Brian Baird: Coward (XXXV) UPDATE: Now you see it, now you don't: and now you do: having read my blog, the Columbian puts the article back up.

.
Gee, will the wonders of constructive criticism ever cease?
________________________________________________________
I did a blog post on the latest effort by the Cowardly Columbian, the local stain on journalism, to rehab Brian Baird's cowardly image; an effort that blew up in their face.

Yesterday's moronic article that caused more than a few of the demorat Obamatons to bite, and bite HARD, WAS found here:

http://columbian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091110/NEWS02/711109962&frompost=1

When you click on the link, here's what's found there NOW:

The article requested can not be found! Please refresh your browser or go back. (TC,20091110,NEWS02,711109962,AR). The article requested can not be found! Please refresh your browser or go back. (TC,20091110,NEWS02,711109962,AR).

Show 31 Comment(s)

by Tom Paine : 11/10/09 10:32am - Report Abuse

One wonders what will happen when the FBI comes back with nothing.

by M Johnson : 11/10/09 10:38am - Report Abuse

Now all you whiners who have been screaming "why doesn't the Columbian look into this death threat?" can shut up and wait for the FBI's findings.

by Mark Johnson : 11/10/09 11:03am - Report Abuse

'the atmosphere that led Timothy McVeigh to bomb'...what??? He acted in response to Waco in 93 and the Ruby Ridge incident in 92.

by Tom Paine : 11/10/09 11:15am - Report Abuse

Thank you so much for telling us what we can and cannot do, M Johnson. I appreciate your courtesy... and point out that one article in, say, two months does not "look into his death threat" make.

by USMCbrat : 11/10/09 11:17am - Report Abuse

I have a solution: Stop voting for Baird! Elect someone with more than 5 working brain cells and the decency to care about what their constituents want. Baird will no longer have to worry about the death threat because he'll no longer have the power to ignore the people he works for.

by billy o : 11/10/09 11:31am - Report Abuse

Johnson, Gee I'm glad you are so certain of what was going on Tim Mc Veigh's intentions. I thought it was because Clinton was president.

USMCbrat, you need to stop being so ignorant. Baird rides the middle of the fence just to please RW extremists like you. It was at the height of the anti-Iraq movement that Baird went against all his most ardent supporters to say that the so-called surge was working. he took a lot of crap for that, but he doesn't just follow party line.

Now, he is saying that he may not vote for the Health care package in it's current form. And I suppose that isn't good enough for you either.

As for brain cells, before you go shooting your mouth off, remember that he was a doctor before getting into politics. and you were, A Marine? Coming from someone who was in the Navy, just remember brat... the grunts are there to hold a gun and guard the brains. Hey, I know, lets vote that criminal Benton in!

by Northwest Questioner : 11/10/09 11:50am - Report Abuse

Baird voted no on the Democrat-sponsored bill and he also voted, some time back, for the troop surge in Iraq despite clear indications from his constituency -- the same constituency that voted for his re-election as a Democrat. It has left me wondering if he's really a Republican in disguise. And I am wondering why the Columbian decided not to cover that fact except in a one line sentence thrown in at the end of this article. Maybe we need to hear his reasoning. Maybe it deserves an article of its very own. Not that this isn't concerning, but isn't his vote important news by itself?

by John K : 11/10/09 12:16pm - Report Abuse

The fact that the FBI is taking the threats made against Rep. Baird to be credible and serious should be sufficient to warrant an apology from those who questioned his integrity and implied the threats were fictitious.

by muddy grimes : 11/10/09 12:23pm - Report Abuse

Northwest--
Not a Baird supporter...but I just can't stand people that make an accusation without any BASIS in fact.

to quote you:
And I am wondering why the Columbian decided not to cover that fact except in a one line sentence thrown in at the end of this article. Maybe we need to hear his reasoning. Maybe it deserves an article of its very own. Not that this isn't concerning, but isn't his vote important news by itself?

