Wyden on Negroponte

Pat Ryan

[Editor's note: The following was an off-topic comment on the CAFTA thread; it's interesting, so we're bumping it up here.]

Senator Wyden was one of the very few dissenting voices on the Negroponte appointment yesterday as he asked some tough questions regarding Negroponte's role in the Iran/Contra affair. Negroponte and Bolton are only the latest Rat Bastard retreads from Reagan/Bush I to be brought into the loving embrace of current administration.

Senator Wyden should be commended for holding feet to the fire in this era of Terminal Timidity among Democratic legislators.

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    The point here was that here on Blue Oregon we're often critical of our electeds for not doing this or that. (especially me!)

    When they do the right thing, we ought to be all over the praise side of the equation. Spouses, children, senators, ditch diggers, and pets are much more likely to react well to praise than to a good chewing out.

  • Steve Bucknum (unverified)
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    Good for Wyden, and good for Pat for pointing it out.

    Sen. Wyden is a role model of how to be a Democrat for all of Oregon. If every Democrat did the things that Wyden does, we would fill every office with a Democrat!

    See my essay on electioneering -

    www.crestviewcable.com/~ccdem under "Thoughts" area.

  • Tenskwatawa (unverified)
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    I strongly support Sen. Wyden in questioning, investigating, and publicizing loud and long the answers and results of that, and then questioning more and investigating further and assembling that openly and fully, and then more. And more. And more. I can help if he has need.

    That's all I can do. I do not give, or, he does not get, a trophy (my vote next time?) merely for being in the game. Trophies go to the winner. Going through the motions, making or keeping up appearances, all bluster and bark but no teeth and body count, scores the same as not even trying -- no effect, not a win, zilch.

    Nominees facing Senate confirmation have committed crimes for which some charges are filed and more can be brought and then must be tried. Only refusing to confirm in the Senate, from which they remain free to go and be at large, is not enough action to deter repeat offenses by them and co-conspirators and, again, is the same effective result as comes from doing nothing at all. The crimes must stop and the criminals must be judged criminal in the public record. That is winning. Then there are trophies and truth, and most important of all the commemorations in history.

    I'm sorry that I have to declare it to the extreme: winning. That is not my ideal of statecraft and legislative duties, but it is the equal of what is set against the Legislative branch by this administration: Winning. Of course it is not winning for the Executive to attain sole universal power, but that was their choice for their goal. It is criminal. More: high crimes. It is sedition, it is treason. It is abuse of power, and impeachable, at the very minimum.

    In ordinary times and events a standoff or gridlock would be fair result, but in this time and place the legislature has already lost into the negative. For gawdsake, Wyden voted for Iraq invasion and when it proved out to be a falsified act in lies to Congress then it is not restoring justice only to withdraw from invasion, which has not been done and when it is, there must be new and additional measures to redress the lies and sedition which are separate and additional crimes and injustices. Two steps, at least, just to get back to parity.

    This far down the slippery slope, to accept standing to block and defend and slide no further, is good, I support it, I doubly support it, I give body in the breach. But holding to settlement in negative numbers still means standing in negative numbers. The score stops changing, but the Legislative, and Senate, and Wyden, is still behind and if the session continues without movement reclaiming the offensive and the calendar runs out still in this position, the Legislative is the loser.

    There is not supposed to be winning and losing between Executive and Legislative. There is supposed to be progress or standstill by their actions together. Like a married couple -- they grow onward or they stay put; but one does not get to hack the other to death, that is its own distinct crime and separately indictable. Unlike marriage, branches constituted in government cannot divorce. And what?, divide the property? 25 states get a president and 25 states get a congress?

    I guess what I'm saying, and a bit incensed, is rebuff and deny the nominees, sure, but don't stop at that. There is insult and offense and sedition that they were named and submitted in the first place, and that is to be further counterpressed, pursued and actionably prosecuted. The pretender president not only does not "get his choice," he is liable for having unjustifiably made such injust choice(s), let alone that he doesn't get to keep them. Like with a thief: Steals the money. Caught. Returns the money. That is not the end of it, there has been commission of crime, thieving is not free to go.

    Sheesh. My irate bad. Go Ron. Got your back. If you can hold, we're still behind.

    By the way, military coffins keep on coming, back here in State.

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  • afs (unverified)
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    I'm glad Wyden stood up to Negroponte.

    I wish Wyden wasn't on the board of directors of the "Pave Oregon Now" committee, but he did well on this, anyway.

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