What's wrong with Dino? The impact of former Gorton staffers working for democrats and Patty Murray.

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It suddenly became clear yesterday why the former Gorton staffers coalesced around a fake Republican like SEIU-supporting Jaime Herrera.

It became clear when the word hit the Times that former Gorton chief of staff Tony Williams held a fundraiser for Patty Murray.

We all know by now that Lobbyist Slade Gorton endorsed Herrera. On the surface, that's a huge get. But below the surface?

Gorton didn't know Herrera from Adam. If she had bit him in the ankle, he wouldn't have known her. Her legendary political insignificance, as illustrated by her monumental lack of accomplishment in our legislature would have buried her beneath any radar that Gorton was looking at back in DC.

So, along comes ANOTHER former Gorton chief of staff, one Jay Vander Stoep, who is now working to do the best he can to keep Herrera from coming across like a blithering idiot (and failing, I might add)

As the article points out, in the event Rossi can ever get past his ego and make public the decision he's long since made as to whether he will run or not, he's going to do so without the services of two Gorton stalwarts, Williams and Vander Stoep.

Apparently, either loyalty or adherence to alleged Republican principles don't seem to be qualifications for a Gorton chief of staff, as amply illustrated by Williams.

But it is the CALIBER of these people that's at issue.

Now, I freely admit that Williams is, of course, no longer a Gorton chief of staff or a Gorton anything.

But how could Gorton have hired someone with such obvious mercenary tendencies?

The article in question then alludes to Vander Stoep's decision to bail on Rossi as well:

Another member of Rossi's inner circle, who was a key player in the 2004 and 2008 gubernatorial races, Jay Vanderstoep, also does not plan to be part of the Rossi campaign, if there is one. Nothing personal. Quite the opposite. Vanderstoep just wants to work on other things.

So here, the deal isn't that Vander Stoep has stopped being an alleged Republican. It's instead that he just doesn't want to work for Dino.

And folks.... this had to hurt.

The buzz out there has been stifling. Will he or won't he? These two defections from the Dino camp; one the equivalent of political treason/mercenaryism of the highest order; the other a "blow off" of monumental proportions must cast doubt on Dino's quality as a candidate and his viability in the election.

As I have pointed out before: there has never been any advantage in Rossi waiting to make a decision. In fact, his INdecision makes him look vacillating and unsure of himself while hurting other candidate's chances to take out The USS Patty Murray.

Taking hits like these and his fellow Realtors endorsing our local dim bulb tends to show that Rossi is a mere mortal like the rest of those running. Combined with his two prior losses in state wide races... and, well, you can see the gist of the issue.

These two senior "Gortonians" voting with their collective feet and the bitch slap of the Realtor endorsement (hey, I admit it. The Realtor endorsement is like the Israeli ambassador endorsing Adolf Hitler, given the massive damage this woman has done and is doing to out economy, which, in turn, does tend to hurt Realtors) is causing a disturbing trend.

These defections are a crushing PR blow to The One. How does Rossi explain it?

Rossi lost my support with his moronic, politically stupid support of ignoring the vote of the people of Seattle when they came out swinging against using taxpayer dollars to pay off a scumbag to keep the Sonics here: $75 million in tax dollars to keep millionaires playing a game in Seattle, a moronic idea that Rossi wanted to use state dollars to make happen, and an idea that I condemned as having cost him the election, well, before it cost him the election.

The splash from this betrayal will reach a long way. And it should hit all of those whose campaigns are being run by those similarly qualified as Williams. And you know who you are.
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So, Pacific County did what?

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Last evening I was one of two people (with 3 others being cc'd), who received an email from the Chair of the Pacific County GOP. In the email (which I felt to be kind of strange, upon reflection) I was notified that the Pacific County GOP (Relatively speaking, both members) had drank the Herrera Kool Aid and joined with the Cowlitz whack jobs in endorsing Herrera.

