Dear Mark

Mark Wilson
C/O
Cantwell-2006

Mark,
I have tried to stay away from your decision to drop out of the senate race and go to work for the Cantwell campaign but you have crossed the line between former candidate and antagonist. According to the recent post from David Goldstein at Horsesass.org ”Wilson said he went into the race with eyes wide open, never expecting to have much of a chance of defeating Cantwell, and always publicly promising to enthusiastically endorse the Democratic nominee. A year and a half ago he thought he’d stick it out through the primary, but in recent months he started to fear that his campaign had not only become electorally futile, but counterproductive towards his larger goals. ” “…always publicly promising to enthusiastically endorse the Democratic nominee. “? Maybe you have forgotten this comment you made over at Washblog back in May, ” If I am unsuccessful in my bid for the Democratic nomination for the US Senate I will not campaign for Senator Cantwell. I will not publicly support any Democratic candidate that does not vote in accordance with or defend the Washington State Democratic Party Platform.”

In which recent months did you start to fear that your campaign was becoming counterproductive? Maybe it was in May when a group of your supporters stuck their necks out and fought to secure you the endorsement of their LD (something they were forced to eat a month later - and which tastes even more bitter now) and then joined the email and phone campaign with the Chair of the KCDCC to help you gain access to the King County Convention. Or was it in June when many of your supporters at the Cantwell Convention in Yakima ensured that your tee shirts and signs were always in view and helped you gain access to that prized podium? It seems that these were the very months in which Senator Cantwell started her real slide in the polls against McGavick – something that was leading others to believe you might have actually been correct in your assessment that she could not retain the seat in November.

Here’s a good one, ”And if lightening struck and he somehow won the nomination? Well, Wilson said, “that would have been a disaster” too. For as vocal as some of Cantwell’s critics have been they simply haven’t put their money where their mouth is. After 16 months of campaigning Wilson said he would be surprised if he had raised more than $40,000 total.
“That’s gas money,” a clearly exasperated Wilson exclaimed. “I didn’t raise enough money to run for City Council.”

Odd as it may seem, none of your supporters I have spoken to seem to remember you expressing these doubts at any time. Quite to the contrary, you continued to tell us that you fully expected to bring in your 3rd party support and not only do well in the primary but possibly even win. As for the money that you now refer to as the big stumbling block, I seem to remember a telephone conversation I had with you where you told me of a money connection you had in, I believe you said Hollywood, that you could tap for resources.

Since your conversion to "Progressive Outreach Guy", according to David Postman you said on Cantwell's position on Iraq, "I'm seeing an evolution." However, from the same post, "But Cantwell was clear -- at least as clear as she could be in the very short time allowed for questions at what was billed as a "major campaign announcement" -- that she has not changed her position on Iraq. She said recent statements she has made and the recent Senate vote calling for troop withdrawal beginning this year have been "a reaffirmation for people of what I've been saying."" As of yet, I still have heard of no movement on civil liberties (ie. the Patriot Act) or "Free Trade" (reference the recent Oman Free Trade Agreement passed with Cantwell's support in the Senate). Perhaps you can say, if she is re-elected, how will she vote on John Bolton at the UN when his "recess appointment" expires?

To say that your credibility amongst the very folks you are now expected to bring back into the Cantwell camp is somewhat strained would be the politically correct thing to say. However the real irony is that the only folks you seem to be reaching today are the ones that once referred to you as “a joke”. "Belltowner said...

Because Mark Wilson is a joke.
And, he's not a Democrat.
Also, he ran against liberal Democrat stalwarts Patty Murray (in 2004) and Jay Inslee (in 2002).

To sum up: Mark Wilson is a joke, and is not a Democrat. Maria Cantwell is a Democrat worthy of reelection, and actually is a Democrat. I will proudly vote for the Democrat!"

My friend Jackie Minchew who was one of your early supporters (along with a quite few more at the Progressive Caucus of Snohomish County Democrats) is Vice-chair of the 44th LD. He told me that you spoke to that group on Thursday night. Here is his impression:

” Mark arrived, unannounced as far as I know, as the meeting was under way and, at the request of Eric Wiseman, the agenda was suspended to allow Mark to speak and then catch a ferry. He began with a comment acknowledging the surprise some might feel at seeing him in his present position. He then went through all the reasons he was, and we should be, supporting Maria now. His words rang hollow to me, contradicting, as they did, most of what he had been running on. The thought occurred to me that sending him out to shill for Maria so quickly after his conversion might have been intended as a special form of punishment or humiliation. Maybe that's just me.

There were some questions as to whether or not Mark had any clear indication that Maria might be inclined to change any of her unpopular positions with regard to the war, the Patriot Act, etc. His answers, while intended to suggest a measure of hopefulness, didn't convince me.

After Mark's presentation, there was a motion and a second to endorse Maria. The motion carried, though there were some "no" votes and some abstentions, including my own.

While I don't question his decision - we all have to make and abide by the consequences of our own decisions - I did feel somewhat sad for him. And I felt let down by him.”

Well Jackie is certainly not alone in that regard.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue