As most here hopefully know, David Barnett and the Cowlitz Tribe are working very hard and rather insidiously, to ram one of the largest casinos on the planet down our throats here in Clark County. Some of that was detailed here:
So, not only did Barnett and the Cowlitz lose the money bet... they've lost the entire war and they've done so on so many levels.
Tom Mielke was 4282 votes behind on Election night. Typically, that's far enough behind in a county race to, as they say, wiz on the fire and call in the dogs.
Except this time.... THIS time... it wasn't enough, and when the election was certified last Tuesday evening, Tom ACTUALLY WON BY 207!!!!!
Barnett's campaigns usually involve threats and intimidation. He has been the recipient of at least 2 different restraining orders from two different women (he seems to have a lot of guts when it comes to women) and he has threatened both Mielke and Dave Somers, Snohomish County Councilman who opposes Barnett's humongous project in Snohomish County.
Cowlitz Tribal Mouthpiece Phil Harju, who has some sexual harassment issues of his own to contend with, wasted no time in a bogus effort to distance his tribe's corruption from that of Barnett... as if the tribe didn't know, and wouldn't have benefited from corrupting our election here.
So... what's happened?
First, and always a good thing, Barnett got hosed by the people he paid his wasted $76,500... they bent him over but good and essentially raped him for what he got.
The important thing, though, is that his last minute efforts were not only wasted, but counter-productive, damaging to his candidate (who he tried to buy a seat in the legislature for back in 2004 by laundering money through Washington Conservation Voters (Face it: WCV is just a leftist front group with a fancy name)... because the word got out and fast that the Cowlitz were, once again, attempting to try and corrupt our election.
Second, the blowback. Barnett's one of the most arrogant people alive. This time, when he was approached by a panicked Pam Brokaw, he just wrote checks directly to a democrat operative who, as I pointed out, screwed him but good with the charges he paid.
The fact that he didn't even bother to launder the money made it easy to figure out where it came from. And when the media around here found out what was happening, they had time to bust a cap in his electoral ass... taking Brokaw down with him.
Third, the damage to the casino cause. Casino supporters have a habit of lying through their collective "tooth" over this casino being a "done deal." That begs the issue. If it's a "done deal," then why did Barnett act like such a moron in his amateurish effort to take a casino opponent out?
Folks vote with their feet and their checkbooks. Barnett's major vote to take out an opponent tends to speak far more then his words.
Forth, the bad press and reputation that's resulted from the Cowlitz/Mohegan effort to buy a friendly government.
Fifth: MOU? DOA!
So, in the end, Barnett has lost the election, lost $76,500, lost a friendly county government, given a black eye to his own tribe and winds up looking like an idiot.
But most importantly, elected officials here locally and hopefully in Snohomish, have learned to not be afraid and to take it to ANYONE attempting to buy or corrupt a government.
I know we have down here in Clark County.
Posted by Hinton at November 27, 2008 05:33 PM | Email This