DeFazio: 'People might not agree with me, but they know where I stand'
»Play Video
This story appeared on KVAL TV News last week. Watch KVAL News and KVAL.com Monday for a story on Republican Art Robinson.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Peter DeFazio has been in the House of Representatives since 1987, the longest of Oregon's 5 representatives in Cognress.
Just like in the presidential campaign, the top issue for Congress is jobs.
"We're losing the trade wars," DeFazio said. "We're losing to china and other countries. I've never voted for a free trade agreement. I want to bring and keep those manufacturing jobs home."
DeFazio said that if re-elected, he wants action on what he believes is his best jobs bill of the past two years: a bi-partisan plan to open up more federal timberlands for logging.
"It's not without controversy; there are environmental groups who say we should never, ever harvest another tree on federal lands," DeFazio said. "I don't agree with them."
On the topic of Cal trains through Eugene en route to Coos Bay, DeFazio said that because of the World Trade Prganization agreement "you can't stop it, so what I'm trying to do is deal with the real concerns of the people of Eugene and other places that are potentially on the route of the trains, to deal with the coal dust."
Then there's the so-called fiscal cliff: deep federal budget cuts and tax hikes to hit us by the end of the year.
"I've been a balanced-budget Democrat since 1990," DeFazio said. "We need a balanced budget amendment to the constitution."
KVAL News asked DeFazio about his Republican opponent, Art Robinson.
"He is a right wing extremist," DeFazio said. "He's campaigned for 15 years to abolish all public education."
The latest federal elections report shows Robinson beating DeFazio in third quarter fundraising, but the Democrat has more cash on hand.
The congressman thinks his chances of re-election are good come Nov. 6.
"People might not agree with me, but they know where I stand and I don't try to hide where I stand."
i know where you stand..soo far to the left that your are amost falling off the edge.
 @PEANUT He has nothing to do about right or left he deals with what is good for the people, Oregon and this country as a whole. The owned people - that would be the Republicans big money owns them and want to gain control of this country to rape it and turn the common workers into slaves. Peter is not owned, he is independent and registers as a Democrat His record is good if you bothered to look it up. Government as whole cannot be trusted on it's own to act on the countries best behalf - We The People have to watch dog them - that is our job. Simple unfounded statements don't hold water. The American Taliban is on the move to strip out what does not serve their religious belief system - and their personal bank accounts. Peter is not one of those his record proves that. Do you home work
Want to know what Peter does in the House? WATCH HIM IN ACTION! He has a youtube channel with his c-span speeches addressing the house on issues...this one is about Oregon being FORCED by WTO on the coal trains.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBt9_ukcWBI&feature=share&list=UUIF3HunhsVgTv7L2grnq2Rg
do you know who Bernie Sanders is? He has served the state of Vermont for a while now and done very well in bringing out what is truly going on...this election is the breaker of what has been happening in this country for sometime now. Watch this from Bernie: http://youtu.be/v0lZ4d161h0
The top issue is not jobs. Trade wars mean nothing. Environmentalism, Clear cutting. It is all just noise to fill the air in speeches. We are under the thumb of excessive regulation and tax that is killing our country. Any successful or failed small business owner knows that dealing with required regulations needs a paid book keeper on payroll. As time passes people in this realize that they are working to support the regulations and taxes instead of themselves. Business licenses are not renewed. People who intended to make a career of their small business retire or return to a stagnant workforce because flipping hamburgers pays nearly as much as operating a complex home business. What has become of the local handyman, the seamstress down the block, the neighbor who does auto repair in his garage? Why can't neighborhood teenagers learn to work and earn a little summer money on local farms picking berries or beans or bucking hay? It is because the government has decided that we are not smart enough to make our own decisions and for our children. The government says it is not safe to do business with your neighbor, your neighbor is breaking the law to offer services or goods if not licensed.Â
The latest mandatory encroachment into our lives is the requirement to have health insurance. It does not matter what you want to do in life you will spend half or more of your labors in life supporting the government and insurance companies. Peter DeFazio has placed signs along our roads stating falsehoods about Art Robinson. Many persons do not have the time or inclination to research this and further may not care much about it, and will just be happy when the election is over and things can go back to normal. I have taken my time in this election to do some research about our two candidates. Mr. DeFazio has paid for advertisements and orally made claims that are completely false about his opponent Mr. Robinson.  If he is willing to lie now to retain his position why would he tell the truth in other issues?Â
@farmrdave Well said
As time marches on we get used to things and do not like unexpected changes to our lives. I think this contributes to career politicians re-elections. We may be unhappy with things as they are but unable or unwilling to do the research needed to make an educated vote. So we read the signs on TV and billboards listen to radio or neighbors and co-workers and then vote to keep out the unknown candidate.
I have lots of time to research this election. I do not like our worsening stagnant economy in district 4. I am voting for Art Robinson. He is a solid competent candidate who was the ability to do good things for us. If we repeat previous elections we can expect nothing to improve here.
@farmrdave    Well said. I hope a lot of liberal's in this state would see your comments. The liberal's of this state is destroying the state. They would rather solve little issues like plastic bag ban other provide jobs. We are slaves to liberal politics.
Defazio's fiasco as of late with his new billboards using Mr. Robinson's likeness, and snippets of quotes of his is the last straw. Â He brought his dirty politics back to Oregon from Washington DC, and I am tired of it. Â It is too bad has has stooped so low. Â I hear Mr. Robinson is suing him now too--well, I hope he wins. Â You lost another vote, Mr. Defazio. Â You cheat. Â You lie. Â You purposely try to deceive. Â No more. Â You won't get my vote this year.
guess I am a commie liberal progressive dirt bag. Â I agree with Defazio on logging more federal ground and bringing jobs and tax base back from China.
