Washington 4th Congressional District
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MARCH 26, 2014 |
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MARCH 21, 2014 You’ve seen those dark blue and white bumper stickers on the road with religious symbols from all sorts of religions urging people to “coexist.” The idea behind them is to promote some sort of respect for tolerance and diversity. The bumper sticker may not really signal tolerance on the part of the driver…READ MORE |
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MARCH 20, 2014 KPHO-TV news anchor/reporter, Catherine Anaya, braved the cameras to talk about her chat with Jay Carney during which he admitted to her that all of the White House press corps had to submit their questions to him in advance…. Watch the video and read more: http://bit.ly/1jbXnmG |
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MARCH 14, 2014 |
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FEBRUARY 23, 2014 FEBRUARY 18, 2014
FULL LENGTH ARTICLES
YAKIMA, Wash. — Outside spending continues to grow in the 4th District congressional race. Dan Newhouse has a glut of direct contributions from political action committees that outpace opponent Clint Didier by more than four to one in terms of dollars. As of mid-October, Newhouse has $223,600 in PAC money, compared to $50,100 for Didier. The biggest spender is the tea party-aligned group FreedomWorks for America, based in Washington, D.C. The group has spent $102,349 so far on campaign materials and advertisements promoting Didier and bashing Newhouse. The National Association for Gun Rights PAC has spent $28,080 in the 4th District race benefitting Didier’s campaign. A third group, America Inc., has spent $19,000 so far bashing Newhouse. Six sitting U.S. representatives have also given to Didier’s campaign, the most recent being Louie Gohmert of Texas. Those six, along with two other Republicans currently running for the U.S. House from Colorado and Georgia, respectively, have combined to give Didier’s campaign $11,500. Didier and his campaign have repeatedly said Newhouse is being aided directly from mainstream Republicans in the U.S. House led by House Speaker John Boehner. But just one sitting U.S. representative, Pasco’s Doc Hastings, has donated to Newhouse’s campaign for a total of $2,000. Didier and Newhouse are running to replace Hastings, who is retiring. Newhouse’s total fundraising as of Oct. 15, the most recent available, is $877,645. Didier has raised $496,511. Those totals include PAC donations but don’t include the independent expenditures. All that money isn’t compelling voters to the ballots just yet. Voter turnout remained low across the district Wednesday, with counties reporting between 14 percent and 24 percent of ballots returned. Ballots are due Tuesday before 8 p.m.
At a joint news conference today, attorney George F. Cicotte says he's supporting Clint because of their shared goal of restoring respect for the Constitution and that even though they don't agree 100%, he sees that Clint is real leader. "(He's) a man of conviction who is not running for personal opportunity, but who is running because he loves his country," says Cicotte. "This is not the time to elect a representative who is a follower -who will merely 'go along to get along' with whatever the hierarchy directs." As a result of that leadership, Cicotte says Clint is the voice of the people, and that's sending the big lobbyists party establishment over to support the opponent. "Clint Didier will represent me, not the big-moneyed special interests that are destroying our country for their own self-interested profiteering." "I am so grateful for George's support. We have very different personal styles, but he sees through that and knows that we share a common bond - the Constitution," says Didier. "He's a class act." Cicotte had harsh words for retiring Rep. Doc Hastings as well as the opponent, Dan Newhouse. Below are excerpts from his lengthy written statement: "Clint's playing fair and his opposition isn't. It offends me that our current Representative is doing everything he can to personally select his successor... Doc sent his campaign manager to work for Clint's opponent. The campaign manager brought Doc's massive incumbent fundraising resources to the opposition... "We the people have the right to choose our elected representatives without interference from those who think they know better than we do, or who want to rig elections for their own self-interest, and that is exactly what is happening here... "Clint's opponent travelled throughout the District with the message that he was Doc's anointed successor, and that Doc's donors needed to support him now... "An open-seat election ought to be a fair competition, not a rigged attempt to hand off a baton to a political insider [see note below]. Moreover, the opposition is already facing validated charges of unethical behavior in campaigning and fundraising... "So, to sum it up, Clint Didier is a leader with a clean and ethical track record who will work to support and defend the Constitution... "I am convinced that Clint Didier will strive to do what is right rather than what is expedient or what other politicians want him to do. I call that being trustworthy, and that is why I support Clint Didier." NOTE : Dan Newhouse is part of an almost 50-year political dynasty in Washington State. He inherited his office in the state legislature from his father, Irv Newhouse, who served in the state House and Senate for 34 years. State lawmakers named the Senate building after him. Dan was elected 4 times to the state legislature and appointed to office by liberal Democrat Gov. Christine Gregoire.TOP OF PAGE
