LibertyTeeth

+++++++UPDATE++++++

Lou has linked some additional information on the story, to be fair it certainly covers more of the Hinton history.

+++++++++++++++++++

Did you happen to catch this piece by Lou Brancaccio at The Columbian?

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jul/31/guilt-by-association/

Interesting, but some key information is missing or glossed over. Including a forced public apology for lying about the marriage and spousal abuse of a sitting State Representative.

The question is did Lou just not do his homework or is he protecting the candidate his paper has endorsed?

Even just a cursory glance at Hinton’s record is both disturbing and revealing. Dig a little deeper and the connections to democrats and possible violation of PDC, Election and Ethics laws is enough to give any honest newspaperman pause.

I have to assume that sometime after the endorsement of Ann, Lou caught wind of the Hinton story and feeling it his duty wrote this piece. But did he really dig for the story or just talk with Ann.

Just the story of Hinton stealing access codes to get at other legislative aides emails to use those emails against political opponents is “glossed” over. Not even a mention that Hinton was fired and escorted off the Capitol Grounds by Capital Police. Important conclusion to the story that Lou either did not know or ignored.

I suggest you do a little research yourself. Hinton is bad for conservatives, bad for the 18th and bad for any voter who hates the politics of old. He is the poster child of mean, dirty, underhanded, win at all cost, slash and burn politics.

You will be appalled by this man, the only question is will you blame Ann Rivers for her association with him over the years?

For Ann Rivers I give the same warning I did privately months ago, get as far away from Hinton as you can. Publicly denounce Hinton and move on.

Did you happen to see this article in The Columbian today?

Poll says Republicans, Herrera trending in 3rd Congressional race

Fairly boilerplate and to be expected, Republicans trending big and Jaime Herrera the front runner in the 3rd CD race.

No big news, the grassroots have known that CONSERVATIVES would win big in November since last April, 2 months after the first Tea Party events that sparked a revolution. Then we had the Town Halls, the Governor races, a Senate race and the recent primaries.

So what struck me as odd was the quote by David Castillo:

David Castillo, Herrera’s leading Republican opponent, called the survey “a name ID poll” and told The Columbian, “I take it with a grain of salt.”

“The sample size is too small,” he said. “Where in the district did they poll? The vast majority of voters have no idea there is an election going on.”

Okay…. lets go through that quote.

The sample size was small, only 300. It was a name ID/support poll (Jaimie wins hands down) AND  a no name Republican vs. Democrat poll (Republican wins).

I agree…. take any poll with a grain of salt..

We hear you David, the poll makes you look bad (polling 8%) and you have every right to ask questions…

But then he showed why the grassroots is having trouble with his candidacy… Arrogance and a disconnect with the grassroots.

“The vast majority of voters have no idea there is an election going on.”

Really? Vast Majority? Really?

Have you been to a Tea Party event? Have you had any contact with the grassroots bursting with eagerness for November?

Do you watch the news? Have you seen the recent primaries? Was he at the conventions or caucuses?

People are tuned in, angry and making noise on an epic scale. They are READY to vote!

I noticed this lack of understanding of the grassroots and this attitude of entitlement last summer when the Cowlitz County grassroots asked David to attend a candidate forum, using any format he was comfortable with. He declined, citing no need to give credence to any other Republican candidates. They wanted an opportunity to have a voice in choosing the next Republican candidate, he did not want the grassroots to have that choice.

I personally asked him his opinion on the Tea Party movement and if he had been to any events. He mumbled something about the town halls and changed the subject.

When talking about Jaimie’s original appointment to the 18th Leg. Seat, he calls into question the validity of the grassroot effort in Cowlitz County that rallied duly elected PCOs behind her. He discounts the long deliberate process by the PCOs that included multiple meetings and candidate interviews. Who can deny the PCOs, the only ones who could vote, duly elected by their fellow Republicans as the grassroots?

Now he is claiming some National Republican Senate Caucus (or “establishment”) involvement in the grassroots votes at three county conventions that gave Jaimie Herrera the endorsement of Cowlitz, Pacific and Wahkiakum county Republican Parties. Three of the most conservative counties in the district with delegates made up of the grassroots, elected by the grassroots.

All while he gladly takes the endorsement of a D.C. lobby group claiming to be the “muscle” behind the Tea Party movement (last I checked the muscle was We The People!). No interviews, no questionnaires, no inquiry with the real muscle, just a blind endorsement (turns out not to be completely blind, they did know David, he used to work for them.)

Last summer David kicked off his campaign with a big time campaign consultant, a lot of arrogance and very little need for the grassroots.

