Greg Walden: Against It Before He Was For It

The Shadout Mapes:

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., joined Oregon Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio in casting the only no votes from the Oregon delegation against the stimulus bill.

But just as I below in the case of DeFazio, it's not stopping Walden from aggressively pursuing stimulus money - and attaching his name to it. In fact, Walden said in a teleconference with federal forestry managers that he wants to get an "unfair share" of the stimulus money for his congressional district.

The problem isn't Greg voted against it and then decided to take what he was given and do good for his district. That's his job and his duty as a M.C.

The problem is that Greg doesn't have the principle that DeFazio did, and you can count on his marketing in the next election as someone who was really on board with the stimulus.

He was against it before he was for it.

>Hey, you out there in the 2nd District–wouldn't it be nice to have someone in office that says what he or she means and means what he or she says? Greg's doing the right thing now ... but remember he wasn't on board with that county payments thing until he knew it was the difference between his keeping his job and not keeping his job.

He'll only do the right thing for you if he really has to. Rest of the time, he'll do what his party tells him to.

That's the way Republicans roll.

Greg Walden Goes All Democrat On Peanut Execs

What's that smell on the air? Why, it's not the approach of spring, but it's the scent of the contaminated US food supply, Congress finally doing something about it, and corporate execs trying to figure out how to get away with it all in the new, less-business-friendly (read: we can no longer do whatever the hell we want) Democratic climate.

And who's that fellow ... the one growing a backbone and standing up to challenge the dastards that have sickened people all over the country with bad peanuts? Why, it's Oregon's newest Democrat, The Dryside Renegade, Greg Walden, with his eye on winning his next election doing the right thing for you, the citizen:

Oh, he hasn't changed his registration, but he's sure sounding like a Democrat:

Oregon Republican Representative Greg Walden also criticised the firm,
saying: "Lives were lost and people were sickened because they took a
chance, I believe knowingly, with products that were contaminated."

Mr Walden held up a jar containing recalled products - wrapped
in crime-scene tape - and asked whether Mr Parnell would be willing to
eat the food inside.

Apparently that newfound spirit has made him a stronger man, as that can is easily twice the size of his head.

I'll give Greg this: he's no dummy. As the last remaining Oregon Republican in the congressional delegation, he knows the handwritings on the wall. Oh, I don't think he kicks kittens or hopes his kids eat contaminated PBJs (neither do we). But, you know, he had eight years to object to business getting to do whatever the hell it wanted to avoid losing profits instead of the right thing, and you know what?

I don't recall him ever being this concerned about it. Just like the rest of his party.

I also don't really think that he'd mind if they just let the poor peanut producers off the hook: after all, Salmonella happens, right? Nobody could have forseen. But as long as he's doing the right thing instead of the Right Wing, we are at least going to tip our cap to him.

For the record, Mr. Parnell did not eat any of the proffered possibly polluted peanut goodness.

For that matter, he didn't speak up at all. Invoked the fifth, I hear.

However, Mr Walden, we must say: Crime scene tape? Nice touch. Well played, sir.