WA-08: Reichert's Friends

Darcy Burner's strong campaign and phenomenal fundraising has the Republican incumbent Reichert, and his GOP buddies, more than a little concerned. Which has led them to a really not politically smart effort:

Just before the August recess, a group of well-connected young Republicans calling themselves Club 218 attempted to make up the difference, arranging a fundraiser for Reichert, according to news reports.

The problem?

Roll Call recently listed some of Club 218’s members, including Mike Chappell, a lobbyist for the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. at Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock; and Christopher Cox, a D.C. Navigators’ lobbyist for Alabama Aircraft Industries, which is fighting Boeing on a tanker maintenance contract.

EADS is teamed with Northrop Grumman in the tanker competition, to assemble the tanker in Mobile, Ala.

There are some 19,000 Boeing employees in Washington's 8th district. Now, the Club 218 people are probably smart enough to make sure that none of Boeing's competitor's lobbyists are going to show up on Reichert's FEC filings. According to the Roll Call article referenced, the event was a joint funder with Darren White, running for NM-01. Undoubtedly, all of the anti-Boeing lobbyists' money was directed to White's campaign rather than Reichert's. But at the same time, these anti-Boeing lobbyists were involved in quietly organizing a lucrative, private special interest funder for Reichert at the Capitol Club.

And it doesn't change the fact that there is an incestuous web of ties between Republican industry lobbyists and Republican members and Reichert is smack dab in the middle of it. All those Boeing employees in his district have the right to question where his loyalties really lie.

On the Web:
Darcy Burner for Congress
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