Knute Buehler is a RINO

Did you know that "Republican" Knute Buehler held a fund-raiser for Democrat John Kitzhaber when he was running for a third term as governor in 2010?

Here's a graph from a recent story in The Oregonian: 

"Neither Patty, who is an ophthalmologist, nor Knute, an orthopedic surgeon, have been lifelong Republicans. In 1992, while working 100 hours a week as residents at Oregon Health and Sciences University, the couple also worked for independent candidate Ross Perot's presidential campaign. Sometime after that, Knute Buehler says, he joined the GOP. But that didn't keep the couple from holding a primary fund-raiser at their home for Democrat John Kitzhaber when he was making a campaign for a third term."

Also, getting endorsed by The (Eugene) Register-Guard and Willamette Week is total proof that Knute is a RINO.

Of course, being a Republican in Name Only or RINO could help Knute be the first Republican elected to a statewide office as secretary of state in Oregon in more than a decade.

But, being a RINO in Bend has its pitfalls. 

Chris Telfer learned this the hard way when the sitting state senator was ambushed by a cabal of male legislators from Central Oregon and lost the GOP primary last spring to extremist extraordinaire Tim Knopp.

Tom DeWolf, former Deschutes County Commissioner, was chased from office in disgrace by outraged Republicans because DeWolf was a RINO.

Buehler should watch his back because if he doesn't pass the local GOP litmus test of being anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage, and if he stoops so low as to work with Democrats like Gov. Kitzhaber, then he will be toast in Bend.

That's not the only problem for Knute. His ads make it sound like he's running for governor, when he is just running for secretary of state.

Knute, like most Republicans, claims that government can't create jobs but is running on a platform of "creating jobs." 

Evidently, he plans on hiring a boatload of people at the secretary of state's office. That's the only way he'll be able to create any jobs. 

Knute, though, has jumped on the voter-suppression band-wagon that Republicans nationwide drag through the states like a bum on skid road.

There is almost no evidence of voter fraud in this country. Yes, a handful of cases have emerged nationwide in the past decade, but that is hardly a "crisis."

The only recent cases of "voter fraud" are linked directly to the Republican Party, first in Florida and secondly in Oregon.

It's obvious that those crying "wolf" about "voter fraud" are engaging in voter fraud themselves.

Sorry, Knute. Kate Brown deserves to serve as secretary of state for another term.