By PAUL FATTIG

Congressional candidate Ellen Wedum isn't afraid of the "L" word.

"I'm tired of people acting like they are ashamed to be liberal," said the La Pine area resident. "I'm proud to be liberal."

Wedum is one of two Democrats running for that party's endorsement in the 2nd Congressional District. She faces fellow Democrat Kevin Campbell of Canyon City, a former Grant County probate judge.

Culver resident Jim Gilbertson, a farmer, also filed as a Democratic candidate for the position but later dropped out of the race. However, his name will be on the ballot because he withdrew after the deadline to remove it from the ballot.

Wedum contends that her liberal status will not be a detriment in a district known for its conservatism.

"I think more people are becoming aware of these so-called liberal issues and the validity of them," she said. "It's all very well to say welfare mothers ought to go back to work. But you've got to provide them with childcare."

Most people support programs such as school lunches for needy children, she said.

"Wouldn't you rather put your money into something nice and liberal like a school lunch program instead of a jail?" she asked, noting it's cheaper to provide free lunches to ensure a student learns instead of building jails for those who don't.

"We need someone who's willing to stand up and say these things," she said. "I think there are a lot of liberals out there who don't know it."

What's more, she says a liberal Democrat may surprise a few voters against a conservative Republican come November.

"There are a lot of Republicans out there who used to be Democrats," she said. "Farmers always used to always vote Democrat. I think they are going to start realizing the Republican Party doesn't have their best interest at heart."

Wedum said she decided to enter the race just before the filing deadline, fearing the GOP would have no opposition.

"I didn't want the Republicans to just walk away with it without a fight," she said.

She says it would be an oversimplification to paint her as merely a liberal.

"The problem is you've got voters on one side who are ranchers and farmers very concerned about water rights and grazing fees," she said. "And you've got voters on the other side who are concerned about natural resources and preserving the environment."

The problem, she said, is to come up with a way to balance the two needs.

"We need to try to unify people to appreciate what we've got here and how we shouldn't spoil it," he said. "But it's got to be a place that is economically viable to live. It's all very well to preserve the environment, but if people can't live here as a result, then that's not good."

While she said she understands the need to protect the environment, she said humans must also be considered.

"If you are going to talk about the environment or the ecology, you have to realize the people who live here are a species, too,'' she said. "We've got to bring jobs into the area. This is one thing Democrats are happy to do with federal programs."

For instance, she suggests that out-of-work loggers with expertise in the woods be hired by agencies like the federal Forest Service, she said.

"The first and foremost goal has got to be to bring the jobs here," she said. "We can't retrain the people and move them out."

Wedum, who ran unsuccessfully for the Klamath County Board of Commissioners in 1996, wants to abolish the income tax.

"I believe we can balance the budget if we go to a national sales tax," she said. "We already have some national sales taxes for gasoline and alcohol. This isn't anything new."

Wedum said she is running a bare-bones campaign, and wants other candidates to follow her example. She is calling for campaign finance reform.