Add the inside-the-Beltway National Journal to the list of publications that has picked up on the story of Rep. Dave Reichert’s leaked audio.
“Now, first of all, are there any reporters in the room?” Rep. Dave Reichert asks before getting “honest” with Republican PCOs about the way he cynically plays local environmentalists. You’d think that alone would be enough to pique the interest of any reporter, let alone those at the Seattle Times, the newspaper of record in WA-08. But, well, apparently not.
Huh.
Reichart should be easy pickings for any Democrat who has a modicum of name recognition. He’s been completely ineffective as a Representative, except as a speed-bump in the way of accomplishing anything useful.
Unfortunately, I can’t even recall the names of the Democratic challengers for his seat at this point. How come we don’t have more prominent Democrats gunning for Reichart’s seat? I’m sure there are poltical wonks out there who can spew off the entire list, but if those of us who are moderately engaged in politics can’t name even one, how is the general voting public going to get to know the candidates in the few months left before the general election?
How long is it going to take to build up a deep pool of players ready to jump into these races?
@1: It’s the eighth. Current D cnadidate is del Bene. If we get another seat after the census, redistricting may help. I agree with N in Seattle’s analysis, here:
http://www.dailykos.com/commen.....668/68#c68
Goldy, BTW/FYI:
I replied to the latest WCV missive with a WTF!? and relevant HA links.
I know it’s cliche, but I really mean it: Thanks for all you do.
@1)
No incumbent is “easy pickings”.
Reichert ran against Kiro Radio host Dave Ross for the open seat vacated by Jennifer Dunn. Ross lost a close race. Had he been taller and better looking, he would have won. Dave Ross would have made a great Congressman. Unfortunately, he wasn’t that great of a candidate.
Darcy Burner ran against Reichert the next two election cycles, narrowly losing both times.
The trouble is, you need more than a good candidate. You need 4 million fucking dollars. That is why Suzan DelBene emerged as the candidate this time. She can self fund to make up any difference between what is needed and what she can raise.
Ross Hunter would have been a great candidate, but didn’t want to run.
There were others with political experience, but lacked name recognition and/or ability to raise the necessary funds.
It’s all about the money. That is why DelBene has a better shot than either Ross or Burner had. Too bad she didn’t run when it was an open seat.
Incumbents have lots of advantages, which is why they rarely lose even if they are obviously corrupt and/or stupider than shit (see Michelle Bachmann). The game is rigged. There is a huge barrier to entry unless it is an open seat.
@4
On the upside this is why the GOP is unlikely to take over either the House or the Senate in 2010.
Also by mounting a credible challenge to Reichert DelBene forces the GOP to spend money defending his seat rather than attacking a Democratic incumbent like Larsen.
“No incumbent is “easy pickings”.”
I’ve seen the numbers, and you certainly have a point. Although I forget the details, it’s something close to the odds of getting hit by lighting than being able to unseat a sitting member of the House of Representatives.
And it is true the Reichart’s always used the money he had (or “independent expenditures”) to divert attention away from his record, forcing his challenger to respond to spurious non-issues. Like the display of an intentionally distorted photo of Dave Ross along with allegations that he was sympothized with terrorists. Or the whole “economics degree” non-issue against Darci Burner, which the Seattle Times obediently trotted out on Reichart’s behalf right before the election.
But if ANYONE is vulnerable, it has to be Reichart. In the best of circumstances he can only squeek out a narrow win. This time around I’ve got to question how far the national Republicans would go to finance his campaign – they must be tiring of doing that every election cycle.
Against a really strong opponant, one tested and vetted in previous elections and with plenty of money and name recognition behind them, you would think he’d be vlunerable.
Goldy,
You’ve really got a ragin’ stiffy for this guy Reichert. What did he do? Piss in your corn flakes?
Susan CAN win .. IF …
1. she has the needed telegenic skills. Darcy lacked these. Her performances on TV were a let down.
2. She makes herself visible on LOCAL issues. Darcy’s effort to paint herself as a national leader on the war effort fell flat and should have fallen flat because she had no expertise in the relevant area. She would have been far more effective focusing on local issues like immigartion of high talent people, education.federal support for regional transport, intellectual property, trainng for 21st century jobs …..
3. Popular local leaders get of their duffs and begin working for her NOW. Darcy would have had a lot more credibility of she had had ongoing interactions with Patty, Chris, Ron, and Maria. Even now it is late for Susan to get their support.
4. Susan attacks Reichert where he is very weak … Goldy’s recording is a start. Now would be agood time to beard Reichert on his opinions of the Discovery Institute buffet of nutty ideas.
goldy, you aren’t a very good businessman; i presume this blog is your business. Your fixation w the Reichert tape is pretty wierd; somehow tied to your Darcy fixation.
your blog would get some more traffic if you picked more interesting issues.
@9, wrongon:
Silly wingtard fool!
This is how shit becomes national news and lying R congresspersons become former lying R congresspersons, bitch!
Next.
its just boring
Ross Hunter would have been a great candidate, but didn’t want to run.
Didn’t Ross Hunter have to hustle to finish ahead of Mike the Mover and Prophet Atlantis in the King County Exec Race?
At least with Bachman around, and the 10 commandments guy in Georgia that can’t remember them, Reichert is not the most ignorant Republicon. Tell you what Dave. For the next 5 months hows about I tell you how to vote. And to think this guy was the “head” sheriff. Kinda makes me think about turning to a life of crime. Even I know you don’t admit they vote count.
righton @ 11
“its just boring”
Of course it is boring for you. You’re a fucking Wingnut!
Here’s a hint for ya, Slick: This blog isn’t written to be of interest to you!
darryl; i think your blog dies without contrary points of view; politics amongst the like minded is extraordinarily boring.
i think goldy’s tone just gets us into a surly tone, thus the invective
righton,
A flourishing democracy does indeed require different points of view. Those points of view, however, must be well-reasoned. Nonsense doesn’t count as a different point of view. Your party, unfortunately, no longer represents the noble opposition because your party indulges nonsense, 24/7 nonsense. I wish the Republican Party was still the way it used to be, with independent thinkers who care more about the nation than about whatever Rush Limbaugh tells them to do.
Fortunately, however, we still have the noble opposition. It resides within the right and left wings of the Democrats. That is where the action is, where democracy resides in this nation. Republicans are teabagging themselves and headed toward the endangered species list. Adios.
Could the Seattle Times be waiting for Q13 to give them permission to address this issue?
Righton @15,
“i think your blog dies without contrary points of view”
That is an astonishingly retarded statement. Nearly all successful political blogs are rather partisan.
“politics amongst the like minded is extraordinarily boring.”
I think you mean that politics that you disagree with is boring to you…. Whatever, dude.
“i think goldy’s tone just gets us into a surly tone, thus the invective”
Well…then don’t read it! It’s very simple, really.
@16:
Brilliant:
Maybe its fun to waste time online agreeing w/ each other, but to me that’s boring as heck. What am i going to do, go post a page of why i agree w/ the other conservatives that unlimited immigration from 1 country (only) is bad? Yawn, that’s boring.
Its far more fun to jab you guys, then you guys have a lot more fun poking back. Admit it, angry lefties can’t be angry w/ out something to be angry at.
re 20:
Then why do you think that capital should be free to migrate where it will without restriction — but labor shouldn’t? Isn’t that the equivalent of the working man being forced to fight with one hand tied behind his back?
lucy; sure, can i move to Austria or France or other better country; get benefits, citizenship
answer is NO, i cannot. Heck, i cannot even sneak into mexico and stay there]
the only border in the world that is de facto open is the mexican/US one
sj @ 13
It’s Suzan DelBene, with a ‘z’.
http://www.delbeneforcongress.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzan_DelBene
righton @ 20
And there you have it.
@22: You have things backwards. WE are not angry – we just beat the crap out of you republicans the last election and we dominate on local and state level politics.
YOU are the angry, teabagging, ignorant, Glen Beck loving (=ignorant) hord that is out of power and hates people (immigrants, blacks, poor people, environmentalists and anybody that cllas out your racist and ideological crap.
You are upset that we are geting out of Iraq after wasting 1 billion dollars there for no reason.
You are mad that the economy is not totally collapsing (as it was when your hero Bush left office).