Rubber-stamper or engaged advocate? That is the choice voters in the Third Congressional District must make this fall. Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler has had plenty of time to grow into her position, and to take on the real issues that matter to her constituents.
She has failed to do either, but she remains a reliable rubber stamp for today’s increasingly disconnected GOP.
You could list all of her significant accomplishments for Southwest Washington on a Post-it Note, and there would still be room for your grocery list. Herrera Beutler’s telephone town halls are truly pathetic — the format does not allow real discussion, instead carefully protecting her from exposure to dissent and unwelcome facts.
She remains either unwilling or unable to engage in direct conversation with her constituents, or in direct debate with her challenger, Carolyn Long. Long represents an entirely different style of politics and personality — one dedicated to real discussion, examination of both sides of issues, and willingness to collaborate or compromise. Today’s tragic level of impasse in D.C. requires exactly such personalities, on both sides of the aisle. Carolyn Long deserves your vote — she will help lead the way on this country’s long road back to normalcy.
