Alan Bates May Take Gordon Smith on for 2008 Senate

Bates, 62, who served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967, said recently that the war in Iraq is "unwinnable," as was the Vietnam War.

(SALEM, Ore.) - State Sen. Alan Bates says he is "seriously considering" running against U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith in 2008.

Speaking to his hometown paper, Bates, a physician and Democrat, said that health care is the “biggest crisis” facing the nation.

"In the last eight years, with Republicans in control of the House and Senate and the presidency, nothing happened on health-care reform," Bates told The Ashland Daily Tidings.

Bates said he would challenge Smith's positions on the Iraq war, saying that in "a huge error in judgment" Smith voted to give President Bush authorization to use military force to depose Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

"I know he's apparently changed his position on the war, but many of us from the very beginning were opposed to the war," Bates said. "When you're at that level you have a responsibility to know what you're doing; be very careful of your votes."

Bates, 62, who served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967, said recently that the war in Iraq is "unwinnable," as was the Vietnam War. He said U.S. troops remain in Iraq for "no discernible reason."

Bates said he's been considering a run against Smith for six months, but said he did not want to announce his interest prematurely, hoping that "somebody with a better chance and who was better known" would emerge.

"I would be a dark-horse candidate," he said, but I do bring some things to the table. I'm a rural Democrat, a 30-year family physician in Southern Oregon and I volunteered to go to Vietnam."

Bates said he will formally announce whether he will run a few weeks after the end of the legislative session.

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Mark June 28, 2007 4:56 pm (Pacific time)

What people do not realize is we are facing a battle of politicians against citizens. Politicians have collectivist agendas that undermine our personal liberties. Right or left. The left get you to vote away things like the 2nd amendment and certain non-pc speech, while the right get you to vote away the 4th and 5th amendment and non-patriotic speech. After a few rounds of this, no one has rights. Vote for the Constitution people! Empowering the government to give you all you want also empowers it to take all you have.

Hank Ruark May 20, 2007 4:05 pm (Pacific time)

Thank you for that excellent, rational, reasonable and deadright statement. This is end-result always when snipers find their fire returned in duplicate --they quit subject and resort to personal attack. Any bylined writer has ongoing responsibilities for self-defense; but sometimes even those of us inured to such inanities succumb to sad situation and fire back, to our ongoing regret. Let's all get on with great new open channel: S-N

The Editor May 20, 2007 3:34 pm (Pacific time)

We are going to begin clearing some of this nonsense out. We received a comment with reference to a lawsuit. There are no innocent parties, people need to have thicker skin and they do not have it, yet they still throw the biggest stones they can lift. We are going to begin deleting all off-story topic comments. We will not explain, we will not return emails from people inquiring why, we will just flush them and that is it.

Bonnie and I are struggling to grow this company and we are having to deal with too many problems from this continual political bickering while we push the barriers with the stories we are publishing. Have people forgotten what this is all about?

Well, now we have been threatened and we don't like that at all. We suggest that everyone adjusts to a larger degree of screening, we are going to simply delete anything that is not appropriate in a general way. This is really too bad, people could not stick to the subject of the story, so that voids the idea of open comments in itself.

We find that the most antagonistic people cause the most problems, and all of you know we are working seven days a week for three years, going to war zones, staying up till ungodly hours constantly because we want to give people something they can use, and this is not it. We have tried to keep up. Don't tell us we are unfair, don't mention freedom of speech, this is a private business and none of that applies.

Hank Ruark May 20, 2007 2:14 pm (Pacific time)

For once, we agree: You surely should recognize and appreciate boorish behavior, to which I plead Not Guilty open to all to see and read here.

Rosenberg May 20, 2007 1:45 pm (Pacific time)

Marnell it appears you endorse the breaking of Oregon indecency laws, which are the same in New York. Gee HR, I thought you had apologized for your boorish behavior, let me apologize to you for misjudging you.

Hank Ruark May 20, 2007 6:39 am (Pacific time)

To all: Check Comments on Ed.Dept. action re combining Blind and Deaf Schools, for mine re libel defense when demanded.

Albert Marnell May 19, 2007 1:22 pm (Pacific time)

Rose, By the way, for you I would not suggest giving a cell number. I do not think you could handle it. But you really should stop hiding behind a veil like a scared old woman.

Albert Marnell May 19, 2007 1:19 pm (Pacific time)

I have a more interesting question Rosenberg. Why are you so hung up about the human body? Do you not like your own body? Are you ashamed of your body? You miss so much and have such potential. You have the formal education but you ruin it when you get myopic and let your emotions block logic.

Hank Ruark May 19, 2007 1:11 pm (Pacific time)

To all: Apology was to you for inanity, much not of my making. NOT to Rosy, again distorting and perverting for own malign purposes...as if paid for attack-work, did you notice ? With reluctance will now just ignore his stuff...despite ongoing odor it imparts here.

