Readers of my blog know that I'm not particularly fond of Brian Baird. He's taken votes that suck... he's voted "yes" on bills he hasn't read... he's had a major "back scratching" problem with earmarks... he's been far too cowardly in his handling of the Barnett/Paskenta/Mohergan/Cowlitz organized crime venture known as the megacasino... and he's lacked the courage of his convictions when it comes to his frequent articles in the Columbian about how he wants to change the rules and give everyone 3 days to read any bill before a vote is taken... only to conveniently forget about that every time issues inside that window come up.
That said...
I would volunteer my time, effort and money to re-elect Baird over Russell any time.
Russell spews pap like this:
“I represent a new generation of reformers who are fed up with career politicians in Congress because they suffer from a lack of vision and the will to do the right thing for the people,” he said in the release. “Restoring trust in government can only happen when we send people to Congress who recognize their place in history and serve a short time and then return to their careers outside of government.”
Sounds beautiful, doesn't it? You can almost hear the hearts and flowers and violin music playing as he says it.
And none of it is true.
What Russell represents is a new generation of political mercenaries where principle has no place at the table.
Oddly, in Russell's case and in the article below, he mentions something called "deputy campaign manager" for some guy in Indiana; his "former" involvement with Faith and Freedom, and a bogus shell company he set up with an impressive name: "Columbia Gorge Medical Center."
He left out his failed time at HROC, his disastrous spell as a Legislative Assistant in Olympia, and the fact that he ran the worst campaign in local elective history when he ran the Port of Vancouver's major effort to jack our taxes up through the roof.
Odd, isn't it? Russell lacked the "vision" to understand that he was profiting off an effort to nail us with a massive tax increase, yet he claims that HE has the "vision and the will to do the right thing for people?"
There's only one word for that:
Hypocrite.
Washougal Man Plans Congressional Run
Friday, June 26, 2009 10:48 PM PDT
A Washougal city councilman is the latest Republican to announce his intentions to run against incumbent Democrat Brian Baird in the 2010 3rd Congressional District race.
Jon Russell, the 33-year-old co-owner of the Columbia Gorge Medical Center, announced his candidacy in an e-mailed press release Friday. Russell has a degree in political science and was the deputy campaign manager for U.S. Rep. John Hostettler of Indiana’s 8th Congressional District.
He’s the former director of the Faith and Freedom Foundation
“I represent a new generation of reformers who are fed up with career politicians in Congress because they suffer from a lack of vision and the will to do the right thing for the people,” he said in the release. “Restoring trust in government can only happen when we send people to Congress who recognize their place in history and serve a short time and then return to their careers outside of government.”
More:
