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Dear Group,

Join the rally this noon Today, Friday, November 9 at the

Tom Foley Federal Building

920 W Riverside Ave

Spokane, WA 99201

Here’s the link to the event:  https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response/search/

Enter 99203 on the zip code line.

I’m not writing today. I offer below a copy of an analysis by Judd Legum. Please read it and then give McMorris Rodgers’ office a call. It is time for her to stand up for democracy and to put action to her own words, “We need to let Mueller do his job.” Here are the numbers:

Spokane Office       (509) 353-2374

Colville Office         (509) 684-3481

Walla Walla Office  (509) 529-9358

D.C. Office              (202) 225-2006

The Wednesday afternoon massacre

Just hours after the polls closed, President Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump has had it in for Sessions ever since March 2017, when Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. That decision, in turn, led to the appointment of Robert Mueller. 

Trump’s move, which has been telegraphed for months, is an apparent effort to curtail Mueller’s investigation just as it reaches a critical stage. Mueller is expected to either issue additional indictments or produce a report, which the Justice Department will have to decide whether or not to make public. 

Trump announced that Sessions would be replaced, on a temporary basis, by Matthew G. Whitaker, Sessions’ chief of staff. 

According to Bloomberg, Trump has removed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein from his role overseeing Mueller’s investigation. Whitaker is now in charge. If that report is accurate, Whitaker will be able to block Mueller from issuing any indictments Whitaker believes are outside Mueller’s purview. 

The move is reminiscent of the Saturday Night Massacre, when President Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliott Richardson to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Richardson refused and resigned. Then Nixon issued the same directive to Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus, who also refused and resigned. In the end, Solicitor General Robert Bork fired Cox.

John Dean, Nixon’s former White House Counsel, said Wednesday’s events were worse. 

“Unlike the Saturday Night Massacre…that was sort of a culmination of disregard for the president’s direction not to go after his tapes. Here, this seems to be planned like a murder,” Dean said on CNN.

Meet the new boss

Whitaker’s appointment is notable because he has been an outspoken critic of Mueller. 

Shortly before joining the Justice Department, Whitaker wrote a column in August 2017 entitled, “Mueller’s investigation of Trump is going too far.” 

In the piece, Whitaker argued that “investigating Donald Trump’s finances or his family’s finances falls completely outside of the realm of his 2016 campaign and allegations that the campaign coordinated with the Russian government or anyone else. That goes beyond the scope of the appointment of the special counsel.”

Mueller is “only authorized to investigate matters that involved any potential links to and coordination between two entities — the Trump campaign and the Russian government,” Whitaker writes. This cramped definition of Mueller’s authority has been rejected by the courts. Paul Manafort unsuccessfullymade the same argument in an attempt to get the charges against him dismissed. 

On Twitter, Whitaker favorably cited a piece describing Mueller’s investigators as a “lynch mob.”

Matt Whitaker 🇺🇸@MattWhitaker46Worth a read. “Note to Trump’s lawyer: Do not cooperate with Mueller lynch mob” https://t.co/a1YY9H94Ma via @phillydotcom

August 7 2017

765 Retweets613 Likes

He also shared an article exploring how Trump could fire Mueller, including through the appointment of an acting Attorney General. 

Matt Whitaker 🇺🇸@MattWhitaker46Worth a read–“Could Trump Fire Mueller? It’s Complicated”. https://t.co/sG2igd5qkJ via @politicomag

August 4 2017

68 Retweets57 Likes

Whitaker defended Trump’s role in dictating a false statement about his son’s meeting in Trump Tower with Russian operatives.

Matt Whitaker 🇺🇸@MattWhitaker46Buried lead? “Although misleading the public or the news media is not a crime….” https://t.co/Y2cedHDIE3

August 1 2017

4 Retweets4 Likes

In July 2017, Whitaker suggested that an acting Attorney General could reduce Muller’s “budget to so low that his investigations grind to almost a halt.”

