In what’s turning out to be a parallel to the presidential race, the Reichert campaign is once again pushing the experience meme to the local media, picking up where they left off with their sexist job interview ad from 2006. (As I’ve mentioned before, Reichert’s dismissive comments about powerful and capable women, combined with his staunch opposition to reproductive rights, suggests a less than modern attitude toward the opposite gender.)
The Seattle P-I’s Gregory Roberts is the latest journalist to ask the question of whether experience will play a decisive role in this campaign, and over all, I think he answers it in a pretty evenhanded manner. Though of course I’d think that, considering much of that answer included an extensive conversation with me.
Burner established her credibility as a candidate with her ability to raise money. She caught on quickly with the “netroots,” the informal community of left-wing bloggers that was emerging as a political force.
“She’s one of us,” Seattle blogger David Goldstein said recently. “Deep down, she’s a geek.”
Goldstein solicited donations for Burner’s campaign on his horsesass.org Web site. He met Burner in 2005 at a training program for would-be progressive political candidates and activists.
“She’s one of the smartest politicians I’ve met,” Goldstein said. “She is an incredibly hard worker. She is just absolutely relentless.”
Burner’s political ideology makes her more appealing to the left than Reichert: She wants immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, while he wants to fight to victory; she’s pro-choice, while he’s anti-abortion; he supports the Bush tax cuts, and she thinks they wrongly favor the rich.
But beyond that, Goldstein said, Burner’s background is a plus.
“Congress could use a little bit of Microsoft, and coming from this district, that kind of makes sense,” he said.
“What we don’t have in Congress are people like Darcy Burner who truly understand high technology and the industries that are driving our economy and our region,” he said.
Besides, Goldstein said, Reichert’s experience didn’t prepare him especially well for Congress, where he’s rated as the 401st most influential House member by congress.org.
“He wasn’t a lawyer, she’s not a lawyer. He wasn’t a legislator, she’s not a legislator,” he said.
“This idea that she should have been a city councilperson first and then moved on up — that’s an argument for incumbency,” Goldstein said. “That says the only experience for public office is public office.”
Reporters who have interviewed me know that not only do I like to talk, I can sometimes get pretty damn tangential, so if anything, Roberts has me coming off a bit more concise and focused than I probably did on the phone. That said, I can pretty much sum up my thoughts on this issue by restating my belief that holding elected office should be an act of public service, not a reward for it.
Campaign spokesman Mike Shields likes to point toward Reichert’s long career in law enforcement as a prerequisite for office: “Dave has done this since he was a cop on the beat — helping people solve problems.” But while I certainly honor and respect the hard and sometimes dangerous work of all our first responders, it is not especially relevant to what goes on in the halls of Congress, as evidenced by Reichert’s own ranking as the 401st most powerful person in Congress, ahead of only 34 other representatives, some of whom aren’t even retired, indicted, behind bars, or dead.
It is understandable that in 2004, Reichert ran as “the Sheriff”—that is how most voters knew him, and that was the experience, however irrelevant to the task of legislating, that best recommended him for the job. But after two terms in Congress, it is past time for him to start running as “the Congressman.” And if voters find his job performance in that capacity wanting, then it’s time for them to give Darcy Burner a second, closer look.
You are mistakenly referring to The Darcy as a “politician”. She never has held elected office and its unlikely she will after this November. “Would be politician” is more descriptive. The Darcy would be wise to make a run at the Bellevue City Council before even thinking of the US House. You have to wonder, what is she smoking? Where did she ever get the idea that she was fit to be a member of the US House? If she’s qualified to be a member of Congress, shit…..why didn’t I form my exploratory committee for President?
Reichert has a great deal of experience in failure. He failed to catch the Green River killer while more women died. He failed to run the sheriff’s department effectively. He has failed to hug a rabbit. And he has failed miserably at representing the voters of the 8th C.D. in a manner that reflects the values and needs of our region.
I guess it all depends on what kind of experience you want.
@1 “Where did she ever get the idea that she was fit to be a member of the US House?”
Um, maybe by comparing her abilities and accomplishments to those of the incumbent?
