Real Time; 03; Pilot

Our top story this week is about money. Specifically what is going on with all those campaign contributions to state Democrats. The official records just don't seem to add up properly. And a top aide to House Majority Leader DAVID DIX resigned this week after he removed a key document from the elections division office. We'll have more on this story in just a few moments. Also tonight we're going to take a look at the controversy involving a TV documentary on old growth forests. It was shown last weekend on the Turner Broadcasting System but without any advertising. Several pro tempore groups here in Oregon contacted the sponsors of that program and by air time all of the advertisers had pulled out of the broadcast. Is this kind of tactic going to help or hurt the timber industry in the long run. We'll talk with people on both sides of the controversy. And we'll also take note of banned books week according to some surveys Oregon ranks second in the nation when it comes to the number of books that are challenged each year in public schools and libraries. First though our top story and for that we're going to turn our attention to someone who is used to being in the middle of

situations like this. My co-host Rita Flynn. Thanks Jeff. House Majority Leader DAVID DIX gave this quote to The Oregonian this week. I'm not an idiot. Dick's made that comment in the midst of a story which actually started brewing earlier this month. Stay with me as we try to follow the sequence Oregonian political columnist Steve Dean wrote a story in which he criticized Democratic politicians four of their alleged sloppiness in keeping accurate records of campaign contributions. Then Dean got a call from House Majority Leader DAVID DIX who claimed the discrepancies had all been resolved to prove it he offered the facts Dean the documents and Dean accepted the offer. But then he called the election division office to compare the documents with the official records on file. It turned out that one of the pages didn't match the very next morning Dix's top assistant Karl wieder Ender's went to the election division asked to see some of the files and then left taking with him the page in question.

A little later Dick's brought the page back saying we directors had taken it by accident. Well since then weed or renders has quit resigned secretary of state Barbara Roberts has initiated a criminal investigation and a lot of people are beginning to wonder what's going on with those campaign finance records. With us tonight is House majority leader DAVID DIX. Jack Graham head of the State Elections Division. And Oregonian political writer Steve Dean Gentleman I thank you for all being here. And I know this is not an easy time for you Mr. Dix. Basically how do you account for these events. Well. As you know any kind of campaign political campaign is a major undertaking. There are many people involved in many different activities. Often the flurry of these activities overlapping responsibilities of different individuals overlapping. Well I want to say I'm really wondering though is how Here are what was going on with Weiner

renders. Why did you fax the fake document to Mr. Dane. How do you account for all of these. Seemingly strange events. Well I think in the final analysis when the investigation is completed all of these questions will be answered and there will be no lingering doubts in the minds of the voters or anyone on this panel. I don't want to go into too many specifics right now until the investigation is. Finished or at least along a bit further. Steve it seems to me that it comes down to a couple of possibilities and I've been trying to read the tea leaves and what's been written in The Oregonian. We're looking at either a case of books book fixing some sort of coverup and scandal or it was an innocent but incredibly dumb mistake. Where do you come down I just don't see that there's too much space in between the two. Well quite frankly when Mr Dix contacted me he did so. With. The attitude that. This was

all something that was going to be clarified. By a faxed bit of material which I have to presume he didn't realize I would have the opportunity to compare with an original document. As a result I have to lean away from the theory that well something may have been stupidity in the first instance. It's been compounded by some intentional skullduggery looking for his phone. Thank you Jack Graham. At least three separate Democratic campaign funds are being investigated. All of them send money through your office. What's the problem here. You guys we're the most low tech of all the departments no computers understaffed the paperwork involved to search out and audit these type of contribution funds and changes is overwhelming. OK. House Majority Leader Dick Oregonian political writer Steve bean and Jack Graham we thank you for being with us.

Why. Yeah. Well obviously the Democratic Party would be very happy if this whole campaign financing controversy would sink like a stone. But when a stone hits the water it can have the dreaded ripple effect. And the question now is how much rippling we can expect around Oregon

in the weeks and months ahead. And to deal with that question of political physics we've brought together some of the savvy political observers that we could find from around the state. They're going to give us what we hope are some unequivocal views about what is going to happen next. First of all Steve Forrester is with us he's editor of The Daily astore and Elaine Colgan is with the League of Women Voters. And Tina hit's is a pollster and political consultant who works here in Portland and Steve Forrester of the story and youre getting a little different perspective being outside the mainstream What's this playing like over in a story is getting a lot of attention as far as what we can expect with the upcoming campaign is it making a big impact there. It seems to be divided along party lines the Democrats or the mystics that the Democratic Party in this state is an organization of integrity and can be trusted. The Republicans or much more skeptical TV habits.

As a pollster is this the kind of thing that is going to be something that'll play with the voters in the next campaign. You're someone who polls of voters what's going to happen. Well we seem to sense or we sense that right now the voters are about split about 60 percent feel that it's a it was a there is definitely some. Some illegal illicit activity here about 40 percent believe it was a blunder. We'll see what happens when the members of the Democratic part of the. That is the Democratic politicians stick with David Dicks or abandon him. I'm curious to know what you see just coming up in terms of his own future is he going to be able to pull himself out of this. It's hard to imagine him campaigning without having his opponents put his picture up in that sign that says I'm not an idiot. How do you see this playing any of our panelists. How do you see this playing for Dick's himself. Well we're watching what the politicians are politicians loyalty toward X but we're also. That will depend on what they hear from the voters and of course that is unpredictable until it actually happened Elaine do you have any particular views is he you know is he going to be able to

save the skin. I just think the voters deserve and they deserve to see what he's really like. I want to know do you think any of you three think this thing is has got a chance to blow over we're just going to people say look it was political it was money it went to the Democratic Party. Who cares what candidate are we going to get out of it on that basis alone this which is money that went to the party bookkeeping years. I can balance my checkbook. How could they keep track of it all. Anybody. I think voters have worked too hard for the right to vote. Just blow it off. And they know that there are professionals handling these these monies there. If I don't think they will be willing to dismiss it as a mere bookkeeping. What about the effects on the Republicans of the Republicans going to be subject to the same kinds of investigations no one's really looked at their finances how is it going to play with them. I think it's a very good question and a very fair question. Perhaps the Republicans should come under the same scrutiny as the Democrats. You know that there are couple ironies here about David Dixie supposed to be the consummate politician. He's not really known as Big Issues guy but the consummate politician. And it's his

only issue was campaign reform where basically did he go wrong in this situation. I mean it just seems like such a big political blunder of the way that it's all been handin we're almost out of time to have it why don't you take that last one. I think Dave Dick's just got. Overwhelmed by the. By the legislature's agenda. BOLLING over his own agenda. All right we'll leave it at that we'll see what happens today Dixon I think Steve Forrester of the story and Elaine Colgan and Tina habits for being here with us and we'll see how it plays out in the weeks ahead. Panel thanks very much. Last weekend the Turner Broadcasting System aired a one hour documentary on old growth

forests here in the northwest. And the program ran without any commercials. But that wasn't because the Turner Broadcasting Corporation is overly generous it's because all the sponsors pulled out of the broadcast before it was aired several pro tempore groups here in Oregon felt that the program was biased against the logging industry and they made those feelings clear by contacting some of the sponsors ahead of time. Now the question is whether the timber industry is going to be helped or hurt by the long term effects of this incident. And right now we're going to tackle that issue and others with me is Jim McCauley. He is a policy analyst for the associated Oregon loggers. Lynn herring is here she's with the Portland chapter of the Audubon Society which was the group that produced the documentary the National Audubon Society produced it and also Marcus Usman who is the editor of Willamette Week. And I think my first question will be for Gemma Callie. Your group was responsible in part for contacting one of the sponsors. And as you said asking them to review this documentary which the Audubon Society produced what do you mean

by review the documentary What were you hoping that they would do in that case. Well exactly what they did was we felt that it wasn't accurately showing the old growth forest and we felt that one place saw the documentary they would agree with that and the. More information were put out. It was very biased. So in fact you were really asking them to pull or ads because you didn't like what the documentary said no we felt that if they reviewed it and came to the same conclusion that we had that they were free to do what ever they wanted to do. But we didn't agree with the way the documentary was put together and we felt that our advertisers the advertisers were going to be in agreement with us. Marlin herring you've been in contact with the National Audubon Society. You're being with the Portland chapter here the national societies who produced it. What's the feeling about what's happened on this whole thing.