Albert Marnell May 19, 2007 1:02 pm (Pacific time)

Rosenberg, The reason that I defended sex-offenders is that you might be one of them. The term sex-offender is often comingled in the subconsious of people with pedophile, rapist etc. I did not defend them. I said that it is not such a big deal. What is the real danger of consentual adults doing something in a public place? Are you going to tell me you never got laid at the Drive-In back in 1955? That would make you a sex offender. You are hung up about adult to adult sex; not me. What makes your schlang so special that it can do what it wants where it wants; futhermore, what is the big deal. I think that prostitution should be legal and a respected profession. If people that murder in the military are respected, surely prostitutes should be. I used to go to nude beaches and the lines of where you could and could not go changed all of the time. It was quite random and ridiculous. Go to Norway or Sweden and see what they think about nudity in public places....especially the beach.

Rosenberg May 19, 2007 12:29 pm (Pacific time)

I accept your apology HR, maybe there's hope for you afterall. At least this is a step in the right direction. Now if we could get Marnell explain why he defends the behavior of sex offenders. Come on Marnell, tell the readers why.

Albert Marnell May 19, 2007 12:23 pm (Pacific time)

Hank, You make a good point about my Mr.Rosenberg. I give my real name. If he is so brave, what is he afraid of? I almost thought of giving my cell phone on the net because I could shut it off, Why I have not given my phone number publicly is that I rarely used it and it was just a waste for me. What is Rosenberg so scared of? Phone calls, even death threats can be quite amusing. You can learn alot from a vast array of strangers, some of them can be quite nice and interesting. I would only suggest this with a cell phone. You do need one line for personal and business calls.

Albert Marnell May 19, 2007 12:12 pm (Pacific time)

Go watch Aaron Russo's- "America: Freedom to Fascism". You will have to do something different and take time to re-evaluate your views on the world and this place you call a country. When you have inherited wealth and were born in 1938. It is hard not to break away from the immense brainwashing that you had as a teenager in the 1950's.

Hank Ruark May 19, 2007 11:11 am (Pacific time)

To all: More arrogance by Rosy here openly displayed here proves nothing except his necessity to avoid ID- direct contactm now offered for 9th time ! My apologes to all for such inane continuance; better we all stick to story-Comments !

Rosenberg May 19, 2007 10:53 am (Pacific time)

HR, there seems to be a disconnect from you (shock!). So why no request from Marnell and other lefty poster's when they make these unsubstantiated comments? You need not respond HR, because we clear-thinker's understand people like you...Freedom as they say HR is not free! If people like me did not exist, you wouldn't either.

Hank Ruark May 19, 2007 10:12 am (Pacific time)

To all: Rosy neglects not to demand documentation from others, but has not the grace to ID himself. SO credibility still further shredded...unless this is voice from the dead, and he was killed as contractor in Iraq, profiting from war forced by Bush disregard for Constitutional limitations on world-empire construction.

Rosenberg May 19, 2007 8:23 am (Pacific time)

Marnell how about a "link" to that so-called statement you attributed to Bush regarding the Constitution!

Rosenberg May 19, 2007 7:38 am (Pacific time)

Put my check in the mail today!

Hank Ruark May 19, 2007 6:24 am (Pacific time)

Al et al: Now we know what kind of paper he had in mind, too...

Albert Marnell May 18, 2007 10:18 pm (Pacific time)

The Constitution Is Just A xxxx Piece of Paper---George W. Bush November, 2005

Salem Dem May 18, 2007 9:07 pm (Pacific time)

Bates is not only a rising star in the Democratic Party, he is one of the brightest, most thoughtful members of the Legislature. He's got my vote and a check when he does announce he'll run.

Hank Ruark May 18, 2007 7:55 pm (Pacific time)

To all: Bates has got it right re healthcare...see upcoming Op Ed for details. Oregon can lead nation in setting pattern for thoughtful solution to clear and demanding crisis absorbing far too many tax dollars.

Albert Marnell May 18, 2007 5:28 pm (Pacific time)

I see that Senator Bates is a very intelligent man of integrity, values and common sense. Ain't that right Rosenberg? Vietnam was a crock of SHOT! BULLSHOT! The insidious communism. I got news for you, I would rather live under communism than this dictatorship that we have here. It is the same crap that my German side had to live through from 1933-1945 and it was not easy rebuilding after the dirty British and Americans firestormed everything: cowards. Strafing women and children as only the allies would. The whole world ganged up on Deutschland and they almost won. One Unterboot sunk about 60 ships in the Gulf of Mexico. That U-Boat is still there and is still considered German property. Good work Herr Kapitaen!

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