Commission: Replace statues of Lee, McLoughlin in Capitol hall

–  Raymond Rendleman, portlandtribune.com

A committee appointed by Gov. John Kitzhaber unanimously agreed last week to recommend that the statues of both Dr. John McLoughlin and Rev. Jason Lee no longer represent Oregon in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

McLoughlin, the chief trader for the Hudson’s Bay Company generally acknowledged as the “father” of Oregon, was not even being considered for removal a few years ago, when former governor and U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield died in 2011, and a movement grew to honor Hatfield by replacing Lee…

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We’re not taking sides here. But it did cause us to ask ourselves “Why are some elected officials honored and others aren’t? Why is Sen. Hatfield’s legacy so much greater than Sen. Packwood’s?”

Let’s look at Packwood and other elected officials for an answer.

Packwood’s legacy is that of a man who assumed every good looking woman would be eternally grateful if only he’d grab her and plant a sloppy French kiss.

Then there’s Oregon Governor and Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt, who could’ve starred in a sequel to the hit movie “Adventures in Babysitting.”

How about another Portland Mayor, Sam Adams, who lied about a reported sexual relationship with a teenage boy? Then there’s Gov. Kitzhaber, who gave a new meaning to “First Lady.”

The common thread? It’s that these four all succumbed to “The Arrogance of Power,”

which transcends party and office. It’s often about sex and it tends to infect politicians who are entrenched in their positions.

When we next fill out our ballots, let’s ask ourselves “Will the Arrogance of Power infect this guy or gal?” “Will he/she be another Hatfield or another Packwood/Goldschmidt/Adams/ Kitzhaber?” And might this candidate’s statue find a home in the National Statuary Hall?

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