Whitaker also chaired Sam Clovis’ campaign for Iowa State Treasurer. Clovis is a witness in the Mueller investigation

Ken Dilanian@KenDilanianNBCWhaddaya know: Mark Whitaker, now in charge of the Mueller investigation, chaired the 2014 campaign of Sam Clovis, a grand jury witness in that investigation. https://t.co/NzUkgjwOp1

November 7 2018

8057 Retweets9500 Likes

What Whitaker can do with Mueller

Whitaker could attempt to fire Mueller for cause, but he also has a lot of options to kneecap the investigation without resorting to such a drastic measure. The tools at Whitaker’s disposal were detailed in a September article by Susan Hennessey and Benjamin Wittes:

The biggest and most frequent opportunity to obstruct the investigation comes in the broader consultation requirement. Throughout the investigation, the regulation requires that the special counsel “shall consult with appropriate offices within the Department for guidance with respect to established practices, policies and procedures of the Department, including ethics and security regulations and procedures.” The special counsel is also required to notify the acting attorney general “of events in the course of the investigation in conformity with the Departmental Guidelines with respect to Urgent reports.” In practice, that means Mueller has to tell the acting attorney general about any “major developments,” like filing criminal charges, in advance.

Such information-sharing alone could be a problem if sensitive law enforcement information improperly made its way to the White House—much less to subjects of the investigation. Beyond such obviously improper conduct, however, an acting attorney general could determine under the rules that a proposed action should not be pursued at all.

Indicting Hillary

In 2016, Whitaker wrote an op-ed saying that he would indict Hillary Clinton, something Trump has called for repeatedly. Previously, Whitaker headed up the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, an organization that spent much of its time investigating Clinton.

Schumer calls for Whitaker’s recusal

In short order, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for Whitaker to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. 

“Given his previous comments advocating defunding and imposing limitations on the Mueller investigation, Mr. Whitaker should recuse himself from its oversight for the duration of his time as acting attorney general,” Schumer said.

Republicans are “concerned”

We have been told for nearly two years that if Trump moved to undermine the Mueller investigation, as he did on Wednesday, Republicans would spring into action and protect Mueller’s independence. 

Instead, a couple of Republican Senators issued milquetoast tweets expressing “concern.”

Sen. Susan Collins@SenatorCollinsIt is imperative that the Administration not impede the Mueller investigation. I’m concerned Rod Rosenstein will no longer be overseeing the probe. Special Counsel Mueller must be allowed to complete his work without interference—regardless of who is AG.

November 7 2018

1939 Retweets6820 Likes

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Keep to the high ground,

Jerry

Dear Group,

It is Election Day morning. Most Election Day mornings in the past I had long since dropped my ballot in the Dropbox. For me the results were “in the hands of the voters.” I naively imagined everyone had done their homework already. I was wrong. Again.

Knocking on doors over the past week I’ve encountered tens of registered voters disgusted with Trump, disgusted with what’s going on in government, even disgusted with McMorris Rodgers (among those who have ever heard of her)…registered voters who threw out their ballot with the junk mail days ago. 

I sympathize with their disgust (I feel it, too) and then explain why I, an unlikely canvasser, feel driven to knock on their door. (My short presentation involves pre-existing conditions, my experience trying to get McMorris Rodgers to listen, and my personal confidence in Lisa Brown.) 

One young man who had long since thrown out his ballot said, “If I had a ballot right here, I think I would mark it for Lisa Brown just to humor you.” 

I said, “I’ll make you a deal. If you give me your birthdate and you promise you’ll vote I’ll bring you a replacement ballot later today.” 

He entrusted me with his birthdate. When I was next near a computer I used his name and birthdate on MyVote.wa.gov, clicked on MyBallot (actually his ballot in this case), printed his ballot. and brought it (all eleven pages of it) to him later that day. He was happy to talk through the various races as he filled out his ballot. His completed ballot went to a Dropbox.

Will this act make a difference? Yes. It is one more vote in an election in which every vote is counted and every ballot not cast is a voice wasted, a civic duty ignored. More than that, I was rewarded with a glimpse into the life of a young family living a little on the margin. I fancy this young man will remember the encounter with this gray haired old man. Perhaps he’ll be more willing to save his ballot and fill it out in the next election.

Everything below is a repeat of yesterday and concerns the details of the Spokane County Voter Service Centers–places you can, at the last minute, still cast a ballot that could make a difference.

Keep to the high ground,

Jerry

Election Day Buzz Lives on–If you help

In Spokane County there are six “Voter Service Center” locations that are open on Election Day, today, Tuesday, November 6, between 7AM and 8PM.   I’ve reproduced the locations again below. (Copied from: here.) If you are knocking on doors or calling friends on Election Day and you find someone who thinks they are a registered voter but have lost or never received their ballot (but can be convinced to vote) it’s still not too late. You could offer to give them a ride to a Voter Service Center–just like the old days! 

