Politics and Policy GOP, Reichert Set "Suburban Plan It appears that the GOP REALLY IS worried about Reichert's seat in the House of Representatives, among others. Today they made a press announcement to "protect the suburbs" from threats such as the incursion of urban gangs. BEGIN QUOTED MATERIAL: It is why, according to one independent analyst, Reichert, from Bellevue, and two dozen other endangered Republican incumbents marched into a small, stuffy conference room to reveal their plans for protecting the suburbs. "If you look at the names of the members who attended the press conference, it reads like the DCCC target list," said Amy Walter, an independent analyst of House races for the Cook Political Report. The DCCC is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the organization responsible for electing Democrats to the House. "For some of the Republicans from inner suburban districts, it's like they're ticking time bombs politically," Walter said, when asked why Republicans want to refocus the debate.... Reichert has sponsored the Gang Elimination Act of 2006, which would survey the country and determine the three most dangerous gangs. That information would be passed on to the Justice Department, which would be responsible for eliminating the gangs within four years. "We're going to create a gangs most-wanted list," said Reichert, the former King County sheriff who is facing a tougher-than-expected challenge from Democrat Darcy Burner in a district that has voted for Al Gore, Christine Gregoire and Patty Murray in past elections. "Gangs have moved from the inner cities to the suburbs over the last several years. It is a problem in our high schools and junior high schools across our nation and in suburbia." END QUOTED MATERIAL This is really laughable. Several points jump out immediately: (1) Karl Rove is taking time out from his busy grand jury testimony schedule to reach deep into his bag of tricks to pull out this old one. Note that raising the spectre of inner-city gangs invading the suburbs conjures up images with a racial aspect, attempting to create fear. (2) There is no mention in the story of how much these programs are going to cost, or where the money is going to come from. And the Republicans accuse the Democrats of bad fiscal management? (3) While we are on the subject of bad fiscal management, why don't we ask "Sheriff Dave" why we need a nation-wide survey to identify the worst gangs in the country? I would think an afternoon at the local police precinct, talking with officers on the street, would yield more accurate results, and wouldn't cost the taxpayer a dime other than what they are already paying you. (4) Speaking of which, if this is such a good idea, why didn't Sherriff Dave do this in King County, if a survey is all it takes to eliminate gangs within a four year period? Maybe if he had tried a survey in the early 1980's, he could have captured the Green River Killer in four years, instead of ten? (5) Of course, the plan really ends when a list is submitted to the Justice Department, with instructions that the gangs must be put out of business within four years. In other words, pass the buck to somebody else with an impossible deadline, telling them to start doing something you have already been working on for years, and then taking credit for themselves whenever there are any results (in this case, an arrest) is made, and blaming you for not being able to accomplish the entire (impossible) feat. Anybody else have a boss like that? I've got an idea. I'll go survey ten cops on the street, make up the list, submit it to the Justice Dept. (along with my bill for a half-million or so), and save the taxpayer several times that amount. Same results. I really hope that "Sheriff Dave" is a better man than this, and he is just being "handled" by Karl Rove and his staff, and is too naive in politics to know that he should tell them to go jump in the lake (or something cruder). As a former Law Enforcment professional, he should be embarrassed by this tactic of mere showmanship without any substance. Law enforcement should be more important than that. Poste by: RHP6033        Copyright 2006-2007 - Brookridge Associates Inc. All rights reserved.