RUTHFULLY YOURS

The dissolution of the colonial creation named “Iraq” is now almost complete. Perhaps what comes next is a return to the past; not a brutal Islamic “caliphate,” but something more basic.

Today, Mesopotamia is reappearing. The term is a Greek word meaning “the land between the two rivers.” The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are the defining features, each arising in mountains far to the north of Baghdad. The rivers and their annual floods defined the landscape, the cycle of life and the worldview of civilizations. The deserts to the west and the mountains to the east and far north provided rough boundaries and were liminal spaces related to the center, but yet separate and apart, sunbaked and dangerous. Inside Mesopotamia was a cauldron.

From the Sumerians of the third millennium BCE through the Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations of the second and first millennia BCE, to the Abbasids of the eighth century CE and until the arrival of the British in the early twentieth century, the space called Mesopotamia was the container for civilizations that rose and collapsed. Cultures invented writing and built the first cities, growing and shrinking in response to changing river courses and global climate. They conquered and were conquered, traded with surrounding regions, and formed a baggy but recognizable whole—what we call Mesopotamian civilization.

Internal distinctions were paramount. Babylonia in the south was dominated by the rivers and the annual flood, irrigation agriculture and seemingly unrelenting heat and mud. Assyria in the northern, rain-fed zone sat amidst undulating plains and foothills. Culturally, Babylonia was older and more developed, the “heartland of cities” going back to 4000 BCE, a primacy that Assyria acknowledged even in periods when they dominated the south. By and large, both shared the same deities and myths, the same aggressive tendencies, and the same fear and loathing of surrounding regions. But competition, warfare and repression were constant.

For inhabitants, that is to say the kings and priests whose thoughts we read on clay tablets many millennia later, Mesopotamia the whole, a unity of north and south, was an ideal—the supreme prize, something overseen by the gods—to be aspired to and claimed by quotidian rulers. But, much like the idea of “Iraq,” it was conceptual, rather than practical. The south often dominated the north and vice versa, but never for very long.

It is the now familiar nightmare image. A kneeling prisoner, and behind him a black-hooded man speaking to camera. The standing man denounces the West and claims that his form of Islam is under attack. He then saws off the head of the hostage. Why did Wednesday morning’s video stand out? Because this time the captive was an American journalist —James Foley— and his murderer is speaking in an unmistakable London accent.
The revulsion with which this latest Islamist atrocity has been greeted is of course understandable. But it is also surprising. This is no one-off, certainly no anomaly. Rather it is the continuation of an entirely foreseeable trend. Britain has long been a global hub of terror export, so much so that senior US government officials have suggested the next attack on US soil is likely to come from UK citizens. All countries — from Australia to Scandinavia — now have a problem with Islamic extremists. But the world could be forgiven for suspecting that Britain has become the weak link in the international fight against jihadism. And they would be right. This is not even the first beheading of an American journalist to have been arranged by a British man from London.

In 2002, 27-year-old Omar Sheikh was in Pakistan. A north London-born graduate of a private school and the London School of Economics, he had gone to fight in the Balkans and Kashmir in the 1990s. In 1994 he was arrested and jailed for his involvement in the kidnapping of three Britons and an American in India. Released in 1999 in exchange for the passengers and crew of the hijacked Air India flight IC-814, he was subsequently connected to the bombing of an American cultural centre in Calcutta in January 2002 and that same month organised the kidnapping and beheading of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Back then it was possible to dismiss Omar Sheikh as a one-off — a macabre fluke. His alma mater shrugged off concerns about the number of London-based students who had got involved in Islamic extremism or the radical preachers touring the country. The shrug became a little harder to maintain — though maintained it was — the next year when two British men — Asif Hanif, 21, from Hounslow in west London and Omar Khan Sharif, 27 — carried out a suicide bombing in a bar on the waterfront in Tel Aviv. Omar Sharif had been a student of King’s College London, just across the road from LSE. That time the glory of killing three Israelis and wounding over 50 was claimed by the terrorist group Hamas.

As the list of British-born jihadists grew, their activities also got closer to home. On 7 July 2005, British-born Muslims carried out the first suicide bombings on British soil, with four more attempted a fortnight later. On Christmas Day 2009, the former head of the Islamic Society at University College London attempted to explode a bomb on a plane as it landed in Detroit. Last year, two converts decapitated Drummer Lee Rigby in broad daylight in south London. It is important to keep in mind that these are just the most high-profile cases. But the list of cases which were thwarted by good security work or sheer luck is astonishing. As well as the constant stream of convictions, at least one large-scale mass atrocity attempt on the lives of the British public was thwarted each year. As were smaller attempts. Everybody still remembers the killing of Lee Rigby, but how many people recall the case of Parviz Khan’s Birmingham terrorist cell? Khan was convicted in 2008 for a plot the previous year to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier on video.

Why James Risen may be headed for jail.

After nearly four years of procedural delay, the trial of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling is set to open shortly. Sterling was indicted at the end of 2010 for leaking information about a top-secret CIA operation to James Risen of the New York Times in violation of the espionage statutes. It is difficult to regard Sterling as in any sense a whistleblower, though, predictably, he calls himself such. He appears to have given Risen CIA secrets as a way to settle scores with the agency in a dispute over the presence of classified information in memoirs he sought to publish and also for being the victim of what, following a poor performance review, he claimed was racial bias.

The trouble all began in August 2000, when Sterling, who is African-American, filed a racial-discrimination complaint against the CIA that the spy agency’s equal-employment office found had no foundation. A year later, Sterling filed a suit against the CIA based on the same complaint. In the weeks after 9/11, Sterling demanded a cash settlement, which the CIA declined to provide. Over the course of the next two years, Sterling put forward additional settlement demands, with the final one totaling $200,000 to be accompanied by a favorable employment recommendation. When that too was refused, Sterling filed a second lawsuit regarding CIA restrictions on his unpublished memoir. He also allegedly began funneling top-secret information to James Risen. Both of Sterling’s lawsuits were eventually dismissed by the courts.

The leaked information in question concerns Operation Merlin, a plan to pass along faulty blueprints of the trigger of a nuclear bomb to Iranian nuclear scientists. If Risen’s reporting is to be credited​—​and there is reason not to credit some of its most important details, as I noted in “Not Every Leak Is Fit to Print” (in the February 18, 2008, issue of this magazine)​—​subtle errors in the drawings were intended to derail the progress of Iran’s bomb-making effort. CIA director George Tenet and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice warned Times higher-ups that information in Risen’s proposed story would not only compromise the U.S. ability to collect intelligence about Iran, but might also lead to violent reprisal against and even the death of an individual that the CIA has identified only as “human asset No. 1.”
Editors at the Times listened to the CIA’s caution and weighed it against the news value of the story. This became one of the exceptional occasions in which the editors of the paper heeded the government’s warning. The Times spiked Risen’s story. But that was not the end of it. Risen turned around, did some additional reporting, and then published the secrets of Operation Merlin on his own as a chapter in his 2006 book, State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration.

One thing an old Ivy League revolutionary can’t stand is people noticing that he represents the Establishment, that he embodies the System to a point where he can make it stop and make it go. He will go to great lengths to convince himself, if not others, this is not so.

Take Eric H. Holder Jr., Columbia College Class of 1973, Columbia Law School Class of 1976, now into his sixth year as U.S. attorney general of the Obama Imperium. The man really wants us to think he is not also “the man.”

Yes, he is “the attorney general of the United States,” as Holder told a group of St. Louis Community College students in Ferguson, Missouri, this week. “But I am also a black man.”

