The Olympian nails Herrera: Voting for others in House is unacceptable.

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Unfortunately for those of us suffering Ridgefield Barbie's representation, We are cursed with someone lacking depth, integrity or intelligence doing the job.

As I wrote before, Jaime Herrera has blown off her duties to her constituents here, much like she would in the increasingly unlikely and unfortunate event she were to actually win the upcoming election.

The Olympian has weighed in on her shameful conduct for what it is: an intolerable violation of the public trust.

Voting for others in House is unacceptable

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published March 07, 2010

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A nasty snit between two southwest Washington lawmakers highlights a failure of leadership in the state House of Representatives.

Rep. Deb Wallace, D-Vancouver, has accused Rep. Jaime Herrera, R-Camas, of letting her Republican colleagues vote for her “for hours on end” over a two-week period.

A story in the Vancouver Columbian newspaper outlined the attack and counterattack.

Herrera is running for the congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Brian Baird. Until recently, Wallace was in the congressional race, too.

The Columbian quoted Wallace as saying that Herrera missed multiple House votes, but her colleagues were covering for her by casting votes on her behalf.

“Either (Herrera) is in the building fundraising, which is illegal, or she is off campus and she has not been excused,” Wallace charged.

Herrera fired back, “Deb has no credibility, she has no proof.”

Much more here:

Notice that the cluelessly despicable idjit doesn't DENY the allegation; she merely points out that Wallace "has no proof."

Honor and integrity should not require "proof." What it DOES require is that you admit your conduct. Then, it requires that you resign your seat in the House. Then it requires that you withdraw from running for Congress.

Since those concepts are so foreign to you, there's no chance that someone surrounding themselves with the Winged Monkeys drawn to you would ever consider doing what those particular tenets demand.

Cross-posted on Jaime Herrera Watch.
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So, uh, Jaime... you want a little cheese with that whine?

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Will, golly-gosh gee-willickers. Jaime's got her panties in a bunch, big time. She sent out this pathetic effort to "explain" what's happened... since she just got her head handed to her in a basket in the Columbian.

Dear Friends,

Rep. Deb Wallace, a Democrat, has withdrawn from the race for Congress in the 3rd District but on her way out wants to throw some mud at me.

Wallace alleges that I have been away from the House floor “for hours at a time” during votes this year. That is false. I have one of the best voting attendance records in Olympia. In three years I’ve only missed a total of 10 out of 1863 possible floor votes. All of the votes I missed took place before this year, and all were excused absences -- I missed a few votes the day my car broke down on I-5 and the others on the day I attended my grandmother’s funeral.

Every single legislator is called off the floor from time to time for meetings. This happens most often when constituents arrive at the Capitol hoping to meet their legislators. When that happens, it is a longstanding House practice for the legislator to instruct their seatmate how they intend to vote, and allow the seatmate to push the legislator’s voting button while the legislator spends a few minutes with their constituents. I have done this, as has Rep. Wallace and virtually every legislator who has served in the House in at least the past few decades, but this does not equal “hours” away from the floor.

I am very active on this session as Assistant Floor Leader. In that role my duties include moving around the floor to work with legislators who are about to speak, and stepping into the wings of the chamber for leadership meetings. At those times I am not sitting in my seat but I am deeply involved in the legislative process.

I stand behind my voting record, which is available at washingtonvotes.org, and I stand behind my hard work and service to the people of my legislative district.

This is one of the first, but it won’t be the last untruth that is told about me this year. I’m ready for this fight. The goal of restoring America and representing the people of Southwest Washington is too important a goal to be sidetracked by this kind of nonsense.

Thank you for reading this message.

Sincerely,

Jaime Herrera

First of all, don't believe for a second that Herrera actually wrote this.

Second, she's a proven liar. So why believe her now?

See, Ridgefield Barbie's problem is that it ain't mud if it's true.

And it is true.

That Wallace, in Herrera's pinhead mind, doesn't have "proof" is meaningless.

What kind of "proof" would suffice to convince Herrera that her illegal activities an blowing off the people of the 18th District is, in fact, what actually happened?

It's easy to say that someone can't "prove" an allegation. But the fact that there's no "proof" that God exists doesn't deter me from having faith that it's so.

The lamest aspect of this lame defence is that Herrera CONTINUES to defend her "voting record."

What she doesn't seem to understand is that this isn't ABOUT her "voting record." This is about SOMEBODY ELSE VOTING FOR HER IN HER ABSENCE.

When you are not there... and someone else votes for you... then guess what? It shows that you WERE there... even when you WEREN'T.

So this smokescreen, dog and pony show is just that, and it completely fails to address the issues at hand... which is that Herrera didn't vote... somebody else voted FOR her... and the voting machine neither knows or cares who that was/is; it will still show it was YOU, Herrera, even when we know it wasn't.

Is this a coincidental failure?

I think not.

And that said, Barbie, this "voting record" that you're so hot to "defend?" It seems to include a co-sponsorship of an SEIU bill that will FORCE child care workers into unions... and put child care costs out of reach for many... unless, of course, you and the rest of your leftist clowns in the Legislature jack up the child care subsidies that WE pay... but you would NEVER do something like that...

Would you?

Face it, Barbie. You've screwed up. You're an idiot wrapped in a moron. And your selective memory doesn't help.

