Thurston County Democrats

Chair's Message

Each day it is increasingly apparent what a critical election year 2006 is at all levels – from the “top of the ticket” on down.   If we are to effect any policy change nationally, we must ensure Democrats gain control of Congress!  Until we do, each committee remains under Republican control and with it the agenda – what work gets done (little), when it gets done (rarely) and how it gets done (secretly).  I’m sure we all agree with long time Thurston County Democrat, Herb Legg, that the economic policies of the current regime desperately need changing.  We can talk about investigating all the administration’s lies and incompetence, impeachment, ending our occupation of Iraq, sustainable energy, open government, a balanced budget, relieving poverty, health care, etc. until we’re blue in the face, but it will only be talk until we gain control and, with it, the ability to actually do something.

One of the first things on the agenda needs to be returning our civil liberties.  In follow up to our featured guest piece on the NSA activities in our last quarterly newsletter, Tom Engelhardt was kind enough to allow us to reprint below his recent “Thirty Flew into the Cuckoo’s Nest” essay on our convoluted web of spy agencies.  (If you’re not already subscribed to Tom’s insightful “dispatches,” I’d highly recommend you do so at his website www.tomdispatch.com.)

Be assured, the most recent revelation about the government’s monitoring of our financial transactions is not the end.  We have not yet learned the full extent of the loss of our liberties for the sake of power hungry control since 9/11.  In late June a previously sealed document in the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s lawsuit against AT&T was released which outlines how the NSA may be using secret AT&T installations to capture all Internet traffic – email, web sites accessed and voice – for surveillance.  And, to make matters worse, when the Bush administration is questioned or challenged in legal proceedings, it increasingly invokes the “state secrets” cloak of secrecy.

We will not begin to know how widespread and invasive this spying activity is until Democrats control some Congressional committee assignments, and they won’t control them until they’re the majority party.  And, as for court review of the Bushies increasing “state secrets” claims, it’s much more likely to happen with judges who are not partisan “strict constructionist” judges approved by a Republican Senate.

Which leads me to emphasize again the importance of the Washington State Supreme Court races this year.  The efforts of well-funded and organized right wing partisans to unseat judges nationally renowned for the quality of their decisions is unprecedented.  Please pay attention to these races, talk to your friends and neighbors about them and make sure they vote in the September primary as that may be where they’re decided!

If you’re like me, you too are disgusted at how money has come to dominate elections.   Fortunately, we can change this!  But we first have to get candidates elected who share our democratic values and belief that citizens are better represented if their lawmakers and government managers can focus more on public policy and less on fundraising.  Like it or not, we’ll have to help those candidates raise funds now to get elected in order for the change we desire to have a chance of fruition.  

We have two grass roots candidates running for the State legislature this year who share these values and desperately need our help:  Kyle Taylor Lucas running for State Senate in the 35th Legislative District and Mike Rechner running for State Representative in the 20th Legislative District.  In contrast to their opponents, neither of them have funding from large insurance, pharmaceutical or tobacco companies.  Look at the PDC filings, and note the differences.  You’ll see they haven’t raised close to the funds of their opponents.   They need our help now – potential funding organizations are watching their fundraising success to determine whether or not to help, so please visit their websites and arrange to contribute.  We’ve long needed Democratic representation in both these seats, they’ve stepped forward to run, so let’s help them get elected!

We have many fine candidates running at the county level, but I want to focus on one particular race that is the most critical:  Bob Macleod’s effort to maintain his seat as Thurston County Commissioner for District 3.  His challenger, this time running as a Republican, is the guy he beat four years ago, Kevin O’Sullivan, who has the big bucks of the BIAW and Farm Bureau backing him.   Similar to the Supreme Court races, and Kyle’s and Mike’s races, Bob doesn’t have moneyed interests behind him.  Our County Commissioners set policy at the county level and we don’t want big moneyed, outside interests determining that policy.  Please contribute to Bob’s campaign!

Justice is not for sale!

“Judicial elections turn expensive, polarized, and nasty” reads the headline of a recent piece in U.S. News and World Report.   This nationwide trend is playing out right in our backyard in our own State Supreme Court elections this year, and goes against everything that jurisprudence is based on in a democratic republic, such as ours.  I know, I know it seems like virtually everything is for sale in this country – including many politicians, but we have an opportunity this year to prevent the commercialization of our State Supreme Court. 