Holder took himself to Ferguson to spur the federal civil rights probe by more than 40 FBI agents into the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black, by 28-year-old police officer Darren Wilson, who is white. As the justice chief declared at local FBI headquarters: “We’re looking for possible violations of federal civil rights statutes.” Obviously, Holder left those scales of impartiality at home. Not that he would need them in Missouri, where Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon announced “a vigorous prosecution must now be pursued,” presumably of police officer Wilson.

Even the dark suits and American flags fail to obscure the 21st-century lynch mob at work. According to the snap judgment of federal and state authorities, Wilson shot the 6-foot-4, 292-pound man multiple times for “racist” reasons. The other story out there gathering reportorial mass is that Wilson fired as Brown charged him after having beaten Wilson to the point of fracturing his orbital socket and rendering the six-year veteran cop nearly unconscious – but, heavens, don’t let what’s quaintly known as the judicial process function unimpeded to ascertain the facts. Keep that media circus going because the nation’s top cop is ringmaster.

In his “closed-door meeting” – no media – at the community college, Holder wanted students to know he understood their “mistrust” of police. In fact, he wanted the whole country to know it because the Justice Department later released excerpts of his remarks. “I can remember being stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike on two occasions and accused of speeding,” the handout says. “Pulled over … ‘Let me search your car’ … Go through the trunk of my car, look under the seats and all this kind of stuff. I remember how humiliating that was and how angry I was and the impact it had on me.”

Hang on a sec. As a young man, my husband was pulled over on the New Jersey Turnpike. The state trooper ordered him to take his suitcase out of his car and dump his belongings on the ground. The officer looked at everything, through the trunk, under the backseat, turning up a pebble the officer tentatively identified as a “marijuana seed.” Then he noticed an unusual object in the mess. “What’s that?” he demanded. “Avon aftershave,” my future husband replied, unscrewing the cap of the Snoopy-shaped bottle.

1. The Gaza War has demonstrated the impressive performance of the Iron Dome short-range missile defense system, the Trophy active defense system for tanks and armed personnel carriers, and additional Israeli-developed military systems. This is enhancing respect for Israel’s defense and commercial high tech sector, and increasing interest in buying Israeli technology products and acquiring – and investing in – Israeli high tech companies.

2. Israel is India’s 4th largest supplier of military systems, following the US, Russia and France. India is the world’s largest importer of military systems (Globes, August 14).

2. According to the OECD annual report, Israel is the 4th most attractive country for foreign direct investment (FDI) per Growth Domestic Product (GDP) – 4% of GDP, compared to 1.4% of foreign direct investment per GDP in developed countries and 1.6% in the top 16 economies. Luxembourg, Ireland and Chile are ahead of Israel. The scope of foreign direct investment demonstrates the level of confidence in the long term viability of economic growth (Globes Business Daily, August 20, 2014).

3. Israel’s MobilEye raised $1.02bn on Wall Street (reflecting a $5.3bn market value), the highest ever Israeli public offering there: Cellcom – $400mn in 2007, Delek Logistics – $193mn in 2012, Alon USA – $188mn in 2005, Delek USA – $184mn in 2006, Alon USA Partners – $184mn in 2012, Ness Technologies – $161mn in 2004, BigBand – $160mn in 2007, Kite Pharma – $147mn in 2014 and Saifan – $135mn in 2005 (Globes, August 4).

Israel’s BioBlast, MacroCure and VBL raised 435mn, $53mn and $65mn respectively on NASDAQ (Globes, August 1).

4. The Swiss pharmaceutical giant, Novartis, has agreed to take a 15% stake in Israel’s Gamida Cell (stem cell therapies) in a deal that could reach over $600mn. Novartis will invest $35mn immediately, with a buyout option, pending a series of milestones in 2015 (Reuters, August 19).

America’s 3D Systems acquired Israel’s Simbionix for $120mn (Globes, August 1).

Sweden’s Vostok Nafta, London’s Access Industries (Len Balvatnik) and other investors participated in a $150mn round by Israel’s Get Taxi (Globes, August 14).

The video of the beheading of American journalist James Foley went viral this week, in ‎spite of Twitter and YouTube efforts to remove it from their sites for its graphic content.‎

This is understandable, as there is an element of voyeurism involved in watching the gory ‎clip. And its mass circulation has the unintentional effect of cheapening the horror of ‎Foley’s death in an almost pornographic way.‎

However, it is precisely the chilling depiction of the slaughter that provides the world ‎with a glimpse into the nature of the Islamic State group (ISIS), the Sunni terrorist organization that is trying to ‎take over Syria and Iraq, before turning the entire region (and then the world) into an ‎Islamic caliphate.‎

Not that the group has been hiding its blood lust. On the contrary, it is proud of its ‎brutality and pedophilia. And tales of its raping, maiming and killing of Christians are ‎being told, albeit with far less gusto than the media reserves for Israeli air strikes in Gaza.‎

Nor was it unknown in Washington that Foley and other Americans were being held by ‎ISIS.‎

But it wasn’t until President Barack Obama watched the footage of Foley’s murder, in ‎the video titled “Message to America,” that the ostensible leader of the Free World was ‎forced to face what the West is up against. And though his response was to say that ISIS ‎‎”speaks for no religion,” even he could not escape the horrors going on in the Middle East ‎‎ — and in this case cultivated in Britain — perpetrated by Islamists. ‎

Indeed, it is one thing to spend years theorizing, strategizing and looking the other way ‎when mass murder is taking place; it is quite another to see an individual U.S. citizen being ‎executed on camera. ‎

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the opportunity of the shock value of the ‎video to tell the world, particularly the Obama administration, that “Hamas is ISIS. ISIS ‎is Hamas. They’re the enemies of peace, they’re the enemies of Israel, they’re the enemies ‎of all civilized countries.”‎

Our barbaric jihadist enemies – the ones President Obama repeatedly assured us he had “decimated” and put on “the path to defeat” – are now stronger than ever. Not stronger than they have been in years, or decades – stronger than ever. They have seized a country-size swath of territory (and growing). They have just beheaded an American journalist – which is the sort of thing they do as a matter of routine but has obviously, and finally, gotten our attention.

Not to worry, though: The Obama Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation. I’m sure ISIS is quaking.

The Obama administration has spent six years miniaturizing the global jihad as a series of non-ideological, unconnected groups of “violent extremists,” pursuing parochial political objectives through acts of “workplace violence.” The enemy kills our ambassador to Libya, a palpable act of war, and the administration pretends it’s about a video. The enemy decapitates an American because he’s an American, and the administration announces the opening of a criminal investigation. The enemy bombs and beheads, we subpoena and indict.

The title of this post, “Obama’s America Is September 10th America” is not a random description of the now. It’s the title of a column I wrote six years ago … when then-candidate Obama was promising policies that would, inevitably, lead to an increasingly imperiled America – a provocatively weak America that regarded our enemies as mere defendants, just as we did before 9/11 … when our enemies responded by attacking us again and again.

The column was prompted by then-Senator Obama’s remarks during an astounding 2008 campaign speech:

What we know is that, in previous terrorist attacks — for example, the first attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial. They are currently in U.S. prisons, incapacitated. And the fact that the [Bush] administration has not tried to do that has created a situation where not only have we never actually put many of these folks on trial, but we have destroyed our credibility when it comes to rule of law all around the world, and given a huge boost to terrorist recruitment in countries that say, “Look, this is how the United States treats Muslims.” So that, I think, is an example of something that was unnecessary. We could have done the exact same thing, but done it in a way that was consistent with our laws.

Now that your policies and your Attorney General have created one racial controversy after another do you eat your words Mr. President?

“E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.

Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America.”

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/detail/washington-2014-candidates-for-congress-where-they-stand?f=puball

Primary: August 5, 2014

To see the actual voting records of all incumbents on other issues such as Foreign Policy, Second Amendment Issues, Homeland Security, and other issues as well as their rankings by special interest groups please use the links followed by two stars (**).

