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.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

A vote for Dave Reichert is a vote for "staying the course" in Iraq

George W. Bush's theme of "stay the course" has been repeated so many times by the White House, its Congressional puppets, and right wing media that it has become ubiquitous. Even now, as Bush tries to reverse himself rhetorically and escape from his own theme or frame, he has admitted that it hasn't really changed.

The words have changed. The language is different. The policy is still the same.

Dave Reichert and George Bush

A policy that Dave Reichert adamantly supports. As Dave Reichert said three weeks ago in the Seattle Times sponsored debate with Darcy Burner:
We first have to remember that we were attacked....the United States of America was attacked. (Boos, jeering from audience) We have to win this war.

Mr. Baker said who was on this panel that the Iraqi government was capable of sustaining peace in war torn Iraq. And the plan is...and the plan has always been from day one: Strong government, strong economy. Strong infrastructure in place and a strong army and a strong police force.

Until that happens we need to stay in Iraq.

- Dave Reichert
A vote for Dave Reichert is a vote for staying the course in Iraq. A vote cast for Dave Reichert is a vote of support for the policies of George W. Bush.

A vote for Dave Reichert is a vote for a clueless Congresscritter who thinks Saddam Hussein was behind September 11th ("we were attacked!") and doesn't have a firm grasp of the issues.

Just look at his performance in the October 10th debate. When asked about Net Neutrality, this is what he said:
PANELIST RYAN BLETHEN: Where are you on network neutrality and what role should Congress play in regulating the Internet?

DAVE REICHERT: It should be an equal place for the people to come, an equal place for the companies to come. It should be the equal place for people to come when they Google... the biggest company doesn't come up but the company that the people have chosen as the most important site.
Clearly Dave Reichert doesn't know what he's talking about. Not only does he not understand what Net Neutrality is, but he doesn't understand Google's PageRank system either. He's all mixed up. Reichert was lucky that Darcy was asked to answer this question first, before he did.

Net Neutrality is all about preserving an open marketplace, not only for the exchange of goods and services, but the exchange of ideas. Net Neutrality is about preventing big Internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast from becoming the ultimate gatekeepers, stifling innovation and freedom.

Net Neutrality is about protecting and preserving equal access to the Internet. It isn't about determining which sites should appear at the top of the results for a Google search.

Even more embarrassing was Reichert's answer on media consolidation:
PANELIST RYAN BLETHEN: Do you believe the FCC should push changes wanted by media conglomerates? If so, does Congress need to create laws that promote local and diverse ownership of the press and media?

DAVE REICHERT: That's an issue that I am not familiar with, and I will have to pass on that question.
That's right. Dave Reichert isn't even familiar with all the major issues in American politics today! He doesn't need to worry about being informed, though, because that's not his job. His job is to do what he's told.

Dave Reichert is desperately hoping to go back to Washington D.C. so he can continue taking orders from House Republican leadership. But the 8th District is a Democratic district. It passed over George W. Bush twice and supported Al Gore and John Kerry. It passed over George Nethercutt and voted for Patty Murray.

Why is it currently represented by a weak-minded stooge who does the bidding of the Bush White House and the corrupt, complicit House Republican leadership?
Sometimes the leadership comes to me and says, `Dave, we want you to vote a certain way.' Now, they know I can do that over here, that I have to do that over here. In other districts, that's not a problem, but here I have to be able to be very flexible in where I place my votes.

Because the big picture here is, keep this seat, keep the majority, keep the country moving forward with Republican ideals -- especially on the budget, on protecting our troops, on protecting this country. Right? Being responsible with taxpayer dollars. All of those things. That's the big picture. Not the vote I place on ANWR that you may not agree with, or the vote that I place on protecting salmon."

You have to... be ... flexible.

And so, when the leadership comes to me and says 'Dave, we need you to take a vote over here because we want to protect you and keep this majority, I...I do it.'

- Dave Reichert
In one week, voters have a chance to slam the door on "stay the course" and elect Darcy Burner to Congress. Darcy's priorities are clear: demand accountability from the administration on Iraq and other issues, work for fiscal responsibility, restore cuts to education funding, address the nation's health care crisis, and end the auctioning off of our public lands and natural resources while advocating legislation to reward investment in renewable energy.

We can't afford to stay the course any longer. Republican one party rule has been a disaster. It's time for change. It's time to send Darcy Burner to Congress.

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