The election is over and Barbara Bailey eked out a win by the narrowest of margins, once again proving the adage that negative attacks work. Now she wants to make nice (Letters, Dec. 13) and try to convince us that she is really a centrist who represents all the people of the 10th Legislative District, not just the extreme right wing of her party.
In her recent letters to the editor and interviews, she proclaims loudly that she is open to ideas and suggestions from everyone in the District. Her rhetoric is reminiscent of President Bush’s assertions that he meaningfully considers all points of view before he exercises his power as “the decider.”
In its very weak endorsement of Bailey, the Whidbey News-Times essentially stated that notwithstanding her ideological voting record, she was deserving of one more term in Olympia to try to get it right. In the same endorsement, however, the editorial board also stated that if she continues her extreme right-wing voting pattern, then it hopes that her opponent, Tim Knue, will run against her again in two years. Not very high praise from her conservative home town newspaper — perhaps that’s why she didn’t mention this endorsement in any of her campaign literature or mailings.
Every voter who is interested in the ideals of the Democratic Party should contact Bailey regarding all important issues facing the district and provide her with ideas and suggestions on those issues. Hopefully, she is sincere in her recent rhetoric and will finally start representing all of us.
I have my doubts — you know, it’s that leopard changing its spots thing — but I hope I am proven wrong. Only time will tell. In the meantime, she needs to know that all of us will be closely scrutinizing her actions this time around. She can no longer hide in Olympia for 18 months and then return home during the campaign season only to once again misrepresent her voting record — she now knows that she is being watched too closely for that to ever work again. It’s now up to you Mrs. Bailey — I hope you prove that my doubts are misplaced.
Nels H. Kelstrom
Langley
