Rep. Rivers puts out The Word: There's a new Sheriff in town.

Rep. Ann Rivers ran a textbook campaign and fought off some of the most vicious, vituperative, back-stabbing "fellow Republicans" I've ever seen to win an election with over 60% of the vote... unheard of in these parts for a rookie.

Her hard work and impressive results merited this plum acknowledgement of her skill and determination as she was selected to present the GOP response to Governor Gregoire's state of the state speech.

Take 10 minutes or so and give it a look.

And to Ann... I say: well done.



Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

State Representative Ann Rivers to give GOP response to Gregoire's state of the state speech.

Sources in Olympia tell me that newly elected and newly sworn-in State Representative Ann Rivers has been selected by GOP leadership to provide the Republican response to Governor's Gregoire's State of the State speech.

This is, of course, a tremendous coup for Rivers, to be selected as a new face with a new perspective to address the people of the State of Washington.

For those fantasizing about a primary challenge (Jon) it's time to move on.

We're fortunate indeed to have a genuine representative of the people who actually has a clue... and who will, I'm sure, do us proud.

Cross posted in 18th District View.

Special Session on Saturday: Will Ridgefield Barbie blow it off?

Special Session is on for Saturday. Now that the Camas Manikin has hit the bigs, will she once again blow session off?

After all, she blew a lot of it off earlier this year so she could fund raise, while her seatmate, Rep. Kevin Parker (R-Spokane) pressed the buttons so it would show she had "voted," even when she wasn't around.

So, is Her Royal Highness going to make it into Olympia?

Or will she, as I suspect, send her regrets?

Stay tuned.

Cross posted on Clark County Politics and Jaime Herrera Watch.

State House Republicans disappear in budget debate.

.
Everyone else in Olympia has weighed in, with some specificity, on the budget debate.

So... what does the House Republicans do? Drop themselves into a pool of irrelevance by sending the Governor a letter with no specific proposals... save dumping all day K in the middle of the year and tightening up on TANF. In addition, allowing reality on the issue of health care premiums for state employees is in there.

But nothing else that I can see.

Read it here for yourself... a page or so memo long on generalities, but short in specifics... and specifics are what we need now.

The House could, and should, do better.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

Clark County GOP Reorg.

Fascinating goin's ons in Clark County GOP land with reorg coming up.

We have one of the larger counties in this state, and one most badly in need of new leadership, given what I consider to be the abysmal outcomes in this county.

The problem is that I haven't seen or heard anything from anyone about what changes they intend to make.

I have a letter from a slate that wants to run for chair and vice chair. Their problem is that the letter doesn't address the multiple failures of the local party and our less then stellar outcomes.

In fact, we're told just the opposite. We are told that the "county experienced a so-called 'red wave' in the 2010 election."

Actually... we didn't. And that the two running on this slate seems to believe that we actually did have a "wave" here indicates to me that they don't know what's wrong, don't have a clue about the political reality, and correspondingly, have no plan to fix the many things that are broken. Further, I have literally never heard of one of these people.

1994 was a wave here locally. 2010 wasn't even a ripple.

A further disqualification is that one of the slate members worked on Ridgefield Barbie's campaign. And that, as they say in the parlance, is a no go.

In addition, anyone elected needs to remove both Anna Miller and Lisa Schmidt from any position on the Executive Board.

In the 18th District, at this point, the choice seems to be between the current Legislative District Chair and someone closely affiliated with Jon Russell.

No political ally of Russell should be elected to anything. Further, in the email I received from the challenger, no compelling reason (does it really matter what you fly... or where? What does that have to do with running a legislative district?) was given to replace the incumbent Chair, a Chair of a district where every Republican won and almost every candidate of any description who was smart enough to have an "R" after their name in Clark County destroyed their democrat candidate counterpart district wide.

That kind of success should not be rewarded with electing someone who wants the job because, well, they want the job. They offer no reason to replace the incumbent, they point out no shortcoming on the part of the incumbent, and as a result, I will not be supporting them.

The candidates in any contested race should have a debate in front of all the PCO's so we can ask questions and make the most informed choices.

That there is no debate process built in to the reorg system is just one of the many weaknesses in County party leadership and our system of governance.

