Monday, August 09, 2004
Where the hell is Gordon Smith?
Bohemian Mama has an update on her blog that follows up on yesterday's PK story about the Oregon National Guard. As you may remember, Oregon National Guardsmen were kept from saving Iraqis from being tortured by people associated with the new Iraqi interim government.
In her blog...Bohemian Mama notes that Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is on the case.
Wyden is asking Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to investigate whether Oregon National Guardsmen were improperly ordered by superior officers to leave a detention area where they intervened to stop Iraqi guards from beating handcuffed prisoners.
Oregon Governor Ted Kulingoski (Democrat) heaped praise on the Oregon Guardsmen:
Meanwhile, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski issued a statement saying he is "extremely proud" of the Oregon National Guard soldiers serving in Iraq.
"I am honored by their professionalism as soldiers, their conviction about what is right and their basic sense of humanity," the governor said.
"I am very sorry that they had to witness these terrible events," Kulongoski said. "While war sometimes brings out the best in us, it also brings out the worst. I'm very grateful as an Oregonian that the soldiers of the Oregon National Guard knew the difference. I would expect nothing less from these courageous Oregonians who are serving our country."
This is all well and good but what I want to know is...where the HELL is Oregon's Republican Senator, Gordon Smith? Why isn't he also pressing for Rumsfeld to look into this..or at the very least to have Rumsfeld/Bush offer an explanation?
It's expected for Wyden to be involved in this. He's part of the opposition party. But it's shameful that Gordon Smith has become Oregon's cypher when it comes to so many of these issues. He should be standing next to Wyden, demanding an explanation.
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In her blog...Bohemian Mama notes that Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is on the case.
Wyden is asking Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to investigate whether Oregon National Guardsmen were improperly ordered by superior officers to leave a detention area where they intervened to stop Iraqi guards from beating handcuffed prisoners.
Oregon Governor Ted Kulingoski (Democrat) heaped praise on the Oregon Guardsmen:
Meanwhile, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski issued a statement saying he is "extremely proud" of the Oregon National Guard soldiers serving in Iraq.
"I am honored by their professionalism as soldiers, their conviction about what is right and their basic sense of humanity," the governor said.
"I am very sorry that they had to witness these terrible events," Kulongoski said. "While war sometimes brings out the best in us, it also brings out the worst. I'm very grateful as an Oregonian that the soldiers of the Oregon National Guard knew the difference. I would expect nothing less from these courageous Oregonians who are serving our country."
This is all well and good but what I want to know is...where the HELL is Oregon's Republican Senator, Gordon Smith? Why isn't he also pressing for Rumsfeld to look into this..or at the very least to have Rumsfeld/Bush offer an explanation?
It's expected for Wyden to be involved in this. He's part of the opposition party. But it's shameful that Gordon Smith has become Oregon's cypher when it comes to so many of these issues. He should be standing next to Wyden, demanding an explanation.
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