18th District Wrap Up.

More numbers are out for the 18th. Most of them speak for themselves.

Details BITTNER ANTHONY R... $4,571.77....... $1,338.08

Details KAMPE DENNIS C D ........$29,868.75 ..$21,202.19

Details RIVERS ANNA M R...........$64,319.15...$51,893.62

Details RUSSELL JON D R............$16,097.49......$13,437.02

Details VICK BRANDON P R.........$7,633.04...... $6,943.65

The others running but not fund raising include the excitable Rich Carson, and Jon Haugen.

With the NRA's endorsement of Ann Rivers and her continuing enviable fund raising prowess, unmatched by all the other candidates combined, The Vancouver Business Journal called it right when they named her the Republican front-runner. She banked around $8700.... last week.

Dennis Kampe, the lone announced democrat running (Jon Haugen ran for the state senate against Zarelli as a democrat back in 08) Banked a respectable $2400 or so for the week.

Jon Russell impressed, just not the way he might think; by banking $160, $60 of which came from Russell himself.

Brandon Vick, whose family landscaping business must be in the height of their season, has not raised any reported funds since June 20.

Anthony Bittner stopped campaigning months ago. He last reported income in April, and last filed a C4 (Expenses) for May; he's skipped all campaign events to include parades, editorial boards, forums and CVTV's video voter guide. He does not have a picture or statement in the Voter's Pamphlet, although he claims he submitted both.

Do these kinds of numbers guarantee victory for Rivers? Of course not. In a primary scenario, one need go back no farther then the legendary Burkman-Campbell primary for state representative back in, what was it.... 06?

But the fact remains that Rivers is receiving the most POLITICAL support in addition to her monetary accomplishments.

Russell has gone increasingly negative, following the pattern that, well, has resulted in precisely zero political victories around here for candidates where Russell has received a pay check, to include $16,000 from Liz Pike.

His minions are scrambling. But he lacks the time and money needed; too many people know about his proclivity to lie and exaggerate; too many are turned off by his use of Washougal City Government as a campaign prop and far too many find it impossible to believe, as he finds it plausible to believe, that he bears no responsibility for the Beverly Hillbillies type government in place on his watch.

Brandon Vick has worked hard and well. He hasn't been able to devote the time he's needed to run an all out campaign but he's done the best that could be expected under the circumstances.

Bittner, on the other hand, seemed to think that all he needed to do was file and put up a few signs.

Good luck with that.

The "independents" running for this gig have yet to address the "how are you going to get anything done" aspect of the "what next?" in the equation.

Out numbered 97 to 1, chances are few that they could get anything done, or keep anything harmful from getting done.

It's been a fascinating 8 months are so... a learning experience for some, and exercise in futility for others. And we'll know 2 weeks from today who moves on... and who moves into obscurity.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

Russell suffering from paranoia?

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Over on the Russell facebook page, Jon seems just the tiniest bit paranoid.

He spews:

The ballots for the August 17th primary election will be in the mail this week. Please be watchful on behalf of our campaign. I fully expect one of my Republican challengers to mail out an attack piece against me or some cloaked third party will mail out an attack mailer on their behalf. Also, be prepared for possible automated calls with an attack message. If you receive one of these calls on your answering machine, please save it for us. I know this is a possibility, because I have seen my opponents team work in the past and I know how they operate.

It is very important that you contact my campaign as soon as you receive these mail pieces or phone calls. Your watchful eye will help us respond quickly. Let’s hope all sides will promote their ideas and candidacy without resorting to attack mailers or robocalls.

Having been knocked completely off message, there's really no point in doing any kind of piece about a campaign that is self-immolating.

The rule in politics is this: when your opponent is set on committing political suicide, your duty is to stand by and allow him to finish the job.

Russell, of course, is as politically dead as a wedge.

Lying about his non-existent degree that he's "finished." Lying about his wife being a doctor. Lying to the 18th District PCO's about his education and how much money he's raised, lying about playing any role in fighting the megacasino, making thousands of dollars off his abysmal effort to enable the port to jack up taxes to the stratosphere, in charge of Washougal's finance committee while $100,000 vaporizes... the kind of guy who would ask me for a political opponent's social security number so he could do God knows what with it.

