Coal Ain't Cool: Portland's Jefferson Smith Leads Concern over NW Coal Exports

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday July 16, 2012 · 10:42 AM PDT

2012/07/16 · 10:42

With the prospect of Powder River coal being carried across the Northwestern states of Washington and Oregon on its way to power the Chinese economy, citizens and officials are beginning to register their disapproval of the idea. And why not? States and localities are on the hook for dealing with the greatly expanded capacity needed, not to mention the coal dust the cars leave behind. And then there's the idea of states that are leaders in green tech, being used as conduits to power economies still more reminiscient of 1912 than 2012.

Jefferson Smith, mayoral candidate for Portland, Oregon, spoke up quickly. Here's a brief video statement representing his position on Oregon: Coal Mule...

Context after the jump...

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday July 09, 2012 · 9:17 AM PDT

2012/07/09 · 09:17

He wasn't the most famous person to address Oregon university graduates this year--that honor went to FLOTUS, at Oregon State where her brother coaches basketball--but it's a good bet Michelle didn't say anything as interesting as this:

I know I'm supposed to come up here and tell you the many opportunities before you, and I'll say something about that. But I want to say something else: (takes drink of water) You might be screwed. (Laughter) You might. Be screwed."

More below; but a link to the vid if you're impatient:
Jefferson Smith's Commencement Speech to UO Graduates Read More

Earl B (OR-3) Signals Opposition to Stupak Abortion Amend

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday November 07, 2009 · 11:47 AM PST

2009/11/07 · 11:47

It's hard to get truly excited about the fair-to-middlin' health care reform package now pending final debate and a vote later today, because it really stood just a few cruel Blue Dog votes away from producing an ironically cheaper (and more effective) bill they couldn't support. Kurt Schrader in the OR 5th echoed the refrain from other Western/rural Democrats who complained that Medicare +5% provider reimbursements under the public plan would penalize the more efficient Oregon providers, who get much less than doctors in other states for the same services.

It's a fair argument--but it's also something that can be dealt with; Congressman Blumenauer (OR-3) last month reached an agreement to insert into the current bill a call for study of Medicare rates prior to 2013, with its recommendations to be taken by the developers of the public plan, the idea being to geographically adjust provider rates more fairly, and begin rewarding efficiencies rather than paying less as a "reward."

{more, below} Read More

Wyden: Talking Dangerously On Public Option

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday September 24, 2009 · 1:40 PM PDT

2009/09/24 · 13:40

[This is crossposted in two parts at Loaded Orygun, Oregon's Progressive Community. Also, note the presence of an update at the end...]

It continues to be a busy and visible time for Senator Ron Wyden, as he rides the cable and print junket for his "Free Choice" amendment to the Finance Committee inkblot. We've got two TV clips for you, a long interview that frankly makes my Spidey sense tingle in a bad way, and then a news piece from yesterday that simply makes me want to retch. So grab that sandwich and let's dig in!

We'll start with the videos. Note the way they're being presented viz Wyden's position on reform, as here at Blue Oregon but also headlining the YouTube original of the Ed clip--in short, that he's suddenly on board, talking less about plans without public options, more about plans that have them--but also, conveniently, Free Choice running alongside. And the pitch is that the news is happy--yay, he's off the fence! Is he? I'll let you watch.

{go below decks for vids and commentary!}

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday July 10, 2009 · 2:13 PM PDT

2009/07/10 · 14:13

As our fine LO editor nothstine aptly noted this morning, there's some national blogger blowback hitting Senator Ron Wyden in the face today: Atrios has named him the Wanker of the Day, and Digby goes into somewhat more detail that concludes the same thing--the continued obsession of Wyden for bipartisan results on health care reform is bizarre, pointless, and decidedly NOT conducive to getting effective reform passed.

The original source of their ire is a piece published last night by Huffington Post's Sam Stein, showing that indeed, Wyden continues to operate under the assumption that inter-party comity is the prime directive. That may have been relatively stomach-able when it was Gordon Smith and Mt. Hood Wilderness, but it's just damned foolish on health care.

{analysis, below!}

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday July 08, 2009 · 1:42 PM PDT

2009/07/08 · 13:42

Perhaps you saw this bit of good news (pending a potential el-foldo from our rubber-spined Senate Majority Leader) on health care from Harry Reid yesterday, in which he told Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus to stop "chasing Republican votes" in his attempts to get a bipartisan bill out of his committee:

Reid, whose leadership is considered crucial if President Barack Obama is to deliver on his promise of enacting health care reform this year, offered the directive to Baucus through an intermediary after consulting with Senate Democratic leaders during Tuesday morning’s regularly scheduled leadership meeting. Baucus was meeting with Finance ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) Tuesday afternoon to relay the information.
According to Democratic sources, Reid told Baucus that taxing health benefits and failing to include a strong government-run insurance option of some sort in his bill would cost 10 to 15 Democratic votes; Reid told Baucus it wasn’t worth securing the support of Grassley and at best a few additional Republicans.

What does this have to do with Wyden, specifically? {below} Read More

Merkley Answers FRPO Questions Wyden Won't

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday July 01, 2009 · 1:48 PM PDT

2009/07/01 · 13:48

Oregon at least has one Dem Senator who's willing to come out and stake his claim for a full and robust public option (FRPO)--junior Senator Jeff Merkley. In this video, Merkley affirms his support for a public option, one that competes directly with private insurance and cuts costs using Medicare-style bargaining rules with providers. He also takes time to parry some of the built-in skepticism of his interviewer, who seems awfully concerned for the health of private insurers (as opposed to say, the insured or those who would like to be). Watch the video, below:

[crossposted at Loaded Orgyun...]

