CHRISTOPHER RUSH
Publisher
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Editor
WYATT HAUPT JR.
News Editor
JADE McDOWELL
Hermiston Editor
THURSDAy, FEBRUARy 20, 2020
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Wyden shows up for fellow Oregonians
U
.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said it best
last weekend when he arrived to
view the damage caused by the
flooding of the Umatilla and Walla Walla
rivers.
“We’re 3,000 miles from D.C., so a lot
of times folks feel like D.C. might as well
be Mars,” Wyden said. “And I understand
that. So, it’s my job to kind of shorten the
distance and cut through the red tape.”
Wyden’s statement essentially says it
all, but what should be of lasting impact
to residents is the fact that the Oregon
Democratic senator did, indeed, leave
Washington, D.C., and travel to the local
area.
Did Wyden arrive with bags of cash
to hand out to residents impacted by the
floods? Of course not. That’s not really
the point. Wyden’s presence and his siz-
able influence in the halls of the U.S.
Congress can, and often do, translate
into real political gold when it comes to
finding a way to help his constituents,
especially in the aftermath of a serious
disaster.
The fact is Wyden didn’t really have
to come to Umatilla County. As a Dem-
Staff photo by Alex Castle
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, right, speaks with volunteers from the American Red Cross during a
tour on Saturday. The organization had over 100 people sign up to volunteer in wake of se-
vere flooding throughout Umatilla County on Feb. 6.
ocrat, he won’t be able to count on a siz-
able number of votes from a staunchly
Republican stronghold, such as Eastern
Oregon.
But Wyden has always maintained that
when it comes to voters, party lines are
not as important as some would believe.
His outlook has consistently focused
on the fact that he isn’t a Democrat or a
Republican but an Oregon senator. Not
long ago, Wyden spearheaded an effort to
reach a landmark compromise between
environmentalists and ranchers in remote
Malheur County regarding federal lands.
He didn’t help ink the deal as a Democrat
or Republican but as a senator elected
by Oregonians to serve their best inter-
ests. The compromise — still somewhat
of a work in progress — was considered
by many to be a mission impossible. Yet,
after months of work, two sides that are
typically bitterly divided found a way to
move ahead.
While many lawmakers like to tout
their commitment to voters — and cer-
tainly most often do prove their alle-
giance to their continents — Wyden’s
track record shows he has consistently
sought to gather input from Oregonians
and to step up and help as much as he can
when he can.
In a real sense, Wyden doesn’t need
to make wide sweeping proclamations
about policy decisions. That’s because,
when it counts, he shows up and tries to
help. He doesn’t see red or blue but fellow
Oregonians.
OTHER VIEWS
Yes, Trump’s interference with Bring the troops home — hey, not so fast
Editor’s Note: Do you have a point you’d like to Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines. South
our institutions is that bad
make or an issue you feel strongly about? Submit Korea has just agreed to stronger security ties to
the most cursory knowledge of the judi-
usan Collins was absolutely right
ciary is that the system is working.
about this much: President Donald
Courts follow law, and they follow prec-
Trump has learned his lesson. And
edent, not the political whims of whoev-
he’s learned it by heart.
Thanks to the Senate’s cowardly abdi- er’s sitting behind the Resolute Desk, or
cation of its responsibilities, the Repub-
whichever party commands a majority
lican president now feels absolutely
on Capitol Hill.
emboldened to trample on what few con-
That’s why it was possible in 2008,
stitutional norms remain standing in
for instance, for the late U.S. Supreme
Washington, D.C.
Court Justice Antonin Scalia to simul-
In the small amount of time that has
taneously declare that, while the U.S.
elapsed since Maine’s senior senator and Constitution provided for an individual
her fellow Republicans acquitted
right to bear arms, the govern-
ment still had a compelling
Trump on the two impeachment
and legitimate role in regulat-
articles sent over from the U.S.
ing them.
House, the authoritarian-in-chief
“Nothing in our opinion
has purged the White House of
should be taken to cast doubt
perceived critics, demanded a
on longstanding prohibitions
reduced prison sentence for a
on the possession of firearms
crony, and declared he has “a
by felons and the mentally ill,
legal right” to intervene in court
J ohn L.
or laws forbidding the carry-
cases.
