Have you seen the news that Democratic Governor John Kitzhaber of Oregon is resigning in the face of a scandal generated mostly by his "fiancée." His mistress has been the state's "first lady" (sic) for several years but seemingly has little regard for the law.
Oregon has some of the oddest politics you'll find. Remember Sen. Bob Packwood, who hit on most women he met? Or Sen. Mark Hatfield who tried to stop the Vietnam war singlehanded?
I spent three years in grad school at UO and found the state had a Twin Peaks vibe, very surreal. The weather is depressing, wet and gray for eight consecutive months every year, like Seattle. The Lewis and Clark expedition diaries are full of complaints about it.
On the other hand, a fellow grad student from western Minnesota by way of Montana thought Oregon was nearly Palm Springs because he didn't have to shovel snow. He'd sit around studying wearing shorts in mid-winter. Go figure.
