Longest debate thread ever

So I went to the Darcy Burner/Dave Reichert debate last night, and oh my was the fur a-flyin'! And it wasn't just the Republican wives with their coats, either, HAR! *sigh*. Okay, that was really weak. Anyway, if those two liked each other at all before the debate, they sure can't stand each other now. Dave was pissed by the end of the night. I hope everyone's had a chance to see it on TVW by now, and if now, both they and KUOW have it archived. Below is my inordinately long recap (my apologies, but I do try to be thorough!).

The packed house at Meydenbauer Center last night was treated to a good time and fun-to-watch debate between Darcy Burner and Dave Reichert. The crowd was (I'm estimating here) about 2/3 tilted towards Darcy, which made for a more homey atmosphere for those of us wearing a "D".

Here's a weird thing I noticed: Republicans seem to keep themselves uniformly well-coiffed. Good hair and in some cases evening dress were the order, and I saw a couple women in their 20's who more closely resembled my grandmother in their dress, makeup and mannerisms. Very bizarre - like they have to manifest their beliefs through their clothes.

Anyhoo, the first question of the evening came from a gentleman who angrily wanted to know why there was no American flag on the stage - a good question, most of the audience thought. Our trusty moderator didn't agree, it seems, and just moved forward. This sort of set the tone for the evening.

The panel was made up of Seattle Times staffers and Steve Scher from KUOW - Jonathan Martin, Kate Riley, and Ryan Blethen.

The first question got us off to a good start, IMO: Why should the architects of the Iraq war continue to stay in office? Reichert fumbled this one a bit, because he can't sell out his party. He decided to talk about "not staying the course", and being "flexible" in our policy and dealing with an ever-changing enemy. Unlike Dave, Darcy was able to actually answer the question: The Bush and Reichert plan for Iraq has failed, and we need new leadership.

Now, I have to interject here. To the Democrats who attend these things: SHUT. UP. Darcy got wild applause for the Iraq comment, after the audience was asked to hold their applause for after the debate, and this was a problem through the evening. Can't we go to an event without acting like assholes? It's a debate, you cretins, not a campaign event! (and to the Republicans at debates: SHUT. UP. Your incessant muttering is rude and frankly a bit childish)

Unsurprisingly, even though she made no indication she has any plan to pull out of Iraq quickly, some GODDAMN MINDLESS MORON shouted “Cut and run!”. (first of the night-long chorus of “mm-hm” and “that’s right” from R’s sitting behind me) So. Reichert’s response began as follows: “We have to remember that we were attacked” (while making his "sheriff face"). Followed by an immediate raucous cheer from his supporters – I think to one-up the Burner boneheads who couldn’t contain themselves, but also because the phrase “we were attacked” has a visceral, positive reaction for Republicans that is honestly a little creepy. Knowing that we were attacked makes me more sad and angry than ecstatic, but maybe that’s just me (it also makes me want to pursue, you know, the people who actually attacked us!). Advantage: Burner

Annnyhoo, next question was about support for the guest worker program. Darcy’s answer was good, need to be sure everyone has a chance, no on guest worker program because she doesn’t want to see a two-tiered society. Dave answered that we need to secure our borders (something Darcy also believes, btw, although with different means’n’methods in mind, I’m sure), and told a weird story about some Cambodian who is here illegally (I think? His stories really ramble), but volunteered in the army. I think his point was that he doesn’t support the guest worker program, but it was hard to say. Advantage: Burner

Next up, Net neutrality. Darcy supports, and told a great story about why she does – she avoided the technical reasons for Net neutrality and went for the heartstrings; a good tack for someone who, btw, DOES know the technical reasons for NN. Dave revisited immigration for some reason, then said he supports Net neutrality. Mcjoan, sitting next to me (and who was a freaking delight, as always), mentioned to me that he’d voted for the Telecom bill that in fact is intended to end Net neutrality. Advantage: Burner sliiiightly, only because of Dave’s rambling story

Next question to Darcy: Why should we let the tax cuts expire. Now, this is one where I think both gave strong answers, although Dave played loose with the facts. Darcy’s answer was that taxes should be fair and reward work, not wealth. Our current tax policy is exactly backwards, and she believes working people should pay less in taxes. Dave’s answer was that tax cuts created 5.5 million jobs since 2003 and near 4% unemployment, which is considered full employment. Truthfully, the tax cuts were passed in 2001, not 2003, and an increase in production to replenish the inevitable decline in national inventory is what’s created 5.5 million jobs, but it ain’t worth arguing the point. He handled the question well. Advantage: Draw

Reichert question: Who’s accountable for Foley scandal – do you support the leadership? Sheriff Hairspray put on the sheriff face and talked about his bio, and said we need justice. Responsible party should be prosecuted. If leadership is at fault, they should be charged. Darcy took the mother angle – as a mother, I’m horrified. Called on Dave to call for Hastert’s resignation. (her entire answer was met with tsk-tsk and outraged muttering from the Reichert peanut gallery). Dave rebuts by talking about being a cop. Darcy RE-rebuts by saying this isn’t about law enforcement, it’s about ethics and accountability (more outraged muttering – the R’s really really hate this scandal. And especially the word accountability). Advantage: slight Burner – she came off petty calling for Dave to call on Hastert to resign

Reichert question: What’s left undone on the 9/11 commission’s recommendations? Dave: Of 43 recommendations , 5 have come to my committee (direct quote here: “Wait, let me check my notes for a minute…”). An emergency communications bill tacked onto FEMA restructuring bill is now law. I know what it’s like to talk into a radio and wait…and wait…and wait for someone on the other side to answer. (sheriff face in 3…2…1…). Darcy’s answer, you have to deliver results or get fired. After 9/11, Katrina, it would be unacceptable to wait for another disaster before solving the problem. We need a change. Advantage: Burner – Dave pointed out that they’ve failed to act on 42 of 43 recommendations, and she nailed the entire Congress

Money moment: Should the FCC rules pushed by media conglomerates (allowing more media consolidation be passed, and should Congress pass a law requiring local, diverse media ownership.

Dave: “I don’t know enough about this issue, so I’ll pass on the question.”
Darcy: …well, I was so flustered by Reichert passing that I missed it. But it sounded good!
Advantage: Burner

Darcy question: How will you pay for healthcare coverage you call for? Darcy gave an example about her sister’s coverage, and pointed out we waste enormous amounts of money in our healthcare system. We don’t pay for preventive care, and wait for catastrophic (read: expensive) needs. We need to reform the system, and we can provide comprehensive healthcare without spending a dime more than we do today. Dave quote: “Everyone agrees we should lower healthcare.” That’s what he said, no joke. He then gave examples of HSA’s, HMO’s, etc. He also said the prescription drug plan has worked, and even the Republicans laughed at him. Advantage: Burner

Darcy question: Reichert’s campaign ads say you will attack our wallets by raising income taxes for Social Security. Some say this will make SS solvent. Will you raise the cap? Darcy indicates SS is a promise, and she would consider looking at the cap (for you boneheads out there, Social Security taxes only come out of the first $90k of income – she’s talking about raising that to $150k or so), so higher-earning Americans pay their fair share. Dave also is willing to look at raising the cap (!!!!), and claims he opposes the President’s privatization plan. Advantage: Burner, as Dave just undermined his own attack ad by agreeing with her position that he’s attacking on television

Reichert question: Burner campaign says you cut veterans’ benefits. What say you? Dave: Listed family in service, voted for 18% increase in vet funding, home loans, $3 billion in PTSD treatment funds. She’s talking about appropriations votes, etc. (he got technical here). Burner: Congress has not kept its promise. Reichert cut funding for vet benefits over 5 years (she seemed pissed/tense on this one, btw)

Kate Riley of the Times pointed out that the votes Darcy refers to were non-binding. Darcy hit a good emotional tone about supporting vets, but didn’t really address this. Dave rebutted by saying her rhetoric is wrong, listed budget money again, and said it’s ludicrous to believe he would abandon his fellow vets. Advantage: Reichert, big

Softball question about R & D tax credits – both think Microsoft is a great company, yadda yadda creating jobs. Since Microsoft is 2 miles from the debate site, this was just a chance to get warm and fuzzy. No advantage

Reichert question: Are you distancing yourself from Bush? Dave says no. Points out that he brought the President of the United States here, to his district (sheriff face in 3…2..1..). Then told stupid story about his son: My son said “you had your own brain when you got on Air Force One in DC, but you had someone else’s brain when you landed in Seattle?”. Proving only that his stories are idiotic and his son is apparently no brighter than papa. Said he’s an independent thinker and independent action-taker (??). Brought up Schiavo vote (!) and ANWR votes.

Darcy got her own question, because it’s presumed she’s distanced herself from Bush: Name 2 or 3 Democrats you agree with. Darcy went on and on about Reichert being a Bush Republican blah blah blah. Told the story of Dave saying he votes how leadership tells him, and then “Was he lying to them or is he lying to us?” Named Inslee, Smith and Dicks as three Dems she respects.

Reichert (rightly) got a chance to respond to the “lying” charge, and really didn’t. He did get a zinger by pointing out that he votes with the Pres. 86% of the time, not 96% (switzer sez: I don’t know or care which is true), and Democrats voted with him on every one. They must be Bush Democrats. Advantage: Reichert, although Darcy drew blood with the lying thing

At this point, the crowd got out of hand, and Dave got more time to answer a question, leading to more nonsense from the crowd. Again, Democrats going to debates: SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP.

Their last question was posed to each other. Dave’s question to Darcy wasn’t memorable (what have you done for your community), both because it was a blatant RNC talking point, and because it was intended to let him answer his own question when he was supposed to answer hers (which he did). Her question was trouble, though. First of all, to Darcy’s consultants: Please prepare her for ALL eventualities. You knew the format. You’ve been to this rodeo before. You should have had a question or three already in her hands. Instead, she made one up, and she sounded bitchy, petty and mean. (paraphrasing) ‘You’ve voted against ANWR, stem cells, etc., and voted for them. How can the voters know your values and principles when you’ve shown you can’t be trusted to have the same values and principles on those votes, and you vote for crass political gain?’ Reichert drew himself up and put on the sheriff face and said: “Did you have a question?” It was the smartest thing he did all night. She restated without the speech, and he proceeded to dumb up again by sounding defensive while talking about all these votes he took against his caucus. Advantage: Reichert, closer than it should have been because he should have stopped himself

So, other weird stuff: On a question about allowing pharmacists to deny prescriptions on moral or religious grounds, Darcy said “No”, and Dave interrupted with “Yes”. She looked at him and said, “If I could just finish…” then talked about medical privacy, and prescriptions being between a doctor and a woman, pharmacists licensed and have an obligation to fill those prescriptions, etc. Really strong answer. When it was Dave’s turn again, he was obviously pissed off and just repeated “Yes.” It was very uncomfortable and weird. Advantage: Burner

Fun stuff about Reichert: On a question about North Korea, he referred to “Kim Yung Jil” and said while studying the stem cell issue he’d visited a lab and looked in a microscope and seen the heartbeat of a stem cell in a mouse. HA! Both obviously misspoken, but still. I do think you should know without fail the name of someone who’s just detonated a nuclear device within striking distance of your state, though – that bothered me.

Dave was easily distracted throughout, and often lost his train of thought. At times, he was very forceful and turned (as always) the cop angle to great effect. He got laughed at when talking about tracking a serial killer for 19 years (nice investigative piece, P-I!), but silenced the crowd by saying “I don’t think the victims or their families find it comical.” Darcy needs to work on her delivery – she seems overly scripted and rehearsed, and on the radio came off sounding wimpy and unsure of herself, although in the room she mostly just seemed stiff.
So in all, I give the evening to Darcy, but not by as large a margin as all the issue-related "Advantage"'s might seem. She didn't come off as warm, and Reichert does to some degree - he's got a folksy thing that people like, and he nailed her hard when he got her, which kept it, in the whole, closer than it could have been. In the end, it was her first debate, and I think she has some work to do, but she really did just fine.

Now I’m tired from writing. I leave it to you, dear reader, to parse the crap I’ve said or fill in the blanks, now that the whole thing’s been on TVW. *phew!*