And, given his genetic inability to raise any money... even when hit pieces go out, he'll be far too broke for any response. The hit pieces on the way will flatten him like a pancake.

I, of course, won't have anything to do with them... and neither will anyone I know.

But the idea that Russell will or even can "respond quickly" may be the biggest joke in the campaign.

Time, of course, will tell.... won't it?
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Redux:The trouble with "Restoring Trust In Government" when you're not honest about who you are: Russell continues to blow off his tax and spend past.

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A reminder about fake "trust in government."

It's all well and good for Jon Russell (R-Chicago) to come out and take shots at our local Cowardman, Brian Baird.

In fact, I've taken a few (as in dozens) of shots at the slimy worm representing us in Congress that seems to have gone so far as to make up death threats as an excuse for lacking the testicles required to face his constituency over his upcoming sell out on the empty suits socialized health care plan... in keeping with his cowardly, hypocritical votes on the porkulus and cap and swindle bills that he voted for... without ever reading.

That, however, does NOT "Restore Trust In Government."

It does not restore trust in government ("Trust" being the entire underpinning of one's campaign) when you, yourself, made money in an incompetent effort to ram the largest single property tax increase in our local history down our throats when you, Mr. Russell, ran the Port of Vancouver's abortive campaign to do that very thing.

YOU were in charge of the Port getting massacred at the polls. YOU made thousands of dollars off that effort. YOU have attacked others wrongfully an in the most underhanded ways when they're wise enough to oppose your positions.

YOU are the one fired from the House Republican Caucus in Olympia; YOU are the one who portrays yourself as some sort of expert on health care... and YOU are the one who keeps telling us "actions speak louder than words."

YOUR actions are right out of the Axlerod playbook. And we really don't need that kind of representation around here.
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More of the usual Columbian idiocy

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In the bizarro world of our local stain on the science of journalism, the Columbian apparently believes that they and they alone hold the corner on what is and is not the practice of democracy in this country.

When or how people choose to "jump" into congressional races is really none of the editorial page's business.

That decision is made by the people and the people alone... not the morons writing these editorials.

While there is certainly something to be said about the courage and perseverance of those who announced months ago as opposed to the political opportunism that marks the cowardice of those jumping on Baird's still warm corpse (Herrera) that lack of character on her part will be addressed at the polls.

In this instance, we have something on the order of 10 candidates for the job. Almost sadly in an election where democrats need not apply, and the most pretentious with delusions of grandeur line up to get whacked, my study of the Constitution of the United States seems to indicate that as long as they meet the requirements of citizenship and age, what a local left wing organ thinks is, well, pretty much irrelevant.

So, we get nonsensical pap like this:

Jeers: To Democratic and Republican apparatchiks for jumping too quickly into the burgeoning campaign to succeed Congressman Brian Baird. When Baird, D-Vancouver, announced he wouldn’t run for re-election in November 2010, it rapidly drew even more candidates into what was already becoming a good-sized field. That, in turn, immediately attracted some political hit pieces from the political parties.

The Democrats attacked state Rep. Jaime Herrera, R-Camas, with state party Chairman Dwight Pelz calling her “Palinesque” and “long on style, short on substance,” conveniently ignoring her legislative service and congressional staff work with Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Colville.

The National Republican Congressional Committee attacked state Rep. Deb Wallace, D-Vancouver, as a “just another tax-hiking, job-killing Democrat” apparently without researching her pro-business voting record and background working for business and economic development organizations.

The carelessly thrown mud will make very little impression on the local voters who sent both women to Olympia.

Now, self-delusion plays an important part of the Columbian's persona.

For example, Herrera's experience as a career intern and a go-fer for McMorris no more qualifies her for Congress then it would the moron who wrote this particular "Jeer."

Except for one other empty suit, Jon Russell, Herrera has the least substance and experience of any announced candidate. In fact, I characterized the "much ado about nothing" aspect of this brouhaha thusly:

Herrera has neither style nor substance. And she's not fit to carry Palin's luggage.