You have bailed on your constituents, of which I am one. Your should have resigned when you got the moronic idea that YOU should be OUR representative in Congress.

And your string-pulling keepers should have picked someone else with the common sense of a board fence to try to ram down our throats instead of a waste of skin like you.

And how's that special interest fund raiser in DC going? You know, the one you're leaving us behind to jet over to DC for?

Cross posted at Jaime Herrera Watch.
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Wallace brings it on: Herrera HAS missed votes that others have taken for her.

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As I pointed out below, State Representative Deb Wallace has alleged that Jaime "Ridgefield Barbie" Herrera has missed dozens of floor votes in favor of fundraising for her congresswional campaign, while others in the GOP caucus vote for her.

Herrera, a cardboard cut out and an embarassment of a so-called "representative," is best known for being parachuted into the 18th District by Cathy "Jennifer Dunn Wannabe" McMorris, corrupting the appointment processto replace then State Representative Richard Curtis.

Wallace tells us what many Olympia insiders already knew: Herrera SHOULD have resigned her seat to go after the 3rd Congressional so that the people of the 18th District (of which I am one) would at least have a hope for something approaching decent representation, unlike the trash Herrera brings with her idea of mailing it in.

Kudos go to The Columbian in this instance (motives notwithstanding) Clearly, Herrera deserved Russell's endorsement since they have so much in common, integrity-wise.

Wallace slams Herrera absences, prompting angry response

By Kathie Durbin
Columbian Staff Writer

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Rep. Deb Wallace is accusing Rep. Jaime Herrera of shirking her duties by being absent from the House floor “for hours on end” during key votes over the last few weeks in order to campaign — a charge Herrera flatly denies.

Wallace, D-Vancouver, first made the accusation Saturday at a neighborhood meeting at which she announced she was bowing out of the 3rd Congressional District race.

She repeated it in an interview with The Columbian on Monday, saying Herrera is asking other Republicans to cast votes for her while she is absent from the floor.

“Either she is in the building fundraising, which is illegal, or she is off campus and she has not been excused,” Wallace said.

Herrera, R-Camas, angrily denied that she was absent in order to campaign.

“Deb has no credibility, she has no proof,” Herrera said.

She said that as deputy floor leader for the House Republican caucus, she was busy last week organizing testimony in opposition to suspending Initiative 960, a voter-approved measure that requires a two-thirds vote of each chamber to raise taxes.

“I have missed 10 votes in my entire time as a legislator here,” she said. “I haven’t missed any votes (by being) off the floor this session. I’ve been on the House floor fighting for I-960. As a floor leader, part of my responsibility is to manage the floor
debate.”

Another part of her job is to meet with constituents, Herrera said. “This last week, we were on the House floor the whole time. I met with faculty from Clark College. If a constituent comes from Southwest Washington, I will meet with them.”

At her request, three people who met with Herrera off the House floor on Feb. 10, 16 and 18 contacted The Columbian to confirm those meetings.

Wallace insists she knows what she saw with her own eyes.

“I was on the House floor hours a day last week before the cutoff” for passage of bills, Wallace said. “When I look across, I’m looking at Jaime Herrera’s empty desk. I’m looking across and watching people vote for her for hours on end. I’m seeing them go into to caucus and come out and still vote for her. This has been going on all session. When there are key votes, she is there.”

“This is not the kind of integrity that is right for our district,” Wallace said. “I’m offended by this.”

It’s common in the House chambers, where members vote electronically, for seat mates to cast votes for each other if a member is in the wings or in the caucus room. No rule prevents the practice. The vote by proxy is not recorded as “absent” or
“excused,” and there is no way to document who actually pushed the button.

Wallace said she has asked others to cast votes for her occasionally, and other House members do so when, for example, they leave the floor for meals.

“This is a far different situation,” she said. “This is an integrity issue.”

House Republican leader Richard DeBolt said members of the leadership in both parties typically spend time off the floor during floor sessions.

“The House speaker is never on the floor,” DeBolt said. “I’m not on the floor all the time. Leadership has to track amendments, talk to members. The other day the whole leadership was right off the floor in the wings working on I-960.”

DeBolt said he had not noticed any change in Herrera’s attendance this session.

“If (members) leave the campus, they are supposed to excuse themselves,” DeBolt added. “We have a hard and fast rule about that.”

Herrera was scheduled to take a red-eye flight to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night for a campaign fundraising event Thursday. She said she would be gone less than 24 hours and would miss no committee or floor votes.

Kathie Durbin: 360-735-4523 or kathie.durbin@columbian.com.

Clearly, someone like Herrera, possessed by special, out of district interests as she admittedly is, would have no trouble lying about this, particularly since she knows that to tell the truth would actually end her deservedly endable political "career."

Cros posted at Jaime Herrera Watch.
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One down, one to go: Deb Wallace calling it a day in the 3rd CD?

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Apparently, Deb Wallace has figured it out.

Clark County Democrat Congressional Candidate FAQ: why none of them will win.
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It's fairly obvious that, in the unlikely event a democrat can win this thing, he or she won't be someone living in Clark County. It's bad enough to be a democrat in this day and age anyway, doing everything they can to assist in the GOP resurgence and all; but the leftists of Clark County are particularly hamstrung by more than their political affiliation... though that's certainly bad enough.