U.S. Senate

Patty Murray (D) Next Election in 2016.
Maria Cantwell (D) Next Election in 2018.

US HOUSE OF REP LOGO

District 1
Suzan DelBene (D) Incumbent

http://delbene.house.gov/ http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Suzan_DelBene.htm**

http://www.delbeneforcongress.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

WOMEN’S ISSUES I firmly believe that medical decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor, and not by politicians. The recent assault on women’s health care is unacceptable and I will fight against any attempt to reduce access to birth control or reproductive health services. DelBene Helps Introduce Legislation to Protect Women’s Health in Response to Supreme Court Decision – Jul 9, 2014 Press Release – WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene joined her colleagues in the House Pro-Choice Caucus in introducing legislation today that would prohibit for-profit employers from using religious beliefs to deny employees coverage of contraception or any other vital health services required by federal law.

IMMIGRATION Our immigration system is broken. We have an historic opportunity to fix our nation’s broken immigration system so it works for businesses, families and our economy. Immigration reform is especially important for the 1st Congressional District. We have a border, a vibrant agricultural industry, world-leading tech and advanced manufacturing businesses and workers, families, students and entrepreneurs who are all hurting because our current system is so dysfunctional. From business, labor, farmers, workers, law enforcement, to faith leaders – they all agree, the time is now for immigration reform. As one of the lead sponsors in the House of Representatives of a bipartisan comprehensive immigration proposal, I’m actively fighting to get this done. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, my proposal will create jobs, grow the economy and reduce the deficit by nearly $200 billion in the next decade. It creates an earned path to citizenship for those who are here and working. It will make our nation safer, while also eliminating backlogs, reuniting families and will meet the demands of our nation’s economy today and into tomorrow. To spur job growth and drive our economy forward, we must pass immigration reform.

ENERGY Voted Against construction of the KeystoneXL Pipeline without limiting amendments For our economy to fully recover, we need to take control of our country’s energy future. We need a balanced approach to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This means investing in clean, renewable energy. Doing so will help develop a new sector in our economy, and address the security challenges we face because of our dependence on foreign oil. It’s urgent that we take meaningful steps now to begin the transformation to an economy based on clean and renewable energy sources.

HEALTHCARE We must do more to improve and fix the Affordable Care Act. However, we cannot go back to the days of when someone could be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, or people couldn’t get the lifesaving treatment they needed because of lifetime limits, or when you could be charged more for coverage for simply being a woman. Health care reform needs to be a continuing conversation-there is more to do to ensure quality, affordable health care for everyone. We need to support health care innovation and new technologies to lower costs, and allow individuals to choose between public and private options. We must make it easier and more affordable for small businesses to provide health coverage for their employees. That’s why I introduced legislation to expand the small business tax credit to help small businesses cover their workers.
Pedro Celis (R) Challenger

http://pedroforcongress.com/pedros-views/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

Because Pedro is an engineer by trade, he is the one candidate in the race with the skills necessary to bring fresh, results-oriented thinking to Washington, D.C. He has the executive expertise and personal temperament to cut through the political dysfunction, help fix our economy and know how to create jobs. Pedro will work to dismantle the obstacles that have begun to threaten our personal freedom and our opportunity. He will go to Congress to help restore America to being the place where enterprising individuals have every chance to succeed, prosper, and creates jobs so that others can do well, too.

Of all the problems facing the nation, Pedro believes three are in need of immediate action:

OBAMACARE. According to the Congressional Budget Office, millions of people will work less and total income will go down by an average of 1% because of the federal government’s sweeping takeover of the American healthcare system. This program is fatally flawed, yet our government is committed to it. It must be replaced.

CREATING JOBS. We must begin to act with true compassion, by measuring the success of economic policies by how many people we help escape from poverty. The path is a growing economy, not wealth redistribution.

GOVERNMENT REFORM. The fiscal path we are on is unsustainable. We need to reduce federal spending and make the government more efficient. We cannot continue to borrow more and more money from future generations. Keeping the American Dream alive requires leaders who live it. Vote for Pedro, a man who has lived the American Dream and cares deeply about saving it.

District 2
Rick Larsen (D) Incumbent

http://www.ricklarsen.org/ http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Rick_Larsen.htm**

http://larsen.house.gov/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY Voted Against construction of the KeystoneXL Pipeline without limiting amendments Our nation’s reliance on foreign oil is a threat to our national security, our economy, and our environment. We need to invest in new forms of energy that will create good jobs in Northwest Washington and reduce our reliance on imported oil. We have made great progress recently in expanding our use of our domestic fuel supply. Domestic production is at an eight-year high, and for the first time since 1949, the United States was actually a net exporter of oil in 2011. As we seek to relieve pressure on the oil markets, we must continue developing renewable energies and increase our fuel efficiency. One example of this is our investment in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies, as well as making our traditional vehicles more fuel efficient. New fuel economy standards put in place last year in cooperation with the auto companies will help us save 2.2 million barrels of oil a day by 2025.
We cannot end our dependence on foreign oil overnight, and I will continue to support the good-paying jobs at oil refineries in Northwest Washington. However, to create a foundation for future economic growth, we must do more than business as usual. The United States needs to develop a comprehensive energy strategy to reduce energy prices and break our addiction to foreign oil.

CLIMATE CHANGE Scientific evidence leaves little doubt that our global climate is changing as a result of greenhouse gases produced by human activity. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won a Nobel Prize in 2007 for its work to educate the public about climate change, issued its most recent report in April 2014. In that report, the IPCC finds that greenhouse gas emissions have risen to unprecedented levels. I support efforts to curb the devastating effect that human-made carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions have on our environment. Protecting the wildlife, lands and waters that make the Pacific Northwest unique is important to maintaining a healthy economy and a high quality of life now and for future generations. Our country needs a rational, national energy policy that creates and keeps clean energy jobs within the U.S. I am working to help our country reduce its dependence on foreign oil and become more energy-efficient while also making sure Northwest Washington can be a leader in generating clean energy jobs.

HEALTHCARE Ensuring access to high quality, affordable health care is essential for people in Northwest Washington and across the country. Throughout my time in Congress, I have advocated for health care that fits Northwest Washington’s specific needs, including funding for critical access hospitals, better health services for veterans and Medicare beneficiaries, and health care that fits families’ budgets. In March 2010, I voted for and Congress passed legislation to make necessary changes in health care. The Affordable Care Act is an important step toward shifting the focus of health care from volume to value, improving the quality of care instead of just growing the quantity of care. I support measures in the law to keep Medicare sustainable and affordable by closing the prescription drug donut hole and cracking down on fraud that bilks taxpayers. Northwest Washington is already seeing the improvements from the new health care law. Between January and July of this year, seniors in Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties saved an average of $1,030 per person on prescription drugs. Nearly 34,000 kids and 150,000 adults in our area now have health insurance that covers preventive care like check-ups and cancer screenings without co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.
B.J. Guillot (R) Challenger

http://vote4bj.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

BITCOIN While accepting bitcoin is something a number of politicians now have in common, there is one thing about Guillot that sets him apart from the rest. This congressional candidate has long been an active bitcoin miner, beginning with CPU’s to working his way up to numerous ASIC mining equipment acquired from a number of manufacturers from the likes of Cointerra, KncMiner and Spondoolies-Tech. Guillot is currently achieving a hashrate of five Terahash per Second – certainly the fastest bitcoin mining politician. You can find him on BitMinter pool’s Live Statistics Board under the name “bguillot”, where he at times has ranked as high as the 15th fastest participant. Bitcoin should be treated as currency, not property. Congress should enact Rep. Stockman’s Virtual Currency Tax Reform Act.