Word-eating File: Merkley Nails Luntz, McConnell on Senate Floor

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday June 10, 2009 · 5:14 PM PDT

2009/06/10 · 17:14

We'll start with the disclaimer: Jeff Merkley has a long way to go with me, albeit due to lack of experience rather than adverse evidence so far, before I can offer a fully positive assessment. But it has to be said that nearly anyone who was a strong Steve Novick supporter in the primary, felt that way at least in part because of Novick's perceived superiority in calling a spade a spade, being unafraid of toe-treading, and cutting sharply through the partisan crap that most Democrats tend to shuck and apologize for when attacked with it. The word "milquetoast" got a lot of use on Merkley, by me as much as anyone, to make the negative comparison with Novick.

So, so wrong.

{more, below}

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday June 09, 2009 · 10:33 AM PDT

2009/06/09 · 10:33

No, it's not a typo. As the health care debate quickly becomes a core schism between tweaking the current private insurance scheme and establishing a robust public option to compete against it, not only are the President and Oregon's senior Senator currently holding opposite ground on the matter, both are beginning to harden their rhetoric and dig in their heels. What's even more surprising is that Senator Wyden is slowly emerging as the standard bearer of REPUBLICAN opposition to a public option, gathering supporters for (or allowing them to hide behind) his significant but ultimately nontransformational proposal for reform.

Think I'm making that up?

{Jump below for the case...}

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday April 05, 2009 · 9:36 AM PDT

2009/04/05 · 09:36

The Hill has a story tonight with direct quotes from a bevy of Republican Senators, all of whom will back Norm Coleman's quixotic bid for the Junior Senator's seat in Minnesota--even if it means he takes it to the Supreme Court. Amazingly, some even try to echo his talking points, including Orrin Hatch most egregiously:

"There are very important issues involved -- constitutional issues -- and I have no qualms about saying that if he can, he ought to push it all the way," said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). "We're so sick and tired of having one set of rules for Democrats they don't abide by, and then another set of rules for Republicans. The Democrats didn't count the ballots the way they should and they didn't put the protections in that they should. It was the Republicans who were better at counting ballots and doing what was right and following the law. They don't do it on the other side as much.

{more ridiculousness--and Schumer's solid answer--below}

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday February 26, 2009 · 1:16 PM PST

2009/02/26 · 13:16

Update--
The bill has passed...but WITH the Ensign amendment. It seems Democratic Senators decided it was worth throwing DC gun laws under the bus in order to get them a House Member. Not sure HOW I feel about that one...but I guess the takeaway regarding this diary is no more calls are needed. Victory! Sort of...

Update II--
Press release by DC Vote on passage...

Below the fold I'll crosspost my piece today at Loaded Orygun on the DC Vote bill, which would give DC residents an actual Member of the US House--taxation WITH representation, finally. My perspective was how the change from Smith to Merkley in OR has been key for advancing the bill, but right now there's a more pressing matter:

Today - right now - we need you to call the Senate! We have just hours to defeat a harmful gun amendment to the DC Voting Rights Act - call NOW !

Senator John Ensign (R-NV) has added a gun amendment to the DC House Voting Rights Act (S.160). The amendment is flawed, dangerous and unnecessary. One minute of your time could make the critical difference between a "yes" and "no" vote on the Senate floor!

Call toll-free 1.888.999.6775 TODAY, Thursday, February 26

{more}

torridjoe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday December 08, 2008 · 10:45 AM PST

2008/12/08 · 10:45

[Crossposted to Loaded Orygun, Oregon's Progressive Community...]

A column that hasn't gotten a whole lot of attention in the Oregon blogosphere so far is one by the terrific Glenn Greenwald, now publishing at Salon.com. In it, Greenwald takes Senators Feinstein and Oregon's own Ron Wyden to task, for what he called backtracking on standards both had touted strongly over the last year regarding torture. Both had separately championed the Army Field Manual as a strong guide of accepted non-coercive techniques, and urged a unified American standard for all agencies following one guideline--which they said they hoped the AFM would fulfill.

(As an Oregon blogger, I'm going to leave Feinstein out of it.) Wyden's people gave a response, which left Glenn unsatisfied/unpersuaded. So I found the opportunity to ask Chief of Staff Josh Kardon for further clarification. Josh and I have a strong channel open, so I was confident I'd get some better insight into what Wyden is really thinking. Glenn's initial concern, the Wyden camp's first response, and my interactions with Kardon, all below the fold... Read More

Newer
Older

RSS

Coal Ain't Cool: Portland's Jefferson Smith Leads Concern over NW Coal Exports

Portland Mayoral Candidate Tells Grads: "You Might Be Screwed"

Earl B (OR-3) Signals Opposition to Stupak Abortion Amend

Wyden: Talking Dangerously On Public Option

Wyden: Grassley > You; Scuttlebutt: "No Chance" for HAA

Reid Kneecaps WydenCare in Directive to Baucus

Merkley Answers FRPO Questions Wyden Won't

Word-eating File: Merkley Nails Luntz, McConnell on Senate Floor

Health Care Battle Coming Down to Obama vs...Wyden?

GOP Sens Get Deep in Bed With Coleman, Schumer Reassures

URGENT ACTION--Protect DC Vote Bill from Poison! (UPDATE--(both bills) PASS!)

Wyden Reassures on Torture (Re: Greenwald Piece)