Page 4A
OPINION
East Oregonian
Thursday, February 18, 2016
OTHER VIEWS
Founded October 16, 1875
KATHRYN B. BROWN
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Publisher
Managing Editor
JENNINE PERKINSON
TIM TRAINOR
Advertising Director
Opinion Page Editor
OUR VIEW
It’s a judicial choice,
not a litmus test
by GOP activists. The prospect of
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
a President Donald Trump or Ted
Antonin Scalia’s death Saturday
threw another hen into the fox house Cruz naming a key member of the
Supreme Court is
of 21st-century
likely to increase
American politics,
giving our political
As conservative voter interest in
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class an unexpected
as he was,
vacancy. Imagine
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Trump vetting
about during an
Scalia
was
potential court
already tempestuous
conirmed 98-0 members for their
election year.
views on
Although
by the Senate. favorable
prisoner torture, or
theoretically above
Cruz requiring a new
politics, the Supreme
justice who comports with his idea
Court wields incredible power to
that the U.S. adhere to conservative
shape and warp national laws and
Southern Baptist doctrine.
policies. Appointed for life by the
As conservative as he was, Scalia
president with the Senate’s advice
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and consent, justices are supposed
No Democrats opposed him, despite
to stay above the fray. The court is,
his politics, because our Constitution
in essence, the nation’s thermostat,
and traditions give the sitting
relying on the Constitution to
president authority to appoint who
moderate the gyrations of elected
he or she wishes, so long as they are
politicians.
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In keeping with their strategy
Current senate leadership
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seriously errs in turning this
block President Barack Obama at
appointment into a political litmus
every turn, Senate Republicans —
test on the president, who won in
and the party’s slate of presidential
2012 with a 5 million vote majority.
contenders — immediately insisted
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on leaving the now-vacant Supreme
rational jurist. The Senate should
Court seat empty until after Jan. 20,
give this person a fair hearing.
2017, when a new president takes
Beyond this, as we have observed
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in the past, it is time for this president
By so doing, Senate Republicans
(and all presidents) to make Supreme
are effectively turning 2016 into an
Court appointments from the West.
election for both the presidency and
The court is dominated by a narrow
the Supreme Court. This is unlikely
and elite East Coast demographic.
to rebound in their favor. Most
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American voters are not driven by
nation’s geographical diversity.
the idealogical purity tests applied
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher
Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor.
Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not
necessarily that of the East Oregonian.
OTHER VIEWS
The end of occupation
The (Eugene) Register-Guard
O
regonians breathed a sigh of
relief when the occupation of the
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
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with about the best outcome under the
circumstances — no more violence.
There were no real winners, only
losers. From both an environmental and
human viewpoint, it was a disaster.
A man died and, regardless of how
one feels about his politics, it was a
needless loss of a human life. From a law
enforcement point of view, the killing
of Robert “LaVoy” Finicum left an
indelible stain on an otherwise successful
operation.
The occupiers prevented refuge staff
from doing their jobs, putting work,
research and habitat at risk. Just how
much damage was done, whether the
effects will be long-term and how much
it will cost to clean up the mess won’t be
known until the refuge employees can get
in to do a thorough assessment.
No one has yet totaled the local,
state and federal law enforcement costs
accrued over the last six weeks due to the
occupation, but these costs will be borne
by taxpayers.
The heaviest burden has fallen on
the people of Harney and surrounding
counties, whose lives were disrupted
beyond belief. They were frightened and
angered by the occupiers and now have
to put their lives and communities back
together, including repairing fractured
relationships.
Dwight and Steven Hammond,
the father and son ranchers whose
imprisonment was used by the occupiers
as an excuse to seize the refuge, are no
better off — and may be worse.
There was some sympathy in Oregon
for the men, who after serving prison
terms for burning federal land were
sent back under mandatory minimum
sentencing laws. A number of people,
including the judge who originally
sentenced them to shorter terms, felt the
Hammonds were treated unfairly and
hoped they might receive a presidential
pardon or other reprieve.
The occupiers, who don’t appear
to have consulted the Hammonds
before barging into Oregon, have likely
diminished the chances of that happening.
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or agency doing anything that would
allow the occupiers to claim victory,
emboldening others, is slim.