Right wing, moneyed interests have thus far targeted two of our finest State Supreme Court Justices, Gerry Alexander and Susan Owens, and are likely to follow soon with a third, Justice Tom Chambers.  Indeed, John Groen, the conservative never-been-a-judge-before attorney running against Alexander, has the unique distinction of being the only Supreme Court candidate who didn’t voluntarily abide by Washington’s new campaign contribution limits which took effect June 7th.

If you believe judicial decisions should be based upon facts and law, not wealthy, partisan, special interests, please read Jane Johnson’s article below, pay close attention to these races this summer and be sure to vote in the September primary!   (If two candidates are running for one position, the candidate who receives the majority of the primary votes is the only one who will appear on the general election ballot.)

Supreme Court election results are critical

Jane Johnson
PCO, Bigelow 107

Our State Supreme Court will likely review cases concerning election reform, redistricting, same sex marriage, “Real ID” implementation, death penalty, and Hanford clean up over the coming months and years.  After Rossi v Gregoire, the “Right” decided to target our Supreme Court and even though these races are non-partisan we Democrats must become informed of the candidates and the potential effects of their sitting on the bench.   (Read the entire article...)

Jurisdiction

The Supreme Court is the state's highest court. Its opinions are published, become the law of the state, and set precedent for subsequent cases decided in Washington.

The Court has original jurisdiction of petitions against state officers and can review decisions of lower courts if the case involves a question of the legality of a tax, duty, assessment, toll, or municipal fine, or the validity of a statute.

Direct Supreme Court review of a trial court decision is permitted if the action involves a state officer, a trial court has ruled a statute or ordinance unconstitutional, conflicting statutes or rules of law are involved, or the issue is of broad public interest and requires a prompt and ultimate determination. All cases in which the death penalty has been imposed are reviewed directly by the Supreme Court.

Motions to be determined by the Court, and petitions for review of Court of Appeals decisions, are heard by five-member departments of the Court. A less-than-unanimous vote on a petition requires that the entire court consider the matter.

The Supreme Court is the final rule-making authority for all of the state's courts. Though local courts make their own rules of procedure, these rules must conform to those established by the Supreme Court. In addition, the Supreme Court has administrative responsibility for operation of the state court system.

Justices

The nine Supreme Court justices are elected to six-year terms. Each term is staggered to maintain continuity of the court. Vacancies are filled by appointment of the Governor until the next general election.

Three current Justices are up for re-election in 2006: Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander, and Justices Tom Chambers and Susan J. Owens, the seventh woman to serve on the Washington State Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Alexander was first elected to a seat on the Washington Supreme Court in 1994.  Justices Chambers and Owens are both completing their first terms, each having been elected in 2000.

The Best Funded Challengers

John M. Groen, a senior consulting attorney with the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation with no judicial experience, is challenging Gerry Alexander, who has over 30 years experience serving as a judge in Washington State.  Groen attended the recent Republican convention where, according to Seattle Times columnist David Postman, he “mentioned property rights four times.”

It appears he is trying to capitalize on the extensive press he received during his fights to kill the Seattle monorail in the last couple of years.  Groen, 46, is expected to get heavy backing from the politically potent Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW). He is a member and past chairman of the BIAW's legal trust committee, and the association is a client of his Bellevue law firm, Groen, Stephens & Klinge, as are other builder interests.

State Senator Stephen L. Johnson (R-Kent) has been registered with the Public Disclosure Commission and raising money to run for the Supreme Court for months but only recently announced that he is challenging Justice Susan Owens. He plays himself as an outsider taking on not just the incumbent, but the state's legal establishment. Johnson will not participate in ratings done by the King County Bar Association. Since Johnson has been a State Senator, Project Vote Smart has rated him on the issues.  Generally he is anti-choice, pro-business, got a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union, only 25% from the Washington State PTA, among other ratings.

Currently no candidate registered with the Public Disclosure Commission appears at this time to have significant funding to challenge Justice Chambers.

Funding & PACs

A group called FAIRPAC registered on April 25th with the state as a political action committee. FAIRPAC is going to raise money on behalf of judicial candidates Owens, Chambers, Alexander. 

The arrival of FAIRPAC is good news because another PAC, the Constitutional Law PAC, has been registered since late last year. They currently only have about $4,600 in their treasury but their mission is to fund a slate of conservative judges to take out Owens, Chambers, and Alexander and they are currently actively fund raising.

A quick cross reference of Con Law PAC’s contributors shows nearly 90% overlap with donors to the James Johnson campaign—a business-friendly conservative Supreme Court candidate who took out the more liberal Mary Kay Becker in 2004. Former GOP Senator Slade Gorton is Con Law PAC’s chairman.