 @drinkmorewater If he actually did something about it!  He has said this for years and nothing has changed, we are still only managing private timber.  He said to me in an email that he would definitely not vote for Obama care, just two days before he voted for it.  I think it's time for a change.
LOL!!
KVAL News asked DeFazio about his Republican opponent, Art Robinson.
DeFazio said. "He is a right wing extremist," ~ "He's campaigned for 15 years to abolish all public education."
 Peter DeFazio hit the wingnut on the head.Â
Â
 @Nogod Way past time to privatize the school industry. It would be so simple.
Â
(Peers closely at the monitor)
You went to public skool too, dintcha?
Time to go Defazio. Just another socialist lifer on the blue ticket.Â
"DeFazio said that because of the World Trade Prganization agreement "you can't stop it,"  It took retaliation from the Mexican government against Oregon tree farmers and other Oregon producers for him to figure that one out after he passed legislation against NAFTA treaty provisions because the Teamsters Union wanted him to pass it. He is consistently pandering to his Democratic base; hard for him to fault a Republican for doing the same.
'People might not agree with me, but they know where I stand'
Â
Which is exactly why a lifer like you needs to be fired.
DeFazio's commercials are just sickening talking about the $51,000 per citizen debt when he voted for all of it. He's just like Obama he supports legislation against the will of the voters then points his fingers at the republicans and says look what they did.Talk about hypocrisy. He is a big government Progressive who helped shove Obamacare down our throats regardless that half his constituents didn't want our healthcare nationalized.
 @grainger You need to check Peter's voting record before you believe the Super Pac ad's get out from in front of the TV and check his voting record. Art Robinson is bought and paid for by big corporate money - the super pac ads prove that. Maybe it is time for a change but Art is not the change needed....he will turn on Oregon he is the warm body needed to sell out to corporate control. I don't feel a change is needed with Peter. I feel a change in the House is needed...Peter is not the one, nor any of the Democrats in the house, who sat on their hands and did nothing in congress NOTHING if anything the Republican party in the house have held this country hostage being uncooperative and not willing to come to an agreement on issues like the JOBS bill that was voted down by the Republicans before they went on vacation. Peter is not the problem, people Like Art are the problem. Art is a liar and watch what he does if he were to be elected...you will kick yourself and complain...that is fact. Don't be deceived...and don't watch Faux News..it will rot your brain.
DeFazio is a career liberal progressive. He has no honor and truthfulness. He merely carries the torch for the liberal progressive socialist movement. Just keep voting for more of the same. AARP is a giant corporation that liberal progressives are sussposed to hate, what gives? Politifact is a liberal think tank, what would you expect. The AMA has changed their mind, do some research. Prove that God did not create man, you can't. I will not continue to vote for career politicians that have never accomplished anything in their life, and that goes for all parties. I am not a sheep and do not follow anyone. I feel sorry for those that do not have the ability to see past the ideological agendas. There is enough science on both sides of all issues to create questions for some of us.
Right on!
Robinson is a liar. Down the I5 corridor he has signs that say something like "I will put the 700 billion that Obamacare took back into Medicare". This statement has been deemed false by Politifact, The AARP, The AMA and several other organizations. The 700 billion was money that was being WASTED, not TAKEN from. Robinson also doesn't believe in climate change. The great barrier reef is now 30% dead thanks to just a one degree temperature rise in the past century. The arctic ice is now receding quicker than expected, polar bears are dying in numbers due to inability to hunt because of no ice. We have acidification of the oceans, bleaching of coral reefs, invasive species moving into new environments, and thousands of scientists in agreement that climate change is real. Meanwhile we have Art.. the so called "scientist". He also doesn't believe in evolution, even though we have a fossil record stretching over a billion years. This guy is a nut, and anyone who votes for him is just as nutty.
 @RelaxThereIsNoGod I don't believe in the AARP or global warming . Polar bears are flourishing. Polar bears have the largest habitat of any land animal on Earth.  The sky is not falling the dem's just want another way to tax you. And I do know Defazio likes more taxes and unions. Enough for me to vote for someone else.
 @givupongod  @RelaxThereIsNoGod Yes unions are bad...they get fair wages, decent benefits, normal work hours, over time pay, child work laws, retirement that is matched and give workers representation...they really need to go if slavery of the workers is to survive...And taxes...well none us need to pay those our government structures work on Fairy dust...*poof* and all is paid for and no one needs to pitch in.
Oregon is not unique in the economic problems, the entire nation is having a depression - Europe is having the same problem only worse. Instead of blame how about helping with finding solutions? I know that is what the POTUS does..it is a good example to follow.
 @colorowdy  @RelaxThereIsNoGod Unions now days are corrupt organizations that spend most union dues supporting democrats. So they can have special laws like prevailing wage.  Without prevailing wage most union construction companies would be out of business. And the union members do not have to look for work when laid off.  The American worker can survive without unions and democrats teamed up together.. I have worked both union and non union. I prefer non union any day.
@RelaxThereIsNoGod You can blather all you like. But look around you at the state this state is in. Liberal leadership for the past 30+ years has brought us to this. Nine of the last 11 governors have been liberal democrats with the possible exception of Bob Straub who was a more business friendly democrat governor than all the rest combined. I'd vote for a drunken lemur before I voted for another liberal. The outcome would be about the same and I wouldn't have to give lifetime PERS to a drunken lemur.