Status Quotable

The Two Nathans (24-year old Democratic County Auditor candidate Nathan Horter and 24-year old Democratic County Commissioner candidate Nathan Weller) have promised voters fresh ideas, new direction, and an end to the status quo.

Unfortunately, public comments by both in the last week prove that all any Democrat is capable of in this county, regardless of age, is more of the same old Democratic tactics: personal attacks and Republican bashing.

Horter stated that Whitman County Republican Party chairman Wes Taylor's recent comments on Caitlin Ross "represented an un-necessarily disrespectful attitude" and that he was " glad at least the Democrats (Young and Old) are trying to take some leadership rather than fighting to maintain the status quo." Horter apparently did not even bother to consider that Taylor may have been misquoted or taken out of context, especially since his position was incrrectly reported as chairman of the Whitman County Democrats.

As has been reported here previously, the local Democrats have been running a vitriolic smear campaign against Horter's opponent, Eunice Coker, by publicly alleging all sorts of election problems and improprieties.

Weller's letter to the editor of the Daily Evergreen on Tuesday was even harsher. Horter accused Taylor of "ignoring students" and purposefully trying to "divide the community."

Our local Democrats, young and old, much like the Democrats at the national level, seem incapable of running a campaign of issues, only one based on opportunistic character assasination. Where are all these "fresh ideas" and "new directions" we keep hearing about? All they can do is scream that "Bush lied!" and "Republicans are trying to divide us!" and espouse one out-of-the-mainstream ideology after another.

All this serves, ironically, to maintain the status quo the Democrats are apparently so against: the decades-long absence of Democrats from local government. That, Jim Fisher, is we have Republicans representing the 9th District in Olympia.