Can You hear us now Blumenauer

I thought these were downtown actions, but google map shows that address in NE, by Lloyd Center- is that correct?

It's a few blocks South of the Lloyd Center, on NE Oregon by 7th.

Can someone please educate me about why Blumenauer is being targeted rather than Defazio, Wu or Hooley? I know we have to start with one, and I'm hoping to be there, but my husband raised the question. I know there's history, and I imagine there is a good reason.

I wrote this some time ago:

December 1, 2007, 6:17 PM




People ask me why I am so hard on Rep. Earl Blumenauer; my answer is that he is my voice in the House of Representatives. I live in District 3.


Let us suppose that we could draft a platform that would direct our Congressman when he casts his votes or speaks to important matters. What would it contain?


The important issues for me would be:

1. End the madness called the Occupation of Iraq. (Earl talks--no walk)

2. Hold those who invaded Iraq accountable before the appropriate authorities.
(Earl Says NO!)

3. Hold field hearings to find out how our veterans are doing.
(Earl says, Nope)

4. Protect working people who want to unionize. (So how are the unions doing, ask the custodians who work for Portland's schools or look at the Peru Trade Deal)

5. Protect all the rights of people in their pursuit of happiness. (nothing to see here)

6. Fight to get adequate funding for schools without having to resort to gimmicks, gambling or band-aid fixes. (not his concern)


7. Use the congressional web pages to find out what constituents want him to do in their name. (Earl will only tell what he thinks and does not care what you think)

8. Have in place a staff that is highly competent to deal with constituents.
(His staff loves you if you are willing to vote for him, this is not a people serving staff)


9. Read every bill that he is required to vote on and demand input before casting his vote. (Nope)

10. Always ask the question, "Is this bill good for Portland, Oregon and the rest of the nation?" In that order! (Nope)

11. Always find a way to meet with groups who request a meeting to discuss some issue, and respond with a position that makes sense and not say, "Go away and be silent." (Try to get a meeting with the Earl-man)

12. Make it very clear from day one that he represents constituents via the Constitution and not, "The Party." (Pelosi speaks and Earl jumps)



End The Madness and Accountability:


The Democratic leadership has made a deal with the devil. Their position is that under no circumstances must the invasion, occupation and now genocide of Iraq be taken away from the republicans. Rep. Earl Blumenauer has signed on to this immoral and corrupt position with eagerness. The only important thing for Pelosi, Reid, Emanuel, and Schumer is to win the elections of 2008. This is the one piece of the puzzle that no democrat will talk about, no democratic group will even consider, they are all in denial. Because of this position by the Dems, people are being slaughtered. What would I do?

In 2006 I would have called for the impeachment, indictment and prosecution of all those who lied about Iraq. I would not just have joined Dennis Kucinich but would have told him to keep up with me as I lobbied every democrat/republican who still believed in the Constitution. I would have made the statement that I would not vote for any funding that supports the destruction of Iraq. I would have met with the peace groups and told them they must keep a distance from the Democratic Party. The Peace Movement must be able and ready to call out corruption no matter where it comes from. If Gordon Smith is corrupt, and he surely is, then so are all the members of the Oregon Delegation who have refused to stop this psychopath in the White House. There are only two ways the Congress can stop this lunatic, one by using impeachment and the other cutting the funding; the dems will do neither. We have an opportunist representing the third district, what we need is a leader.

Holding Field Hearings Concerning Veterans:

How many veterans are on the streets, I don't know, do you? Congressman Blumenauer and the rest of the Oregon Delegation don't know and that is a disgrace. IAVA gave Earl a C+ grade in dealing and serving the needs of our veterans, he should have worked to get an A. I can't think of any bills where I would have voted against veterans, why would you do that? If a bill came up that had money in it for the welfare of the vets and also contained money for the continuation of the occupation of Iraq there would be a dilemma. I would call a meeting of the vets and peace groups and ask them which way they wanted me to vote on the issue. We don't live in the 16th century; we can get answers quickly these days. After I cast my vote, I would spend some time explaining why and how the vote was cast. I know you cannot please everyone, but those that may feel betrayed by a vote should have a few minutes of your time so that you may try to explain why you voted the way you did on that particular issue. I would fight hard to keep the VA money separate from war spending money and raise hell when the leadership wanted to combine them. How about having a representative from the Oregon Delegation working at the VA hospital a few days a week?

There are eight members in the Oregon Delegation; if they all worked together, they would only have to send their VA staff rep. to the hospital a few times a month. Want to know what is happening in a VA hospital, have someone on site. There would be very little cost involved in this, most offices have a VA coordinator and they could do most of their work at the hospital that they do now in the congressional representative's office. If I was a congressional representative, walked into my office, and asked my staff the question, "How many veterans are on the streets of Portland?" I would want to hear accurate numbers, not some DOD bullshit. It would be good to know how they are doing, what my staff is doing to help, what more can we do, can I make some phone calls to anyone to help, that is what a leader does, not say----I did not know how bad it was.

Protecting the Rights of all People:

The government has no business telling you how to live your life, unless your actions cause damage to another. The rule should be no interference unless there is a clear danger to society as a whole. Smoking grass in your home should not be of interest to the government. If you are terminally ill and want to end your life, then the government should stay out of the matter. All consenting adult relationships should be outside of what the government is concerned about, any rights given to one group must be given to all groups when there is equality. A woman's right to choose what she does about being pregnant should be of no concern to the government. As an old guy, I often think men should just shut up on this issue.

Funding for Schools:

The federal government and state legislators must fully fund our school system from preschool all the way through college. No more gimmicks, just make available the needed funds. The federal government has a legitimate interest on how our kids are doing, but should leave a very small footprint when dealing with the states. The Department of Education should always support the states and never dictate how the schools are run, unless there is a clear violation of a federal statute. Private schools should never receive federal funding, they are on their own.

A Special Place for Truth:

A good representative should have a special place to go and think about what he/she has accomplished that particular day. A place with a mirror so that looking at oneself there will be no BS. The question should be something like, "Did I fulfill my oath of office this day?" or "Did I do good today or just sell out?"
How do you think Rep. Blumenauer would answer?

For Justice and Peace,

Joe Walsh----Lone Vet, Portland, OR.

I agree with this well articulated article by "The Lone Vet" regarding why we are on Blumenauer's doorstep

Thanks for putting into words the reason we are banging our heads outside his office each week

Well Spoken