More on Russell: Well, looks like Jon Russell's still got that political bug: he's gearing up to run for something in Virginia.

Not content with screwing up politics in our local neck of the woods, Jon Russell has found his issue where he's roosting just now and will be attempting to use it as a scam to run for office... and soon.

Look this stuff up for yourself:

His self-flagellating web site:  rife with the self-promotion and "hurray-for-me-ism" that he's known for.

His Friends of Jon Russell Facebook page...

All of this is being done to raise his local profile so he can suck the people of Culpeper, Virginia in like he did those of Washougal.

Oddly, he doesn't mention Washougal anywhere that I can see.

Wonder why that is?

You might be wondering: what's Jon Russell been up to?

Readers here know how highly I think of Jon Russell, who I believe represents the absolute worst that politics has to offer.

Detailed here, http://jonrussellwatch.blogspot.com, the years-long psychotic episodes of lies, misleading, exaggeration, incompetence... well, I still get emails from people keeping me in the loop about this guy, because he is all about getting elected... to something... anything... and I have made it my pledge to be there when he actually tries to run.

Russell's own campaigns have been utterly abysmal.  His abortive run for congress was a disaster; his obnoxious run for the House of Representatives here and his subsequent abandonment of his job in Washougal, which, after all, he was only using as a stair-step and campaign prop to bigger and better things was an outright disaster... scandal after scandal, incompetence after incompetence.  Jon Russell Watch details it all.

Well, Russell landed in a bucolic little berg in Virginia named "Culpeper."

He's starting his campaign to get elected to something, because, as his biggest fan, he has GOT to get a title. 

So, he's set up the start of a campaign page on facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfJonRussell ) that looks vaguely familiar.

Yeah.

That's what it's all about.

This time, however, he's at least being accurate about his accomplishments, although there's no mention of Washougal on this page... and no mention of, say, Jessica Bowen.

Now he's on a jihad to move the city council election date to November, with a claim of savings and increased participation.

While that may possibly be true, at the end of the day, the idea that he's doing this out of altruism instead of doing it to increase his name familiarity is absurd.

And when he does run... I'm going to be there... educating the people as to what they're actually going to get if he's elected.

Russell, finally, leaves.

For an extended period of time (several months), Jon Russell had been skipping many of the the city council meetings that he had a duty to attend, since he was an elected Washougal City Councilman.

No longer.

Jon Russell has finally done what he SHOULD have done months ago, and left the city council.

Here's my review of his political tenure:

The Columbian referred to Russell's time on the council as "controversial."

That's much like accurately describing the editors of the Columbian and their editorial page as "leftist."  While correct as a label, it really doesn't come close to a complete description, nor does it lend itself to the flavor of a pattern of immaturity, deceit and dishonesty that marked Russell's campaigns and his use of Washougal as a prop on his way up the political ladder.

I first met Russell after he'd come out here back in '04 to handle the SW Washington area HROC gig... which was his first disaster.  In '04, then Rep. Jim Dunn (R-17) had been given a kind of "persona-non-gratia" status by Republican Leader Rep. Richard DeBolt (R-20) and Russell's marching orders were to defeat him in the primary.

Russell worked the campaign of then candidate, now first term State Representative Paul Harris (R-17) (Third time was the charm) and it looked like Harris was going to win going away until Russell sent out a mailer for Harris that changed everything as it attacked Dunn for his age and his weight among other things... and Harris lost.

Russell also interfaced with the Richard Curtis campaign that I consulted on.  Ultimately, his efforts proved to be equally disastrous and both Curtis and I worked to, and ultimately was successful in, getting any further involvement in our campaign by Russell ended.

For example, Russell's second phone call to me was a request for Pam Brokaw's social security number.

I did not have that number, didn't want it and didn't need it.  I told Russell that we didn't play politics that way and that we were going to win this fair and square, without engaging in tactics that required an opponent's social security number.

Since that time, I've watched Russell locally.  He's engaged in a pattern of political dirty tricks including multiple fake names and handles that enabled him to, typically, attack political opponents, even after his appointment to the Washougal city council, while protecting his true identity.

He made up information about his wife as a "doctor."  He repeatedly lied about his education, making up fake degrees.

Russell, an alleged conservative, worked on the Port of Vancouver levy on the "for" side, advocating for what would have been the biggest tax increase in this area's history.

He steadfastly refused to take responsibility for any of the Stacee Sellers debacle, and had no knowledge over the subsequent disappearance of $100,000 in city funds even though he chaired the city finance committee.

He made up fake facebook identities that leaned toward small, petite blond women (Teacher Judy Banks and Jessica Bowen)  had surrogates engage in personal attacks (One of Jon's minions went so far as to attempt to get me kicked off the board of a charitable organization in Idaho)

His campaigns, efforts to get out of Washougal all, included a disastrous, unsuccessful run at the 3rd District Congressional seat; now, unfortunately, held by Jaime Herrera... and then a run at the open 18th District House seat that had been held by Herrera as she vacated to move up to Congress.

