OR-3: Blumenauer looks ahead after ‘dramatic’ election

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) sent an email to his supporters Tuesday to lay out the implications of last Tuesday’s election in Oregon, and how he looked forward to working with new members of Congress from both the Beaver State and across the country.

Blumenauer has been widely rumored to be a possible appointee in an Obama cabinet, but in the letter, the Portland congressman was jubilant over Democratic control over both the legislative and executive branches for the first time since he took office in 1996. He appeared firmly committed to his job as legislator.

“I will have more colleagues in the House and the Senate who are not just Democrats, but people with good values, extraordinary political skills, common sense, and a human touch,” Blumenauer wrote. “My focus for the next 50 months will continue to center on rebuilding and renewing America, as a vehicle for political reform, economic recovery, and environmental protection. In the House and the Senate, are many new allies that understand these challenges. The movement ranges from the Sierra Club to the Garden Club, Labor, Business, the professions, local government, and our neighborhoods. A powerful coalition is being created of people who have a vision of livable communities based on sustainable principles, both cost effective and energy efficient. My goal will be to tie those elements together into rational policies at every opportunity.”

Blumenauer then congratulated the Oregon lawmakers that will be headed to Washington, D.C. with him, including U.S. Representative-elect Kurt Schrader (D-Canby) in Oregon’s fifth congressional district, and U.S. Senator-elect Jeff Merkley (D-Portland).

“In Oregon, the election returns were dramatic,” Blumenauer wrote. “The Obama victory was a statewide effort with the most diverse, energetic, and talented coalition I’ve ever encountered. It boasted a spirited campaign that ultimately provided a narrow but decisive victory for Jeff Merkley who will use his personal commitment and political skills to be an effective Senator for Oregon. Kurt Schrader will prove an able replacement for Darlene Hooley who has done such a good job representing the 5th Congressional District. Kurt will be one of the few people able to hit the ground and maintain that high level of representation from his first days in office.”

Blumenauer said he was also proud of Oregon voters for rejecting every single initiative placed on the ballot by conservative activist Bill Sizemore.

“Oregon voter’s skillfully tiptoed through a minefield as they dealt with this year’s harvest of initiatives,” Blumenauer wrote. “People made some difficult financial choices, particularly for education given these troubled times. They rejected the most destructive proposals, even those that promised tax reductions for some. What could be more telling than upper income voters resisting the cotton candy of an income tax cut that would have had devastating impact on education, health, and public safety? The Oregon voter was deeply engaged as they waded through often negative, shrill, and deceptive campaigns to cast votes that supported a vision of a better state and a healthier political process.”