The Representative from Washington's Congressional District # 3 is an alleged member of the Democratic Party who has backed George Bush on matters of critical importance to U.S. citizens in general (and progressives in particular), for examples: 1) support for the occupation of Iraq, and, especially, support for 'the Surge'; 2) approval of the Peru Free-Trade Agreement in late 2007; and 3) an affirmative vote for the construction of 700 miles of fence/wall along the U.S. border with Mexico in 2006.
Consequently, I have been searching for a progressive opponent for Baird in the August primary election. This is the story and result of that search.
(Posted earlier on OpenLeft and DemocracyInVancouver.)
I have had a number of conversations, both via e-mail and face-to-face, with progressives in and near WA C.D. 3. The upshot was that we couldn't find a likely candidate who would challenge Brian. At one point I remembered that a woman had run against him at the last-minute in the 2004 primary. Just to illustrate the extent of her name recognition, I couldn't remember it, even though I had voted for her. Finally, one of my contacts remembered her name, so I ran a web search about six months ago and found a couple of articles about her last "campaign", plus a rudimentary web site for the candidate herself.
Policy positions looked good – end the occupation of Iraq; Fair Trade, not Free Trade; investment for Renewable Energy generation; investment in infrastructure. Then I noticed that she referred to herself as the "Peace candidate". Some of her Curriculum Vitae concerned Yoga. The rhetoric in her Position statements seemed a little 'hippy-flippy', if you know what I mean. In other words my flake-detector started to hum a bit, and I decided to keep looking for a viable opponent for our boy, Brian.
Nobody volunteered, and every couple of weeks I went to Cheryl's campaign web site and reviewed the material – which was also being augmented during this time period. There was nothing with which to disagree, so I became more interested in her candidacy. About two months ago, I had a small epiphany: Cheryl Crist is not a 'flake'; Brian Baird is.
Brian has that patented, "I'm just 'folks' like you" smile. He drafts bills that honor motherhood and recommend apple pie. He votes with his fellow Democrats on airport names, resolutions honoring dead heroes, and – hurrah – for contempt charges against ex-Administration flunkies. He supports better benefits for veterans – who, besides GWB and his trained monkeys in Congress, does not?
When, however, it comes to ending the Iraq debacle, he wants to stay there to fix things. If that is not flakehood, what do you, as a progressive Democrat, call it. It gets worse, though. I have had two direct conversations with Brian where he has made the statement that, on his trips to the Middle East, officials in Egypt and Jordan have told him that the U.S. must stay in Iraq. He has made the same statement in various written documents and 'town-hall' meetings. And he apparently feels that this is a meaningful point. That is prima facie evidence that our boy is a Flake.
With regard to the Peru FTA, Brian will probably tell you that measures have been added to assure workers' rights and environmental protections. That is not the case. Some generalizations concerning these matters have been added to the agreement in a context of the U.S. Trade bureaucrats' administration of the agreement. First, they have to find a reason to call for protections; then they have to get Peru to agree. This, then, is not assurance of anything other than that nothing will be implemented along these lines. A Fair Trade Agreement has to state that this provision and that protection must be implemented before the agreement is approved.
As to "the Wall" - well, let's see. 64 Democrats voted for the bill; 131 voted against it. On the other hand, all but 9 of the Republican representatives voted for it. Besides the fact that this is the least effective element of any immigration solution; besides the fact that this is just more money going toward B.S. and away from real infrastructure improvements; does Baird not realize the importance of migrant labor to the economy of Washington state? Flaky behavior, is it not?
I hope that the point is made. "Peace" candidate – that doesn't sound bad at all, the more that I think about it. "Yoga" - at my age maybe I should look into that. Brian Baird on the other hand – I don't want a Flake as my Congresscritter.
Look at Cheryl Crist, please www.cristforcongress.us . You're going to find a lot to like. Her position statements and draft proposals have matured and 'progressed'. Take a look now, and you will like what you see. As a Democratic Party activist in a small, rural segment of WA - 03, I can tell you that I support her fully, and this includes financially.