Tag Archives: Peter Goldmark for Congress

Cathy McMorris Wake Up Call!

“It a tougher race than I first thought.” said Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris (WA-5) to Republican Senator Larry Craig of Idaho. These comments and others were overheard by The Spokesman Review political reporter, Jim Camden, when he called into a town meeting teleconference and was put on mute, not hold like others calling in were.

Damn right! The Republicans have been taking her opponent, Democrat Peter Goldmark for granted, and that’s fine with me. They have been taking too many things for granted and their arrogance and elitism is boomeranging back on them.

McMorris was asking Craig for help in defending McMorris’s vote for budget cuts for veteran’s programs. It was obvious that Goldmark’s criticism of McMorris was resonating with voters. Maybe she should also ask for help in trying to defend tax cuts for millionaires while trying to close veteran’s health facilities.

Republicans have sent American soldiers over to Iraq, where many have died and many more have been maimed and wounded seriously. How pathetic and hypocritical for Republicans to say “Support our Troops” while cutting services they need back home. It’s not enough to ask them to fight for a war that was based on lies, they don’t even have the decency to help those needing help when they return to our country.

It’s time for a change. If you want to help boot McMorris out of Congress, you can give a contribution to support Peter Goldmark by clicking on this link to “ActBlue” He can use your help now to get his campaign message out.

You can go to Peter Goldmark’s campaign website to hear more about the campaign including an excellent collection of audio and video media including his recent debate with McMorris as well as read about Goldmark’s positions on issues He has posted issue statements on agriculture, economy, jobs, Iraq, veterans, ethics, energy, education, healthcare and seniors.

The Goldmark campaign has become one of the top Democratic Congressional campaigns in the country because of his aggressive efforts on meeting voters and giving straight talk on the issues. Your help now can help to send a real representative of the people back to Washington, D.C.

Peter Goldmark Still Riding Hard Toward Washington, D.C.

Daily Kos has a great post on up and coming eastern Washington Congressional Democratic Candidate Peter Goldmark whose chances of riding East to Washington DC are increasing. See also McCranium.org

As mcjoan notes in her post The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Peter Goldmark to its highly prized slate of red to blue candidates and emerging races.

As the DCCC notes in its weblog, the Stakeholder, Peter Goldmark (WA-5) has been added to a select list of 15 candidates on the emerging list. Washington State’s Darcy Burner (WA-8) is also on the list of red to blue candidates, having been selected in the first wave of candidates.

The DCCC Emerging Races list is made up of candidates who have taken traditionally non-competitive districts and, through the strength of their campaigns, put themselves in a position to win in November. Red to Blue and Emerging candidates all represent the new direction that American voters are searching for and all have pledged to put the priorities of middle class families first when they get to  Washington.

“With less than two months to go, the DCCC is excited to give our top candidates the necessary strategic and financial boost they will need to win in November,” said Congressman Rahm Emanuel, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Americans are looking for new leadership and a new direction and these Democratic candidates will put middle-class families first when they get to Washington.”

Goldmark is making a strong appeal to farmers and ranchers. He is one himself and understands their situation. Unlike Morris, he wants to sit on the Agriculture Committee.

As Capitol News quotes him

When I go back to Congress, I will be on the House Agriculture Committee, unlike my opponent. We need a strong voice in Congress that speaks out for agriculture and that will be at the table all the time,” he said. “Everybody who grows food and fuel deserves respect, recognition and, yes, help from the federal government when needed.”

You can help send Peter Goldmark to Washington, DC by giving him a contribution today.
Click on the link below.

Yes, I want to help Peter with a contribution.

Congressional Candidate Peter Goldmark Needs our Help!

Peter Goldmark is a refreshing independent Democrat running against a Bush loving first term Republican in Eastern Washington. He is a candidate any Washington district would be proud to have as their Congressman.

And you know what, you can have him as your Congressman, because guess what? Goldmark’s vote in Congress would carry the same weight as Jay Inslee’s or Rick Larsen’s or Brian Baird’s or Jim McDermott’s or Darcy Burner’s or Adam Smith’s or Norm Dick’s.

And a Goldmark vote in Congress would be one less Republican supporting the sell out of America to the large corporations and oil companies. Because to stop the continued Republican steamroller that is turning back years and years of progress to help the citizens of America, Democrats need to win back control of Congress. A Goldmark in Congress will fight for the people in the 5th Congressional District in Washington State and also for the rest of us.

I consider Peter Goldmark a dark horse candidate. He is fighting to get recognition and respect as a viable candidate because even people like PI reporter Joel Connelly continue to repeat what some so called “national pundits” and so called professional Congressional ratings newsletters speak in their infinite wisdom. They say that the 5th Congressional District is a “safe” Republican seat.

But as Peter Goldmark responds “”Just because they don’t think it winnable doesn’t mean it’s not winnable.”

For 30 years, the 5th Congressional District, which includes Spokane, was represented by Democrat Tom Foley. And Tom Foley rose to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Spokane area also elected Democrats to the state Legislature.

Connelly continues:

Curiously, in an era of authoritarian, centralized government, Peter Goldmark is stressing what used to be bedrock conservative values.

“The fiscal irresponsibility is absolutely intolerable. It is immoral to saddle future generations with the enormity of our current debt,” he said, speaking to the Bush administration’s $400 billion budget deficits.

Goldmark wants a Congress that would again act as a check on the White House. He promises to get a seat on the House Agriculture Committee and be “a voice of moderation, working across party lines.”

He recalls the bipartisan cooperation that gave us such laws as the National Environmental Policy Act.

McMorris was the chairwoman of a stridently partisan House Resources Committee task force on the act, whose “streamlining” proposals were unveiled before a Washington, D.C., lobbyists’ breakfast.

“There are more important issues for Eastern Washington than throwing away protections that have helped our air, sea and land,” Goldmark said.

Republicans have used social issues to get a lock on the inland west. In bread and butter terms, however, they’ve done little to help rural communities and rural families.

What makes Peter Goldmark different is that he is truly eastern Washington. He understands eastern Washington. He is eastern Washington. He is a wheat and cattle rancher in rural Okanogan County. But he also served as a Regent at Washington State University for almost 10 years, resigning this year to run full time for Congress. And he has a science background, a PhD in Molecular Biology, which he has put to use on his ranch, developing varieties of wheat.

Peter Goldmark needs our support to get elected. MajorityRulesBlog has a goal of trying to raise $5000 for Goldmark. You can help by making a contribution today. MajorityRulesBlog has a link set up with ActBlue so it is easy to contribute. Please click on MajorityRulesBlog ActBlue

Thanks for your help.

links to read more about Peter Goldmark:

Peter Goldmark’s Campaign website

Congressional Candidate Peter Goldmark Starts Galloping in Eastern Washington – MajorityRulesBlog 7/16/2006

Peter Goldmark – Eastern Washington’s Dark Horse Congressional Candidate – MajorityRulesBlog 6/26/2006

On the Campaign Trail with Peter Goldmark – Evergreen Politics 5/24/2006

Peter Goldmark Officially Announced his Campaign for Congress – npr radio 5/24/2006

Democrat Peter Goldmark Rides into Spokane to Kickoff his Campaign for Congress – MajorityRulesBlog 5/23/2006

Goldmark hopes to round up change – Spokesman Review 5/25/2006

Former Regent Enters Congressional Race – The Daily Evergreen 5/25/2006

Rural Democrat Mounts an Uphill Battle – Seattle PI 3/27/2006

Peter Goldmark – Eastern Washington’s Dark Horse Congressional Candidate

At the Democratic State Convention in Yakima, Washington several weeks ago, we had just heard 5th District Congressional candidate Peter Goldmark make an impassioned speech to the Convention. People afterward were heading off to lunch and I decided on a whim to ask people walking by his campaign table to show their support for Goldmark by making a contribution.

Well, people started stopping in mid stride and coming over to the Goldmark for Congress table, taking envelopes, writing checks and putting cash in envelopes. A friend of mine quietly whispered with his wife and they wrote out a $2000 check. A Goldmark volunteer at the table later said she thought she did great when she had someone hand her a $1000 check.

I do not know how much else went into the envelopes, but between writing checks, putting cash in envelopes and people taking envelopes for later contributions, we ran out of envelopes. A rush was made to get more envelopes.

There was very much a sense that rancher and former WSU regent Peter Goldmark is going to surprise a few people. Later I had a chance to talk more in depth with Peter Goldmark when he visited Seattle. We had coffee on Capitol Hill with another blogger, Mollie who blogs at Liberal Girl Next Door. Molly has written a separate post of her impressions of this meeting.

We started out by discussing how his campaign was going. Goldmark mentioned that he had a series of fundraisers planned and that things were picking up. He was putting together a campaign staff and things were coming together.

The end of June is the end of the next reporting period for contributions and expenses reported to the Federal Election Commission. Latest indications from a recent blog of DailyKos indicate Goldmark will probably have raised over $200,000 by the end of this reporting period. When I met with him he had around $150,000, so he has picked up another $50,000 in the last two weeks. That is a good start and I think things will continue to pick up as he moves along.

Goldmark in many ways did not come across as a politician when I talked with him. We talked in general about his campaign. He is a late starter in his campaign because he had second thoughts about running but he certainly does not convey any hesitancy now. Having run myself twice for Seattle City Council and twice coming in third in crowded primaries, I knew first hand the tremendous amount of time and energy that needs to be committed to put together a credible campaign. Goldmark has the drive and conviction that a winning candidate needs.

What stuck me about Goldmark was that he spoke with conviction about what he wanted to do and why he was running. His positions did not seem nuanced to be what he thought people wanted to hear but why he believed the way he did. He called himself an independent Democrat and he spoke as one. He did not evade questions but was direct and to the point

For example, he spoke of the need for an “intelligent exit” from Iraq, how the Iraq government needed to take control, stop squabbling and get their act together. “We need to take care of our country, they need to take care of theirs.”

This sense of taking care of our own people was a constant theme in what he spoke about. He views that his primary task as a Congressman is to represent the people of the 5th Congressional District first and that national and international issues are secondary.

While he has conviction on national issues I was impressed with his well thought out positions and ideas on how he could better represent the voters and constituents of the 5th Congressional District that his opponent, who does not have much of a record to show for her two years in office.

He was clearly not comfortable with out of state Washington consultants trying to put a national spin on the race. He had been interviewing potential campaign consultants and felt uncomfortable with their attempts to portray this race in a national context.

Despite his concern, the race has national implications but Goldmark couched his position on Iraq, for example, on its impact on budget cuts for domestic programs that affect eastern Washington. “The war needs to be wound up. The troops need to be brought home. It is too expensive and costly'” he said.

This fits with what he said were his priorities:

  • to cleanup Congress so it represented the people,
  • to bring Federal deficit spending under control
  • to support education and heathcare for the constituents of eastern Washington.

In addition Goldmark’s agricultural background, both as a rancher and his public service efforts in promoting local agriculture by both growing and selling crops locally, gives him credibility to speak out and act in this important area. This included his push for sustainable agriculture and energy independence.

He spoke of the opportunity for farmers in eastern Washington “to grow national security crops. Agriculture is part of the solution. Grow it locally, process it locally and use it locally” He noted that there is currently a world surplus of wheat that the Federal Government is subsidizing. Wheat prices are the same as in the 70’s. Farmers are eager for other ways to keep farming and make a profit.

Goldmark is a strong and viable candidate who would do a good job of representing the voters of eastern Washington. He is a local person who knows local issues. He is a respected rancher who for 30 years has lived the rancher’s life in rural Okanogan County and knows agricultural issues. He has served as a Regent at Washington State University for 8 years and is well versed in educational issues. He received a PhD in Molecular Biology and understands science – something that would be an asset to Congress in dealing with scientific issues.

You can help send Peter Goldmark to Congress by supporting him. His website is at Goldmark for Congress. Click here to contribute to his campaign.

Democrat Peter Goldmark Rides into Spokane to Kickoff His Campaign for Congress.

Okanogan rancher and former WSU Regent Peter Goldmark is hoping to steal a page from Ronald Reagan as he officially kicks off his campaign for Congress. With horse and supporters Goldmark rode into Spokane on the Centennial Trail for a rally and the official campaign announcement this morning.

Goldmark is a Democrat running for the 5th Congressional District seat currently held by Republican Cathy McMorris. He has been a rancher for 30 years in the Okanogan area of Northeastern Washington. The 5th Congressional District goes from the Canadian border down to Oregon and from the Cascades to the Idaho border.

In prepared comments, Goldmark said, “It’s important for me to listen to the concerns of the people. After watching the crowd back in DC turn a tin ear to the needs of Spokane, our small towns and family farms, I plan to ride in with some common sense and make some needed reforms.”

It’s clear we need bold new leadership in areas like health care, jobs and economic development,” said Goldmark. “We’ve seen the incumbent politicians deliver nothing but happy talk instead of progress, and I look forward to challenge.”

Goldmark would bring a much needed perspective to Congress on a number of issues. One is the perspective of the farming community across the country. Besides ranching on an 8000 acre farm for some 30 years, an article in last Saturday’s Seattle PI notes that he served as state Agriculture Director in 1993, was a co-founder of Farming and the Environment and a member of the Washington State Biodiversity Council.

A second perspective he would bring is from the educational viewpoint. He has been a regent of Washington State University in Pullman since 1996, until he recently resigned to run for Congress.

And the third perspective he brings is that of a scientist. He has a PhD in molecular biology from the University of California and did post doctoral work at Harvard University. Such a perspective is badly needed in a time when Bush and most Republicans are doing their best to undermine the credibility of science and scientific research. You name it- stem cell research, global warming, ecosystem integrity, fisheries biology, forestry, air pollution, toxic pollution.

The Seattle PI article notes that Goldmark “has published numerous scientific papers on biology, often based on research he performs in a lab at his 8,000 acre ranch. In the past decade he has concentrated on finding new wheat varieties.”

Compare this to Bush’s time on the ranch cutting brush.

The time is ripe for a change in Congress. Peter Goldmark represents a new voice.

Besides including the city of Spokane, the 5th CD includes Walla Walla, Pullman, Cheney and Colville.

The 5th CD covers 12 of Washington’s 39 counties -Spokane, Lincoln, Adams, Whitman, Walla Walla, Columbia, Asotin, Garfield, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Okanogan and Stevens.

For many years the 5th CD was Democratic. Speaker of the House Tom Foley represented the 5th CD for 30 years, from 1965 to 1995. Democrats hope to return the seat to the Democratic column this year as part of their national campaign to win control of Congress.