Barbieri would serve region well
The 5th Congressional District race features two candidates of impeccable civility and grace. And while the campaign’s ads sometimes have slid off into the mud, the candidates themselves have taken the high road in their public appearances. In short, each one could step in and uphold the district’s tradition of sending nice people to Washington, D.C.
Voters, of course, need more reasons than that. Neither candidate is the incumbent, so seniority on Capitol Hill isn’t a factor. The Republicans probably will maintain control of Congress, so if Cathy McMorris were selected, she would be serving with the majority party.
But in a race for an open seat, the issues grow in importance, and it is on that score that The Spokesman-Review believes Don Barbieri is the best choice for the region. The 58-year-old businessman has demonstrated a detailed understanding of the challenges facing Eastern Washington. And for every issue, he has a detailed proposal.
Barbieri also has deeper regional roots than McMorris, who grew up in Oregon and Canada. He seems to know everyone, so if he doesn’t have an answer to a problem, he has plenty of people to turn to for advice.
We’re not naïve enough to think that Capitol Hill is going to implement Barbieri’s plans upon his arrival, but his solutions-based thinking process and his ability to work with divergent political factions would make him more likely to succeed.
McMorris also understands Eastern Washington, and the 35-year-old has an impressive amount of government experience. To her credit, she says Republicans have been late to act on health-care issues, which are critical to this region. Her work on health-care access in rural areas is commendable.
She seems willing to reform health care, but her best intentions may not be strong enough to overcome the rest of her caucus’s reluctance about the matter. And Republican leadership has proven to be fairly ruthless on the issue. The best example is the late-night arm-twisting and concealment of accurate numbers when the Medicare prescription drug plan was adopted.
Democrat Barbieri’s impressive resume shows that he works effectively in Republican-dominated circles. He is the former chief executive officer of WestCoast Hospitality Corp. and still is on the board of directors, and he has served as president of the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also has worked on statewide economic development commissions and served a nine-year stint on Sacred Heart Medical Center’s board of directors.
At the same time, Barbieri’s social views hew more closely to those of The Spokesman-Review’s editorial board. He is pro-choice on abortion, against a constitutional amendment that would bar same-sex marriages and supports the expansion of government funding into embryonic stem-cell research.
He also has done impressive work in the private sector in securing housing for low-income residents, a problem that has bedeviled Spokane for years. And on the vital issue of the war in Iraq, he demonstrates a healthy skepticism of the executive branch while supporting the troops.
The combination of overall experience, business-based pragmatism and a more moderate approach to social issues makes Don Barbieri a solid choice to serve the citizens of the 5th Congressional District.