I have sent in 5 resolutions to change the bylaws. Two are housekeeping types.

The remaining 3.... not so much.

My brother-in-law, alleged Republican County Commissioner Marc Boldt, was one of Democrat Steve "Easy Money" Stuart's first endorsements.

Boldt has endorsed Stuart in the past, particularly when Stuart was benefiting from the corrupt money of megacasino developer David Barnett while he was running against Tom Mielke and I was working my ass off getting Mielke elected.

Swell. He can endorse anyone he likes... this is, after all, America. But if he's going to do that, then he should politically suffer for it, like he's helped make us politically suffer for it.

This bylaw change will end any GOP county or district support of any elected Republican official who endorses or otherwise works to get any democrat elected.

That means no signs, no literature, no use of GOP facilities and no help.

You want to endorse democrats? Then quit screwing around and just switch parties.

The next bylaw change would automatically make any elected GOP official who lives in Clark County a voting member of the Executive Board.

Looking at our Executive Board, there is not one member who has ever won an election to anything that I can see.

How can we be a successful organization with a goal of electing people when NONE of the Executive Board has ever been elected to anything?

Changing this bylaw would add the experience and savvy of Joe Zarelli, Don Benton, Ed Orcutt, Ann Rivers and Paul Harris to the Executive Board as voting members.

The last one of the 3 would require anyone endorsing in a contested primary at any level where more then one GOP candidate is running to resign.

Ron Hart endorsed Ridgefield Barbie in the middle of a contest primary (Which is why I won't be supporting him for state committeeman, by the way.... that and his lack of vision as to the problems and the fixes at the state level.) There is no way a member of the Executive Board generally and a county chair particularly can endorse in a contested primary, no matter how that endorsement is spun, without avoiding the appearance of favoritism like that displayed by Anna Miller.

I reiterate: anyone can endorse anyone they like. But this is a POLITICAL PARTY. And anything an Executive Board member does is subject to strict scrutiny. And the County GOP cannot be used as a platform to help your friends while screwing your enemies just because you don't support them.

So, feel free to endorse. But understand that your endorsement constitutes your no-notice resignation from the Executive Board.

That won't stop EBoard Members from stabbing other candidates in the back... but at least they'll have to hide it and we can at least maintain the veneer of what appears to be an even playing field, unlike the blatant and absolute favoritism shown in the last election.

Reorg is December 2. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

The "Old Boy" Network and the Clark County GOP.

The world is certainly run by those who actually show up. And unfortunately, we frequently suffer because of it.

Over on the CCRP web site, this bit of nonsense is up on the calendar:

Trip to Israel

02/04/11

Republican and business owner, Tani Zarelli asked the CCRP to let grassroots Republicans know about this opportunity to travel to Israel. The Clark County Republican Party is not a sponsor or co-sponsor of this trip, however we are glad to be able to make you aware of the opportunity. Here is Tani Zarelli's message: Dear Grassroot America, Recently, our nation and the Jewish people where spared from a terrorist attack. I for one was glued to the TV waiting to hear if it was real. Sadly, it was! Our nation changed with the first terrorist attack on 9/11. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the mind of the those who wish to do us harm, learn about ways to protect our nation and understand the issues surrounding terrorism. I am inviting Grassroots America to join me an one of the most important trips of your life! Please visit this link for an important message and to learn how to register for this trip. http://tanizarelli.com/tours/convergence/ Tani Zarelli Connecting You To Israel

Note the last name: Zarelli.

Joe Zarelli is a state senator. Tani Zarelli is a.... wife to Joe.

This "notice" is an advertisement. The Clark County GOP is making absolutely nothing off of this.

The ONLY reason this is on the GOP web site... and it shouldn't be.... is because of who Tani Zarelli is: namely, wife to a GOP state senator... who, apparently, wants to make money off us.

Now, I have no problem with Zarelli or anyone else advertising their private business on our website.

But they should pay for the privilege.

I have emailed Ryan Hart over this; as expected, the idea that he would not allow special treatment for his buddies is simply beyond him.

I sent his email to him on September 22:.