Pelz played the GOP like a fish. And he reeled them in that way as well.

In short, she'd be as worthless a member of congress has she has been a worthless member of the legislature. Pelz was more right than wrong.. although giving her so much credit made him wrong as well.

And, after she loses in 2010, we'll all be better off without her, and she can go back to picking up Starbucks orders for McMorris back in DC or something.

Now, Wallace, on the other hand, has never done anything to create a private sector job in her life. She IS personally responsible for wasting over $100,000,000 taxpayer dollars on a pile of paper for a bridge replacement that nobody wants while she and her fellow leftists are working REAL hard to force an additional $1300 a year fee on those who commute to the Portland area every day... a fee she and the other bridge cheerleaders won't have to pay... a $100,000,000 sucked out of our community every year... a $100,000,000 that COULD have gone to businesses and jobs over HERE.

So, that makes the RNC's response directly on target as well.

What's it all mean? The usual.

Whoever wrote that pig feces on the editorial page, as usual, had no idea what the hell they were talking about; and were, in fact, merely filling up space on the page because, well, they HAD to print SOMETHING.
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Ever the political opportunist, and seeing the writing on the wall, expect Jon Russell to bail from the congressional race so he can get clobbered....

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...running in the 18th.

Russell had zero chance anyway. But with the advent of another empty suited opportunist, Jamie Herrera, Russell now has LESS then zero chance of winning in the WA 03.

Ahha! So, the beatty little mind of Russell thinks, "gee, I know... I'll just run in the 18th! I carried Jamie's water like Gunga Din once SHE got the appointment. There's no way she wouldn't endorse ME to take her place."

Wrong.

Herrera, Orcutt and Zarelli are out there beating the bushes for somebody who can get elected who will do precisely what Zarelli and Orcutt TELL them to do.

Herrera, unfortunately, is like one of those puppets you've got to run your arm up to the head... Kinda like Jeff Dunham. (In this case, Cathy McMorris plays the role of Dunham; Achmed the Dead Terrorist plays he role of Herrera.)

If Herrera ever had an original thought, it long since died of lonliness.

Nevertheless, Russell knows he's over, because Herrera will vacuum up the few people supporting Russell like a shop vac picks up sawdust. Unfortunately for Russell, he's over in the 18th as well.

There are actual adults interested in replacing the professional intern.

There are actually people of character and integrity taking a look.

Any one of them is more qualified then fake fiscal conservative Jon Russell, and none of them tried to ram the biggest tax increase in SW Washington history down anyone's throat.

Nope... that was Russell.

So, stand by. Any second now, when Herrera announces AGAIN, expect Russell to dump the few people who supported him for Congress and try to lower his sights a little bit.

I, for one, can't wait.
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Gee... things sure got bleak for Jon Russell in a hurry, didn't they?

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Over the next few days, the Congressional race in the 3rd will shake itself out a little more as egos demand that efforts at least be made... since it will probably be decades until a better opportunity for the GOP presents itself.

For Jon Russell, the announcement of our local opportunist, Jamie Herrera, to run for the job was the death-knell.

Russell's campaign was going no where fast, and Herrera just nailed it with a sledge hammer.

I freely admit that I oppose Russell: I don't believe he should hold a position in elective office anywhere. In fact, Russell, who had been carrying Herrera's water like Gunga Din, now has come to understand the depths of that woman's ability to toss allies under the bus as she fulfills her destiny... no matter how many bodies she has to climb over to get it done.

But the problem here is that the only suit emptier than Obama's in politics is Herrera.

There's no there, there. And, over time, as I know every aspect of how Herrera came to be appointed; how the political process of her replacement of Richard Curtis was corrupted and how outside influences were used to foist this clueless idiot on an unsuspecting populace, when the timing is right, she'll come to be confronted with her corruption of our process along with that of her mentor, Cathy McMorris.

That said, Russell is now toast. He stood little chance anyway, but now, he would be best served to stay in his little Podunk town and actually get down to finally doing the job he was ELECTED to do... and to stop making excuses when he's caught not doing it.

