Stick to the issues

I was shocked to read about Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ red-baiting of Lisa Brown in “Brown’s ‘86 Thesis …” Fear-mongering distracts from facts and issues. Although John McCain’s eulogizers just called for more civility, I haven’t seen such Republican fear-mongering since Sen. McCarthy’s 1950s scare accusations without evidence. I applaud McMorris Rodgers’ “belief in [our] God-given freedom,” but the fact is that our American Revolutionary heroes fought hard for our freedom, as our men and women in uniform – and yes, our activists, too – continue to do. This “standing up” is what Brown admired in her Ph.D.-economics thesis.

Instead of name-calling, McMorris Rodgers should focus on the real issues: for example, the Republican tax cut hasn’t helped most Washingtonians, and Trump’s tariffs are bad for Washington farmers. McMorris Rodgers’ support for these are bad for our district. After having heard the League of Women Voters’ well-researched questions at the pre-primary candidates forums, and Brown’s answers on point (I’m sorry McMorris Rodgers missed the event … again), I look forward to their upcoming debates and to the candidates’ sticking to our Eastern Washington issues.

Judy Silverstein

Spokane