Kulongoski on these wars and the recession
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: The Oregon Governor speaks about the rleationship of war, GITMO, and our economy
Topic: WAR

Kulongoski links recessions, tough political atmosphere to wars

By Harry Esteve, The Oregonian

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/04/kulongoski_links_recessions_to.html 

April 02, 2010, 4:18PM

Gov. Ted Kulongoski met briefly with reporters after his "State of the State" address this morning, and he had a curious answer to my question of whether he was "relieved" to have given his last such speech. Here's his answer, edited lightly for brevity:

"Governors, I don't care who they are, you have to look at them and what has happened in life and in the environment this has occurred in. This nation has been at war for eight years. Most of the press walks right by it. But I'm telling you it has a deep vein in this state and this country. I think it seriously impacts the economic stability of this country, the delivery of services by government because of more money going into the wars.

"I think it challenges people and their view of this country...After you watch all these things about Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. People used to think this happened in other parts of the world but not here. I mean we never thought that our government would ever say that waterboarding was a reasonable interrogation technique.

"I think those issues strike deep into the hearts of people, and how they feel about their country. And then you lay over this the last eight years of recession...You've got a mix that I think there's a great deal of insecurity and uncertainty with the American people...

"There's something amiss about all of this. The best antidote to this whole thing is an economic recovery that puts people back to work."

-- Harry Esteve