Dancing the Sidestep

Johnny Walker

@KingstonJW on Twitter

One of my favorite movies of all time was a 1982 musical comedy featuring actor Charles Durning as the Governor of Texas. He was only one of many big names, like Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds, but Durning had the singular honor of dramatizing The Sidestep by Carol Hall in political song.

Fellow Texans, I am proudly standing here to humbly see.

I assure you, and I mean it- Now, who says I don't speak out as plain as day?

And, fellow Texans, I'm for progress and the flag- long may it fly.

I'm a poor boy, come to greatness. So, it follows that I cannot tell a lie.

Ooh I love to dance a little sidestep, now they see me now they don't-
I've come and gone and, ooh I love to sweep around the wide step,
cut a little swathe and lead the people on.

32 years after the original 1978 Broadway production of the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, we can look back and smile at the comedic stereotype and appreciate the humor. Less humorous; however, is knowing that at a time when our country is at the crossroads of social, economic, and political upheaval, the lie of the sidestep will likely have major consequences. I’m not talking about big institutional conspiracies like hiding UFO’s or something, but the small individual lies that reflect the health of a politician’s morality and core values; the stupid and unrepentant lies of avarice. Let me give you a few examples of sidestepping liars.

In the hotly contested race between 14-year incumbent Jay Inslee (D) and challenger James Watkins (R) for Washington’s 1^st Congressional District, Jay Inslee had been sidestepping arrangements to debate Watkins throughout the campaign. Inslee finally agreed to a single debate on the evening of October 18th on Bainbridge Island, a Monday night late in the season after mail ballots were on the way, and a ferry too far for most working constituents to take advantage of. Hosted by American Legion Post 172, it would be on his home turf to guarantee the friendliest audience plausible; “neighbors” as he put it. During the event, Inslee sidestepped a question about his probable bid for the 2012 governorship (again) and then further sidestepped into a lie. When asked to explain his absence from a ceremony he sponsored legislation for honoring Bainbridge High School graduate Bud Hawk, World War II veteran and medal of honor recipient, Inslee said he was in Washington DC “fulfilling his constitutional duty.” But it turns out he wasn’t there. According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer, he was at Seattle's Convention Center hobnobbing with Ford Motor Co’s Alan Mulally. Why was it so important to lie about that?

34-year incumbent Norm Dicks (D) of Washington’s 6^th Congressional District did a little sidestepping recently as well. After not showing up to a September 20^th scheduled debate with challenger Doug Cloud (R) in Sequim, his campaign manager told the waiting crowd that Inslee was on his way to Washington DC to cast some important votes. But there was a problem with that. There apparently weren’t votes scheduled for that day or the next, and KOMO news placed Dicks in Everett, WA, attending a Boeing labor rally. Norm Dicks sidestepped into a lie. A debate between the two was finally cemented in Sequim on October 13^th, a Wednesday early afternoon in the cozy town 90 miles from the district’s dense populations centers; another sidestep I have reported on in some detail.

Just to be clear that dancing the sidestep is not a sport constrained to the Pacific Northwest, consider the campaign of Richard Blumenthal (D), Connecticut Attorney General campaigning for the Senate against Linda McMahon (R). You would think that a man of such legal stature would be careful about sidestepping lies but apparently not. Speaking at an event honoring veterans, Blumenthal told the audience he served in Vietnam. But the New York Times reported that just wasn’t so. Instead, Blumenthal received a series of deferments that allowed him to finish studies at Harvard and then he joined the Marine reserve in Washington to avoid deployment to Viet Nam. He also claimed to be captain of the Harvard swim team; not so.

Democrat Warren Buffett, billionaire activist, is quoted to have said this:

“Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. But if you don’t have the first, the other two could kill you.”

Over the decades, a number of politicians have let us down with sidestepping and lies from all parties. Dancing the sidestep is not nearly as funny in reality as it was in the movie. I think Bill O’Reilly would probably call them all pinheads. But I think we should just call them all "retired."

Vote for integrity in 2010. Know your candidates and vote smart. November is coming.

North Kitsap Forum Explodes with Coroner’s Race

by Johnny Walker

@KingstonJW on Twitter

It was a packed house at the Greater Hansville Community Center Friday night, as 2010 political candidates vied for undecided votes with only three weeks left on the campaign trail. Co-hosted by the Community Center on the week of its 69^th birthday with the League of Women Voters of Kitsap County, the evening began extraordinarily well with the local tradition of pie and genuine fellowship that small communities love to evoke. Unfortunately, the levity did not last.

The surprises came quick for this forum as moderator Fred Nelson made the rounds to turn off video cameras in the room. A last minute rule made by the hosts decided to censure accurate reporting and accountability of this public forum by video. To be fair to Nelson, he was clearly the messenger. I’ll follow up on this unusual hindrance at another time. This entry will cover Congressional and State House commentary with one exception at the tail.

First up under strict rules of time and engagement, were the federal candidates for Washington’s 1^st Congressional District; Jay Inslee (D) and challenger James Watkins (R).

Jay Inslee and James Watkins continue to offer clear voter choices to the future of Congressional leadership, accountability and self-government. Inslee blamed the prior Bush administration at least three times for the country’s financial woes but failed to acknowledge his own role in the Democratic majority during that time. Using a blame and attack strategy to deflect from his own culpability, Inslee even accused Watkins of being against protecting health care coverage for pre-existing conditions. The accusation cherry picked the massive Obama-care package Watkins would seek to repeal and replace, a program the majority of Americans disapprove of, and echoed the false and misleading rhetoric most common to a candidate on his heels. James Watkins had perhaps the most impassioned speech of the exchange when debating the viability of social security’s future. Responding to an accusation by Inslee that Watkins would seek to put social security in the greedy hands of banks and investment firms, Watkins countered that he would protect social security from the “greed and avarice of career politicians” that have borrowed and spent the people’s security on other programs over the years. Watkins also pointed out that Jay Inslee voted with the majority Democratic Party to turn down efforts by the Bush administration to provide oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, an exemption that apparently remains in the Inslee supported finance reform legislation.

The Washington State House candidates for 23^rd District were equally polar and contentious in their positions. Sherry Appleton (D) and Christine Rolfes (D) continue to acknowledge the challenges of balancing the budget but make no indication that the State has a spending problem as the result of their progressive ideologies. This should be a problem for independent voters. Challengers Pete DeBoer (R) and James Olsen (R) are strong advocates of greater fiscal accountability and job creation. One clear indicator of party divisions erupted over I-1053, which would reinstate a super majority vote for the legislature to raise taxes (recall that the Democratic majority suspended the 2/3-majority rule earlier this year). Neither Appleton or Rolfes support reinstating the rule, with Sherry Appleton suggesting that if our democracy were really about majority rule, then a 2/3-majority was an inappropriate hindrance because 17 people could “stand in the way” of the majority [of legislators]. Challenger Pete DeBoer smartly countered that if it were really about majority rule, legislators should respect the majority will of the people and honor the 2/3-majority rule. James Olsen piles on by telling the audience that the 2/3-majority does not tie the hands of the legislature but forces them to work together” instead of just raising taxes. These are two markedly different positions and should be clear indicators for voters to follow.

I’m passing over the other County offices for now so I can focus a brief discussion on the Kitsap County Coroner’s race. I actually hesitate in this because I don’t want to give the more inflammatory details of this story unnecessary traction, but the story is important regardless for the lessons we could learn.

In an incredibly ill devised misstep, challenger Pete Favazza (D) lobbed several personal integrity and morals accusations against incumbent Coroner Greg Sandstrom (R) that immediately backfired. I will not detail the accusations; suffice the audience was universally appalled. The accusations were highly personal, embarrassing, and lacked relevance to the forum. The smear tactic was an obvious and epic fail of disastrous proportions for his campaign in the north end and easily overwhelmed any possible value the man could have had in the office. I emphasize “could have had” because I can’t imagine he’ll get any rational voter support from North Kitsap residents as a result of his atrocious behavior, regardless of qualifications.

