Can Burner follow Baird's lead from 1998?

DENVER - Bill Clinton made his way into Washington state politics today. No, he didn't stop by to greet the delegation, instead he came up in a story told by Rep. Brian Baird (D-Vancouver) about the 1996 race that saw him fall frustratingly short against then-Rep. Linda Smith.

After the blanket primary showed Baird within four points of Smith when he had expected to be twenty points back, President Bill Clinton gave Baird a call and told him, "bear down. You think you have worked hard? Work harder." Baird heeded Clinton's advice and came within a thousand votes of unseating the popular incumbent.

He came back two years later, when Smith left her post to run for Senate, and won handily over state Sen. Don Benton (R-Vancouver). There are no doubt plenty of differences between that story and the current scenario in the 8th Congressional District where Darcy Burner is giving a second shot at taking on another two-term congressman, Rep. Dave Reichert. But there are also enough similarities to cause a double take.

Using that parallel, PolitickerWA.com caught up with Baird this morning to get his take on Burner's race, given his own similar experience.

"I think her chances are excellent," Baird said, "partly because Darcy has really matured as a candidate. She has worked her guts out. People respect that. People understand that there is a real difference between Darcy and Dave Reichert on a number of issues that they care about."

Baird also appreciates Burner's skills as a listener, and touched on the idea that many Democrats are trying to present when looking at Reichert's voting record.

"The reality is the incumbent in that district has taken some votes to try to distinguish himself from President Bush," Baird claimed, "but by and large his record is a whole lot more consistent with President Bush than would be Darcy Burner.

"I think people in that area are saying we don't want four more years of Bush politics. The economy can't afford it, kids can't afford it, the country can't afford it and I think Darcy is hammering that message home."