Rep. Tom Campbell Wants to Shame Robert Byrd in Pork?

Wilcox Family Farms executive and Jennifer Dunn Leadership Institute graduate JT Wilcox is challenging incumbent Rep. Tom Campbell in the Washington 2nd Legislative District.

It isn't often in this state that a Republican challenger goes after a Republican incumbent, as there aren't that many to begin with.  But then again Campbell, who started out in the legislature as a Democrat, can hardly be considered your average Republican.

Campbell doesn't caucus with the House Republicans. His rating from state business organizations is far below any other House Republican. And Campbell is the only Republican endorsed by the Washington State Federation of State Employees this year. Meanwhile, JT Wilcox has been endorsed by Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna and House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt.

And if any further proof of Campbell's RINO credentials is needed, consider this story from The Olympian last June when Campbell had announced a run (he later dropped out) for Congress in the 9th Congressional District against Rep. Adam Smith:

“I hear a lot of Republicans say they hope (President) Obama fails. I hope he succeeds. The whole country is at stake,” Campbell said last week after kicking off his campaign with a June 5 fundraiser in Puyallup. “This is a perfect example of the gamesmanship that shouldn’t be done ... I’m a pragmatist and would try to make it work” with either party in power.

[snip]

Campbell says he will set aside party affiliation in a quest to get federal transportation money to the 9th district and fix health care, comparing his ambitions to the record of West Virginia budget master Robert Byrd.

“I intend to shame Sen. Byrd before it’s all over with. I have proven myself ... I never use parties as an excuse for nonperformance,” Campbell said.

The late Senator Byrd, of course, brought home $3.3 billion in pork to his home state of West Virginia over his half-century in the Senate.  At the time of his death, he had more earmarks this fiscal year, 89, worth more than $250 million, than other lawmaker on Capitol Hill.  And it's that same reckless tax-and-spend attitude that has nearly bankrupted the state of Washington.

Byrd's lifetime incumbency and big government pig at the taxpayer trough mentality epitomized everything that Americans see as wrong with DC today.  I cannot imagine why any Republican would strive to emulate that or why any recession-strapped Washington taxpayer approve of it.

It's time 2nd LD voters give chiropractor Campbell an adjustment of their own.