In an attempt to be fair to Favazza, personal integrity is an important qualification for any office and can be a barometer for how a candidate might be expected to behave legally and ethically. That said, the lesson here is that questions of integrity must also be substantial, substantiated, and relevant. American voters are increasingly intolerant with the politics of destruction, false, and misleading accusations that lack relevance to performance in office. Favazza has become the victim of his own sword.

As the result of Pete Favazza’s public behavior, I call upon him to immediately issue a public apology to Greg Sandstrom and disqualify himself from the Coroner’s race. He has publically demonstrated a sufficient lack of personal integrity and ethics to manage sensitive information so necessary to an investigative office, has maliciously attempted to exploit the personal life of a public servant and his family for gain, and in doing so has most certainly caused personal, emotional harm to the friends and family of Greg Sandstrom. And all of it unnecessarily so. Pete Favazza earns from me an early “NO VOTE” level of confidence in a race that in most years would fly under the radar.

Know your candidates and vote. November is coming.

Voters See Red in 1st Congressional District - Sign & Counter-Sign

by Johnny Walker

@KingstonJW on Twitter

Washington State voters in the 1^st Congressional District are likely to see more red today. Designed in part to pry out entrenched and evasive candidate Jay Inslee to directly debate critical financial positions, the James Watkins for Congress campaign deployed hundreds of new red signs this morning challenging Inslee for his support of high taxes and out of control spending. The signs, pictured above, are graphically similar to typical Inslee signs but evoke a starkly different message.

Bankrupting America, Jay Inslee since 1992

According to a press release, the Watkins campaign is calling this new sign tactic issues based “insurgent campaigning” and is the first in a series of new signs he expects will serve as a catalyst for more open debate of the issues.

“Today, volunteers for the Watkins for Congress campaign deployed the first wave of hundreds of new issues-based signs across Washington’s 1^st Congressional District in Kitsap, Snohomish, and King Counties. The signs are vivid and highlight one of the issues critical to voters – out of control government spending by long-term career politicians in bankrupting the United States and putting our future at risk.”

While the press quote seems a mouthful, it challenges some important realities of the Inslee campaign. Jay Inslee has been in office 14 years and has voted with Nancy Pelosi 98.8% of the time – he hasn’t done much to proactively manage financial distress but has instead exasperated it. According to James Watkins, this is non defensible and probably why Inslee is avoiding debate.

• Government-run health care that has increased insurance costs, threatens to reduce the number of physicians the U.S. has in the industry, and robed Medicare
• Ineffective stimulus spending and bailouts that have cost nearly a Trillion dollars
• Rising energy taxes while failing to leverage sustainable energy resources the country has access to now.

More information about this release will be available on the Watkins campaign web site at 1:00 PM today, including a 17 page comprehensive issues guide that will detail and resource Jay Inslee’s voting record.

“It’s not an attack ad if it’s true,” responded Watkins to concerns that the new signs could be portrayed as dirty tactics. Acknowledging Inslee supporters are likely to be “livid” over the new signs, he said the campaign needed “to do something different” that would draw out Jay Inslee to debate his record. Watkins expects the new sign campaign to be a catalyst for more informative debate, including this evening's Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum in Edmonds, Washington.

Know your candidates and vote! November is coming.

Riding for Watkins with Soul

All work and no play makes for a dreary political campaign. That certainly wasn’t the case on Sunday afternoon, September 12^th, as a core group of motorcyclists quick-toured the northeast section of Washington’s 1^st Congressional District, finishing the 55 mile loop at a fund raising barbeque highlighted with live soul music. Following the James Watkins campaign has its benefits.

Even though the weather threatened to spit and blow a little, the ride was dry, safe, and even a bit balmy. Just like James hopes to do in Congress, he and wife Ashley lead the tour easily (and at the speed limit) without unnecessary drama. The ride started in Lake Forest Park, progressing through the communities of Canyon Park, Maltby, Woodinville, Cottage Lake, Duvall, High Bridge Rd., Lost Lake, Echo Lake, and then back through Bothell to Kenmore, where supporter Paul Hess hosted a first class reception at his home. To the delight of the arriving motorcyclists, the Queen of Ivory Soul, Miss May Palmer, greeted them with standards that could only be bested by the likes of Etta James or Aretha Franklin. Like I said, following James and crew has its benefits… they know how to have fun but also know how to get down to business.

