The case for unity.

I voted for Clint Didier. He was a breath of fresh air. Someone with strong principals and an unyielding commitment to voicing them whenever anyone would listen. I like that, I respect that, and I also realized that you can’t win a statewide election in this state, at least not this year, by doing that.

Still, he got every vote in our household (including the pets, after all this is King County) because I want more people like him running, gaining name recognition, and positioning themselves for future campaigns. We knew that he had no chance to beat the "Mom in Worn Out Tennis Shoes" but this was the time to cast our "protest vote".

Now every hand (and paw) in our home is poised to vote for Dino Rossi this November. It has been a decade since a conservative in this state has had a very real chance to win a Senate race and we are not going to look back on this election with regret because we were not smart enough to do the right thing.

By nature conservatives put logic ahead of emotion. They do what needs to be done even if their heart wishes that they didn’t have to. This is called leadership. It is like the Sci-Fi movie where someone has to stuff the glove to their space suit into the hole in order to save the space ship. They know they are giving up their life but they are saving many more. As Spock put it, “The needs of the many, outweigh, the needs of the few, or the one”.

Right now our country desperately needs to reverse course. We have to shove Patty into the hole in the space ship so it can survive to win the battle with the evil alien dictator in 2012. That means we have to be smart. No matter what we are better off sending someone to D.C. that may not be what we emotionally want, but we logically need.

According to last month’s PPP poll 91% of Democrats in this state are going to vote for Patty Murray. Does that mean that 91% of Democrats like her? Of course not.
The latest Rasmussen poll shows:

• Only 12% of the people in this state are not angry with the current policies in of the Federal Government.
• Just 28% think our representatives in Congress are the best person for the job.
• Only 40% feel that their local representatives in Congress deserve to be re-elected.

So clearly most Democrats can’t stand Murray either but are voting for her because she is the only option they have.

In this state about 30% of the voters are “independent” and Rossi has a solid lead in that area. So what is going to make the difference in this election? Republicans. That same PPP poll shows that only 88% of the Republicans were committed to voting for Rossi. So while most of the polls show this as a dead heat it is a race that is in our hands, under our control, and we can win it and win it decisively not by convincing Democrats to jump ship, or away Independents into voting for Dino, but by simply understanding the simple logic that if you are a Republican you need to step up and do the right thing and leave your emotions at home.

Your “protest vote” was cast in the primary, but come General election anything but a Rossi vote is a vote for Murray, and to continue the course of the Obama agenda.
So for the first time in 10 years the race will be won or lost by how intelligent Republicans are. Some call Dino a RINO, but I contend the real RINO’s are anyone that isn’t smart enough to realize that a vote that isn’t for Rossi is a vote for Murray. Don’t look back on this opportunity with regret. In 2 years Clint Didier can run against Cantwell, or someone else may step up to replace her, but that election will be easier to win if we fire Patty in November.

So join me now in voting for Dino Rossi. He may not be the first choice, but he is the ONLY choice.

Breaking: Palin to Tame "Papa Grizzly" Didier?

Highly placed sources have informed me that efforts are underway to have Sarah Palin intervene in the current squabble between former Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier and Republican Senate nominee Dino Rossi.

Palin, if you recall, endorsed Didier just prior to Rossi's entry into the race in May.  SarahPAC gave Didier $5000 and Palin recorded a robo-call for Didier, but she did not campaign in the state for him.

Didier has declined to endorse Rossi in the Senate race until Rossi agrees to meet three specific demands.  Rossi has refused.

Republican state party officials and electeds are busy behind the scenes trying to repair the rift.  A close election between Rossi and Democratic incumbent Patty Murray is expected, and Didier's 12 percent primary vote might be crucial.

More details as they become available.

Didier Favors Impregnation By Rape

Didier Speaking at a Tea Party Event in Yakima, July 2010

As recently as May 28th, Clint Didier was touting how he was a team player, and would support whoever faced off with Patty Murray this November.  This is what he said on the David Boze radio show:

"If it is Patty Murray and whoever - it's whoever. Vote against Patty Murray. And we gotta stimulate this movement in the state of Washington that whoever comes out of that primary we gotta get behind. And believe me, if it's not me, whoever it is, I'm gonna get behind them. I'm gonna work as hard for them as I did for me. Because it's not about me. It's about our kids, our grandkids, and assuring they have that same shot at the American Dream. It's about America."

Following the primary election however, Didier reversed course and refused to endorse Dino Rossi, who will face off with Murray.  Didier instead drew up a list of demands for Rossi to sign, before giving an endorsement.  These demands include having Rossi sign a pro-life pledge, and promising to vote against increased spending and taxes.

Nevermind that these are things that Rossi has stood for all along.  In fact, he has a legislative voting record of balancing the state budget, and holding the line on taxes.  He introduced legislation to protect the unborn while in the state senate, and is a Roman-Catholic.  Rossi is on record as having said that abortion is morally wrong.

Near the end of the primary campaign, Didier attempted to smear Rossi as pro-abortion.  His evidence for this consisted of one vote Rossi took in the state senate.  The vote was to allow women who are victims of rape, to take the morning-after pill.  By opposing this, are we to assume that Didier is in favor of impregnating women by rape?  If we follow the logic of the Didier campaign, this is the case.

Rossi might make exceptions for women who are victims of rape and incest.  Didier is making clear he favors impregnation by these methods.  I would expect better of a farmer from eastern Washington.

Rossi is a bona-fide fiscal conservative.  He has signed the Tea Party backed "Contract From America."  He has a voting record in the state senate that showcases his philosophy.  In addition, his two statewide campaigns for governor have gotten voters acquainted with him.  Now that he is the top dog for the U.S. Senate race, Didier is showing us how much of a sore-loser he is.

Didier is also showing how dishonest he is, not only in trying to paint Rossi as a tax and spend politician, or questioning his pro-life beliefs, but also breaking his own promise to support the Republican facing Patty Murray in November.

As a person who is pro-life, I would rather have Dino Rossi in the Senate, than Patty Murray.  What's wrong with you, Clint Didier?

References:

Palousitics: Didier: "Whoever it is (who wins the primary), I'm gonna get behind them"

NWDigest.com: Fuiten: Dino Rossi IS Pro-Life

Red County: The President, Patty and the Primary

Have You No Sense of Decency Sir, At Long Last?

Conservative Christians who voted for Clint Didier may be experiencing some buyer's remorse right about now. Foul-mouthed Didier spokeswoman Kathryn Serkes told Publicola yesterday:

So is Dino saying, "Fuck you" to those people [who supported Didier]? "Fuck you, I don’t need your votes? I can win with 33 percent"

This was the second incident of F-bombing by the Didier campaign in the last few weeks.  During the botched Didier-Akers joint webcast, staffers could be heard on-air referring to a "clusterfuck."

Rossi, of course, said no such thing. He is simply refusing to submit to a laundry list of demands that Didier says Rossi must meet before Didier will endorse him.  Rossi understandably rejected those demands. Can you think of any other candidate that polled just 12% of the vote that successfully made any demands on a victorious candidate? This is not Czechoslovakia and Rossi isn't Neville Chamberlain. 

And by the way Ms. Potty Mouth, Dino doesn't have just 33%:

The first KING 5 Senate poll for the 2010 general election shows Republican Dino Rossi is actually ahead of Democratic incumbent Patty Murray, 52% to 45%.

In most polls leading up to this week’s primary election and on primary night, Murray was in the lead. Primary election results placed Murray 13 points ahead of Rossi, but Rossi splitting the Republican vote with Clint Didier who got 12%, and Paul Akers, with 3%.

Oops.

I agree with Caleb Hannan at the Daily Weekly.  Rossi is better off ignoring Didier's demands.  In any case, this cannot end well for Didier and his Super Bowl ring-sized ego.  And if Rossi loses a very winnable election with the U.S. Senate at stake, Didier may want to consider growing alfalfa in Uzbekistan.

Finally, here's some advice to the Washington Campaign for Liberty, whose supporters campaigned so vociferously for Didier.  I generally respect the membership of the C4L, who other than a few crazies, are very thoughtful and intelligent.  They realize, no doubt, that they can only advance their causes by forming coalitions with other groups. 

Didier's high school jock testosteroning, as echoed by cheerleader Jerkes, is making him radioactive.  Take care you don't get contaminated yourself.

Didier: "Whoever it is (who wins the primary), I'm gonna get behind them"

Now that their guy lost Tuesday's Primary to Dino Rossi and Patty Murray, some Clint Didier supporters are acting as if they want to take their ball and go home and not let anyone else play! Clint himself gave a very "poor loser" message Tuesday night on KTTH's election show. I somewhat can understand, as I too would be very emotional after a loss, and things that come out of your mouth before you have a night to sleep on it might sound very different the next day. But I sure wish Clint would have heard Paul Akers on the radio prior that evening. Paul gave a very gracious message about the race and about losing, ending with saying emphatically he was "100% behind Dino Rossi!" 

As Clint is preparing to make an announcement Friday at 3:00 about his campaign and about Rossi, I would like him to listen to what he said on KTTH's David Boze Show on May 28 - two days after Dino Rossi announced his candidacy, bringing the number of candidates to around 17.  Today's David Boze Show replayed that May 28th talk with Clint, and here is what Clint said:

"If it is Patty Murray and whoever - it's whoever. Vote against Patty Murray. And we gotta stimulate this movement in the state of Washington that whoever comes out of that primary we gotta get behind. And believe me, if it's not me, whoever it is, I'm gonna get behind them. I'm gonna work as hard for them as I did for me. Because it's not about me. It's about our kids, our grandkids, and assuring they have that same shot at the American Dream. It's about America."

You can listen for yourself at the 36:00 mark of today's Boze show:
http://icestream.bonn...

Clint, you did an excellent job motivating conservatives over the past eight months. Thank you for all the time and heart you put into your candidacy. You are a patriot for wanting to serve your country! Now it's time to keep to your word while continuing to motivate your supporters. But this time the motivation is to get them to work hard - as hard as they did for you - to help get Dino Rossi elected. After all, it's all about defeating Murray.

Clint Didier: Anti-War Democrat

For you Washington voters who haven't mailed in your primary ballot yet, here's a little reminder. U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier is not only not "a true conservative," he isn't even a Republican.

Didier and his two top campaign consultants stopped by the offices ultra-lefty Seattle blog Publicola yesterday to pitch their message. To whom you might ask? (my emphasis)

His consultant, Simpson, standing behind a pair of dark sunglasses, was more chatty. He told us “everyone was in for a big surprise.” He said independents “like me aren’t with the Republican Party anymore and anti-war Democrats agree with Didier’s message.”

Can you imagine "anti-war Democrats" agreeing with Ronald Reagan? Neither can I.

Fuiten: Dino Rossi IS Pro-Life

Washington conservative Christian leader Joe Fuiten, pastor of Cedar Park Assembly of God in Bothell, founder of Positive Christian Agenda, and a director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, has sent the following letter to reassure pro-life voters that Dino Rossi is indeed on their side.  Rossi has been the target of ads from the Washington Life Coalition, an organization allied with the Clint Didier campaign, (and which is not a registered PAC, hello PDC?) that claim the Republican Senate candidate is soft on abortion.

You can read Fuiten's letter below the jump:


Dear Friends,

I have been seeing a lot of commentary questioning, no stating, that Dino Rossi is not prolife. When I first saw it, I said, "What is this?" Looking a little closer, it seems to be coming mostly from the Clint Didier camp in order to create separation between the two candidates and to breathe life into the Didier campaign ... Ya gotta love politics!!!

I particularly was amazed with the charge that Dino supported pro-abortion legislation in Olympia when he was a Senator there. I called Bob Higley to make sure my recollections were correct. Bob Higley was the first President of Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government (WERG) when it was formed with the help of Ellen Craswell and Skeeter Ellis.

WERG paid for a lobbyist in Olympia to represent Biblical causes. Bob led it for a number of years and then became the lobbyist when I became the President of WERG. We worked together on issues like abortion for almost 20 years. We were in on every battle relating to abortion over all that time. I asked him if Dino was always with us on the pro-life issues. Bob answered quickly that Dino Rossi was always to be counted on in the pro-life concerns.

This charge that Rossi voted to violate the conscience of medical providers and support abortion during his time in Olympia seems strange. I thought Dan Kennedy at Human Life of Washington did a good job in pointing out the actual facts in the case. (I have a high regard for Dan Kennedy who has been one of the most vigorous and outstanding pro-life forces in Washington State for a very long time). Here is some of what they said:

"This bill was specifically approved by the three Catholic bishops and their lobbyist, Sr. Sharon Park, indicating it did not promote abortion. It offered contraception options to women who were raped. Pro-life legislators were quite concerned and asked for the analysis. The WSCC signed off on the bill because they stated that conception would not occur in the time period provided in the bill. Assured by WSCC that the drugs in the legislation act as a contraceptive, not an abortifacient, and "hospitals" not ER workers are required to provide, they were further assured no separate "conscience protection" in the bill was necessary".

The charge that the bill which Rossi supported is "against Catholic, Christian, and pro-life values" is refuted by the support the Catholic Bishops gave to the bill. The language of the bill is clear enough that it is not about abortion. The law says it deals with "... health care treatment approved by the food and drug administration that prevents pregnancy, including but not limited to administering two increased doses of certain oral contraceptive pills within seventy-two hours of sexual contact." Maybe the point is too fine for some, but abortion, which terminates a pregnancy is not the same as "preventing pregnancy".

I am appreciative of the tremendous effort the Catholic Church has put into the pro-life issue. I appreciate people like Clint Didier and I think we need his activism in this state. I am not appreciative of the politically self-serving effort to misrepresent Rossi's record in Olympia.

> Rossi was with us in Olympia.
> I was there.
> Bob Higley was there.
> Dan Kennedy was there.

Maybe I shouldn't note, but I will, who wasn't there.

> I never saw these would-be politicians who criticize Dino there.

Dino has apparently not been willing to make abortion the centerpiece of his campaign. I do not understand pro-lifers who criticize the man saying he is not really pro-life. I thought Paul Aker made sense when he affirmed that what we really need to do is change hearts and minds. We have been making progress, slowly but surely, in the pro-life movement. Until we achieve greater success in the general population with our message there will not be a lot of legislative success. In the meantime, we have work to do but the work is not to treat solid conservative pro-lifers like Rossi as if they were Patty Murray.

I think successful armies fire at their opponents not their friends. Dino Rossi is a friend to us in the pro-life community. Help set the record straight. Forward to a friend!

Yours for the Kingdom,
Pastor Joe
fuitenj@msn.com

Palin Throws Didier Under The Bus

So Clint Didier's much-touted endorsement from Sarah Palin in the Washington U.S. Senate race is proving to be worthless (okay, SarahPAC did give Didier's campaign $5000.)  From the Seattle Times:

Republican Clint Didier has been trying to get former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to headline political rallies or fund-raising events for him since she endorsed the former NFL player's U.S. Senate candidacy in May.

In June, Didier campaign advisers told POLITICO that Palin described herself as "all in" for Didier. They hoped to schedule two Palin events, one in Eastern Washington and one on the west side.

Last month, when I visited Didier on his farm near Pasco, he said he still expected Palin would do an event for him before the primary. That could have given his underdog campaign a needed boost to get past GOP establishment favorite Dino Rossi and take on Sen. Patty Murray in November.

But with just a few days before primary ballots are counted Aug. 17, a Palin visit isn't looking likely.

Didier had been trying to get Palin to commit to an event Saturday.

But Didier campaign consultant Kathryn Serkes told me via e-mail today that event "looks like a no... we can't wait any longer to plan, so will plan without her."

In an interview Wednesday, Serkes attributed the difficulty to Palin's hectic schedule. "She gave her word and she's doing the best she can. We know that," Serkes said.

Serkes said Palin did agree to record a personal message that Didier can use in statewide robo-calls to voters.

But as of Thursday afternoon, that hadn't happened yet.

And that should be no surprise.  Sarah Palin's belief in a strong national defense stands in strong contrast to Ron Paul's isolationism.  Admittedly, Palin has endorsed Paul's son in the Kentucky Senate race. But Rand Paul has "gone clean for Gene" and backed away from his father's more controversial foreign policy viewpoints.  Didier, on the other hand, has drank deeply from the Paul Kool-Aid, even calling the war in Afghanistan illegal.

OVERlution: Murray 41%, Rossi 33%, Didier 11%, Akers 5%

A KING5/SurveyUSA poll conducted just as Washington voters have "top two" primary ballots in their hands (all but one of 39 counties are vote-by-mail) finds incumbent Patty Murray and Republican challenger Dino Rossi poised to move ahead to the November U.S. Senate general election by wide margins of 41% and 33% respectively .

Self-appointed Tea Party candidate Clint Didier only garners 11% total support, with a mere 24% of those with a favorable opinion of the Tea Party backing Didier, versus 56% for Dino Rossi.  Rossi also leads in Didier's native Eastern Washington by a 35%-21% margin.

Didier's "running mate," Republican Paul Akers only polls 5%.  The "joint campaigning" idea that Didier and Akers announced a couple of weeks ago does not seem to have produced any results, other than, as predicted, splitting the vote between the two men.

Didier's lurch to the far right libertarian policies of Ron Paul has alienated many traditional conservatives in both the Tea Party movement and Eastern Washington who favor free trade, a strong national defense, and victory in the War on Terror.  And Didier's "angry white man" routine has turned off voters, as expected, in more urban Western Washington, where he only receives 8% support.

Efforts by the sham pro-life Washington Life Coalition to smear Rossi as soft on abortion have also failed, with Rossi garnering 52% of the pro-life voter support, versus just 17% for Didier.  Ironically , that is the same amount for strongly pro-choice Patty Murray.

Meet Clint Didier's Defeatist Friends

Welcome to Clint Didier's World.

A world where America is not extraordinary. A world where America is just another country among all the rest. A world where America is forced to apologize for being an "empire." A world where America unilaterally retreats from the war on terrorism. A world where America sends pirates and mercenaries to fight its battles. And s world where "conservatism" means slashing defense budgets and legalizing drugs.

Today, Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier conducted a "radio marathon" featuring many guests that share these same beliefs.

10:00 AM guest Bruce Fein, in a September 2, 2008 address to Ron Paul's "Rally For The Republic" in Minneapolis, offered a critique of the Bush administration's interventionist policy and advocating a more non-interventionist foreign policy. Fein also harshly criticized the anti-terror policies of the Bush White House, including wiretapping and detention of terror suspects.

In April 2009, Fein criticized President Barack Obama for declining to prosecute Bush administration officials for composing CIA memos justifying torture during interrogations.

Fein also is an advocate for the legalization of marijuana.

11:00 AM guest Tom Mullen recently wrote:

The gargantuan U.S. military establishment survives because American soldiers and civilians continue to accept the assertion that it is necessary to preserve our freedom.

11:30 AM guest Peter Schiff, Republican Senate candidate in Connecticut, is pro-abortion and doesn't believe the federal government has the right to ban partial birth abortions. He also supports legalizing drugs, including cocaine and heroin.

And of course there was Didier's hero, Ron Paul.  Paul recently teamed up with Barney Frank, yes that Barney Frank, to call for cutting defense spending by $1 trillion at a time when al-Qaeda still vows a strike on the U.S., Russia is considering new strategic bombers, and Iran and North Korea continue to pursue nuclear arsenals.

I'm surprised Barney wasn't on the radio marathon.

In any case, Clint is getting a head start on his next career.  I fully expect him to soon join the ranks of far-right paranoids like Alex Jones on the airwaves.

Because after next Tuesday, his political career is finished.

Desperate Didier Touts Bogus Poll

Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier tweeted yesterday:

Wall St. Journal just called.Told him WA State Political Poll has me leading Rossi 2nd month in a row. www.washingtonstatepolls.com #wcot

There's little chance the Wall Street Journal will report that.

Several weeks back, I was made aware of a website called washingtonstatepolls.com.  It had some fairly unbelievable Senate and Congressional race results.  Taking a look at the self-selecting methodology and the lack of transparency concerning the pollster, I immediately dismissed it.

Now today's The Columbian has a front page story exposing the poll, which it says has "zero credibility with polling professionals."

It polls from an unspecified database within the state, giving “those selected for the survey” a website link and a survey code that allow them to answer the survey questions online. It claims a return rate of 10 to 15 percent, and, in the most recent 3rd District results, a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.

No contact information is available on the website. And whoever registered its domain, washingtonstatepolls.com, opted for domain privacy service, which keeps personal information from being linked to the site.

“That right there is enough to disqualify it as a legitimate poll,” said Stuart Elway, director of the respected Elway Poll based in Seattle. “If they are not willing even to disclose who is sponsoring it or where it comes from, let alone its methodology, it is so far from the standards of the American Association of Public Opinion Research that it shouldn’t be paid any attention to.”

One of the basic tenets of scientific polling is disclosure, Elway said. “You have to disclose what your methods are and what database you are using. If you don’t know who is in that database, and who is responding, you can’t draw any conclusions from it.”

Matt Barreto, a University of Washington political scientist who heads the similarly named Washington Poll at the UW, said there’s no guarantee that those responding to the Washington State Political Polls are even registered voters. “It’s not random or scientifically administered,” he said.

The Columbian article also explores the rumor that Washington 3rd Congressional District candidate David Hedrick's campaign is tied to the poll.  Hedrick, who is a Didier supporter, is ahead according to washingtonstatepolls.com.

Didier's use of this fantasy poll is yet another example of how he will do anything to win.  How can we possibly trust him if he makes it to Washington, D.C.?

Clint Didier: Liar and Hypocrite

Self-proclaimed champion of the Tea Party, Clint Didier has consistently proclaimed that he is the opposite of the "politics as usual" that have so many Americans frustrated and angry. So in a fitting epitaph to his failed U.S. Senate campaign, Didier has just released a negative video ad attacking fellow Republican Dino Rossi so full of lies and half-truths, it would warm the heart of the most left-wing Democrat:



Even the Seattle Times had to rebut this nonsense:

The piece is pretty blatantly misleading on one of its main contentions.

It claims Rossi didn't cut spending to deal with a budget deficit - that he instead "raised taxes" - referring to a five-cent gas tax increase approved that year.

But the gas tax isn't even part of the general state budget that Rossi was charged with crafting. The state gas tax is dedicated to a separate roads budget. Rossi did vote for the nickel increase that year, along with many Republicans -- it marked the first time the gas tax had gone up in a decade.

And the budget Rossi helped write - he had to compromise with then-Gov. Gary Locke and Democrats who controlled the state House - did cut make cuts to state spending.

Will Dino Rossi counterattack? No. He told a group in Pullman on Friday that he doesn't run against Republicans. He is a firm believer in Reagan's 11th Commandment.

So is this what the Tea Party has come to? More of the same old negativity? Devouring our own while the leftists sit back and laugh? Didier has just proven himself to be like every other politican, willing to do or say anything to get elected.

Goodbye Clint. And good riddance.

Didiakers Follow Through on Promise to Jointly End Political Careers

As promised, Washington U.S. Senate candidates have followed through on their promise made last week to start running joint "Didiakers" radio ads spreading unsubstantiated conspiracy paranoia about Republican frontrunner Dino Rossi.  Here it is:



The Odd Couple allude to how "Washington, D.C. and special interests are dumping millions of dollars into our opponent's campaign war chest," yet mysteriously Dino Rossi's latest FEC report only shows around $200K in PAC contributions.

Didiakers speak of how voters are "frustrated with party politics as usual," yet Akers himself has raised only a little over $45,000 in individual contributions.  Where is HIS grassroots support one might ask?  Didier has been endorsed by two of the leading Republican rebels in the country, Sarah Palin and Ron Paul, and yet his second quarter fundraising was less than than what he had raised prior to those endorsements.  Who exactly is to blame here?

And somehow, the duo claim, nefarious Republican "insiders" want you to believe "only their guy can win" and "they don't want you to know the polls show we can beat Patty Murray," despite the fact that Public Policy Polling, a left-leaning pollster has just released a poll of the August 17 "top two" Washington U.S. Senate Primary that has incumbent Patty Murray at 47%, Rossi at 33%, Didier at 10% and Akers at 4%.  This poll matches almost exactly the results of previous "top two" primary polls taken by Survey USA and Elway.  It's even more ironic when you consider that Akers' campaign was inspired and announced by the ultimate GOP insider, Dick Morris.

There's no point in reiterating what every political strategist says is the fatal mistake of both candidates remaining in the race to split what little support they have instead of pooling it together to go after Rossi by having one bow out of the race and endorse the other.

Didiakers are right in that this is unprecedented.  The self-immolation of two public figures has never before been broadcast so willingly and widely.  Sad really.

And is it just me, or does the red background they use in the video remind anyone of the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks?  Seems fitting, as both Didier's and Aker's political futures have disappeared along with Agent Cooper.

Didier/Akers Big Announcement Shocker: Waaahhh. No One Pays Attention to Us

Washington U.S. Senate candidates Clint Didier and Paul Akers held a highly-touted joint BlogTalkRadio appearance this evening to hint at dark conspiracies by "the establishment" to excuse their extremely low polling numbers and poor fundraising (Didier raised less in the second quarter AFTER Sarah Palin's endorsement than what he had raised previously.) No actual evidence was provided by the duo.

And the pair somehow felt they could taunt Republican frontrunner Dino Rossi, who is 25 plus points ahead of both Didier and Akers, into debating them.

This evening's morbidly comical announcement by the odd couple of tall, booming Didier and the short, nasal, Dick Vitale-esque ("I'm a lean thinker, baaaby!") Akers absolutely smelled of the desperation of two campaigns clearly out of gas and out of time. It was very poor political move to make on the eve of ballots showing up in voter's mailboxes.

To make matters worse, there were technical flubs galore:

Didier fumbles big announcement

So, Republican Senate candidate Clint Didier hypes an "important announcement" Thurday evening on his website.

People were invited to go to blogtalkradio.com or phone in a specific number to hear it at 7 p.m. When I phoned in just before 7 p.m., I heard a hilarious dispute between what sounded like campaign staffers arguing about who should, and who should not, be able to speak on the phone conversation. The line went quiet after one person ordered several other people to figure the whole thing out. I then tried to call back in, but got a busy signal.

And despite minutes of surfing, I can't find Didier on blogtalkradio.

Anybody else have better luck?

Some even reported hearing the word "clusterf*ck" used.  Not very impressive for two candidates that claim to be "innovators."

Former Senate candidate Chris Widener tweeted that Akers and Didier had "jumped the shark."  Bryan Myrick at Red County put it best:

The pair of candidates, presumably rushing to beat the clock as their airtime ran out like the sand from an hourglass – an apt visual metaphor for what was occurring in realtime to their political careers -- insinuated that powerful forces in Washington, D.C. are working hard to manipulate the election and take the choice away from Washington state voters.

All in all, a true amateur hour by two rookies who, to use one of Didier's football metaphors, are not going to make it out of training camp.

Steele Continues to Back Away from Afghanistan Remarks; Finds New BFF in Didier

In a speech before some 100 Washington state Republicans last Saturday evening at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele retreated, without apologizing, from his recent comments that the war in Afghanistan is “unwinnable:”

I think at this moment it is important for me to also address that, I know some folks feel the comments that I made recently about the war in Afghanistan, that I may feel that way too.

I respect all of you so much and particularly the men and women in uniform who come from this state, who serve in this state. I want to tell you personally from me to you and to all of them that I am 1000% for victory for our men and women in service, that we cannot leave them on the battlefield alone, that we cannot undermine an opportunity to win.

We are fighting in a tough place. It is hard to win there. But with the right leadership, the right resources, and most especially, the right commitment to win, the right commitment to win, we will. We will win this war on terrorism! We will not give one inch of ground to those that hate our country! Let there be no confusion about that. The sacrifice has been too great by many here and elsewhere around our nation.

So for the sake of those brave men and women who are currently serving in uniform, for the sake of those who’ve lost their lives, and for their families and their kin, this party stands with them. I stand with them. Your Chairman, your National Committeeman, your National Committeewoman stand with our fighting men and women. Period. No confusion. No questions.

But earlier in the evening, the beleaguered Steele found a new best friend, Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier, who stated:

You know what Michael? I gotta tell you Michael, my friend; they’re attacking you right now. I know you’re a big man. Stand tall and let’s stand tall together, shoulder-to-shoulder. Let’s fight!

Those comments directed by Didier to the very personification of the “establishment party” seem a bit strange, considering Didier just called fellow Republican candidate Dino Rossi “the establishment party's insider.”  (Dino had another engagement that evening and wasn’t on hand.)

Of course, Didier’s comments to Steele must be taken in the context of Didier’s own statements that the war in Afghanistan is not just unwinnable, but illegal.  Didier was just repeating the praises of Steele’s defeatism uttered by his “hero” Ron Paul, who said Steele is right and that Republicans should stick by him.
















For his part, Steele admitted to a sort of man-crush on Didier:

I’m a huge fan. As a native Washingtonian [Ed. Note: of the other Washington] , I watched him play and win Super Bowls for my teams, so I was a very happy camper. I’ve gotten to know Clint over the years and just really appreciate his passion and his fire.

Steele emphasized youth during his speech, saying that Republicans would cease to exist if younger people were not recruited into the party. He called for all those under 40 present at the rally to join him on the stage. Steele then said, “I present you with the, not the future of the Republican Party in Washington, but the now.”

The rest of the Republican Resurgence rally was pretty standard, with lots of fiery speeches and enthusiasm. My personal favorite was when Rep. Bruce Dammeier (R-Puyallup) told the crowd that we have 118 quality Republican candidates running for the state House of Representatives, and if “you aren’t excited, you aren’t paying attention.”

"Support Our Constitution" vs. "Eat the Rich"

Some 30 Republican sign-wavers, mostly from the Dick Muri for Congress campaign, faced off against some 20 Democrat protesters Saturday afternoon at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.  The Republicans, with the advantage in numbers, occupied three of the four corners at the intersection of 15th and Commerce.

The Democrats were on hand to protest the appearance of Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele at a "Republican Resurgence" rally being held at the convention center Saturday evening. The Republicans were there to show that Washington doesn't "belong to the Democrats" as claimed in a e-mail sent by the Chair of the Pierce County Democrats.

The Republican message was clear: "Support our Constitution."

As was the Democratic message:  "Feed the poor.  Eat the rich."

Air Force veteran Fred Ahrens was among the yellow-and-blue clad throng, carrying an extra-large Dick Muri for Congress sign .  He told me he is backing Muri because of Muri's strong pro-life beliefs, his support of veterans, his efforts to reduce spending and taxes, and his tough stance in illegal immigration, such as working to implement E-Verify in Pierce County.  Fred asked me to remind readers that the Dick Muri campaign is looking for donations and volunteers for such things as phone banking to help defeat Adam Smith.  Go to http://www.dickmuri.com/ if you can help.

Rising Republican star Hans Zeiger, who is running for the state house in the 25th Legislative District, dropped by briefly:

Meanwhile, the Democrats were a little reticent to speak, just as at their protest at the John Boehner-Dave Reichert fundraiser in Bellevue last week.  I was directed to talk with Lynda Foster, who told me she was just a "volunteer" and was there to show solidarity with Democratic candidates, especially Patty Murray.  When I asked her if they had a message for Michael Steele, she said it was simply for Democrats to make a presence to show support for their candidates too.  I did speak with one Democrat protester wearing a union shirt and holding an American flag that said he had heard about the protest on the radio and came down to participate.

There wasn't any chanting (the Republicans had a drum,) but the Democrats did cheer "Light Rail!!" every time the Tacoma Link went by.  But despite the Democrats' silence, their signs did have some specific messages:

You can see above that the Ron Paul/Campaign for Liberty folks set up next to the Democrats.  After the Democrats walked up the street, the Didier supporters moved over by the Ron Paul supporters, naturally, as Paul just endorsed Didier for the U.S. Senate in Washington.

The back of the Ron Paul sign had a hand-printed message that read "Honk in Support 9/11 Truth."  This picture to me demonstrated the strangeness of the Washington Senate race this year and the far-right fringe nature of some of those backing Didier:

Didier: Afghanistan Not a War, U.S. Should Not Have Gone in After 9/11

Speaking of Michael Steele and Afghanistan, the Democratic National Committee stated:

It’s simply unconscionable that Michael Steele would undermine the morale of our troops when what they need is our support and encouragement. Michael Steele would do well to remember that we are not in Afghanistan by our own choosing, that we were attacked and that his words have consequences

It’s also unconscionable that Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier would undermine the morale of our troops by saying that Afghanistan is not a war, but merely a "conflict," and that the U.S. should not have gone into Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

But that’s exactly what he did yesterday afternoon on KUOW’s “The Conversation” with Ross Reynolds:

Caller:  I wanted to ask you about your position on going to war. If you had been in the Senate, would you have supported that war and… 

Ross Reynolds:  “That war” meaning the Iraq War?

Caller:  Iraq and Afghanistan.

Clint Didier:  Well let’s just say this first of all. You know, our Founding Fathers gave us a game plan. In that game plan, the only institution that can declare war is the Congress. And that is the House of Representatives and the Senate. They did not declare war. So we can’t even call this a war. It’s a conflict. Now in that same…our Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, there’s letters of marque and reprisal. Now, we don’t have a country to declare war against, because we don’t even know where these terrorists are coming from. So we put a bounty on their head through letters of marque and reprisal, it’s in our Constitution, and then we get them that way. The brave people who want to go capture them can or countries can just hand them over. If we could have put a $1 billion bounty on Osama bin Laden’s head, then we would have been way ahead in this game.

Caller:  Do you think we overstepped in terms of going into those countries?

Clint Didier:  Yes.

Ross Reynolds:  Should we have not gone into Afghanistan following 9/11?

Clint Didier:  No, unless we declared war. We gotta follow the playbook. We gotta declare war before we go to war. You know the last time we declared war?

But Didier is way off base. On September 18, 2001, Public Law 107-40 was approved by both the Senate and the House with only one “Nay” vote (Rep. Barbara Lee D-CA.)  It authorized the use of the United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks. Saying this wasn’t a formal declaration of war is just parsing words. Public Law 107-40 passed by the same margin as the declaration of war against Japan on December 8, 1941 (with Rep .Jeannette Rankin famously voting "nay.") Congress approved the use of force as required by the Constitution. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say exactly what form a declaration of war must take.

By Didier’s standards, his foreign policy idol Thomas Jefferson waged an unconstitutional war against the Barbary Pirates between 1801 and 1805. In that case, Congress also authorized the use of force without actually using the words “we declare war.”

Didier is also wrong that the U.S. didn’t know where the 9/11 terrorists came from. The government knew exactly where they had originated: training camps in Afghanistan run by al-Qaeda and supported by the Taliban. We had known for years. Bill Clinton swatted at them half-heartedly with cruise missiles in 1998. To say that we shouldn’t have gone into Afghanistan to prevent future attacks such as the one that killed 2,976 Americans on 9/11 is unimaginable.

And Didier has no understanding of the minds of Islamic jihadists if he thinks a billion dollar bounty would have brought bin Laden to justice. “Wanted: Dead or Alive” was one of the sillier aspects of Bush’s Global War on Terror.

But it’s not surprising Didier would say what he did about Afghanistan and advocate the 18th century policy of legalized piracy and bounty hunting to deal with 21st century terrorism. Those words parrot Didier’s hero, Ron Paul. Paul, who just endorsed Didier today and who thinks America is an “empire,” congratulated Steele on his statement implying that the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable.

Try telling the 1,032 U.S service members who have died and 5,725 who have been wounded that Afghanistan is not a war, but merely a "conflict."

Does Clint Didier Support Amnesty for Illegal Aliens?

Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Dider had the following exchange with Ross Reynolds on KUOW's "The Conversation" this morning:

Reynolds: Millions of people who are in this country illegally, what do you think should be done about that issue?

Didier:  Well first of all we got to secure our borders. We’ve got an invasion of not only illegal people coming in here, and the problem I have with illegal immigration is the first word, it’s illegal. But we also have an invasion of terrorists. There has been documentation found of terrorists actually crossing the southern border and northern border. So Posse Comitatus that was passed in 1878 where we can’t use our military as a police force is out of the question. We’ve got a breach of security, so therefore we can use our military on the border. You know, when they were there in 2007 for one month and no drugs and no people crossed there, and they weren’t even given bullets. The Federales came and crossed and ceased one of our positions because we didn’t even have bullets to defend ourselves.

Reynolds:   Let’s assume we can seal off the borders and people cannot come in illegally, we still have people who are not documented. What happens to them?

Didier:  We give them the opportunity to come forward. Come forward and tell us who you are, you’re here, you’re here in America. If you’ve got a job and you’re paying taxes, you’re granted a one year visa. If you committed a crime here in America, you’re out. If you’re here and you do not come forward, you’re out as soon as you’re found.  We get rid of political correctness. But when the ones that are here, they get a one year visa. We need a private sector to develop a business that will count for every one of these people who are here legally now underneath of that got a visa, one-third of their salary is sent to that business, they are responsible for that and that is what is waiting at the border for them to leave at the end of their working cycle and the next year they are granted anther one year visa. If you give them a three year visa they get lost in the shuffle and they get lost in our country.

Reynolds:  Do you think there should be a path to citizenship, should they be able to become citizens?

Didier:  Yes! Yes! And I think it’s gotten to become way too hard, because we are a melting pot of the world and believe me and my ancestry is from Germany, France, Ireland.  I’m a little stubborn. But you know what this is America and we are resilient we’re winners and we believe in success so let’s turn this thing around and be like that shining city on the side of the hill like Reagan wanted.

So does Clint Didier support amnesty for illegal aliens?  He does if you count a "path to citizenship" as amnesty.   And there are many who consider "pathway to citizenship" to be a buzzword for amnesty, as the end result is the same.  There are those who also who worry that a "path to citizenship" will only encourage more illegal immigration.

It's worth comparing Didier's position on immigration to Barack Obama's recently proposed path to legalization:

In his first major speech on the issue, President Obama on Thursday called for immigration reform legislation that would include a pathway to citizenship for the country's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants but said it could not happen without Republican support.

“We can create a pathway for legal status that is fair and reflective of our values and works,” Obama said in his speech at American University. “The question now is do we have the courage and political will to pass a bill through Congress and finally get it done.

“I’m ready to move forward. But the fact is without bipartisan support we cannot solve this problem. We cannot pass comprehensive reform without Republican votes. That is a political and mathematical reality.”

To bolster his argument, Obama noted that the number of border patrol officers along the country’s Southwest border is greater than it’s ever been and that crime along the border and the number of illegal crossers is down.

“The border is more secure today than at any time in the last 20 years,” he said.

But Obama said that more needed to be done to improve enforcement. He also said that those who broke the law to enter the country must get right with the law by registering with the government and paying fines.

I guess Didier would be one Republican vote Obama could count on.

Rasmussen: 93% of Self-Identified Tea Party Members Say They Support Rossi

I'm not sure how I missed this before, but in its latest poll, Rasmussen found even stronger Tea Party support for Washington U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi than SurveyUSA:

Twenty percent (20%) of Washington voters consider themselves members of the Tea Party movement, compared to 16% nationally. Sixty-two percent (62%) say they are not members, and another 18% are not sure.

Self-identified Tea Party members overwhelmingly favor the Republicans, with Rossi again running strongest with 93% support. Murray gets two-thirds of the votes of those who say they are not members of that movement.

Forty-three percent (43%) of the state’s voters view the Tea Party movement as good for the country, slightly below voter sentiments nationally, while 32% say it’s bad for America. Twenty percent (20%) say it’s neither.

Can we now end the whole "Tea Party vs. Establishment" narrative in the Washington state U.S. Senate race?

Didier: The Narrative and The Reality

There's yet another national wire story out today about Washington Republican U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier using the "Tea Party vs. Establishment" narrative.  Didier, who has been endorsed by Sarah Palin, has consistently claimed the support of the Tea Party movement, true conservatives, and those who reside in rural Eastern Washington where he is from.

But is this narrative really true, or is it just campaign rhetoric?

The crosstabs of the recently conducted SurveyUSA poll of the August 17 Washington U.S. Senate primary reveal some surprising answers.


Among Washington voters who had a favorable view of the Tea Party movement, only 8% support Didier.  A whopping 67% support Dino Rossi, who Didier has claimed is the "establishment" candidate.  13% are undecided.

10% of those who consider themselves conservatives in ideology, back Didier, while Rossi gets 59%, with 16% undecided.

And Eastern Washigton residents give Eltopia native Didier 12%.  Rossi, a native of King County on the western side of the state,  has nearly three times as many Eastern Washington supporters at 32%, with 24% undecided.

Since a radical pro-life group released a video attacking Rossi over his stance on abortions inthe case of rape or incest this week, it is worth noting that 57% of pro-life voters prefer Rossi versus just 9% for Didier.

Across the board, those are grim numbers for Didier, certainly all out of proportion to the national media coverage he is receiving which is strictly a result of Palin's endorsement.  Didier is receiving no more than token support, even among the groups he claims to champion.

A couple of other noteworthy points.  Rossi, as I have pointed out repeatedly in the past, is the candidate that most inspires young people.  He enjoys 33% of the support from voters aged 18-34.  Rossi also enjoys a 36-29 advantage over Patty Murray among independents.  That's a good start, but I think he'll have to get close to 50% among independent voters to win.