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Wyden praises president The senator says Bush is right to build a 'big-tent coalition' to fight terrorism By PAUL FATTIG President Bush is taking the right tack in his response to international terrorism in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack, says Oregon's senior U.S. senator. "The president deserves substantial credit for showing that he is going to try get at the roots of terrorism in a measured way," Ron Wyden told those gathered at a town hall meeting in Medford on Saturday. "Some people are surprised at how long the president is taking in making a response," the Democrat said of the Republican leader. "I can tell you that there would have been a lot of political commentators who would have been very hard on a Democratic president taking this much time." But this is not the time for partisan bickering, he told the roughly 75 people gathered at South Medford High School. "I think the president is right in trying to build a big-tent coalition that involves a number of Arab states," Wyden said, citing the efforts of Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. However, Wyden questioned Bush's support for creating a Palestinian state without first insisting on peace in the region. He also took Bush to task on several domestic issues, including his call to drill for oil in a wildlife refuge in the Arctic. Other issues raised included the high cost of prescription drugs for senior citizens, truck travel on state highways, energy and the economy. But most questions and comments centered around the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the need for increased security. Unlike past visits by U.S. senators, security was evident Saturday: A police officer was on hand, as well as a member of a local Oregon Army National Guard unit. Citing the need for Congress to rise above partisanship in the wake of the terrorist attack, Wyden said the appointment of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican, as the head of the new White House Office of Homeland Security is a good choice. Beginning Monday, Ridge will be responsible for coordinating nearly 50 federal agencies and departments with responsibility for domestic defense and counterterrorism. "He's a first-class guy - I served in the House of Representatives with him for a number of years," Wyden said. "The president could not have made a better choice." Former Medford Mayor Lou Hannum wondered how local governments could get involved. "I agree it is a federal authority to take responsibility for homeland defense," he said. "But I'm concerned about the fact a lot of our troops are outside the country. "How can we develop a working relationship between local government and the federal government?" he asked. "It needs to be a two-way working arrangement." When Wyden asked the audience if it felt something like a countywide "neighborhood watch" should be implemented, one member cautioned that it shouldn't include local militia or posse comitatus groups. One retired man expressed concern that the federal government may overreact by taking away personal freedoms in its efforts to fight terrorism domestically. "It would be tragic to let the terrorists take that away from us," Wyden agreed. "That would give them a victory." A member of both the Senate Intelligence Committee and its Aviation Committee, Wyden said the government must walk a fine line between protecting the public while not invading privacy. "We need to make sure anti-terrorism legislation is balanced with our civil liberties," he said. One man felt the United States was giving too much financial aid to Israel. But another argued that the nation was kowtowing to Arab states in a way reminiscent of Great Britain's Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Germany in 1938 before World War II. Wyden noted that Uncle Sam has had a long, mutually beneficial relationship with Israel, one that gave it a solid ally in the Middle East. He also observed that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon chided the United States on Friday for being too cozy with Arab states. "It is critically important that our country take an active role to try to bring parties together," he said. "But it is very difficult to do." The problem is the lack of trust between cultural, religious and political factions, he said. Noting that his study of past human-caused disasters involving airlines has ultimately ended in political infighting, Wyden reiterated Americans need to rise above politics in solving the terrorist problem. "What we need to make sure is that there is accountability," he said. "To me, that is a federal responsibility. This is a national security issue now." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.