In one corner we had Clint Didier, speaking from the heart, promoting genuine conservative values, unafraid of the consequences of not being "politically correct." On the tough issues of abortion, illegal immigration, global warming and the expansion of government, one couldn't help but see that Clint is standing like a rock for the values of grassroots America, from which he comes - and he's ruffling the feathers of Washington State's corrupt political elite wherever he goes! In the other corner we had a "pretender". With the looks and demeanor of a bearded college professor, he skillfully danced around the issues, cautiously "rope-a-doping" his way through the entire forum, mindful to never really take a stand, and always staying within "acceptable" i.e. politically correct boundaries (as determined by the establishment media referees). Most importantly, the pretender kept his focus on getting out of the forum unscathed and without committing himself to anything in particular! Whether it be on the issues of Obamacare, amnesty for illegal aliens, environment, the pretender did make one thing abundantly clear - that he's ready to compromise and he's ready to cut deals with the big government boys back in D.C. It is not unlikely that today will bring yet another column(s) in the left-leaning Tri-Cities/Yakima Herald and Seattle newspapers praising the pretender. After all, their reporters are cut from the same cloth, and liberal "journalists" always vilify conservatives and glorify liberals; and this time, wishing only that the pretender had a "D" following his name, instead of an "R." But, ehhh, the pretender in this race comes as close as they will ever get in the 4th Congressional to a real Democrat - and not far off at that. My friends, you and I know that Clint Didier is the real deal and he's pouring his heart and soul into this campaign. Clint's got the physical stamina of a great athlete and the heart of a proven champion. He is winning his epic battle against the pretender, but he's simply got to bring in more money in order stay competitive with this well funded establishment backed candidate in the final rounds. Mailings, Radio, and TV ads cost a lot of money. Will you help Clint today with a generous donation of $25, $50, $100, $500 (or whatever you can give) up to $2600 per person? CONTRIBUTE HERE A Clint Didier victory in November will be a victory for grassroots Americans from coast to coast! With sincere thanks and appreciation, Larry Stickney, Campaign Manager TOP OF PAGE
Second, I won the primary by more than 6 points, so I'd expect the Republican establishment and beltway insiders back in Washington DC to pull out all the stops and pressure Doc to endorse their guy - who's a career politician - instead of the grassroots favorite. And remember, Doc is part of Speaker John Boehner's leadership team. I'm extremely pleased with my own endorsements - Ron Paul, Freedomworks, Mark Levin, LibertyPac, FRC Action, Human Life PAC, Congressman Thomas Massie, Young Americans for Liberty, National Association for Gun Rights and many more freedom loving individuals and organizations. And we will have more big announcements in the coming days. They say you can judge a man by the company he keeps - so I think people can easily figure out if they want a Congressman whose friends and supporters are lobbyists, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Monsanto, DC and other beltway insiders whose money and power have gotten us into the mess we're in now - or one who is supported by liberty-loving patriots who want to limit federal government powers and restore our freedoms."
Pasco, WA - Clint Didier today announced campaign chairmen for four of the eight counties that make up Washington State's 4th Congressional District. "I am honored to have Autumn Torres (Yakima County), Philip Bentz (Douglas County), Dustin Petersen (Grant County), and Jim Miller (Okanogan County) standing with me as we head down the stretch to victory in November", said Didier. "I'm simply overwhelmed with the caliber of the individuals stepping up to help my campaign get our message out district wide. Our entire team is made up of idealistic freedom loving patriots willing to make the sacrifices of time and treasure required to win a seat in the United States Congress." Didier will announce campaign chairs next week for the remaining counties of Adams, Walla Walla, Benton and Franklin. ********** Autumn Torres, Yakima County Chair: Autumn was born and raised in the Yakima Valley. She is married to Eric Torres and has been blessed with 5 wonderful children. Autumn is a homeschool mom who is passionate about restoring liberty and freedom for her children and her children's children. She has been active in politics since 2008 and is the current chair of the Yakima County Republican Liberty Caucus. Autumn is excited to "spread the message of liberty and freedom to all who will listen". Philip Bentz, Douglas County Chair: Phil is a committed Christian and an American patriot dedicated to protecting and defending the U.S. Constitution. As a junior in high school, Phil joined the Washington Army National Guard and was deployed with B CO. 181st Support Battalion, 81st Brigade Combat Team out of the Yakima Training Center, but was attached to HHC 1-161 Infantry Battalion out of Spokane while serving in Baghdad, Iraq. Now a small business owner, Phil and Jessica Bentz and their two children (number three on the way) make their home in the Wenatchee area. Dustin Petersen, Grant County Chair: Dustin was born and raised in Grant County. He is a 2005 graduate of Quincy High School and 2013 Political Science graduate of Brigham Young University Idaho. During the 2012 presidential election he was a Regional Director for Congressman Ron Paul's Presidential Campaign in Iowa and Nevada. In 2013 he was elected to the Quincy City Council. Jim Miller, Okanogan County Chair: Jim grew up in Omak and graduated from Omak High School and graduated from then Central Washington University majoring in business and finance; plus a MS Certificate in Project Management. Jim and his wife Janet have two daughters, three grandchildren and two golden retrievers and will celebrate 40 years of marriage in November. Jim is a proponent of limited government and fiscal responsibility. He wants to see to it that the citizens of Okanogan County have a friend and a strong voice in Congress in the coming years.