For those elected to office already, a record of lacking integrity, gerrymandering or unbelievably wasteful spending would be too much to overcome in the best of times, even attempting to take advantage of the opportunism resulting from Baird bailing.

Both Pridemore and Wallace have been instrumental in spending this state into massive deficits. They both have a years-long paper trail that will make it easy to show that if either were elected, they'd just continue to be rubber stamps for the Belle of Botox, Nancy Pelosi.

More:

So, here's what Politics is a Bloodsport reports:

Deb Wallace out of 3rd CD race?

Special note here: I am unable to get multiple sourcing on this story that first appeared on the Vancouver For Peace mail list, but in doing some background checking, this appears plausible:

Deb Wallace just announced her withdrawal from not only the 3rd congressional race, but also her seat in the state legislature when it expires in January. She has not yet announced her endorsement for the 3rd race, but she is endorsing somebody named Monica Stonier (the last name I'm not sure) for her state spot.

I attended our neighborhood clubhouse where Deb had reserved for this. (She's lives in Pinebrook as I do.) I thought she'd talk about her race against Baird. Instead she said she was withdrawing so that the best Democrat would win. She said Jaime Herrera, R, looks like the candidate for the Repugs and Deb said Jaimie is often absent at the legislature and others press her vote.

Deb did not have an answer when I asked what she'll do. She supports Monica S, a pro-choice woman for the 17th District.

More:

Now, Pridemore, an unabashed fringe leftist, tainted by scandal and his lame gerrymandering bill, along with his moronic vote FOR a budget that he "feared was balanced on the backs of the poor and the powerless" will be next up to get the word.

Of course, with Herrera having someone else vote for her instead of being on the floor doing her job..... she must resign.... immediately.
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A look at the 3rd Congressional money situation.

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A fascinating report came out showing the strengths and weaknesses in terms of fund raising, the "mother's milk of politics," of those candidates running for the now abandoned seat of the WA03 for Congress.

That report was the most recent fund raiser results, which included the last Q of 2009. The numbers are from opensecrets.org.

It's no surprise that Denny Heck has taken the early and substantial lead in these numbers: he dropped a cool $100G of his own cash into the pot to get things rolling.

Like most in the party of class warfare, little is made of their personal wealth. There is little doubt that Heck will put together the biggest bankroll for this race, mostly because he not only can do that; but hell, the man is even capable of getting a state governor to violate the letter, if not the spirit and intent of the law prohibiting her from raising money or using government facilities to campaign for someone else during session.

It's got to be cool to have a governor in your pocket.

So, Heck has put together an impressive $215G...but an amount not quite so impressive when you realize that almost half of it came from one source: the candidate. Heck's fund raising base is an eclectic group, if by eclectic you mean lawyers, consultants and those high up in Washington State Government. They provided, by far, most of his donated cash.

Of particular note in Heck's fundraising realm is Strategies 360, a nice little band that has, through Ron Dotzauer (Of "Boinking Ms. Cantwell" fame) successfully enabled David Barnett to buy an election using money illegally laundered through Progressive Majority for Steve "I'll take it in unmarked bills" Stuart, our most senior county commissioner. Dotzhauer and those connected to him have dropped a paltry $14,000 or so of the $115G Heck has actually raised, all by themselves.

Nothing quite like that one stop shopping!

Next up is David Castillo, leading Republican candidate who was one of 3 slogging along in the trenches before the Queen of Opportunism jumped into the race... and his hard work shows with almost twice as much as his nearest competitor on the "R" side.... at $104G

The Republican Empty Suit, Jaime Herrera has struggled to raise money, when one considers she's the rough equivalent of a wind up toy: Stuff a key in her back, aim her in whatever direction you want, turn the key and the rest takes care of itself.

Normally, a $55G quarter would be rather impressive... until you see that the money in question comes primarily from a whole EIGHT donors.

Then?

Not so much.

Here's a hint, Jaime. When they hand you a list of pre-greased donors? Especially those who've never heard of you?

Make sure you dial "1" BEFORE the area code.... OK?

Jon Russell continues to fade. Herrera's opportunism cost Russell any chance he may have delusional felt he had... and now she's gonna suck all the money out of his room like a turbo-charged Hoover.

Jon's showing $28G, total, proving than his fundraising skills are on par with his political skills.... thus capping off an around $12G quarter.

Deb Wallace, according to the Columbian, has reported $23,000, but I can't find that on the FEC site.

The biggest surprise was the abysmal report submitted by democrat State Sen. Craig "we balanced this budget on the backs of the poor and the powerless, so I'm voting for it" Pridemore.

Because Pridemore has gerrymandered tax districts; rabidly supports the massive waste of billions of dollars known as the bridge and loot rail, and his special-favor for his buddy Steve "cold hard Barnett cash" Stuart, so he could keep $50,000 or so in campaign contributions for a bill Pridemore was running back in what.... 05; he has no chance, anyway. In fact, he and Deb Wallace are "dead men walking" because of their idiotic bridge shenanigans... their political corpses just haven't got the memo.

Pridemore's less than stellar $8,569 SHOULD be sending him a message.

David Hedrick checks in, almost matching the fund raising prowess of Pridemore with $7,216. That's not a bad number for a political neophyte in this kind of climate.