More to come. Stay tuned.
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Gee... I've been inundated with Russell supporters crawling out from under their rocks.

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Jon Russell stopped by my blog this evening... or was it one of his surrogates? There've been an even dozen or so, but oddly, only 3 IP's identifying the perps, so to speak.

Ahhh.... no matter. This little gift was left on my doorstep, not unlike the ubiquitous burning bag of poop.

Wow I didn't know we wanted councilman to be reviewing all the cities expense reports. This is really one of the most pathetic ways to try to rope a candidate into the scandal. I guess if we are going to start this maybe we need to know why veterans administration had issues while Castillo was there with the hospitals and maybe we need to check to see if any of Castillos clients lost any money under his advice from Edward Jones.

I kinda believe this is Russell himself, but it could be any one of those with the flawed reasoning process that would allow them to support a political mercenary like Russell.

So, since I just finished my gym workout, what say I cool off by crushing this moron's little anon gesture of idiocy here and now.... OK?

Let's set the table, shall we?

The Mayor of Washougal has some problems with city credit card(s) and a little trip to Vegas. The guy running against her, who has his own issues, blew the whistle in a most timely manner to inflict maximum damage on the good mayor, all in the name of political altruism, you understand.

That, of course, is neither here nor there. What happened is that Jon Russell, loyal and good fellow that he is, tossed his mayor under the bus in RECORD time. That, of course, is his privilege.

But in his haste to avoid the splatter, he neglected to mention that he and 2 other council members for the good city of Washougal sit in DIRECT oversight of the very credit cards in question.

Now, apparently, something was said at the behest of the this little group to the good mayor to ask her to reimburse the city for the copious amounts of alcohol she apparently charged on the taxpayer dime will "conferencing" in Vegas.

Clearly, like herpes, what happens in Vegas may not, necessarily, stay in Vegas... particularly when there's a paper trail. Right, Stacee?

All of that said, Mr. Russell, best known for his abysmal failure in ramming the humongous Port Tax increase down our throats; is, along with his two compadres, DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR APPROVING THESE EXPENDITURES.

Well, it would seem that this merry little band approved them all, save for the booze.

But then, our erstwhile congress-critter wannabe, having completely FAILED to do the job he was responsible for doing, spewed thusly:

"I don't think these are cracks, they're craters," he said. "It looks like a pattern that is not being dealt with and that is not being brought to the attention of the council."

Odd, that. Since this little committee of 3 is personally responsible for reviewing EACH of these credit card expenditures and since they DID nail Sellers for drinking the booze on the taxpayer dime....

HOW CAN THIS SLIMEBALL ALLEGE THAT THIS WASN'T BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL????

It was, of course. But the knee jerk reaction of this product of Chicago politics was and is to put as much distance as fast as possible between himself and the good mayor. So, instead of publicly admitting HE had screwed up as well, it came out deny, deny, and then, well, deny.

That leads us to these increasingly lame little comments Russell (and or his Winged Monkeys) are leaving here in blog land.

First of all, let me re-iterate: although I am a professional in politics, I have no professional relationship with any congressional candidate. I personally know both Mr. Russell and Mr. Castillo and I have had professional relationships with both of them; both while they were working for HROC.

That said... here we go.

"Wow I didn't know we wanted councilman to be reviewing all the cities expense
reports"

Is this were I point out how utterly irrelevant what "we wanted" is? Whether you WANTED it or not, THAT IS PART OF HIS JOB. That "we" may or may not "want it" matters not one wit.

This is really one of the most pathetic ways to try to rope a candidate into the
scandal.

Perhaps. But his response to all of this is the most pathetic aspect of it. I guess he should have thought of it before he tried to dump all the responsibility on somebody else when he bears part of it himself.

If he had the guts to take some level of responsibility for this, then we wouldn't be having this little chat. But he lacks that kind of courage and integrity.

That, of course, is why I would support Baird over Russell. Because we already HAVE someone representing us with an unethical, gutless background. Why should we replace him with somebody else?

I guess if we are going to start this maybe we need to know why veterans administration had issues while Castillo was there with the hospitals and maybe we need to check to see if any of Castillos clients lost any money under his advice from Edward Jones.

