Vance Day

MINNEAPOLIS -- Oregon’s delegation to the Republican National Convention was dazzled by vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s (R-Alaska) speech in St. Paul on Wednesday.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Oregon Democrats have complained loudly about U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith's campaign touting the Republican's work with high-profile Democrats in Washington.

Smith has spent much time and energy, and plenty of money running commercials touting his work with Democratic Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), instead of Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) or John McCain (R-Ariz.).

But the quieter drama that has played out behind the scenes has been what Oregon Republicans, Smith's base, feel about Smith running on his bipartisanship. Some supporters, especially those backing McCain in the presidential contest, have grumbled about the Smith strategy.

When conservatives in the Republican Party have turned their ire toward Smith (R-Pendleton), Oregon Republican Party chairman Vance Day has been there to hold the party together.

"There are some folks in the Republican Party that are perturbed with Gordon because he is independent and he's spoken his mind," Day said. "I've seen some people get cranky. I end up mediating, but if I think someone is out of line I will call them out on it."

MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Erickson (R-Lake Oswego) could use a little emotional support. A week ago, he endured a harsh week of attacks from Oregon Democrats at the Democratic National Convention, calling him everything from a “weasel” to a “schmuck.” So with this week’s Republican National Convention kicking into gear, conventional wisdom would assume that Oregon Republicans would rush to their congressional candidate’s defense.

ST. PAUL -- Oregon Republican Party chairman Vance Day lambasted Democrats on Tuesday, accusing them of hypocrisy for making a political issue out of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Oregon Republican Party chairman Vance Day told delegates Monday that the business-only schedule adopted by the Republican National Convention because of Hurricane Gustav was important to acknowledge what people in the storm’s path were going through.

EASTERN COLORADO--Oregon Republican Party chairman Vance Day was ecstatic at Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) announcement that he’s selected Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) to join the presidential ticket.

DENVER -- Oregon Republican Party chairman Vance Day said Thursday that U.S. Senate candidate Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley's (D-Portland) speech before the Democratic National Convention didn't seem to be a very big deal.

"I really don't think the Democrats gave a whole lot of emphasis to Jeff Merkley's speech," Day said via phone from Minneapolis, where he was preparing for the Republican National Convention. "They gave him an odd time to speak, and it was kind of hard to hear him with all that clamor. I'm really not sure if he was up there to give a speech or take up podium space."

While Oregon delegates were meeting in caucuses and getting ready to cast their vote for Barack Obama on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Phil Barnhart (D-Central Lane) was hard at work touting Obama’s policies in Oregon and defending the Democratic presidential candidate from Republican attacks.

Oregon Republican Party chairman Vance Day said on Monday that Democrats were obviously not united around Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (D-Ill.) because Obama’s pick of U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) was a sign that Democrats were afraid he was unprepared to be president.

The Oregon Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Oregon had different reactions to Saturday’s announcement that U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) will be Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) running mate.