Baird Should Apologize for Comments
Centralia, WA – In an article published in the Chronicle on August 6th, Congressman
Brian Baird is stated as saying that he is scrubbing his normal face-to-face town hall
meetings with his constituents because of a “lynch-mob mentality” and in the Columbian
he accused his political opponents of planning "an ambush" to disrupt his
meetings, using methods Baird compared to Nazism. "What we're seeing
right now is close to Brown Shirt tactics," Baird, D-Vancouver, said in a
phone interview. "I mean that very seriously.".”
In response to this reckless smear, Lewis County Republican Party Chairwoman and
Washington State Republican Party Treasurer, Colleen Morse issued the following
request for a public apology to his constituents, as well as appeal to hold public
meetings.
“Representative Baird, as a psychologist and former college professor, knows the
importance of the words he uses. The reference to Nazism and the equating of his
constituents to Brown Shirts is very offensive, not only to the brave veterans in our state
who have fought in wars from Europe to Iraq and Afghanistan, but to all freedom-loving
citizens who value their right to express their personal opinions about the actions being
taken by their elected representatives – whether or not they agree with them.”
“Representative Baird’s has never been reluctant to stand before his constituents in the
past. He prides himself on his record of town hall meetings all over the 3rd
Congressional District. Extremely vocal opposition to any position he has taken in the
past has never prevented him from standing up at meetings, listening to what the voters
in his district felt about his positions and giving his reasons for his vote.
“Hiding from his constituents now during this very crucial break, not being willing to
listen to them – no matter the difference of opinion they may hold - and stating that he
will take up town hall meetings in September, only leads me to one conclusion – Brian
Baird is not in Washington, DC to represent us, but to do the bidding of the President
and Nancy Pelosi. If he is not willing to meet with us, then he should seriously consider
not running for the office again. Representative Baird should reconsider his decision
and quickly set up and advertise meetings throughout his Congressional district before
he returns to Washington, DC,” Mrs. Morse added.