Really?

That's the kind of stretch ol Jon is known for, but I guess the question is this:

Was Castillo elected to either a position in the VA or Edward Jones?

Was Castillo required to go over the credit card expenditures of a mayor while he was in either of those positions?

No? Then why would you so moronically bring this up?

Washougal City Councilman Jon Russell HAD A JOB TO DO. HE VERY CLEARLY DID... NOT... DO IT, AND THEN THREW THE MAYOR UNDER THE BUS TO DEFLECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS INACTION.

That you don't happen to like that doesn't change it one wit. The ISSUE is that it was RUSSELL'S JOB AND HE DIDN'T DO IT.

And dude (or dudette, as the case may be) if you don't like it, that's just too damned bad.
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Lies by Omission: Why did Jon Russell neglect to mention that he has direct oversight of Washougal city credit cards?

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Man... you can take Jon Russell out of Chicago politics, but it seems you can't take Chicago politics out of Jon Russell.

Well, folks, it looks like things are spinning out of control when it comes to the keepers of the Washougal check book... or in this case, credit card.

Unfortunately, the voters of Washougal now seem to be faced with a choice: they can choose someone who, at best, appears incompetent or they can choose a liar for mayor. Not a choice *I* would envy.

Stacy Sellers is having a tough week. Perhaps she deserves one, since, according to the local version of Pravda, Sellars charged, among other things, a "...$57 'surf and turf' dinner. An $88 bottle of wine. A $72 bill at the Eye Candy Lounge & Bar." while on some sort of "official trip" to Vegas.... although why a trip to Vegas for the mayor of Washougal would be official is, perhaps, a subject for another post. (Take some time and run a google search on the "Eye Candy Lounge & Bar" for pictures of others engaging in some distinctly "non-mayor" like activities. I guess what happens in Vegas is reported in the Columbian.)

Apparently, the whistle blower in all this is one Sean Guard, who just happens to be running against Sellers for mayor and who just happened to drop this dime THIS week (as opposed to, say, after the election) not, because, as you might think, he was trying to engage in any kind of politics; oh no. To hear him tell it,

"Guard said he did not make the complaint to the auditor's office to win votes; he did it to put an end to the misuse of public dollars."

Right. And I'm Mayor of Munchkin City and I run the Lollipop Guild.

I don't really care one way or the other, but Guard needed to have a surrogate blow the whistle here if he wanted to maintain the high ground. Having someone on the inside as it seems he does, who tipped him off and then covered the information transfer with a FOIA so HE, PERSONALLY could shill Seller's idiocy puts the lie to his claim, quoted above.

There is no altruism in politics. Guard announced this to drive a stake through Seller's political heart; he should have been man enough to just admit it. Leave the game playing to the slimy worms in the White House.

That writ, where was Jon Russell in all of this?

Well, yesterday, we received his version of what I call "Prairie Dog" from Mr. Russell.

You've seen those little critters on TV, haven't you? When they're trying to get a handle on what's happening... on what's going on.... you get this:

Here's what Mr. Russell had to tell us:

Council member Jon Russell said he believed the findings showed that the problems were bigger than oversights.

"I don't think these are cracks, they're craters," he said. "It looks like a pattern that is not being dealt with and that is not being brought to the attention of the council."

Russell said he wants the council to hold a special meeting to look into each problem and discipline responsible parties, even ask for resignations if necessary.

"I don't see how we can trust this administration in moving forward with anything," he said.

Well, there may be some element of truth to that last part... the part about "trust" and the lack of it.

But not, I'm sure, the way Russell meant when he spewed this "What? Who, me?" crap.

Because, as it turns out....

JON RUSSELL SAT IN DIRECT OVERSIGHT OVER CREDIT CARD EXPENDITURES.

Here's what the Columbian buried today about Russell's little meat hooks being buried in this particular pie:

The people responsible for that oversight are members of the city council. Three council members — Russell, Lou Peterson and Paul Greenlee — make up the finance committee tasked with approving city employees' and officials' receipts and spending.

