WA-02: Rick Larsen’s Tea Party Video Exposed

We knew it was coming, Rick Larsen is finally called to task:

See our earlier reporting here, and here.

Breaking: Palin to Tame “Papa Grizzly” Didier?

Highly placed sources have informed me that efforts are underway to have Sarah Palin intervene in the current squabble between former Washington U.S. Senate candidate Clint Didier and Republican Senate nominee Dino Rossi.

Palin, if you recall, endorsed Didier just prior to Rossi’s entry into the race in May.  SarahPAC gave Didier $5000 and Palin recorded a robo-call for Didier, but she did not campaign in the state for him.

Didier has declined to endorse Rossi in the Senate race until Rossi agrees to meet three specific demands.  Rossi has refused.

Republican state party officials and electeds are busy behind the scenes trying to repair the rift.  A close election between Rossi and Democratic incumbent Patty Murray is expected, and Didier’s 12 percent primary vote might be crucial.

More details as they become available.

Clint Didier’s Road to Irrelevancy

Indulge me for a moment in a bit of contrarian thinking. The MSM is ablaze with stories of dis-unity in the Washington State GOP following a “jungle primary” where Rossi took 34%, and insurgent conservative Clint Didier took 12%.

Nobody can seem to make heads or tails out of what Clint Didier refusing to get behind Rossi may mean for November. Some think it’ll matter a lot. Others see it as a challenge to overcome. Try this on: it doesn’t mean a darn thing. In fact, it could be to Rossi’s distinct advantage.

But wait you say, doesn’t Dino need that 12% to win in November. Well, yes and no.

A large chunk of that 12% came from Eastern Washington voters. Many of these folks likely supported Clint because he’s a hometown hero. Do they have some beef with Dino? Probably not — and expect to see him make plenty of stops in places like Pasco, Walla Walla, Ellensburg, and Yakima.

If Rossi can set himself apart from the loud (but ultimately small faction) of social conservative elements that supported Didier, while at the same time, hitting Patty Murray on fiscal issues — he can probably keep independents safely in his column well through November.

Furthermore, Rossi shouldn’t have to worry too much about a portion of Didier’s supporters casting their ballots into the trash instead of the ballot box on Election Day. He has the support of Tea Party favorites like Senator Jim DeMint, and Senator Scott Brown is due in town soon for a fundraiser. Republicans in the state are hungry for a win after years of losses; and there’s still an air of unfinished business for Rossi’s loss to Gregoire in 2004 and 2008.

If anything, the impetus is on Didier to heal the rift. Already, an email to supporters has gone out, encouraging them to hold onto their Didier for Senate signs for 2012.  If Clint Didier follows through with his threat to hold some of his 12% hostage in 2010, he will absolutely have to face Maria Cantwell in 2012 without the support of most Republicans (those represented by Dino Rossi’s 34%). 

To a man, the other 10 Republican Senate candidates that were in the race have graciously conceded and thrown their support behind the candidate with the greatest chance of beating Patty Murray.  They did this not just because it is the smart thing for those with future political plans, but because they realized that, for all practical purposes, they all shared the same basic conservative principles.  This explains why no one broke away from the pack (before Rossi announced), there was really very little policy substance to differentiate the candidates.  In the end, it was simply a matter of who was most likely to succeed.

Whether Didier stays in the game or not, he is largely irrelevant.  Rossi will continue his campaign, politely ignore Clint’s protests and demands, and largely benefit from the comparison to a more “extreme” figure.

WA-LD48: Bennett’s Message: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

In the race to control the majority of seats in the Washington State Senate, Republican Gregg Bennett is playing a leading role. He’s one of the top fundraisers this cycle, among Democrats or Republicans, for the State Legislature.

Seattle’s suburban crescent, once heavily Republican territory but in recent years the safe domain of “pro-Business Democrats,” is competitive territory once again. Unsurprisingly, the top issues? Jobs and the Economy.

Cut to the TV ad:

Look for that message and others from Bennett to be played repeatedly on TV between now and Election Day.

Have You No Sense of Decency Sir, At Long Last?

Conservative Christians who voted for Clint Didier may be experiencing some buyer’s remorse right about now. Foul-mouthed Didier spokeswoman Kathryn Serkes told Publicola yesterday:

So is Dino saying, “Fuck you” to those people [who supported Didier]? “Fuck you, I don’t need your votes? I can win with 33 percent”

This was the second incident of F-bombing by the Didier campaign in the last few weeks.  During the botched Didier-Akers joint webcast, staffers could be heard on-air referring to a “clusterfuck.”

Rossi, of course, said no such thing. He is simply refusing to submit to a laundry list of demands that Didier says Rossi must meet before Didier will endorse Rossi.  Rossi understandably rejected those demands. Can you think of any other candidate that polled just 12% of the vote that successfully made any demands on a victorious candidate? This is not Czechoslovakia and Rossi isn’t Neville Chamberlain.

And by the way Ms. Potty Mouth, Dino doesn’t have just 33%:

The first KING 5 Senate poll for the 2010 general election shows Republican Dino Rossi is actually ahead of Democratic incumbent Patty Murray, 52% to 45%.

In most polls leading up to this week’s primary election and on primary night, Murray was in the lead. Primary election results placed Murray 13 points ahead of Rossi, but Rossi splitting the Republican vote with Clint Didier who got 12%, and Paul Akers, with 3%.

Oops.

I agree with Caleb Hannan at the Daily Weekly.  Rossi is better off ignoring Didier’s demands.  In any case, this cannot end well for Didier and his Super Bowl ring-sized ego.  And if Rossi loses a very winnable election with the U.S. Senate at stake, Didier may want to consider growing alfalfa in Uzbekistan.

Finally, here’s some advice to the Washington Campaign for Liberty, whose members backed Didier so vociferously.  I generally respect the membership of the C4L, who other than a few crazies,  are very thoughtful and intelligent.  They realize that they can only advance their causes by forming coalitions with other groups.

Didier’s high school jock testosteroning, as echoed by cheerleader Jerkes, is making him radioactive.  Take care you don’t get contaminated yourself.