Congressional candidate faces challenging run
From our weekly issue dated June 30, 2010
Illinois Valley resident Arthur Robinson knew exactly what he was getting into when he filed to run for Congress earlier this year.
Although Robinson never had sought elected office, he was aware of the slings and arrow that often accompany such campaigns.
Shortly after May 18, when Robinson won Republican nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Springfield) in the Nov. 2 general election, he got a taste of what the next few months could hold for him.
A May 29 article in the Internet newspaper, The Huffington Post, took direct aim at Robinson, putting the scientist in the position of having to defend and define himself.
The headline states that Robinson proposed dumping oil and nuclear waste at sea, a highly sensitive issue in light of the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil blow-out. Its basis is a 2004 edition of the “Access to Energy“ newsletter that Robinson now publishes, in which Peter Buckman wrote about the prospect of disposing of waste in such a manner.
“That article was written by a scientist 24 years ago, who“s been dead for 17 years,“ Robinson said. “I didn“t write it.“
Buckman founded the newsletter 34 years ago, Robinson said. It was taken over by Robinson in 1993, he added. The Buckman article was published in 1986.
“It“s a complete lie, and the Huffington Post knows it. They didn“t care,“ Robinson said. “They picked this up and attributed it to me to play this game.“
The Huffington Post piece also makes mention of Robinson“s “petition project,“ in which more than 30,000 U.S. scientists codified their opposition to the concept of manmade global warming. Robinson said that approximately 9,000 of those scientists have doctoral degrees, and that all the signatories are “physical scientists,“ with 10 percent educated in specific environmental fields.
Robinson said that as such, those scientist are “all qualified to judge“ the theories, data and methodologies behind global warming.
He adds that the head of the International Panel on Climate Change is not educated in climate science.
“There aren“t 30,000 climate scientists in the whole country,“ Robinson said.
The home school curriculum developed and sold by Robinson also was mentioned by the Huffington Post. It states that the curriculum was based on material published from Bob Jones University in South Carolina.
Robinson denies that charge, and said that his program competes with that of the university. Using the university“s material would be copyright infringement, Robinson said.
The curriculum he developed has been used by more than 60,000 home school students, he said, and was awarded seven prizes in 2008.
The article in question could very well become an issue in the campaign. In a Monday, June 14 editorial in the Albany Democrat-Herald, editor-in-chief Hasso Herring wrote that he received an e-mail from DeFazio“s campaign manager, Jen Gilbreath. Herring wrote that the e-mail stated that “Huffington Post posted an article recently on Art Robinson and I thought you would find it interesting.“
Robinson said that it“s all part of a “whisper campaign“ intended to weaken support for his candidacy.
“A smear campaign is what they“re doing,“ he said. “That“s the way they work.“
After securing his party“s nomination, Robinson wrote a letter to DeFazio“s office dated May 18. He challenged DeFazio to seven two-hour debates, one in each of the counties in the Fourth Congressional District. The format suggested by Robinson would allow each candidate to speak for three minutes back and forth with no moderator, with time set aside for questions from audience members and full media and public access encouraged.
Robinson wrote that the first debate could take place at the University of Oregon campus in Eugene.
DeFazio responded in a letter dated May 27.
“I am writing in response to your urgent and misdirected demand for an immediate schedule of debates at times and places of your choosing with your preferred and somewhat unusual format,“ DeFazio wrote.
In his response, DeFazio wrote that such forums could be organized and sponsored by the League of Women Voters (LWV), a “non-partisan organization with a longstanding reputation for sponsoring highly regarded, informative debates — for well-run and balanced candidate forums.“
DeFazio“s letter also was copied to League of Women Voters of Oregon and the Coos Bay League of Women Voters.
Robinson replied in a June 6 letter, and referred to DeFazio“s copying of his previous correspondence to the two LWV chapters as a “nice try.“
“As political organizations that would be expected to favor you in these debates, their participation would obviously be inappropriate,“ Robinson wrote.
In his correspondence, DeFazio suggested holding the debates when Congress takes its August recess. Robinson countered that both candidates are seeking the nomination of the Independent Party, which will be decided well before then.
“Since their nomination is scheduled for July, postponing the scheduling of our debates until late August as you suggest would neglect these voters, who are also greatly concerned about Congressional actions,“ Robinson wrote.
He followed up on those same themes in a June 22 letter to DeFazio.
“In your two responses to my earlier requests, you have refused to even discuss scheduling of debates until late August and have strongly implied that you are opposed to a real debate,“ Robinson wrote. “Instead, you apparently wish to hide behind the skirts of the League of Women Voters of Oregon.“
The debates can be planned and advertised by his campaign ahead of time and take place when Congress is not in session, he wrote.
“Our advertising will state that you have not yet agreed to participate, and that a surrogate of our choice will stand in for you if necessary,“ Robinson wrote. “You seem to prefer falsehoods to open debate. I think, however, that voters will be able to discern the difference between reasoned discussion of the issues and your smear campaign.“
Robinson also took exception to DeFazio“s characterization of LWV.
“Simple perusal of their Website immediately shows that the League has taken firm positions on one side or the other of numerous political issues that are important in this election. I see no reason to criticize them in any way for doing so, but they are hardly neutral on these matters,“ Robinson wrote.
“While it is understandable that a weak candidate would prefer to take refuge in the protection offered by an extraneous “moderator,“ this is not in the best interests of those who seek the truth about the issues and the candidates.“
As part of his campaign, Robinson traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this month and met with U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). Paul, who has twice run for president, has endorsed Robinson“s candidacy.
But Robinson said he knows that it will take much more than that for him to win the uphill race against DeFazio, a popular incumbent who has served in Congress since 1987.
Robinson said he has raised more than $300,000 for the race, and plans to raise more and travel extensively throughout the Fourth District. The district includes all of Lane, Linn, Coos, Curry, Douglas and parts of Benton and Josephine counties.
The Illinois Valley News plans to host debates in Cave Junction prior to the November election. Robinson and DeFazio will be invited to attend.
(Full disclosure: IVN News Editor Scott Jorgensen served as the press secretary for U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio“s opponent, Jim Feldkamp, during the 2004 election.)
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