Offering frequent news and analysis from the majestic Evergreen State and beyond, The Cascadia Advocate is the Northwest Progressive Institute's unconventional perspective on world, national, and local politics.

Monday, July 31, 2006

President Clinton rallies Cantwell supporters at gala banquet

President William Jefferson Clinton paid a long anticipated visit to the Evergreen State on Monday night, appearing at a gala banquet in Senator Maria Cantwell’s honor. The event, Celebrate Washington, recognized many outstanding Washingtonians and Senator Cantwell’s work putting the Evergreen State first.

Snohomish County Aaron Reardon kicked off the event by welcoming guests and asking all attendees present to observe a moment of silence for those killed and injured in the recent Jewish Federation shootings. Following the singing of the National Anthem, Reardon acknowledged Senator Cantwell’s outstanding work and launched the beautiful "Celebrate Washington" video, showcasing the state’s heritage and bright future.

"Our state is built on bold ideas and creative endeavors," stated Reardon, as he began introducing the evening’s honorees, which included:
Roger Knutzen, Rick and Darcey Small, Nicole Piasecki, LeRoy Nosbaum, John Plaza, Steve Reynolds. James Gore, Mark Groudine, Gerald Nepom, Stanley Barer, David Little, Paul G. Allen, James Allchin, Amit Kumar, Pearl Capoeman-Baller, Brian Cladoosby, Dennis Madsen, Orin Smith
"In Maria Cantwell, we have a Senator who stands up for Main Street, not K Street," Reardon declared. He spoke knowledgeably and confidently, a cheery smile on his face, as he railed against the Bush administration’s failed policies and touted Sen. Cantwell's successes.

"Because of her strength and her tenacity, they have made Maria their target in 2006," the Snohomish County Executive continued. I thought Reardon was elegant and polished in his remarks. He went on to introduce Carey Cantwell, who spoke proudly of her sister’s commitment to the people of Washington State. (Carey seemed unprepared, but spoke admirably considering she was likely asked to do so last minute).

Senator Cantwell then appeared in a sharp, radiant video message to supporters thanking them for being there and helping raise money for her reelection campaign. She told them to enjoy Clinton's speech.

Reardon then brought in Representative Jay Inslee, my representative, and a rousing speaker. "With Maria Cantwell, we’re going to start making the decisions next January in America," Inslee thundered. Many in the audience gave him a standing ovation.

"There’s many reasons I want to see Senator Cantwell continue to do her job," Inslee said, ticking off Cantwell's numerous legislative successes. And then, just before he had really gotten warmed up, he brought up Representative Norm Dicks to introduce the President. Dicks looked around and shouted, "This is a crowd!" (and it certainly was).

I didn't catch much of Dicks' speech because I went up to the front to snap photos of Clinton, who entered and went up on stage not four feet away from where I was positioned to take photos. Clinton received a staggeringly huge (and loud) standing ovation from the event attendees, who wouldn't sit down (despite his pleading) for over a minute.

Clinton Speaks At Celebrate Washington

Clinton's remarks were lengthy, but although he spoke for a long time, he did not mince words. He was razor sharp and harshly critical of the Bush administration.

Among his comments:

"Whatever your position was in the beginning, no Democrat is responsible. It is very important that this issue alone not be allowed to divide the Democrats."

Clinton also noted that the mission in Afghanistan is in trouble and has been largely forgotten.

"Everywhere I go in the world people are thinking about this [getting off of foreign oil]. Why are we resisting it? Why are we giving massive subsidies to the oil companies?"

On climate change: "The glaciers are melting, and if you put that with deforestation and erosion of topsoil, we are facing a serious international security crisis if we don't deal with this."

On the environment: "You must reelect Senator Maria Cantwell because she is our leader on this issue and we must lead."

On our nation's treasury: "Spending. These guys make me look like Scrooge. I always knew the Democrats were the fiscally responsible party, but they’ve removed all doubt."

On tax cuts for the wealthy: "We’re not cutting taxes. We’re deferring them and putting them on our kids."

On healthcare: "We spend 16% of our income on healthcare. No other rich country spends more than 11%...They want to increase the amount of personal risk on individuals and make it even worse."

On Republican ideology: "Their great value is to concentrate wealth and power."

On the K Street Project: "There are twice as many lobbyists in Washington D.C. today as there were when I left office."

And, in conclusion: "Because of all the things she’s done here – you have got a clear choice...You’ve got to reelect Maria Cantwell."

After Clinton's remarks, the Cantwell fundraiser ended, and people began streaming out of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. President Clinton is now scheduled to go to an event at the Triple Door to support the State Democratic Coordinated Campaign; then he will appear at "We the People" with Representative Jim McDermott.

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