First stage win for science in US House of Representatives
Guest post by Russ Steele
There has been a lot of discussion of the election results in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas by the talking head on TV and talk show pundits on the radio, not not much information on the results in Oregon. Why am I interested in the results on Oregon? Glad you asked.
Art Robinson ran in the GOP Primary to represent the Oregon in 4th Congressional District. Wise Republican voters selected Dr. Art Robinson to represent them in the November 2010 Congressional race against Democrat Peter DeFazio.
I saw an online video by Art Robinson at the 4th International Climate Change Conference explaining why he is running. He wants to being some scientific rationality to the discussions on issues in Congress, especially climate change. “Let’s have at least one real scientist in Congress,” he said.
Dr Robertson is an expert on energy and founder of the Oregon Institute of Science & Medicine. He is widely known for his petition signed by more than 31,000 American scientists exposing human-caused global warming as a fraud.
He will be running against Democrat Peter DeFazio, a 12-term incumbent career politician who has alienated many voters by unpopular and controversial actions in favor of big government. Art Robinson has a good chance of bringing some rational science to the House of Representatives.
This will be an important race to watch in November. If you think we need more science in our law making process please send Art Robinson your support. His web site is here.
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Amino acids 11:04
No-No. We don’t need anymore lawyers in congress! One is too many.
I hope he does well. There is a major dearth of technically-oriented people in political positions. How in the world can lawyers, economists, union activists, community organizers, and the like evaluate technical issues? Where are all the mathematicians, physicists, chemists, engineers and computer programmers? Are they too smart to get mixed up in politics? ;-> No wonder our political masters are so easily confused by charts and numbers.
While I would vote for Dr. Robinson if I could, The Repub nomination in this case looks like an empty prize. He will be wildly underfunded in a blue district with views that are easy for the media to misrepresent and make look rediculous.
These are
Algore seats. Like the Kennedy seat. They are transferred in the family.
Nick says:
May 19, 2010 at 10:42 pm
This is no ‘win for science’. Maybe for somebody’s political views.. Dr Robinson’ petition provides no evidence that “human-caused global warming is a fraud”,unless you classify wishful assertion as evidence. Come on now,I thought this was a ‘science blog’.
Nick, you sort of missed the point. The petition was to demonstrate that there was no AGW consensus, not to prove that AGW is a fraud. The petition performed it’s function very well.
The petition was before anyone who cared to look could see that AGW is fraud and there is no consensus. Now that we can see that, it has become obvious that most members of congress and everyone in the Obama administration can’t even read. It is time to send someone to represent us that will at least bother to read up on what they are supposed to know enough about to cast an intelligent vote.
Amino Acids in Meteorites says:
“””
if a Democrat is in trouble in Oregon you know there is change happening in America. Oregon is a D state.
“””
Maybe in this case the Democrats are in trouble, but in other
cases the Republicans refuse to nominate anyone I could possibly
vote for and I think a lot of others agree with me even if they
have issues with the Democrats.
Actually Pete isn’t as bad as say,Boxer, he is in a purple district, and full of old Oregon
types who seem him as one who can stand up to the Dems when needed and and roll
over when needed. So, Art has a challenge. I supported his last challenger, but he
didn’t get anywhere. However there is even in Oregon, a very unhappy electorate,
and this year anything could happen…
SIGHHhh, I can not stand either the demirats or the rebooblicans but I do not dare vote independent in this comming election because it is too important to vote the thugs out.
And yes, if I was in Oregon I would vote for Dr Robinson.
Bill Tuttle says:
May 19, 2010 at 11:26 pm :
Absolutely correct! By reverting to the Framers view of government by citizen legislators, Congressional sessions could be limited to 30 and 90 day sessions in alternate years and both house and senate members should term limit after 8 years. Just think of the number of staff employees and special interest lobbyists, especially those representing labor unions, will loose their jobs. Going one step further, the federal government is too large to succeed. Radical surgery is needed to reduce it to a functional and manageable size.
