Monday, February 01, 2016

State Senator Don Benton calls it a career.

It's going to be odd, frankly.  As Lew Waters pointed out, one third of Lefty Lou Brancaccio's reason for living has finally pulled the plug.

Whatever will Lefty Lou do?

Benton was elected to the House as part of the GOP wave in 94, I worked closely with him on a variety of projects and campaigns.

It was fascinating to watch him work.  I alternated between being impressed to my core by a man who could manipulate political events around him like a child playing with blocks to cringing when he would engage in overkill that I felt was so unnecessary.

The faux outrage of his hiring as the DES director is, of course, the most recent effort of democratian character assassination.

I pointed out at the time that had the commissioners, for example, appointed fringe-left nutburger Jimmy Moeller to the job, the Lying Lefty Lou Lynch Mob wouldn't have uttered a peep, instead, gushing about what a visionary choice the commissioners had made.

With the hiring, however, the scumbag version of the Pied Piper, Lefty Lou, thought he'd seen an opening for arguing in favor of colored toilet paper when white had worked so well for so long... and he took it.

He whipped up the local version of the political Klan, Leftist lights like "No Choice" Royce Pollard, quasi-opportunist and two-time loser (Congress and state auditor) Craig Pridemore and Mr. Crochet, Ed Barnes among them, by mentioning once... and ONCE ONLY, that NOTHING THAT TOOK PLACE WAS ILLEGAL... into a frenzy reminiscent of the Nazi Rallies in Nuremberg before World War 2.

Meetings were held and trumpeted by Lefty concerning totally bogus efforts to recall Commissioners David Madore and Tom Mielke over the hiring.  There were no grounds for a recall, you understand, but then, we all knew that the basis for this entire escapade was leftist hatred... hatred that eventually resulted in the C3G2 hate group... and then the horrific Charter.

Commission meetings became unnecessarily excruciating platforms for leftist scum like Ed Barnes and Pollard and a host of others to sit there and belittle and berate the commissioners.  Madore's failure to implement the exact duplicate of the so-favored by the left (who wanted to silence opposition to the CRC/Loot Rail Scam) Vancouver City Council speaking rules played a major role in making these meetings essentially unwatchable.

Meanwhile, the leftist hatred fomented into the C3G2 hate group.  Populated by additional political opportunists... Chuckie Green (D-CTran), for example, who's act was so predictable as to be a joke... and Melissa Smith, Camas City Councilwoman who's knowledge of the Constitution she's sworn to follow could fit in a thimble and look like a football stadium with the room left over.  From her last facebook page:


Odd, isn't it?

SHE is entitled to HER "personal opinions" on her facebook page, but in her world of squirrels, David Madore isn't entitled to his.

The double standard and hatred of C3G2 are local legends.  But their effectiveness, even if hatred is their motivation... and it is... is undeniable.

This brings us back to Benton.

I have advised Don to quit this gig for at least a decade.

There comes a time when "public service" crosses the line of "diminishing returns."

For the past 2 or 3 years, I have lost touch with Sen. Benton for the most part.

I look at what's been going on and I'm torn with admiration that he's withstood the hatred and vitriol and character assassination of those who base their political position not on the merits of Benton as a Senator but as Benton as an individual.  And under Rule 5, the attacks have not been based on his governance nearly as much as they've been based on ridicule: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.

And, as you can see, the leftists are masters of playing that like the GOP has mastered the art of BEING played BY that.

For as long as Benton has been in elective office, the hatred of the man, regardless of his effectiveness as a Senator, has been the leftist lead.  It used to be that same way with former Conservative, now fringe-left nutjob Marc Boldt.  In fact, this very rag once published a demand that then Rep. Boldt resign.


But that was back when he was actually a Republican.  And now that he's of the Young Democrat ilk and he carries the water of the democratian like Gunga Din, including his rabid and inexplicable support for the hated CRC/Loot Rail scam, all is forgiven.  And who can forget the Linda Smith staffer who equated Boldt with an idiot?
All of this probably happened because Rep. Boldt is not exactly "quick" and probably had trouble keeping up with Linda when she was explaining it all (the politics) to him.  Nice guy... not quick.  At any rate, the damage control is under way and it is doubtful that she will try to explain anything to Marc again with out a drawing board to draw pictures.
Meanwhile, Benton made his opposition clear to the CRC Scam and is worthy of acknowledgement for the role he played in helping to end it.

For now.  (Since the places are being moved in an effort to restart it.)

And that was just one of the many reasons that the rag focuses on for their reason to hate him.

You see, when they hate you, they hate you.  And their hatred of Benton goes back a LONG ways.