At these Voter Service Centers you can: 

• Drop Off Your Ballot
• Get Replacement Envelopes
• Vote a Provisional Ballot
• Use an Accessible Voting Unit
• Get Answers to Voting Questions

Let’s clarify some of that. I called the Elections Office with some questions and a very nice elections worker filled me in. 

A “Provisional” Ballot has everything on it that anyone anywhere in Spokane County has an option to vote on. The Elections Office takes these ballots over the next several days and cross-checks to make sure they are cast by a registered voter. Based on the voter’s address the “Provisional” Ballot is extracted so only votes cast in that address’s overlapping voting districts are actually counted. (e.g. my address is in LD3, the provisional ballot includes candidates in LD6 that I might mark, but in the extraction process, the LD6 votes I may have marked are discarded.) If that sounds like a nuisance for the Elections staff, it probably is, but they strive to get it exactly right.

To use an “Accessible Voting Unit” a voter with a disability brings their official ballot, puts it in the device and the device, in private, reads and displays the contents of the ballot to the voter and offers an easier way of marking the ballot than using of a black pen to fill in a tiny oval. Neat!

A registered voter who lost or cannot find or never received their ballot can also go to MyVote.wa.gov and, using their name and birthdate, can print out a replacement. (There’s nothing illegal about printing such a ballot out for someone who asks you to do so, but you will need their first and last names [as they were registered] and their date of birth. Of course, the voter him or herself needs to fill out and sign the ballot. Signatures are checked!) These ballots can be mailed in a regular envelope (I think these DO require postage, unlike the official envelopes) or they can be dropped at the ballot drop box locations (usually libraries). 

Put the “optional” daytime phone number on your outer ballot envelope. They really do check the signature against the signature on record. When there is a question they use the phone number to contact you.

It is the voter’s responsibility to be sure, if they are using the mail, that the last pickup from that mailbox is after the time they drop the ballot in the box. I was assured that the mail service is very meticulous about those times and about getting all the mail properly post-marked that gets picked up at the deadline for that mailbox . Election Day can still buzz! It is not over until it is over. Don’t slack off!

Bottom line: The Spokane County Elections Office (and, I’m sure other County Elections Offices in Washington State with which I am less familiar) do everything they can to make it easy to vote right up to the deadline. Take advantage of their diligence. It is our civic duty. The ballot casting process isn’t over until Tuesday evening, November 6, at 8PM. The final tally won’t be “certified” and official until November 27, three weeks later. It could come down to that.

Voter Service Center Locations–Spokane County

Dear Group,

Last Sunday, October 28, Stacey Cowles (He was not named, but we must assume it was he, since Mr. Cowles is the only remaining member of the Editorial Board of the Spokesman Review) published “Our Election Preference” in the left hand column of the Opinion Page in the Business Section. (Note the peculiar use of the possessive pronoun “our” in the manner of royalty [or quoting God]) There was much therein with which I fervently disagree, but with none more so than his bland statement on Legislative District 4, Position 1, for which Mr. Cowles wrote simply “No endorsement.” With those two words he spoke volumes about his values.

Orientation: Legislative District 4 is the City of Spokane Valley and points north. (For a great map, click here.) Position 1 in LD4 is currently occupied by a man, Matt Shea, about whom much has been written. (Read here in my archives, or in a recent Spokesman article, or in the national magazine Rolling Stone, or just google ‘Matt Shea Spokane’)

That Stacey Cowles, representing the entire Spokesman Review, cannot bring himself to endorse Shea’s opponent is, in my opinion, an act of moral cowardice. The same day as the preferences were published, Ted Cummings’ campaign fund, Friends of Ted Cummings, paid good money to the Spokesman to publish the letter I’ve reproduced below. It deserves widespread dissemination as the writing of the sort of person I want as my neighbor AND a person I would want to represent me in Olympia. 

Mr. Cowles knows what Matt Shea is and must understand the danger he represents. Mr. Cowles also knows the power of incumbency, so he is playing it safe rather than stir up this angry man, Mr. Shea, who is currently in office.