After some dogs and food for thought, James addressed the moderate crowd with his now comfortable talking points and campaign update. While I did hear a few relatively new topics come up such as concerns for stop-loss military retention and what he calls the over-criminalization of America, the most interesting question of the night came from the host, who wanted to know why James wasn’t getting the support he needs back east and why should he support him. I’m paraphrasing but the bottom line was that Republican strategists in D.C. think that regardless of polling data showing otherwise, this left coast Congressional district may be a bit too blue for their taste. James Watkins doesn’t think that assessment is right one.

Instead of primarily relying on a dollars focused campaign, James says he is running a content-oriented and volunteer campaign that will both out-message and outwork the incumbent. Watkins feels that swing voters want good government more than ideology. He expects the independent’s vote to be critical as he continues to press strong messaging for more jobs and less government. Watkins believes DC insiders are not looking closely enough at the energy behind his 500 volunteers that will outwork incumbent Jay Inslee, who relies on heavy contributions to sustain basic tasks. I spoke with Watkins later on and asked him a little more about how he is differentiating with Jay Inslee. “Jay Inslee is a smooth politician,” he said, “He comes down firmly on both sides of the issue.” Watkins sees this as a big difference that is important to swing voters. He wants voters to know exactly where he stands on issues without prevarication.

Sidebar: For motorcyclists wanting to know, Watkins was riding two up on a 2002 BMW K1200RS Sport-Tour, and has Iron Butt cheeks to prove out his fitted seat, customized by Rich’s Custom Seats of Kingston, WA. He rides it now as a daily commuter and you are likely to see it at campaign appearances. Watkins’ first bike was a 50’s era Panhead, which may explain the smile on his face as he checked out my Glide before the event.

Know your candidates and vote. November is coming.

Photos: Top center, Watkins' caravan near Echo Lake, WA; Top Left, Watkins campaign flags on bike; Center right, May Palmer sings in Kenmore, WA; bottom left, James Watkins tries on Harley Road Glide for fit.

Watkins and Burke Remain Positive on WA-01 Primary - analysis

With some irony, the weather cooled in the Puget Sound this morning after yesterday’s hotly contested primary. Winning teams are cautiously buoyant, and those who didn’t are contemplative. Pundits are running amok in their search to find a new story in their analysis of what was mostly a predictable result. This is my shot.

The results for Washington’s Congressional District 1 were strategically anticipated but the details were not. The reaction is interesting. With more than 75% of ballots on hand counted, incumbent Jay Inslee commands a whopping 57% this afternoon, checking James Watkins’ 27%, humbling Matthew Burke at 12%, and barely acknowledges the surprise of David Schirle’s 4%. In other words, the conservative message, even with all its newfound activism, barely dented Jay Inslee’s armor, taking only 11% off his 2008 general election win of 68%. Jay probably slept well last night.

Because the spread between James Watkins and Matthew Burke was closer than I expected, I called up Matthew to get his thoughts. He was surprisingly upbeat considering his loss. Though disappointed he didn’t do better and contemplative about next steps, he thought his numbers against James Watkins were pretty good considering the relative investment. Burke accounts his success to strong independent voters who want performance over talk, and those who believe in firm constitutional principles. This should be a clear signal to James Watkins, who not only needs to recover those votes but quickly turn the voters into active evangelists. Overcoming the incumbent will take a well-energized wave, not a ripple, and precise messaging on key issues will help him get there.

On a personal note, Matthew said that he learned a lot as a candidate and met many great people along the way. He and his wife, Jennifer, will continue to remain active in politics through their involvement with Tea Party groups. I think we can look forward to seeing more of them again soon.

In my conversation with Donald Rasmussen at the Watkins campaign, he readily acknowledged that the numbers weren’t what they hoped for at either end of the spectrum. On the right, Rasmussen sees the differences between Watkins and Burke primarily as a matter of personal style and framing of the message. He notes that while the tension between campaigns had recently become strained; both Watkins and Burke came out of the Tea Party movement and have a great deal in common. With the primary over, Rasmussen believes the campaign will be able to reach out and reconcile with Burke supporters in the near term. Picking up numbers on the left will be more challenging and rely on a different set of strategies, but will certainly involve balancing social issues with financial conservatism in a way that reflect the needs of a very diverse district. Rasmussen characterized Watkins as a kind of post-partisan candidate, keeping focus on jobs and less spending.

