$30,000 to hear John McCain speak today in PDX...

From The Oregonian...

When Republican Sen. John McCain is in Portland campaigning Monday, he'll hold quite a complex fundraiser at the Sheraton Hotel out at the airport. If you're willing to fork over $1,000 you can go to a reception.

But for $33,100 you can attend a "victory dinner" with the presumptive Republican nominee/[...]"

$33,100!

It's a little disconcerting that there are Oregonians who would pay for that "honor". To them, this Victory Dinner means victory over YOU and ideals real Oregonians share, ideals like clean air and water, a woman's right to choose, affordable healthcare for all, civil rights for all, economic justice, and ending the war in Iraq and bringing those young men and women home. These people paying this outrageous amount, Victory to them means retaining the status quo of the policies of the Bush Administration. As always, they have money to burn, and don't care whose lungs the smoke ends up.

This is no time for Oregonians to lay back and allow cynicism over the past eight years to cause apathy and inaction.

You may be cynical over the Washington powers that be. To tell you the truth, I am too. But I see in Senator Barack Obama as a leader to bring people together and change the way Washington works. Just viewing the response to his campaign over the past six months and the outpouring of response to his message points to this.

I am just one person; I am speaking for myself. I cannot tell you what to do with one of most prized possession, your vote. But read up on Senator McCain's positions. Read up on his positions that, as Oregonians, will affect you.

And then read up on Senator Obama on barackobama. com.

And if you want to hear more, you can come to a show this Thursday at Berbati's Pan, the first in what hopefully will be a series of Barack The Vote shows in PDX this summer and fall. You only have to donate $5 to get in and it's all ages.


Thanks, man.

-=-sean gothman