ENERGY A comprehensive energy policy must include all forms of energy: Nuclear, Oil & Gas, Coal, Hydro, Geothermal, Solar, and Wind. Research into using Thorium fuel for nuclear reactors should be a major priority. Ethanol production should be halted because it takes more energy to make it than it produces and it also is bad for older engines and equipment. Research funding into Fusion reactors should not be cut.

EDUCATION The Common Core math curriculum defies explanation. It’s going to confuse our children more than it could ever help. The Federal government should get out of the education business and leave it to the States. Student loan debt default is the next bubble that will burst if we can’t help our college graduates find good paying jobs.

HEALTHCARE The Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) should be repealed. There are some good pieces in it that should be preserved in a new bill, such as preventing insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and the ability to keep young adults on their parent’s health plans longer. But the rest of the ACA is problematic. People should not be forced to buy healthcare (or pay a penalty) if they feel healthy and don’t want to be covered. When the Federal Government stops paying for the Medicaid expansion in 2022, how is Washington State going to cope with the extra expense when it cannot even properly fund education? And finally, the ACA incentivizes businesses to hire part-time workers instead of full-time workers because they don’t have to pay for health insurance. That will mean loss of hours and a big hit in the paycheck.

IMMIGRATION I believe that the existing immigration laws need to be enforced and that we need to secure our borders. I am not in favor of any kind of amnesty for illegal immigrants. I respect all legal immigrants and am happy that they choose to come to the United States following the existing legal processes, and they should be commended for their years of dedication. One of the problems we have with illegal immigration is that a lot of income is done “under the table” and the Federal government is unable to get any of those taxes to help pay for essential services. I am supportive of the FairTax Act that would abolish the IRS and replace income taxes, payroll taxes, capital gains taxes, etc. with a consumption tax that is added to all new goods and services purchased. Legal residents would get a monthly prebate to help offset those consumption taxes on the bare essentials. Illegal immigrants would not be eligible to receive that prebate, meaning that if they stay they are paying for more than their fair share of taxes to the Federal government whenever they buy things or, more likely, they would make a decision to leave the US if they can no longer afford to live here. And once they are out of the US, if they want to come back, are free to follow the current legal process.

District 3
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) Incumbent

http://www.votejaime.com/ http://herrerabeutler.house.gov/

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Jaime_Herrera.htm** Rated -2 by AAI, indicating anti-Arab anti-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE Congress passed a health care overhaul that will end up costing Americans $2.6 trillion – but that giant program did nothing to lower the cost of health care. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office says that the health care law will cause insurance premiums to rise by 10 – 13%. To really fix health care, we must get serious about implementing a plan that doesn’t grow government but does get at the root causes of rising health care costs in Southwest Washington and across the country. Here are some patient-centered solutions I promote:

Small Business Health Plans: Big corporations and labor unions are able to pool together to offer employees lower health care rates. Small businesses should have the same opportunities.

Medical lawsuit reform: We should cap the amount awarded for frivolous junk lawsuits. When excessive monetary awards are given in such lawsuits, we all pay higher prices.

Expanded Health Savings Accounts: HSA’s are tax-free tools that allow you and your family more control over your health care decisions.

Allow the purchase of insurance across state lines: This would allow you to choose a health care plan offered in any state, not just the few we have in Washington. You could pick a plan that best meets your needs, and your pocketbook.

Give individuals the same tax treatment as businesses: Big corporations get special tax breaks on health insurance, and individuals should too.

ENERGY No vote on Keystone Pipeline. As our nation seeks to grow its economy and get people back to work, we need an energy policy that provides Southwest Washington with affordable and reliable energy. Higher energy costs hurt families and make it harder for businesses to compete. Every time gas prices go up, our region loses jobs. It’s also an issue of national security. We jeopardize our safety as a nation when we depend on global players who don’t like us very much for energy.
We are well-situated in Southwest Washington to take full advantage of an “all of the above” approach to energy. Our region is home to clean and renewable hydropower, natural gas and a burgeoning biomass industry. By pursuing these and other forms of energy, we can keep costs affordable and ensure our energy supply is stable. Low energy costs will help us both keep the businesses we have, and attract new businesses – and new jobs –to Southwest Washington. In Congress, I’m a member of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) that develops proposals to improve our nation’s energy policies. In this unique role I have advocated for the use of hydropower, the most abundant source of clean, renewable energy in the United States. Affordable hydro has attracted employers to our region and keeps the lights on in our homes, which is why I spearheaded a bipartisan initiative recognizing the importance of hydropower. I’ll continue working to make it a centerpiece of our nation’s energy future. We would all like to see a day when we are no longer dependent on fossil fuel. Until then, I support safe and responsible domestic energy exploration to keep gas prices affordable for families in Southwest Washington. I share a desire for cleaner energy – but not at the cost of more jobs to our communities. Incentives, not punishment, should be the path to more renewable energy. Arbitrary “clean energy” mandates, and backdoor attempts at cap-and-trade taxes on families and businesses are not in the best interest of our recovering economy.

JOBS AND ECONOMY Too many moms, dads, and recent graduates in Southwest Washington are out of work. I have family members and close friends who are ready to work, but have spent months unsuccessfully pounding the pavement in search of full time jobs. This needs to change. We have to get Southwest Washington working again. I first ran for Congress to make job creation priority number one – and I haven’t veered from this mission. Small businesses, employers that rely on responsible resource management and private enterprise are the engines for job creation in our region – and we need to empower them to succeed, grow and hire. There are tangible, free market solutions I’m fighting for that will do just that. First, congress must continue to reduce and eliminate unnecessary regulations that can be over-burdensome to our small businesses. Small- and medium-sized businesses should spend their time expanding and creating jobs – not navigating a maze of government rules. We also need a tax system that encourages job creators instead of punishing them.

IMMIGRATION Our nation’s immigration system is broken. For years the federal government has failed to live up the Constitutional responsibility to defend our borders. I support immigration reform that addresses illegal immigration, and strengthens our economy with a tough but fair process that respects the rule of law.
Bob Dingethal (D) Challenger

http://bobdingethal.com/

A successful businessman and community leader, Bob Dingethal has the priorities and values to effectively represent Southwest Washington in Congress. With thirty-five years of experience in the private, public, and non-profit sector, Bob knows what it will take to create investment, improve the business climate, and make jobs in our region. Bob worked as an executive for twenty years in the communications industry, and has received numerous awards and recognition for leadership and innovation. He was part of the leadership team that took a small telecom start-up to a company with over 700 employees. Bob served as Southwest Washington outreach director for U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell. And for past three years, Bob has served as the executive director of the Gifford Pinchot Task Force – a non-profit organization working to protect and restore the national forest around Mount St. Helens and Mt. Adams.

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE Our health care system’s results are no better than other Industrialized Nations, yet costs Americans twice as much. May 31, 2014

Help prospective doctors and medical practitioners get through college.
Increase funding for medical and basic research.
Simplify medical billing to reduce costs, fraud, and aggravation.

The Details: A strong, productive economy needs healthy workers, workers who know someone has their back if they or someone in their family becomes ill. A strong economy requires innovators who feel free to take risks, like starting their own business, without worrying that they will have to forgo health insurance. Access to quality, affordable health care is not only the right thing to do for the American People, it is the right thing to do for the Economy, too.

EDUCATION REFORM Over a decade ago my wife took this picture of my sons and I as they eagerly awaited the first day of school. I remember their excitement and eagerness (and nervousness) as they embarked on a new school year. Despite an economy that is beginning to show signs of recovery, tens of thousands of families in Southwest Washington continue to struggle to make basic ends meet. One of the reasons I decided to run for Congress was because I think we can do better to provide education and economic opportunity to the people of Southwest Washington. I recently watched this interesting video on education reform and our education statistics compared to other developed nations. I encourage you to take a look and form your own opinions on what we need to do as a country to improve education and economic opportunity. It’s going to take an open discussion and involvement from everyone to create a true consensus.

