Steve Novick-not forgetting the big picture

Steve Novick sent out this really cool email.

OK, I know you thought our last "thank you" email was the last one you would receive from Novick for Senate. But no. Before I fade into the mist, there are two last things I want to talk about: defending Oregon against Bill Sizemore, and defending Oregonians' access to the civil justice system.

Racketeer Bill Sizemore will have another group of initiatives on this fall's ballot -- initiatives to slash taxes for the wealthy, to hamstring workers' ability to participate in the political process, etc. Sizemore hopes that only the public employee unions will step forward to oppose those measures, and that he'll be able to beat them. We can't let that happen. It is up to all of us to defend schools, health care, the public safety system and workers' rights against Sizemore. Call Our Oregon at 503-239-8029 to find out how you can get involved.

Meanwhile, noted initiative funder and self-styled sexual hypnotist (I kid you not -- he brags about it on his blog) Loren Parks is funding a measure to deprive low and middle-income Oregonians of access to the civil justice system. Parks' limit on contingency fees would make it impossible, in many cases, to hold corporate wrongdoers accountable for physically or financially injuring Oregonians. Parks hopes that only civil justice lawyers will bother to oppose this measure, and that he'll be able to beat them. We can't let that happen either. Please send contributions to Against One-Sided Measures, 2236 SE 10th, Portland OR 97214.

Sizemore, Parks and other right-wingers hope to achieve their nefarious ends by demonizing some of our progressive partners. We must always be on guard against this tactic. To paraphrase a line you've heard before -- first they'll come for the unions, then they'll come for the civil justice lawyers, and then they'll come for the rest of us. Don't let that happen -- in 2008, or ever.

And here is the rest of it.