Ad attacks Nethercutt campaign

By Jim Brunner
Seattle Times staff reporter

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

A Nethercutt campaign spokesman called the ads "outrageous" and a sign that Murray is fearing for her re-election prospects.

The ads feature a deliveryman knocking on the door at Nethercutt's house in Spokane. A neighbor replies that Nethercutt has moved to Bellevue, prompting a speech from the deliveryman accusing Nethercutt of betraying his constituents. The ads also remind voters of Nethercutt's broken term-limits vow of 1994.

"So we pay him to represent Spokane but he doesn't live here anymore, and he lied to us about term limits to get elected in the first place?" says the ad's fictional deliveryman.

The 60-second spots are airing in Nethercutt's back yard — the 5th Congressional District — which he has represented since defeating then-House Speaker Tom Foley in 1994. At the time, Nethercutt promised to serve only three terms. He broke the pledge in 2000, saying he'd made a mistake, and he was easily re-elected.

Democrats accused Nethercutt of abandoning his district soon after he announced his challenge to Murray and rented an apartment in Bellevue, where he has his campaign headquarters.

Campaigning in the Puget Sound area is a political necessity for statewide candidates because four out of five voters live west of the Cascades.

The ads are Murray's first of the election year to attack Nethercutt directly. Her campaign would not reveal the cost of the ads, which are airing on music and news radio stations throughout Eastern Washington as well as the Vancouver area in Southwest Washington.

Nethercutt, meanwhile, has begun a series of radio ads on conservative talk and Christian radio stations questioning Murray's votes against tax cuts and her position on gay marriage.

"We're trying to run a thoughtful campaign. Her ad is anything but thoughtful," said Nethercutt spokesman Alex Conant.

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

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More local news headlines...