Help
this great Democratic candidate Joe Pakootas replace Cathy (
no-I-didn't- really-want-to-be-#2) McMorris Rodgers in November 2016!
Saw this January 2014 article from the New York Times shared on the Dump Cathy McMorris Facebook page the other day. It is, as the person who shared it suggested, a timely reminder of why we need to replace her. The whole article is an excellent read, but here's a small excerpt-
Only the snarkiest would not be open to the likable life story of Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the Eastern Washington politician who gave the “official” Republican response to the president’s State of the Union speech. She’s a farm girl from a big empty county just north of here, first in her family to attend college, mother of three, a rare woman in the retrograde men’s club of her party’s leadership.
Her district, poorer than the west side of the state, with much of the broken-family, broken-promise poverty of white rural America, is in real trouble. But the policy prescriptions of McMorris Rodgers have nothing to offer these people. Through her, you can see what happens when biography trumps substance in politics.
...and oooh what a charming wholesome bio it is. The sweet lady has been in politics for about 26 of her 46 years. Kind of amusing to read these diaries from my very naive days in 2006
here and
here. I think the expired picture was one of her accompanying Dick Cheney from his plane when he came into town to campaign for her. That was when she was selling apple-cheeked wholesomeness. Now she's a "wonderful mom". More great bio stuff. My ignorant perceptions of her were entirely correct, except she is even worse than I thought.
Joe has, I would say, a much more compelling personal story. I came across this piece published in August of last year and came away even more impressed by him (and I would urge you to read the whole article).
Like his opponent, he comes from humble roots...and had political aspirations of his own. Pakootas had a somewhat rougher road: he was born on the reservation and was a ward of the state by the time he was in the second grade. He and six of his seven siblings were sent to live with a foster family on a dairy farm off the reservation; it was three years before they were reunited with their parents...
That he managed to become the man he is today — the Colville CEO who helped turn around tribal finances and helped lead a successful lawsuit against a Canadian mining firm that was polluting the Columbia River — is a testament to his character.
He knows what it is to grow up in this district and what an education and community means to this district.
And though many people might say- well those eastern Washington, RWNJ, Idaho fundamentalists types voted for her so why should we care, I would say like it or not she is part of the "leadership". And she is "the woman" that is the shining example they can point of how the republicans are not against women and families.
Back in 1994 the Republicans made an all out effort to defeat Tom Foley, the then Speaker of the House. Term limits were the big issue/argument they were making then to throw out the Democrats. Big money and heavyweights in the Republican party worked on it, replacing him with George Nethercutt (term limit challenged himself) And then he hand-picked McMorris. She has been a hand-maiden, as it were, to all the corrupt party leaders, from Tom Delay on down. It's time to clean up and throw them out.
For the first time in years, we have a candidate who is working incredibly hard to get his name out there, traveling this, geographically, very big district. He means to win.
From his campaign kick-off email:
In the 2014 general election I earned 41.32% of the vote after a 6-month long race with no name recognition and a $200,000 budget. My opponent's $4M war chest was financed by political operatives, corporations, Super PACs and big money special interests. We're a year out from the election and I've already been to all of the 10 counties in the 5th Congressional District. I've attended most of the Fairs, Parades and major events from Kettle Falls to Walla Walla. My Team and I are working hard to raise money and get the word out about my candidacy, my background and the experience I bring to the U.S. House of Representatives. Our Campaign is ready for the 2016 race. It's time to stand up against multi-national corporate special interest groups to restore citizen-led democracy. We have over 300 volunteers working on holding my opponent accountable for her record of:
Cutting programs that serve 1 out of 5 U.S. children
Shutting down the government
Opposing affordable health care for all Americans
Ignoring our crumbling infrastructure
Risking catastrophic environmental accidents by weakening environmental regulations
Abandoning workers and small businesses by supporting a trade deal that will only benefit multinational corporations and not the people of the 5th District
Reducing benefits to our veterans, seniors and children
Missing 50% of Congressional votes and 92% of committee meetings
Violating the House Rules, standards of conduct and federal law
Robbing Eastern Washington of the funds needed to adequately prepare for and fight wildfires this year and in the future
I have a strong base of grassroots support. In order to win this race I need to raise over $500,000 and I'm counting on your support.
I want to add I am not working for the Pakootas campaign, but I want to make folks aware of this race. We need to win this! We all need to see her "Dumped". Around these parts people are realizing that she is more interested in Washington, DC than Washington-05.
I encourage people to do what they can to bring attention to the fact we have an outstanding candidate. If you could/would donate by all means do!
Mon Oct 05, 2015 at 9:17 PM PT: Just want to correct my editor's note on Seattle and Puget Sound Kos page and in general anyway - The Pakootas campaign kicks off this Thursday Oct 8th.
And by the way it's Teen Closet Socktober- new socks for 10-18 yr-olds in foster care. As a former foster child it's near and dear Joe's heart. So if you go to the event bring a donation of NEW socks.