed English, please “” why they should value those qualities in a U.S. Senator.

No word yet if the Democrats are going to cut Merkley from the team before the end of spring training. The editorial is available at www.bendbulletin.com. Subscription required.

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