District 4

Doc Hastings (R) Retiring in 2014.

Two Republicans Will Run in the November Elections
Clint Didier (R) Challenger

http://www.didier4congress.org/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

NATIONAL SECURITY The primary legitimate function of the Federal government is national security. I believe in a strong military that is well funded and second to none. Terrorists and terrorism must be dealt with swiftly and severely. It is unacceptable that terrorists be given Miranda rights and tried in civilian courts. With that said, there is one provision in our Constitution that follows the directive that congress shall have the power to declare war. It continues with this: ” … grant issue letters of marque and reprisal.” I believe this was their answer to terrorists in their day – pirates – instead of fielding whole armies. In other words, the hiring of mercenaries to hunt down renegades not tied directly to a particular nation. George Washington warned about foreign alliances, interventions and entanglements. That was good advice to safeguard our national security and we should always consider it carefully. A foreign intervention is justified when it legitimately protects our national security, following a declaration of war by the congress.

ENERGY POLICY A thriving economy requires energy, and plenty of it. This includes oil, coal, nuclear, and hydroelectric systems. Alternative energy sources like wind, solar and bio fuels should be encouraged, but not at the expense of our present energy resources. We need to continue to utilize our abundant and affordable fuel sources until free market technology and innovation provide realistic and affordable solutions to our energy needs. I have grave concerns involved with the staggering costs of Cap-and-Trade regulations and their potential to cripple our struggling economy. Reasonable safety regulations concerning the use and extraction of energy resources is appropriate and of benefit for both workers and the public. Likewise, reasonable environmental regulation is appropriate. But striving for perfection must not become the enemy of good and reasonable policy, and regulation must not be allowed to stifle or shut down the U.S. economy. I have not seen any scientific information yet which compels me to cripple our economy for the sake of those who believe otherwise. So far, most scientific claims remain theoretical. Our dependence on foreign oil is not only unnecessary, but unwise, and seriously undermines our national security. We need to drill for oil on American lands – and do it now. This will simultaneously defund our enemies and put Americans to work. We have huge oil deposits and the proper technology to extract oil responsibly. I fully support the Keystone Pipeline Project.

FEDERAL SPENDING The Obama administration and the liberals of both parties in Congress have driven the government’s debt and deficits beyond imaginable levels. They have broken every rule of sound economic policy. Left unchecked, their policies will inevitably lead to a fiscal meltdown. We cannot “stimulate” our economy by spending more than we’re taking in. History and common sense instructs us we cannot spend our way out of debt. The bailout and stimulus packages were failures in my view and portray political cronyism at its best. We are courting long-term economic devastation and potentially enslaving our children and grandchildren to pay the incurred debt. Our founders warned against a “welfare state” where the government undertakes to provide for every person from the cradle to grave. I look forward to opportunities to help reduce or eliminate bureaucracy, and shrink government growth and spending.

GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT Ronald Reagan said it best when he remarked: “The closest thing to eternity is a government program.” In 1960 there were about 100 government agencies. Today, there are well over 1,200. Give back control and power to the states and to local level governments – along with the money – that is what I will work for!

HEALTH CARE Several of my Republican opponents are saying they will repeal Obamacare and replace it with a Republican plan. In other words, replace one socialist program for another. I will work to repeal Obamacare, and leave healthcare decisions to people and to the states. Only free market policies that increase competition and individual choice will achieve greater efficiency and affordability for all Americans. A recent survey of our 4th District voters found 69% remain opposed to the federal health care mandate and they strongly oppose any government bureaucracy putting itself between patient and doctor. I will fight for free market solutions that increase choice and accessibility.

IMMIGRATION We are a nation of immigrants. The debate and problems we have today are not about legal immigration, but illegal immigration! This debate is also a matter of national security. We must secure our borders first and foremost – before any other discussions. We are a nation of laws; therefore, we first need to enforce our existing immigration laws. Second, we need to revamp and reinstitute our “guest-worker program” which offers temporary visas for those wishing to come from other countries to work as seasonal workers. Washington’s farmers have a need for seasonal agriculture workers. However, any guest worker program should never provide amnesty of illegal aliens or a fraudulent cover for those seeking to flout our immigration laws.
Dan Newhouse (R) Challenger

http://dannewhouse.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

FEDERAL BUDGET With a current total federal debt of nearly $17.5 trillion, including $5 trillion borrowed from government accounts such as Social Security, we have a crisis on our hands if we don’t act soon. Republicans in Congress are proposing a plan that would balance the budget within ten years. That’s a start. But what we really need is a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment. As your representative in Congress, I will insist that we live within our means and respect every penny of the public’s money.

HEALTHCARE Obamacare is a failure. Because of this law, Central Washington residents are dealing with more government bureaucracy, cancelled health plans, higher premiums, Medicare cuts, loss of doctors, and even job losses. I will fight to replace Obamacare with a health care plan that actually works for doctors, patients and the economy.

PROTECTING SENIORS When you paid into Social Security and Medicare throughout your working life, your government made a promise to you that those programs would be there for you when you retire. In Congress I will make sure government keeps its promise. The biggest threat to Social Security is our federal budget deficit. For years, politicians have raided the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for their pet projects. I will fight for a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment to keep Social Security solvent. Meanwhile, Obamacare included more than $700 billion in cuts to Medicare. I will work to restore those cuts and keep Medicare stable and secure.

IMMIGRATION Our current immigration and border security policies aren’t working. They aren’t working to prevent violent drug offenders from crossing our borders. They aren’t working for aspiring Americans who are denied legal pathways to add their hard work and talents to building the American dream. And they aren’t working for employers seeking temporary foreign workers to fill jobs left unfilled by the domestic workforce. It’s time to work on reforms that will secure our borders, stem the tide of illegal immigration, and also fix our guest worker program so that our agricultural economy does not suffer from labor shortages. For undocumented workers already here, we need a long-term solution, not blanket amnesty. I would support a plan to allow undocumented workers with no serious criminal record to apply for legal status, learn English, pay taxes and a penalty and then go to the back of the line and work toward citizenship.

District 5
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) Incumbent

http://www.cathyforcongress.com/ http://mcmorrisrodgers.house.gov/#dialog

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Cathy_McMorris-Rodgers.htm**

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Voted for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments We need a bold, comprehensive energy plan for the 21st century. And the basic principle of that plan should be “more of everything.” We need more oil. More natural gas. More nuclear power. More hydropower. More alternative energies, such as solar, wind, and biofuels. And more energy research. By investing in American energy and reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, we can lower energy prices and retake control of our economic destiny.

HEALTHCARE I voted against President Obama’s radical health care law because it increases premiums for working families (10-13% according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office), raises taxes on small businesses, and cuts Medicare for seniors. The law was also too expensive ($2.3 trillion over 10 years) and it will increase the deficit at a time when government borrowing is already out of control and the national debt stands at $15 trillion. The health care law will also be a job killer. After the law passed, America’s major corporations filed statements with the government on how the law’s tax changes would affect their earnings (as they’re required to do by law). Boeing said it would take a $150 million hit. AT&T said it would have to pay $1 billion. The list goes on and on. All of these companies will be affected. The Obama health care law will also put tremendous strains on our private health care system. Since the law requires 16 million more people to enroll in Medicaid – and since Medicaid reimburses only slightly more than half of medical costs – that will obviously have a devastating financial impact on doctors and hospitals. On Jan. 19, 2011, I voted to repeal the health care law. Throughout 2011, I also voted for several bills to defund it. We should replace the current law with common-sense, market-based solutions to increase health care access and lower costs for all Americans.