While there are contribution limits on judicial races in Washington State ($1400 per contributor), there are no limits on donating to PACs. That makes Con Law PAC a threatening force. According to the Seattle P-I:

“Johnson was elected in 2004 with the help of more than $200,000 in campaign contributions from the Building Industry Association of Washington and its affiliates…Johnson’s BIAW money alone dwarfed the entire campaign treasury of his opponent, Mary Kay Becker.”

Mary Kay Becker raised just $157,000 in 2004 to James Johnson’s $539,000.

I’ll watch the money and donors and keep you posted as to what I discover but each of us must commit to becoming aware of the issues and the candidates to the Supreme Court. 

These could be the 3 most important races this year.

What Exactly Does a County Commissioner Do anyway?

John S. Tennis
Thurston County Public Information Program Manager

So, you may ask yourself, what do County Commissioners actually do anyway?  So glad you asked.  In Thurston County, the Commissioners are obligated to perform many duties under state law and they are the legislative authority for the county.  They serve as administrators for several important county operations and have some quasi-judicial duties as well. 

Thurston County Commissioners have four basic roles

Budget: Commissioners levy approved taxes allowed by the legislature, in order to operate the county and they adopt a balanced budget each year to make that happen.  Other elected officials in the county are responsible for their own budgets and the commissioners are responsible for the operation of the budgets under control of appointed department directors.

Administrators: Thurston County Commissioners are also responsible for adopting, amending or repealing all county ordinances.  These include traffic, zoning, planning, health, public safety and other policies and ordinances.  They are also accountable for

• Public roads and public work projects.
• Public Health and Social Services.
• Planning in the unincorporated areas.
• Emergency Services.
• County Parks and Recreation.

Commissioners also have a big role in many community boards and commissions (more on that later) and they appoint citizens to serve on many such organizations.

Judicial: In this capacity, commissioners are often called upon to serve as the first level of appeal of decisions made by other county officials.  For example, land use decisions such as zoning, may be appealed to the commissioners for review.

Boards and Commissions:  Commissioners are asked to serve on several community organizations, many of which are interjurisdictional.  One commissioner for example, serves as the Board Representative on 15 different boards and commissions. The Commissioner also serves as the alternate for 7 Boards and Commissions in case his counterparts are unable to attend one of their meetings.  A few of the committee meetings include:

• Chehalis Basin Partnership.
• Human Services Review Council.
• Project Access.
• Intercity Transit Authority.
• Thurston County Parks Board.
• Transportation Policy Board.
• Solid Waste Advisory Board.

The commissioner also may attend or act as an alternate for the Historic Commission, the Thurston Council on Cultural Diversity, the Economic Development Council Board, Animal Services, LOTT & the Thurston Regional Planning Council.  The other two commissioners also carry a similar load of activities regarding boards and commissions.

As you can see, commissioners have very active jobs and are often called upon to make decisions regarding very complex public policies that affect not only county government now and in the future, but other local jurisdictions and, or course, the citizens.  They take pride in the job and work hard to make informed choices that do the greatest good for the county.

Editor’s Note: Current County Commissioners are Cathy Wolfe (D), District 1, Diane Oberquell (D), District 2 and Bob Macleod (D), District 3.  Bob Macleod is running for reelection for County in District 3.

Justin Norton Scholarship Fund

On June 24, 2006, Gary Warnock’s son was tragically killed while serving in Iraq. Before Justin left for his tour of duty he requested that a scholarship fund be established in his name if he did not return. In honor of Justin Norton, the family has established the scholarship fund at www.justinnorton.net.

Donations can be mailed to:

Justin Norton Scholarship Foundation
c/o Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 444
Yelm, WA 98597

Donations also can be made at any Key Bank. If going to a Key Bank outside of this state, mention that the account is set up in Washington State.

The family’s hope is to provide funds for Rainier High School and to reach out to Yelm and Tenino. They would like this to become an ongoing foundation in Justin’s name. Our deepest sympathy goes out to the family and friends who knew and loved Justin.

Primary Election Candidates

The Primary Election is September 19th and there are many who are worthy of our support and our vote.  The following list of candidates represent those who have requested and been approved for Campaign Services through the Thurston County Democrats as of this mailing.  Remember, the Supreme and Superior Court candidates will be decided in the Primary.

