Doug Clark: Stunt Shea pulled far from clean campaigning

Matt Shea – the Road Rage Republican running for re-election in Spokane Valley – has his knickers in a knot over his opponent’s supposedly dirty campaign tactics.

Or in other words …

“Hello, Kettle. Pot calling.”

You know, I was really bummed a few months ago.

Spokane’s perennial loser candidate Barb Lampert said she wouldn’t be running for office.

It was unimaginable. We were about to have the first Lampert-free ballot since the forming of the League of Nations.

Prayer seemed like the only option.

Is anyone out there, I beseeched the heavens, who could fill the insanity void left by a Barbless election?

The heavens answered, and along came Rep. Matt Dillon, I mean Rep. Matt Shea.

Sorry for the confusion. I sometimes have to remind myself.

Matt Dillon was the pistol-packing marshal on the old “Gunsmoke” TV show.

Shea’s that pistol-packing pickup driver who pulled his gat during a road rage incident with another motorist last November in downtown Spokane.

Point being that Shea is a bonanza to the backbreaking task of having to produce three whole Clark columns a week.

But let’s return to the scandal at hand.

Shea is reportedly irked that Amy Biviano, his 4th District opponent, is exploiting the above road-ragery in a flier that she is mailing to Valley voters.

My friends, there’s a lesson here for all of us.

And that lesson is that in the realm of politics, hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Is it dirty pool for Biviano to exploit and augment Shea’s gun-toting troubles?

Well, elections supposedly are about character.

Actually, I find this mailer a lot less disturbing than the intrusive stunt Shea pulled on Biviano earlier this summer.

Shea went to his opponent’s home. He stood in her driveway, had his photo taken and then put the photograph on his Facebook page.

Can we suspend our political inclinations for a moment?

If Shea’s behavior doesn’t strike you as Creepy with a capital C, you are either blinded by party loyalty or there’s a screw loose in your think box.

Speaking as an average homeowner, the last sight I want to see out one of my windows is some oddball politician conducting a photo shoot.

WIFE – “Uh, honey? There’s a man in the driveway.”

HUSBAND – “Aw, it’s probably nothing.”

WIFE – “Well, you better take a look.”

HUSBAND – “OK. Let’s see. Yeah, I see him, and … OH MY GAWD! It’s that nutter Matt Shea. Lock the doors and call 911. He might be packing heat again.”

Conservative Republicans are supposed to champion private property rights, not invade your private property.

Why is Shea so worked up about Biviano’s mailer, anyway?

It shows a driver pointing a gun.

Shea claims he only held the weapon.

Big deal.

Must I say it again?

Shea is seeking a third term in the Valley. Being armed and angry will only get him more votes.

In all honesty, it’s probably safer if he wins that third term.

Better to have Shea posing as our leader in Olympia than posing for photographs in our driveways.