Les AuCoin is a writer and author, a retired nine-term U.S. congressman from Oregon, a former university professor of government, and now a kicked back devotee of the wild outdoors (the intrinsic logic of which surpasses all the stuff he had dealt with in DC). He was the first Democrat in Oregon history to win in its First Congressional District (it has remained in Democratic hands ever since). His congressional service is the sixth-longest in Oregon history.
When AuCoin left the Congress in 1993, he was dean of the Oregon House delegation, a Democratic majority whip-at-large, an official congressional observer at the Geneva Strategic Arms Reduction Talks, and a veteran member of the House Appropriations Committee.
He is a visiting lecturer at Southern Oregon University and the Maxwell School of Government at Syracuse University, a corporate director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle and, by appointment of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a former adviser to the Pentagon’s Joint Forces Command. He has authored and co-authored numerous essays, book reviews and books, including Wildfire: 100 Years Of Failed Forest Service Management (Island Press, 2006) and Inalienable Rights, Fundamental Freedoms: A U.N. Agenda for Advancing Human Rights in the World Community (United Nations Association-USA, 1996).
In this occasional blog, AuCoin comments on politics and current events. For a full biography, go to his Wikipedia biography.
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February 21st, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Welcome to the arena, Les.
January 18th, 2011 at 8:58 am
Thanks, Hart. I don’t think I ever really left but this medium is a way to push the envelop more publicalluy.
September 8th, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Thanks, Hart. You’ve been there. Are there.
April 29th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Greetings from Medford.
Les, I was reading your name recently. I started by reminding myself of the 14th Amendment as part of my thinking about the Arizona immigration law.
That got me reading about Oregon’s sad–shameful, from the perspective of 2010–history of anti black (and Indian and Chinese) racism at the time of its great pioneer past and entry into the Union. Oregon adopted the 14th Amendment and then promptly rescinded the adoption.
And you were in the state legislature back in the dinosaur days (1973, actually) and you were a co-sponsor of re-adoption.
Thanks!!
Peter Sage
January 18th, 2011 at 8:59 am
Thanks, Peter. And thanks for all you do for the Southern Oregon community.
September 8th, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Steve, I got your letter. I’ll reply by this weekend on our regular email. It was a pleasure to meet you at the Willamette Writers Conference. I’m currently deeply into the second draft of my manuscript.
Hope all is well!
December 20th, 2011 at 10:58 am
Les,
Gore Vidal wrote a great line in “Washington DC”. For too many politicians, hypocrisy is their shield, inaction their sword. Why is it the most vociferous advocates of “smaller” government are the people most eager to become employed by it, yelling to reduce benefits which we’ve paid for with our taxes, while they take our money as paychecks for their “public service”? Can Hypocrites like Rob Cornilles be educated by being placed for a day in stocks?
December 27th, 2011 at 4:51 am
I haven’t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are great quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend :)
January 6th, 2012 at 10:42 am
Hi Les, I do love your writing and you can (maybe) help me find my way to publication….:-) Hi to Sue and Stacy & Kelly PS Carl Dominey asked for me to put you in touch but I somehow lost his email….has that connection been made? Deb Rengo Boone
January 6th, 2012 at 10:44 am
Thanks, Debbie. Good to hear from you. Carl Dominey? No.