I'm not particularly sure why the 5 of us received such an email; that is, I'm not sure why the sender felt compelled to share this little vignette with the other 3 recipients, or even to send it to me. I know of the sender, but the sender has no impact on me or my county, and frankly, I am not at all concerned about what the Pacific County GOP (or their chair, for that matter) does or does not do or say.

I will, however, respect the sender's position as a GOP Chair, and because I have not received explicit permission to post the email in question, I am choosing not to do so.

The other recipient of the email was the other local conservative blogger, Lew Waters. His response, as usual, was much more measured and articulately presented then my own meager efforts here.

While I simply cannot understand why anyone would support a fake Republican cardboard cut out of a representative, I get that some fair amount of people have been hoodwinked into viewing this empty suit as the second coming.

She's not.

That said, this was my response, sent from my Droid. Unlike Lew's fine effort, it is not measured, considered or polished. But it is precisely how I see this situation.

I appreciate your position in all of this but please do not misunderstand me... I have beaten on Herrera like a drum and I will continue to do so as long as she remains in politics.

If we are unfortunate enough that she is in the top two, I will endorse her opponent as a former executive director of the WSRP and I will do everything I can to defeat her.

She is a political menace not deserving of consideration as a congressional candidate and that suddenly, magically, doesn't stop if she is in the general or even if she wins.

This isn't about "party". I will not support a corrupt candidate who sells out to the unions no matter if mcmorris[sic] is jerking her strings or not.

At the end of the day, your county may feel free to join with that kind of candidate if you like. But hopefully, she will be exposed for what she is, and your county's endorsement will be meaningless.

But as long as I live and she is in politics, I will be devoted to her political defeat.

My blog isn't posturing. I am not politically attacking her as part of any other campaign. It is because Baird at his worst is better than Herrera at her best. And I am not going to settle for mediocre corruption and a congressional annointment[sic] based on interference from outside influences EVER.

Thank you for contacting me, but in all honesty, that Herrera is even considered to be a serious GOP candidate makes me ashamed to be part of such an organization.

On a direct level, the hypocrisy shown by Herrera supporters has sickened me, and that includes the snivelling over freedom works Castillo endorsement. And your rt [sic - rt meaning "retweet"] of that in the face of gorton[sic] doing the exact same thing gives me pause.

I have been actively working to get Republicans elected since Herrera was in elementary school. But after this election (because I'm on campaigns now), I'm done.

If this is the new face of the GOP, I want no part of it.

That I am simply incapable of grasping why anyone would waste their vote on an vacuous pretty face with no experience, no integrity, no understanding, no vision and no independence in thought or deed has shown that my education, experience, and work to elect genuine Republicans has simply been passed by, and that I am so far out of touch that I can no longer stomach this kind of corrupt, suspend-disbelief crap the Herrera supporters are pushing.

That anyone could support someone with a track record of doing the democrat's bidding, of wasting hundreds of dollars on meal reimbursement as a staffer, of lying about her position on McMorris's staff, of cosponsoring and voting for ANY SEIU bill, of anyone who would throw someone else under a bus to save herself, of anyone who would ignore constituents, of anyone who hadn't even lived here for 11 of the past 13 years... of anyone who would liken there ten years of living away from home as a professional intern as the same thing as "being in the military..." is, and I do admit this...

Simply beyond me.

That has been my position. That will BE my position. And it will not stop until the people wise up and vote her into the well-deserved oblivion her record demands, and she and her handlers (McMorris, Gorton, et al) personally deserves.

A quick review shows that Pacific County is one of the deepest, darkest, bluest counties in the state, with no GOP representation at any level for any legislative or local office. Perhaps that's a reflection of the judgment of the local GOP organization. Because that is certainly the kind of judgment they have shown here.

Cross-posted at Jaime Herrera Watch.
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Liz Mair lets us know: Herrera has already started the process to sell us out in DC.

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Hard on the heals of an abysmal fundraising report, Cathy McMorris Rogers and Slade Gorton (who most likely wouldn't know Jaime Herrera if she bit him, but who endorsed her because, well, Vander Steop asked him to) are stepping in directly to bail Ridgefield Barbie Jaime Herrera out.

