Last Cantwell rival gets call

[TechBear_Seattle]

Last Cantwell rival gets call
Tran says she believes campaign offered job to end all opposition

By NEIL MODIE, P-I REPORTER

Sen. Maria Cantwell's only remaining Democratic primary election opponent wonders if the senator is trying to eliminate her rivals by putting all of them on her campaign payroll.

Hong Tran, who is opposing the senator largely as an anti-war critic, said she was urged to join the senator's campaign Monday by Dal LaMagna, who until last week was a vocal Cantwell critic and potential election opponent but now is a Cantwell campaign co-chairman.

LaMagna's invitation came a day after Cantwell silenced another primary opponent and harsh critic, Mark Wilson, by announcing she was putting him on her re-election staff at a salary that neither her campaign nor Wilson would divulge.

LaMagna "said something to the effect that 'We want you to come on board, too,' " Tran said, recounting their telephone conversation. In the context of their discussion and Cantwell's hiring of Wilson, Tran said she interpreted it, too, as a campaign job offer.

The article continues at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/277260_senate12.html

I am disgusted beyond words. This is democracy, when the already designated winner of the primary is allowed to buy up any and all competition?

[Greeby]

1. Bleurgh, I had a feeling that was the case

Let that story get some traction, and Maria will look as bad as Holy Joe

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. That answers the lingering questions I had about Wilson.

:grr:

[skipos]

3. So Wilson is the new Hackett on DU

Hero one day, villian the next.

I don't see what is so strange about people dropping out of a primary to support someone else's campaign, and getting paid for their work. Then again, from the people I know who have had experience with Wilson, he seems like a genuine guy. Others here probably have no interest giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[Greeby]

4. Pardon me....

...if I find the idea of incumbents buying off their primary challengers to be anti-democratic.

[pscot]

10. What does it say about the challengers

if they can be co-opted for a few bucks? If they are so easily bought isn't better to find out before the get into office?

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. Doesn't it say more about the millionaires who are doing the co-opting?

[jrandom421]

13. Anti-Democratic?

I sure as heck don't see a gun being held to Tran's head, forcing her to do this. If she thinks he's right, let the primary decide the candidate. If she feels he can do more working for Cantwell, who are we to disagree? It's not OUR choice, but hers. That's how democracy works.

[MasonJar]

5. Maria Cantwell is a big environmentalist. I would vote for her.

[Sadie5]

6. Regrouping

To help defeat the opposition is a smart idea. We certainly need to do something to rid the country of the Neo clan.

[Terran1212]

9. And if her opponent is both environmentalist and antiwar?

Wouldn't it make more sense to back the opposition?

[oasis]

7. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

Let's look at the upside. :think:Cantwell gets a chance to work and share ideas with Hong Tran and Wilson. I doubt that would happen if they were to trash each other in a heated campaign.

[SeattleVet]

8. I'll be supporting Hong Tran in the primaries.

Looks like Maria learned how to beat the competition from Microsoft; just buy 'em up and close 'em down.

[Terran1212]

15. The Greens should throw their support behind Tran

Instead of running opposition to cantwell in the General Election right away.

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. Dangerous strategy to pay your enemies like that

They may decide to stab you in the back and having them work on your campaign before elections is a nifty way to do competition research--getting paid for it is a real bonus!

[qazplm]

14. whaaa??

Forgive me if I've missed something, but no one held a gun up to anyones head to accept employment in Cantwell's campaign. Nothing stopping Tran from saying, no thanks.

And you talk about "designated"? The only way she wins is if she gets more votes. How is she designated?
She's the incumbent, she was "designated" when she won election in the last cycle.

[Greeby]

16. Read more carefully, it's clear Tran refused

But it still stinks that she was asked

[MADem]

17. Allowed? It takes TWO to tango. The challengers sold out. NT

[w4rma]

18. Works for me. They can do some good working for Cantwell.

Otherwise they would have been, for the most part, out of politics after the primary. She made a good decision in hiring that talent, imho.