Read Ted Cummings’ letter and see if you agree:

Hello, my name isTed Cummings, I am running for state representative in the 4th LD. I recently had a debate with the incumbent and I have lived with a gnawing sense that I missed an opportunity to really contrast the dramatic differences between myself and Mr. Shea.

I am proud to share that I am a devout Catholic, but in saying that, I readily declare that as a state representative I would never impose my personal religious views on anyone. I believe my words and actions should be a testimony of my faith and I will leave everyone else to believe or not believe what they choose, without judgment from me.

In my opinion,The God and Jesus that Matt Shea speaks of are not the same God and Jesus that I believe in because I find no acts of love or charity in Matt’s words.

In my opinion the freedom Matt speaks of sounds like Tyranny to me.

In my opinion the patriotism Matt favors, I believe to be sedition and fascism.

In my opinion what Matt sees as free speech, I view many of his comments as hate speech.

I revere and honor journalism and know a free and respected press is essential to our country remaining free and informed.

I have been accused of being too “far to the left of the majority of the district’s voters” (October 18th Spokesman-Review Editorial “No Good Choices in the 4th) so help me understand why someone would say that. I mowed lawns and delivered papers as a child, I began W2 earnings and filing income tax returns when I turned sixteen and I have worked continually since that age. I registered to vote as soon as I was legally able and have voted regularly all my life. I eagerly and proudly registered for the draft as soon as possible when it was reinstated and to this day I will defend my country against all threats foreign and domestic.

I have been happily and faithfully married to the same woman for 37 years and I have worked for the same company for 30.

I have never been charged or arrested for a crime, I have never filed for bankruptcy and I have always paid my bills and lived within my means. My wife and I have paid our house and land off early and are debt free. Due to my union membership, I have a pension and a 401k and have responsibly prepared for retirement and old age, so as not to be a burden on anyone. I have always paid my taxes, until I began this campaign I attended Mass regularly. I proudly stand for the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem. I hunt with a rifle and a bow and respect the rights of others to do the same, I take care of my family, friends and neighbors, I have donated blood for years. I feed, water and shelter my animals before I feed myself.

I have never abused my wife or any woman; I have never waved a gun at someone or engaged in road rage. I have never been removed or fired from a job. I have never been sued for defaming a Sheriff’s deputy.

It is my personal belief that this campaign is about combatting someone I believe to be dangerous in many ways and seeks to possibly undermine our government and hurt our community.

To me there is nothing more quintessentially American than to stand up for and defend the young, the elderly, the veteran, the sick, the homeless, the weak, the different, the addict and yes, the immigrant. I will always defend those who can’t stand for themselves and I ask that you stand with me.

Please vote forTed Cummings and send the message to the nation that we believe in our country and our government and that hate, fear and intolerance have no home in Eastern Washington.

Thank you for your consideration, God bless America and God bless us, everyone.

Sincerely,

Ted Cummings

Democratic Candidate for State Representative Position 1

Paid for by Friends of Ted Cummings PO Box 577 Colbert WA 99005 www.tedforwashington.com

Ted’s letter expresses values I share. I suppose I’m still a little naive, but as I read this letter it reminded me of one of the great movies of all time, Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), a reference I’m sure is lost on many who really ought to see it. When you get your ballot, mark it for Ted Cummings AND for Mary May, a capable candidate running against McCaslin Junior, a man follows Shea regardless of his late father’s warning.

Get out and canvass!

Keep to the high ground,

Jerry

Dear Group,

Lisa Brown and all the excellent local Democrats who have stepped up and run will win in the upcoming election if people who are Democrats and Democratic leaners cast a ballot, if the discouraged, disadvantaged voters vote. You might imagine that everyone in Eastern Washington is up to speed. Read on.

Below are series of actual answers I’ve received in response to the following question I’ve been told to ask of people on their doorstep: “Are you going to vote by November 6th? Have you received your ballot?”:

“I’m not political, I guess I’m a registered voter but I never vote.”

“I don’t vote. It is just too discouraging. They’re all a bunch of crooks.”

“I never vote. I guess that was my ballot i burned in the stove last night.”

“I don’t know enough to vote. I don’t have time. I don’t read the paper and I can’t bear to watch TV.”

My favorite response was from a nineteen year old outside the East Central Public Library with whom I struck up a conversation about my car: “Who is Lisa Brown, anyway?’

