Harkin rallies Democrats
Sen. Tom Harkin, a one-time presidential hopeful and longtime ally of former Speaker of the House Tom Foley, returned to Spokane on Sunday after a long absence from Washington state politics.
The Iowan stumped for a fellow Democrat, Sen. Maria Cantwell, as the Nov. 7 midterm election enters the stretch.
He won’t be the last big-name politician to visit the region before the election. Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to be at the Coeur d’Alene Airport on Thursday, campaigning for Bill Sali, an Idaho Republican running for Congress. The rally is by invitation only.
Cheney also came to Spokane in August, stumping for Cantwell’s Republican opponent, Mike McGavick.
Harkin earned applause from those gathered at the Caterina Winery when he kidded, “There’s only one thing (better) than being in a room full of charged-up and fired-up Democrats. That’s being in a room full of charged-up and fired-up Democrats and Republicans.”
Harkin was referring to Adams County Commissioner Rudy Plager, a Republican who has given his support to Cantwell and briefly spoke at the rally of about 50 Cantwell supporters, including some farmers.
Harkin talked about the future of agriculture and biofuels, a familiar topic for the ranking minority member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Cantwell, a member of the Energy and Natural Resources committee, has made energy independence a signature issue.
Biofuel involves converting organic-based matter into burnable fuel as a replacement of fossil fuel.
“We have the climate and the capability to produce some of the highest yield crops,” Cantwell said.
“We want to use that high production capacity we have in Washington state and help the entire United States move forward in an energy strategy that’s going to help our country be successful economically and internationally.”
Harkin said because of Washington’s plentiful wheat crop and canola, it can be instrumental in the future of biodiesel production.
“What I know about this state and your capacity to grow things, you can just be one of the real leaders for producing energy,” Harkin said.
“And, of course, it all comes back to a lot of research money.”
Harkin, who served in the House for 10 years before he was elected to the Senate in 1990, dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary early in the 1992 campaign.
Harkin could become chairman of the Agriculture Committee if the Democrats take control of the Senate.
“I’m here to thank all of you,” he said.
“To thank you for sending Maria Cantwell to the Senate and what you’re going to do in another nine days and send her back for another term.”
He added: “I’m going to need her since I will be chairman.”