Why credit Kitzhaber for being ‘bipartisan’ in a one-party state?

In a recent endorsement of Gov. Kitzhaber for a 4th term as Oregon Governor, the Statesman Journal Editorial Board wrote “A key example is how Kitzhaber worked with the Legislature to have a successful, bipartisan special session last fall on pension reform, mental health care, taxes, school finance and other issues — at the same time the federal government was shut down because of partisan gridlock.”

Christian Gaston at The Oregonian expressed a similar sentiment last October after the “Grand Bargain” session. Gaston wrote “Against a backdrop of gridlock in Congress, Kitzhaber can boast that Oregon stands as a national model of bipartisan cooperation.” That was seven months before the same Christian Gaston left The Oregonian to “work for Gov. John Kitzhaber’s re-election campaign.”

I can understand why Gaston wrote what he wrote — it was part of his job application. I don’t understand how the Statesman Journal Editorial Board could write such nonsense.

Read more at the Oregon Catalyst