Issue of Tibetian independence makes appearance in Senate campaign

Tibetian independence-an unusual campaign issue- has been thrown into the spotlight as of late due to the impending Olympics in Beijing.

Rep. Jeff Merkley has brought the issue up two times this week; once, in the televised debate on Tuesday night and again on a pro-Sen. Edwards blog on Wednesday.

“We have a similar afflicted people in Tibet. It is incumbent on the international community to do all they can to stand with the people of Tibet for their independence and freedom,” the Speaker wrote in response to a question posed on the blog.

“The current protests are a call to help at a time when other nations do have some leverage. We should certainly be looking for national leaders to use some of that leverage to help alleviate the oppression of the Tibetan people,” he continued.

The Hill picked up the story, but made less of an issue over Merkley’s comments than what they saw as his spokesman, Matt Canter’s, back peddling.

Canter told Aaron Blake that Merkley agrees with the Dalai Lama's "vision for Tibetan independence" but not a completely separate state.

As Blake points out, however, the Dalai Lama has ma de it clear that he wants autonomy within China for Tibet, not independence, which he has termed "out of the question."

Canter’s response to the article: “[Blake] was playing semantics.”

Canter, who believes that the National Republican Senatorial Committee fed The Hill Merkley’s comments, added that “ It is noteworthy that the NRSC is continuing to monitor everything Merkley is doing.”