Maria Cantwell – US Senate

Campaign Name: Cantwell 2006
Address: PO Box 12740, Seattle, WA 98111
Phone: 206-217-2006
Web: www.cantwell.com
Email: comment@cantwell.com

Brian Baird (CD 3) – US House of Representatives

Campaign Name: Brian Baird for Congress
Address: P.O. Box 5016, Vancouver, WA 98668
Phone: 360-696-1993
Web: www.brianbaird.com

Adam Smith (CD 9) – US House of Representatives

Campaign Name: Adam Smith for Congress
Address: PO Box 23626, Federal Way, WA 98093
Street Address: 1019 Pacific Avenue, Suite 1118, Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: (253) 572-6125
Web: www.electadamsmith.com
Email: info@electadamsmith.com

Justice Susan Owens – Washington State Supreme Court – Position 2

Campaign Name: People for Justice Susan Owens
Address: 6963 Littlerock Rd SW, Tumwater, WA 98512
Web: www.justicesusanowens.com
Phone: 206-841-9715

Chief Justice Gerry Alexander – Washington State Supreme Court – Position 8

Campaign Name: Committee to Re-Elect Justice Gerry Alexander
Address: 525 Columbia St. NW, Olympia, WA 98501-1098
Web: www.justicealexander.com
Email: info@justicealexander.com

Justice Tom Chambers – Washington State Supreme Court – Position 9

Campaign Name: Committee to re-elect Tom Chambers
Address: P.O. BOX 21508, Seattle, WA 98111
Phone: 206-328-5564
Web: www.tomchambers.com
Email: joinus@tomchambers.com

Bob Macleod – Thurston County Commissioner District #3

Campaign Name: The Committee to Re-Elect Bob Macleod
Phone: 360-280-1512
Web: www.bobmacleod.com
Email: info@bobmacleod.com
Contact: Danielle Westbrook - 280-2533

Robin Hunt – Thurston County Treasurer

Campaign Name: ReElect Robin L. Hunt, CPA
Address: 120 State Ave NE #134, Olympia, WA 98501
Phone: 360-352-8419
Web: www.robinhunt.info
Email: robinlhunt@comcast.net

Shawn Myers – Thurston County Treasurer

Campaign Name: Friends to Elect Shawn Myers
Address: 5201 Capitol Blvd. PMB #146, Olympia, WA 98501
Phone: 360.556.1048
Web: www.electshawnmyers.com
Email: electshawnmyers@comcast.net

Dan Kimball - Thurston County Sheriff

Campaign Name: Citizens to Elect Dan Kimball Sheriff
Address: P.O. Box 14339, Tumwater, WA 98511
Phone: 360-359-6872
Web: www.dankimballforsheriff.com
Email: info@dankimballforsheriff.com

Gary Warnock - Thurston County Coroner

Campaign Name: Friends of Gary Warnock
Phone: 360-239-8190
Address: 314 Country Estates Dr. W, Rainier, WA 98576
Email: gcwarnock@ywave.com

Kyle Taylor Lucas (LD35) - Washington State Senate

Campaign Name: Citizens for Kyle Taylor Lucas
Address: 301 E Wallace Kneeland Blvd., Ste 224-134, Shelton, WA 98584-2983
Headquarters: 211 Stotsbery Road, Shelton, WA 98584
Phone: 360-426-5000
Web: www.kyleforsenate.com
Email: kyle@kyleforsenate.com
Contact: Tina Stevens Tina@kyleforsenate.com

Mike Rechner - (LD20) Washington State House of Representatives

Campaign Name: People for Mike Rechner
Address: 7205-A Martin Way E #47, Olympia, WA 98516
Phone: 360-413-5824
Web: www.MikeRechner.com
Email: mike@mikerechner.com
Campaign Manager: Chase Gallagher
Email: chase@mikerechner.com

Sam Hunt (LD 22) – Washington State House of Representatives

Campaign Name: Sam Hunt for State Representative
Address: PO Box 2573, Olympia, WA 98507
Phone: 360-456-0886
Web: www.samhunt.net 
Email: repsamhunt@comcast.net
Campaign Manager: Hillary Hunt

Brendan Williams (LD 22) – Washington State House of Representatives

Campaign Name: People for Brendan Williams
Address: 1721 18th Court NE, Olympia, WA 98506
Phone: 360-923-2233
Web: www.brendanwilliams.com  
Email: brendan@brendanwillliams.com 