From Lew Water's research
Seeing the words in endorsing his latest opponent, Democrat Tim Probst and knowing that Senator Benton has been a strong voice for and advocate on behalf of constituents over 4 terms got me to wondering if he has ever done something to please them. Looking, if he ever did, you surely couldn’t tell it from their endorsing every single opponent to challenge him, even if they also admitted Senator Benton was the better candidate.
In 1996, the first year Benton ran for the Senate the Columbian, endorsing his opponent Shirley Galloway said,
“On the issues, Benton has the clearer perspective. His concern about ever-increasing property taxes is fully justified. But his proposed solutions are often extreme; if given the chance, for instance, Benton seems inclined to support outright repeal of the Growth Management Act rather than its careful modification.”
“Galloway is sometimes too quick to defend the status quo, particularly in regard to the problems besetting public education. But her record emphasizes consensus-building over confrontation. That gives Galloway the edge.”
That is probably the nicest word I have seen pertaining to Senator Benton in their pages.
In 2000 they wrote of Democrat challenger Lou Peterson,
“...although sincere and well-intentioned, lacks even a rudimentary understanding of the important policy questions for Southwest Washington and the state. About the only attribute in his favor is the fact that he’s not Don Benton. And on that admittedly flimsy basis, we endorse Peterson.”
In 2004 they wrote when endorsing Democrat challenger Paul Waadevig,
“[Benton’s] consistent whining about big government is a smokescreen that avoids facing problems such as overcrowded highways...Benton’s belligerence is seen first in his own bridge-torching words”
And
“Waadevig differs strongly with Benton on light rail (he favors planning for it) and a third Columbia River bridge in Clark County (he opposes it, instead advocating upgrades to the I-5 bridge).”
And therein lies the Columbian’s biggest reason to fight so hard to oust Don Benton, he opposes forcing Clark County residents to accept the financially failing light rail from Portland that we have rejected some 3 ties now.
In 2008, endorsing Democrat David Carrier, the Columbian ratcheted up their noise with,
“Benton’s bellicose collisions with colleagues raised eyebrows… [H]e’s become an inveterate ‘Dr. No,’ opposing sensible ideas that draw popular support, such as all-mail voting and abolishing the supermajority for school levies. He is even opposed to the proposal for replacing the decrepit and dangerous Interstate 5 Bridge.”
Again, his common sense opposition to the CRC is mentioned.
Needless to say, the Columbian has long desired to oust Benton and see him replaced with a pro-CRC State Senator and someone in lock-step with the leftist agenda pushed by the Columbian.
So it was no surprise to read in their endorsement of Tim Probst,
“The strong Republican is locked in a bitter battle with moderate Democrat Tim Probst, a state representative who’s seeking to dethrone the incumbent conservative kingpin,” 
And 
“Give Benton credit for consistency, but not as a positive force. He’s been a polarizing figure, more prone to attack than to seek accord, burdened by a background pocked with spotty attendance and hostility even toward leaders of his own party,”
parroting the specious flyers sent out by the Probst campaign that was shot to pieces by the very GOP leaders he relied upon to blast Benton.

There is, of course, something to be said for the "screw you" element of Benton's continuation in office.  Who doesn't get at least a minor thrill from succeeding against this wall of hatred in an "in-your-face" kind of way?

I have a small taste of the left's and RINO's hatred of Benton and other conservatives, purely situational because they would love me and everything about me if I wrote on their behalf.

But there's a reason it's so hard to find a left-leaning blog around here that isn't the violation of journalistic tenets the democratian's reporter's "blogs" represent, that let them make any allegation or post any lie without journalistic constraint because, after all, it's their "opinion."  Of course, reporter "opinion" has zero place in any newspaper, no matter how you dress it up.

And how long would a conservative-leaning "journalist" last at the democratian, if it were possible to find such a creature?

On the whole, I value Benton's service as a senator.  It hasn't been perfect, to be sure, but whose service has?

I can't think of where he's done the people any particular harm, where he's ran on a platform, say, of opposing the gas tax and tab fee increase, a scam that hung a $700 million bill on this county and enriched a few "friends" at the expense of his integrity... like Sen. "Gas Tax" Rivers, for example... only to ignore that pledge when crunch time rolled around.

He was instrumental in getting rid of that idiotic HOV-lane to the I-5 Bridge that caused so many accidents... the four-year long "experiment" that was an utterly abysmal failure.

But no reward for government service is worth that abuse.

I have been vilified, most recently by my psychotic brother-in-law and County Chair, Marc Boldt, for "hiding behind my keyboard" instead of getting out there and allowing myself to be shot at close range as a candidate by these leftist scum.  He's not the only one to use this equation, and he's likely not the last.

Well, I wore this nation's uniform for a whole lot of years... something those who whine about me the most have rarely done or done not at all... and that was enough.

Of course, that's part of the leftist plan: beat the hell out of anyone conservative and, well, conservatives won't run.

So be it.

Leftists whine about civility, but have a very difficult time providing it.  And while I may at some point run for office... it wouldn't be to win... it would be to make sure that someone loses.  Almost like the Jeanne Stewart scam in the primary last August.

Meanwhile, Benton has done all right for himself.  He's also done OK for us.  While the C3G2 hater types are, no doubt, wearing their black robes and dancing around a fire while they sacrifice a goat and chant modified Klan songs at the Benton announcement, it could be that we'll miss him in Olympia.

Of course, on the other hand, the recent allegedly GOP-controlled state Senate has frequently been more of a disappointment than they've been something to emulate or desire to be in office, thanks to the RINO element running it and the local sell out who betrayed us on the gas tax.

So, maybe, no one will notice.

Thanks for two decades of effort in Sodom-on-the-Sound.  It's been a rough ride.  And I'm fairly sure it's not over yet.

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