M icek
“There has been consider-
ing of firearms in sensitive
COMMENT
able hyperventilation, some per-
places, such as schools and
haps by me, about the grave
government buildings, or laws
harm Trump is doing to our democratic
imposing conditions and qualifications
institutions,” wrote Washington Post col- on the commercial sale of arms,” Scalia
umnist Eugene Robinson, who added
wrote in the landmark District of Colum-
bia v. Heller case.
he wasn’t hyperventilating now. “Pub-
lic faith in justice is a delicate, precious
Scalia, an icon to conservatives who
thing. Once squandered, it is incredibly
was appointed to the high court by Pres-
ident Ronald Reagan, also noted in his
hard to regain.”
I’m not hyperventilating now either.
opinion that, “like most rights, the right
There is a profound difference between
secured by the Second Amendment is
the daily, schoolyard bullying that’s
not unlimited … [it is] not a right to keep
sadly become a routine part of the for-
and carry any weapon whatsoever in any
mer reality television star’s administra-
manner whatsoever and for whatever
tion, and his direct, incredibly damaging, purpose.”
and ongoing assault on the judiciary.
That’s being guided by the law. And
It’s already well-established that when it was a point amplified by U.S. Supreme
Trump isn’t treating the law like his per-
Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who in
sonal plaything by issuing pardons to
2018 was compelled to publicly defend
such friends and supporters as former
the judiciary when Trump derided yet
Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe
another judge as an “Obama judge.”
Arpaio, he’s insulting or undermining
“We do not have Obama judges or
judges and courts he believes should
Trump judges, Bush judges or Clin-
ton judges,” Roberts said in a state-
bend to his will.
ment. “What we have is an extraordi-
That includes U.S. District Judge
nary group of dedicated judges doing
Gonzalo Curiel, whom Trump disparag-
ingly referred to as “Mexican” in 2018,
their level best to do equal right to those
despite the fact that Curiel was born in
appearing before them.”
Indiana. Trump has also used the 9th
In that stirring defense, Roberts
Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, based in
added “that independent judiciary is
San Francisco, as a personal punching
something we should all be thankful for.”
bag because it’s dealt Trump a series of
That’s the beauty and the sanctity
legal setbacks on some of his most radio- of our system. And that’s what’s at risk
active proposals.
when a president who already believes
“I mean, it’s really sad when every
he’s above the law has that delusion
single case filed against us is in the 9th
enforced by a legislative branch that
Circuit,” Trump told a gathering of gov-
refuses to live up to its constitutional
ernors at the White House in 2018,
duty to serve as a check on his excesses.
according to CNN. “We lose, we lose,
That’s not hyperventilating. That’s
we lose, and then we do fine in the
a warning. You won’t know how much
Supreme Court. But what does that tell
you’ll miss a fair and impartial judiciary
you about our court system? It’s a very,
until it’s gone.
very sad thing.”
———
What it would tell anyone with even
John L. Micek is a syndicated columnist.
S
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of
the East Oregonian editorial board. Other
columns, letters and cartoons on this page
express the opinions of the authors and not
necessarily that of the East Oregonian.
China. And, really new, in December 2019 there
was a trilateral summit of Chinese, Japanese and
here’s a drum beat for ending “endless
South Korean officials in Chengdu.
wars” and bringing the troops home. Tra-
In Afghanistan, the U.S. has just announced
ditional alliances are being questioned as
a peace agreement soon with the Taliban, with a
never before. It’s coming from U.S. politicians
reportedly planned withdrawal of all U.S. forces
in a three- to five-year time frame. Is withdrawal
and think tanks of all stripes.
rather than a tailored military presence a wise
It’s popular.
long-term strategy? What about Taliban close-
It’s an election year.
ness to al-Qaeda and a now-present ISIS? How
It caters to public frustration and impatience
can the government in Kabul, excluded from the
with tangled overseas obligations.
negotiations thus far, survive? Will Iran, Paki-
Through the 20th century, we had the luxury
stan and China come to dominate as
of being cushioned from conventional
foreign influences?
