No unity likely in CD-5

When Darlene Hooley announced her retirement from Congress last February the NRCC's eyes widened and their jaws began to drool as they saw one of the best opportunities for a national GOP pick up. However, now with the gloves off and bare knuckles bleeding in the Republican primary between Kevin Mannix and Mike Erickson, it doesn't look like there will be any unity parties between the two camps after next week's primary election.

Mannix's release today on allegations of drugs and abortion lodged against Erickson are seen by some party insiders as his attempt to drown the already wounded Oregon GOP in a cesspool of negative campaigning and infighting. Such actions make it near impossible to bring the two sides together after the primary to battle the Democratic nominee in November. Should Erickson make it through the primary, Democrats have a hypocrite to poke fun at. If Mannix surfaces from the GOP primary, Dems can claim they stayed "above the fray" of such dirty campaign tactics. Either way, GOP primary voters in the 5th congressional district have merely 8 days to decide who is their best shot.