We arrived in Seattle at about 6:30 this evening. My little group of 30 to 40 (out of 600 total volunteers) was sent to Washington State to support Dave Reichert in his first re-election campaign. My friend Piper, who got me involved, is in Baltimore, and others are divided among about fifteen total cities nationwide.
Who is Dave Reichert? http://www.reelectdavereichert/
I asked his staffers who are in Washington State "volunteering to save their jobs" dozens of questions about our candidate. Dave Reichert is known locally as "Sheriff Reichert", as he served in law enforcement for over 30 years prior to running for Congress. Dave has exceptional name recognition in this area, due to his involvement in capturing the Green River killer in the 1980's. He is also Chairman of the Emergency Preparedness Committee, and is only the sixth first term Congressman to be made a Chair. Due to his experience, Reichert is intimately involved in Homeland Security issues. Dave is a friend to the environment (I have a soft spot for that myself), and as a human being, Dave is said to be a great leader and storyteller.
Is all of this accurate? I will find out tomorrow, when I and my 30 compatriots attend one of Dave's rallies!
After arriving at our twin hotels, I was invited to have pizza, and was immediately put to work. In about thirty minutes, I made 23 calls to known Republican supporters to remind them to vote. This year, as many as 70% of all voters in King County will vote by mail. Next election that number will be closer to 100%! As the ballots are long, a lot of people procrastinate. They often need a series of reminders to actually act, especially to support an incumbent who they believe is a shoe in!
Only one person I called gave a negative response, saying she wanted Dave to lose, and would certainly vote against him. She was polite enough to thank me for reminding her. One college age voice joked that he was voting twice. Some thanked me for the reminder or reported that they were already current with their patriotic duty. Another half dozen required concise and neighborly voice mail messages.
My anticipation for the work in this area is growing. The election is just days away, and we will impact a key corner of the national campaign to keep Republicans in control of both House and Senate!
Is that a good thing? I try to keep an open mind, and I think there is much to say both ways, but as an Iraq War vet myself, I am in favor of the work we are doing in Iraq and have to stand against any effort to end it prematurely. That is not to say we should not leave when our work is done. But who will make that decision? The legitimate voice of the Iraqi people, NOT terrorists.
John Kerry has been criticized the last few days for his purported comments on US servicemen in Iraq. "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.” While I get that he was really making a jab at Bush, I was moved enough to send him an e-mail.
There are some people who are smart enough to know the value of freedom, and kind enough to share it. I hope we do not lose sight of why we are in Iraq, and for those of you who are cynical, it's a lot easier to believe when you see women and children waving their thanks and hailing you as a hero as you drive into their country. What a contrast it is to return to one's own country and hear Kerry call you a fool. But then, that's Kerry, and he does not represent the entire Democratic party, does he? (Does he?)
Jed Merrill
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