I warned him and his campaign manager that the paradigm had shifted and that the Tea Party movement and the grassroots as a whole was where the real political power was. (It seemed obvious to all of US!)

This poll and his quotes is just one more example that they have not been listening to We The People!

With the  attention that primaries this spring have brought to the Tea Party movement (so much for AstroTurf eh?) and the potential influence that “they” are having I am not struck by the results, but more by the way the movement is still not understood by Republicans, Democrats, pundits and special interest. When you understand what the Tea Party is, you understand the power of the movement…. the power of the citizen!

The Tea Party movement is just that, a movement, an idea. It is an idea which millions of citizens have awoken too, a way to finally be HEARD as citizens. It is about the individual, not an organization with meetings and “leadership”, but a ad-hoc group of concerned citizens willing to educate themselves and work together to MAKE their voices heard on some very basic principles.

It is action, not words. It is outcomes, not rhetoric.

While some would characterize it as a “third party”, others would attempt to co-opt it and still others would attempt to describe it as some monolithic entity, few outside the movement “get it”. They sense the power, they may fear it or covet it, but they fail to respect its true nature.

A good example of this was in Nevada this week when two candidates for Senate claimed “Tea Party” support or endorsement. I am certain that some people or organizations who are participating in the “Tea Party” movement gave support or endorsements, but the media and candidates fail to understand that the Tea Party movement is people, people trying to get their voices heard and binding together with like-minded individuals. That has represented itself as different people working with different groups with little or no connection. So claiming some monolithic “organizational” support is both wrong and a disservice to the cause.

The power of the movement is that it is the individual working at the grassroots and building coalitions with other individuals. There is no Tea “Party” in the strict sense; there is no organization that we are all “members” of. It is the empowerment of the citizen and any attempt to “consolidate” it destroys it.

Some special interests groups and candidates would love to use the lack of a single voice or “command and control” to “claim” the Tea Party. Its very nature lends it to the easy claim of Tea Party affiliation, there is no roster, no dues. Politicians know it is so much easier to grab a few “leaders” endorsements instead of going to the people and working for their votes individually.

Thankfully the very people who make up the movement know this and are aware when their endorsement or “position” is being used without permission.

Here in Cowlitz County we jealously guard our Tea Party independence. We will not be consolidated or laid claim to. We will not acquiesce when some D.C. special interest group or candidate claims some authority or bestows endorsement in our name. We protested loudly when FreedomWorks tried to claim some “leadership” role for what we had accomplished of our own free will and work. We knew they had no hand in our movement, had never approached us individually and had no claim to some collective endorsement. They may be a fine organization, but the muscle of the Tea Party is the citizen, it is We the People!

Within the Cowlitz Tea Party movement the founding “members” are supporting Jaime Herrera for Congress as are many of the ardent and active “member”, but no claim can be made of “endorsement” of the Tea Party. That would be a betrayal of all the other individuals and their voices. Each individual is responsible for their vote and speaking for themselves!

I encourage the citizen to seek out candidates, ask questions and hold them to high standards. More importantly, become active in the governance and policy making process. Attend Town Halls, protest on the street, ask tough questions of the candidates, go to your city council meetings, join a board or commission – RUN FOR OFFICE. Make your voice heard.

That is the Tea Party.

We can only bring our nation, state, counties and cities back to our Constitutional foundation when each citizen takes responsibility for the process and outcome of our government.

A whole lot of groups will be meeting at the Tax Day Tea Party in Olympia, WA on April 15th!

For us in Cowlitz County we have a few choices.

TEA FOR TWO on TAX DAY!
Olympia & Seattle, Washington
Thursday, April 15, 2010
12 pm – 8 pm
Olympia, North Capitol Steps/Seattle, Westlake Park
416 Sid Snyder (Olympia) / 401 Pine St (Seattle)

Olympia: 12 pm – 3 pm with speakers David Boze, Amber Gunn, Kirby Wilbur, Tea Party Charlie, music & more! North Capitol Steps. Then join the caravan heading north to Seattle!

Seattle: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm with speakers Dori Monson, Liberty Belle, improv comedy, and live music! Westlake Park, downtown Seattle.

For those in Cowlitz that cannot make it up, not to worry, there will be a group at the Allen St. Bridge in Kelso from 12pm to 6pm, so come by and show your support when you can.

Also, We the People are hosting an event on Saturday in Vancouver! So no excuses!

We the People Freedom Rally

Saturday April 17th, 2010
11:30am to 1:30pm
Esther Short Park ~ 301 W. 8th Street
Vancouver, WA.

