The real death panels.

• Author: Shaw, Peter
• Position: Letters to the Editor - Letter to the editor

In Erin Middlewood's article on Earl Blumenauer ("How the Bike Man Became the Grim Reaper: Meet Representative Earl Blumenauer," October issue), she gives passing mention to the "couple dozen labor activists" who protested at Representative Blumenauer's Portland office against his support for the Peru Free Trade Agreement. I was one of those activists. I was there as part of the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee. A few weeks ago, PCASC was back at his office, this time trying to ward off Blumenauer supporting a similar corporate rights arrangement between the United States and Colombia.

I find it sadly ironic that Blumenauer received vitriol from Republicans who spuriously claimed he supported death panels here, but...