Local illegal alien cheerleader Maria Rodriguez-Salazar won't raise cab fare and is wasting every ones time acting like a candidate... a candidate who has, apparently, yet to even file FEC paperwork.

Is it early? Of course it is. And, unless you're a highly placed democrat, unaffected by the Obama recession, it will be increasingly difficult to find donors with disposable cash to play... thus adding politics to the list of the "Sports of Kings."

Heck will be difficult to beat on the leftist side. He's got the cash and the support of the democrat infrastructure, plus he's unsullied (for now) by the Pridemore/Wallace bridge idiocy.

Castillo is unquestionably the most qualified, followed by my pet Cavalier Spaniel Oliver, Russell, Herrera, and lastly, Hedrick.

Do overall qualifications matter?

They should. Look what happened when we elected an empty suit for president? So, why would we compound that error again?

Meanwhile, these numbers DO count. Even those where all you have to do to get the cash is pick up a check.

Right, Jaime?

Cross posted on Jaime Herrera Watch.
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Rep. Deb Wallace: The dimmest bulb on the 3rd Congressional tree?

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Our own Deb Wallace added strength to my argument that a Clark County democrat will not win the election to Congress next November by adding to her dimbulb legend with the withdrawal of her bizarre sales tax bill that would have crippled south-north retail commerce by ending the level playing field we now have with Oregon on the sales tax issue.

Many people hammered her after her nonsensical grandstanding that led to a decision that would have hurt our economy locally and along with that, much of any incentive for Oregonians to shop here.

Of course, Wallace's insistence on slamming a toll on the bridges here locally to pay for what we can now begin to characterize as "Wallace's Folly" will have roughly the same impacts; the idea that Oregon shoppers would actually PAY to come over here and shop being just one of the unfactored aspects of her questionable decision-making processes.

Clearly, like the Obama Administration, Wallace has no idea what she's doing. Like the Obama Administration, she failed to seek out those most impacted by their decisions in advance. And, like the Obama administration, she was willing to throw our local economy under the bus.

Since the inauguration, democrats have shown a pathological ability to fail to consider impacts. And the time to consider those impacts is BEFORE YOU FILE THE BILLS.

Does she get credit for realize what a bad move the bill was?

Of course she does. But the best way to proceed is to avoid screwing up in the first place... like she has by wasting tens of millions of dollars on an unneeded and unwanted bridge replacement/loot rail scam while condemning our local economy to vaporizing a $100,000,000 in tolls each year if this massive waste is ever built.

Well done. I'm sure we have much more to see from her, and like Herrera, the best part of this is that come 1 Jan 2011, she'll be out of government... save for her non-elected job.
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Clark County Democrat Congressional Candidate FAQ: why none of them will win.

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It's fairly obvious that, in the unlikely event a democrat can win this thing, he or she won't be someone living in Clark County. It's bad enough to be a democrat in this day and age anyway, doing everything they can to assist in the GOP resurgence and all; but the leftists of Clark County are particularly hamstrung by more than their political affiliation... though that's certainly bad enough.

For those elected to office already, a record of lacking integrity, gerrymandering or unbelievably wasteful spending would be too much to overcome in the best of times, even attempting to take advantage of the opportunism resulting from Baird bailing.

Both Pridemore and Wallace have been instrumental in spending this state into massive deficits. They both have a years-long paper trail that will make it easy to show that if either were elected, they'd just continue to be rubber stamps for the Belle of Botox, Nancy Pelosi.

Those not elected around here are grandstanding to further their respective causes... and doing so knowing full well they have no chance.

The following candidates are running or announced on the D slate and are actually Clark County residents (Unlike Heck, who weirdly CLAIMS that "Clark County is his home") :

Craig Pridemore

Deb Wallace

Maria Rodriguez-Salazar

Now, Pridemore is elected and represents most of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Vancouver. Endorsed by militantly fringe-leftist Jim Moeller, Pridemore apparently fails to understand that tip-toeing on the precipice of socialism as he has, ain't gonna get it done in this, one of nine districts that Cook's now refers to as "toss ups."

Pridemore's problems include corruption (he altered a campaign finance bill to allow Steve "Easy Money" Stuart to keep tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations for a commissioner run) gerrymandering (he successfully ran a bill that will exclude tens of thousands of voters from voting on a tax increase to operate loot rail by gerrymandering the tax district lines, while forcing those excluded from voting to pay the tax, should it pass) and, of course, voting for a budget after condemning it as being balanced on the "backs of the poor and the powerless."

Wallace is elected, though never seriously challenged, (Oddly, since her massive vulnerabilities should have seen her tossed after one term... but then, the GOP hasn't been one to brag about around here.) and represents the district directly east of the 49th. Wallace has about 100,000,000 problems getting elected.... each of the dollars she's personally responsible for wasting on the CRC study.

Both of them voted for the institutional age discrimination of the special rights for homosexuals and those over 61... an act that resulted in R71 which, while passing statewide, lost by almost 12,000 votes in the 3rd Congressional.

I-1033 passed in the 3rd, and both opposed it.

Both supported Obama, and, as it turned out, showed horrific judgment in the process.

These easily understood litmus tests are just for this past election.

If one were to research past initiatives and referenda, how hard would it be to review the outcomes in the 3rd, and the diametrically opposite positions held by these two?

