The Same Old Republican Tactics

The Washington Republican Party issued the following press release on Friday:

This week, Rep. Rick Larsen became the latest member of the state's Democratic congressional delegation to pledge support for a presidential candidate.

Some may question Larsen's late in the game support for the politician rated "most liberal U.S. Senator in 2007" by the non-partisan National Journal magazine. But meanwhile, ultra-liberal Rep. Jim McDermott and his Eastside protégé, Darcy Burner, remain silent about who they're supporting for the nomination. The question that should be asked: why the bashfulness from Burner and McDermott?

Responding to McDermott and Burner's "don't tell/don't tell" policy on their favored presidential hopeful, Washington State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser issued the following statement:

"Could it be that neither Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton are liberal enough to suit Darcy Burner and Jim McDermott?" asked Washington State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser. "By May of a presidential year one would expect an elected leader (or candidate for office) to make up their mind about who they are supporting for the most important political office in the country. Unless of course, they are ashamed to have their views known publicly."

Does Luke Esser really think that? Seriously? No other possibilities?

It is interesting to get some insight into the tactics Republicans and Reichert will be using this election cycle from such a press release. First of all they once again refer to the National Journal's rating of Barack Obama as the "most liberal U.S. Senator in 2007". However, they fail to also mention the National Journal's rating of Dave Reichert as the most conservative U.S. Representative in 2007 on foreign policy issues. Indeed, one might even say Dave Reichert is an ultra-conservative representative, or even ultra neo-conservative on foreign policy issues, but they don't really want you to know that.

As for painting Darcy Burner as Jim McDermott's "Eastside protégé", that's a humorous stretch. While Burner has a clear plan to get us out of Iraq, her positions are very much in line with the socially diverse and fiscally conservative 8th District she would represent, as you would expect from a successful businesswoman with her educational background.

I don't know why Jim McDermott hasn't declared his endorsement of a candidate, although I suspect it is because he would have supported Clinton, not Obama, and like many Clinton supporters has been sitting on the fence. I guess he could have done like Dave Reichert and openly supported a loser like Rudy Giuliani, only to see the candidate crash and burn. That was a political miscalculation on Reichert's part which will diminish his standing in the eyes of the McCain campaign.

As for Burner, I see no reason why she would indicate her preference publicly given the state of the Democratic race. She is not a super delegate, and so she has nothing to gain by declaring a favorite, and a silly press release statement from a loser with a pattern of lying isn't going to goad her into doing so.