Friday, April 20, 2007

Please tell me that the Oregon Senate Dems aren't this lame

Updating this piece from yesterday, it would appear that the Senate Rules Cmte is going to take public comment on Monday on all of the Iraq resolutions, save one.

SJM6,SJM 9 and SJM 10 are all on the docket for Monday night for public comment.

In addition, Senate Memorial 1 (which had no online availability yesterday--so check it out now) will also be up for comment. I honestly don't know why they'd even bother with this one. Its a weak-kneed, half-assed, mealy-mouthed, jellyfish piece of trash resolution that demonstrates virtually no outrage about the Iraq War from Oregon's legislature.

Here's the actual stuff the bill asks for in terms of action items:

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Oregon:
(1) The Oregon Senate appreciates the efforts of the last
Congress, which voted in a bipartisan fashion to encourage
significant transition in Iraq.
(2) The Oregon Senate urges the current Congress to exercise
its appropriate constitutional authority to oppose the
administration's escalation of United States forces in Iraq, and
to move the United States toward a phased redeployment of United
States forces out of Iraq with a responsible transition to Iraqi
control of Iraq's security and of the personnel and resources
necessary to achieve stability in Iraq.
(3) The Oregon Senate calls on the administration and Congress
to fully fund all benefits for veterans and their families and to
appropriately care for our brave men and women when they return
from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and from other combat.
(4) The Oregon Senate and the American people will continue to
support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces
and the Oregon National Guard who are serving or who have served
bravely and honorably in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
(5) A copy of this memorial shall be sent to the President of
the United States, to the Senate Majority Leader, to the Speaker
of the House of Representatives and to each member of the Oregon
Congressional Delegation.


No timeline, no demand for withdrawal as soon as possible, no redeployment, no discussion of de-funding.

This is shameful. And it does nothing to reflect the strong feelings that Oregonians have about getting the US out of Iraq.

Also, HJM 9 seems to have vanished from the Senate's sights, at least in terms of this particular hearing. Its the only bill that's already got House approval.

Unfortunately, the Senate Majority office appears MIA today. TJ left a message over there earlier and I just tried again (both the office and Rem, the chief press dude) and no one is answering.

If SM1 turns out to be the best that a Democratic Senate in an overwhelmingly blue state can do--that's just pathetic.