Taking it a step further, both Wallace and Pridemore obviously support the horrific waste of billions known as the I-5 Bridge and Loot Rail. Additionally, they support imposing $1300 or more in tolls, an abysmal specter hanging over the heads of the 65,000 who will have to pay for this monstrosity.

These 65,000, properly organized, could become THE voter block to determine the direction of politics in SW Washington for years to come. And the vast majority of those voters, organized or no, will PULVERIZE any pro-bridge candidate like these two, or any others who don't rally to their cause.

The easily documented desire of these two to spend our money in the billions locally, disqualifies them from service nationally, where we could be sure that trillions of dollars of waste would be the order of their days.

Maria Rodriguez-Salazar? She's the one who sold out to Tim "The Liar" Leavitt, as he used his city council seat to further his mayoral campaign with his worthless and nonsensical "hate crimes" resolution.

No impact here, except for getting the "illegal" vote.

It will be interesting and entertaining to watch these two hack away at each other, only to fall far short in the end.
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Local democrats have such a sense of humor about their endorsements.

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Big article today (would you expect anything less from our local democrat paper?) blabbing about endorsements for Wallace and Pridemore... as if anyone cared, or as if they made any difference.

The "yuk-yuk" moment?

Describing Val Ogden as "moderate." It's kind of like calling the Columbian "unbiased..." a lie on it's face.

17th District leftists endorsed a 17th District House member who has no chance because she is responsible for the waste of 10's of millions of tax payer dollars and demanding the imposition of hundreds of millions of dollars of tolls in the midst of our recession, and the waste of billions for a bridge we don't want.

Big deal



49th District leftists endorsed Pridemore, responsible for gerrymandering a tax district to keep tens of thousands of us from voting on loot rail operations... but not from paying the taxes he wants to rip out of our pockets. Responsible for voting "yes" for a budget that even HE claimed was "balanced ... on the backs of the poor and the powerless." The stupidity of a Moeller endorsement in a swing district is self-evident. Steve "The Tribe Bought Me" Stuart's endorsement? As bad as, if not worse than, Moellers.

Was it all that long ago that Pridemore was calling Stuart a "sell out?"

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Democrat State Senator Pridemore gets it: Steve Stuart's a sellout.

You’ve got to love it. Pridemore’s got Stuart figured out, but the idjits like the “progressives” and the rest of the “environmentally aware” leftist fringe? Why, they don’t have a clue.

Pridemore, a legendary hypocrite who just this past session voted FOR a state democrat budget that even HE said was “balanced on the backs of the poor and the powerless,” has finally said what needed to be said about Steve Stuart.

Pridemore nails it when he tells us that Stuart’s a sellout: “Morris has set a deadline of finishing her work before the November election when Commissioner Steve Stuart, the only commissioner who sought to defend the existing plan, will be on the ballot. I believe that if Stuart doesn't do as Morris commands him, her friends with the homebuilders will pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into a campaign against him. It's little wonder that he's slow to speak out against something he should know is ethically wrong and legally indefensible.”

Pridemore goes on to tell us that he is ”disgusted and appalled by what” Stuart is doing to “our community’s future.”

Time, apparently, does heal all wounds.

Something of a quid-pro-quo, considering Pridemore's efforts to keep 10's of thousands of dollars of campaign contributions around for "Easy Money" Stuart.

We will see frequent articles lacking in any news value about these two, neither one of whom stand a chance of winning; and one of whom having a great deal of difficulty raising money.

But these endorsements?

Meaningless, except in a negative sense. Partisan endorsements typically are.
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2010 is shaping up as a bloodbath for the left: Dem recruits continue to head for the exits.

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As the inevitable continues to take shape, it's becoming clearer that the result of the first year of the Obama Administration will be the wholesale political slaughter of the left.

The dutiful inability of the left to think for themselves shows in their votes on highly unpopular and now proven-to-be-failed policies that the empty suit running the show is jamming down our throats NOW, because he's been counting on the classic themes of the short-attention span of the American voter in the future; namely that he will be able to capitalize on his own increasingly dubious personal popularity while spending the next 3 years convincing the now-raped American population that it was our idea to begin with.

Of course, the now-recognized problem on the part of the so-called "Blue Dog" democrats is that they recognize that they will be the sacrificial lambs in the process.

Obama, Pelosi and Reid are selling them out.

Others looking at coming in or staying are seeing that as well. The result?

Dem recruits continue to head for exits
By Aaron Blake - 12/31/09 10:55 AM ET

Democrats have lost yet another touted recruit, this time in Kansas.

State Sen. Laura Kelly (D) just announced her withdrawal from the race to face Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.). She becomes the fifth formidable recruit to bow out in recent weeks.

“I have been forced to make a decision between honoring the pledge I made to the people in my Senate district and my firm conviction that the people of the 2nd congressional district deserve a truly independent voice in Congress," Kelly said in a statement.

“This has been a very hard decision, but it is the right one.”

Kelly joins several recent dropouts, including businessman Jack McDonald, a well-funded challenger to Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) who announced last week that he wouldn't run. The others are Ohio state Rep. Todd Book, who was running against Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio); former Tennessee Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Paula Flowers, who was running for Rep. Zach Wamp's (R-Tenn.) seat; and Solana Beach City Councilman Dave Roberts, who was running against Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.).

