Vice President's visit raises campaign cash for 5th District's Schrader

Biden was scheduled to meet about 200 people, each paying at least $200 and some of them more, at a gathering this afternoon at the Tiffany Center in Portland.

The sold-out event was organized by Schrader’s re-election campaign. But James Atkin, his campaign manager, said the White House has assumed control of the function.

Rick Hartwig of Salem, who leads Marion County Democrats, said earlier he was unaware of any local attendees.

Biden’s visit is his first to Oregon since Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama tapped the longtime Delaware senator to be his running mate in 2008. Biden did not make any stops in Oregon during the 2008 general-election campaign, which the Democratic ticket won by 17 percentage points.

Five months ago, Biden stopped in Seattle for a fundraiser for Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who’s seeking a fourth term.

Biden was scheduled later today to go on to a fundraiser for California Sen. Barbara Boxer in the Bay Area suburb of Atherton.

Schrader is a Democrat from Canby who succeeded Democrat Darlene Hooley of West Linn two years ago in the 5th District seat, which extends from the Mid-Valley into the Portland suburbs and the central coast. He won with 54.3 percent over Republican Mike Erickson, who got 38.3 percent.

For the first time since 1994, the 5th District registered more Democrats than Republicans in 2008.

Democrats continue to maintain a registration edge in the 5th over Republicans, 40.6 percent to 35.6 percent, as of the May 18 primary. Voters not affiliated with either major party add up to 19 percent.

Schrader faces Republican Scott Bruun of West Linn, a three-term state representative who defeated Fred Thompson of Salem in the primary.

As the official GOP nominee, Bruun is getting help from the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of House Republicans.

“By sending Vice President Joe Biden to fundraise for Kurt Schrader, they recognize that this seat and their fiscally irresponsible majority are slipping from their grasp,” Bruun said in a statement. “Sending Biden to Oregon is nothing more than a quid pro quo thank-you to Schrader for his party-line votes on the failed stimulus package, increased debt, irresponsible bailouts, higher taxes, cap-and-trade and the government takeover of health care.”

But a blog posted on The Hill website, which specializes in coverage of Congress, suggests that Biden’s visit may have more to do with funding for the Afghan war than with the congressional race.

In the House last week, Schrader voted against a key motion, which still passed 215-210, that altered the House’s version of funding for the war. The Senate still has to pass a funding bill; if the Senate changes it, it has to return to the House, where Schrader and other war critics could have a second shot to defeat it.
Schrader came out in flat opposition to continued U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

Obama wants the funding bill, which has attached to it federal education aid to states that Schrader supports. However, Obama said he objects to the form that some of that aid would take.

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