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Oregonians will gather this weekend to remember the life of former U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Furse (D-Ore.). Furse served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 1st Congressional District, which stretches from Portland’s Alphabet District to the Goonies House in Astoria.
Furse, born in Kenya, was perhaps best known as an anti-apartheid activist and advocate for farmworkers. The founder of the Oregon Peace Institute, she remained staunchly anti-war while in Congress, fighting against nuclear proliferation and trying to divert defense spending to children’s health care.
She died at age 75 on her family farm in Washington County.
The celebration of Furse’s life is sponsored by Portland State University and the Oregon Historical Society. It will be held at 11 am Saturday, April 23, at PSU’s Native American Student and Community Center, 710 SW Jackson St.
In honor of the occasion, WW combed through our archives to find our first endorsement of Furse, in the 1992 Democratic primary. Here it is in full.
Election ‘92 Endorsements
This race offers voters as interesting a choice as voters are likely to face this primary. Gary Conkling is a thoughtful, clearheaded candidate whose candidacy springs from years of hard work in Oregon politics. Elizabeth Furse is a smart, charismatic candidate with a background in political activism. Both candidates bring a fair amount to the table; each have flaws. We’re convinced, however, that Furse is the best bet.
The founder of the Oregon Peace Institute, Furse has one of the more interesting resumes in Oregon politics. She owns a farm in Washington County with with her husband and is a civic activist who has worked on behalf of women, Native Americans and the urban poor. She has demonstrated leadership skills and inspired those she’s worked with to think big.
Furse is willing to take unpopular stands—calling for the closure of the Trojan nuclear power plant and pushing for increases on absurdly low fees for grazing on public lands. Furse embodies coalition building: Who would have thought a white South African could win the support of the Black Leadership Conference?
In some respects, her politics are not unlike that of her opponent. Both toe the Democratic Party line on issues of choice, cuts in the defense budget and support for Israel, but she’s more concerned by the growing gap between rich and poor. And, frankly, we are not unaffected by the the thought of sending a woman to the far too male-dominated House of Representatives.
At the same time, we are troubled by Furse’s voting record. It’s not so much that county records show she did not vote during most elections in the past decade. It’s the fact that she sounded untruthful in denying it. No one tells the truth 100 percent of the time, but this apparent discrepancy does suggest a character flaw.
Gary Conkling would no doubt make a good, if not green, congressman. A former aide to both Reps. Wyden and Les AuCoin, Conkling has most recently been a lobbyist representing the interests of the high-tech industry. He would perhaps need the least amount of training and, in some cases, might even have a more realistic view of what one person can accomplish. Our problem with Conkling is his very moderation. While arguing that he has staked out a middle position free of outside influences on issues such as Trojan, the Endangered Species Act, timber policy, the peace dividend and the budget, Conkling’s excessive flexibility on a topic can resemble a lack of backbone. We support Furse.