This was the article in the Columbian ( it was on the front page in case you missed it )
http://columbian.com/article/20091107/NEWS02/711079963/-1/news

Anything I can do to help

by USMCbrat : 11/10/09 12:38pm - Report Abuse

Billy O, actually I wasn't a marine, my dad is. How sad that you'd need to put the Marine Corps down to make your time in the Navy more important.

I don't like Baird. I think he's a moron. I think he opens his mouth before his brain has had a chance to connect to it. His unwillingness to listen to those who elected him and who he works for was beyond wrong. If he can't do the job he was elected to do, then he shouldn't be re-elected.

by jim boot : 11/10/09 1:00pm - Report Abuse

John K, I suggest it is the FBI's job to do what they are pursuing, AND it does not mean there was a credible threat... just doing their job. (which is something Baird will not have for long. He is a pro at garnering and using media attention to his advantage, to bad he is not an effective representative of his constituency. Party over.

Many people deal with death threats w/o making it public knowledge. (a good thing and responsible action)

by billy o : 11/10/09 1:03pm - Report Abuse

Maybe you should enlist, brat. I'll bet that your dad would show a little more respect for another public servant; something you could learn from.

Baird has done an exemplary job as representative for ALL his constituents, not just the ones that voted for him. that is what makes him such a good congressman. I would rather he did exactly what I wanted, but I know that there were a lot of Republicans that voted for him also, and he does a good job of staying in the middle, like most of his district.

BTW, the Navy vs Marines thing is an internal joke... they are part of the same branch. Grunts and squids have been jawing back and forth for decades; no offense intended.

by billy o : 11/10/09 1:10pm - Report Abuse

Boot, stop whining. Baird did the right thing by reporting it to the FBI. How this story got out to the public has yet to be explained, unless I missed something. You were probably one of the people that screamed at him for supporting the surge. ( which I might add he did only after going to Iraq to see for himself.) And you probably thought that there would be no way he could be re-elected then, but he was.

It sounds to me like nobody in office could ever do enough to please you... name one.

by Tom Paine : 11/10/09 1:15pm - Report Abuse

Oddly, I missed the part of the article that said "the FBI is taking the threats made against Rep. Baird to be credible and serious." Could you point that out, please? In fact, they refused to confirm they're even looking at it. Please do yourself a favor and don't see things that aren't there.

That you say they are does not make it so. Unless they have an arrest and conviction by the next election, Baird is done. Even his main cheerleaders here call the threat "alleged."

This ain't rocket science. That the Capitol Police couldn't find anyone makes me even more suspicious, and that the FBI is now involved in a relatively simple and minor issue such as this does not make me any more confident that the good Congressman didn't make this up after the fact.

This was a "message left" at Baird's office... a message called in. Well, how come we haven't heard it? It must have been recorded. If so, can we all hear it? If not, why not? Maybe someone could identify the caller.

Why would Baird be threatened in the first place? He's a total back-bencher, completely removed from any decision making on this bill, so why would anyone bother to threaten a non-player like this?

No one should allow slavish devotion to cloud their judgment. I am certainly capable of apologizing when proof is provided he didn't make it up. Until then, given his offensive characterization of me and my fellow Veterans as nazi's (along with millions of others) I am not capable of suspending my disbelief as a result of your unsupported remark.

by Jon Alldritt : 11/10/09 1:18pm - Report Abuse

Would be so funny if it came back that a faulse report was filled to avoid town hall meetings. Kind of like the guy that stabed himself to get out of work.

by Clark Countie : 11/10/09 2:00pm - Report Abuse

I seem to remember when these so-called "threats" were first made, most people here agreed that it would be very easy to track down the source of these "threats" because of the way in which they were made. Here we are now, months later, and the idiots "investigating" these "threats" have turned the investigation over to an even bigger bunch of political idiots - the FBI.

Perhaps it would be a much better idea to turn the investigation over to Mrs. Smith's sixth grade class, since they would actually spend the 15 minutes it would take to find the "perpetrators" because they don't have a political interest in keeping the "threat" myth going.

by John K : 11/10/09 2:47pm - Report Abuse

The FBI doesn't typically waste time and resources on investigations without credible evidence to believe a crime has been committed. This is particularly true when partisan politics is involved.
And waiting until an arrest and conviction have been made before apologizing is a cop out. A crime is still a crime regardless of whether an arrest and conviction have been made.

by Nico Tuscani : 11/10/09 3:37pm - Report Abuse

I WONDER if by chance, someone could get arrested for lying about the entire incident...or more likely... it will be swept under the rug and we will hear nothing more about this. Place your bets people!!

by PatrickHenry : 11/10/09 3:50pm - Report Abuse

Personally, I am grateful to the Columbian for finally get on the stick with regard to this story but I have no illusions that they would have let it go without the constant prodding of their readers. Now I want to see an arrest, either of the perpetrator who made the threat or the Congressman or Congressional staffer that fabricated the threats. Until one of those events transpire I will continue to reserve final judgment on this issue. If the investigation leads no where I will consider this a mini-Reichstag Fire set by Baird and swept under the rug by the Obama Administration.

by Lew Waters : 11/10/09 4:13pm - Report Abuse

If the threat was real, this investigation is long overdue. The Capitol Police say they only assess such matters and if credible, turn them over to the FBI. I'm wondering if it was finally turned over because of calls from us to the Capitol Police inquiring about the status of any investigation?

I am surprised to see Kathie write, "At the time, Clark County Republican Chairman Ryan Hart called the remark 'just unbelievable'," when in her initial account of the Rotary luncheon, she apparently did not even hear the comment as she made no mention of it until a day afterwards.

by Don Foster : 11/10/09 5:38pm - Report Abuse

Mr. BAIRD, IT IS TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO REALIZE WE MUST PROTECT OURSELVES, YOU QUALIFY FOR A CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT...IF YOU WOULD REALISTICALLY DO YOUR JOB AND NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE MARRIED TO YOUR PARTY INFLUENCE THERE WOULDNT BE THIS PROBLEM..BE A PROUD AMERICAN, NOT A POLITICIAN............

by RBNECouv : 11/10/09 6:26pm - Report Abuse

We should all stick to the facts.
1. there is an investigation
2. the Columbian did follow up and continues to
3. unless any or us has inside intel with the FBI or Capital police, we will have to wait.
4. Baird apologized for his reaction to the meeting cancellations.
5. Baird does not always vote on party lines.

by g kortes : 11/10/09 6:53pm - Report Abuse

Baird is a Blue Dog and a multi millionaire since coming into Congress. He needs to be replaced even tho he has seen the light for Palestinians. I cannot believe his words. He either votes NO because he hasn't read the bill or he votes with the Repugs. His 2 privatized health care bills were lame and inserted income tax revision in one. That shows he is out of sync.

by Jeffrey Wynn : 11/10/09 7:25pm - Report Abuse

Mr. Baird made his bed now he has to sleep in it. waaaa waaaa...

by BJ Davey : 11/10/09 7:26pm - Report Abuse

TIP OF THE DAY: A chianti is best served while eating crow.

by Lou Brancaccio : 11/10/09 8:36pm - Report Abuse

Thanks for the continued conversation on this story. I'll give ya a little something more later tonight.

by Lou Brancaccio : 11/10/09 10:09pm - Report Abuse

Make sure to read Wednesday's Columbian print edition. There is a follow to this story that took me completely by surprise, mainly because of timing. One day we report the FBI is investigating this case. The very next day..... It will only be in the print edition in the morning.

by BJ Davey : 11/10/09 10:18pm - Report Abuse

Thanks for the tip, Lou. I'll make sure I read the paper before work.

by Lou Brancaccio : 11/10/09 11:00pm - Report Abuse

Thanks BJ.

by Lew Waters : 11/10/09 11:36pm - Report Abuse

"One day we report the FBI is investigating this case. The very next day..... It will only be in the print edition in the morning."