This represents a profit-making enterprise for the Zarellis. Why are we shilling this on the GOP web site?

.

It has precisely nothing to do with the Clark County GOP. So why is this up on our web site, and why were they allowed to send this out using the CCGOP net?

.

February 4th - February 16th, 2011 Political Insiders Tour to Israel

Join Tani Zarelli on a Political Insiders Tour to Israel February 4th-16th, 2011 On September ...read more...www.clarkcountygop.org

This was the response:

Hi Kelly,

.

The February trip to Israel and its itinerary is designed specifically for Republicans. Support for Israel is a Republican Party Platform issue.

.

Many Republicans are interested in what is happening in the Middle East, and more specifically Israel. This is a great opportunity for folks to travel to Israel and see for themselves what is going on.

.

We regularly promote events from outside groups that are targeted to Republicans or of interest to Republicans.

.

Thanks,

Ryan

Much like his excuses for having endorsed Ridgefield Barbie during a heavily contested primary, Ryan misses the point.

While we may "regularly promote events from outside groups" (Zarelli's business is certainly not a group) I have a hard time finding many other business advertisements for for-profit, private entities that we "promote."

Does anyone reading this really believe that Zarelli will put anyone with a check through some sort of ideological purity test to let them go along on this trip?

Of course not. If Dan Ogden wanted to go, and he could pay for it, does anyone here believe for a second that Tani wouldn't take his check and Dan along on this "adventure?"

This is a symptom of the disease infesting the CCGOP. "Right and wrong" don't seem to have any place there. The concerns of others? Ignored. Those who disagree? Attacked behind their backs. (Right, Anna?)

The lack of a policy for this kind of thing, leaving it entirely up to "Friends of Joe" as to whether or not to run an ad, is a symptom of the clueless leadership that resulted in a something much less then stellar outcome in the most recent election.

Clearly, the Party organization has so much money laying around that when a private, for-profit concern wants to use OUR web site that they pay NOTHING for, why, that's just swell, if those running the show may presumably say, with a straight face, that it's "specifically for Republicans."

It isn't, of course. And while the Zarelli's make a pile, the Party apparently doesn't make a dime.

Now THAT'S leadership. And vision. And competence.

Is it any wonder that Republicans in this state couldn't take any advantage of the GOP Tsunami that seemed to do so much everywhere else?

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

So, NOW we want welfare fraud investigation? Zarelli killed it a decade ago... what's changed?

It's with some amusement that I see everyone getting giddy over State Senator Joe Zarelli's proposals to amp up welfare fraud investigation here in Washington.

It's not amusement because of any lack of a need for increased investigation. Tripling the number of investigators and their powers to investigate would probably just begin to address the issues.

No, the amusement comes from the fact that Zarelli is the one pushing it.

Ten years or so ago, back when my now brother-in-law, Marc Boldt, used to be both a Republican conservative AND a State Representative; he had just complete working on a bill that would have resulted in major increases in the office of Fraud Investigation. It would have roughly doubled the number of investigators, in an office where, at the time, the amount of money recovered averaged something on the order of $800,000 per year per investigator.

Marc had literally worked for years to get a bill together. He spent hundreds of hours in research, hearings, discussions... all to do something about an out of control welfare fraud situation that had, at the time, resulted in Washington State being ranked dead last in welfare fraud investigation.

Marc shepherded the bill through committee, Appropriations, Rules and the House floor.

Then it got to the Senate.

And State Senator Joe Zarelli spiked the bill.

Let me repeat that:

State Senator Joe Zarelli killed then Rep. Marc Boldt's welfare fraud investigation bill.

Years of work, hundreds of hours and possibly millions of dollars in unrecovered monies... all went to waste, because Zarelli killed the bill.

Shortly after he killed the bill, Zarelli called me to explain why. I really didn't want to hear it, so I didn't pay a lot of attention since his explanation made precisely zero sense and justified nothing, but I do seem to recall that he was concerned about "expanding government."

Well, the wheel has come full circle. And imagine how much we'd have saved had Zarelli supported the bill... instead of killing it some 10 years ago.

Remember, Joe? I'm sure Marc does. Because I know I do.

Cross posted in 18th District View.