Let ‘Em Drink Jack Daniels
Oil is up almost $4 today and is pressing up against $140 again. And I’ll bet we’11 hear plenty about the 9 1/2-cent gas tax increase in this fall’s campaign from the let-roads-rot faction. An outfit calling itself “ChangePac” is already running radio ads falsely asserting that hundreds of projects funded by the gas tax increase are behind schedule.
@1 It’s not too late for Reichert to run for Bellevue City Council, in the same way that some people go to college in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s.
Pelletizer dropped :
Reichert has a great deal of experience in failure. He failed to catch the Green River killer while more women died.
Pelletizer you are just plain stupid.
1) DNA testing in 1995 was 1:1,000,000. Ridgway’s lawyer got them to dismiss any testing as unreliable, just like most “info” you post on HA.
2) The FBI did the lie detector testing.
3) The title of this thread is Pelletizer SUCKS.
4) You are an idiot. How does it feel to be int he same classification as HA’s clueless idiot?
@1
You are mistakenly referring to The Darcy as a “politician”. She never has held elected office and its unlikely she will after this November.
Here’s the definition of the term “politician”:
Your Goldy may itch, but your brain apparently doesn’t do much of anything…
Excuses are like assholes, puddinghead. Everyone’s got one.
You left out the part about jacking off to ditzy, I mean Darcy, on a daily basis Goldy. At least be honest.
@9
Dude, what on earth happened to you when you were younger to turn you into such an insecure little bitch? Were you just relentlessly ridiculed by the girls you went to high school with? Did they all laugh and point at you or something? How does someone like you become so threatened by the opposite sex?
7 – Well by that fucked up definition, I’m a politician too! In fact, we’re ALL politicians here. We’re losing the language in this country and its because of stupid shit like this.
10 – You missed the point of his post. And that is Goldy’s jerk sock fantasy crush on The Darcy. Don’t you find it just a little bit creepy, or at least bizzare about Goldy’s incessant foot worshiping of The Darcy?
Reichert, Burner, Rossi, McCain. Reichert, Burner, Rossi, McCain. Reichert, Burner, Rossi, McCain. Reichert, Burner, Rossi, McCain…….
“Reichert’s dismissive comments about powerful and capable women, combined with his staunch opposition to reproductive rights, suggests a less than modern attitude toward the opposite gender.)”
Of course, you could take out Reichert’s name and insert 1/2 of democrats who voted in the Democrat primaries. Appearantly there are lots and lots of democrats that are dismissive of powerful, capable women…..
@12 misses Lee’s point, I think. When it comes to women in politics, your minds apparently all turn to jacking off.
@10 “Were you just relentlessly ridiculed by the girls you went to high school with? Did they all laugh and point at you or something?”
Of course! He became a Republican as revenge.
@11 What’s so precious about language? We lost English a long time ago. If you don’t believe me, read “Canterbury Tales.” That’s English. What you speak and write is a pidgin English called “American vernacular.” Personally, I like our pidgin English better than Jeff Chaucer’s proper English.
It’s easy to criticize somebody who is trying to solve a puzzle by pointing only to the clues which help one reach the correct conclusion, and disregarding all the false clues which point in other directions.
This is a frequent problem when dealing with military intelligence, or even any post-administration historical review of a president or other politician.
For example, there remain quite a few who still insist that FDR knew in advance of Pearl Harbor and allowed it to proceed in order to draw us into a war with Germany, but they are leftovers of FDR haters who ignore the totality of the evidence available at the time.
So likewise, I am reluctant to criticize Reichart’s record regarding the Green River Killer. In the early days there were lots of leads which turned out to be dead ends, any one of which might have reasonably, at the time, turned out to have led to the killer. I am aware that other detectives on the case thought Reichart was unreasonably focusing attention on the cab driver and excluding the real killer, but I’m not in a position to judge the totality of the evidence available at the time.
But we really don’t have to get to that point. Reichart ran for Congress, and was elected, based largly upon his qualifications as leading the Green River Task Force for a while, and as Sheriff of King County. That was the ticket which got him the job.
I’ve also got a couple of college degrees which helped me get most of my jobs, also. But once hired, performance on the job is the only thing which matters.
And Reichart’s performance on the job has been, well, dissapointing. Congress isn’t an administrative job, where you get credit for just turning up and managing your office, as well as responding to constituent requests. That’s a given. A Congressman/Congresswoman is expected to provide leadership on the issues which represent their district, which is usually measured in terms of initiating legislation, working to get sponsors for bills which benefit the district, bringing home a fair share of federal money back to the districts (yep – earmarking), etc.
Unfortunately for the 8th District, I’ve seen little defense of Reichart’s accomplishments in this respect. Piper is the only one who’s hazarded a defense of Reichart’s record (for which I will give him credit), although at the time I pointed out that vague descriptions of issues he “supports”, without actual accomplishments, is something you would expect from a challenger for a seat, not one which has held it for two terms.
The only thing Reichart has been consistently accomplished with during his two terms has been as a reliable vote for the Republicans and the Bush administration, which is a good enough reason as any I can see why we need someone else in that seat.
Of course, living in Everett, it’s not my call – I only work in the Eighth, I don’t live & vote there. All I can do is call it as I see it.
@12 All we want to do is replace an ineffective Republican congressman who’s wrong on almost every issue with a highly effective Democratic prospect who’s ahead of the curve on key issues. You’re the only one here with a sexual obsession over Darcy.
@15 See #16.
@10 Lee;
Sorry to say, but none of the above. I was rather popular actually. My posts seem to piss you off though, much to my delight. Have another toke there stoner-boy, and let me know when you grow up.
@14 I agree with you that Darcy Burner is a powerful, capable woman. She’ll represent the 8th well, far better than Reichert has done. The 8th will need a Democrat in the House during the coming years of Democratic party dominance. Indeed, this is no time for the 8th to stick with an underachieving and increasingly irrelevant Republican like Reichert, not when they could have a rising star like Darcy Burner.
@13 Trolls babble and you are definitely in fine form.
@11 You strike me as more of a drooler than a politician.
@9 You and your projection. All the same, we didn’t need to know.
Reichert will lose handily to Darcy Burner. The 8th will be better off for it. Deal with it, trolls.
@18
Well said.
Itchy Brain @ 1,
“You are mistakenly referring to The Darcy as a “politician”.”
As usual, you are wrong.
The FEC considers Darcy Burner a politician and limits her “speech” accordingly.
But thanks for playin’…your wingnutitude is always good for amusement.
re 1: Your choice of a moniker that implies an itchy crotch might be the first stumbling block you’d encounter on your presidential quest.
The mental image of your ‘itchy goldy’ does not connote an individual who is in any way presidential ‘timber’.
It shows that you lack common sense and are not capable of forming responsible plans.
re 21: “…let me know when you grow up.” Agreeing with you is not a benchmark for maturity. The opposite would be true.
Speaking of ‘benchmarks’, the ‘surge’ has yet to achieve even one.
As @18, if Reichert had been an effective legislator, he might have done a lot more damage while in office serving his party.
It all comes back in the end to who has the best ideas, who represents the people best, as well as who has the leadership and intelligence to get it done. Burner wins hands down.
Why do liberals refer back to someones childhood when trying to ridicule… Oh wait liberals are children who have never grown up….nevermind. roof roof
re 18: Many reputable historians believe that FDR had prior knowledge that something was going to happen. Thomas A. Bailey, for one.
And Bailey was sympathetic to FDR. Bailey also credits FDR with being the actual composer of Gregg Allman’s, ‘I’m no Angel’.
@11
Well by that fucked up definition, I’m a politician too! In fact, we’re ALL politicians here. We’re losing the language in this country and its because of stupid shit like this.
Stupid shit like claiming that a person who’s running for political office isn’t a politician?
@12
You missed the point of his post. And that is Goldy’s jerk sock fantasy crush on The Darcy. Don’t you find it just a little bit creepy, or at least bizzare about Goldy’s incessant foot worshiping of The Darcy?
No, I don’t. I’ve met Darcy, and I’m impressed by her too. She’s a very intelligent candidate and far more qualified to be in Congress than her opponent, who is completely out of his league on Capitol Hill. The whole point is that only someone who has serious male insecurity issues would think that Goldy’s support for Darcy must somehow be tied up with sex or lust.
@21
Sorry to say, but none of the above. I was rather popular actually. My posts seem to piss you off though, much to my delight. Have another toke there stoner-boy, and let me know when you grow up.
I grew up a long time ago, Skippy. Maybe when you can discuss the 8th Congressional Race without talking about jerking off into socks, we can have an adult conversation. Not holding my breath.
@6: DNA testing was readily available in 1995
and Reichert Link:http://www.dna.gov/basics/analysishistory/)
According to Ann Rule – who wrote the book on the investigation:
“No one in Reichert’s office realized that the saliva sample Ridgeway gave in 1996 could haved been used for testing….”
Link:
http://books.google.com/books?.....#PPA373,M1
It was not until Reichert became sheriff in 2001 that the DNA was finally used to find and convict Ridgeway. the stuff about the lawyer prohibitng DNA is plain crap – a lawyer cannot prevent a suspect from being DNA tested, period. They already had the sample in 1996 – when Reichert was the head of the task force.
Reichert LOST the hair, lost the license plate number to Ridgeways car and screwed up left and right – because he was trying to convict the wrong person. Reichert was the officer assigned to sweep and search Ridgeway’s house and car in 1987 – and showed his incopmetence again by not finding anything! His boss said he “obstructed” the investigation and chased the wrong guy.
Once again Puddy is wrong and trying to exculpate the incompetent Reichert by misusing and misinterpreting facts.
Puddylies – caught again!
@28
Why do liberals refer back to someones childhood when trying to ridicule…
It’s not in the effort of trying to ridicule, it’s in the effort of trying to understand.
I guess it’s the sign of maturity to leave comments pretending to be from a canine, eh?
@28 Stupid Dog – why do you begin sentences with “why do liberals…” when you have no clue of what real liberals think?
Do you like setting up obvious straw men?
Are you as pathetically stupid as you seem?
why do conservatives: Lie, cheat and steal?
You have no facts – you just like to libel groups.
Lee @ 30 I loved this part of your post:
“Maybe when you can discuss the 8th Congressional Race without talking about jerking off into socks, we can have an adult conversation. Not holding my breath.”
EXCELLENT! Maybe some of the regulars on both sides will realize using such obsenities will get them no where except the land of the ignored! :)
@21: Poor Mark brings nothing to the table except his own infantile sex fantasies.
Guess that is the state of the republican party at the moment. Thanks for the confirmation.
Some of you appear to try to argue with the trolls about Reichert’s “effectiveness”, ignoring one simple point. That is that the trolls consider this to be America’s shining hour, the pinicle of our development as a society and the height of our power and greatness. Yep, we’re the envy of the world, life has never been better, and the mere fact that Dave did his part as a dutiful cog in the machinery of the juggernaut that got us here, means he’s to be commended as a noble, loyal, courageous man. They want him to stay right where he is, and they want more of his ilk in Congress helping President McCain and a fully packed Supreme Court carry us onward in our valiant march back to the 14th century. Mark, Piper, Puddy and the rest are elementally incabable of comprehending that there’s anything the least bit wrong, nor that anyone who doesn’t think the same way shouldn’t be lined up and shot.
AF @ 36 – “nor that anyone who doesn’t think the same way shouldn’t be lined up and shot”
Sounds like a lot of people on here, not just the few you mentioned! :)
@30 Lee:
Apparently not. Those still obsessed with pot and are stoners do not qualify as real adults. Maybe in body, but certainly not in mind. Let me ask you, what’s the longest you’ve ever gone without a toke? I suggest that things may become clearer if you can possibly put down your pipe for just a little while. As far as calling out Goldy about his puppy-love obsession and daily jack-offs over the ditzy Darcy, if you cannot see the obvious factual matter of the issue, then that’s your own ignorance.
@38
Those still obsessed with pot and are stoners do not qualify as real adults.
Excuse me? Do you really think I’m obsessed with pot? Or do I focus on that issue because I’m sick and tired of all the taxpayer money being wasted on something that’s both impossible and unnecessary?
Maybe in body, but certainly not in mind. Let me ask you, what’s the longest you’ve ever gone without a toke?
When I first moved here after college, I didn’t smoke for about 8-9 months. I’ve been w/o it currently since early April (but shared a few bowls with friends at a bachelor party recently).
I suggest that things may become clearer if you can possibly put down your pipe for just a little while.
Things are about as clear as they need to be. You have some serious insecurity issues when it comes to women in power. It’s just sad to see.
As far as calling out Goldy about his puppy-love obsession and daily jack-offs over the ditzy Darcy, if you cannot see the obvious factual matter of the issue, then that’s your own ignorance.
Considering I know both Darcy and Goldy, I think I have a better view than you. But since there’s no limit to how much you’re willing to humiliate yourself over this, I’m sure you’re not done yet.
1 MGI
An interesting opinion, but not one that is well founded in the fundamentals underlying this election in the 8th CD.
Fact: Dave Reichert has never run strong in the district. He’s only run twice, winning by 4.8% against well-known radio personality Dave Ross in 2004, and by the even slimmer margin of 2.9% running as an incumbent in 2008 against the then-unknown challenger Darcy Burner. Doesn’t make Lazy Davey look particularly tough politically. You know–oh, well, of course you don’t know–Jennifer Dunn never fell below 60% of the vote in her six elections to the seat.
Dave is not a good candidate and not a very hardworking politician. Darcy Burner, on the other hand, is smart, tough, and very, very hard-working.
Fact: She came into the 2006 race as a unknown and quickly built one of the most impressive fundraising organizations of any challenger–good enough that she was named a top-tier candidate by ActBlue.
Fact: So far in 2008 (as of March) she had $921,615 cash on hand, compared to Dave Reichert’s $698,035.
The PI says:
How’s that “momentum and competitiveness,” Dave? Not so good, I’m thinking.
And BTW, Re: “If she’s qualified to be a member of Congress, shit…..why didn’t I form my exploratory committee for President?”
HA! You would get your ass kicked by someone who works harder and raises more money than you. Just like Dave will.
38 M1
And we all agree that you’re the one who gets to judge who should “qualify as real adults.”
The fact remains that the Responsible Plan would not have been developed without Darcy Burner’s intelligence and drive. She’s done more work in this campaign cycle than Lazy Davey has done in four years in the Congress.
What’s crazy is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. We need a change from Bush’s butt kissers like Dave Reichert. Vote for change this year. Vote for Darcy Burner. I’m sure as hell going to.
@41
Yes, “real adults” are the ones who assume that when a man supports a woman for some public office than the man must have an unrelenting crush on her. And “real adults” are the ones who assume that those who enjoy the occasional toke are pot-obsessed radicals.
What an unbelievable idiot.
Lucy @ 29: I don’t want to get side-tracked into a discussion of historical events occuring in the middle of the last century, but I should point out that there were LOTS of people that had evidence that SOMETHING was going to happen, hence the “War Warning” which was issued around the first of December 1941. The problem is, there was NO evidence of an attack on Pearl Harbor. If anything, the Philipines were the expected target.
And don’t get led off-topic by Stennet’s “Day of Deceit” – the Japanese fleet maintained radio silence during their transit of the Pacific towards Pearl, hence there were no radio transmissions to intercept, and therefore none for FDR to ignore. Besides, we had only broken the Japanese diplomatic code, not the current code used by the Japanese Imperial Navy (a previous one had been broken, but it had been out of use for two years or so). Note the comments in the following thread by P.Jacobsen, who was a code-breaker at Pearl during the time period in question: Day of Deceit Discussion
Besides, if you were going to go to war with Germany, why not use the German U-boat attack on the USS Reuben James, which preceeded the Pearl Harbor attack by five weeks(sunk by German U-Boat on October 31, 1941)? Instead, why (a) let the Japanese attack Pearl, (b) make sure there were lots of targets avaiable for them to destroy, (c) let them get away relatively unscathed, and (d) hope that the Germans declared war on the U.S., so that (e) then the U.S. could declare war on Germany in response? That’s a pretty attenuated series of events upon which to rely.
Okay, we’ve discussed the fact that Reichart hasn’t done much in Congress, of for his Congressional district, for that matter.
We’ve touched on the fact that his only accomplishment seems to be as a reliable vote for the Bush administration.
But one thing we haven’t yet discussed, this time, is how dissapointed the Republicans must be in his performance. Sure, he’s a reliable vote, but a two-term Congressman is expected to do much more than that. By his second term, a Congressman is expected to have consolidated his electoral and fundraising base to the point where his seat is safe from any challenge. In fact, his polling numbers and accumulated cash should be enough to scare off any serious challenge, either from within his own party or from the opposing party. His position should be so secure, that he spends most of his time during an electoral season using his popularity and guaranteed fundraising ability to support other of his party’s candidates – those who are fighting for open seats, or challenging Democratic seats (if for no other reason, than to dilute and draw off opposition resources).
Instead, Reichart is barely keeping within reach of Burner in the fundraising department. Polling numbers indicate the race will be at least another dead heat. And Reichart is left in a position of begging the Republican leadership for plum assignments on the Appropriations Committee to shore up his campaign.
Given the scarce resources available to the Republicans this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to give Reichart only nominal support from the party coffers. If they give more, it will probably be grudgenly, and then only because there are a lot more seats where the money would be wasted (Democratic leads to large).
38 Mark, you really come across here as the one who’s “obsessed”.
Personally, I haven’t had a whiff of weed in decades, but I’d like to see my tax dollars spent on something more worthwhile than trying to stamp it out.
@32:
On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog!
For the record, YellowPup is a reference to “Yellow Dog Democrat.”
@47 – look back – he was referring to Jane’s dog – not to you.
JBD deserves derision – it is a neutered individual without anything substanitive to offer the debate. No offence to the yellow lab….
@48: Yes, I know. This isn’t the first time JBD has been attacked for acting the part.
Just wanted to clarify that my avatar is a dog, but I’m immature in other ways!
@49
Yeah, I was referring to JBD. You don’t write “woof, woof” in your comments like you’re excited about having the whole summer off before you start second grade… :)
re 44: OK. Historian Thomas Bailey is an idiot and rhp6033 knows better.
By the way. Ever heard of radar?
51:
Radar was the company clerk on M*A*S*H!!
What do I win? This thread was screaming for a humor break. (Looking back this post I am sure I will realize later that this was just not it). But for right now, in this moment, on such short notice, it will have to do.
By the way, I last smoked pot in high school, 35 years ago. I remember the munchies and my father accusing me of being high. I am certain my shit-eating grin during my denial convinced him of my guilt.
51: Are you referring to the single radar set available, which was being manned by two privates who were just learning how to use it, but somehow managed to catch the signal from the incoming Japanese strike force? The duty officer who recieved the call noted an expected incoming flight of B17’s from the mainland, assumed it was the same flight, and disregarded the warning. Toland goes into this in some detail (“Day of Infamy”).
Air raid warning proceedures left a lot to be desired in those early days of WWII, as McArthur & Sullivan found out when most of the Far East Air Force was destroyed on the ground in the Philipines, despite having had the better part of half a day warning (The Japanese air strike had been delayed on takeoff due to heavy fog in Formosa).
I hardly would call me an expert, but I’ve read a book or two on the subject. And in my various studies of history, I’ve found it’s not unusual for historians to have different opinions on subjects, some of which are open to debate, and some other cases where one or the other are just plain wrong.
re 53: You are amazing! You seem to find what you need to support your argument — and nothing more.
But prior to me bringing up the radar, it was ‘radio codes’ you were expounding on. So, I suspect you knew nothing about thr radar.
How about the other five radar installations in Hawaii and the ones in the Phillippines? Get busy now and look for an excuse why you are right.
Pelletizer@8 Truth is not an excuse. Neither are the facts.
Correctnotright@31: My mistake, I meant to write 1985 DNA like I did in all my other posts. Sorry for the typo.
Pelletizer@8 In your case you have two and I don’t mean excuses.
Could explain your ASSfacia. You know that disease where your ASS looks like your face and your bowels don’t know which way to move.
Mark, Piper, Puddy and the rest are elementally incabable …?
Not in the Urban Dictionary…
Art was that a Fart?
You’re a goddamned America-hating fascist traitor, Puddy. You know it. I know it. Quit running and admit to what you are. Or don’t your bowels know which way to move?
President Obama. Congresswoman Burner. Governor Gregoire.
I bet Puddy’s head explodes real good come November.
42 – Darcy put together this “responsible” plan? Well whoopty fucking doo! Its not worth the paper its written on. Its going straight into the trash no matter who our next President is and you know it! Barry Hussein isn’t taking this thing seriously. Neither is McCain.