Our Great line up of Speakers
and live music will inspire and challenge you!

• Victoria Taft ~ KPAM 860 AM
• Rev. Wayne Perryman ~ Author
• Juliana McMahan ~ Evergreen Freedom Foundation
• Samuel Adams (Tom Niewulis)
• Tom Hann ~ Founder We The People SW WA
• Greg Noelk ~ Columnist for Wapathub.org

A Family Friendly Event presented by:
We The People of SW Washington

www.wepeeps.org
www.wapathub.org

I am so very excited to see the renewed energy of my fellow citizens taking action in the upcoming election process and governance.

The Tea Party movement has been such an invigorating and rewarding adventure of true grassroots politics and I am excited to see how it is evolving into a true platform for information, expression and action.

A great example of this is the Washington Patriot Hub and the We The People of Vancouver group, these are citizens coming together to share information and take an active role in both the governance and election processes.

As a citizen who attends my city council and county commissioner meetings often, I used to be one of only a few conservative citizens in the room. Often I was the only conservative to ask questions or make statements. Not anymore.

Local groups like this are providing training and encouragement to citizen on how to involve themselves in the process, how to influence the legislation and policy our elected officials often decide in the absence of the common man.

They are also taking the considerable time to run local candidates though a vigorous vetting process. No longer will we be left with inside politics and endorsements based upon “who you know”. They taking back the right of the People to ask the questions, influence the process and watch the interviews. No back room deals here.

The “Hub” specifically is a great clearing house of candidate and issue information as it is gathered by regular folks and accountable to regular folks.

From the Washington Patriot Hub site:

About The Washington Patriot Hub

“Today’s Committee of Correspondence”

In early October of 2009 many leaders gathered together over coffee and outlined some of the challenges we all faced. They saw the need for a better way for all members to communicate and the idea for the Washington Patriot Hub was born.

The Washington Patriot Hub is not a group or organization. It is a central communication vehicle for groups around the state that share common goals where they see a for change, some of which are:

* Education
* Energy/Cap & Tax
* Healthcare
* Illegal Immigration
* Precincts
* States Rights
* Sovereignty
* US Constitution
* Taxation
* Voter & Census Fraud

Local groups working together can build committees and share the research, planning and manpower so we can beat back the progressive agenda. As we have all learned over the last year, it is a monumental task just trying to keep up with it all. Every group has members that give varying amounts of time that is scheduled around their lives, family and work. With so many issues coming towards us all so quickly, we need to pool our resources and work together. Although we do not agree on all things, but where we do we can be a force for change.

1776 – “Unite or Die”

2010 – “Unite or Fail”

If you are interested in getting involved in your area, check out the sites above. Even if you are just looking for information on candidates, take a look.

I would also encourage you to attend the vetting meetings. What a great opportunity to find out for yourself who deserves you all important vote.

We The People – Vancouver: Candidate Vetting Meetings
Meetings on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Harney Elementary School
3212 E Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98661 (map)

Agenda for April 6th Candidate Vetting:
Sean Salazar – US Senate
David Hedrick – US House Congressional District 3
Shannon Barnett – WA 18th Legislative District

Agenda for April 20th Candidate Vetting:
Arthur Coday – US Senate
Jaime Herrera – US House Congressional District 3
Jon Russell – WA 18th Legislative District

WeThePeople-Vancouver have active teams of people focused on education and civic responsibility.

Join one of the following committees:
Elections Committee
Legislation Committee
Education Committee
Local Government Committee
Events and Fundraising Committee

We look foward to seeing you at our next meeting or an upcoming event.

www.WeThePeople-Vancouver.org

Check out this post on Politico regarding the slow burn FreedomWorks is fanning with its actions.

Tea partiers air doubts about Dick Armey

You may have heard that a Washington, DC-based organization named FreedomWorks recently endorsed David Castillo in the 3rd Congressional District primary race.

FreedomWorks’ website claims the organization is made up of “grassroots volunteers,” and supports those who “fight for lower taxes, less government, and more freedom.”

In the past I have been a supporter of FreedomWorks, they have provided support and infrastructure to conservative grassroots over the years.

However, this endorsement is very disheartening to me; you see FreedomWorks endorsed Castillo without ever asking Jaime Herrera for an interview or even a single piece of information.

I can tell you that Jaime Herrera has a lot of grassroots support here in Cowlitz and throughout this district – she was formally endorsed by the Cowlitz County GOP party delegates (regular folks) last weekend – because she has a record of fighting for lower taxes, less government and more freedom.

So what “grassroots” are they claiming to represent? How did the “grassroots” in the 3rd Congressional District influence this endorsement? It sounds all too hollow, but read on.

In the press release that Castillo and FreedomWorks sent out regarding the endorsement they stated “FreedomWorks has provided organizational muscle to the tea party movement across the country. It is currently at work on a 2010 Tax Day Tea Party on April 15th in Washington, D.C.”

As many of you know I have be very active in the grassroots for years, I was an organizer (in a small way) of the first Tea Party rally in Portland, OR in February of 2009, long before FreedomWorks ever got involved, before even Fox News gave us any credence. (Only Victoria Taft gave our local rally any real coverage)

While I appreciate the support FreedomWorks is now providing, the “muscle” has been provided by the People! We the People! It is a citizen’s movement and cannot be leveraged or co-opted for political gains. I resent and protest the idea that some national group, any PAC, is trying to use the people’s movement for their own inside the beltway gain.

So how could this have happened? No input from the real grassroots, no interviews of the other Conservative candidates, not even a request for positions. It sounds so hollow, so…. Politics as usual….

Newsflash!!!! David Castillo used to work for FreedomWorks. Instead of listening to those of us who have been putting our shoes to the pavement in support of smaller government and lower taxes since before Fox News even knew we existed, FreedomWorks made a blind endorsement of someone with an insider’s connection.

Before FreedomWorks brings its DC money into this race and blindly supports one candidate, I urge you to contact them and let them know that they have ignored the grassroots.

If you support Jaime Herrera, you should let them know that, too. Tell them that any organization claiming to represent the grassroots should have an open and fair endorsement process where every candidate gets a chance.

Here’s how you can contact FreedomWorks:
• Submit an online message here: http://www.freedomworks.org/contact
• Call them at 1.888.564.6273

Keath Huff

Hello fellow Conservative, my name is Keath Huff.

As a Tea Party organizer and long time conservative activist I was appalled by the recent voice mail I received about my friend Jaime Herrera.

You may have received that call as well, and like me you may have thought it came from a Democrat.

Unfortunately it did not, though it was almost word for word the same comments a liberal Democrat recently uttered.

This phone call, with its blatantly false accusations, came from a politician, that much is for sure.

And that is why I am contacting you, I will not sit on the sidelines while another “politician” plays the game of destructive insider politics.

While Jaime has been in Olympia fighting to protect us from the Liberal agenda, including the dismantling of the people’s will on I-960, this politician could not even use his own voice for his propaganda.

I have worked hard with many of you to rid ourselves of the politicians and the political games.

We want conservative statesmen and stateswomen and a process of the people, by the people and for the people.

That is why I am asking you to join me in supporting Jaime Herrera for Congress and help me say “no more” to the politics of old.

Now is the time for the people, now is the time for conservative leadership, now is the time for Jaime Herrera.

For more information about Jaime Herrera, or to find out how you can help, visit Jaime Herrera’s Web Site.

Keath Huff

UPDATE

To be clear… The false allegation that Jaime is an absentee legislator is FALSE. The record is clear. Check out her voting record, which is available at washingtonvotes.org

UPDATE 2

Check out the piece written by Liz Mair

“A representative of the Washington State Legislature with whom I spoke
today confirmed that none of the committees on which Herrera serves met
on Thursday; nor were any votes taken in the Washington State House of
Representatives on that day. That, specifically, has one prominent
Republican in the district outraged a…t Castillo’s attack.”

Someone sent me this latest edition of an old standard – As you are looking for candidates to support in 2010, asking them their positions on any of these “points” will inform you on the quality of the candidate.

I would only add that I would be okay with 2 terms for Senate and House.

1. Term Limits: One Term Maximum.

One Six-year Senate term and One Four Year House term.

Congress should concentrate on acting for the good of the country, not upon getting re-elected. Worthwhile bills not acted upon during a current session will be carried forth and voted on by elected successors.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

2. No Tenure / No Pension:
A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security: All money in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security System immediately. Congress participates with the American people and can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans..

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

7. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void with the effective date of this reform act.

The American people did not make any contracts with congressmen; congressmen made all contracts with and for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term, then go home and back to work.

The Cowlitz Tea Party parade entry in the Longview, WA Go 4th parade was a great success.

The entry was one of the (if not THE) biggest entries in the parade.

We had a great mix of young & old, men & women, politically active and first timers.

What a great sight to see all those concerned citizens standing up for sound economic policies and Constitutional restraint.

Pictures are coming soon…. you can also visit the Cowlitz Tea Party Facebook page here:

http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1048729793351&f=1&e=-12#/group.php?gid=204754890607

Great Job!