Yes, she's already started the process of indebtedness to the special interests in DC by flying in to pick up a bunch of checks; a feat she couldn't pull off here, apparently, because, well, she doesn't seem to have all that much support around here.

So, local political ace and blogger Liz Mair provides the vigente below:

McMorris Rodgers, Gorton hosting DC fundraiser for Herrera
February 9th, 2010 12:12 ET

In my inbox this morning is an email announcing that on February 25, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and former Sen. Slade Gorton will be hosting a fundraising breakfast here in DC for Jaime Herrera-- one of the big names competing to succeed Rep. Brian Baird in representing Washington's third district in Congress.

The breakfast will take place on the Hill from 8-9AM. Herrera should walk away from it with a bit of money to line the campaign coffers: Attendees are being asked to cut a check for $250 (if an individual) or $1,000 (if a PAC).

I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see David Castillo knock Herrera for raising money in DC (he's already poked her for seeking support from folks outside the third district). I also fully anticipate the DCCC will blast her for taking PAC contributions (because Democrats never, ever do that).

Personally, I don't think anyone's going to fault Herrera's former boss (McMorris Rodgers), who is of course also from the Evergreen State, for wanting to help her out-- and McMorris Rodgers, like most federal-level elected officials, is in DC on Thursday mornings. Furthermore, I maintain that Slade Gorton's backing is going to be very helpful to Herrera-- as will any money she takes away from this event.

It looks like I'm just not "anyone."

Herrera is, to my lasting shame, my state representative. As I knew she would be when McMorris parachuted her in here with a scam deal involving a certain county commissioner, she has been worthless in representing us. And, by the way? I'm no part of the Castillo campaign.

I will always resent McMorris-Rogers for screwing around over here on the other side of the state in ways that have impacted me directly. But sending us such a pitiful, empty suit to represent me is absolutely unforgivable.

So yes.... I DO fault her for interfering, much like I fault Gorton for endorsing someone he didn't know and had never heard of.

But then, Slade is no longer a Senator... he, too, has become a lobbyist. And what does that tell you?

Crossposted on Jaime Herrera Watch.
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The dirty little secret behind Slade endorsing Jaime Herrera.

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I've been in this business a long time. I've seen a lot and done even more.

So, I had to ask myself: How is it that Slade Gorton could possibly endorse an empty suit with a paper-thin resume' for any elective office?

Then it hit me. The answer was so simple.

Besides Cathy McMorris-Rogers, who is calling the shots for Jaime Herrera in this race?

Why, it's J. Vanderstoep... of a certain firm somewhere.

And what does that have to do with it?

Why, he was Slade Gorton's chief of staff.

And when one looks at the others in this firm, almost every one of them used to work for, you guessed it, Slade Gorton.

So, getting Slade Gorton to endorse someone he most likely has never heard of?

Piece of cake.

As for Zarelli endorsing her, that's even more of a mystery.

Zarelli is quoted as saying:

"Just as we do in Olympia , Washington D.C. faces huge deficits that must be corrected before they cripple us for generations,” said Senator Joe Zarelli.“Jaime Herrera has demonstrated her commitment to fiscal responsibility in the Legislature. We need more people like her in Congress.”

Seriously?

Well, gee... that certainly explains why Zarelli looked so hard at running for this position himself, right? I mean, after all, if Herrera could do such a bang up job, why would he even consider it?

Were those few weeks she spent as a coffee-gettin' intern in Zarelli's office way back when all THAT impressive?

And how does voting for and co-sponsoring fringe-left SEIU-supported legislation allowing child care workers to get collective bargaining show any of that "demonstrated commitment to fiscal responsibility" he was babbling about?

Endorsements of substance based on facts and history have some worth in the over all scheme of things. These two con jobs are worthless... and they lessen the value of the words of those uttering them.

Cross posted at Jaime Herrera Watch.
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