Bill Eickmeyer (LD 35) - Washington State House of Representatives

Campaign Name: Bill Eickmeyer for State Representative
Phone: 360-372-2529
Web: www.ike-35th.com 
Email: office@ike-35th.com
Campaign Manager: Linda Thomson

Kathy Haigh (LD 35) - Washington State House of Representatives

Campaign Name: Committee to Re-Elect Kathy Haigh
Phone: 360-426-9303
Address: 81 SE Walker Park Rd, Shelton, WA 98584

Patricia Costello – Thurston County Assessor

Phone: 360-459-9103
Address: 1310 Alonda Lane NE, Olympia, WA 98501

Betty Gould – Thurston County Clerk

Campaign Name: ReElect Betty J. Gould for County Clerk
Phone: 360-866-1525
Address: 2101 Summit Lake Rd. NW, Olympia, WA 98502
Email: bettyjgouldforclerk@comcast.net

Ed Holm – Thurston County Prosecutor

Campaign Name: Holm for Prosecutor
Phone: 360-357-5187
Address: PO Box 576, Olympia, 98507-0576
Email: mmcce@comcast.net

Paul Pickett – PUD Commissioner

Phone: 360-943-5791
Address: 4040 Gull Harbor Rd. N.E., Olympia, WA 98506
Email: Pickett4PUD@gmail.com

Anne Hirsch - Thurston County Superior Court Judge - Position 8

Campaign Name: The Committee to Elect Anne Hirsch Judge
Address: 1910 4th Ave East PMB 64, Olympia, WA 98506
Phone: 360-866-6070
Website: www.annehirsch.com
Email: info@annehirsch.com

Jim Powers - Thurston County Superior Court Judge - Position 8

Campaign Name: Citizens to Elect Jim Powers, Judge
Address: PO Box 12952, Olympia, WA 98508
Phone: 360-259-4246
Web: www.jimpowersforjudge.com
Email: jamescpowers2004@yahoo.com

Charles Williams - Thurston County Superior Court Judge - Position 8

Campaign Name: Citizens to Elect Charles Williams Judge
Address: PO Box 2884, Olympia, WA 98507-2884
Web: www.williams4judge.org
Email: attywilliams@comcast.net
Phone: 360-786-8000

Grand Opening of Campaign Office July 19

Debby Pattin
1st Vice Chair

Please join us for the Grand Opening of the Thurston County Democrats Campaign Office on Wednesday, July 19th between the hours of 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. The new office is located at 506 Columbia St. SW (next door to Hannah's and across the street from Heritage Bank.)  We’re just steps from Lakefair!

Stop by to tour the campaign office before or after you visit the Thurston County Democrats Burger Booth at Lakefair. We will have soft drinks and snacks available all day, and finger foods will be served from 5 until 7 p.m., with cake cutting at 6 p.m.

This is an excellent time to pick up yard signs, bumper stickers, and buttons, and also sign up to volunteer for campaigns while you tour our new digs.

PCO Filing Week is July 24-28

If you’ve been thinking of getting more involved in making a difference at the local level, we’d like to encourage you to consider running for election as a Precinct Committee Officer (PCO). Whether you are a new PCO candidate or are already a PCO, you must file with the Auditor’s Office this month! This year, you may file by mail beginning July 10, provided your filing form and application fee are received by July 28. You may also file in person during the week of July 24- 28. If you are an existing PCO, either elected or appointed, you must file to run for election every two years; you are not automatically returned to office. If you will be out of town during the July 24-28 filing period, the 1st Vice Chair will be available to take your filing fee and application to the County Auditor on your behalf.

Any one who is a registered voter in the precinct may pay a one dollar ($1) filing fee with the County Auditor and run for election during the primary. If elected, the term of office is two years, and begins December 1st, 2006.

In case you are unfamiliar with what a Precinct Committee Officer’s responsibilities are, here is a brief explanation.

    • Elect all Thurston County Democrat Central Committee (TCDCC) officers and Thurston County State Committee men / women.
    • Fill vacancies on the Democrat Party ticket.
    • Establish a record of eligible voters within the precinct and provide a list of identified Democrats to your County and/or District organization.
    • Encourage voter registration within your precinct and to get out and vote on Election Day.
    • Make rules and regulations through the TCDCC.
    • Attend all monthly TCDCC meetings, or arrange for a proxy to attend.
    • Help convene and chair the Biennial Precinct Caucus.
    • Recruit and recommend to the Election Board the names of persons willing to serve as election Board Workers, and to the Executive Committee persons willing to fill any vacancy within the organization, and help with fundraising.
    • Canvass and conduct telephone polls, coffee hours, doorbell, poll watch, and perform other activities to help elect Democrats.

