Suzan DelBene: Tea Party, not national debt, is the problem

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Medina) is known for sending fundraising appeals that can be…unusual. Sometimes her e-mails are pretty far off topic from events she can actually influence as a member of the House.

DelBene’s latest is a little more on point, at least, but odd all the same. Signed this time by her fundraising consultant Tracy Newman (who has been signing many of Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent fundraising e-mails as well), DelBene/Newman write, “It’s no secret that political extremism and partisan games have Congress gridlocked.”

Maybe, when they sent that on Saturday, they hadn’t yet heard about last week’s budget deal that the president signed on Friday. They went on: “At the root of D.C.’s dysfunction and chaos is the Tea Party. They’ve tried time and again to shut down the government, they’ve led a crusade against women’s rights and even ousted their own Speaker of the House.”

Apparently in DelBene’s view, “the Tea Party” and “gridlock” are the top problems in D.C. No mention is made of, say, the ballooning national debt or the way Congress keeps kicking the can down the road on tough fiscal matters. Nope, send Suzan DelBene a check because “Tea Party”.

If DelBene has succeeded at making you feel alarmed, don’t worry. Newman reassures us, “Suzan won’t allow a radical Tea Partier who doesn’t stand for our Washington state values to be your voice in Congress.”

Of course, one could counter that it’s the voters, not Suzan DelBene, who get to say whether DelBene is “allowed” to serve another term. Maybe what Newman meant is, DelBene will spend however much of her vast personal fortune it takes to buy another term. In that case, why’s she asking you for money?