DEFENSE Every day, our survival is threatened by radical Islamic terrorists whose aim is to kill innocent men, women, and children, even at the cost of their own lives. In a post-9/11 world, our most important national security mission must continue to be the elimination of al-Qaeda, especially in their home base of Afghanistan. I support our brave men and women in uniform who are risking their lives in Afghanistan to keep America safe. I am also committed to America’s military families. As the wife of a career Navy man, I understand the nature of their family commitment and the drawbacks that come with it. In 2009, I founded The Congressional Military Family Caucus to build bipartisan support for legislation to help military families. In 2011 alone, we organized three major events – including one at Fairchild Air Force Base – to bring together military families and government leaders to discuss issues of concern to military families.
Joe Pakootas (D) Challenger

http://www.pakootasforcongress.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

WOMEN’S ISSUES Equal pay for women and the Lilly Ledbetter Act, the only legislation women have protecting them against pay inequities in the workplace. My opponent has spent too much time in the other Washington and has lost touch with her District. She doesn’t see the problem with women getting paid less than men for performing the same work. I do.

HEALTHCARE Affordable medical care for everyone ensuring access for all to comprehensive, uniform and affordable services, including the full range of reproductive services. I want to improve our health care system, not dismantle it. My opponent has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act 54 times.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT A sensible energy policy that translates into jobs and a strong economy. My opponent’s energy policy consists of funneling billions in subsidies to oil companies. While I’m not sure why companies that are reporting record breaking profits need tax payer subsidies, I do know that a clean economy can generate a significant number of jobs, spread across a diverse group of industries, because it can serve as a catalyst for overall economic growth. Protecting the environment. I care deeply for the environment. I personally sued Tech Cominco and won a landmark decision to stop corporations from dumping heavy metal contaminates into Lake Roosevelt. This will have long term benefits for our entire Region. My opponent wants to open up public lands for commercial profit, endangering their environmental protection

District 6
Derek Kilmer (D) Incumbent

http://www.derekkilmer.com/ http://kilmer.house.gov/

http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Derek_Kilmer.htm**

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Voted against construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments

Take action on climate change Derek understands that climate change is real. We have a moral obligation to address it. He supports moving away from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy sources, creating market based mechanisms to limit carbon emissions, promoting renewables, enhancing our electrical grid, and improving efficiency in buildings and automobiles. He understands that doing so will protect the shellfish, fishing, and other natural resource industries that are threatened by climate change, while creating new jobs due to increased investment in renewable energy technologies.

HEALTHCARE Derek understands that Washington state’s healthcare system serves a diverse population with unique needs. That’s why he continually visits hospitals throughout the region and stays in contact with countless providers, constituents, and advocates. While Derek was not in Congress when the Affordable Care Act was passed, he believes Congress should work to fix the problems with it rather than playing politics or going back to a system where people could be denied coverage for preexisting conditions. Derek believes more should be done to help small businesses provide coverage to their employees and has cosponsored a bill to expand the small business tax credit.

WOMEN’S ISSUES Derek wants to ensure that his daughters grow up in a nation where you can earn a fair wage for a hard day’s work and everyone is treated equally, regardless of who you are. When Derek’s daughters enter the workforce, he wants to be sure they earn the same pay for the same work as their counterparts. That’s why one of the first bills he cosponsored when he was sworn into Congress was the Paycheck Fairness Act to close the wage gap between men and women. Derek also is fighting for the rights of everyone under the law. Derek supported the Violence Against Women Act that strengthens the ability of law enforcement and service providers to combat domestic violence. No woman should ever be forced to feel unsafe or insecure in her own home and no woman should ever suffer in silence in the face of domestic violence. Derek believes decisions about women’s health care are best made by women in consultation with their doctors and their spiritual advisors. He opposes efforts to restrict access to family planning services and has opposed efforts to limit reproductive health care services. As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Derek understands the valuable role that women have played while serving in combat units during the last 12 years of war, which is why he supports the decision to allow women to assume combat roles and has been a strong voice demanding that the military address sexual assault issues. Our women servicemembers should not be limited in serving our country in all facets of the military. It is essential to national security that our military has the best-qualified fighting force in the world, regardless of gender.
Marty McClendon (R) Challenger

http://mcclendonforcongress.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM There is a consistent attack upon our religious freedoms in this country. This nation was founded upon these basic tenants, including freedom of religion, individual liberties, the right to keep and bear arms, and to own property. I work in the Real Estate industry and when you build a home you start with a solid foundation, then you frame the home which supports the roof, walls, and everything you put into it. This great nation was founded upon a foundation of Judeo Christian values, and an understanding that we had to be a completely free people in order to freely give ourselves to our God. When a home’s foundation begins to crumble, many will try to shore up the walls with support or try to substitute other material to slow or stop the crumbling. These solutions are temporary fixes only, just like much of the legislation we see today. The only way to save the home is to restore the foundation. The same goes for our nation, our foundation is crumbling, even being aggressively chipped away by an aggressive minority in the name of tolerance and political correctness. We must restore our foundation, acknowledging the sovereignty of God, and defeat the Political correctness that is killing our country. I will defend your Constitutional rights and work to restore our foundation.

HEALTHCARE

1. Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act is neither affordable nor caring!

2. Estimated 6 Million people forced off of their healthcare plans that they wanted to keep and forced to purchase a product that in many cases was

inferior and more expensive. All under threat of a monetary penalty if you did not buy by a certain date.

3. Administered by the I.R.S controlling over 1/6th of our economy.

4. Costs expected to rise between 8-14% next year alone.

5. Estimated 2 million jobs lost because of Obamacare.

Obamacare has driven up costs, reduced access to quality healthcare, killed jobs, closed businesses, forced people off of the healthcare plans they wanted, robbed Medicare/Medicaid, and has not covered the uninsured as stated. I will fight to repeal this mess of a law and replace it with common sense reform that allows us to keep our great healthcare. I will work on providing the tools needed for each state to address its uninsured as it sees fit. There are ways of driving down cost through competition, streamlining regulations, and encouraging ingenuity. We can do this together.

REGULATIONS

1. Congress produced 76,000 pages of regulations this year alone!

2. These Regulations cause the cost of goods and services sold to increase by 26%.

3. Every year Congress goes to work you get what effectively is a 26% pay cut!

I am a fan of cars and I know no matter what kind of car it is, what brand, how expensive, what bells and whistles it comes equipped with whether it be leather seats, navigation, sunroof, or fancy wheels, It is worthless if the engine does not work! Our Economy is the car and businesses, big and small, are its engine. The market place is the vehicle that creates jobs, that generates tax revenue that supports infrastructure, our Military, support services, and thousands of needed services for all American Citizens. The market place allows Americans to chase the American dream, give to charities, and serve others. Nothing runs unless Businesses are allowed to flourish. Excessive regulations kill the economic engine. Legislation like Obamacare drives costs up and puts many people out of business which results in even greater job loss. We have to stop punishing creativity, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship with regressive regulation and taxation. I will work to revise or repeal unnecessary, redundant, or punitive regulations that stifle our economic engine and in the process lower the costs of goods and services for you while promoting job growth in our communities. I will fight against job killing measures like Obamacare and Wild Olympics.

ENERGY Gas and energy costs are stifling businesses, consumers, and all American citizens as it drives up the cost of goods and services. Energy policy must allow America to access and use its abundant energy resources. Creativity, technological development and market driven application of science and technology will determine the most efficient, cost effective and cleanest uses of energy resulting in a prosperous economy.

