Mannix not making front page news

Amidst the mud-slinging hoopla that has devoured the 5th CD GOP primary, one thing is clear. Mike Erickson's $1 million dollar personal slush fund is not going to lose to Kevin Mannix's meager $190,000 campaign kitty when The Oregonian only runs an amorous story involving sex, abortion and Jimmy Mak's on page two of their Metro section.

Mannix has sent one mailing to the remaining GOP primary voters in hopes he can turn their heads away from Erickson's repeated television ads when they mark up their ballots this week. However, the only hope Mannix has for a big victory in one week is for every newspaper and television station in Oregon to pick up this story and ignore the highly popular Democratic presidential primary campaign. Although, with continued visits from Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain, shifting the media's focus will be a serious challenge.  Mannix should also expect Erickson's deep pockets to come back with a hard-hitting response in the coming days, if not hours.