Silence from Buehler as pressing questions go unanswered
PORTLAND — With the hotly contentious Republican primary in the rearview mirror, Democrats are now re-upping their call for GOP gubernatorial candidate Knute Buehler to answer Oregonians on his record and intentions.
“While Buehler works to pivot back from his rightward turn to narrowly win the GOP nomination, he’s kept silent on the questions that really matter to most Oregon voters,” said Jeanne Atkins, Chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon. “We need to know where he stands on radical attempts to restrict access to safe and legal abortion, his support for the Trump administration, and conflicts in his personal finances.”
Meanwhile, speculation around Buehler’s “game-changing ideas” is just that — speculation. Oregonians have seen little in terms of specific policy proposals or innovative ideas to address the innumerable complaints he lobs at every opportunity.
“Buehler’s campaign has been conspicuously light on solutions. He has been far more dedicated to calling out failures and problems, painting a dark vision of our state that doesn't ring true to most Oregonians,” said Atkins. “At the same time, it’s fair to question Buehler’s commitment to legislating when he can’t even be bothered to attend an entire committee meeting in Salem this week. It appears that the “no-show Knute” moniker continues to hold true as we enter the general election.”
Questions posed to Buehler include:
- When are you going to release your tax returns? The Democratic Party of Oregon called on all three of the leading candidates in the GOP primary to follow Governor Kate Brown’s lead and release their returns. The Statesman-Journal agreed. Where are they?
- When are you going to have Donald Trump on the trail? We also asked the candidates whether they'd accept Donald Trump's help on the campaign trail. Buehler has endorsed Trump’s immigration agenda and his tax cuts for wealthy businesses. Why won’t he tell Oregonians when he’s going to hit the trail with Trump?
- What abortion limits would you sign as governor? An editorial in the Register-Guard said that Buehler would support new limits on abortion. We asked him if he’d sign the kind of radical bill that Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds just signed. Buehler’s response? Crickets.
- What other laws would he refuse to enforce as governor? In the only GOP debate, Buehler said if voters approved new gun safety regulations he’d just ignore them. What else would Buehler refuse to enforce?
- What are you getting paid by the medical industry? Buehler said he’d support closing the Buehler Loophole. But he still hasn’t told us what payments he’s getting from the medical industry. Where’s the money?
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