Well clearly we feel that this will hurt the timber industry. This is a free speech issue and it's been a factor that has been expanded into being a free speech issue. They wanted to can a show before the public even saw it. They didn't even want the topic discussed. Do you think this is going to have a long term effect of. Actually hurting people's impressions of what the timber industry is. I think if this event can be remembered for what it really was I think it will hurt the timber industry. You know Mark just when I brought you on for a key reason and that is that Willamette Week had its own special old growth issue when I just want to know how you would react if some groups had contacted your advertisers and said hey we don't like this guy's paper. What do you think. Would you if it had been pressure for people to pull the end. How do you react to that as a publisher. What do you think that says about free speech. We find it outrageous this is a free speech issue this has become a censorship issue. And I agree with the the lumber industry is suffering as a result of this they continue to suffer this is one more blow to their

public image and justly so I think I think it's deserved. All right I'm sorry to cut this short but we are limited on time Jim McCauley associated Oregon loggers Lynn herring with the Portland Audubon Society and Marcus Usman of Willamette Week thank all three of you for being with us tonight I'm sure we're going to hear lots more about this issue. Well it's time now for something that we hope will benefit our audience in a number of ways since this program is an hour long. We felt it would be considerate to provide a short period that our viewers could kind of regroup at home knowing the pressures you're under there watching the show. We want you to get ready for the rest of the program coming up. What we're going to do now is present a short intermission. It isn't something of critical importance but what you're about to see is something you may wish that you would stayed for especially if you hear about it secondhand from some of your friends tomorrow. So the decision is up to you. Stay or leave. Regardless of either one will be back here in a couple of minutes. But until then we present a special segment which we call appropriately enough break

time. Just a graphic example compliments of the Portland police just how easy it is to steal a

car. Strip it in 12 minutes with hand grinches. When asked Who are those guys we were told simply three guys from back east. To continue. T.J. Bailey outspoken opponent of gay rights and abortion is now out as chairman of Oregon's Republican Party. Enter CRAIG BERKMAN Portland electronics executive a George Bush Republican and the party's new state chair Berkman says he can do for the party what T.J. Bailey apparently could not unify it. He takes over just as the Democrats are in the midst of a messy campaign uproar which we talked about earlier tonight involving the House majority office and Democrat campaign finances. With us is CRAIG BERKMAN The new Republican Party Chair and also Patti McGuire executive director of the Democratic Party in Oregon we're glad to have both of you. Mr. BERGMAN First of all the pendulum can swing pretty wide in the in the GOP ranks from the law on maybe on anti gay conservatives to the more moderates which I assume includes you. Tell

us how you're going to try to unite everyone and especially keep good relations with the party's right wing. I'm going to try and get everyone into business make lots of. Money on ha I see what. But how are you going to handle the the right wing. What is your own position on gay rights and abortion. My own position and I hate him. You hate gay rights and abortion. OK Patty McGuire Democrat what do you think of that. What kind of a what kind of competition is Mr. Burkman looking like well we just feel that the Republican Party is continuing in their same line that they will continue to follow the course of big business and the people of the state of Oregon won't put up with it. Mr. Burton without licking your chops what kind of opportunity does the current Democratic campaign finance situation create as we head towards the set of legislative elections and especially looking at reapportionment we're going to get to redraw the lines.