The expenditures are first submitted to the finance department, and then go to the mayor for approval, Russell said. Each week, the mayor sends the finance committee members e-mails with the accounts payable receipts and statements for their review and approval, he (Russell) said. Sometimes the statements have details of specific charges, sometimes they only include the employee's name and how much they are to be reimbursed, Russell said. Unless the committee members ask to see the details of those reimbursements, oftentimes they don't know the specifics. And many times expenditures are approved as long as they fall within the amount included in the annual budget, he said.

Russell said he does not recall whether he saw details of the Las Vegas trip expenditures.

"It's not at all a perfect system," Russell said.

The committee members do not meet to discuss the expenditures; that practice ended several years ago in favor of council workshops, he said. Instead, members are told to go to Sellers with questions, Russell said.

"We have been told by the mayor not to talk to department heads to get answers, that everything has to go through her," he said.

The use of city money to purchase alcohol was questioned by the committee and reviewed earlier this summer by the city council. Sellers was notified that the practice was prohibited by city policy and she reimbursed the city for the cost of alcohol charges, Russell said. City officials were not available to comment on the amount of the reimbursement.

"She was under the impression for some reason that it was permissible," he said.

So, Russell KNEW about the booze... but then claims he DIDN'T RECALL whether he "SAW SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE LAS VEGAS TRIP EXPENDITURES?"

HOW LIKELY IS THAT?????

OK, here are the possibilities.

Russell, who sits on the committee with DIRECT oversight over these expenditures, in fact, didn't know about them; which means that he's guilty of misfeasance;

OR,

Russell, who sits on the committee with DIRECT oversight over these expenditures, in fact, DID know about them, and then lamely engaged in the time-honored "I don't recall" lie, in which case, he's both a liar AND guilty of misfeasance.

Now, the definition of "misfeasance" is

"the unintended, accidental errors, mistakes taken place while managing the business, office or other responsibilities entrusted on a person, causing loss or damage or unfortunate situations out of such mistakes. A misfeasance become a malfeasance when the act was performed with an intention to cause loss."

Now, was Russell's incompetence intentional? I doubt it.

But does that make him any the less incompetent or incapable of performing the task of city councilman, let alone congressman?

That conclusion seems fairly straightforward to me.

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Jon Russell's firm grasp of Washougal City administration.

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As you may have heard, Jon Russell, political mercenary extraordinaire and Washougal City Councilman, is running to represent us in Congress, God forbid.

Well, today he got his name in print as the crusading guardian of "The People's Money." (copyright 2009)

Stacy Sellars, who will, it appears, soon become the former mayor of Washougal, finds her butt firmly affixed to a red hot grill of a hot seat in the matter of a few missing dollars from the Washougal city accounts. Like, well, something on the order of 100,000 of them.

At this point, I don't believe anyone knows what's going on with this money. There's a lot more to examine... to consider... to weigh.

On the surface, it looks pretty bad. Typically, in situations like this, the rats will scurry away at warp speed. But is throwing someone you've supported politically, or a major part of the city staff under the bus to avoid the splatter the way to do it?

Council member Jon Russell said he believed the findings showed that the problems were bigger than oversights.

"I don't think these are cracks, they're craters," he said. "It looks like a pattern that is not being dealt with and that is not being brought to the attention of the council."

Russell said he wants the council to hold a special meeting to look into each problem and discipline responsible parties, even ask for resignations if necessary.

"I don't see how we can trust this administration in moving forward with anything," he said.

In this country, including Washougal, everyone is innocent unless proven guilty.

And that everyone includes the administration of the city that Russell, is, well, tasked to administer.

Russell; who is, as a member of the city council, one of those charged with the oversight of the very administration he now works so hard to condemn, wasted no time in taking what he believed to be the "appropriate steps" to step out of the way of the poop storm.

This misfeasance/malfeasance happened on Russell's watch. Of course, he's been blowing off some meetings and so forth as a result of running for Congress, but hey, who cares about missing votes and such when your eyes are on the much-bigger prize?

