WA-2

Rick Bart (R-Arlington): Politicker photoA number of Washington's congressional challengers have, in lieu of being able to vote, issued their own statements on Monday's failed bailout. Ironically, the only instance in which challenger and incumbent agreed was in the deadlocked 8th District, where Darcy Burner (D-Carnation) and Rep. Dave Reichert both opposed the bill.

Burner's statement focused on the need for accountability, and said she would refuse to hand over a "blank check" to Wall Street.

Reichert, who voted "no", told PolitickerWA.com yesterday that the bill was put together too hastily.

"I just feel like this was a rush," he said. "I don't totally trust the process that we have gone through for the last seven to eight days."

The National Republican Congressional Committee is going local, even here in Washington, with the scandal plaguing Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY). In light of the revelation that Rangel has admitted to owing thousands in back taxes, the NRCC is attempting to tie local Congressmen and candidates to Rangel, and has called on three of them –Darcy Burner (D-Carnation), Rep. Brian Baird (D-Vancouver) and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Arlington)—to return all contributions from Rangel’s PAC.

Still, House Democrats hit back at the Republicans, as reported by The Politico. They called the NRCC's attempts to make an issue of this hypocritical because of the sizeable number of Republicans who have refused to return PAC money from two Republican Congressmen under federal investigation, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) and Rep. Jerry Lews (R-Calif.).

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Arlington) is on the air in Northwest Washington's 2nd Congressional District with his second radio advertisement of the campaign. The new ad is a 60-second spot on high fuel prices and Larsen's votes in congress to reduce prices by stopping price gouging by oil companies.

Larsen's first ad focused on his work toward expanding veterans health care services in the 2nd District. His opponent, Arlington Republican Rick Bart, has yet to go on the air and after a promising start has run into money woes, even ending the second quarter in the red before raising enough in July to pay off hid debts.

See the full text of the radio ad after the jump.

Rep. Rick LarsenRep. Rick Larsen (D-Arlington), the four-term incumbent from Northwest Washington's 2nd Congressional District, began airing his first campaign ads on the radio Monday on stations throughout the district. The spot highlights Larsen's work in expanding health care access for veterans, notably the opening of clinics in Mt. Vernon and Sedro Woolley.

Larsen is being challenged by former Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart (R-Arlington), who has yet to advertise and whose campaign was in debt as of the latest filing period at the end of June.

Read the full transcript of the radio ad below the jump.