WA-3

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.).

The voters of the 3rd Congressional District, where incumbent Rep. Brian Baird (D-Vancouver) has drawn three challengers heading into next week's "top two" primary, will have their chance to vote a mixture of political ideology and war on both sides of the aisle. The reason being, each of the two major parties has two candidates with varying viewpoints on Iraq. Adam Wilson in The Olympian has a story about it today.

Within the Democratic Party, Baird has drawn a challenge from peace activist Cheryl Crist (D-Olympia) who also ran in 2004 and garnered 15 percent of the primary vote.

The Republicans meanwhile, have Michael Delavar (R-Washougal) who opposes the occupation squaring off against the pro-war and pro-surge Christine Webb (R-Tumwater).