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The INDEPENDENT, January 17, 2001
n . INDEPENDENT
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Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published twice
monthly, on the first and third Wednesdays of each
month, by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge
Street, Vernonia, OR 97064, as a free newspaper. Edi
tors and Publishers, Dirk & Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax:
503-429-9410, e-mail: noni@vernonia.com
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Opinion_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Integrity may not
serve people well
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines integri
ty as “moral soundness, honesty, uprightness.”
But neither Webster nor any other lexicographer
could have foreseen how that seemingly forth
right word would be used in the world of politics.
As former Senator John Ashcroft of Missouri
goes through mostly predictable confirmation
hearings, as the incoming president’s attorney
general designee, every other phrase seems to
pivot on “integrity.”
Ashcroft’s long history of anti-abortion (even in
cases of rape or incest), anti-birth control, anti
gun control, anti-affirmative action is neither
questioned nor argued. That history is merely cit
ed. Some consider it reason to appoint him and
others consider it reason to oppose the appoint
ment. But no one argues that Ashcroft lacks in
tegrity. They simply wonder how it would affect
his performance as the nation’s top law enforce
ment officer.
Ashcroft and his supporters say his personal
integrity would require him to enforce all laws, in
cluding those that he has tried to overturn. His
opponents say that his personal integrity would
n’t allow him to fully support laws that he has
tried to overturn because he finds them morally
repugnant.
It is puzzling.
We have a closer look at senatorial integrity
and politics, right here in Oregon. Senator Gor
don Smith, whose honesty and moral uprightness
(integrity) are often favorably cited, refuses to
support his constituency because of his integrity.
Smith personally opposes Oregon’s assisted sui
cide law, so his integrity will not let him help Sen
ator Ron Wyden fend off the efforts of an Okla
homa senator to cripple the Oregon law by
changing federal regulations.
What makes this situation more interesting is
that Wyden also personally opposes the law. In
his case, however, his integrity requires him to
support the will of his constituents, the Oregoni
ans who twice voted to institute the assisted sui
cide law.
If integrity is a two-edged sword in Oregon, it
must be a circular saw in Washington, D.C.
New book plotted around
process of confirmation
By happenstance, there is a new book out by
Richard North Patterson called Protect and De
fend, in which the plot revolves around the con
firmation of a Supreme Court nominee. It’s a
well-written, don’t-want-to-put-it-down book, but
it is also a thoughtful look at how personal and
divisive the whole confirmation process has be
come. Protect and Defend is available at the Ver
nonia Public Library.
Wyden town hall meeting well attended
A standing-room-only crowd filling the Scout
Cabin in Vernonia on Jan. 7, paused uncomfort
ably when Senator Ron Wyden opened his Co
lumbia County town hall meeting by saying his
speech would be about two hours long — then
he laughed and confirmed that there would be
no speech. After a brief address, Wyden took
questions from the audience and, in seemingly
no time at all, the two hours had passed.
Power rates and the deregulation of power,
especially electricity, generated considerable
discussion. A suggestion that the U.S. start buy
ing natural gas from the Gulf of Mexico triggered
Wyden’s frustration with supply manipulations
by BP that he feels increased gasoline prices on
the West Coast. As documents obtained by The
Oregonian revealed, BP reduced the supply of
Alaskan crude oil to West Coast refineries by
selling it to Asian markets for less than the do
mestic price. This shortage, Wyden says,
caused the hike in West Coast gas prices. He is
seeking federal legislation that would prohibit
selling domestic gas and oil to foreign markets.
The most emotionally charged discussion
concerned the nomination of former Senator
John Ashcroft for U.S. Attorney General. Sever
al speakers passionately expressed doubts
about Ashcroft’s willingness to uphold a federal
law that protects patients and personnel at
abortion clinics, with two of them citing
Ashcroft’s promotion of a constitutional amend
ment that would ban all abortions, including
those caused by rape or incest.
“If anybody doubted that elections have con
sequences, they should understand by the end
of this nomination process,” Wyden responded.
Ashcroft would not get automatic approval
from his former colleagues in the Senate,
Wyden said, because of his repeated efforts to
reverse abortion safeguards and eliminate all
gun control laws.
“This is not a far right country that wants to
throw out women’s right to choose,” Wyden ex
plained, adding that a majority of Americans
support the Brady Bill on hand-gun control and
do not approve of either fully automatic assault
rifles or armor-piercing “Cop killer” ammunition.
Although one member of the audience
pressed him on the right to bear arms, including
handguns, Wyden politely, but firmly refused to
reverse his position in support of handgun regu
lation.
Social Security payments and potential Social
Security deficits also attracted questions.
Wyden said that the Social Security surplus
should be “Off limits" to all other parts of gov-
1
A tieless Senator Ron Wyden answered
questions without pause for about two hours
at his town hall meeting in Vernonia.
ernment and that he would like to see the bud
get surplus used first to pay back the funds “bor
rowed” from Social Security. Continuing on the
subject of the federal budget, Wyden noted that
the budget surplus of the last three years is the
first since the great depression.
“In a small community like this," Wyden said
of the turnout, “to have a standing-room-only
crowd and intelligent questions, demonstrates
your knowledge of government. This is what the
founding fathers envisioned as democracy.”
Sen. Wyden holds a town hall meeting in
every county of Oregon, every year. Previous
Columbia County meetings have been in St. He
lens or Scappoose.