I responded, “She’s running against Cathy McMorris Rodgers for Congress.”

“That one! Really? I can’t stand her. Ya, I’ll vote. I didn’t know that was this election.”

There’s a Burma Shave-like string of signs along Rockwood boulevard in a yard with Lisa Brown signs and Halloween decorations that expresses how these responses make me feel: I…Want…To…Scream! But I don’t scream. Instead, I tell them why I’m knocking on doors this election for the first time in my life, how I was really angry when McMorris Rogers kept voting to take away the health care insurance that had allowed me to help people keep their sight, how I’ve met Lisa Brown numerous times and I’m convinced she’s the real deal, that she can get started fixing our broken government and our hideous uncivil discourse. I explain how easy it is to vote, how a stamp isn’t necessary, how for your ballot to count for something you really to vote for at least one candidate; you don’t have to make all thirty-some choices. 

I’m pretty sure I’ve made headway with a lot of these people. With some I’ve actually helped them go through the process with the envelopes and signature and explained the phone number is optional, but might be used if the Auditor’s office has a question. I am sure I am making a difference, even if my personal numbers are small. There are many of us, but if there is to be a comfortable margin on election night that won’t evaporate as the last minute returns come in, we need more. You can canvass, too. It’s not hard. Nobody bites. So come out with Spokane Indivisible on Saturday and Sunday (see the box above for details) Or come on down to 1507 E Sprague, get a short training, go out with an experienced canvasser. Here’s the link. If you have smartphone, bring it. They’re useful. There are plenty of selected doors to knock. Time and energy will run out first. We’ll only know if it was enough after the votes are counted. Swing elections are always close. Remember Nethercutt changed regimes in eastern Washington in 1994 by only 4,000 votes out of 200,000 cast.

Matt Shea and Legislative District 4 (Spokane Valley Plus) Addendum:

I wrote about the Ted Cummings, Matt Shea race in LD4 yesterday. Many readers responded. Many posted the article, many passed it on. One reader was kind enough to point out an article on Matt Shea that appeared in Rolling Stone on October 23. It is definitely worth the time to read and share. Eastern Washington and north Idaho are making national news again, and Matt Shea’s reign risks making us a laughing stock. Just a couple nuggets from the article:

Ozzie Knezovich is memorably quoted therein, “The day that we stop caring about the character of our elected officials is the day this democracy is over,” he told me. “It’s the end of the republic.” I agree completely.

Ted Cummings, to his great credit, came to the Spokane Liberty/Second Amendment Rally in August (probably in Clark Park up Division) the author starts out by describing…and he spoke. He spoke truth: “I believe in our government, I believe in our police force over here, I believe in you, I don’t see danger in America, and Mr. Shea seems to see fear wherever he looks.”

Remember, as the Rolling Stone reminds us, and the Spokesman chronicled: McMorris Rodgers sought and accepted the endorsement of Mr. Shea. Ozzie Knezovich’s response: “Matt Shea is a cancer, and the things that he has done has done nothing but divide this county, and this nation. There’s not a vote worth having his name associated with mine.” That ought to tell us something about McMorris Rodgers, too.

Finally, The Spokesman Endorsement:

Tucked away on the Opinion page in the Business Section of the Sunday, October 21, Spokesman review was the “editorial endorsement” of “CMR.” Needless to say, I disagree. One might wonder at whose decision and whose writing this was since the Editorial Board of the Spokesman used to consist of Stacey Cowles, Burt Caldwell, and Gary Crooks. The latter two have left the paper. Why did Stacey Cowles not simply sign the article? As far as I can tell he did not consult with any of the rest of his staff. I know a number of people who have canceled their subscriptions in protest. 

Back in 1994 the Editors backed Tom Foley, who, as you know, lost to George Nethercutt that year. The paper also backed Andy Dunau against Breean Beggs for City Council recently. May Mr. Cowles endorsement of “CMR” suffer the same fate. I know I am doing everything in my power to make it so.

