HE FAVORS LONG-TERM TIMBER-PAYMENTS SOLUTION

The following are highlights of an interview with Barack Obama by Gary
Nelson, Mail Tribune editorial page editor:

Q: You mentioned timber payments to counties in passing in your
speech. Do you support those payments?

A: What I'd like to do is convene meetings between federal agencies,
local and state governments and interested parties, and start
hammering out a long-term solution that acknowledges the revenue
issues that are at stake for local governments and preserves the
natural resources that are so important to Oregon.

Q: Do you think it's possible to get to a long-term
solution?

A: I always believe there's the possibility of getting to a long-term
solution. It just takes work. And it takes listening. And the federal
government being an honest broker in the process.

Q: One of the issues that is getting a lot of attention in Oregon
right now is liquefied natural gas terminals. The Bush administration
has decided that energy supply is a national security issue, and
therefore has given FEMA the power to decide whether Oregon gets
liquefied natural gas terminals.

A: I'm not big on that theory. LNG is a transitional technology or
resource. And we can't ignore our genuine energy needs. On the other
hand, to completely circumvent state authority on this issue I think
is a mistake.

I think it's important for the federal government to work with state
governments, and to recognize that over the long-term, liquefied
natural gas is not going to be the answer to our energy problems. What
we need to do is to find other energy sources than fossil fuels.

Q: Do you think LNG is worth pursuing on a temporary
basis?

A: I think it comes down to the economics and the safety issues.
Sometimes safety concerns can be overstated. And I don't want to
pretend at this stage that I have reviewed all of the science -- as I
just said in the town hall meeting -- what I want this to be driven by
is science, and if somebody can persuade me that liquefied natural gas
can be used safely, and is not a significant terrorist target, and
does not expose the surrounding communities to enormous threats, does
not degrade the environment, and, having met all those criteria, is
still economical to use, then obviously this is something that I would
be open to.

But I think that if you don't factor in any of those potential
hazards, then you're not making a good decision.

Q: A couple of other issues of interest to Oregonians involve
initiatives passed by the voters that have come into conflict with the
federal government: physician-assisted suicide and medical marijuana.
Do you support those two concepts?

A: I am in favor of palliative medicine in circumstances where someone
is terminally ill. ... I'm mindful of the legitimate interests of
states to prevent a slide from palliative treatments into euthanasia.
On the other hand, I think that the people of Oregon did a service for
the country in recognizing that as the population gets older we've got
to think about issues of end-of-life care. ...

As for medical marijuana ... I'm not familiar with all the details of
the initiative that was passed, but I think the basic concept of using
medical marijuana for the same purposes and with the same controls as
other drugs prescribed by doctors, I think that's entirely
appropriate. ...

I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to
circumvent state laws on this issue.