The occupiers themselves, led by
Ammon Bundy of Idaho, have done
themselves no favors. Many now sit in
jail, facing federal charges.
Bundy had been looking for a likely
target to stage a protest for some time
before the Hammonds crossed his radar
screen. His decision to target Oregon was
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He didn’t notice that Oregonians do
not like outsiders coming in and telling
them what to do.
He also badly misread the nature of
eastern Oregon conservatism, which is
imbued with a love of country, respect
for law enforcement and love of their
heritage and Oregon’s outdoors.
While the Bundy-ites did receive
some initial support for drawing
attention to ranchers’ issues, most people
distanced themselves after becoming
uncomfortable with Bundy’s tactics and
philosophy.
The occupiers’ harassment of local
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families, trashing of the refuge, and
blatant contempt for the rule of law had
more in common with the anarchists of
the radical left than with the people of
eastern Oregon.
As the occupation wore on, the
lengthy criminal records of a number of
the occupiers also came to light, further
tarnishing the group’s image.
The occupiers also badly misjudged
the amount of outside support they could
expect to receive.
From wild tales of sympathetic
members of the military who would be
parachuting in during the early stage of
the occupation, to increasingly desperate
calls asking for thousands of supporters
to converge on Harney County, the group
found its national army of supporters was
a fantasy.
“Where are the people?” one
anguished occupier asked. The answer:
This vast army of militant supporters
existed only in the occupiers’ minds,
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radical rightwing websites they favored.
With the leaders of the occupation
now sitting in jail, the ongoing drama has
ended.
Probably the closest thing to
satisfaction that anyone can claim is felt
by law enforcement agencies, whose
patient approach was vindicated.
Now, it is left to Oregonians to clean
up the mess left by the intruders, and hope
that their experience will discourage any
further circuses.
GOP Iraq battle shines new
spotlight on Jeb Bush weakness
I
As the son and brother of
t’s entirely reasonable to say the
presidents, Bush’s very presence in the
war in Iraq was a disaster. Maybe
Republican race is extraordinary. He
you disagree, or maybe you think
began the campaign with a dynastic
that’s too harsh, but it’s an arguable
problem, noted by his mother, who, in
proposition.
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To Jeb Bush, though, it’s an attack on
said of the 2016 race, “There are other
his family, and therefore out of bounds.
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When Donald Trump attacked
and we’ve had enough Bushes.”
the war as a “big fat mistake” during
Byron
As the race has progressed, the
the recent debate in South Carolina,
York
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and went on to say that “they” — the
Comment
drew attention away from the dynastic
George W. Bush administration — lied
problem. But it is still there.
about weapons of mass destruction, Jeb
And Bush’s family ties apparently make it
took it personally.
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“I am sick and tired of him going after my
with a question like the war in Iraq, which,
family,” Bush said as Trump stood nearby.
given the situation with ISIS, Syria and the
The Iraq war affected a lot of Americans.
rest of the Middle East,
More than 1 million U.S.
remains a serious issue in
military men and women
the presidential campaign.
served in Iraq after the
What’s odd is that
2003 invasion. A total of
George W. Bush, who
4,495 died, while 32,223
started the Iraq war, has
were wounded. Their
delved deeply and painfully
families were affected. Their
into its origin and impact.
communities were affected.
“The reality was that I had
And, of course, all Americans
sent American troops into
have an interest in a war’s
combat based in large part
success and the furtherance
on intelligence that proved
of U.S. national interest.
false,” W wrote in his memoir. “I had a
In other words, the effects of the Iraq war
sickening feeling every time I thought about it.
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I still do.”
family. But Jeb Bush, in public at least, takes
In addition, George W. Bush has spent
an attack on the war as an attack on his mom
thousands of hours with veterans and military
and his dad and his brother. When Trump
families. And he has not tried to shield himself
struck, here is what Bush said in response:
“I am sick and tired of him going after
when some are angry.
my family. My dad is the greatest man alive,
In her own book, former White House
in my mind. And while Donald Trump was
press secretary Dana Perino told the story of
building a reality TV show, my brother was
accompanying Bush, as president, to a military
building a security apparatus to keep us safe.
hospital, where he met a grief-stricken woman
And I’m proud of what he did. And (Trump)
whose son was dying of war wounds:
has had the gall to go after my mother. Look, I
“She yelled at the president, wanting to
won the lottery when I was born 63 years ago,
know why it was her child and not his who lay
looked up, and I saw my mom. My mom is the in that hospital bed.
strongest woman I know.”