I'm hearing a wide variety of other interesting rumors in the political game concerning candidates in the upcoming election... but don't have quite enough to go to web, yet.  That said, there's an entire blog devoted to Russell's antics, Jon Russell Watch. 

Check it out for more details.

One thing that I appreciate: with Jon Russell's departure to the other side of the country, I can be less concerned about continuing on as a PCO.  Russell was the only reason I wanted the gig... and with him leaving... well, it's going to be interesting.

So, underlying Russell's departure was a sense of relief on the part of many, including me. 

Cross-posted at Clark County Politics.

Why I won't be supporting David Madore.

As a county commissioner, there are a wide variety of realities that they must face: the realities of budget, the realities of policy, the realities of the demands of the people, and the realities of the people working for you or with you.

For well known reasons here, Marc Boldt has failed these tests.

And now, so has David Madore.

Jon Russell, whom I cordially despise, is a friend to David Madore. For whatever the reason, Madore is blinded to Russell's basic dishonesty and lack of integrity. Fortunately for us all, Russell is leaving.

Madore has never been concerned about Russell's faux-Christianity, his multiple false identities, false educational claims, false portrayals of his wife as a doctor, and the fact that Russell never believed Washougal to be anything but a brief stop on his way to political stardom.

Thankfully, I and others have managed to detour the Russell Express and shove it off into a ditch.

The Columbian put together a going-away type story since that sleaze has scammed a job in his version of Mecca, aka Sodom-on-Hudson, aka Washington, D.C.

According to Madore, the story made a mistake in descriptive term that in aggregate wasn't worth mentioning.

First, if it was all that big of a deal, Russell should have pulled up his big-boy pants and spoke for himself.

Second, the fawning terms used to describe Russell's exit actually sickened me. That led to this exchange between Madore and I on the facebook comments under the article:

David Madore

One correction to the story, rather than labeling Students for Life as anti-abortion, the proper term is ProLife. Coston’s quote is inappropriate. This is not the time to be so unkind. When someone has served the community faithfully so long, when they leave, it is time to set differences aside and remember the good that they did.

Ray Legendre, it would have been thoughtful to see you end your story on a positive note. Whatever your differences with Jon, he did his best and sacrificed to serve his community. He will be missed.

Reply • 2 • Like • Follow Post • about an hour ago

To which, I replied:

Kage McClued • Owner/Writer at Jon Russell Watch Blog

Sorry, but Russell's service was anything BUT "faithful." He never saw Washougal as anything more than a stepping stone to higher office and he lied repeatedly during his campaigns about who he was, what he'd done and even his education.

This area will be well-rid of him and it's frightening that, for whatever the reason, you cannot see the reality of that and the reality of Jon.

It makes me worry that you can't deal with political reality when those you see as "friend" are not even close to what you believe them to be... and that's a bad tenet in an office holder.

I take some pride in exposing Russell for what he really is. I was eagerly awaiting his next campaign when I would have educated everyone to the reality of the dishonesty and lack of integrity Russell actually lived.

He will never be more than a political footnote... and he'll never deserve to be. He won't be missed. And whatever set of blinders you wear?

You'd better take them off... and quickly.

To which, David provided the following rejoinder:

David Madore

Kage, we have enough divisiveness. There are more positive uses of our time and talents than having the gift of criticism. Learning[sic] to get along is a far better investment.

Reply • Like • 10 minutes ago

Which led, in turn to my reply:

Kage McClued • Owner/Writer at Jon Russell Watch Blog

Odd, isn't it, that you never direct this observation to Jon... at least publicly. How does Russell's record of lies, distortions, false identities and the like represents "learning to get along" on HIS part?

Where has Jon Russell EVER taken public responsibility for what he's done?

Nowhere. But he's your friend. You defend him and what seems to me is obviously the indefensible.

Your response is an example of the very thing that concerns me about you.

You MUST see people AS THEY ARE... not as you WISH THEM TO BE.

Those who we elect MUST be held to the highest standard.

Would you expect me to vote for you if I knew you were lying about your education? What if it came out that you had assumed the identities of others to criticize and attack your political opponents? What if you lied about any aspect of your business that you are so, quite rightfully, proud of? Or about your wife being a doctor?

How about lying about your faith? Would that be OK? If you were to do things like that, should we give you a pass? Should we not hold you accountable for those deliberate actions?

No?

Then how is it you give Russell a pass? How is it that you turn a blind eye to the dishonesty, the years-long lack of integrity; the complete failure, if you will, for Russell's actions to even remotely resemble the reality of what is supposed to be a genuine Christian life? Does becoming your friend slam blinders over your eyes?

To be a successful politician of any stripe... for any position, you MUST engage in REALITY; not things the way you would LIKE them to be... but things the way they actually ARE.

While I appreciate your sentiment above, the fact is this: had not Jon acted in the ways I have detailed... I would have nothing to criticize, would I?

