It sure is a possibility. It looks as though he is entertaining the idea of running as an Independent on the 2006 ticket.

This last session was when I got a much better sense of just who this Senator Westlund was. After all, he did champion Senate Bill 1000 in the Senate.

So what's next for Ben? He's still got another session left in the Senate, will he simply run for reelection when his term is up? Or will make a move for the coveted gubernatorial seat?

Where does he stand on this issues? This is where I'd like input from anyone reading this who can offer some insight or even if you have comments about what is said below.

This is what I can gather so far (your comments are welcomed)...

Right to Die:
As a current Republican, lawmaker and a leader how do you feel about states rights. People have made a decision that they want assisted suicide to remain here in Oregon. The people voted for it, the feds want it gone. Senator Westlund has had 3 lung cancer surgeries. When asked, Ben candidly stated "I'm outraged, as an Oregonian and as a human being.It was calming to know that it was something that was available to me."

Equal Rights:
Ben is all about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Civil rights are obviously important to Senator Westlund, he has clearly demonstrated that. When asked 'if he were Governor' during this last session, what would he have done about getting SB1000 passed?

Ben responded, "I would not go home without SB1000 passing. I would not let the legislature go home without a vote in both houses. It was not something followed through by our current governor and I am a bit disappointed in him for that."

"A governors tools are few and some of them are blunt. If I were Kulongoski, I would have put it on the floor. I wouldn't lobby one vote -- but I'd get it on the floor."

Last session Gov. Kulongoski was a do nothing for SB1000. He showed up to a rally here and there, press conference etc--but when we really needed him to flex a political muscle? He was no where to be found in my view.

The Environment:
Progressives that I have spoken with about Senator Westlund's stance on environmental issues haven't always been too impressed. Although he is doing much better these days.

Ben is up to 42% on OLCV this year compared to 0% last session. He's also very good on renewable energy--which is very encouraging as I see an extreme lack of that in this state.

In Closing:
In the end it isn't really about individual issues, it's about the lack of leadership that we currently have in this state... look at last session for great examples of that.

Senator Ben Westlund is someone who can work across the aisle and get people to talk about solutions-- the key is people won't agree with Ben 100% on the issues, but he's fair, he listens and he doesn't promote the ideology of the party. After all, I don't know too many candidates whom I can agree with on 100% of the issues.

Obviously, extreme partisanship is keeping us from solving the big problems facing Oregon: unstable tax structure, access to affordable healthcare, economic expansion, civil rights. It should be interesting to see what he decides to do.

Discuss.

Posted by Bryan Harding

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 4:30 PM. Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.