Clearly, changes have to be made in the systems of accounting in Washougal. But engaging in these theatrics as part of his political soap opera doesn't speak well for him, since, like it or hate it, it is HIS city and this happened on HIS watch.

Hey, I know: maybe one of those "resignations" Russell's so hot about could be his own? Watchcha think? Would THAT be a hoot?

Imagine... actually taking responsibility for something he'd done... or in this case, failed to do.

I won't hold my breath.

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Jon Russell tells us "Actions speak louder than words." Really, Jon?

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There's a certain level of irony when it comes to Jon Russell's doomed-to-failure congressional campaign theme.

I've known Mr. Russell for five years now; I've worked with him on the campaign trail.

I have to admit: actions DO speak louder than words.

For example, when Russell called me to try and get Pam Brokaw's social security number (that was actually his second call to me... ever) while I was working on the Curtis campaign.

I, of course, didn't HAVE her social security number, and wouldn't have given it to him if I had.

But the question here is this: what does that "action" have to say about Mr. Russell?

Actions DO speak "louder than words." So imagine my surprise when I discovered that Mr. Russell was the campaign manager/consultant for the recently smashed Vancouver Port Levy... the largest local tax increase, had it ultimately been successful, in the history of the region... a tax increase which, ultimately, was not needed and was utterly rejected at the polls.

What, precisely, does THAT action speak to?

Look at the results. Look at the results of Russell's efforts to get Roy Rhine and Paul Harris elected. Look at his short tenure as both an HROC staffer and a legislative staffer.

And then, according to Lew the PCO's were regaled with Russell's experience on the Washougal City Council... and then...

Uncalled for in his (Russell's) speech was a subtle but obvious slap towards David Castillo when he said words to the effect of any candidate can speak of work in the government that(sic) may have done.

So, as far as that goes one has to wonder: if "any candidate can speak of work in the government" does that "any candidate" include Mr. Russell?

Castillo is the guy. He has COMPETENT experience and professional credentials and accomplishments that put Russell's to shame.

And that's in addition to trying to portray yourself as a fiscal conservative after you've run the campaign for the biggest tax increase in our region's history.

H/T to Clark County Conservative
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If Russell is running for Congress... then why is he also running for re-election to the Washougal City Council?

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So... Jon Russell has decided to run for Congress.

Then why is he also running for city council?

CITY OF WASHOUGAL

Mayor

SEAN GUARD 704 WEST S ST WASHOUGAL 98671 (360)834-2533 seanguard@comcast.net

STACEE S. SELLERS PO BOX 424 WASHOUGAL 98671 electstaceesellers@gmail.com


Council, Pos. 1

JON RUSSELL 1431 D ST WASHOUGAL 98671 (360)624-4934 jon@jonrussell.us

And what, exactly, is that email link?

Why, it's his CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN WEBSITE!


So.... this guy is running for one job, city council, that he hopes to be able to ditch by winning another job, a congressional seat.

Man. THAT'S commitment!

Tell ya what, Jon... maybe you ought to stick to city council. That way, you can be bothered to actually show up... and, you know... vote?

Destroying trust in government: Jon Russell's Blog

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I hate political corruption. I hate it when the left tries it, as The Empty Suit has practiced it since he swindled us into voting for him.

I hate it when the right tries it, like Jon Russell, congressional candidate, is trying it now.

Jon passes himself off as some kind of conservative. But it's all for show.

One must not be judged by what they say or write when they're running for office. To find out the truth, one must review what one has done when he or she wasn't a candidate. And Russell is no exception.

Russell is no more a conservative than he is a brain surgeon. The fact of the matter is that I know a lot about Mr. Russell. And over the next several months, more and more will be provided on this blog, so you, too, will get to know Mr. Russell like I do.

And here's a disclaimer.

I do not work for any campaign. I am not writing this because anyone has told me to do so. I am not being paid, promised, threatened or coerced in any way. I just happen to know Mr. Russell and I don't like what I see. That said:

Today's tidbit?

We had a Port Levy election not too long ago back, when the Port Commissioners arrogantly attempted to ram a huge tax increase down our collective throats for money that, ultimately, they didn't need. The campaign was a miserable failure, losing in the vicinity of 70% "no" to 30% "yes."