The organization endorsed Didier two days after the primary, and announced the decision in a news release Tuesday. Didier — a tea party Republican, Eltopia farmer and former NFL tight end making his third bid for elected office since 2010 — finished first in the Aug. 5 primary with 32 percent of the vote. His November opponent, fellow Republican and former Department of Agriculture director Dan Newhouse, had 26 percent of the vote. The Republican Liberty Caucus has four county organizations in the 4th Congressional District, covering Yakima, Okanogan, Grant and Benton counties. The group has had some success influencing party politics in Central Washington, including a takeover of the 2012 Yakima County GOP convention in which presidential candidate Ron Paul received more delegates to the state GOP convention than Mitt Romney, who had won the county caucuses earlier that year. JULY 31, 2014 HILLARY CLINTON is the One Who is Insensitive & Should Apologize,SaysRedskins Super Bowl Champ & WA. Cong. Candidate Clint Didier "Why is 'Redskins' Insensitive, But Ok for Reporter to Call Me 'Chief Redneck'?" YAKIMA, Wash., July 31, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Clint Didier, a former Washington Redskins player who caught the Super Bowl-winning pass in 1987, is a Congressional candidate in WA-04. He issued the following statement in response to Hillary Clinton's comments about the Redskins quoted in The Hill: "I'm just flabbergasted that Hillary Clinton now thinks she's the expert on what's insensitive. But if she has suddenly become the Miss Manners of politics, then maybe she's now willing to publicly apologize for HER OWN insensitive remarks. Like saying 'What difference does it make?' about the attacks in Benghazi. "She says Redskins owners need to think hard about the name. I have to wonder if she thinks long and hard about her own insensitive remarks – like, that she can relate to the problems of most Americans because her family was 'dead broke.' Really? "She does admit that she 'hasn't thought much about' the Redskins, but apparently still feels the need to spout an opinion about it anyway. Maybe that's why people don't trust politicians – because they don't THINK about what they say. "Well I have thought about it lot – for 7 years when I played with the Redskins. And I knew it was a name meant to honor the Native Americans who were part of the early history of the team. We all wore the name proudly on our uniforms. Check out www.RedskinsFacts.com. "This whole 'name-calling' thing is so hypocritical. A reporter at the liberal 'Seattle Weekly' recently took a jab at me & the people of my district, calling us 'rednecks' and me 'Chief Redneck'' - -but no one called him out about that. Can you say 'hypocrisy?' (FYI –No matter how he meant it, I choose to take it as a compliment – that I'm a hard-working farmer who gets his hands dirty every day.) "But I won't be sitting around holding my breath waiting for either Ms. Clinton's or his apologies. I have alfalfa to bale tonight." Contact: Kathryn Serkes 206 841 0100 SOURCE Didier 4 Congress Campaign PRESS RELEASE JULY 11, 2014 To schedule an interview with Amy Kremer, please contact Kathryn Serkes at 206-841-0100 MAY 1, 2014 Eltopia, WA (April 30, 2014) -- Congressional Candidate Clint Didier (WA-04) signed the national “Repeal Pledge” sponsored by Independent Women’s Voice and released this statement: “The people of Washington’s 4th District are telling me they are absolutely opposed to Obamacare. They see it for what it is – socialized medicine and a government power grab that piles more costs on to our health care. “And that’s why I’m proud to announce that I am the only candidate in this race who has already signed the national “Repeal Obamacare Pledge” and promise that I will vote for any and all bills that repeal Obamacare or any parts of it. “I want to let everyone know that I am absolutely unwavering in fighting any bill that imposes mandates, restricts patient and doctor choice and access, violates individual freedom and privacy, reduces healthy competition, increase costs, or raises taxes. “I also call on the people of Washington’s 4th District to show their support for the Repeal Pledge by adding their names to it. Tell the ‘Other Washington’ where you stand. Everyone who signs the pledge on our website will be added to the national list of pledge supporters. “I want to go to Washington and make sure we repeal Obamacare and replace it with patient-centered reforms. The sooner we do it, the sooner we can work on getting