Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio's laudable efforts to protect Oregon loggers face powerful opponents who enjoy the benefits of having a ready supply of low-wage labor.So far, the powerful opponents are winning.The Oregon lawmakers were rightly outraged last year by revelations that four companies hired only foreign workers for Recovery Act forest-thinning projects, including two in the Umpqua National Forest.The companies claimed they couldn't find a single Oregonian able, willing, qualified and available to cut down trees. Part of the problem was they didn't look in Oregon. They only recruited in distant states.This piece of the 2009 federal …