Keep to the high ground,

Jerry

Dear Group,

Washington Legislative District 4 (for a map, click here), including Spokane Valley and area to the north, has a problem. The people of LD4 elected Matt Shea as one of their State Representatives in 2009, a midterm election with only a 51.51% ballot turn-in rate. He is a member of the lunatic fringe of the Republican Party, even of the local Spokane Republican Party. If you have any doubt of this I encourage you to click on this link. Watch the 4:22 minute video of Mr. Shea speaking at the “Old Paths for Christian History Conference” in Coeur d’Alene in October of 2015. Mr. Shea spends much of his time working for and lecturing on the State of Liberty, a concept closely allied to the Redoubt movement centered in north Idaho. The general concept is to carve out a 51st state composed of Washington east of the Cascades, north Idaho, and parts of western Montana (at least). In the Redoubt the far right faithful would have a voting majority. In the Redoubt, by force of arms if necessary, they would be able to defend their ideas of white Christian supremacy against the supposed threats posed by muslims, secularists, and other infidels. The Redoubters have their own internet newspaper, redoubtnews.com, and their own radio station, Radio Free Redoubt. 

I notice Matt Shea’s photo is currently displayed at Redoubt News. Lest you think this is an insignificant number of goofy people, consider that Heather Scott, an Idaho State Representative from the Blanchard area seems to have an election stranglehold on her district. She is a prominent Redoubter also featured in Redoubt News. Her Facebook page is illustrative of her news diet. A visit there last year clearly showed her main source of information was Redoubt News. For that matter, check out Matt Shea’s Facebook page. It is not like these folks are hiding their fringy beliefs, nor are they hiding the news silo they live in. (You’re seeing their Public page. Imagine for a moment what they show their friends.) There is even Revolutionary Realty in Coeur d’Alene, a realty dedicated to serving the Redoubt faithful attracted here from the godless parts of the country. This movement bears watching. Click some of those links to get an idea what this all represents. 

When Mr. Shea is not speaking to far right church groups about the State of Liberty and the Redoubt, you might find him as a guest (on August 25, 2015) of Alex Jones on the Alex Jones show. I cannot link you to the video because Jones has been banned from youtube (and Facebook).

Or you might find Mr. Shea speaking at the Red Pill Expo, a showcase of looney conspiracies held right here in Spokane. (Read: Matt Shea and the Red Pill)

Mr. Shea is a man with anger management issues that in saner times would disqualify him from any public office. He is a frequent speaker at rallies in Spokane where men (mostly) proudly open-carry their assault rifles. He poses as big on abiding with the letter of the law…but he let his concealed carry permit expire and then threatened a motorist with a pistol in a road incident on the streets of Spokane in 2012. In 2011 the outgoing Republican from the LD4 State Senate seat, the then 84 year old Bob McCaslin, Sr, publicly asserted, “I wish to state that under no circumstances would I support Matthew Shea for any public office.” The article in the Spokesman cites Shea’s threats and outbursts of anger as a major consideration. Mike Padden now holds that State Senate seat. Note: the current McCaslin, who holds the other Representative seat in LD4 is McCaslin Junior, and, in spite of his father’s opinion, votes in lockstep with Mr.Shea.

Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich. (read Daniel Walters article) has had a ruling feud with Shea for years and has publicly warning of Shea’s far right ideology. Note these criticisms come from two politicians who are themselves hardly centrists. How much farther right must Shea be?

Ten years ago, Lisa Shea, Matt’s wife at the time, moved out of their home in fear (according to court records) after he returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. She obtained a protection order against him. Read the Spokesman article from the time. “Among other disparaging remarks in court documents, Shea called his wife a ‘product of the foster care system.'” 

How does a man like this stay in office? I have to believe it is because voters aren’t paying sufficient attention. Mr. Shea presents as a “Christian” likely appealing to some who don’t understand the brand of Christianity to which he subscribes Behind that benign label his specific views are hidden in plain sight from an electorate that hasn’t been paying attention.  A nice shamrock appears on his campaign signs. Perhaps most important, he consistently votes for big business…and big business gives him gobs of campaign money. 

In Washington State we still have a great tool with which to “follow the money.” It is the Public Disclosure Commission, pdc.wa.gov, A candidate for office anywhere in Washington State is legally required to disclose information about who is donating to their campaign and how they are spending it. We should use it. 

Ted Cummings, whom I’ve met several times and thoroughly respect, is challenging Matt Shea for the LD4 Representative seat in Olympia. Let’s look at what the PDC can tell us. Here’s the link to see contributions to the two campaigns: Shea and Cummings. 