Kind of puts a damper on it because it means we can't I mean we're being investigated and we just can't have that many people don't even see it. You're not being enough. The Democrats said if you're not like that I think maybe it would be a good idea if we did investigate the Republicans we don't know that I'm right but I think you know I think really I think you'd be better right. Civility right now. Mr. BERGMAN Also what about Mr. Foreign Meyer. It's been so nebulous as to whether or not he's going to seek the governor's job. Well I think you should go for it. Have you been telling him. I have definitely been telling him that. All right what's wrong with you know goes for it. Well. To quote myself. I said. All I'm saying David is don't resist a call I think you should just go for it. But what do you think something's wrong with it. Not a thing is wrong with that what do you think about Mr. from Myra entering you know early. They're always competitive adventures in politics

and the Republicans have every right to run you know. Are you worried about what the Republicans are going to do to you in this coming election with all of the campaign finance mess brewing or do you think it will be. I think that's going to be taken care of and the situation will be alleviated pretty far before the election to come up. All right. CRAIG BERKMAN The new Republican Party Chair and also Patti McGuire executive director of the Democratic Party in Oregon. Thank you both for being with us. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well two hundred years ago this week even before there was television Congress introduced the bill

of rights which includes the right of free speech among several others. And it's only appropriate that this week should be declared Banned Books Week. Now according to the group People for the new American way. Oregon ranks second in the nation when it comes to having books challenged in public schools and libraries. Although we have to emphasize that in most cases the books that were Challenge did stay on the shelves. Now does removing a controversial book from the shelves really solve a problem or does it just create a lot of new ones. Well we're going to get into that subject in just a moment but first we have a short background to bring us up to date. And this was produced by real time producer reporter Vivian can Danny. And let's go to that piece right now. At the mall Noma county library it's a typical day people check out the latest bestsellers and return books. Oh when you see those glass cases in the background

they usually hold an exhibit of general interest to the public. But this week's exhibit aims to raise the public's awareness about the controversial issue of censorship. What I believe by censorship was mostly in America where a free society and censorship according to the First Amendment is not supposed to be allowed and I don't think it has any place in United States we have now. But even if you don't think censorship should have a place here now or ever it does the Oregon intellectual freedom clearinghouse a watchdog group who supports intellectual freedom reports that 34 books this year were challenged by concerned citizens objections focused on sexual references dirty language witchcraft and satanic practices. And every year more and more books are being challenged and censored. Oh I'm definitely opposed to it. Primarily because I worked as a librarian for about. Six or seven years and realized the importance of the Freedom of Information and the challenges to freedom of expression.

Don't stop with books in Seaside. A local minister objected to artwork placed in the public library. The first challenge of its kind ever in Oregon this week in Oregon and all across the nation members of the American Civil Liberties Union authors artists and filmmakers are making their personal concerns public. And for some book lovers censorship is more than just a banned book and to ban a book is to ban a person's thoughts. And when you start banning anything like that it's going to lead to questions down the road they're going to be much harder to answer. This is certainly an issue that can cause a lot of strong feelings especially when people's children are involved. Tonight we have with us a woman who succeeded in getting a book removed from one high school library. It's Cathy leisure she is from the town of St. Paul. Also with us is Janet a wren's of the American Civil

Liberties Union and Ursula looked when one of Oregon's best known authors and also person knows about this firsthand because one of her books was challenged back in 1984. Now Thanks panel for being here with us tonight and first of all I want to direct a question to I think Kathy leisure and that is the book you had or led the fight to get removed was a book by James Baldwin at Beale Street could talk. What were your feelings about why you didn't want that book on the shelves in your high school library. Well to have some books clearly are trash and some books are simply too explicit for young minds young impressionable minds. This one just was too graphic too had too many sexual references dealt with. Well let me cut you off right there because I want to ask a question that if you're trying to talk about values your values that obviously you don't want your children to be exposed to. Is it is the way to help that not happen remove the book or just be more aware of what your children are up to and give them

