Governor Kitzhaber Resigns

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber has officially resigned, to be effective February 18, as investigations revealed controversial businesses dealings between the governor and his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes. Hayes, a clean energy consultant, was brought in to advise the governor on clean energy issues and was paid in the process. Many feared that this became a conflict of interest and further investigation into the matter resulted in the governor losing the trust of Oregon citizens.

Secretary of State Kate Brown (Democrat) will be his replacement. Brown was scheduled to attend meetings in Washington D.C. until Friday but has cut her trip short and decided to return to Oregon. With no events on her schedule, rumors of a resignation gained traction.

Critics pointed at Hayes but also to the disastrous rollout of the state’s health insurance website that spent $303 million and now has nothing to show for it. Others seemed to be getting tired of having Kitzhaber as governor after twelve years in office and four terms, and the scandal with Hayes added additional controversy.

Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, along with other Democratic leaders, urged Governor Kitzhaber to resign. After speaking with his lawyer he reversed course saying he had no intention of resigning.

“I’m not going to consider resigning,” said Governor Kitzhaber, “I was elected by the people of this state to do a job, and I intend to do it.”

But after further pressure from political allies, Governor Kitzhaber decided to resign on Friday, February 13.

“I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life. As a former presiding officer I fully understand the reasons for which I have been asked to resign. I wish Speaker Kotek and President Courtney and their colleagues on both sides of the aisle success in this legislative session and beyond. And I hope that they are truly committed to carrying forward the spirit of bipartisanship and collaboration that has marked the last four years in Oregon.”

“I have always had the deepest respect for the remarkable institution that is the Oregon Legislature; and for the office of the Governor. And I cannot in good conscience continue to be the element that undermines it. I have always tried to do the right thing and now the right thing to do is to step aside.”

SpaceX Launches First Deep Space Mission 

Third time’s the charm for SpaceX who successfully launched their Falcon 9 rocket into deep space on Wednesday, February 11, after being delayed twice due to extreme weather. The rocket is carrying a satellite that will monitor the sun and check for solar flares. The satellite is capable of providing a warning up to an hour before a solar flare reaches earth. The $340 million satellite will be sent into deep space about 93 million miles from earth to a point where the gravity from the earth and sun offset each other.

The original plan had the boosters detach from the craft and land on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean however, due to weather, the boosters instead made a soft landing in the sea. That would have been attempt number two at landing the boosters on a floating platform; the first attempt resulted in the rocket exploding on its deck.

CEO Elon Musk was optimistic and pleased with the launch saying that there was a “High probability of good droneship landing in non-stormy weather.” SpaceX is attempting to make rockets more reusable and thus cheaper and part of that is a safe recovery of the rockets themselves. This is the first deep space launch for SpaceX, one of the first companies to launch space missions and be privately funded. Elon Musk is also the CEO of Tesla, chairman of SolarCity, and the co-founder of PayPal.

President Obama Requests War Powers From Congress to Fight ISIS

On Wednesday, February 10, President Obama formally asked Congress for war powers to fight ISIS. The letter he sent requested authorization for a three-year campaign against ISIS that would include additional airstrikes and ground forces. President Obama said he wants to avoid a full invasion and occupation of Iraq and work with other nations to destroy ISIS.

After three years, his powers expire and he must cease any current formal war with ISIS. President Obama made it clear that this will be a limited war and any ground forces in Iraq and Syria would be for rescue missions, special operations units, intelligence gathering, and to assist our allies. He also made it clear that he wanted to have bipartisan support from Congress before continuing the attacks against ISIS, saying that “I can think of no better way for the Congress to join me in supporting our nation’s security than by enacting this legislation, which would show the world we are united in our resolve to counter the threat posed by ISIL.”

“If left unchecked, ISIL will pose a threat beyond the Middle East, including to the United States homeland,” said President Obama during his announcement.

The authorization does not include the power to wage a long term war such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan after September 11, 2001. This is the first time in a while that Republicans seem to be in agreement with the president. Some, such as Republican Speaker John Boehner, think that the powers would not go far enough: “If we’re going to authorize the use of military force, the president should have all the tools necessary to win the fight that we’re in.”

Photo Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oregonmildep/9416554505