Nearly all of Shea’s top forty-five contributors are corporations, many of which are based in other states. Two thousand from Novartis Finance Corporation in Fort Worth, TX? What interest do they have in a belligerent conspiracy theorist in Olympia? Monsanto (Oregon) for $1000? Avista Corp at $2000? (At least Avista is not spending $100,000 “independently” on Shea like they did for French and Kuney. The most Avista Corp can legally contribute directly to a campaign is $2000.) 

These contributions to Shea are chump change for these companies. It is money to keep a man in office who is a steady pro-corporation, anti-regulation vote in Olympia, a vote that will help protect their profits. Damn any other considerations. Maximizing profits is what corporations do. They don’t care what else Matt Shea stands for or what he does as long as he votes their way.

Men like Matt Shea get into office and stay there with corporate money backing their elections. They present their mild side at election time and then go off to burnish their credentials with the lunatic fringe. 

Vote for Ted Cummings. He’ll spend his time working for the people of LD4, not preaching the Gospel of the Redoubt and parading with an assault rifle. Ted got involved over Shea’s promotion of a “right to work” law in Olympia, but the more he studied Shea the more concerned he became. Read more on this race in the Spokesman article of October 8. Then also mark your ballot for Mary May for the seat held currently by McCaslin Junior. You won’t find two more reasonable, capable people than Cummings and May. Legislative District 4 needs a return to sane representation.

Keep to the high ground,

Jerry

Addendum: See Canvass!…and More   AND

Dear Group,

There are two candidates for technical seats in Spokane County who really stand out as examples of expertise over politics, two men who are applying jobs for which they have all the right credentials, competing with partisans who do not. If voting were more like applying for a job, these two would be shoo-ins. 

Tom Konis is a moderate Republican running for Spokane County Assessor. He has worked many years in the Assessor’s office. He has all the technical qualifications, expertise, and experience one could ask for. He is endorsed by the retiring Spokane County Assessor, Vicki Horton. (I cannot even tell you, nor was I able to easily find out, which party Vicki Horton “prefers.” That is how non-partisan this office should be.) The fact that Tom Konis “Prefers Republican Party” is purely incidental to his qualifications and desire to serve. Tom Konis has not spent his life running for public office. His opponent, Mr. Christian, on the other hand, is a Republican politician and a real estate broker who lacks Mr Konis’ experience and has dabbled for years in the moderate end of local Republican Party politics. My faith in democracy would undergo a partial restoration if the voters choose Tom Konis. (It fascinates me…and makes me angry and a little sick to my stomach…that WeBelieveWeVote weighs in favor of the less qualified candidate based on criteria that have absolutely nothing to do with the job. If you’re curious, click the link and then the blue level of “alignment” comment following their names.)

David Green is running for Spokane County Treasurer. In a piece entitled “Expertise or Ideology” I have written about this race before. David Green is a certified public accountant with decades of expertise in finance. If he were applying for this job solely on the basis of qualifications he would barely need to show up for the job interview.. His opponent is an unqualified, belligerent Republican political climber (M. Baumgartner) likely to use a position as Treasurer simply as a springboard to another office. His campaign emails alone are enough to make a reasonable person ill. If you have any doubt of that, read “An Election for County Treasurer…or a ‘Knife Fight’?.” 

I urge you to tell everyone who might listen to vote for David Green for Treasurer and Tom Konis for Assessor of Spokane County. Please help restore my waning faith in the american voter. Don’t let David Green and Tom Konis get lost in down ballot incidentals (among the thirty-three races and issues). These are important posts for the function of our local government. Don’t let them go to the manifestly unqualified.

Keep to the high ground,

Jerry

P.S. Taking the time to check out the fundraising of these candidates at the Public Disclosure Commission (a very useful resource) points up something interesting: the Spokane Association of Realtors donated to $1000 to Tom Konis’ campaign and none to his opponent despite the opponent being a realtor. I think there is a message here.

P.P.S. David Green’s opponent, Michael Baumgartner, has two large campaign, one as LD6 State Senator (a position for which he continued to solicit funds even after he knew he was stepping down) and another campaign war chest to use in the Spokane County Treasurer race. You can see who has contributed here and here. With all this money he hopes to steamroll his way to Spokane County Treasurer and beyond. Don’t let him get away with it. Vote for David Green, the qualified candidate.