values at home so they want the book regardless of whether it's on the shelves or not. Children are inundated with a variety of terrible influences and somewhere where this parents if society is not going to draw the line which it should. We as parents educators there. Are. There guiding forces must draw the line somewhere and remove those terrible influences those things that can warp minds from their lives. Ursula when you had first hand experience your book The Lathe of Heaven was challenged in Wash Washington in 1984 it stayed on the shelves. What did that do. How did that make you feel what was it like going through that experience. Well as an author my ideas all wrapped up in the story and I spend my life creating putting my ideas down onto paper and it's one thing to attack. An abstract book that's just pages filled with ink. But when you take a step further and look at that as me. An author's view an author's idea an author's view of the world. Then you're not simply

criticizing a book or criticizing a person's ideas. Well that's I want to thank you for being here I'm sorry that we have to cut this short and Janet a wren's will hear from the ACLU next time. Kathie Lee thank you for being here along with Ursula looked when we were talking about book banning and I'm sure we'll hear more about it. Thanks again. Oh. The end. The end. All right we've come to that point in the show that galvanized us all last week. The

real time real trivia quiz now our subject for last week stumped a lot of you. This is the building you had to identify and we told you it had a lot to do with Oregon politics. One viewer got the political connection confused and also also the location. Where you're building or last week's trip your whole goal the first lady there. Sorry wrong on both counts there and other viewer thought the building might have a religious angle. What about your quit the building. I believe that that the birth Mormon temple built in Portland about the year 70. Again nice try but not even close. However we did finally get a correct response and for those of you who guessed wrong this is going to

be painful. Now I'm a new rebel but even I know that that building is crap but all of the Ori. Yes the state capitol is right and if you guessed incorrectly. Don't worry because here comes our next trivia subject. Look carefully now and listen to the clues. This is a man who was born in Massachusetts but who built his reputation all over Oregon literally. And during a period of thirty two years he commuted by train several times a week between his home in Portland and his office in Eugene. Who is he calling your best guesses. Our machines are just waiting to hear from you the number is 2 9 3 1 9 7 0. And remember this is not a free call. So if you're outside the Portland area it will show up on your monthly bill. But hey isn't it worth the added expense for the chance to get your voice on TV. We think so. And

now Jeff Schafer is standing by with something of a more personal nature. He had an experience this week that demands our complete and undivided attention. Jeff what has happened that you want to talk about. Well Rita I can't quite even verbalize it. It's kind of painful I THOUGHT I WAS IN THE MONEY this week because I tried out for Jeopardy. They had a contest search a contestant search in Portland this week I should say and I got the call and I thought that I was going to clean up because I have such a wide range of knowledge some people say a mile wide and an inch deep but hey when they gave us the sample test I thought it was going to be great but I was in trouble almost immediately. Here's one of the questions. What Italian artist specialized in painting the long dated faces and dyed in 1919. Now I just sat there wondering what killed the guy maybe it was those faces. And then comes a question from the world of fairy tales. One of my worst categories who was snow white sister or in fact it might have been Sleeping Beauty's sister I was getting real hazy at this point. Every 10 seconds a new question came up so the time flew by.

By the end I was a total wreck. I couldn't even answer this softy. What group did Lionel Richie leave to go solo. My mind was a blank. Of course it's the Commodores but at that point I couldn't even remember my name so I lost. There were about 60 or 70 people in my test group. Only six or seven made the cut and the rest of us well we just filed out feeling totally humiliated. One guy walking with me said look what about sports there were no sports questions. Somebody else pointed out there were no state capitals either. I was ready with Jefferson City Missouri. I wish I'd done better but when I thought about it I realized I really didn't want to fly to Hollywood that much. And by the way you do have to pay your own way if they select you. I couldn't answer all of their questions but I can answer the questions that do matter questions like am I really happy. And isn't it nice that I live in Oregon and not Los Angeles and Rita knowing answers like that makes me feel like I'm returning champion every single day. That's beautiful but you know everybody pretty much knows who the Italian artist is with the elongated face who

died in 1900. I don't want to know let's leave it for next week we're out of time right now we'll be back next week. Thanks for joining us I'm Jeff Schafer with Rita Flynn. That's it for real time. Goodnight or.