people the actual medical care they need – instead of just a piece of paper that says you are “insured” or “enrolled” in Medicaid that gets you nothing but hollow government promises. “I can’t believe that any Republican would throw in the towel on repealing Obamacare when we are so close to having the votes to repeal it with the coming elections. I expect the democrats to tell us to “just get over it” but I‘m extremely disappointed, and frankly, more than a little angry, when I hear it coming from the Republican establishment. “We cannot let up on this fight until we have won.” Click here to donate to Clint’s campaign. To arrange an interview, contact Larry Stickney at Larry@didier4Congress.org or (509) 675-8458
Democrats are hyperventilating over a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on April 2, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi claims the ruling will turn politics into a "money war." Sorry, that happened a long time ago. For the past two decades, unions have poured massive amounts into super PACs and other legal vehicles for advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts, which favor Democrats. What's got Pelosi and other Democrats worried is competition. Last week's high-court ruling could mean more money for Republican candidates, even tea-party activists. The Supreme Court split 5-4 on the hot-button issue of whether individuals should have the liberty to spend as much of their own money as they choose supporting candidates and political parties. The narrow majority ruled "yes," so long as a donor doesn't give more than $2,600 to a single candidate during a primary or again during a general election. The case was brought by an Alabama businessman, Shaun McCutcheon, who said that his goal was to support as many candidates as possible who want "smaller government and more freedom." Before the ruling, individuals were limited to spending a total of $123,200 during an election cycle, no matter how they spread out their donations among candidates and committees. That overall limit muzzles an individual's political speech, which is in violation of the First Amendment, the majority ruled. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, argued that the Bill of Rights bars Congress from restraining political speech except to prevent "quid pro quo" corruption. The $2,600 limit per candidate will prevent that. Money's Influence Maybe so, but that's what unions have been doing for decades. Since 1989, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the National Education Association and other unions have dominated the list of political spenders, with virtually none of them contributing to Republican candidates or committees. (Only two corporations - Goldman Sachs and AT&T - come close to spending as much, and they split their donations between the parties.) Wonder of wonders, union donations open doors, especially to the Obama White House, where union leaders are frequent visitors. When waivers were handed out to allow some workers to keep health plans that did not comply with the ObamaCare regulations in 2011 and 2012, union workers got 83% of the waivers, despite making up only 6% of the workforce. Breyer complains that the Court's ruling "substitutes judges' understanding of how the political process works for the understanding of Congress." You bet. That's the Court's role when the rights of individuals are threatened. Members of Congress will favor self-serving rules that protect their own re-elections and big-government agendas. The constitutional rights of opponents be damned. Suppressing Dissent What Schumer calls "paralyzing government," other Americans call supporting smaller government and more freedom. Schumer is unwilling to accord those competing views First Amendment protection. Pelosi even went so far as to say the Supreme Court ruling should be "roundly rejected." Roberts anticipated the furor and cautioned that " in assessing the First Amendment interests at stake, the proper focus is on an individual's right to engage in political speech, not a collective conception of the public good." In short, the Democratic Party's collectivist goals do not trump the Bill of Rights. James Madison, chief architect of the Constitution, could not have said it better. He warned us in Federalist No. 10 about the danger of elected majorities suppressing an individual's freedom. Democratic politicians will continue to press their statist agendas, but even those with big megaphones will have to compete with conservative and libertarian critics.