military attacks by the oceans on both
In Syria, we had a trip wire — plus
sides of our continent, accommodating
leverage — with just a couple of thou-
neighbors to our immediate north and
sand troops alongside Kurdish forces
south and the nuclear deterrence of the
on the northeast border with Turkey
Cold War.
to help prevent a Turkish attack, keep
The reality of the 21st century, how-
ever, is that the oceans don’t protect us
ISIS remnants at bay and have a say
from ballistic missiles, satellites, infor-
in the ultimate political settlement of
h arriet
mation warfare nor cyberwarfare. Plus
Syria. But we pulled our troops out
i soM
there are scores of other issues that
suddenly with no thought of future
COMMENT
require global cooperation to address
strategy, making Russia the arbiter
— refugee migrations, continent-hop-
of Syria’s future and its troops now
ping terrorism, catastrophic weather destruc-
harassing our remaining 500 troops in northeast
tion, pandemic diseases, arms control, punishing Syria there to protect oil wells.
trade policy, stagnation of mass living standards
We would like to leave the Middle East but
— to name just a few. Assuring our future secu- we can’t. The Iranian missile attack damag-
ing Saudi Arabian oil facilities showed that our
rity has decidedly new dimensions.
fracking oil does not totally substitute for the
Columnist Admiral James Stavrides writes
industrial-use oils of Saudi Arabia. Hence our
succinctly about the new strategic triad emerg-
ing in the world. For decades the triad has been
recent addition of more troops and missile bat-
very expensive missile and nuclear weapons that teries. Our tit-for-tat policy with Iran encourages
the very endless war we want to stop. And there
deterred an enemy from a first strike and with
is a future possibility of not just Iran, but Saudi
very high barriers to other nations’ entry.
Arabia and Turkey opting to produce their own
In the 21st century, he notes, a new triad is
nuclear weapons.
forming that is less expensive, has easier entry
China and Russia have made great inroads
and, most importantly, is available to non-great
into Africa, including China’s new base in
powers or even a non-state actor, terrorist group
Somalia not far from ours. For our part, we have
or drug cartel.
Also more common today are “gray zone tac- just announced a pullback from helping Euro-
tics” employed by means of special forces, proxy pean and African forces stymie the fast-moving
forces, unmanned vehicles in air and in sea, dis-
expansion of Islamic militants into West Africa.
information campaigns, satellite jamming and
These are examples of why it is not in the
offensive cyberstrikes (that can do profound
American interest to retreat from the world wil-
ly-nilly. Our global state and non-state com-
damage to electric grids, transport networks or
petitors are all too eager to fill vacuums that
financial markets).
Nonetheless, we appear to see ourselves as so we leave or to entice our allies away from us.
Clearly they are already doing so. And they
militarily and economically strong on our own
count on historic U.S. impatience to increase
that we can still shrug off outside dangers other
their opportunities.
than the rising challenge of China and maybe
Let’s put on our thinking caps. Let’s replace
secondarily of Russia.
“strategic ambiguity” with careful analysis and
We also seem to be lumping into “forever
planning that addresses our long term security
wars” our open-ended military presence that
interests. It’s not that we need a grand strategy,
has been such a key element of our alliance sys-
such as the Cold War’s “containment policy,” but
tem in Europe and Asia since the end of World
rather diplomatic, economic and military strat-
War II. Today, we are treating these alliances as
egy designed for a very diverse world. We can’t
a drag on our military finances and power. We
solve all the world’s problems but we can cer-
forget that a major purpose was to keep Ger-
tainly do better at managing them through a reli-
many and Japan from rearming for aggressive
purposes or building their own nuclear weapons. able diplomatic and military presence.
———
Plus the alliances provide us places for forward
Harriet Isom, a former U.S. ambassador and
deployment. And they remain important deter-
rence in facing China, North Korea and Russia.
career diplomat who served in Asia and Africa
Signs of expanding Chinese influence are
from 1961-96, grew up in Pendleton and has
already emerging in Asia. China has befriended
retired to the family ranch.
a letter to the editor or a guest column.
T
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