In response to Bob Larimer's letter regarding Joe Kent and Heidi St. John, I am becoming extremely disillusioned by the conduct of most of the candidates for public office these days.
It seems that the Democrats, in order to stem the tide of conservative attitudes in this country at this time, are paying and/or creating candidates that claim to be Republicans to run in the elections.
If certain mailings are to be believed, Mr. Kent is one of those Democrats in Republican clothing. I received a glossy in the mail the other day claiming that until last year Mr. Kent was a registered Democrat and actually supported Bernie Sanders in the last presidential election.
Yet here he is running as a Republican in a very conservative district.
I don't know how, exactly, to confirm or deny the accusation in the mailer, but it gives me pause. Another trick the Democrats are using this election is to submit numerous candidates for a specific office, particularly when the Democrat running for the office is a weak candidate.
You can see this tactic in Patty Murray's run for re-election as senator.
There's over half a page of candidates for that office, and there is nary a word in the voter's pamphlet about any of the candidates.
What do they stand for? Why are they running?
So, I believe that many voters will vote merely based on name recognition, which is what Ms. Murray is counting on. I am frankly appalled at her recent ads concerning her view on the reversal of Roe v. Wade, particularly when her view is that this can't be allowed.
The court reached the original decision by stretching the 14th Amendment to nearly the breaking point. I would point out to Ms. Murray that all the recent decision did was return the abortion law to the states where it belongs, and the constitution specifically states that all rights not given specifically to the federal government are reserved for the states.
There is nowhere in the constitution that I can find the right to abortion.
This state, as most states, has laws on the books concerning this topic. Ms. Murray's first ad on this was close to inciting less than proper attitudes toward the Supreme Court, much like Mr. Trump is being accused of in the January 6 hearings.
Do your research before voting this year. There is a lot riding on this election.
Bruce Peterson
Centralia
