Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley visited the University Wednesday on his campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Merkley is favored to win the Democratic primary in May and challenge Republican Gordon Smith in November.
Merkley met with about 10 students, including ASUO President Emily McLain. He spoke of his roots in rural Oregon and gave a shortened presentation of his campaign platform, touching on the nation’s foreign debt, global warming and America’s reputation around the world.
Sara Bean Duncan, president of College Democrats, asked Merkley how he planned to win over moderate and rural voters who may see him as a liberal.
Merkley said he could gain support from rural voters on several fronts, including his support for “country of origin” labeling that he said would make it easier to sell goods that are made in the U.S.
He also said Smith has not taken advantage of eastern Oregon’s potential to produce alternative energy, such as solar, wind or geothermal sources.
“And yet Smith has no connection to energy policies except to keep giving money for foreign oil,” Merkley said.
Another student asked about Merkley’s ideas for reforming Social Security. Merkley said many small changes could be made, but also said funding Medicare will be a more immediate crisis.
He said President Bush had “completely inflated” the threat to Social Security during his campaign for reform in 2005.
It wasn’t the only time the president’s name was mentioned. Merkley spoke as if he was running against both Bush and Smith, and made no mention of Steve Novick, his challenger in the Oregon primary.
“We have to undo the work Gordon Smith and George Bush have done,” he said, referring to tax cuts.
Another student, who said she was from Washington state and spent all of high school learning how to pass a statewide exam, asked what should be done about the No Child Left Behind Act.
“It needs to be thrown out,” Merkley said abruptly.
“OK. I agree,” she said to laughs.
McLain asked about ways to tackle student debt. “We’re losing folks to private industry. I think the debt folks take on is determining their life path,” she said.
Merkley responded at first with a general statement about the economy, veered off into talking about billion-dollar warplanes, and eventually came back to McLain.
“Had I had a $100,000 debt I would have been looking for the highest-paying jobs around,” he said.
He said he supports tax credit for families sending children to college.
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