Both McDonald and Kelly were cited in a late October memo from DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) that touted the committee's recruiting successes.

On top of that, Democrats have lost four incumbents in vulnerable districts to retirement recently. It has been a distinct shift, taking five seats off the map on offense and adding four on defense.

As one of the five seats in question (so far) there can be no doubt that the question here locally is this: How much will this obvious damage to the leftist brand hurt the democrats right here in the WA03?

The strongest democrat running is, by far, Denny Heck.

He's made enough money to self-fund, and he's unsullied by Wallace's waste of tens of millions of dollars on an unwanted and unneeded bridge replacement with loot rail; and Pridemore's corruption on campaign financing and gerrymandering the loot rail operations vote to exclude tens of thousands of Clark County voters who would oppose this massive waste from having a say, while not excluding any of us from paying this massive tax increase.

Crist has no chance. Fringe left isn't going to sell this year.

Salazar has no chance. She knows that; this entire process isn't a serious effort to do anything but raise her profile as chief spokesman for illegal aliens,

But Heck has a the same problem mentioned in the article: he's a democrat. And just BEING a democrat may be problematic considering the massive, generation-long damage they've done to our country in just the past year... so far.

It's the economy, stupid. And under their watch, it's tanked beyond belief.

And having a total clown as president doesn't help your mid-term election prospects at all.
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More of the usual Columbian idiocy

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In the bizarro world of our local stain on the science of journalism, the Columbian apparently believes that they and they alone hold the corner on what is and is not the practice of democracy in this country.

When or how people choose to "jump" into congressional races is really none of the editorial page's business.

That decision is made by the people and the people alone... not the morons writing these editorials.

While there is certainly something to be said about the courage and perseverance of those who announced months ago as opposed to the political opportunism that marks the cowardice of those jumping on Baird's still warm corpse (Herrera) that lack of character on her part will be addressed at the polls.

In this instance, we have something on the order of 10 candidates for the job. Almost sadly in an election where democrats need not apply, and the most pretentious with delusions of grandeur line up to get whacked, my study of the Constitution of the United States seems to indicate that as long as they meet the requirements of citizenship and age, what a local left wing organ thinks is, well, pretty much irrelevant.

So, we get nonsensical pap like this:

Jeers: To Democratic and Republican apparatchiks for jumping too quickly into the burgeoning campaign to succeed Congressman Brian Baird. When Baird, D-Vancouver, announced he wouldn’t run for re-election in November 2010, it rapidly drew even more candidates into what was already becoming a good-sized field. That, in turn, immediately attracted some political hit pieces from the political parties.

The Democrats attacked state Rep. Jaime Herrera, R-Camas, with state party Chairman Dwight Pelz calling her “Palinesque” and “long on style, short on substance,” conveniently ignoring her legislative service and congressional staff work with Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Colville.

The National Republican Congressional Committee attacked state Rep. Deb Wallace, D-Vancouver, as a “just another tax-hiking, job-killing Democrat” apparently without researching her pro-business voting record and background working for business and economic development organizations.

The carelessly thrown mud will make very little impression on the local voters who sent both women to Olympia.

Now, self-delusion plays an important part of the Columbian's persona.

For example, Herrera's experience as a career intern and a go-fer for McMorris no more qualifies her for Congress then it would the moron who wrote this particular "Jeer."

Except for one other empty suit, Jon Russell, Herrera has the least substance and experience of any announced candidate. In fact, I characterized the "much ado about nothing" aspect of this brouhaha thusly:

Herrera has neither style nor substance. And she's not fit to carry Palin's luggage.

Pelz played the GOP like a fish. And he reeled them in that way as well.

In short, she'd be as worthless a member of congress has she has been a worthless member of the legislature. Pelz was more right than wrong.. although giving her so much credit made him wrong as well.

And, after she loses in 2010, we'll all be better off without her, and she can go back to picking up Starbucks orders for McMorris back in DC or something.

Now, Wallace, on the other hand, has never done anything to create a private sector job in her life. She IS personally responsible for wasting over $100,000,000 taxpayer dollars on a pile of paper for a bridge replacement that nobody wants while she and her fellow leftists are working REAL hard to force an additional $1300 a year fee on those who commute to the Portland area every day... a fee she and the other bridge cheerleaders won't have to pay... a $100,000,000 sucked out of our community every year... a $100,000,000 that COULD have gone to businesses and jobs over HERE.

So, that makes the RNC's response directly on target as well.

What's it all mean? The usual.

Whoever wrote that pig feces on the editorial page, as usual, had no idea what the hell they were talking about; and were, in fact, merely filling up space on the page because, well, they HAD to print SOMETHING.
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The questions that will determine the 3rd Congressional race.

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Face it. Next November is going to be extremely tough on leftists in Congress.

Even now, as democrats work hard to socialize medicine, each day where the focus is on that issue instead of the issues important to the American people make it less likely that a democrat will win in the 3rd.

The tin ear syndrome will make it very difficult for any of the leftists running to make it to the top. With upwards of 10 candidates announced or about to announce, the top two in the general may be the two who got over 10 percent of the vote.

Who will those two be?

Will, the easier targets are who they won't be.

And they won't be Pridemore, Wallace, Moeller or any other SW Washington democrat representing anyone in Clark County.

It won't be Hatfield. It won't be Russell. It won't be Salazar. It won't be Crist.