DEFENSE AND MILITARY A strong America is a force for good at home and abroad. I support and honor the past and continuing service of all veterans and members of the United States’ armed forces. I will fight to make sure our Veterans get the honor, support and resources they need and deserve. I will fight to get to the bottom of and solve the issues in the VA medical system.

District 7
Jim McDermott M.D. (D) Incumbent

http://www.mcdermottforcongress.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=2

http://mcdermott.house.gov/ http://www.ontheissues.org/House/JIM_MCDERMOTT.htm**

Rated +8 by AAI, indicating pro-Arab pro-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE I still believe that a single-payer model is the ideal solution, the most effective way to achieve both cost control and universal coverage. There can be no question that America’s employer-based system is failing. This year, rather than establishing a single-payer system, Congress has designed a less desirable model that would more tightly regulate private insurance companies, much in the same way that we do with utility companies. I know that the current bill is far from perfect and will require continued efforts to adjust and improve it in the years to come. We should celebrate the passage of the current health care reform bill as a first step in a long journey to develop the functional, universal health care system that the people in our country deserve.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Voted against construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments The global economy relies on abundant energy resources, and the Age of Oil is coming to a close. Today, we are looking aggressively for clean and affordable sources of energy to meet the demands of developing countries and changing technology. For the past century, Americans have enjoyed some of the cheapest energy produced in the world – with Pacific Northwest leading the way with hydropower. As this country moves forward, Jim is committed to ensuring that the energy we produce is clean and sustainable; we no longer can accept expensive fossil fuels and the pollutants they generate. America has always been a leader in innovation – the first solar panels were developed in the U.S. Jim is determined that we not only remain able to innovate, but that we use our innovation to produce clean, affordable energy for generations to come.

Carbon Tax
In 2006, the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change stated in clear terms that “climate change is the biggest market failure of our time.” If the United States is to continue to lead and innovate, we must move away from fossil fuels and focus on developing clean, inexpensive, renewable energy sources. To do this, Jim has introduced carbon tax legislation that creates specific greenhouse gas emission reduction targets over the next 40 years by slowly applying a tax on carbon emitting substances. As the tax increases over time, industry can slowly transition to clean sources of energy. Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of Exxon Oil Company, has supported the idea of a carbon tax, as have other major companies involved in the energy industry. To ensure the cost of energy does not increase with the tax, its proceeds are distributed directly back to the American people, with an estimated return of $3,000 per person to cover any increased energy costs.
Craig Keller (R) Challenger

http://keller4america.us/whyweneed.html

HOT BUTTON ISSUE

IMMIGRATION Each year $2.7 Billion of your taxes are now subsidizing the settlement of 275,000 illegal aliens + 104,000 progeny in Washington State. Download FAIR’s 2012 research “The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Aliens on Washingtonians”(pdf). Your tax dollars not only profit these fully complicit illegal aliens, but also subsidize “look-the-other-way” employers, political party power brokers and nations like Mexico whose foreign policy formally includes the export of human bodies for purposes of foreign exchange accumulation, including U.S. dollars derived from drug running. In March 2011, The Seattle Times reported that according to former State Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (D-Camano Island), Washington State now has 300,000 more driver’s licenses than drivers (including illegals who visited Washington State for a “quickie” driver license and then exited the state).

District 8

Dave Reichert (R) Incumbent

http://www.davereichert.com/ http://reichert.house.gov/

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Dave_Reichert.htm**

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ECONOMY Creating jobs and revitalizing our economy is my top priority. As I travel throughout the district, I consistently hear from business owners, employees, and those looking for work about how America’s economy needs to get back on track. Expanding trade, keeping taxes low, and encouraging innovation and investment can create long-term, private-sector jobs.

Innovation – Innovation is the lifeblood of our region. We need to encourage that innovative and entrepreneurial spirit by providing incentives for investment, research and development.

Trade – Free trade is critical to Washington State’s economy and the 8th District. As many as one in three Washington State jobs are tied to trade – simply stated: more trade means more jobs. I’m leading the fight in Congress to open new markets for American goods and services through passage of pending free-trade agreements, and my recent appointment as one of just five U.S. Representatives on the President’s Export Council gives me a unique opportunity to advocate for this action.

Taxes – The last thing Congress should do while the economy is struggling is raise taxes. But that is exactly what some Members of Congress want to do. We need to keep taxes low for individuals, families, and businesses and create targeted tax incentives that will provide the certainty businesses need to create jobs.

Spending – Spending is out of control. With a current budget deficit of $1.5 trillion, this needs to stop. We should start to reduce that deficit by cutting wasteful government spending, because we can’t keep mortgaging our children’s future.

ENERGY Voted for construction of Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments Energy independence is both an economic issue and a national security issue. The US should lead the way to encourage the development of new energy technologies, with the goal of moving away from reliance on oil toward more diverse sources.

HEALTHCARE Every single American should have access to affordable, high quality health care. The government health-care overhaul will raise costs and reduce choices and benefits. I am working to change the most troublesome parts of this new law so that the American people can have the health-care system they need and deserve.
Jason Ritchie (D) Challenger

http://www.ritchieforcongress.com/home

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE I strongly support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which expands access to quality, affordable health insurance and reduces the growth in health care spending. The Affordable Care Act allows young people to remain on their parents’ insurance plans, provides coverage for those with preexisting conditions, ends unjustified rate hikes, subsidizes health care costs, and provides health care to tens of millions who were previously uninsured. It does not force people to give up their private insurance that they already have, nor is it a replacement for Medicare or Medicaid. Many preventative services such as immunizations, yearly check-ups, and screenings are now offered to all free of charge. Prevention is the best cure, and steps like these will save millions of dollars in treatment down the road, not to mention lives. I am appalled that Republicans like Dave Reichert are unwilling to accept the benefits of this new law and continue in vain to defund it and repeal it. Republicans like Dave Reichert have wasted our time and our tax dollars with more than 40 votes to repeal and defund this law. They have no plan of their own and no willingness to compromise. It is time to move on and welcome the health coverage for the millions of Americans who will benefit from this law. More Americans covered by health insurance, more competitive insurance plans and more access to great quality healthcare means lower premiums and a healthier district, state and nation. Protecting and reinforcing the Healthcare Reform law will be my goal as your representative.

ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE Protecting local wilderness areas is just one part of defending our environment. As many members of the Republican Party continue to deny the existence of climate change, our planet comes closer and closer to the brink of ecological disaster. According to the EPA, rising temperatures are already affecting our local snowpack, stream flows, and forest cover, and we can expect worsening conditions if current trends are allowed to continue. The snowpack that our Cascades store every winter is expected to dwindle, threatening our agriculture, wildlife, and drinking water supply. Increased drought brings increasingly severe summer wildfires, and our already struggling salmon populations wouldn’t be able to survive in their remaining habitats. Pest and weed control are forecasted to become huge problems as well, which spells trouble for our local farmers. Climate change has far-reaching global consequences, and the potential damage to be inflicted on our own communities in particular motivates me to take action.

WOMEN’S ISSUES

EQUAL PAY There is no valid reason why wages differentiate by gender. Women are paid only $0.77 for every $1 that is paid to a man, nationwide. African-American women earn only $0.64 to that $1 earned by a Caucasian man, Latina women $0.56. Whether an individual differs from their counterpart by gender, race, sexual orientation, or religion, the differences should be irrelevant to their respective wages. The same kind of work, at the same experience level, for the same amount of time should be paid the same amount, this is only logical. This issue is not new, The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was instituted to require the same wage be given for the same job regardless of sex or gender. This piece of legislation is not functioning to address the pervasive wage discrimination women are facing in the workplace today.
If elected I will work with my Congressional colleagues to strengthen legislation regarding equal pay. The women of Washington’s 8th District as well as all American women deserve to have their representatives fighting for their full equality in the workforce, which they make up 50% of today.

