Cheney rallies GOP donors

EVERETT — Republican donors greeted Vice President Dick Cheney so warmly on Monday that he quipped, "It almost makes me want to run for office. Almost."

At the GOP event in Everett where Cheney spoke, there was no mention of the anti-war protesters outside, nor talk of the Bush administration's poor ratings in national polls. Instead, Cheney and a lineup of state GOP office-holders rallied the crowd of 250 at a fundraiser for congressional candidate Doug Roulstone.

Cheney was introduced by U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert of Auburn, whose re-election campaign in the 8th Congressional District has emphasized his independence from the Bush administration. At a recent White House meeting, Reichert said, he reassured the vice president that he would, indeed, attend the fundraiser at the Everett Holiday Inn.

"He [Cheney] said, 'Look, I'll be out in Washington and campaign for your opponent if it'll help you win,' " Reichert said. "You have to have a thick skin in this job."

Roulstone, too, welcomed Cheney's attention at the $250-a-plate event, which raised more than $150,000. "He's spent 30 years in public service," said Roulstone, a retired Navy captain running against U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen in the 2nd Congressional District. "It's only good to be seen with him."

Cheney left in the early afternoon for a rally at Fairchild Air Force Base and a fundraiser in Spokane for U.S. Senate candidate Mike McGavick on Monday night. It marks the second time in a year he has visited the state; he starred at a fundraiser for Reichert in Seattle last July.

At the fundraiser for Roulstone, Cheney met in private with local leaders and posed for pictures with donors — at $2,100 per couple.

He took the podium to a standing ovation and touted the county's economic growth despite what he described as a tough five years. His applause lines touched on tax cuts, recent appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court and national security.

"We are replacing hatred and resentment with democracy and hope across the Middle East," Cheney said. "Because of this, our world will be a better, safer place for our child and grandchildren."

The mission in Iraq, he said, would be finished when the Iraqi government was ready. The completion date, Cheney said, would not be determined by "artificial timelines in Washington, D.C."

About 100 protesters, whom police kept two blocks from the fundraiser, disagreed with his statements on Iraq. Mike Yanasak, a retired building contractor and Vietnam veteran, hoisted a sign calling Cheney "Terrorist in Chief."

"I would say he's the most hated and dangerous person in the world," Yanasak said.

A press release from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Cheney was rewarding Reichert for his "rubber-stamp loyalty" to Bush.

Diane Tebelius, the state Republican Party chairwoman, said Roulstone was lucky to have Cheney's help. His presence draws out core GOP voters and signals that Roulstone is a legitimate foe for Larsen, she said. "It always helps to bring the vice president," she said. "It's like the press is the only one that has been saying it is a problem with him being here."

But Ed Rogers, a former aide to the first President Bush and now chairman of a D.C. lobbying firm, said visits by political stars such as Cheney won't change voters' minds or bring a candidate undecided voters. They just raise money, he e-mailed in response to a Times inquiry.

"These are state and local elections that will be decided on local issues," Rogers wrote. "At least that is what we hope while we are struggling in the national polls."

Times chief political writer David Postman contributed to this report.

Jonathan Martin: 206-464-2605 or jmartin@seattletimes.com.