Oregon Family Council
The Oregon Family Council (OFC) is a conservative organization that produces a "Christian Voter Guide" and campaigns against gay marriage in the state of Oregon.
In the 2002 election cycle, OFC was one of Oregon's top 10 political action committees. In 2004, it organized the Defense of Marriage Coalition, which collected more than 244,000 petition signatures calling for a ballot referendum in Oregon that would establish state constitutional ban on marriage by same-sex couples. [1]
Also in 2004, the OFC became a topic of controversy surrounding Ralph Nader's independent campaign for president, after reports that it and another right-wing group, Citizens for a Sound Economy, were campaigning to get Nader's name on the ballot in Oregon.
The OFC encouraged its members to sign petitions that would qualify Nader for the state's ballot, even though its director has said, "Bush is our guy on virtually every issue." [2]
"We'd like to take a few votes away from John Kerry if it would be possible," explained OFC's Tim Nashif. Another OFC official, Mike White, said he had been encouraged by someone in the Oregon Republican Party to help boost Nader's petition drive. [3]
THe actions of OFC and CSE to promote Nader's candidacy prompted a complaint to the U.S. Federal Election Commission by a Washington, DC group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). The complaint charged that the conservative organizations were corporations prohibited by election law from making campaign donations and that their activities on behalf of Nader constituted an illegal in-kind contribution. [4] [5] [6]
In a debate with Nader, former presidential candidate Howard Dean criticized Nader for accepting ""the support of a right-wing, fanatic Republican group that is antigay in order to help you get on the ballot in Oregon. ... I don't think that's the way to change the party ... The way to change this country is not to get into bed with right-wing antigay groups to try to get yourself on the ballot. That can't work." [7]
Contact information
http://www.oregonfamilycouncil.org
External links
- Jeff Mapes, "Nader Getting Support From Unlikely Voters," Oregonian, June 25, 2004.
- Melanie Sloan, "Amended Complaint", Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, June 2004.
- Peter Wong, "Petition Against Gay Marriage Sets Signature Record," Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), July 1, 2004.
- "Group: Bush allies illegally helping Nader in Oregon: Complaint filed with Federal Election Commission", CNN, July 1, 2004.
- Mary Jacoby, "Dean Hits Nader Where It Hurts," Salon.com, July 10, 2004.
- William Schneider, "Naderites of Convenience," The Atlantic Online, July 13, 2004.
