Ellen's been shellin' it out

I read today that Tina Kotek, speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, is running for governor, and I have just four words: 

1. Please
2. Dear
3. God
4. No

This news broke just as I was getting ready to needle the state attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, again, as I do periodically. According to Willy Weed, of which her husband is publisher, Rosenblum is maybe possibly potentially thinking about running, too, but a recent check of her campaign finance activity shows that it's some pretty spendy thinking. 

Since the first of the year, the A.G. has dropped more than $96,000 in cash on a campaign of some sort. She's brought in about $57,500 in cash during that same time. Her war chest is most recently reported at more than $188,000. In contrast, Kotek's campaign has a little over $90,000 in it, with about $21,000 coming in and about $22,000 going out since the year began.

Where is all that Rosenblum dough going? By my calculations, $26,300 was paid out to an outfit called Lake Research Partners, Inc.; $26,000 went to something called Blue Wave Political Partners, LLC; $10,500 went to Run the World Digital Corp.; and NGP VAN, Inc. got about $6,200. You math majors are way ahead of me. That's $69,000 to the four of them.

Who are these people?

From their websites:

Lake Research Partners is a national public opinion and political strategy research firm founded by Celinda Lake in 1995, and the most consistently accurate — and consistently progressive — Democratic research firm in the country. 

Blue Wave is a leading national political consulting firm that delivers compliance and fundraising services.

Run the World is a progressive, grassroots fundraising firm founded to change the way clients and consultants work together. We believe we can provide cutting-edge digital fundraising, ad programs, websites, and direct mail while maintaining the personal customer service your campaign or organization needs to succeed.

NGP VAN is the leading technology provider to Democratic and progressive campaigns and organizations, as well as nonprofits, municipalities, and other groups, offering clients an integrated platform of the best fundraising, compliance, field, organizing, digital, and social networking products.

That's some heavy artillery for somebody who's merely pondering. Heck, even Mandate Media, a political consulting shop run by erstwhile Portland political blogger Kari Chisholm, earned $1,500.

The thought of Rosenblum being sworn in as Oregon's oldest-ever governor is not particularly enticing, but if the alternative is Kotek? I'm with Ellen!