|
After an
offline query, I’d like to clarify something from my last post, in which I
detailed that Sen. Ron Wyden is a Jew, but did not mention religious
affiliation of any of the other names.
The short answer is that I am familiar with Wyden, but not the others mentioned. In a very
secular state where church competes with bountiful recreation, and the Jewish
population is definitely a minority, Wyden’s being a Jew has been an issue for
some, though he was reelected by a wide margin. I hope it was understood that religious affiliation was
mentioned as added layering to understanding, just as knowing that Tom Daschle
and Dick Gephardt are Catholics, as well as Jeb Bush (re: the recent
intervention in a death with dignity issue in Florida) or that Tom DeLay is a
rabid, absolutist Zionist Christian, which partly explains his sometimes
bizarre pronouncements. Please
note I ‘pick on my own’ vehemently. I scorn DeLay because he uses personal
convictions without regard to protecting the separation of church and state,
and promotes a particular agenda that is not for the greater common good. I used to live in his district in Texas and
disliked him then, also. I admire Wyden’s
personal dedication and his family history that has leant itself to his public
service. He made a name for himself here by being the Ralph Nader of the senior
citizen Gray Panthers, and I like his bulldog willingness to filibuster, work
behind the scenes, be the spoiler (as in exposing BP’s secret gas price scheme
on the West Coast several years ago and more recently exposing the Pentagon’s
plans to create a terrorism betting office) when necessary. Most of the time he is a team player
and made a point of working in concert with Gordon Smith, who once ran against
him, after Smith was elected as our other Senator. Both of them, plus my House of Rep. Earl Blumenauer, hear
from me frequently. Wyden is also
a pro-environmentalist legislator most of the time, though he voted yesterday
against the Harkin amendment to the Healthy Forest bill, which I don’t
understand yet. Back when I
thought about trying to work as a legislative aide, he would be my first choice
to work for. Maybe I should
add that Smith is a Mormon (I don’t know about Earl, but he always wears bow
ties. Now I’m being sassy.) and
that in his first year announced his opposition to right to die legislation
because of his Mormon teachings.
Of course, I respect individual religious values, but I respect Wyden
for representing the people who elected him ahead of his own personal
principles – those are the
political principles I meant to highlight. Karen Please, Arthur, let’s not use
the word “hero” with anyone in politics today. I’m a great believer in mythological heroes, some military
heroes, sports heroes, and especially fire fighters, police, medical and science
research heroes, and everyday heroes. Yes, Byrd has a ‘colored past’,
as do many old Dixie politicians. He also ‘mended his ways ‘, as did Strom
Thurmond, much later, under pressure to do so. But my religious upbringing urges me to give people a second
chance in life. Some don’t always deserve it. Some even get third chances. Some never last that long and
are forever remembered at their worst. There are lots of examples of those. Of a younger earnest generation,
I am intrigued by Dennis Kucinich, who is running for president unafraid of the
sticky labels he acquires on the trail. But until now his political work for
his home state has been off the national map. Byrd has made a career of sticking to core Democratic
principles, and serves as an elder statesman to his party, which has evolved
back and forth since he entered politics. On a more personal note, I think
my former professor, David Boren, ex-Gov. and Senator of Oklahoma has held fast
to the moderately conservative wing of the Democratic party, even with all the
events since 1970 that changed the political landscape. He is now Chancellor at Univ of
Oklahoma. I also thought Sam Nunn
(D-GA) was top-notch in his time, and has served the country well since
then. I also like Jay Rockefeller and
my own Sen. Ron Wyden, a Jew who came to prominence in Oregon after championing
the Gray Panthers and who has steadfastly defended Oregonians choice (twice) on
right to die legislation when it has been challenged, even though his personal
values oppose it. Many former politicians do
better work once they are off the taxpayer’s payroll. Think of the work Colorado’s party boy Gary Hart and New
Hampshire’s xxx ??? have done with terrorism/homeland security issues. Lee Hamilton also comes to mind, now with
the Wilson Center. The best
example today may be Jimmy Carter, whose successes and failures are both deeply
tied to his principles. While in the game, politics is
like being a plumber, you have to occasionally get dirty to keep things
flowing. It is the public’s job to
be alert and knowledgeable enough to keep an eye on what is exactly flowing,
and watchdog groups help. It’s just gotten to be such a big enterprise that
many people get dismayed of ever having an impact and they give up trying. - Karen Arthur
wrote: Karen, type in "senator robert
byrd" kkk in
Google and you will see your hero in a rather different light. |
