And they're off in the Legislature, but you knew that already.

[January 10th, 2007] State Rep. Greg MacPherson doesn't want to talk about it, but multiple Salem sources say the Lake Oswego Democrat has told people he'll run for attorney general in 2008 . Known as one of the brightest House members, the Harvard-educated lawyer and chair of the House Judiciary Committee will try to replace term-limited Democratic incumbent Attorney General Hardy Myers (an alum of MacPherson's law firm, Stoel Rives). MacPherson's only comment: "It is not helpful to the work at hand to speculate about non-legislative offices in the 2008 election cycle."

What to do about Jefferson High School principal Leon Dudley and his inability to shake bad news? As reported on WWire at wweek.com, Jeff teachers faced this question when they were told last Friday: "There are NOT to be any reporters in the building or any interviews unless they have been approved by Mr. Dudley or Mrs. Harris," meaning Cynthia Harris, author of the note and area director in charge of Jeff's administration. Some teachers have been speaking to reporters about problems with Dudley, such as his not spending enough time at Jeff and a recent sexual and racial harassment complaint filed against him. Murmurs' memo to teachers: You're still free to be interviewed on your own time.

Legislative leaders calling for a one-year revolving-door hiatus for any legislator wishing to become a lobbyist might think about some rules for the executive branch. Pat Egan , until recently Gov. Ted Kulongoski's chief of staff (a job involving energy policy and the Public Utility Commission), is taking a high-level PR job at PacifiCorp, which plans a vigorous campaign to overturn a controversial utility tax law. Meanwhile, the gov's new deputy chief of staff, Allen Alley , until recently CEO of Pixelworks, remains chairman of that firm's board and owns nearly 1.8 million Pixelworks shares. Kulongoski spokeswoman Anna Richter Taylor points out there are no restrictions on executive branch officials, adding that Alley will declare potential conflicts and recuse himself of any matters related to Pixelworks.

Don't invite City Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Randy Leonard to smoke the same peace pipe. Saltzman, the commissioner in charge of parks, opposes Leonard's bid to ban smoking in all city parks, including Portland International Raceway and golf courses. Saltzman has pushed for such a smoking ban in Pioneer Courthouse Square and park playgrounds. But he'll fight Leonard's proposal to widen the ban when it comes up to council Thursday, Jan. 11. Among the reasons for Saltzman's position: He thinks a total ban in parks is unenforceable and would create too many conflicts between citizens.

And another potential Democratic challenger to U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) takes a pass. Ten-term U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) told Washington's Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call last week that he's not interested in seeking his party's nomination to run against Smith in 2008. That development closely follows ex.-Gov. John Kitzhaber's decision to stay out of a Senate Democratic primary next year. Meantime, Smith is creating plenty of ammo for any D. The (Eugene) Register-Guard quoted Smith on Tuesday as stopping short of opposing a troop increase in Iraq, despite last month making national news for being a Republican blasting the Bush administration's war policy.

For a peace rally, Saturday's "Die-In" in Pioneer Courthouse Square sure generated a lot of grousing. The event was marked by about a hundred people pretending to lie dead in the square as a way to mark the death of more than 3,000 American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Iraq war. But some complained "death and resurrection" lasting less than an hour was too short. Then student anarchists tacked on their own protest, arriving late with a banner that read, "Fuck the Troops," raising eyebrows and some tempers among ordinarily peaceful liberals.