So the question is this: Will James Watkins be able to differentiate himself enough from Jay Inslee to woo moderate independents and Democrats without being labeled a RINO and lose conservative support? The Watkins campaign is optimistic they can. If I had the answer to that I could probably get a job on Fox News, but the simple no-brainer analysis is that retiring Jay Inslee is not going to be a walk in the park. Things that could be on the to-do list?

1. Reach out quickly and decisively to Burke supporters. This group could account anywhere from 10-20% and they need to be on board early not just as recovered votes but as active evangelists. This is a force multiplier.
2. Undecided conservatives and independents will need to be more pragmatic in their expectations and think about what is most important to them in the long game. With a Congressional District this diverse, narrow litmus tests may not get them what they want.
3. More work on policy points and tactics without prevarication. Independents and moderate Democrats will want to see the difference between Watkins and Inslee. Tea Party conservatives will want to see firm commitments to financial conservatism and constitutional principles.

November is coming.

Photos: Left to right James Watkins and Matthew Burke speaking at Kitsap Patriots Tea Party event in Silverdale, WA, August 13, 2010

Picnic Politics on the Kitsap Peninsula

Was it a picnic, a pep talk, or a conservative think tank with some of the most active and influential movers in Kitsap County? Graciously hosted at her beautiful Poulsbo home by Kitsap County Republican Chairman Sandy LaCelle, the KCRP Summer Picnic turned out to be a bit of all three. I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure to be amongst so many conservative movers and shakers since the 2010 Convention in Vancouver.

Some of the honored guests in attendance, pictured and identified clockwise because it is just seems wrong to say “left”, are: “Firefighter” Dan Griffey for Washington State Representative 35^th District; Doug Cloud for Congress, Washington State 6^th District; James Watkins for Congress, Washington State 1^st District; James Olsen for Washington State Representative 23^rd District; and Pete Deboer also for a Washington State Representative spot, 23^rd District. Not pictured here were special guest Kirby Wilbur and other notable personalities.

It didn’t surprise anyone for Kirby Wilbur to show up. As a widely respected personality with a long affection for Kitsap County, children playing in the pool didn’t distract one word during his keynote pep talk.

“Jobs,” he said, and holding up his wallet to emphasize the point, “this is the most important thing in this election.” Kirby implored the diverse crowd to not get distracted with unproductive messaging. “We can’t just say we’re not them; we have to say what we’re going to do about it.” This was a key message because it helped clarify that it just wasn’t about what conservatives were “going to do about it” but what they were doing about it right now. You bet, Coach, it’s pep talk time.

“There is a lot you can do by not doing,” he said. “We can still lose this election!” Kirby went on to warn about the implied progressive mandate as the result of a conservative failure. “If you think it is bad now,” I overheard in the crowd.

Then easing the mood as only Kirby Wilbur can do at a moment like this, he embellished a Churchill quote, “or was it Yoda?” [Personally, I think Yoda smoked cigars and probably said it first... Churchill was a Jedi] “It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required,” said Sir Winston Churchill. The point, Kirby emphasized, was that supporters need to have more than just a “yes we can” spirit during the campaign, they need to have done those things required to say, “yes we did” after the votes have been counted.

Kirby also stressed the importance and value of Tea Party organizations and said. “I give credit to the Tea Parties for saying, "Not with my country... not with my country."

Other informative from snippets worth mentioning…

In a short discussion with James Watkins about the financial gap between he and incumbent Jay Inslee, “We can’t outspend them but we can outwork them.” He expects the gap to get much smaller after the primary.

Before meeting James Olsen for the first time, I asked an onlooker what he thought about the first time candidate. “He’s not afraid to open his mouth,” he said. In response, James smiled broadly and quipped, “Truth in power.” I imagine we will be hearing much more about James Olsen.

It was a productive weekend for conservative politics on the Kitsap Peninsula.