WOMEN’S HEALTH A woman’s health is between her and her doctor. No politician, regardless of his own personal views, should dictate what a woman does with her own body. I do not support government engaging in any unwarranted interference into medical decision, especially for political gain. That is why I believe women should have open access to health care, including birth control and family planning. This issue is more than just a social one; it has real economic impact as well. Most American families depend on income from both parents to get by, and restricting women’s access to basic health services and family planning makes it difficult or impossible for these families to stay afloat. Data from around the world shows the connection between economic success and family planning, proving that countries with greater access out perform those that do not. If we want America to remain a leader in the global economy, we cannot hold women back. Republicans like Dave Reichert continue to force their moral beliefs on us by demanding that we submit to their values. Time and time again, he has tried to limit women’s control over their bodies and their healthcare. I believe in laws that protect our freedoms and our choices. I believe in open access to family planning, birth control and freedom of reproductive choice. If elected, I would work to ensure that the government stays out of the doctor’s office and that women are free to make their own decisions about their health care.

District 9

Adam Smith (D) Incumbent

http://www.electadamsmith.com/ http://adamsmith.house.gov/

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/David_Adam_Smith.htm** Rated -1 by AAI, indicating a mixed Arab/Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY Voted against construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments Traditional fossil-fuel energy sources like natural gas, oil, and coal are in limited supply and we need to use them wisely. With that in mind, we must embrace the use of alternative and renewable energy sources and increase efficiencies in our current sources. Wind and solar power, once thought to not be practical on a mass-scale, have become increasingly cost-competitive with fossil fuels. We need to encourage greater research and development, and the use of these clean and renewable energy sources. Fuel cells, geothermal energy, and bio-fuels are just a few of the energy technologies that should be used and further developed to get us back to a more self sustainable America. Not only will embracing new energy technology make our economy flourish and our environment cleaner, but it will allow America to once again be a world leader in energy innovation. Instead of relying on oil imports from foreign sources we can develop and export the fuel cells, solar panels, smart grid infrastructure, and other innovative technologies that will continue to create good American jobs and help the rest of the world develop cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable sources of energy.

HEALTHCARE

Voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Introduced the MediFair Act which will increase the Medicare reimbursement rate for the State of Washington so that our state no longer pays more than others for Medicare;
Introduced a bipartisan bill, the Medicaid Access Project through Information Technology (MAPIT) Act, to establish a pilot project that demonstrates the impact of health information technology on chronic disease management in the Medicaid program;
Cosponsored and supported passage of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
Consistently supported increases in funding for the National Institutes of Health;
Cosponsored the 10,000 Trained by 2010 Act. The bill provides grants to address the shortage of trained health IT workers by educating the health IT workforce needed to build, implement and maintain health IT systems;
Voted with a bipartisan majority to support expansion and improvement of State Children’s Health Program (SCHIP), providing health care coverage for 11 million children and extending it to 4 million uninsured children who were currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, SCHIP and Medicaid.

IMMIGRATION Reforming our immigration system is long overdue. Our current laws, regulations, and enforcement do not recognize the importance of sound immigration policies to our economy and national security. We cannot afford to wait any longer to reform our immigration system in a comprehensive way.
Immigration is one of the great strengths for our nation. People from all over the world have come to our country because they see opportunity in America and a chance to build a better life for themselves and their families. The hard work and talent of immigrants have helped grow our economy and have strengthened our country for all Americans. Legal immigration is not an obstacle to growth, but rather supplements our economic competitiveness and American jobs by attracting needed workers, high-skilled entrepreneurs, and investors. This can all be accomplished while keeping families together in a way that is consistent with American values. I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 15, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, and am committed to working with my colleagues in the House to ensure this process keeps moving forward. It is time to address our immigration laws to create a better system that allows families to stay together, businesses to thrive, and keeps our nation safe.
Doug Basler (R) Challenger

https://www.facebook.com/dougbasler

District 10

Denny Heck (D) Incumbent New District was created in 2011

http://www.dennyheckforcongress.com/ http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Denny_Heck.htm**

http://dennyheck.house.gov/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY Voted against construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments. Democrat Proposes Lending Increase for Export-Import Bank to Support U.S. Jobs and Competitiveness – Jun 24, 2014 – Press Release Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., Introduces the Protect American Jobs and Exports Act of 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – To support the American economy and workforce, Representative Denny Heck, D-Wash., will introduce the Protect American Jobs and Exports Act of 2014, which calls for a seven-year reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States and an increase in the lending cap to $175 billion. Proposed legislation will extend the bank’s charter until 2021, and extend the current cap by $5 billion each year. “The Export-Import Bank is a reliable way for American business-including many small businesses-to sell their goods and services into the world marketplace,” Heck said. “If we abandon this resource, we are allowing China, Russia, and European countries to gain ground in export deals previously made with us, the economic equivalent of forfeiting in the World Cup when we know we have the best team.” The Export-Import Bank, or Ex-Im Bank, helps American businesses sell their goods and services overseas by guaranteeing that they receive compensation for the transaction. Without the Ex-Im Bank, at least 205,000 American jobs would be at risk. The Ex-Im Bank supported an estimated $37.4 billion in U.S. export sales in 2013, while returning over $1 billion to the American taxpayers. The bank’s charter is set to expire on September 30, 2014, if Congress does not act.
Joyce McDonald (R) Challenger

http://www.joycemcdonald.com/

Joyce McDonald is a passionate naturalized American and demonstrates a great love of country in every challenge she undertakes. Joyce and her husband Gary have four grown children and ten grandchildren who all live in Pierce County. Gary is a Vietnam Veteran and a retired law enforcement officer. He also served with the State Attorney General’s Office investigating crimes against vulnerable adults. Joyce spent five terms in the Washington State House of Representatives and now serves as Executive Pro Tem on the Pierce County Council. Her continued goal is to be an effective advocate wherever she serves … and she will continue to work hard …. to keep Washington State a great place to live, work, and raise our families.

Read more: Family Security Matters http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/detail/washington-2014-candidates-for-congress-where-they-stand?f=puball#ixzz3B7M5i2V8
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

According to About.com the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking. During this period Muslims are to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. They are to strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits — essentially to clean up their lives, their thoughts, and their feelings. The Arabic word for “fasting” (sawm) literally means “to refrain” not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words. During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip.

They are also to make peace with those who have wronged them. But it appears that many are more concerned with the enforcement of Muslims and non-Muslims observing the does and don’ts of Ramadan, Islamic fanatics still find time to continue warring throughout the world.

Channel 2 News reported that Kermanshah province’s Chief Justice Ali Mozafari said. That every year the Iranian authorities issue warnings to respect Ramadan by not eating or drinking in public. Yet people ignore the warning. In Kermanshah five people were publicly flogged as punishment for eating in public in violation of the rules of Ramadan.

In Saudi Arabia an interior ministry urged non-Muslims to “respect the sentiments of Muslims by not eating, drinking or smoking during Ramadan in daylight hours in public places, including roads and workplaces. “Those who violate the regulations will be deported or sacked, according to the statement. “They are not excused for being non-Muslim.” He said, that “anyone living in this country should follow the laws of the Kingdom. It is interesting that many Muslims in westernized countries preach following Islamic law not the law of the land.

Reuters reported that, in Iraq, Muslim insurgents had killed over 1000 people in the month of July (Ramadan) the highest monthly death toll since 2008, according to the United Nations. Since Ramadan is the month for renewing one’s piety, and jihadists see their jihad attacks as acts of worship, it is not surprising to see such attacks increase during Ramadan.

Ramadan observance in Indonesia seems to include detonating bombs at Buddhist temples during prayers. Muslims were angered over sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims.