October 16, 2006

Darcy Burner's record of "community leadership": 5 e-mails, 3 meetings, 0 achievements

Effective service as a Congressman is less about passionate partisanship and more about working with others to solve problems for the benefit of one's constituents. Dave Reichert has a record of working with others to get things done, as a Sheriff (appointed by Ron Sims and then twice elected) and as a Congressman. Darcy Burner's main predictor of success as a Congresswoman lies in her brief presidency of the Ames Lake Community Club. According to ALCC members I've spoken with, Burner failed to accomplish anything and only made her neighbors more angry.

Last week one of Darcy's neighbors posted an entry on the public blog detailing how poorly Burner performed as ALCC president.

Burner's one-year term commenced in April 2005, two months before she declared her candidacy for Congress The ALCC doesn't do much to begin with. But even in that context, Burner's track record is underwhelming. She wore the title, but displayed little actual leadership. The club had one significant issue to deal with -- a neighbor who was encroaching on common property. Burner promised at the outset of her term to resolve the situation, but failed to do so. She only pissed off a lot of her neighbors.

Be sure to read Ameslaker's public blog entry. Ameslaker also sent me more detail about Burner's involvement with her neighbors. The first e-mail opened:

As one of the numerous people who have had contact with her in the community, and therefore dislike her, I want to make sure that she is not only defeated, but ruined from ever having political aspirations of any sort, again ... I disagree with her politics. But the ongoing pattern of lies, which is quite the norm for her, has made this rather personal to me. On your blog, you have questioned her community involvement. I can provide the details of that involvement for you ... I believe the consistent white lies and carefully chosen twists of the truth, reveal a true character flaw, and makes her possible candidacy a scary premise.
(This e-mail was sent several weeks ago, but the assessment of Burner's character as a neighbor is remarkably similar to the Seattle Times editorial board's assessment of her campaign)

Ameslaker also forwarded some e-mails Burner sent out as ALCC president, summarizing:

You now have in your possession the entire record of Darcy Burner's "community activism" and "community leadership".

As president of the Ames Lake Community Club, she sent out like 6 email messages. [it was actually 5, as one of the e-mails from the club board was sent by another board member]

She presided over this year's annual meeting, attended by 32 people, where she was replaced as president.

She also presided over a special meeting ... to deal with a land encroachment issue that has been going on for years. That meeting was attended by 57 people, many who left in disgust and anger half way through the meeting because of how she treated (didn't want to hear) her neighbors opinions.

She accomplished nothing, and only volunteered to be president if [another neighbor] continued to serve on the board, and basically do everything

Here are the emails --
1. May 16, 2005 Darcy's first public contact as president, outlining the land encroachment issue
(see also response from unimpressed neighbor)
2. May 29, 2005 Reponse to neighbors who are afraid of dogs

[ on June 15, 2005 Darcy filed her declaration of candidacy ]

3. June 30, 2005 Darcy's response to the community concerning the fallout of the June 26 special meeting dealing with the encroachment issue.
4. August 29, 2005 Darcy doesn't like her phone service.
5. November 4, 2005 Ameslaker:

the last communication to the residents of Ames Lake concerning the lot C dispute, which was the only real objective that the Darcy Burner presidency had to / and stated it would deal with. As you can see from this - no resolution to this problem was accomplished
It referenced a September board meeting to discuss the Lot C issue. The e-mail was not sent by Burner, but by another board member.
6. November 6, 2005 A motorhome is parked where some neighbors don't like it.

And on the basis of this "leadership" experience, Darcy thinks she can effectively represent the interests of 700,000 constituents in the United States Congress?

Last time Rory voted, --in 1988-- they wouldn't take his ballot because he signed it with an "X"...and he couldn't find anyone to voutch for his character.

voutch ?

"And neck and neck with Reichert, don't forget that one Rory."

Much like Kerry was neck and neck with Bush in 04?

Ever hear the saying never take a donkey to horse race.

The only thing that Riechert has going for him is...well...nothing. He bumbled the Green River Killer case so bad the guy went on killing for another 20 years...until the scientists caught up with him.
If the guy's too stupid to even be a Keystone Kop, What makes you think...nevermind-- Republicans don't think. Never have, never will.

Now I think it's neat that Ichty' is going to donate his time to one that needs it. Tis a noble thing to do no matter how wasted. Sancho Panza would understand. viva Ichtyrhoid.

Noitce how the "men" in Washington state support the women candidates. They have a lot in common!

Notice how you dodge, weave and avoid. Seems you have much in common with this administration.

Jennifer Dunn, Linda Smith and I had a little chuckle there.

Is the Seattle Times part of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy too?

WOW




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New Demo ad against Reichert needs to come down, says TVW

Seattle Times
by David Postman

A new TV ad attacking Congressman Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, violates TVW's copyright and user agreement and needs to be stop airing, says Mike Bay, TVW's vice president of programming.

The ad from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee uses what Bay says is a clip from a TVW recording of Reichert speaking in May to the annual conference of the Mainstream Republicans of Washington.

Bay said that people who purchase TVW tapes agree to a policy that says "you cannot edit it or use it for commercial or political purposes." He said he has called the DCCC to ask them to stop airing the ad and is waiting back to hear from someone in D.C.

The ad opens with a shot of Reichert speaking at the Cascade Conference:

Reichert: "So when the leadership comes to me and says 'Dave, we need you to take a vote over here because we want to protect you and keep this majority,' I do it."
Narrator: "And when they told Dave Reichert to give billions to big oil he did it;
and to vote against cracking down on price gouging, he did it. Three times.

Now we now why.

Dave Reichert, another vote for Bush's agenda.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.


The Reichert campaign issued a statement earlier today saying that the quote was taken out of context.

Congressman Reichert stands up to leadership and the President when their interests aren't in the best interests of the Eighth District," said Kimberly Cadena, Reichert's campaign spokesperson. "It's shameless that Darcy and the DCCC has taken a portion of Congressman Reichert's explanation of his stands against leadership out of context.
Here's the rest of what Reichert said in that portion of his brief speech: (Note: I mistakenly left off the earlier portion of his comments which I transcribed from TVW and have added that to this transcript. I think it gives the full context for the quote.)

I've been to district meetings here on this side, in my district, where people say, 'Why in the world would I vote for you. It's just like voting for a Democrat, for cying out loud. I'm going to vote Libertarian.' And I said, 'You know what sir, that'd be a huge mistake and here's why.'
...

I wanted to explain to this person how things work a ltitle bit back in Washington, D.C., and why certain votes have to be taken.

Sometimes the leadership comes to me and says, `Dave, we want you to vote a certain way.' Now, they know I can do that over here; that I have to do that over here. In other districts, that's not a problem, but here I have to be able to be very flexible in where I place my votes.

Because the big picture here is, keep this seat, keep the majority, keep the country moving forward with Republican ideals, especially on the budget, on protecting our troops, protecting this country. Right? Being responsible with taxpayer dollars. All of those things. That's the big picture. Not the vote I place on ANWR that you may not agree with, or the vote that I place on protecting salmon.

You have to be flexible. So when the leadership comes to me and says 'Dave, we need you to take a vote over here because we want to protect you and keep this majority,' I do it. There are some times when I say 'No, I won't.' There are times they have things come to the floor like Schiavo. I was one of five Republicans who voted with Democrats on Schiavo because it was the right thing to do. Government should not have been involved in that decision. Period.


UPDATE: DCCC communications director Bill Burton told me:

"We have heard from TVW and we are very carefully weighing all their concerns."
He said the Democrats got the tape from a "publicly available source." They didn't purchase the tape from TVW. Bay said anyone who buys a tape agrees not to use it for commercial or political purposes.

There may be a fair use argument to be made for a short clip off of TVW. But so far I can't recall anyone else using TVW tape in a political ad.

Hey Rory, while we are on the subject of Copyright infringement; Did you ever bother to get express written consent before you duplicated all these articles you copy and reproduce???

That's what I thought.

Hypocrite.

Here's what the Seattle Times says:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFXfChUeNiQ&eurl=
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Poll: Reichert leads Burner by six points

State Congressional Delegation News

KING-5's Robert Mak reports:

A new poll by KING 5 and Survey USA finds Reichert leading by six points: 51 to 45 percent.
This seems more realistic than the Majority Watch poll that Burner fans are touting. Mak's conclusion gets to the nub of the race:
in the end the question is: Will voters decide this race based on the president's approval rating or on their opinion of Reichert?
The race is solely about Bush and Reichert. Darcy Burner, as such, isn't a factor. The choice is between the popular and respected Reichert (tarnished in some people's minds by his association with Bush) and an unknown nobody. Bush would have to be an awfully serious drag on Reichert to inspire enough voters to vote for the nobody.

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Burner doesn’t make case for ousting Reichert

THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: October 20th, 2006 01:00 AM

Any other year, the race between Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert and Democratic challenger Darcy Burner would be easier to call.
The 8th Congressional District contest pits a moderate incumbent with a long record of public service against an overtly partisan political novice. Who is a better fit for the independent-minded 8th Congressional District wouldn’t be hard to figure.

But this isn’t any year, and it isn’t any district. The 8th’s swing voters in East Pierce and King counties are front and center in a Democratic fight to win back the House of Representatives. Burner makes no secret of her enlistment.

She casts Reichert as a symbol of the Republicans’ failure to stand up to the administration and frames her candidacy as a referendum on President Bush. Her pitch resonates — to a point.

Certainly, voters have good cause to be concerned about the course of the country and the possibility of two more years of Republican rule of Congress and the White House. For voters whose main concern is winning a Democratic House majority to check the presidency, Burner is a solid choice. The former Microsoft manager clearly is smart and a quick study.

As much as this editorial board shares those concerns about what’s happening on the national political stage, it gives greater weight to what’s best for the district and the value of incumbency. Burner might present a convincing case for booting Republicans out of power, but she doesn’t convince us that Reichert himself has got to go.

In just his freshman term, Reichert has proved willing to step outside the GOP party line. He voted against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, against intervening in the Terry Schiavo case, for overriding Bush’s veto of embryonic stem cell research, against an effort to weaken the Endangered Species Act and against giving companies that make the gasoline additive MTBE immunity from lawsuits.

Burner argues that Reichert’s votes were gimmes from Republican leadership worried about hanging onto Reichert’s seat. Maybe some were; others genuinely rankled his party colleagues. The point is that his voting record matches his district. Burner, on the other hand, offers straight Democratic positions.

And then there’s the matter of experience. Reichert’s 32-year career at the King County Sheriff’s Office should not be dismissed. Given his background and his potential vulnerability back home, Republican leadership handed him the plum assignment of a Homeland Security subcommittee chairmanship. He has handled the assignment well. Reichert won passage of much-needed legislation to establish the capability for emergency crews to communicate across agency, city and county lines — a defect that hampered responses to both the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina.

Reichert wasn’t able to attach funding to the bill, however, a sign that he needs to continue building the level of influence in Congress that will allow him to take care of the district. Amassing that kind of clout takes more than two years.

Reichert has proved himself up to the task, having surprised some political observers with his growth in the job. Voters in the 8th District should return Reichert to Congress.