[May 28th, 2008]

WINNERS

1. Two of Oregon’s brawniest public-employee unions, SEIU and OEA , cemented their influence on state politics last week. The two outfits’ dollars and foot soldiers made a big difference in John Kroger’s surprisingly easy victory (with additional help from Crime Victims United and DAs statewide) over Greg Macpherson in the Democratic primary race for attorney general, and in Kate Brown’s landslide victory in the Dems’ primary for secretary of state.

2. The Decemberists are winners for drawing the ginormous crowd to Sen. Barack Obama’s recent waterfront rally—at least in the dreams of delusional right-wing bloggers who wouldn’t know Colin Meloy from a soda cracker. Using fuzzy math (and citing an old LocalCut post), National Review Online argued last week that the Portland band can really “pack them in” at free concerts…unlike Obama. Hmm.

3. The Portland Public Schools Board announced last week that the district won’t try for a construction bond of up to $1 billion—in November, as originally planned. Meanwhile, the other tax hikes on the November ballot—including the city’s Children’s Investment Fund levy —get an automatic boost with no competition from a major money-for-kids measure.

LOSERS

1. In the days after Obama won the Oregon primary in a landslide, six of the state’s seven undecided superdelegates continued to waffle about whether to support Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton. Kudos to super-del Jenny Greenleaf for doing what 600,000-plus Oregonians did last week—deciding (to read how she went for Obama, go to Wwire).

2. Second bananas found their bosses’ political coattails depressingly short in the primary. Steve Marks, one-time chief of staff to ex-Gov. John Kitzhaber, finished a distant third in the 5th Congressional District Democratic primary; former Erik Sten chief Jim Middaugh got trounced in the race to fill Sten’s Portland City Council seat; and Regan Gray, chief of staff for state Rep. Diane Rosenbaum (D-Southeast Portland), got schooled in the bid to replace her boss.

3. Lobbyist Len Bergstein bet big and lost big on Sho Dozono’s failed candidacy for Portland mayor. Bergstein is on the hook for a $27,000 poll conducted for Dozono. And when Sam Adams (the exception to the second banana rule) becomes mayor next year, Bergstein won’t be the most welcome face around City Hall.

4. Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto hits the Losers list for the second week running. First, a state board recommended yanking the Giuster’s badge for lying about his affair with former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt’s wife. And now, to everyone’s relief but no one’s surprise, Giusto has finally announced he’s leaving office July 1.