Term Limits Group Gives Nethercutt A Shadow Costumed Character Designed To Remind Voters Of Congressman’S Broken Pledge

Term limits activists who complained Tuesday that Rep. George Nethercutt was making his district “a national laughingstock” unveiled the latest weapon in their campaign against him.

It comes in a brown fuzzy costume and a crown.

The Eastern Washington Term Limits Action Committee introduced a costumed mascot they dubbed King Weasel in honor of a comic strip reference to Nethercutt in May.

Someone in the suit is likely to weasel his way into the congressman’s public appearances whenever the group can get enough advance notice of his schedule.

“The weasel will become part of the campaign,” said Michael Fagan, co-chairman of the committee.

King Weasel looks like Chuck E. Cheese with a deep tan. Instead of the pizza mouse’s derby, he wears a crown reminiscent of the one that appeared magically on the heads of people in Imperial Margarine commercials.

The costume was made by a South Carolina company for $400, a sum covered by U.S. Term Limits. That national group has already paid for television commercials, billboards, bus signs and newspaper ads to criticize Nethercutt’s decision to seek a fourth term after promising in 1994 to serve only three.

Nethercutt was on vacation with his family and unavailable for comment. Spokesman Ken Lisaius called it “another cheap political gimmick” and said the group was more interested in negative attacks than issues important to the district.

The term weasel king was coined in a May 16 “Doonesbury” cartoon, in which talk show host Mark conducts a fictitious interview with Nethercutt about the decision to consider a fourth term.

Garry Trudeau, the creator of the cartoon, does not answer media inquiries, said a spokeswoman for United Features Syndicate.

Fagan also used the news conference to criticize Nethercutt’s latest campaign contribution report, which shows the Spokane Republican has collected about 90 percent of his money thus far from political action committees.

That’s a departure from Nethercutt’s stated policy that he would take only about a third of his money from PACs and two-thirds from individuals. Nethercutt said last week the imbalance was a temporary anomaly because he announced his campaign and held a Washington, D.C., fund-raiser just before the deadline for reporting to the Federal Elections Committee.

After criticizing Nethercutt for his lack of local contributors, Fagan refused several requests to list his group’s contributors. Federal law doesn’t require the group to list donors at this point, because its campaign is classified as educational rather than political.

None of the ads urges people to vote against Nethercutt or for an opponent.

Fagan said he did not feel it was hypocritical to criticize Nethercutt’s fund raising while withholding information about his group.

“We don’t feel it necessary,” Fagan said as King Weasel mugged for the cameras.

“I’m not advocating for or against anybody.”