“Her husband tried to calm her and I
Some of that is simply non sequitur — one
noticed the president wasn’t in a hurry to
man says the war was a mistake, and the other
leave — he tried offering comfort but then just
answers that his mother is a great woman. But
stood and took it, like he expected and needed
Bush’s words, more than anything, showed that to hear the anguish, to try to soak up some of
he is unable to separate momentous national
her suffering if he could.”
events, or at least this particular momentous
On the trip back to the White House, the
national event, from his own familial bonds.
presidential entourage was silent, until Bush
A few seconds later, Marco Rubio, whose
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father and brother were not president of the
And I don’t blame her a bit.”
United States, gave a more concise and focused
But that’s George W. Bush. Jeb Bush
defense of the George W. Bush administration
certainly knows the intensity of the feelings
than Jeb did.
involved — he has sometimes talked of, as
And the next day, Jeb did it again. His
governor of Florida, comforting the families
campaign sent out an email headlined “Donald
of Floridians killed in Iraq. But in this
crossed a line.” Did he mean Trump had
campaign, Jeb repels attacks on the war as
wrongly attacked the war? No, he meant Trump assaults on family.
had attacked his family:
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“Friend — Last night, Donald Trump came
have mostly refrained from debating it
after my family yet again. But I told him I was
amongst themselves, at least in public. But
sick and tired of it, and put him in his place.
Trump has changed that. And in the process
“But even I was surprised to hear him attack KHKDVUHYHDOHGWKHGHHSHVWÀDZVLQ-HE
my brother, George W. Bush, over 9/11.
Bush’s presidential candidacy.
“Donald showed once more he cannot be
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the Republican Party’s nominee.
Byron York is chief political correspondent
“Here is the truth: George kept us safe.”
for The Washington Examiner.
The effects of the
Iraq war extend
far beyond the
conines of the
Bush family.
YOUR VIEWS
Minimum wage increase will
hurt small businesses
Ranchers no longer have free
access to open range
My small business employs 20 people
in the $10 to $15 per hour range, with over
2,400 hours worked per month. The $3 per
hour increase will cost me $7,200 per month,
or $86,400 per year.
Some say I can pass the increase on to
customers, but my prices are controlled by
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the service I provide is gone. The space I
occupy will be vacant.
I suppose I could let four employees go
and drop my contribution to the medical
plan, which will hurt my remaining
employees. I could reduce the amount of
donations to the community. These are tough
choices.
The proposed wage increase directly
impacts me and my employees. The
proposed minimum wage hike is nothing
more than a tax that will hurt a select group
of businesses and employees. My story
is not uncommon and it will be replayed
throughout the state.
I hope the people in Salem can come up
with a plan the more evenly distributes the
pain associated with the objective of a more
just society.
What used to be called “Open Range”
under the individual states’ jurisdiction has
been pulled under federal control such as the
Department of Interior, and subjected to land
management — BLM and the U.S. Forest
Service. The ranchers who used the free land
and water as open range were fenced out from
both to protect the natural resources, and are
now even restricted in some cases to access to
water on their own land by the EPA.
When the farmers and ranchers
complained they were shut down, and came to
realize they didn’t have a forum to voice their
opinion. They are now being told by Bureau
of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
that their livestock was fouling the water and
destroying wildlife. The farmers and ranchers
have tried to assemble many protests, from
such peaceable protests as massive convoy
caravans to music like the Woodstock Festival
to gain the general population’s ear, but they
were easily labeled as law breakers, terrorists,
militants, occupiers and armed troublemakers.
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on the Tenth Amendment to agree with the
federal government’s actions, and being
labeled as terrorists without regard to their
Second Amendment rights.
David Pietka,
Portland
Frank Vincent, Hermiston
LETTERS POLICY
The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. Submitted letters
must be signed by the author and include a daytime phone number. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.