Congressman Raul Labrador has been criticized for sympathizing with the armed occupiers at Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Here's his response:

It's not every day that two unrelated issues I care passionately about can be discussed in one newsletter. But last week, the issues of land management in the West and federal sentencing reform were central to the events in Eastern Oregon. The standoff in Harney County has become a big story, landing on the front page of the New York Times and filling the cable news programs for a week.  I have called the protesters' actions civil disobedience. Some have objected to this characterization, but I will leave it to Henry David Thoreau and the other great philosophers throughout history to have this debate, not to the liberal hacks of the Idaho and Washington media. At least we should agree that the protesters should leave the federal property peacefully and will have to face the consequences of their actions. I hope and pray that the protesters and law enforcement quickly reach a peaceful conclusion. But when the dust settles, important lessons must follow. Westerners are well aware that onerous federal land management has stripped hard-working Americans of the ability to profit from the fruits of their labor. More here.

Thoughts?