I lived in Oregon just one year and was dismayed at the group-think displayed by many of the people there–especially those that considered themselves Democrats. If I still lived there, I’d campaign for Dr. Robinson.
And regarding Nick’s comment, the 31,000 SCIENTISTS certainly beat the list of political pundits and quasi-scientists that signed onto the UN’s unscrupulous scaremongering on behalf of the global warming/climate change/global governance/tax us to death agenda. As a scientist myself and one of the signatories of that list, I believe “human-caused global warming” is an inferrence at most; it is not even an hypothesis. Or call it a cult; that’s a much more accurate description of their modus operandi.
One of the best things about Oregon is that by and large the electorate is intelligent enough to vote on issues according to the merits and don’t need or welcome partisan political suggestions from people who have no business sticking their noses into our affairs.
Thank you.
red432 says:
May 20, 2010 at 6:54 am
“in other cases the Republicans refuse to nominate anyone I could possibly vote for”
This is a longstanding issue in Oregon.
I have right-leaning tendencies, but on several occasions have been unable to put my cross next to the name of the GOP candidate, having to choose either a semi-harmless Democrat, a libertarian or simply no vote.
There are names which keep re-surfacing which have lost and lost and lost, and the message just doesn’t get through, even when they are told outright why these people are unelectable.
Some Guy has just loosened my wallet; I think I’ll contribute to Dr. Robinson’s campaign this fall. Besides, should he become a Representative, his decisions will impact me just as much as someone living in Oregon even though I no longer live there.
It will get really interesting when this Tea Party movement starts to seriously rub up against the international bankers and their kinfolks.
I have bookmarked his web page and will send him $20.
As a life long Democrat who has NEVER voted Republican before, this November will be new milestone.
.
I used to hold my nose and vote the party line as my views tended to follow these better than not, but no more.
.
So it is time to hold my nose and vote Republican this year as cap and trade looks to be a bigger problem than any pocket change they can steal.
The time has come to “put up or shut up”.
I will contribute 50 US dollars to Art Robinson’s campaign fund, though I do not reside in Oregon. I will provide similar funds to common sense candidates of my choosing in other states as well, as we run up to the November elections. I am currently and will continue to be far more active in grass roots political actions than I have ever been before, in reaction to my personal disgust for the taxpayer subsidized frauds that pose as climate scientists and the government sponsored carbon trading schemes that provide nonsolutions to nonproblems whilst crippling our energy production and economies.
I challenge each person appreciative of Anthony Watts most excellent blog to tune out the nattering nabobs of nincompoopie like Nick, interrogate their own conscience and savings accounts, and put your individual resolve and money where your mouth is. We CAN reform our bloated and nonfunctional governments at the local, state, and federal levels. But we are going to have to earn it. That means identifying and supporting worthy political candidates with our dollars, technical skills, time and efforts.
We have a scant 5 months before the November elections to wrought real change to the political landscape, revoke the license of the worst offenders, and rebuke the remainder for their infidelity to our Constitution and for bankrupting our Treasury. There is no time left to lose, lest all be lost.
It’s time to “put our money where our mouth is”. I Will. Will You?
Take it from an Oregonia, DeFazio will win handily. Not only is his district blue even a lot of conservatives like him. Might not agree with some of his points but they still like him. Essentially 3 counties run this state and they are all blue, one of those counties belong to him.
Should add, the governors race is going to be an interesting one. Kitzhaber ran the state for two terms and has been retired for a couple terms. Nows he’s back to try and finish this state off, he left his second term saying Oregon is ungovernable. The challenger is Chris Dudley, former member of the Trailblazers and I’ve been saying for years for an R to win they would have to have name recognition.
The libs started up a website the very night Dudley won the republican primary. Can you guess what one of their main attack points are? He doesn’t have the experience needed for such an important office…..Obama anyone?
