I imagined at first I might have much to say about Mike McGavick's preemptive move to let the skeletons out of the closet. After reviewing what's out there though, and considering the facts of the issue I'll say this: it's incredibly intelligent to get this sort of information out to the public on your own terms, on your own timeline.
Moreover, the later half of August is just about the ideal time to do such a release since the only voters paying attention to the race now (and not focused on the vacation season) are generally those who have already made up their minds. Any Democratic attempts to flesh this issue out in the coming weeks in hopes of swaying undecided/independent voters are much less likely to have meaningful effect.
Indeed, they are more likely to reflect poorly on Democrats for engaging in slimy politics while McGavick is being forthright with voters and talking about the obvious need for change in Washington, DC. But wait...it seems Democrats have already fallen into that trap. Read the take of noted national conservative blog Captain Quarters for more. I could quote from it, but encourage readers to digest it in full since it gives Democrats and Cantwell's campaign the critique they richly deserve.
UPDATE: Commenter Bill Cruchon notes Robert Jamieson's column in today's PI, also lamenting the incivility of the Democrats. Jamieson calls the Democratic retort to McGavick's disclosure "low-blow stupidity," and his column generally supports my thesis that McGavick's civility theme is paying dividends while others keep playing politics as usual.
Posted by Eric Earling at August 26, 2006 01:36 PM | Email ThisA truly nasty attack which made sure to include the "privatizing Social Security" lie which has been spread so willingly by the media.
It was too much even for the P-I's Robert Jamieson who called the attack, "low-blow stupidity".
Bottom line is that Mike did the smart thing, and it's a positive for him.
Posted by: Obi-Wan on August 26, 2006 03:23 PMThe Northwest does not need more liars in office, and unless McGavick distances himself from the other Washington, or acts like he'll be his own man, I really cannot see how people here would vote for him.
Unless you just rubber stamp anything with R in front of it regardless of its actual benefit.
Posted by: DaveD on August 26, 2006 03:40 PMI feel sorry for a guy that hasn't even served our state in the other washington to get so slammed because he has a R behind his name.
I say give the guy a chance, and see how his campaign unfolds. See if he has the muster.
BTW, What are Cantwells skeletons? Is she even married, does she have children, or a grandma yet?
Has she led life through experience or just got by with whatever was thrown her way. Does she a have any goals to achieve this time around???
I wonder about the incumbrent sometimes, do they get like middle management and think they are "the sheet".
I doubt i will be driving a corn fueled vehicle anytime soon, but i sure could use some oil "made" in the USA.
I think she is an enviro in sheeps clothing, but I am not too sure about that yet.
I depend on natural resources for a living, so I would like to know how she stands. And mike for that matter.
Posted by: Chris on August 26, 2006 04:56 PMBy the way Eric the next time you talk to
McGavick why don't you ask him why he doesnt
want anyone to know that he signed the atr pledge
not to raise taxes and why he felt it necessary
to not tell anyone that he actually signed it
for four months.I have tried asking through
his website and they won't answer me.
Please explain Phil
Posted by: Chris on August 26, 2006 05:43 PM I am not about to go into what they tried
to do to Susan Hutchison. McGavick's campaign
knows full well what I'm talking about.If at
some point in the future they deny doing
anything then I will spell it out.
The atr I was talking about is the americans
for tax reform run by Grover Norquist.For a
number of years now Grover has been going around
to perspective candidates to see if he can get
them to sign atr's pledge not to raise taxes.
Last July Grover first came around to Washington
State to trying and get the perspective
candidates to sign.
Mike McGavick initally told Grover Norquist
no. Only after it looked like Susan was going to
run did he change his mind and sign the pledge.
As a matter of fact it was two months later
when he finally signed it.After having signed
the pledge McGavick then instructed atr not
to send out a press release or post on there
website that he signed but to wait.
In early December McGavick still had not given
atr the ok to issue a press release or post it
on there website. Only after Doug Parris had
made such big deal about this to atr and Vance
did it finally get put on atr's website.
To this day you see nothing on McGavick's
website about this at all. My first question
would be why did you initally turn down Norquist?
and why hide the fact that you signed the pledge
in the first place? I don't think its unreasonable for someone who is running for
the United State senate to answer these questions.
Yes I have tried to get the answers from McGavick
through his website and got no response.
Without going into any specifics Susan was
seriously considering the idea of taking on
Cantwell.The State Gop leadership and McGavick
saw her and rightfully so as a big time threat
to McGavick's chances.Again I will not go into
what they tried to do to Susan. For now I will
just leave it at that.
Phil, I doubt anyone here has any idea what you are talking about.
I do think decent manners dictate that if you are going to make accusations you have some coherent facts at hand to back them up. Otherwise, in my opinion, you would be well advised to keep them to yourself.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 26, 2006 06:07 PM I can back up what I'm talking about so I'm
not worried about what anyone else thinks.