If you’re still not sure and would like to talk with someone about getting involved as a PCO, contact Debby Pattin, 1st Vice Chair at 866-8664 or debbypattin@thurstondemocrats.org. 

Herb Legg – A Gentle Man

Christi McGinley
Communications Committee Chair

For those who are new to Thurston County or Washington State you may not know about this gem of a gentleman who has dedicated his life to making the world a better place for the poor.

I’d arranged to meet Herb at his new residence, Providence Mother Joseph’s Care facility, where he’s been since a recent stroke.  He told me he didn’t allow visitors but that he’d make an exception this time…”I was different.” 

I was honored.

“First off, let me tell you that my religion is Quaker-Unitarian-Democrat.  About all I need for religion is the Sermon on the Mount which says ‘Be nice to poor people.’”

I could see this was going to be a fascinating conversation.  I’d not considered the Democrats to be a “religion” but I was willing to go along with it to see where it all would lead.  Very quickly I realized I would be unsuccessful in leading the conversation in any orderly direction so I resolved to let it unfold naturally. What follows are bits and pieces of an hour-long conversation, an encounter really, with Herb Legg, a self professed “liberal Liberal.”

Herb was born in Tennessee and is the eldest of 10 siblings…plus one.  One died at 3 months old after what was then considered a summer flu.  His parents didn’t have the $3.00 per day to pay the doctor to treat his infant sister.  After she was sick for several days they decided if she was alive the next morning they’d find the money somehow and take her to the doctor.  Sadly, she didn’t survive the night.  Herb recalls it affected the whole family deeply.  “She was very, very young.  It is why I believe in government paid health care for every person – repeat – every person.”

During the Depression, his family moved to Kittitas Valley around Ellensburg, WA.  He graduated from Central Washington University, eventually taught there and was on the school board. A very brief and incomplete list of his many jobs and accomplishments includes working for the Washington State Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s Office.  He served as a naval officer during WWII, was a lobbyist, a teacher, a city councilman, several-term state committeeman, two-term Thurston County Democrats Chair, and the State Democrats Party Chair in 1961.  Herb Legg was and is an organizer.

“The three most significant events in my life were the Depression, WWII, and the Democrats.”  I asked why he included the Democrats in the list. “It was a vehicle for doing something about my concern about helping poor people.”

“I practiced law in Olympia for 16 years, but decided I didn’t like it because, in order to represent my client well, I had to sometimes be mean to people.  I didn’t like doing that so I quit and went into teaching.”  Herb taught at several colleges including a “black” college in Dallas, TX, Central in Ellensburg and a community college in Seattle.

In a slightly more playful tone, he continues, “When I was teaching in Seattle, which was pretty laid back in those days, one of my students broke out a marijuana cigarette.  He passed it around and we all, including myself, took a puff…I didn’t inhale.”  -- I couldn’t help but recall another significant figure in recent history that professed similarly --  “But to show you how strict I was, my student started to light another one and I said that’s enough!  Marijuana use was pretty casual, then.  Nowadays they throw you in jail!” 

Seeing an opportunity to talk about the local party, I asked him how the Thurston County Democrats have changed since he was Chair.  He recalls the biggest dispute he had to deal with was the decision to move the Central Committee meeting from Saturday afternoon to Monday evening.  This decision was made to accommodate those who lived in more rural areas and for whom coming to town for a meeting on Saturdays was a hardship. 

“There were a lot of ‘Roosevelt Democrats—older people’ then and they would hold lunches and invite speakers to talk about important issues.  Those older ones have stayed involved in one way or another.” In a serious tone he adds, “You have to get young people involved because these older people won’t be around much longer,” a concern we share and are looking for ways to address.

Turning to current issues, I asked what he thought Democrats should be concerned about today.  “We need to change the national policy and work with the U.N. to do something about poor countries and we need to stop trying to be a policeman for the planet,” he said candidly.  “WWII was the last time we were all united but I think we are united enough now and will stay together to make the necessary changes in our current political situation.”

Herb’s wife, Shirley, arrived just as our time together came to a close and he was eager to share with me the story of how they met. “I was teaching back East in a graduate program in North Carolina and one day I met someone named Shirley. We talked for 15 minutes and I said, ‘How’d you like to move out West with me?’  She said Yes!  That was 30 years ago.”  With a twinkle in his eye he continues, “Next to teaching and peanut butter I like Shirley best.”

