PORT ANGELES — Sen. Maria Cantwell urged her fellow Democrats during a party dinner Saturday to get out the vote for her colleague and to stand behind President Barack Obama in an attempt to energize the party’s base before a crucial general election.
In a rare visit to the North Olympic Peninsula, Cantwell spoke at the Red Lion Hotel in Port Angeles during the Clallam County Democrats’ Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner.
This year, the Democrats’ dinner honored retiring state House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, a Democrat from Hoquiam who holds the Position 2 seat for District 24, which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and a portion of Grays Harbor County.
Cantwell, D-Mountlake Terrace, complimented Kessler, as well as local Democrats for their work on the county and state level.
Among the Democrats she mentioned were state Rep. Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim, who holds Position 1 in the 24th District; Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger, who is running for Kessler’s seat; and Clallam County Commissioner Mike Doherty.
All are Democratic candidates in the Nov. 2 general election.
Van De Wege, a firefighter and paramedic, is opposed by Republican Dan Gase, a Port Angeles real estate managing broker, while Tharinger is running against Republican Jim McEntire of Sequim, a Port of Port Angeles commissioner and a retired Coast Guard captain.
Doherty, of Port Angeles, is being challenged by Republican Robin Poole, a UPS driver from Beaver.
But the focus of Cantwell’s speech was on the November contest between Sen. Patty Murray, D-Freeland, and Republican challenger Dino Rossi, and legislation passed by Congress since Obama was elected.
“Do not for one second let anyone tell you that the U.S. Senate hasn’t gotten anything done while they got Barack Obama for president,” she told the audience.
Cantwell lauded the health care bill and criticized calls for its repeal from the other side of the aisle.
“I did not hear how we are taking a pledge to control health care costs,” she said, referring to Republican Party’s “Pledge to America.”
“It’s now the law of the land,” she added, referring to the health care bill.
Cantwell suggested that Rossi is a friend of Wall Street, which she said is responsible for the economic recession.
She also said that Republicans are simply offering “alarm” and not much substance, adding:
“This country doesn’t need alarm. It needs action. It needs progress It needs people like Patty Murray to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate,” Cantwell said.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