Who was the political genius that ran that effort? Who was paid to do everything he could to ram through one of the largest tax increases in local history? Who was so politically inept and incompetent that the results will live on as one of the worst political massacres in local history?

Why, that would be one Jon Russell.

Russell has a history of political mercenary-ism. By running this unneeded and unwanted tax increase campaign, Russell has shown that, in the words of Charles Barkley, "If the money was right, I'd play for the Klan."

We've already GOT a cowardman that has sold out for campaign donations with huge earmarks.

Why we want to elect another one?

Ann Donnelly felt compelled to press release Russell in a recent column wherein she writes as the Columbian's token Republican (though certainly not a conservative... she's delusional enough to support the I-5 Bridge Replacement/Loot Rail scam) and Russell felt compelled to cut and paste it on to his blog... as if all of those words actually meant something.

They didn't.

We'll chat again.

Today's political yuk: Jon Russell to run for Congress?

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Jon Russell, best known for getting paid several thousand dollars to ram the largest property tax increase (Via the Port of Vancouver Tax Increase) in this county's history down our collective throats has been telling people he's gonna run for Congress.

From a rather fascinating email that made the rounds late in 07:

Jon is an interesting guy with a short, but big, political background.

Jon came on the scene back in 2004 as HROC’S SW Washington Rep. Mr. Russell was not quite successful. In the end, he was relegated to liaison duties for the Curtis Campaign, and he managed to lose Paul Harris’s race in the primary and Roy Rhine’s race in the general.

But his most noteworthy accomplishment was the exceptional job he did running the Port of Vancouver’s abysmal IDD Levy campaign.

From the “Citizens for a Strong Economy Pac” (The Port’s Levy PAC) in the recent election debacle.

CANDIDATE/COMMITTEE VENDOR DATE AMOUNT DESCRIPTION
CIT FOR A STRONG NORTHERN CONCEPTS INC. 07/31/2007 $3,406.62
ECONOMY PAC
CONSULTING -

CIT FOR A STRONG NORTHERN CONCEPTS INC. 08/20/2007 $1,489.00
ECONOMY PAC
THE COLUMBIAN

CIT FOR A STRONG NORTHERN CONCEPTS INC. 07/13/2007 $1,452.00
ECONOMY PAC
CONSULTING

CIT FOR A STRONG NORTHERN CONCEPTS INC. 09/22/2007 $80.54
ECONOMY PAC
SUPPLIES

CIT FOR A STRONG NORTHERN CONCEPTS INC. 08/20/2007 $6.97
ECONOMY PAC
SALES TAX THAT WASN'T PAID

CIT FOR A STRONG NW CONCEPTS 07/01/2007 $2,800.00
ECONOMY PAC
CONSULTING FEESL


CIT FOR A STRONG NW CONCEPTS 06/05/2007 $2,800.00
ECONOMY PAC
CONSULTING FEES

CIT FOR A STRONG NW CONCEPTS 07/01/2007 $500.00
ECONOMY PAC
CONTRACT LABOR FOR DATA ENTRY

How do I know he’s “Northern Concepts” and “NW Concepts?”

Jon Russell
Russell, 31, was appointed to serve on council in September 2006, after Mary Bosley resigned for health reasons.He owns Northern Concepts, LLC, in Washougal.

The address?

1431 D St. Washougal, WA. 98671

NW Concepts?

That’s reported under a non-existent address in Vancouver, purely an oversight, I’m sure.

1431 D St. VANCOUVER, WA 98671

It’s probably safe to say that it isn’t “Vancouver,” it’s Washougal.

So, what we have here is a history of something less than stellar campaigning… and something less then fiscal conservatism. In fact, the IDD Levy, had it been successful, would have cost the taxpayers of the Port District millions.

So, we have a candidate here that, by his own actions, puts the TAX in TAX AND SPENDER.
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In short, he's a political mercenary, and individual motivated by money who will sell out principle when the price is right.

If it's Russell and Baird, I'll endorse Baird and give him money.

I don't even want Russell in my government, let alone in Congress.
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