I don’t know whether I found my answer to what a Quaker-Unitarian-Democrat religion really is but I suspect it has something to do with helping poor people.  A worthy goal, indeed.

Adventures from ”The Burger Booth”

Rhenda Strub
LD22 Vice Chair and Burger Booth Coordinator

Every military veteran has their favorite story about the green second lieutenant who showed up shiny and proud from Officer Candidate School to take charge of seasoned troops.  You know how they end right?  The eager newbie LT makes a clueless mistake, the experienced sergeant has to put it right, and the troops all have a good laugh at the LT’s expense.  I have always laughed with the enlisted men at the American Legion when they told those stories, but now I think I’ll have a little more sympathy for the second lieutenant.

I was commissioned as Officer in Charge of The Burger Booth (or as I prefer to call it I was installed as the Burger Queen) on June 8th and had my first adventure in charge on June 17th, Super Saturday.  While I was assuming command from a really competent senior officer, Elizabeth Sheppard, there was not a lot of time for transition, and so I, like so many second lieutenants before me, was given many opportunities to make a fool of myself.  I write to tell you that I took advantage of every single one.

So that you may know how truly green I was when I took charge, I’ll have to confess something here.  Though I’ve lived in Thurston County for four years and currently serve as the Vice Chair of Legislative District 22, I had never set foot inside The Burger Booth before I took command.  I know I’m a slacker.  Go ahead and do your superior dance, I’ll wait.  Now know this:  I grew up in Missouri and moved here after 15 years in South Dakota.  Back in the Midwest, we have many such events as Lakefair and Super Saturday.  We do fairs like nobody’s business.  I’ve logged many, many hours at fairs.  What we don’t have in the Midwest is a beach.  Once I discovered Grayland Beach State Park, no summertime fair could hold my fancy again.  So, while all of you West Coast natives were enjoying Lakefair and serving your shift in The Burger Booth, I was off catching up on my lost time with the ocean you’ve been hogging from us inlanders.

Because the Thurston County Democrats have long standing relations with knowledgeable vendors, I had no trouble arranging for the meat, cheese, buns, and drinks.  I just told them all to make up whatever order they made up last year.  As for the rest of the supplies, Elizabeth instructed me to go to Cash & Carry where we have an account.  Now, I could have asked her how much stuff to buy there, but I didn’t want her to think me incompetent.  She could have told me exactly what to buy, but I bluffed her into believing I knew what I was doing.  And that is how it came to pass that I arrived at Evergreen toting 10 pounds of onions to supply The Burger Booth for Super Saturday.  Go ahead and laugh.  I can hear Linda Lombard from here.  And is that Joel Staloch that just snorted coffee up his nose?

You see, what I didn’t know, and what every last one of you who ever set foot in The Burger Booth knows, is that a Demoburger™ is not a hamburger.  It is a grilled onion sandwich flavored with ground beef.  I was thinking to chop those onions and set them out beside the mustard.  Ten pounds sounds reasonable, right?  Hah!  You fool.  Ten pounds won’t get you through an hour of Demoburger™ grilling.  And those 2,000 napkins you thought would supply the day won’t get you through lunch.  It takes a fistful of napkins to wrangle a Demoburger™.  It takes nearly 400 pounds of onions to supply The Burger Booth for Super Saturday!  (Who knew?  Well—besides the rest of you.)  And, it takes a lot of people to fetch those onions when a rookie bungles the first purchase.  Thanks to John Cusick and Christi McGinley, Jerry Muchmore, and my beloved son, Morgan Stock, who made emergency supply runs, we never ran out of those stinking onions or the napkins to wipe them up with.  

In addition to the Onion Incident, I managed to blister my hand on the Foreman Grill, singe my hair while lighting the bun warming stove, and slice open my finger so keenly on the stinking onion chopper that it bled for nearly an hour.  Because I got 100% on my food handler’s permit test (shameless effort to restore my dignity here) I managed the injuries without compromising anybody’s health, not to worry.

Before I end this I have to tell you:  Jerry Muchmore is fabulous.  He played the part of the seasoned sergeant on Saturday and he did it with patience and good humor.  What a jewel we have in this guy.  At the end of the day I told him I will serve as Burger Queen only so long as he agrees to stay on as Burger King.  Or, as the more serious types among us may prefer, we have designated ourselves Director of Operations and Director of Logistics.  Jerry has a whole team of unseen “go-to guys” that help him keep The Burger Booth in good working order.  They move it in, set it up, take it down, and move it out.  I will leave it to him to name his crew; I just know they were there when we needed them.  Thanks to Jerry and Jerry’s Guys*, when Lakefair rolls around all I have to do is remember the onions.