As far as Susan is concerned I was simply pointing
out that while McGavick talks a good game about
civility. That isnt how he played in the recent
past.What they actually said or did is not the
issue its the fact that they played that way
that is.He is the one that has been making a
big deal about civility not I.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
She killed the sales tax deduction in Washington we have been enjoying netting an average return to the citizens of Washington.
Yup! She is working hard cutting taxes on residents of this state...
Not hardly Maria!
She is reading directly from the playbook of Queen Christine's campaign tax cutting practice, and this commercial proves that Mike's campaign add accusing her of killing the sales tax deduction is gathering traction from her camp.
Posted by: GS on August 26, 2006 06:54 PMhttp://rightofseattle.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_rightofseattle_archive.html
http://rightofseattle.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_rightofseattle_archive.html
Of course, these are unrebutted articles written by Phil himself, and are barely more coherent than what he has written here.
Posted by: Michael on August 26, 2006 07:09 PM Thats real class, since you can't defend
McGavick you take shots at me.I know exactly
what I'm talking about. As far as rebutting what
I said on my blog well your right no one has
and you know why? Because they can't. Though
there has been ample opportunity to do so.
What generally happens over on my blog when
I bring up something about McGavick they don't
defend him they take shots at me just like what
you and some of the others are doing here.
Either come right out with it or give it up.
What you are doing is little more than the nastiest kind of gossiping: pretending you know a deep, dark ugly secret and letting peoples imagination wonder how ugly it is.
Say it or move on.
Posted by: Cheryl on August 26, 2006 07:48 PMGS
How did she do that? Last I heard, it was a GOP controlled Congress and Executive branch. Did she cosponsor an ammendment to get rid of that deduction?
If I remember right, she was one of the players who got that deduction written into code in the first place.
"Maria worked with a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives to restore this important tax cut for the next two years as part of the American Jobs Creation Act, signed into law in October 2004. Under Maria's provisions, more than one million Washingtonians will receive an average tax cut of over $500, and state officials estimate that residents will save a total of almost $500 million per year. Now, Maria is leading the effort to make this tax cut permanent."
Truthfully now, did she then recommend it killed, under the courageous objections of Frist and Stevens only to prevail under threat of fillibuster?
Posted by: CandrewB on August 26, 2006 08:10 PM"Senate leaders apparently can't resist hanging onto the leverage they perceive to gain by keeping the deduction in jeopardy. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee is from one of the seven states held hostage to the tactic, yet he has thus far refused to strip it out for a vote to make it permanent - proving that partisan game-playing can even trump his own constituents' interests."
They had to vote against it due to the GOP attaching it to the Paris Hilton Reduction Tax measure. Kind of a stretch to say she single handedly killed it don't you think?
Posted by: CandrewB on August 26, 2006 08:22 PMWhy doesn't some clever, intrepid journalist as Ms. Cantwell what her greatest mistakes in life are? McGavick has given us real information about him. I want that information before I decide to entrust someone with my vote. So I applaud his disclosure. I very much would like to know the same info from the incumbent.
Posted by: John Galt on August 26, 2006 09:14 PMAll I get from every democrap in this state is demands for more more more more! They all got their hands out!
You made no mention of the Queen and her 17% budget increase and highest tax increases in state history, after campaigning on a no new tax basis. Who the heck gets a 17% raise every year to pay for her increases?
Posted by: GS on August 26, 2006 09:14 PMPer The New Tribune, August 17th, 2006
"Cantwell voted against Washington taxpayers"
I recently typed in "Maria Cantwell voting record" into my Google search engine. It came up with several sites that track the voting records of our elected officials. So I started checking out Cantwell's voting record. It did not take long to see that in most cases she is a rubber stamp for just about every bill she sees that expands our already bulging federal government.
But recently she voted no. When she voted no on the recent bill addressing the federal minimum wage, she also voted no on the amendment that would allow Washington state taxpayers to deduct from their income tax the state sales tax they pay the state.
So, fellow Washingtonians, prepare to keep paying tax on sales tax. It would seem that money in the pocket of the federal government is more important than money in the pockets of Cantwell's constituents.
I could not say it any clearer! She cost all of us in this state an average of over $500 in her latest no vote!
That might be a scandal in and of itself? Did his DWI increase his insurance or did he get special treatment (for obvious reasons) despite that?
Posted by: Teddy on August 27, 2006 01:36 AMI applaud him coming out on his DUI - its a good thing to do as a person and a brilliant political move.
But he made a big mistake in denying that this is a campaign tactic. Of course it is.
And he made a big mistake by going after the "tone" of the campaign and linking Cantwell to the "tone" he doesn't like. That's lowball politics.
The whole thing is a bunch of political spin from a master political gamesman who claims to be running against political gamesmanship. Creepy.
Bottom line: Blue state will back the blue candidate.
Posted by: thor on August 27, 2006 07:46 AMOur old friend "Steve"/"Conservative not Republican" is trying to make a comeback in the comments after being banned by Stefan and I. He's being deleted whenever we come across his comments.
Posted by: Eric Earling on August 27, 2006 08:20 AMtake all their talk with a grain of salt & go do the boring, unsexy homework on their ACTUAL votes and DEMONSTRATED ACTIONS to clear your mind's fog; i "column A & B" them to see who is mostly on my side with real actions; none will ever do all the things i want--it's always a compromise;
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on August 27, 2006 09:33 AMI find it humorous that in modern America it is worse to condemn evil than to actually BE evil. Hence, we see those who exposed the felonious activities of our former President demonized as "Clinton Haters!" and John McCain vilifying the Swift Boat Veterans for their "terrible charges" but not Kerry for the "terrible acts" that were the basis for the charges. Mike McGavick can destroy his first family by divorce and imperil the lives of unknown and innocent third-party drivers by driving while intoxicated, but somehow it is worse to criticize him for those things than for him to have done them. Welcome to Crazy World.
I exposed Chris Vance as a habitual liar, constant Republican Party rule breaker and across-the-board liberal activist who actively used his position as State Chair to destroy conservative candidates, totally drain the Party?s financial reserves for his own political benefit, leaving us close to two million dollars in debt before his resignation and I was denounced as "uncivil," my criticisms dismissed as personal animosity. I was (and still am) the subject of literal hate speech by the GOP left for telling the truth on this and other issues as if it is okay to DO those things, just not okay to point out when someone does them. "Corruption may be bad, but exposing corruption is worse." "Republican Unity" is, thus, supposed to mean collusion with corruption for the sake of public relations. Welcome to Crazy World.
What is even more fascinating, however, is the methodology of the McGavick hit machine. His campaign repeatedly ONLY criticizes Cantwell's votes. On her votes he takes the liberty of impugning Cantwell's motives, saying she (and the Democrats) are guilty of evil "partisanship." (Something he, trust me, will never be found guilty of.) How is it possible for Cantwell to respond? MCGAVICK, never having held any office, HAS NO VOTES. Thus any criticism of him is "uncivil," a personal attack. And he takes no traceable positions on issues, that is, he leaves himself room to go in any direction. For instance, he decisively criticized the Alaska pipeline for leaking. He did not know whether to blame Government (to appeal to conservatives) or the "Corporations" (to appeal to liberals), but he knew it was someone's fault and that, if elected, he would solve the problem because that's what government does. It is, on its face, brilliant strategy. Utterly void of principle, but smart if he gets away with it.
But everyone has missed the larger goal of this strategy. He has real negatives. Not the "preferred" ones to which he just confessed, but negatives that could lose him the election. From the very outset of his campaign he has desperately tried to position himself to make it untenable for Cantwell to use his negatives against him. That is what all the talk of "civility" is about. It is a gambit he utterly depends on. Because he cannot run on substance.
Not that he doesn't have any substance, he does. He just can't get elected on it. You can't beat a Democrat incumbent, running on Democrat substance as a Republican. Democrats won't trust his pro-choice credentials, for instance, because he is a Republican and if he runs on them he loses the Republican base. Cantwell could, without going "negative," label him as "anti-choice" and he could choose to remain silent and lose (like Rick White did) or respond with "I am too pro-choice!" and cut off his base. And it is clear that Mike is well aware of this. It is the only explanation for his deceptive equivocation on the issue.
Bear in mind I'm talking about one of his positives, not a negative. He really is pro-choice. That is "positive' in the sense that it is substantive, like Stefan and Andy and... well, I don't have to name them all, do I? But Stefan and Andy are open and honest about their pro-abortion choice positions. They have earned the support of those that agree with them. That is "positive" in a technical political sense. But having abandoned his philosophical support for the Iraq war, and equivocated on everything else, including Republican loyalty, Mike McGavick doesn't have any "positive" (substantive) positions left, nothing at all.
What happens when the negatives come out?
Perhaps you've missed incursions from "Steve"/"Conservative not Republican"/"Betty"/"Sue"/"Alex" in recent weeks. His comments were and are beyond the pale in the depth of their personal slander and attacks (not to mention the fact he tends to virtually spam various threads with repetitive comments), thus Bill is entirely correct. Your history of comments at SP are civil compared to his...an adjective I and others have not been prone to use otherwise to describe your missives.
Posted by: Eric Earling on August 27, 2006 10:42 AMI'm still voting for Mike McGavick because with him I have some small hope that he will, as a moderate Republican, will support some of my interests as opposed to cantvotewell, who never has and never will support any of my interests!
In this case I think your party purity ethic is misplaced.
Posted by: alphabet soup on August 27, 2006 10:51 AMUh, Doug. When someone posts here, (since removed by Eric), that they wish members of another posters family be killed by a drunken driver that hardly merits a "civil" comment. I'll reserve civil commentary for the battle of ideas.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 27, 2006 10:52 AMI've read a lot of Phil Spackman here at SP. Some of his comments are insightful, but they always come with some sort of chip on his shoulder. Grain of salt.
McGavick seems to be doing a great job of spin control. Must be more Rovian genius.
Posted by: Jeff B. on August 27, 2006 12:54 PMBecause George W. Bush can't seem to remember making any mistakes during his administration (see his last couple of prime time press conferences), reporters don't bother asking politicians that question any more.
Posted by: DCExPat on August 27, 2006 01:50 PMzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 27, 2006 02:37 PMAnd Mike has not ceased to attack Maria, all the while talking about a "new tone." In the vast majority of cases, the only reason he doesn't criticize her is because he agrees with her. As I speak he is further to the left on Iraq than Cantwell AND Lieberman.
Alphabet Soup: My "party purity ethic"? What is it? I think you'll find you're referring to an image of me created by my detractors, not anything I said. But you're wrong about the difference between Cantvotewell and Mike. She voted to authorize the war on terror. Mike now says he wouldn't have done that (knowing what he now knows). Unless you're anti-war she's closer to you than McGavick. The big difference between electing Mike and someone worth voting for (like Brad Klippert) is that, if elected, Mike would begin removing conservatism from the Party structure altogether. If he were successful in doing that, the Democrats would move father to the left (as is their tendency anyway, at least in Washington State) and we would take their older, more moderate, left-wing positions. The new GOP would become the old Democrat Party. The debate would only be about how FAST to grow government, never "IF" we should. But, of course, that's not going to happen. The majority of the grassroots is conservative. A winning McGavick would, instead, start an internal Party war like you've never seen before. When Evans was governor they literally threw legitimate conservative delegates out of a State Convention onto the street. Political blood will flow.
There was a river of death in the Soviet Union
Old men, young men flowed on down
It was filled with the blood of Jews and Christians
Millions wore the thorny crown.
The river of death flows unatoned
Past congressmen with hearts of stone
It's filled with excrement, filth and stink
Where Western liberals kneel...
And drink.
This is all news to me. Examples to illustrate what you are talking about, please.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 27, 2006 04:45 PM"Steve" uses a variety of IP addresses (all from the Seattle area, none from Oregon), though always the same one when he posts several comments in succession, sometimes with different names. But there are several other easy clues to his posts that allow them to be identified.
Posted by: Eric Earling on August 27, 2006 05:38 PM I agree I do have a chip on my shoulder when
it comes to the washington State gop. I will
explain why: This is the minority party in this
state and it shouldn't be that way.The State
gop leadership and the establishment crowd for
to long have gotten who and what they
wanted.They never listen to there base about
anything. All because they think know better
than you and I.
There way has almost never worked all it really
ever does is drive there base away.I know some
you wont agree with me but they blew it this time
in regards to the US senate race.What they have
now in Mike McGavick is someone who is a moving
target with a lot of baggage.I can say without
hesitation that Democrats have not even started
attacking him yet. Believe me its about to get
a lot worse.
So yeah Jeff B. I am sick and tired of this
crowd. That being the State Gop and establishment
crowd. They are ruining a a great political party
and I for one have had enough of it.Your right
I do have a chip on my shoulder and for good
reason.
Cheryl,
What I said is not gossip I was there when
it happened.What is so hard to understand
about the tactics the McGavick campaign use
without knowing what they specifically did.
I will say it again what I'm trying to convey here
is that McGavick talks a good game when it comes to
civility but in reality he and his campaign do
not practice what they preach.
Again, say it or move on, because innuendo carries no credibility.
Posted by: Cheryl on August 27, 2006 08:10 PMBut, if we do, how does that make us different than the Democrats? It seems like if we support McGavick we are putting our principles aside, just like we constantly see and criticize our opponents of doing.
Sorry, I have lost too many friends due to Drunk Drivers to ever support someone like McGavick. I don't care that the Democrats support Teddy Kennedy.
I never have.
I could say that I'm in awe of your logic, but won't because I'd be fibbing. You claim that you support a "REAL Republican" instead of McGavick but curiously you didn't even mention his/her name. No matter because he/she has no hope of winning.
As a Washington voter I'm familiar with casting a vote in a race I'm confident we won't win, but in this race there are only three choices; cantvotewell, McGavick, or throw your vote (and mine) away. That's it. I know that there are a few other candidates on the slate but they have zero chance of winning.
This is really a no-brainer for me: McGavick or cantvotewell.
So yes, I will suit myself and vote for McGavick!
Posted by: alphabet soup on August 27, 2006 09:53 PMRonald Reagan was a man of principle. I think he would be embarrased by the things you say here and on your website.
You didn't answer my question in post #52. Why am I not surprised?
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 27, 2006 10:01 PMWait until Mr Seattle Mayor starts digging up bones in his big waterfront dig, and this story of Gregoire handing out millions of our tax dollars will look like peanuts.
Posted by: GS on August 27, 2006 10:52 PM2. I can see where you might miss that the Chair of the Republican party falsely charging me with racist remarks is an example of the left calling the right "extreme" but you're wrong. It is. But maybe I can help you with some more:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/0445/041110_news_election.php :
"Vance looked at the results of recent elections and concluded that state voters perceived the GOP's past standard-bearers--like KVI-AM talk-show host John Carlson and conservative Christians Ellen Craswell and Linda Smith--as too extreme."
http://atheism.about.com/b/a/034691.htm :
"Though Republican leaders say they are eager to keep Christian conservative voters in the fold, they are working hard to make sure another candidate like Craswell does not rise up. "Ellen Craswell was an anomaly," said state Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance. "Her views did not reflect the Republican Party's values. If you're looking for a radical conservative party, that's not the Republican Party. Never has been, never will be." ... Vance said incompetence by Republican leaders allowed the party to be taken over by people who "were not just conservative but wanted to openly espouse Christianity through the Republican Party. These folks weren't just pro-life, they were almost theocrats."
http://www.timothygoddard.com/blog/?p=1025:
"More people voted for Craswell than Dole in WA, so that doesn't exactly put me on the fringe, though she certainly was."
This is a constant drumbeat from the Republican Left: "Craswell was extreme because we say she was extreme." Absurd! She was pro-life. They are not. They are gay rights Republicans. She was not. Extreme? Ludicrous propaganda. Killing people is extreme. Sexual perversion is extreme. Ellen Craswell was a Reagan conservative. They are not.
Posted by: Doug Parris on August 27, 2006 11:27 PMI understand the anguish of those that have lost loved ones because of drunk drivers.
Wishing that unfortunate fate on others is a surely a sign of mental illness.
It's easy to post this kind of disgusting garbage when you use a phony name and e-mail address, "Tad" or "steve" or whatever you decide to call yourself at any given moment. You should be ashamed of yourself, and you should apologize to all of us.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 27, 2006 11:39 PMHave the courtesy to answer my earlier questions before you bombard me with yours.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 27, 2006 11:54 PMHe challenged his superiors and ended up asking for help with it from Cantwell. He told me she was so incompetent that he ended up contacting Nethercutt's office because Cantwell had no clue.
When he presented what his research and the process he had persued to Nethercutt's office, they were impressed and recognized my brother had already done most of the work to prove his case. There was very little for Nethercutt to have to do, but Nethercutt DID follow through - unlike Maria "Cant-Be-Bothered".
It turns out my brother was right. The Army had regularly been denying soldiers certain benefits that regulations said they deserved. He personally got $3,000 out of it for back benefits owed.
Now I am certain all the "progressives" are waiting for me to say how he supported Nethercutt and is a Republican. Nope. He voted against Nethercutt (I say he deserved Cantwell personally).
He is a Bush hating, frothing at the mouth liberal Democrat who hates Cantwell because of her incompetance. His nickname for Cantwell is a substitution of the first four letters of her last name, replacing it with slang for a female sex part that rhymes with grunt.
You baffle me. Are you incapable of reading English sentences or just lying?
When Chris Vance calls conservative candidates "too extreme" and then says, conservatives "were not just conservative but wanted to openly espouse Christianity through the Republican Party. These folks weren't just pro-life, they were almost theocrats," how can you possibly not realize that is substantiation of my claim that the GOP Left is "calling them extremists and saying conservatives want to use politics to impose religion"
It is clear, obvious, and a four year old could follow it.
What are you smoking?
Posted by: Doug Parris on August 28, 2006 12:53 AMProbably the same stuff you and Phil were "hitting" when you appeared on the Goldstien show as the tag team act of "Republicans who hate Republicans who don't support who we support." That would be the wing of the party who is so dedicated to the principle of being governed by Democrats at every level of the Government.
Nothing wrong with being Cantwell Republicans..you and Phil run with that. Oh and Burner Republicans are welcome in the fold too. Maybe you can get Susan to join you!
Posted by: Smokie on August 28, 2006 08:35 AMGotta love them for comic relief though. It's not that they're paranoid, it's just that everyone is against them.
Don't suppose these two guys are actually members of the DNC whose mission is to prove that the Republican Party is made up of religious kooks. Nah! I don't believe in conspiracy theories.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 28, 2006 10:03 AMthankfully, I have not had to call on my congresswoman for a serious matter; however, little things matter too--what pisses me off the most is my representatives' penchant for not answering my letters or e-mails on point--
if i oppose or support anything, i usually get a nice topic-oriented form letter that obviously does not address my concerns; what the hell are we paying their staffs for?! they read nothing; simple business courtesy taught in every company--lost of politicians;
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on August 28, 2006 10:36 AMVance said incompetence by Republican leaders allowed the party to be taken over by people who "were not just conservative but wanted to openly espouse Christianity through the Republican Party. These folks weren't just pro-life, they were almost theocrats."
If you still can't see it, well, "you can lead a horse to water..." as they say.
One of you said the current Republican Party platform doesn't have anything liberal in it. The current Republican Party platform is conservative AGAINST the will of the Republican Left. They repeatedly tried to "accept the platform as is" (the bland draft that was presented by the committee) and adjourn the convention before it got any "worse" for them. Overwhelmingly, the grassroots voted (and the left put up a fight against) to ADD each of these to the platform: to get tougher on illegal immigration via no amnesty by renaming it "guest worker program" and properly interpretting the 14th Amendment to not include "anchor babies", to repeal the Growth Management Act, to endorse a One Strike Law with a penalty of Life in Prison for violent sex offenders, to oppose public funding of embryonic stem-cell research and call for the suspension and review of RU-486.
Did you not follow the news after the convention? All of the liberal Republican candidates (and current office holders) that the press could reach were distancing themselves from the immigration plank. A recipe for disaster in their campaigns, I might add.
Alphabet Soup, I was referring to Brad Klippert. Nobody would be "wasting" their vote in the primary on him. And if he wins the primary, we have a real contrast between him and Cantwell. He supports the Republican Platform.
He has zero name recognition.
He has zero traction in this race.
He has zero percent chance of winning in the primary (much less against cantvotewell).
Those are the realities of the situation. Read 'em & weep...
Posted by: alphabet soup on August 28, 2006 11:11 AMHaving an identity crisis, Doug?
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 28, 2006 11:18 AMAlphabet Soup, You know who he is, I know who he is, 10 other people, and the 18% who voted for him at the convention know who he is, people wearing McGavick t-shirts who heard Klippert speak for the first time and who said they were shifting their support to him after the convention know who he is, Human Life of Washington and all of their supporters now know who he is (he has their endorsement), and gradually as more and more Republicans grow frustrated with McGavick's non-positions will be looking to find out who he is.
McGavick has less chance of beating Cantwell in the general than Klippert does. I'll grant you that right now, McGavick has more of a chance at winning the primary, but that's because of people like you who base their vote on "who can win". You might as well vote for Cantwell with that mentality. She has already proven that she "can win".
Posted by: Michelle on August 28, 2006 01:00 PMAllow me to attempt to address this Vance quote you and Doug keep using: "Vance said incompetence by Republican leaders allowed the party to be taken over by people who "were not just conservative but wanted to openly espouse Christianity through the Republican Party. These folks weren't just pro-life, they were almost theocrats."
Espousing Christianity through the party or being "almost theocrats" is not the same as "imposing religion"
Neither of you has addressed Doug's other contention regarding the "Republican left" comparing conservative Christians to Islamic terrorists.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 28, 2006 01:13 PMWhere was she on eliminating the federal estate tax on the citizens of this state.....She voted NO
Where was she on reinstating the federal deduction on our state sales taxes.....She voted No
Where was she on the election of Queen Gregoire to this state, who has raised the budget in this state 17% taxed everything that drives or crawls, property taxes, every fee in the state, college tuition, etc. etc. .......Cantwell voted Yes for her!
So exactly what taxes are Canliewell working so damn hard on presently to cut for state residents.......................................................................................................
I'm waiting.........................................................................................................
Posted by: GS on August 28, 2006 01:43 PMI can understand anyone's frustration with Phil making an accusation of McGavick, and then refusing to document it, but, in fact, if you had been a Soundpolitics reader for more than a few weeks, you would realize he has already backed it up. That's a fact. You just haven't been around long enough or you haven't done the homework. And he does have legitimate reasons for not repeating his facts at this time, so, as much as it hurts you to do so, if you want Phil to "be silent" you're going to have to do so yourself on this issue (or do the research).
Both Michelle and I have posted here - also for a very long time. Thinking I was posting under that name is the demonstration of more pure ignorance, a recurring theme of yours, Bill. If you knew anything about the Republican Party or the Reagan Wing you would know that a big reason the Republican Platform is conservative is because of our extensive efforts: Platform committee members in numerous Counties and at the State level, and floor motions and speeches of Reagan Wing Republicans across the state. But, given your penchant for reading comprehension, I doubt there is any way to convince you of anything.
Mr. Soup: Triangulations about viability have absolutely no relevance to a primary election. Do the right thing. If the "right thing" is not viable the Primary will prove it - but you will have redeemed your soul. And you will be free to vote for the lesser of two evils in the General if you so choose.
re: Phil "works hand-in-hand with Doug Parris." First, let me say I am proud to be so accused with regard to Mr. Spackman. And you're going to find that Doug Parris "works hand in hand" with a vast array of people across the State and nation who may disagree with each other on many topics, but find a principal unity in conservative principle. NARLO's Ron Ewart is a salient example. We're everywhere. We are a vast right-wing conspiracy. We are the conservative wing of the Republican Party. There is a difference between the GOP's liberal establishment and us. They think people of this Party exist to provide them with position. We think Their positions exist to provide those people with freedom. And we go to make sure that they have it. We won't sit down, we won't shut up and we're not going away.
Posted by: Doug Parris on August 28, 2006 02:45 PMA vote against Cantwell is a vote that says that one does not believe the Progressive Lie and one wants to remain strong against Violent Islam.
With that in mind, who really cares about internal bickering? McGavick is about as good as it gets in a world where no one who would actually make a good electable, well financed candidate or leader would ever consider running for office.
As for the DUI witch hunt. To me this seems like the kind of attack the Democrats fantasize over while getting drunk with Goldstein. It all seemed like a good idea while they were inebriated inside the Blue Cocoon. But in the real world, we've all made mistakes and know that dredging stuff up from 13 years ago is a stretch that makes Democrats look lame and childish.
It's the Bush deranged mentality that so many on the left have adopted.
Posted by: Jeff B. on August 28, 2006 03:14 PM I don't know what you were listening to that
night I was David Goldstein's radio show.
How on earth you could come away with that conclusion
you have is beyond me.I did not that night
nor have I ever said I hate anyone because
they don't agree with me.
As for Doug Parris and I being a tag team that
night you should know I was scheduled as
a guest on Mr Goldstein's show that evening.
Doug just happened to call in and it went from
there.Since I only had about 20 minutes of
airtime we barely scratched the surface of
what David and I were going to talk about.
There is a whole lot about the State Gop
that we didn't have time to get into.
Now I know some of you are wondering why
did I go on David Goldstein's show?Well
David was the only one that was interested
in hearing what I had to say. Now I realize
that he was interested for different reasons
that say KVI,KTTH OR KRKO talk show hosts
would be. I have tried many times in the past
to get them to hear what I have to say. They
just aren't interested because they would rather
sweep it under the rug and pretend everything is a
bed of roses. All for the sake of party unity
which is joke I might add. Since they don't
have it now and have not for a long time.
"He warned that the American fascists would not come wearing swastikas and brown shirts. The American variety, he said, would come carrying crosses and chanting the Pledge of Allegiance.
We should make no mistake about what is at stake in this battle with the religious right."
You're not trying to imply that Locke is a Republican because he taught at the Evans School of Public Policy are you?
Hubert Locke tilts very heavily to the left.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 28, 2006 03:52 PMhttp://www.seattleweekly.com/news/9917/features-scates.php
To accuse someone of working for a theocracy is precisely the same as saying they "want to use politics to impose religion." In meaning, the phrases are identical, indistinguishable, one and the same, precise duplicates, an exact match. That is what the word "theocracy" means. Are you just unfamiliar with the term?
Posted by: Doug Parris on August 28, 2006 04:05 PMWell, gee, Bill, you're starting to get the picture.
Posted by: Doug Parris on August 28, 2006 04:10 PMHave you heard the word of the lord today? Take a chill pill you nutwad.
Posted by: Jeffro on August 28, 2006 04:10 PMNo, Smokie, no need for any changes... just take another toke.
Posted by: Doug Parris on August 28, 2006 08:16 PM"Bill, Let me try one more time helping you." (What a dead give away!), and then Doug subsequently and inelegantly denies that he and "Michelle" are one and the same a few posts later.
Great stuff, and for those I suspect have suffered Doug's rantings for a long time I hope you have a good laugh. I sure did.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 28, 2006 08:19 PM I hate to burst your bubble but Michelle and
Doug are indeed two different individuals.
I can say this because I know them both.
Even Diane Tebelius can attest to this she
knows who they both are just as well as I
do.
Smokie,
I'm going to say this one more time. I did not
know Doug Parris was going to call in to the
show. Did I tell him before hand about the
show yes. He and about 60 other individuals.
As for David Goldstein I know thats why he
wanted me to come on the show.I made a point
of saying that he had different reasons for wanting
me on than did the other radio stations.
"Now I know some of you are wondering why
did I go on David Goldstein's show?Well
David was the only one that was interested
in hearing what I had to say."
Phil,
Try
googling
"Useful idiot"
'nuf said...
If your not willing to state what it is Doug or I
am lying about. Then just be quiet.Its typical
of people like you they make a blanket statement
to impune someone else and never give specifics.
Alphabet Soup,
You can sit there and take all the cheapshots
you want. But it doesn't change the fact
that the republican party in this state continue
to lose because they won't listen to there
base.Do you that there are 32 State Rep postions
that are not contested by republicans this year?
With that many seats left uncontested we will
never get majority again in this state. Good
people will continue to sit out these races
because of the percieved lack of support from
the party.Don't believe me I will give you a
couple of examples.
The King Gop says they support Jeffery
Possinger, Mike Riley and Karen Steele.
Would you like to know how much money
they have these three individuals to date?
0 thats right absolutely nothing.Now there
are some they have.Donna Watts and Andrew
Franz are a couple of them.
In the case of Jeffery Possinger this is a
continuation of what happened in 2004. Pat Herbold
was openly supporting Roger Stark in the
primary.When Possinger won she was furious
and refused to give him any support whatsoever.
Its my contention that he could have won
if they had actually supported him.But they chose
not to just like they are now.
This is what I'm talking about you never hear
any of this on the talk shows. Instead
they make it look like everything's fine and say
nothing. This crap has gone on far to long
and it needs to stop.
Chris,Bill and everyone else that doesn't
know what the McGavick Campaign tried to
do to Susan Hutchison. Here it is:First of all
I have gotten to know Susan pretty well.
So I can speak with authority about her character.
No she isn't my sister but I consider her the
big sister I never had. So yes to me she is
family.Even though she didn't run this time
getting to know her has been a real blessing
for me.
Anyway what happened? Well as I said before
the State Gop and the McGavick campaign saw
Susan as a big time threat to McGavick winning.
So they had to try and take her out of the race.
They started by trying to portray her as a
flake. They would use some of there county
chairpersons to say things like Susan didn't
show up for a meeting again.Or we heard the
meeting she had with Such and such organization
didn't go well. Or we as a county party must
support McGavick because he has the resources
to win Susan doesn't.None of this has any basis
in fact.
One of the best ones I know about has to do
with the Washington federation of Republican
women's organization.Last year at there annual
convention another one of McGavick's county
chairpersons started floating a story around
that Susan was invited and confirmed she would
be there and then just didn't show up.This particular
one I believe was started to damage her ability
to get the women's vote.Again not true, I
personally contacted Jennifer Holder about
this and she went to great lengths to explain
to me that Susan had been invited but
told them she had a previous committment.
Jennifer said she made three separate
announcements explaining this fact.
at the convention. Still this story got
a lot of the traction at the convention.
These kinds of rumours and stories went
on for several months. It got to the point
where I finally said to Susan I know you
to well and I know what there saying about you
isn't true. Her response to me was I don't
care it doesnt bother me at all.Thats because
Susan was confident enough to know she could
easily overcome this stuff.
Don't let anybody from the State Gop leadership
Say they were neutral in this race. From the
very beginning they were supporting Mike McGavick. But thats a story is for another day.
Believe me I got enough emails and phone calls
from people around the state to know that this
crap got spread around pretty well.It was an
attempt by the McGavick campaign to damage
Susan Hutchison's reputation. All for the sake
of having primary free of any opponents.So
when Mike McGavick talks about civility I
simply don't buy it.
Oh - and for the record - Mike! looks so much better than Maria...
Posted by: jeremy in ballard on August 28, 2006 11:04 PM Just what questions are you talking about
that I haven't answered?I would really like
to know.
Apparently in your absolutist world, you will disparage Republican candidates openly because they were not your picks. As you and your hand in hand friend have stated "You will not sit down, you will not shut up and you will not go away." What you have done is marginalize yourselves to the point of being irrelevant.
Posted by: Smokie on August 29, 2006 07:41 AM Yet still you give no specifics about what Doug
or I supposedly lied about. I have high standards
of which I live by and believe in.I am not about
to compromise them for anyone.
As to unifying over common principles I guess
your refering to backing McGavick. I don't know
anything we are in agreement on other than anwar. Most everything else we either don't know
where he stands on it or he wont say what his
position is.I will not blindly support someone
simply because they have an R by there name.
Your constant rantings, incredible anger, and vicious name calling are far more representative of the kook left. "Reagan Wing". Oh brother!
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 29, 2006 11:18 AM Once again you still haven't told me what it is
Doug or I have lied about.Since your the one
making that claim. Please tell us all what the
lies were.
I have called no one names let alone used any
vicious ones.I defy you to find anywhere that
I have ever done that.To characterize someone as
having incredible anger without even knowing
them at all isn't a good idea.
Look politics is just one aspect of live.
An important one yes but that's all it is.
So before you say something like this again
you need to remember that.
I can back up everything I have said McGavick
and his campaign.However I am not about to start
naming names here or anywhere else. I know that
as soon as I starting getting that specific
The endless amount of problems will start for
me and my family. While I have the truth on
my side. I do not have an unlimited amount of
resources to deal with it.
"It was at that point I decided
to go after Vance with everything I had. Because no one makes
me look like idiot and gets away with it."
No anger, Phil? You're off the deep end, fellow.
you have taken out of context something I said.
I was not angry in when I said that.I became fedup
with kind of tactics chris vance was using
against my friend Mark Hulst. To use someone
like Dino Rossi to unknowily do your dirty work
I thought was reprehensible. I didn't then and I don't
now think that kind of a person should be a leader
of a State Political party.
Very well Phil. Here's the address to the "in context". No more comprehensible than the stuff you post here, I might add.
http://www.thereaganwing.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&page_id=250