Nethercutt launches Senate bid with mix of criticism, support

By Jim Brunner
Seattle Times staff reporter

GREG GILBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES U.S. Rep George Nethercutt is flanked on the Bellevue podium by his wife, Mary Beth, left, and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R.-N.C.

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Congressman George Nethercutt kicked off his campaign for the U.S. Senate yesterday with attacks on incumbent Sen. Patty Murray, whom he dubbed "Senator No" for resisting the agenda of President Bush in the Republican-controlled Congress.

At a breakfast event in Bellevue with nearly 1,800 supporters, Nethercutt, R-Spokane, criticized Murray's opposition to tax cuts and to legislation capping jury awards in medical-malpractice lawsuits. He said the Democratic senator's votes were hindering Washington's economic recovery.

"Make no mistake about it: You and I have seen our state suffer with Patty Murray as senator. She opposes everything that business needs to create more jobs," Nethercutt told the crowd.

The national Republican Party is targeting Washington state in its efforts to increase a slim majority in the U.S. Senate. Nethercutt has benefited from big names coming here to campaign for him, including Vice President Dick Cheney. Yesterday, Nethercutt was introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C.

Washington's last Republican senator, Slade Gorton, was also on hand to praise Nethercutt and criticize Murray and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell.

"The state of Washington suffers from a case of serious under-representation in the United States Senate. George Nethercutt is the cure," said Gorton, who lost a close election to Cantwell in 2000.

Nethercutt, who has represented Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District since 1995, also criticized Murray for her votes on national defense, saying he couldn't think of an issue on which they disagreed more sharply.

Nethercutt noted that the first attack on the World Trade Center in New York City came in 1993, the year Murray entered the Senate. "Despite that warning," Nethercutt said, Murray had voted against increases in defense spending at least 30 times.

Nethercutt added that he'd "never praise those who terrorize us" — a swipe at Murray's controversial remarks in December to a group of high-school students in which she said Osama bin Laden had supporters around the world because he had built schools, roads and other facilities for poor nations.

In addition to the nearly 1,800 who showed up in Bellevue yesterday morning, a Nethercutt kickoff in Spokane drew 800 yesterday, said campaign spokesman Alex Conant.
 
A smaller event was held in Yakima.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or @seattletimes.com