The reasons it won't be the democrats mentioned run the gamut from the fact that many of them support that moronic bridge replacement and loot rail; at least one was involved in a job scam; one is clueless and one has been a joke the last two times she ran.

A fake, unethical conservative won't survive.

Because here are the questions the leftists won't be able to answer in any way that will get them elected:

1. Do you support the massive and unneeded waste of $4 Billion to replace a bridge that doesn't need replacing, including the $100,000,000 Wallace has wasted on the CRC... to include running legislation to gerrymander the voters of the tax district to pay for loot rail, like Pridemore did?

2. Will you actually read all bills before you vote on them?

3. What would your votes have been on the porkulous, cap and swindle, and the neo-communist socialized medicine program the empty suit is ramming down our throats?

4. What steps will you, personally, take to end Pelosi/Reid/Obama's efforts to bankrupt this country by building a mountain of debt?

5. Will you vote yes, like Pridemore voted yes, on a budget "balanced on the backs of the poor and the powerless?"

These are tough questions for leftists to answer truthfully. Of course, if they take the Obama method, they'll just lie outright. But if they tell the truth, no one will vote for them.

And when you add that to a democrat brand where Bush looks wildly popular in comparison... man, it sucks to be a leftist in 2010.
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In My View: Chasing Oregon Shoppers Away.

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One of the most clueless entities in our community unfortunately is among those with the highest profile.

Our newly minted 3rd Congressional District speed bump Deb Wallace hopped aboard the fail boat with her jihad to eliminate the out of state sales tax exemption as if that will bring in one dime of additional revenue when, instead, PARTICULARLY when combined with the bridge tolls that Wallace is so eager to ram down our throats, will combine to keep the people of Oregon away from our retailers in droves.

What we need are reasons for Oregonians to COME here... not to stay away. If the paperwork is so troublesome, then make it optional for the retailers. But putting up additional road blocks to Oregon shoppers is just down right stupid.

But to believe that taking the exemption away will make any difference whatsoever in the revenue stream speaks to a dangerous ability to engage in self-delusion that has no business in government at any level generally, and congress particularly.
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DeVore at HA: Pridemore to run for Congress - Announce W/I 24 hours.

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Hope springing eternally from the leftest breast, Senator Craig Pridemore (D-Soviet Socialist Republic of Vancouver) will, to hear Jon DeVore tell it, "announce within 24 hours."

Now, I get that many democrats want this job, but all of them wear the I-5 bridge anchor around their necks, and as a result, I tell you now: ANY candidate supporting the waste of $4 BILLION and the imposition of another $1300 fee for our commuting citizens to go to work in the Portland metro area along with jamming unwanted and unneeded loot rail down our throats will lose.

For Pridemore, the other candidates can feel free to play whack-a-mole with his despicable gerrymandering bill that he and Wallace supported to get us to pay for loot rail. Combined with Pridemore's bill to take care of Commissioner Steve "Barnett Owns Me" Stuart's campaign contributions and Pridemore will be hard pressed to get past the corruption issues.

So far, Pridemore is best known for getting tossed off of Appropriations after his abortive coup attempt against the chair, one Sen. Margarita Prentice. His legislative philosophy is best summed up thusly:

“I think that we have balanced the budget on the backs of the poor and the powerless,” Senator Pridemore said, before voting “yes” on that same budget (2005 budget vote.)

That means that when it comes to that vision thing.... Pridemore can SEE what's wrong... he just lacks the testicles to do anything about it once he figures it out. That, of course, will make him just a tool for the moron running the House, Nancy "Plastic" Pelosi... and that means that neither Pridemore nor any other democrat has a serious chance of winning this thing.... particularly when you combine that the wreckage that is the democrat brand.

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Meet Deb Wallace: the first leftist sacrificial lamb in the 3rd Congressional District.

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Deb Wallace has a problem. In addition to being part of the most clueless political party in the world, I mean. It's a huge problem, and it's a problem most local leftists, at either the legislative or wannabe congressional level have... a problem that it's likely impossible to overcome.

The problem?

Support of the unnecessary and unneeded replacement of the I-5 Bridge to bring loot rail into Clark County.

The people of Clark County do not want the I-5 Bridge to be replaced. The people of Clark County do not want loot rail. And you cannot win without winning here.

There is no reason to replace it. There is no reason to waste billions to bring loot rail in here. Thus, the 65,ooo commuters who will have to pay in excess of another $1200 per year for Wallace's project... a project she has personally wasted $100,000,000 in pre-ordained outcome studies for... will form the core of not only her defeat, but the defeat of ANY candidate who supports this massive and horrific waste of money.

This problem applies to almost every leftist in Clark County, but it certainly applies to Wallace, who let her own personal agenda trump what the [people of her district and this area wanted and needed.

And now, she's going to pay the price. Thanks for the open seat in the 17th, however. Another GOP pick up is appreciated.
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Did Herrera jump the gun... and the shark... by announcing last night?

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Other discussions were taking place when State Representative Jamie Herrera (R-DC) got WAYYYYYY out in front of those discussions and announced on Politico that she was all in. The article ratcheting back her persona that she was being "groomed" for this by moving her position backwards to "considering" this run lends itself to that conclusion

Not so fast, Herrera. There are other, MANY other much more qualified then you to represent this district in Congress.

