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Mannix stands by anti-crime record By Chris Bristol Proud of his reputation for law and order, Kevin Mannix believes he represents a clear choice over incumbent Hardy Myers for the office of Oregon Attorney General. "Don�t get me wrong: He�s an intelligent, articulate and decent guy," the GOP hopeful said of Myers during an interview Thursday at the Mail Tribune. "But he hasn�t made a difference. Business as usual is not good government these days." The Salem attorney and legislator is probably best known around the state for his high-profile crime measures, particularly Measure 11, the controversial 1994 initiative that established mandatory prison sentences for violent felonies and sex offenses. Last year he sponsored Oregon�s tough new law against repeat drunken drivers. It�s a mind-set that Mannix intends to pursue if elected attorney general, as well as aggressive consumer-protection programs. Myers and others in the liberal establishment, he said, wrongly define the job as the state�s corporate attorney, not its top crime fighter. "If the attorney general doesn�t have a larger role, then why do we elect him?" Mannix asked. "He�s saying we need to hire a technician for the job. He�s wrong." First elected to the Legislature in 1988, Mannix switched parties after he lost the Democratic nomination to former House speaker Myers in the 1996 primary. By then, he had gained a reputation among the Democratic leadership as a conservative maverick who couldn�t be trusted. "Mannix is a self-promoting publicity-seeker who often takes issues to the ballot by initiative when he cannot persuade his legislative colleagues to do it his way," political commentator Russell Sadler wrote in 1996. Mannix bristles at the suggestion he was not a team player. "I am a stubborn kind of guy, but I never voted against the (Democratic) caucus on a procedural matter," he said. "Does that sound like I wasn�t a team player?" Still, the switch to the Republican Party has been a better fit. He has become something of a rising star in the GOP, and recently served as vice chairman of Oregon�s delegation to the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. A graduate of the University of Virginia law school, Mannix came to the Pacific Northwest in 1974, where he clerked for the Oregon Court of Appeals before going to work as an assistant attorney general in the state Department of Justice. He left the job after 2� years for a similar position in the U.S. territory of Guam, returning to Salem for good after that. Following a stint as an administrative judge, he went into private practice (mainly business and insurance work) and has been his own boss since 1986. He and his wife of 26 years, Susanna, have three teenaged children. In addition to public safety and consumer protection, Mannix believes the attorney general should take a closer look at administrative regulations when asked for interpretations. He accused Myers of writing "mushy" opinions that favor bureaucrats. "If you think that your ultimate client is the agency, you might keep your mouth shut," he said. "I think the ultimate client is the people of Oregon." For more information about Mannix�s campaign, including his stand on specific issues, consult his Web site at kevin.mannix.com. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA