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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, January 28, 2005 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 Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? 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 January 12, 2005 U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, right, and Gordon Smith talk with local residents during a town hall meeting Tuesday in the Medford City Council Chambers. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Smith, Wyden field queries at packed town hall meeting By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Sens. Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden shared a bipartisan moment at a joint town hall meeting in Medford Tuesday but ended up confronting an occasionally testy audience worried about election fraud, the cost of the Iraq war and how the government will pay for health care and other services. More than 100 people attended the meeting in the Medford City Council Chambers. It was part of a statewide tour of five Oregon cities. The senators tried to show that Democrats and Republicans can work together for projects that benefit Jackson County, such as keeping the Veterans Affairs’ domiciliary open, improving the Bear Creek Greenway and funding expansion of the Medford airport. "There isn’t a whole lot of this going on today in American politics," said Wyden, a Democrat, referring to his relationship with Republican Smith, but added, "There is plenty of stuff we disagree on. We don’t pretend otherwise." "After a fairly spirited and acrimonious election that we’ve just been through, we’re here because of our humanity, because of our common love of country and of our state," Smith said. "We hope to be able to show the missing ingredient in American political conversation is civility." Advertisement Some audience members, however, expressed dismay about the direction the country has taken and irritation that lawmakers weren’t doing more. Medford resident Jeffrey Foust, who has AIDS, said the rate of infection in Oregon has risen for this disease while the funding for the federal AIDS Drug Assistance Program has been cut under the leadership of President Bush. "It’s infuriating," said Foust. "I want to know why you’re not doing more." Wyden said the situation is "unconscionable" and vowed to push for more money to properly fund the program. But Smith said, "We’re spending more than we have ever before with this president on this issue, but your point and your face reminds us we need to do more," a comment that drew some jeers from the audience. Many audience members expressed concern about voter fraud in the November election. Ashland resident Gaia Carner asked Smith, "How do you feel about the fact that in 2004 alone, 50 million votes were cast with no paper trail, no means of auditing and no means of verifying?" Smith responded, "I share your discomfort with a lack of paper trail. I am also mindful of all of the blogs out there that are spinning this idea and that idea." "Senator, are you calling John Conyers of the House Judiciary Committee conspiratorial bloggers?" Carner said. She was referring to a report on suspected voter fraud by Conyers, a Michigan Democrat who is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. Smith said he hadn’t read the report, but pointed out that questions could be raised about any election. "I’m not aware that I’ve been part of a perfect election," he said. "There is always hard feelings afterwards." Wyden, jumping to Smith’s defense, said Oregon was in danger of losing its vote-by-mail system the last time Congress entertained voting reform. He said Smith joined him in fighting to keep Oregon’s system, which does have a paper trail. Smith did say that more needs to be done to make sure the election process doesn’t raise the kind of questions that it has after this election. "The underpinning of our democracy is that we have confidence in the outcome," he said. The senators also responded to questions about the Iraqi war, such as the torture of prisoners and the ongoing costs. Wyden, who stressed that terrorism should be fought ferociously, condemned recent statements by Attorney General-nominee Alberto Gonzales that torture of prisoners would be a useful interrogation tactic. Smith said this country needs to follow the Geneva Convention to protect U.S. soldiers, but added that terrorists don’t follow the rules, beheading prisoners. "We’re in an era where there is not wars between nations, but where there are wars between nations and a very twisted ideology," he said. Wyden, who voted against the war in Iraq, and Smith both expressed hope that the elections in Iraq will take place and troops will be able to come home soon. In the meantime, they agreed with audience members that the country will have a difficult time supporting the war at the same time it grapples with pressing national issues that affect U.S. citizens. Wyden said that by the next decade, medical costs will escalate rapidly as baby boomers begin retirement and sign up for Medicare. Wyden said the general accounting office found "Medicare is seven times as serious an issue as Social Security." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers