Wyden and Smith: An Odd Couple

Yesterday's Town Hall meeting with Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith had quite the flavor of a campaign event. The capacity crowd in the Medford City Council chambers (probably over 200 people), was predominantly middle aged and older.

Smith and Wyden are proud of their bi-partisan cooperation, their friendship (Smith said that Wyden "slept in my daughter's bed last night"), and their cooperating in the interest of Oregon. Track records were flaunted and priorities expressed. They have developed a political strategy designed to ensure long tenures in the Senate for both. By focusing on issues they agree upon they hope to appear moderate and pander to a bipartisan group of so-called moderates. Wyden repeatedly spoke on Universal Health Care to the delight of the retired audience. They emphasized natural resource issues and salvage logging, expressing a desire to avoid clear cuts and road building but a desire to log fire areas and a strong desire to thin near residential zones. Transportation funding was emphasized as a solution to unemployment and education was offered as a priority as well.

Over all the meeting was cordial, chatty, and personal. Wyden is a very effective speaker and very comfortable. Smith is a bit pompous and more authoritarian.

The questions ranged from self-serving congratulations from Commissioners Walker and Kupallis, to asking everyone opposing the war to stand (about 2/3rds of the crowd), to PERS, and quite a bit about national security.

Senator Smith did take it upon himself to mention John Poindexter and the Total Information Awareness program. Wyden introduced an amendment to the Omnibus Spending Bill that would require Congressional approval before the system is brought on line. After the end of the official meeting, I spoke with Senator Smith about TIA. Smith believes that the bill made the project irrelevant, "if they can't use it, then what's the point". The point is that Poindexter is a convicted felon and can not be trusted. He destroyed evidence and lied to Congress. His contempt for the Constitution is clear and he has no place in Federal service. Smith laughed it off.

Wyden spoke about his sponsorship of tax relief for early hydrogen fuel adopters. While this idea is curious it can only shorten the lengthy deployment time for the hydrogen infrastructure. After speaking with Smith I stood in line for a moment with Wyden. My intent was to ask him support legislation to provide significant incentives for the development of a biodiesel infrastructure. Since biodiesel is a replacement for petroleum diesel, no conversion process at the pump or vehicle is required. With significant federal incentives, biodiesel could replace a portion of our petroleum imports. When it came to be my turn to speak with Wyden he ignored me and turned. He had sized me up earlier while I was in line, and I suppose the cut of my shirt wasn't expensive enough for him. Or perhaps the length of my pony tail offended him. I'll have to work on my "Money Look" a bit before my next opportunity to speak with Senator Wyden.

My overall impression of the Senators boils down to one idea : "Bipartisanship Equals Status Quo".