Film at 11 ;-)

by Tom Paine : 11/11/09 10:03am - Report Abuse

And then, what do we find out?

That the "threat wasn't serious," or confirmation that Baird made it up.

You have to wonder why Lou didn't just come out and say that last night, since he obviously knew.

" type="hidden">

The Columbian reserves the right to remove individual posts and ban posters for rude or profane conduct. Columbian forums are not moderated, but abuse can be reported by site users to: abuse@columbian.com.

The article requested can not be found! Please refresh your browser or go back. (TC,20091110,NEWS02,711109962,AR).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So, what happened to the orignial article, now completely superceded by the fact that blew the cover off the Columbian, and the Cowardman's ball?

Well, it's right here: enjoy.

- NEWS UPDATES

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - Tacoma, WA

thenewstribune.com Web search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH

Jobs • Cars • Homes • Rentals • Place an ad »

Bigger text Smaller text E-mail Print Text

PROBE

FBI to investigate alleged death threat against Baird

Related Content

• Baird reports faxed death threat

• Baird to skip town hall 'lynch' mentality

• Baird hears from crowd on health bill

• Baird will hold phone, in-person town hall meetings

• Rep. Baird schedules local town hall meetings

• Baird receives death threats: U.S. Capitol Police investigate messages

• Baird under fire for ‘no’ vote

Share this story

Buzz up!

; Kathie Durbin; The Columbian

Published: 11/10/09 11:25 am | Updated: 11/10/09 11:29 am

Comments (4)

Recommend (0)

An alleged death threat reported by U.S. Rep. Brian Baird at the height of last summer’s furor over health care reform has been turned over to the FBI.

U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider confirmed Monday that the FBI has taken over the investigation, which does not happen in every case. "Not every case do they jump in," she said. Schneider said cases can remain open for years, so a three-month investigation by Capitol Police is not unusual.

Lindsay Godwin, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s field office in Washington, D.C., declined to confirm or deny that the matter was under investigation. "If so, I can’t share anything," she said. She added, "We share information through our task force officers on a regular basis with the local police. We work hand-in-hand with local law enforcement."

Baird’s office declined comment.

"Capitol Police told our office that they wouldn’t be making any comment related to the death threat and nor should we," said Kelly Love, Baird’s district manager in Vancouver. "We will follow that advice."

On Aug. 6, as emotions ran high in the health care debate, Baird went on MSNBC’s "The Rachel Maddow Show" to say that a coordinated national effort to disrupt congressional town hall meetings on health care reform reminded him of the atmosphere that led Timothy McVeigh to bomb the Alfred R. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

He made a similar comment to The Columbian that day in explaining why he had decided not to hold town hall meetings during the August congressional recess.

Four days later, on Aug. 10, Baird’s staff reported that someone called his office in Washington, D.C., and left a message that said, approximately, "You think Timothy McVeigh was bad, there’s a Ryder truck out there with your name on it." The message was forwarded to Capitol Police, according to Baird’s staff.

Baird later apologized for his remarks, and went on to hold a series of raucous town hall meetings in his Southwest Washington district. But he incited a new flare-up on Aug. 19 when he alluded to the death threat in an offhand comment at a Rotary Club luncheon without explicitly explaining the reference. McVeigh used a Ryder truck in the bombing.

At the time, Clark County Republican Chairman Ryan Hart called the remark "just unbelievable."

Baird responded that his brief comment had been "taken out of context for cheap political gain."

On Saturday, Baird voted against the House Democrats’ health care bill.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

************************************************************************

The Internet has an extremely long memory. It can, on occasion, make up for the cowardice of our local paper.

This is one of those occasions.

.