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Friday, March 17, 2006

Reichert’s Two Opponents

Posted by on March 17 at 14:55 PM

The office of eastside Republican Congressman Dave Reichert just put out a press release casting Reichert as a “centrist” and a “down the middle mainstream moderate.”

Now, I don’t want to overestimate The Stranger’s influence in D.C. But I do know that Republican strategists in D.C. are aware of the current issue of The Stranger, and my long profile in it of Darcy Burner, Reichert’s impressive Democratic challenger in Washington’s 8th District. I know this because I got an email about the profile from someone at the National Republican Congressional Committee yesterday.

Could it be that Reichert’s D.C. handlers are worried that Burner is gaining momentum in the race and want to preempt her strategy of tying Reichert to the unpopular far-right policies of the Republican party?

It certainly is strange timing for this press release, since the National Journal article that the release is based on came out last month. Why is Reichert touting these centrist credentials three weeks late and on a Friday afternoon?

In any case, it’s clear that Reichert now has two opponents as he tries to hold on to his seat in the 8th Distrcit: Burner, whom he’ll be running against, and the right wing of his party, which he’ll be running from.

As he tries to make the case that he’s a centrist, here are some other things Reichert will probably have to run from: His votes against stem cell research, in favor of weakening House ethics rules, against a woman’s right to choose, and against investigating the intelligence failures that led to the War in Iraq. And he may also have to run from the fundraising that has been done for him by indicted former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Text of the Reichert release is in the jump…

Reichert Recognized as "Down The Middle” Mainstream Moderate

Reichert one "who boldly defied President Bush and GOP leaders last year”

Washington, DC Rep. Dave Reichert (WA-08) was named one of "The Centrists”, members at the ideological center, of the U.S. House of Representatives in the February 25, 2006 edition of National Journal. The article, entitled "Down The Middle”, ranks members of the House and Senate ideologically using their 2005 vote ratings. Members with composite scores closest to 50 are at the exact center of each chamber. Dave Reichert's composite score was 45 percent liberal 55 percent conservative, putting him at the ideological center of the House. Reichert was the only member from Washington State's delegation to be recognized as a centrist.

"When I look at my colleagues who've been recognized as centrists, I realize what we have in common is that we're all problem solvers. None of us toe the party line all the time, which is pretty clear when you look at this list and our successes, such as repeatedly preventing drilling in ANWR and getting provisions important to Children's Hospitals included in the Deficit Reduction Act. We're all independent thinkers who put our district's needs first and work cooperatively with leadership to make sure those needs are met.”

Reichert continued, "I'm pleased that my approach to this job, which is to always treat people respectfully and to work with those who are most dedicated to finding solutions regardless of party affiliation, is producing such positive results. This year as my subcommittee tackles the interoperability and operability problems our first responders face, it's this same approach that is going to make my subcommittee produce results and a solution to the problem.”

"At the center of National Journal's 2005 congressional vote ratings are the mainstream Republican moderates and the conservative mavericks who boldly defied President Bush and GOP leaders,” National Journal writes. The article continued by recognizing the Centrists for "exercising newfound influence and creating plenty of headaches for President Bush and GOP leaders” on issues such as "federal budget belt-tightening” and forcing "Republican leaders to drop a provision authorizing oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.”


CommentsRSS icon

i'd be curious to see polling data. the east side isn't as conservative as it once was. and i suspect, though i'm flying blind without the polls, that any republican would be in trouble in his district right now, and reichert would have a better chance than a D or an R as an independent.

The 8th is not just the eastside, WF.

You are quite right that Burner will do well on the eastside, just as Dave Ross did. But Ross was clobbered in SE King and east Pierce counties, where at least half of the population the district reside.

This race will be won or lost in Sumner, Puyallup, Kent, and Auburn.

Check the forums, Eli. The article was a total selljob for a vacant candidate, rampant with left-wing-friendly cliches and heavy on the usage of buzzwords. Darcy Burner does nothing for me. And she comes off as a soccer mom posing as an edgy democrat. I was disgusted and insulted by the cover story.

What a joke this paper's political coverage has become.

Yeah, Eli, check the forums, if you want to hear the same old "Dems need to get some real backbone and nominate guys -- guys, mind you, because guys are tough and have substance of character -- guys who can lose with fire in the belly. That's what we need." Not silly girls who have nothing going for them except that maybe, just maybe, they can beat Reichert. No, that would be stupid. We shouldn't be trying to WIN, we should be trying to be CORRECT. PPbbbppppllltttt.

Crap, I've had 10 ml too much whiskey!

Too much silly. - not just drink.

Ms. Brunerr has NO political experience. Is it - the Mom in Tennis Shoes Two -- guess we will see. But wait, Patty M. was in the legislature from Shoreline. Granted a big jump but this is even bigger.

If she just had a civic resume - we could feel optomisticlly better.

This is the anti candidate. Is there enough anti to elect her? Guess time will tell.

I love political fights - but can spot a shill story when I read one. By the way, FNARF, Reichert would be just as distinguished if he WAS a woman. Look for him to use a lot of scenes in his pr with kids, his own, grand babbies, schools - lacking his own womb.

Before Ross the Dems had another woman over there, but Dunn was entrenched. Is Reichert gettting entrenched? That is the question.

Here is a headline for the Stranger -- Reichert Rage Roaring in Redmond -- it might be. You know, that ever volitile quixotic Eastside.

Patty Murray went to the Senate, not the House. No one's suggesting Burner for US Senate. The Eighth District can cope with a rookie, and the United States NEEDS A DEM there, to keep the Christianist agenda at bay.

Christianist agenda? Isn't Darcy Burner a converted Catholic who now attends a Unitarian church? Wasn't John Kerry a Catholic?

Pot kettle black when it comes to attacking the religious beliefs of the Republicans. As a rational atheist, I don't feel either party represents my beliefs.

So Gomez, that means you don't support stem cell research and a woman's right to choose an abortion?

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