Today I went to Sen. Wyden's 901st town hall since he got elected. He always makes me feel better.

[Amaryllis]

He said other senators ask him why he has all these town halls. "People just get mad at you," they tell him. Granted, this is liberal Portland, but people love him and many expressed gratitude to him for doing town halls. He always says democracy happens from the bottom up, not the top down, and he loves to come home, do town halls, and see people involved.

He vowed when he was elected to hold a town hall in every county in Oregon each year, and has kept that promise. This years he's held about double that because, as he said, "desperate times..."

Anyone who wants to ask a question gets a ticket and they pull numbers out of a container. He spends the whole time answering questions.

There was a 16 year old HS student who asked what he is doing to encourage youth involvement. He said he holds all his town halls in high schools and involves the students. He asked the kid some questions about thing that were important to youth, and then asked if the kid would like an internship at his local office. The kid was super excited. Wyden asked him to explain net neutrality, and he did a great job. Wyden then asked if he could start his internship right away! His number to ask a question got drawn, just like everyone else's, and then this really cool thing happened. The whole audience clapped for him.

I talked to the kid afterward; he had connected with staff and had a meeting set up. He was so excited and happy. He was on his way to call his parents and tell them what had just happened. Turns out he'd applied earlier for an internship with Wyden, but didn't get it, so this was an amazing thing to happen.

Wyden has never stopped working to get Trump's tax returns released and is still hammering on it every chance he gets. He's on the finance committee and said it is getting closer to happening. He is also very conscious of the challenges facing our elections and doing a lot of work on that.

Every time I go to one of these, I come away so grateful for having two really good senators and feel better because of what they are doing. Wyden and Merkley are a great team.

[gratuitous]

1. Thank you for this report

Oregon's junior Senator isn't too shabby, either.

[marlakay]

2. I saw he came here but missed it

Found out after, I live in Medford so I bet he got a mean crowd here with some liberals from Ashland added in.

[Amaryllis]

4. I wondered how it is in rural areas. Have you been to one of his town halls there, and if so, how

was it? He is very diplomatic and I've seen him tactfully but honestly answer Fox talking point questions.

[marlakay]

7. Not yet we just moved here

9 months ago. Took me awhile to get set up with places on FB that told me of events like that. I have sign for progressive congresswoman in my yard. I found one other in my neighborhood made me feel good. This is not rural or small 81,600. I lived in mountains of WA for 10 yrs 2500 people hours to big stores thats rural! Lol

Mostly retirees here. Nice people I just don’t ask nor do people talk politics here. I love the area and mostly hang out in Ashland 20 min away but too expensive for me to live in.

There was a good amount of people at womens march earlier in the year. And Trader Joes and co op always busy so we must have some liberals around here.

[Amaryllis]

11. If you sign up for Wyden's newsletter (on his website) you will get notices of town halls. Merkley

also.

[Hekate]

3. What a fantastic story! You made my day!

...and since I've been sick in bed mostly sleeping all week, that is saying something.

[wasupaloopa]

5. Great story, thank you for posting.

I live in CA on the Central Coast.

I feel very fortunate to live in a more progressive state than some red states.

My wife is walking for a heart fund in Portland next month. I am going along for the ride. Not sure what to do in Portland by myself for a couple of days.

[marlakay]

8. Go to Powells Bookstore

You could easily spend the whole day. I go there every time in Portland.

[Amaryllis]

12. It's Powells City of Books on Burnside you want to go to, not the smaller ones.

[marlakay]

14. Yep thats the one! Nt

[MurrayDelph]

9. There's Powell's Books

and a few blocks away is the food pod park.

[wasupaloopa]

15. Thank you I will go there for sure

[Thunderbeast]

6. Wyden's is a tireless public servant

He started his career as a young man working with the Gray Panthers. If the dems re-take the Senate, he will be ruthless in bringing the GOP to account.

[trueblue2007]

10. I love Ron Wyden !!!!

hubby and i vote for him every year

[renate]

13. I volunteer for a crisis line and he came to visit... so did Rep Blumenauer

I am so grateful to live in a state whose representatives take their jobs as public servants seriously and literally. They really are in it for the people and not themselves.

[Hortensis]

16. "democracy happens from the bottom up, not the top down"

I envy you. We need to elect more people like this.

[Amaryllis]

17. He always says that when people say how grateful they are to him. He says he appreciates the

gratitude but he is grateful to us for caring and being involved; he loves town halls because of that and they are uplifting for him.