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58 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, November 5, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 4, 2004 Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., faces frustrated Democrats during a town hall meeting in Medford Wednesday. Wyden conceded it had been a �very difficult and tense election.� Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Wyden’s town hall fills with frustration By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Voter frustration from Tuesday’s general election results spilled over into Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden’s town hall meeting in Medford Wednesday afternoon. The veteran Democrat faced a crowd of roughly 150 people, many of whom expressed anger over everything from the election outcome to the ongoing war in Iraq. One man, who described himself as gay and now a "second-class citizen," blasted Wyden for not campaigning in Southern Oregon against Measure 36, which bans gay marriage. "We needed you here," he said. "You failed your queer community." The measure passed with 57 percent of the vote. But Wyden countered that he had repeatedly spoken out against the measure elsewhere in the state in response to a statewide campaign against the bill. He suggested those opposed to the measure work to educate Oregonians and change the law. Advertisement Wyden, who Tuesday handily defeated Republican candidate Al King, a Malin rancher, appeared to take it in stride. He makes a point of holding at least one town hall session a year in each county. "It’s particularly important to do it today because this is part of the healing process after a very difficult and tense election," he told the crowd, noting that Congress needs to find common ground and look for a bipartisan approach wherever possible. "Let me emphasize that I will be bipartisan wherever I can," he stressed. "But sometimes I have to stand alone and fight." He cited his efforts to protect Oregon’s Death with Dignity law, to stop gasoline price gouging and to prevent the government from launching Operation Full Information, a spy program on American citizens. But Tanya Graham, a local environmental activist, questioned his ability to bring about change, noting the election obviously gave a boost to the Bush administration. "We don't have compassionate conservatives in D.C.," she said, referring to a phrase often used by Bush. The administration has gutted environmental laws and will continue, she charged. Another woman expressed similar frustration by what many see as a growing power base in Washington, D.C. "I believe people are being disenfranchised and I do not see anyone I’ve worked for in this party, especially with John Kerry conceding, now standing up and fighting for me like they said they were going to do," she said. Several people aired concerns about losing their civil liberties because of the war on terrorism. "Let’s talk about democratic values," Wyden said. "I believe with every fiber of my being that it is possible to fight terrorism without gutting our civil liberties. That’s what I have always fought for. If ever there was a value that is important to Democrats and good for the country, that is it." Wyden reiterated he would continue to seek bipartisan support where he could but would stand alone when he couldn’t. In response to other questions, Wyden pledged to oppose any effort by Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., to push through a legislative rider to protect timber salvage of the 2002 Biscuit fire in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest from lawsuits. He also called for other states to adopt Oregon’s vote-by-mail program after Talent resident John McColgan expressed concern about electronic voting. "I believe we need to have a paper trail with every ballot counted," he said. Several people brought up their opposition to the Iraq war. Noting he was one of 23 senators voting against the war, Wyden called it a "mess" that will be difficult for the United States to extract itself from. "We absolutely have to find a way to get more countries into our coalition," he said of the ongoing occupation. More countries mean a safer and cheaper occupation, he explained. "Don’t give up," he told the crowd after fielding questions for an hour and a half. "The problems aren’t going to go away." In a short interview before the meeting, Wyden said he felt Tuesday’s election would not substantially change the political power in the Senate. "Certainly in the United States Senate, if you want to get anything important done, you’ve got to have 60 votes to cut through some of the procedural gridlock," he said. Do the Senate math, he said. "Neither side has enough votes in the Senate to dictate its will on the other," he said. "So it does force some bipartisanship." To take advantage of that, he suggested that major bills which have a substantial amount of bipartisan support be moved to the head of the legislative line. "Senators are going to have to reach out to get things done," he said, noting that strengthening the economy is the top of his list. "I thought John Kerry had an excellent plan in terms of controlling catastrophic health care bills," he said. "But I also think that the Senate majority leader Bill Frist, a Republican, has a plan that has some pretty good features, too. I’m going to try to reach out to senators on both sides of the aisle to see if I can find a way to bring those approaches together." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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