See, Jamie... to actually be a Member of Congress requires far more substance than a smile that's the poster for an orthodontist.

Unfortunately, that's all Herrera's got.

While she's never worked to get what she's been given, while she has zero experience, while she's never had a private sector job... while, in fact, she's done nothing except be a career intern... that's simply not enough.

That's not to say I don't believe she shouldn't run. On the contrary, I think she should announce and then resign her seat in the House. That way, we can get rid of her there... and then, when she gets hammered in the primary, she could just be gone altogether.
I'd also like to see Moeller, Wallace, and the rest of the leftist caucus down here announce.

They have no chance... Wallace is toast because it's too easy to hang the bridge and the wasted tens of millions around her neck; no one north of 39th would ever vote for Moeller.... Steve Stuart is over no matter what he does due to both his desire to jam this unwanted bridge with its unwanted and unneeded loot rail down our throats along with the corruption that got him elected in the first place... the $100,000 from David Barnett that bought Stuart like the 13th Amendment had never been passed.

Yes... it's gonna be a hoot to see which leftists line up to get their asses kicked... almost as much as a hoot watching Herrera getting beaten like a rented mule.

Who needs the NFL when you've got this?
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The idiocy of local legislators and government on the out of state sales tax issue.

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Deb Wallace represents the poor clowns of the 17th District, which fortunately (probably for both of us) doesn't include where I live, although I lived and worked for the district for 6 years.

Wallace is single-handidly responsible for wasting over $100,000,000 on pre-ordained outcomes for the CRC... and she, too, has been a major cheerleader for ramming that $4 to $8 billion or more boondoggle down our throats that none of us want and that is not needed.

The irony of all of this?

Her moronic, high-profile "hurray for me" effort in getting rid of the out of state tax exemption wouldn't be necessary if that massive waste of money was ever built.

Oregonians won't be caught dead paying for the dubious privilege of coming over here. The numbers of out-of-state sales would drop like a Hernandez curve right over the plate.

But many of our more moronic types, like Wallace, want us to buy off on the moronic idea that ending the exemption will magically raise hundreds of millions of dollars for our coffers.

That's a crock, of course. Along with local moron Pat Campbell, Vancouver city councilman and public employee martyr/bridge cheerleader extraordinaire, they stupidly think that ending this exemption will solve anything or accomplish anything, except to increase sales in Oregon boarder counties is as ludicrous as thinking we HAVE to replace the I-5 Bridge for BILLIONS just to get the unneeded and unwanted loot rail into Clark County.

It will not.

Those from Oregon who shop here will have less than zero incentive to do so without the exemption and if they have to pay an unnecessary toll for the privilege. As much as they developed a mind set over the years about shopping here, even the wide play of Wallace's asinine effort will negatively impact that curve, since both this asinine paper and Wallace have announce to the entire fricking planet that we don't WANT Oregonians spending their money here.

As Deb Wallace and Pat Campbell have shown and continue to show, intelligence isn't a requisite part of the resume' of those who con the electorate.

And to the commenter "PJ" who wrote this:

So of those of you who think public employee benefits are generous, how many of you are willing to go into a burning building? Or walk down a dark alley after a 6'6" 295 parolee? How many of you are willing to sit at a table banging out a report of vandalism while a delusional, lost my job, taxes are too high crazy person is walking into the same shop with a gun and a plan?

I tell you, not one of you.

My brief response is this:

*I* would. Every damned day and twice on Sundays.

Public employees are not supermen and women. My response to you, PJ, is this:

If the damned job doesn't pay enough? Then quit.

But stop thinking you're so damned special (You're not... you're nothing special, and you've CHOSEN to work for us.)

Don't like the pay? Don't like the massive benefit package?

The get the hell out. I'm sure hundreds would have no difficulty applying for your job, you ungrateful ingrate.
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Here's an idea on the bridge: make those ramming it down our throats pay the toll.

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Few things in life are easier than using OPM.

OPM, of course, is "other people's money."

The morons ramming this unwanted, unneeded and MASSIVE waste of billions of dollars down our throats are hot to do it for a variety of reasons. Indebting each man, woman and child in Clark County around $10,000 each without giving us any say is immoral, unethical and totalitarian.

But most of all, they're spending money that they will not have to pay. As a result, they lie, they mislead, they ignore those who oppose them.

So, how about this. How about each official, elected or appointed, being required to pay the toll for this bridge as long as they live... whether they use the bridge or not?

So, the idiot that runs the city of Vancouver? Give him a bill for $1200 a year for the rest of his life. Attach his pay... and when he leaves the employ of the city, attach his retirement. Do the same for the city council members voting for this garbage. Steve Stuart? Deb Wallace? Craig Pridemore? Moeller? Jacks? Probst? And let's not forget attaching Bill Fromhold's massive retirement.

Apply the same law to every state or government employee in a policy making position that supports this insanity. Lookingbill, the management of C-Trans, Don Wagoner... all of those who demand this crap... and all of those who refuse to allow us a vote.

Make THEM all pay for the rest of THEIR lives, like they will make all of US pay for the rest of OUR lives.

That won't make the incredibly asinine waste of money any more right, but hey, they should ALL feel the pain they're inflicting on us.

Maybe that way, they won't be so eager to screw us if they knew they were getting screwed in return.
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