Patty Murray committed the unpardonable sin of voting for the Patriot Act. She was tested and she failed. George R. Nethercutt seems to think he is George Bush Jr. which makes not voting for him easy. Mark B. Wilson, the Green candidate, seems to think that throwing money at problems will solve them. So I am left with J. Mills, the Libertarian candidate. His campaign is a bit sloppy and some of his ideas are a bit extreme for my taste but on balance he is the candidate I would most like to send to the U.S. Senate.
J. Mills: Libertarian: Right off the bat I'm unhappy with Mr. Mills because it's clear that his text in the general election voter pamphlet is just a rehash of the text from the primary pamphlet. He urges people to vote for the Libertarian candidate so the Libertarians can get into the general election. Well, um. he made it. How about updating his text? I then read his answers to the League of Women Voter's questions. When asked about his No. 1 priority as a U.S. senator he cut and paste his content from the voter guide! At least his answer to the social security question was moderately useful, kill a bunch of federal government departments, sell off their assets and use it to fund social security. Unfortunately he then veers off into talking about getting rid of the department of education. His plan for Iraq is to cut and run. I can't say that Mr. Mills excites me very much. While I agree with his ideas of cutting government, getting rid of the patriot act, opening up marriage, etc. I think he is too extreme. But I also think that his extremism is the consequence of having no power. The more powerless someone is, the more extreme they become. Watching what happened to the Greens in Europe shows the 'real world' effect of getting actual power. I think the principles underlying J. Mills beliefs are the ones I want to see in government even if the practice is likely to be much less radical then he might espouse. I think the U.S. Senate would benefit from having a true Libertarian viewpoint available. Therefore I intend to vote for Mr. Mills.
Patty Murray: Democrat: Her statement in the voter guide is an open advertisement that reads "re-elect me, I'll bring home the pork." In reading her answers to the League of Women Voter's questions on social security I like that she doesn't want to privatize social security but other then that she just has empty rhetoric about trying not to raise the retirement age and how some sort of 'fiscal discipline' is going to make the numbers all go away. She doesn't have any real answers on Iraq either other than suggesting we get out but only when the country is stable. If I wanted that kind of empty rhetoric I could vote for George Bush. But in the end Patty Murray did something so horrible that I cannot forgive her. Once in a lifetime someone may be forced to face a moment of truth. A moment when their principles are tested. It is in that moment when you find out what a person is really made of. Patty Murray faced that moment after 9/11 when the Patriot Act was rushed through Congress. Rather than standing up for the principles she swore to uphold and protect when she became a Senator she betrayed those principles and voted for the Patriot Act. I know what Patty Murray is made of and I won't be voting for her.
George R. Nethercutt, Jr.: Republican: Reading his statement in the voter guide he proudly trumpets his intention to spend on health care, the military and anything else that sounds good, never cut benefits and reduce taxes. Our current president hums a similar tune and the result is a bloated government and an enormous deficit. His comments on social security are particular noxious to me because the math is simple – we can't afford the benefits we have as the baby boomers retire. What we need is intelligent leadership to examine the issues and provide a workable solution, not empty rhetoric. Nethercutt's more of the same is exactly what I don't want, so I won't be voting for him.
Mark B. Wilson: Green: Oy. Somehow taking 50% of the military budget and throwing at government programs will make the world better. Or so Mr. Wilson believes. He also apparently thinks we can fund social security and would even like to privatize some accounts. He wants to leave Iraq and repeal the Patriot act. I really don't see much content in his answers, real plans that could have real results or even basic philosophies that I could agree. No thanks, I won't be voting for Mr. Wilson.