Under the theory that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, you have to welcome the editorial position taken by the Oregonian newspaper. Over the weekend it came out against the I-1000 initiative to legalize assisted suicide in the neighboring state of Washington. (I-1000 will be on the November 4 ballot.) But the editorial is strange on several grounds.

The editorial writer contends that the newspaper's warnings against Oregon's own "Death with Dignity" law have proved unfounded. You could (and I do) argue with that just as you could (and I do) with the notion that because the law was upheld twice by the voters in Oregon it says anything other than that Oregonians were beguiled by a gigantic public relations campaign.

Of more significance is the newspaper's "unease," using its own law as a guide, with the very similar Washington initiative. There are two principle concerns.

1. "Our fundamental objection is the same it has always been--that's it's wrong to use physicians and pharmacists to hasten patients' deaths." There is no elaboration why this gives the paper pause.

2. "Oregon's physician-assisted suicide program has not been sufficiently transparent. Essentially, a coterie of insiders run the program, with a handful of doctors and others deciding what the public may know."

Despite a bevy of good things the Oregonian says have come out of Oregon's own "Death with Dignity" law, nonetheless "our basic unease with physician-assisted suicide has not changed, and we cannot exhort Washington voters to take the same path."

As NRLC's Jennifer Popik explained earlier this year, there have been nearly 100 failed attempts to duplicate Oregon's currently one-of-a kind law. "Proposals patterned on Oregon's law have been introduced in 22 states--in many states, multiple times," she wrote. "Each has failed, thanks to a diverse mix of groups."

Indeed, as has been the case in these other successful efforts, it's been a coalition of pro-life, disability, and medical groups that have waged an uphill battle in Washington state. It is no small thing that in July, the Washington State Medical Association said it opposes the I-1000 initiative.

Let us fervently hope the cumulative advice to reject the initiative wins out in November.

Please send any thoughts you have to daveandrusko@hotmail.com.