* “Jerry’s Guys” include Mike Pelela, Ken Schwilk, and Harvey Williamson.

Editor’s Note: Demo Burgers are a big hit with Lakefair attendees and thousands of people will be stopping at the Burger Booth to order their burger and talk with candidates running for election/re-election.  If you are a candidate and haven’t yet signed-up for shift at Lakefair, contact us as soon as possible so we can make sure you take advantage of this opportunity to be visible and reach out to voters!  We also encourage local affiliated organizations to sign up such as the Young *Democrats of Washington, Veterans for Peace and others.

Lakefair is July 19-23 and there are still shifts available.  You can visit our Burger Booth page at our website: www.thurstondemocrats.org/burgerbooth to see which shifts are left.

Contact us soon, to sign up for a shift:  rhenda@irisassociates.net or 943-1913.

Thirty Flew into the Cuckoo's Nest

The Tangled Web of American "Intelligence"
By Tom Engelhardt
www.tomdispatch.com

In recent months, among other uproars and scandals, Americans learned that the Defense Department has been collecting intelligence on and tracking domestic antiwar activists; that, since 2001, the National Security Agency (NSA) has had a presidentially authorized, law-breaking, warrantless surveillance program to listen in on the international phone calls of possibly tens of thousands of U.S. citizens; that, with the help of three of the four major telephone companies, it also has had a data-mining operation -- "the largest database ever assembled in the world" -- linked, at least one case, directly into a major telecommunication carrier's network core ("where all its data are stored"), giving it access to almost all telephone calls made in this country; that, as Director of the CIA, Porter Goss, a Bush-appointed, Cheney-backed, ex-congressman, had whipped out his lie detector and conducted an internal war and purge of an agency viewed by the administration as little better than the Axis of Evil, tearing its upper ranks apart via numerous resignations and retirements; that, meanwhile, Goss's third-in-command, a fellow with the evocative name of Kyle "Dusty" Foggo (think: fog o' intelligence), was being investigated for possibly granting illegal Agency sweetheart contracts to a pal already involved in another major Washington corruption scandal (and don't even get me started on those poker games and prostitutes); that Goss, in turn, was pushed out of the CIA by Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Negroponte, head of a new uber-intelligence "office" (ODNI) meant to coordinate the whole sprawling "intelligence community," and his second in command, Air Force General Michael Hayden, the former head of the NSA (who oversaw those surveillance and data-mining operations for the administration); that the President then nominated the active-duty general to take Goss's place as the head of the country's major civilian spy agency -- in his Senate hearings, he would offer the following comment on Goss's tenure: "You get a lot more authority when the work force doesn't think it's amateur hour on the top floor"; that Republican and Democratic Senators, having questioned the credibility of a military man who had overseen a patently illegal surveillance program on American citizens for years and then defended it vigorously, promptly collapsed in a non-oppositional heap of praise, and rubber-stamped him director by a vote of 78-15; that in the ever-upward-rippling CIA-agent-outing case of Valerie Plame -- about which a stonewalling Goss said, while still head of the House Intelligence Committee, "Somebody sends me a blue dress and some DNA, I'll have an investigation" -- rumors of Karl Rove's indictment continued to circulate; while Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald reserved the right to call the Vice President, whose office seems ever more in his sightlines, to testify in former aide I. Lewis Libby's trial next year.

All this news involving what we call "intelligence" -- and much more -- played out on the front pages of the nation's newspapers and on TV, replete with copious leaks from within the intelligence community, threats from the White House to prosecute journalists reporting those leaks, outraged press editorials about sundry intelligence topics, and a great deal of heat and noise.

Each scandal came and went, the news spotlight flickering from one to the next; and yet, as Hayden's testimony before the Senate made clear, just about no one seemed to have the urge to ask the obvious what's-it-all-about-Alfie question. Nobody wondered what this thing called "intelligence," over which so many tens of thousands of analysts, code breakers, and agents labor with so many tens of billions of our dollars, really is; what sort of knowledge about our planet all those acronymic intelligence organizations really deliver. The value of the "intelligence community" to deliver this thing called "intelligence," whatever mistakes or missteps might be made, is simply taken for granted.

(Read the entire article here...)