By Greg Lukianoff on March 21, 2014 Being offended is what happens when you have your deepest beliefs challenged. And if you make it through four years of college without having your deepest beliefs challenged, you should demand your money back. I have been saying that line in speeches on campus for more than a decade. Even though it often gets a laugh, the idea that students have an overarching “right not to be offended” seems more entrenched on campus than ever. Take one recent high-profile example: At the University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), a professor not only seized a graphic anti-abortion sign from protesters, she got into a physical altercation with them and then proceeded to go back to her office to destroy the sign. Now that video of the incident has emerged and the police report has been put out, things are really looking bad for the professor, Mireille Miller-Young; she now faces vandalism, battery, and robbery charges. I just wish I found the incident the slightest bit surprising. While FIRE proudly defends any university student or faculty member who faces censorship or disciplinary action for speech all across the political spectrum (and much expression that has nothing to do with politics), I make no secret of the fact that students and professors are more likely to get in trouble for socially and politically conservative speech. A case in point is currently taking place at my alma mater, Stanford University, where a student group that opposes gay marriage was told that a conference it was planning to have is “hate speech.” Not only did the student government refuse funding for the event, the group was told that it needed to pay $5,600 in “security fees” if it wished to have the event. FIRE wrote to Stanford about these illiberal restrictions on viewpoint yesterday. Now, the university has stepped in and promised funding to cover the cost of security. However, the issue regarding student government funding is still unresolved. And when it comes to the trend of students and faculty members taking it upon themselves to engage in vigilante censorship, the target is often socially and politically conservative speech, especially speech against abortion. The UCSB incident is eerily similar to a 2006 incident at Northern Kentucky University involving professor Sally Jacobsen, who urged her class “to express their freedom-of-speech rights to destroy [a pro-life] display if they wished to.” She then proceeded to lead her class to destroy the display. (I’ve included pictures of the incident in the new paperback edition of my book.) Another incident that was caught on video was that of University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point student government member Roderick King tearing up an anti-abortion display on his campus. King seemed even more confused about the concept of free speech than Jacobsen, declaring: “Since [abortion] is a right, you don’t have the right to challenge it.” And then there was this incident out of Missouri State University, in which a student proudly defended her trampling of crosses in yet another pro-life display issue, saying, “I feel like I have the right to walk across campus without seeing that.” These last three pro-life displays, by the way, were little more than collections of little white crosses. Adding to this list of shame, FIRE just released a video featuring the story of student Robert Smith at Dartmouth College. In 2012, one of his fellow students hated his campus pro-life display so much that he actually ran over it with his car right in front of the student organizers. (This display was American flags, not crosses.) Not only was this move crazy and dangerous, it came with an ironic twist: the car had a “Coexist” bumper sticker on the back.
Incidents like this are part of the reason that the title of my book is Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate. By “unlearning liberty,” we at FIRE generally mean that colleges and the campus environments they have established are teaching students all the wrong lessons about what it means to live in a free society. For instance, this March, we are once again seeing the opening of what FIRE has dubbed “disinvitation season”: a now-yearly ritual in which students and faculty members band together to try to deny a place at their colleges to commencement speakers whose opinions they dislike. Americans should be alarmed that students and even faculty members (who should know better) are turning away from critical thinking and reasoned debate, and instead learning to think like censors. It’s bad enough that 59% of universities maintain unconstitutional speech codes; it’s also unacceptable that so many students meekly accept when they are told they need to limit their protests to the tiny free speech zone on campus. But it’s far, far worse when students come to believe that censorship is what good and noble people just do. Censorship has always been the easy way out, the way of imposing one’s view against the challenge of pluralism, but if a generation of students comes to see the well intentioned censor as a romantic hero, it will have terrible consequences for us all. Schools: Missouri State University Stanford University Northern Kentucky University University of California, Santa Barbara Dartmouth College Cases: Stanford University: Viewpoint-Discriminatory Funding Retraction, Massive Security Fees for Student Group’s Conference MARCH 14, 2014 PRESIDENT OBAMA FINALLY ADMITS YOU MAY NOT “KEEP YOUR DOCTORS” AFTER ALL "For the average person, many folks who don't have health insurance initially, they're going to have to make some choices. And they might end up having to switch doctors, in part because they're saving money," said Obama in an interview with the medical website WebMD. "But that’s true if your employer suddenly decides we think this network’s going to give a better deal, we think this is going to help keep premiums lower, you've got to use this doctor as opposed to that one, this hospital as opposed to that one. The good news is in most states people have more than one option and what they'll find, I think, is that their doctor or network or hospital that's conveniently located is probably in one of those networks. Now, you may find out that that network's more expensive than another network. And then you've got to make a choice in terms of what's right for your family." This is different than what Obama said when he was selling Obamacare. "If you like the plan you have, you can keep it. If you like the doctor you have, you can keep your doctor, too. The only change you’ll see are falling costs as our reforms take hold," said Obama in his weekly address on June 6, 2009. TOP OF PAGE
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Washington 4th Congressional District