Schrader is making a difference in region

The Salem Statesman Journal

Bill Church, Executive Editor

August 9, 2009

Political fashionistas should be pleased that Kurt Schrader, the rookie Oregon congressman, dresses like an Oregonian.

Schrader was attired in blue jeans, an unwrinkled white shirt and a svelte blazer when he met Wednesday with the Statesman Journal Editorial Board. Sort of a John-Kitzhaber-meets-Central-Oregon-Rotary-Club-speaker look — cowboy comfortable but businesslike.

Schrader is one of the few politicians who shows up on time and leaves on time. He's good with names, listens intently and doesn't dance (too much) around the difficult questions.

Oh, he's mastered the I-feel-your-pain response like most politicians. But he acts more like the veterinarian he is than a Washington, D.C., wonk.

Schrader seems to be enjoying his freshman year as the representative for Oregon's 5th Congressional District, a puzzle-piece shaped region that covers seven counties and stretches from the Mount Hood area to the Oregon Coast with Salem at the epicenter.

Schrader told the Editorial Board that he's pleasantly surprised by the number of Oregonians who have visited his congressional office in D.C. Oregonians should be pleased that Schrader seems to be paying attention to constituents.

Salem-based SEDCOR, a pivotal player in the region's economic development, cited Schrader's support in obtaining $400,000 in federal dollars for water-line improvements for Mill Creek Corporate Center.

"We deeply appreciate his representation of our area and his efforts to obtain this appropriation. Bringing Mill Creek on-line will ensure future jobs for our citizens," Salem Mayor Janet Taylor said in SEDCOR's August newsletter.

No doubt, Schrader and Oregon's congressional delegation will get verbal hugs in Lincoln County after last week's announcement that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to move its West Coast operations center from Seattle to Newport. It's a great win for the coastal city, creating economic ripples throughout the district, including Salem.

Perhaps the best sign that Schrader seems to be connecting comes oddly enough from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which has tried mightily to connect him with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In politics, vehement opposition is the sincerest form of flattery.

The challenge for Schrader and Oregon's political leaders — both in Salem and D.C. — is recognizing the growing frustration in the business community.

Schrader got an earful at a hearing Tuesday in Salem, where business folks pounded on the Small Business Administration and the tightened credit market.

Democrats in the Oregon House and Senate also alienated many business owners by voting for permanent corporate and income tax hikes. Critics believe the tax increases will further cripple the state's economy, offering even less incentive for companies to stay in Oregon.

Schrader has plowed cautiously through the health-reform controversy on Capitol Hill. Local businesses will closely watch his efforts to improve Medicare reimbursements in Oregon and whittle down the bill's monstrous price tag.

He seems to be reveling in the moment, though. At Wednesday's Editorial Board meeting, he handled questions with a mix of calm and candor.

If there's any quirk in Schrader's persona, it's his tendency to sometimes go Rickey Henderson.

Henderson, the baseball Hall of Famer, typically referred to himself in the third person.

Schrader, too, will make verbal points by using himself in third-person anecdotes.

Still, Kurt should be pleased with Kurt's start as a congressman representing Oregonians.

Rickey dressed fashionably, too, and Rickey turned out to be a great leadoff hitter.

Campaign Updates

March 16, 2009	Making Progress for Oregon
Nov. 5, 2008	Thank You All
Oct. 30, 2008	Time to Vote!
Oct. 20, 2008	Kurt Schrader's Newest Ad
Oct. 20, 2008	Corvallis Gazette-Times Endorses Kurt
Oct. 15, 2008	Willamette Week Endorses Kurt Schrader for Congress
Oct. 13, 2008	Oregonian Endorses Kurt Schrader for Congress