I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Robinson at his research laboratories at OISM. I was traveling with my son (a budding scientist at that time) and was curious about OISM. With a google map we drove the country roads to the OISM laboratories and introduced ourselves to a very gracious Dr. Robinson. We initially hoped for a brief overview of the facilities, however Dr. Robinson treated us to an extensive review of molecular theories related to aging and the application of the Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometer to polypeptide residue analysis. As an analytical chemist, I was of course in my element, however I was most impressed by the enthusiastic interest that Dr. Robinson displayed in influencing a young scientific mind. His thoughtfulness and scientific enthusiasm will remain an indelible memory which will remain with me forever. I strongly support Dr. Robinson’s run for the house. Oregon will be fortunate indeed to have him on Her side.
Sorry Dr. Robinson, but I prefer my own decisions over my body, and dammit, it is hard enough to find someone to love without someone else telling us who we can and cannot love legally and bindingly. Give me a fiscal and military conservative (don’t spend and don’t go) who leaves my private life out of their business, and they will get my vote. But NOT till then.
Pamela can you show me where Dr. Robinson suggests telling you who you can and cannot love? Seriously. It seems you really support a libertarian position, which is fine but Dr. Robinson is clearly a fiscal conservative and that is what he is running on. I assume your other issue is his pro-life position. If a life amendment never even got out of any committee in a very socially conservative congress with one of the most socially conservative presidents in history (Bush) it will never happen. The argument BTW from the pro-life side is not about telling you what to do with your body but with the rights of the unborn. While one is directly related to the other, the intent is not as nefarious as you imply. The problem with this issue is both sides just talk past each other.
The right of an unborn human (yes, “human”) has far, far more rights than any body decision you may have, Pamela. Otherwise your so-called “love” is anything but. Because adding another “human” suddenly expands your “private life” into a two-some, and that second person deserves protection. Certainly you’re not giving it.
“One of the best things about Oregon is that by and large the electorate is intelligent enough to vote on issues according to the merits …”
Thank you for that wonderful satire. Oregon has foisted an awful Democrat incumbent on the rest of America in the execrable DeFazio, a man who votes to steal our prosperity, freedom and American future through votes for trillion dollar deficits, bailouts, Government takeovers, and stupid regulations that kill jobs and ship our industrial base overseas.
DeFazio is part of the problem and supporting him makes you part of the problem too.
Every time you vote for a Democrat and American loses a job.
Save America and make the Democrat lose his job.
“Sorry Dr. Robinson, but I prefer my own decisions over my body”
Pamela, Dr Robinson is running against a guy who decided to unconstitutionally mandate you buy Federal-approved health insurance, a massive intrusion on your personal ability to make decisions over your own body. Your position is incompatible with support for Obamacare and anyone who supports it.
As such, you should be thrilled than an opponent with a scientific background has emerged to take on an incumbent that voted to strip away your healthcare freedom.
“Take it from an Oregonia, DeFazio will win handily. Not only is his district blue even a lot of conservatives like him. Might not agree with some of his points but they still like him.”
6 million private sector jobs lost since the Democrats took control of Congress. $1.5 trillion deficits. A plague of new regulations and taxes that kill jobs. Takeover of healthcare with unconstitutional mandates. Refusal to fix real problems, refusal to focus on long-term jobs and economic growth. Worst Congress Ever.
And useful idiots who should know better vote for a man who is responsible for the destruction of America through the most maddeningly awful policies in the worst Congress in our lifetimes … oh, because they ‘like him’. Forgive them Lord, they know not what they do.
This is NOT the year to vote for incumbent Democrat demagogues just because they sell their swill with a smile. The underlying irresponsible, spend-it-all, tax-more, Government-knows-best philosophy is destroying America! Either you vote to save America by defeating every Democrat incumbent you can, or you are part of the problem as America becomes the next Greece. DeFazio and Pelosi and the rest and all those who support them are part of the problem.
Dr Robinson and hundreds like him – honest citizens and not professional politicians running to stand up for their principles – are the solution. It would be wonderful and fascinating to have a brand new Congress with hundreds of new members including him in it. THEN we might actually go about solving the problems we face. Don’t squash the last best hope for America.