An article entitled “Tt’s Time to Replace the Worst Democrats in Blue Districts”, says this about my Congressman Derek Kilmer:
Derek Kilmer (WA-06), is facing off against Rebecca Parson, a Democratic activist committed to Medicare for All and single-payer. This is a deep blue, working-class district in Tacoma, yet Kilmer’s record with labor is abysmal. Washington heads to the polls on Aug. 4.
Based on that, the poster listed Kilmer as “pretty bad” and urged Kos readers to support his primary opponent. My reaction: the author of the post should not have been expressing an opinion about matters of which he clearly knows nothing.
I don’t know what that abysmal labor record consists of. According to this, his record is solidly good: justfacts.votesmart.org/… He has two 100% ratings and three more ratings that are over 85% from unions with locals in the Tacoma area. He voted last year to pass the Protection for the Right to Organize Act . (BTW I lived in Tacoma for twenty years and my ex husband was a union member). It’s true that he voted for TPP, but as a port city, Tacoma expected to benefit from the agreement: www.portoftacoma.com/… It is also true that the Longshoreman’s union among others withheld endorsements of Kilmer over TPP: whydidyoujointheunion.blogspot.com/… So abysmal? NO. Pro-union, pro labor and at odds with some unions on one major issue., for which he has, apparently been forgiven—he has a 90% rating from the Teamsters.
I checked out his other ratings:
100% Rating by Planned Parenthood Action Fund
100% rating by the Humane Society
1oo% Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
He has an outstanding record on reform to remove the influence of money on Congress.
No issues that I could see with his history on civil rights except that he opposed divestment in Israeli businesses: justfacts.votesmart.org/…
He has a 95% rating from the Alliance of Retired Americans (an organization of retired union members) for supporting Social Security and the safety net.
He is behind the WIld Olympics Bill to protect remaining wilderness and salmon
I could go on and on, but I’m sure the picture is clear by now. Kilmer may not be for Medicare for All, but that is not a requirement to be considered a good Congressperson. He is ,in fact, an outstanding Congressman and I plan to vote for him in the primary. I do not appreciate what amounts to a smear of him being posted on the front page of Kos.
Monday, Mar 16, 2020 · 4:00:49 AM +00:00 · wren
Update: I read the linked article which was used as a basis for the claim that Kilmer is a bad Dem. The article is written from a pretty far edge point of view. There’s a lot of name association—ooh!Kilmer tends pro-defense contract. His primary opponent will lose the election to a Republican if she doesn’t get real about what it means to respect a district with two large bases and a very large military population. The fact remains that Kilmer is pro-union, pro-living wage, and pro-expanded health care. And, in spite of the guilt-by-association smear in the article, he is not under the thumb of the pharmaceutical industry. He voted for the House bill to reduce drug costs. kilmer.house.gov/… The article is an example of how the purity police can misrepresent a politician’s record.