My "gift" is holding people... including you... accountable for their political actions, party affiliation notwithstanding. If what I am saying about Russell isn't true... that's certainly one thing. But we both know that it is... much like we both know that evil triumphs when good men do nothing... and remaining silent is doing just that.

Madore's failure to acknowledge Russell's perfidy and act towards him like he's a decent, honorable individual who just served his community?

That doesn't come close to passing the straight face test.

And whoever becomes our county commissioner MUST pass that test.

Cross posted on Clark County Politics.

Thankfully, Jon Russell has finally resigned.

The wonderful news that Jon Russell is not only no longer in government but moving to the other side of the country was greeted across CCP and JRW lands with joy and acclimation.

Russell's political behavior and actions are so egregious that I devoted a blog to his hi jinks... a blog that will stay up in perpetuity for generations to come.

It's unfortunate that someone of Russell's proven lack of character and integrity has managed to fool people who should presumably, know better.

For details, search both this blog and Jon Russell Watch.

His absence will neither be noticed or missed.

Hopefully, he will never come back... and I am thankful that I've never had to suffer under his "representation."

In that, I appreciate the fact that his influence failed to extend beyond the city limits of Washougal, and soon, he will become a distant memory.

Like Lew Waters, I wish his employer luck.

With him working for them...

...They're gonna need it.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

Washougal City Council memo to Jon Russell: "Show up or shut up."

Apparently, as a rabid reader of my blog, Washougal City Councilman and failed congressional/legislative candidate Jon Russell has been missing a great many of the city council meetings where, oddly enough, he's expected to show up. Clearly, he thinks so little of those who were fooled into voting for him that he fails miserably in his job of representing them.

When I found out about Russell's new gig, I indicated that he'd be resigning. I had presumed it would be sooner because, well, after all, there's no way that someone like Russell would be much more interested in keeping a title then he would making sure that those he fooled would actually be REPRESENTED by someone... would he?

Since Russell scammed his gig going around the region's college campuses, he's managed to blow off most of the city council meetings which, as a consequence of his position on the city council, you might expect him to, well attend.

Russell, who pretty much has shown over the years that he only really cares about himself; now, apparently, views his unfortunate constituents as mere annoyances, routinely blowing off the city council meetings he was elected to attend.

When not continuing to make up fake identities on Facebook, (And he's still doing that... with many of his multiple fake identities being removed from the Columbian because Russell's too stupid to understand that with each post he spews, along comes his ip address) Russell continues to buff his resume' by going around from campus to campus talking the pre-life goal.

An admirable message... but couldn't they find someone better to deliver it?

Jon Russell Watch was developed to, well, keep an eye on Jon Russell. But he has to be around TO watch. And when it comes to his elected duties in Washougal?

He's invisible.

At some point, the city council will have to act. Why Russell doesn't have the decency to resign so someone can be appointed to take his place who actually takes this job seriously, unless it's because I said he would resign?

Well, we all know the answer to that.

Crossposted at Clark County Politics.

Is Russell PAYING the democratian? Another lie by Jon Russell.

Both here and on Jon Russell Watch, I've been documenting Russell's efforts to continue to get paid to miss meetings.

Apparently, my efforts caught the eye of one of my most ardent followers, the democratian... because, though they've never been the most original, they've shown in the past that they're not beyond ripping off this blog for both stories and ideas... this effort likely being a case in point.

The story is about city council types missing city council meetings. The bizarre paragraph in this one, though,. is this utter nonsense:

Council absences have not resulted in cancelled meetings in Washougal, but they have resulted in the early finish of one.

Councilmen Jon Russell and Michael Delavar walked out of an April meeting after the council voted 3-2 to form a committee to review the city’s ethics policy. The two men defended their walkout as a way to protect the vote and opinions of two council members who were not present.

Russell missed four regular meetings due to job- and family-related activities. Councilman Rod Morris, who was defeated in his reelection bid, also missed four meetings.

“Four out of 24 is not bad,” Russell said.

Actually, this is proof that while figures don't lie, liars do figure.

Over the past 4 meetings in Washougal, since Russell fooled that pro-life organization into giving his a temporary job, he's missed how many?

Well, it appears to me and many others commenting on my blogs... he's missed them all, or most of them.

That he's fine with missing ANY is despicable... and despicable is Russell. But missing most of them since he scammed a job?

The rag would be better served checking anything Russell, a proven, serial liar, tells them.

And Ray... since you read my meager efforts (where else would you have gotten the idea for this story?) you knew better when you printed this garbage.

All of which begs the issue.

This blog has documented many of Russell's lies about who he is, who he says his wife is, how much money he's raised, his education and his habit of ripping off other identities so he can post with impunity as he typically attacks those smart enough to oppose his world view.

In the past, the leftist rag has had a problem with that. They utilize every opportunity to remind the world that I had done that... and I wasn't elected to anything.

Russell does it, and what does the rag do about it?

Absolutely nothing. Now, why do you suppose that is?

Cross posted on Clark County Politics.