Free Republic

<p>Oregon Republicans failed to enlist top-drawer candidates to run against U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden or three other Democrats seeking re-election to statewide offices.</p> <p>As the filing deadline passed Tuesday for Oregon’s May 18 primary, it appeared that the Republicans’ drought in winning statewide offices will continue.</p>

SEASIDE -- In an unexpected and, at times, rancorous showdown, delegates to the Republicans' annual Dorchester Conference voted Saturday to recommend removing any mention of abortion from their state party platform. The issue pitted two longtime party stalwarts, former U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood and state party Chairman Kevin Mannix, in a face-to-face debate that left more than 350 delegates disagreeing over party unity, party growth, loyalty to respected leaders and possibly to their personal principles. Before voting on the proposal to remove abortion from the platform, an angered Mannix urged delegates to abstain as a way to show party unity....

<p>Brian Boquist said that his hat still is in the ring for the Republican nomination for the 5th District congressional seat in the Mid-Willamette Valley.</p> <p>But he wrote Friday in an e-mail message from Baghdad, Iraq, that if he remains on active military duty and Democratic incumbent Darlene Hooley of West Linn files for a fifth term, he might reconsider his candidacy.</p>