Laurel Siddoway Better Choice for Court of Appeals, Over Harvey Dunham
I received a letter in the mail last week from Cindy Zapotocky, Chairman of the Spokane County Republican Party.
Laurell Siddoway
The letter was addressed “Dear friends of liberty and freedom.” The letter urges me to donate money to Harvey Dunham in his challenge of incumbant judge Laurel Siddoway for Division Three of the Court of Appeals. The letter warns of Laurel Siddoway’s ties to the ACLU as if that were some sort of seditious organization. (Reading through the letter, it was clear that I got on this mailing list because I once donated money to a Republican that is supporting Harvey Dunham.) Laurel Siddoway’s ties to the ACLU seem to be what really motivates Harvey Dunham’s supporters. I saw a letter to the editor in the Spokesman-Review last week that makes this omninous warning about Siddoway:
[She] supports the American Civil Liberties Union. Voters should learn that Roger Baldwin was a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union and he was an original officer, along with such notables of Communist Party history as Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Louis Budenz and William Z Foster. Baldwin’s continuous radical career and cooperation with Communists and anarchists and socialists is of more than 50 years duration.
This letter seemed a little goofy, but Harvey Dunham actually puts a link to this letter on his website as if it were a notable endorsement. See site. In rural eastern Washington, implying that someone was a communist because he or she is affiliated with ACLU is a time honored smear tactic. Locals did that to John Goldmark when he ran for State Legislature in the 1960s and Goldmark ended up suing his opponents for libel and winning. See source. To me, this tactic of the Harvey Dunham supporters seems really desperate.
Harvey Dunham
Also, why is Harvey Dunham implying that he is running against Siddoway because she is too liberal? Two years ago he ran against conservative Kevin Korsmo, and I am sure career prosecutor Kevin Korsmo was not a member of the ACLU. I just don’t think Harvey Dunham is that qualified to be a court of appeals judge. He really hasn’t done a whole lot to set himself apart as a lawyer, and has chose not to participate in polls of the bar association members. I have joined many Republicans in supporting conservative judges Richard Sanders and Jim Johnson but I can’t really get excited about Harvey Dunham due to his lack of credentials. Laurel Siddoway has been rated “Well Qualified” by the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. Her website is here.
Would be inclined to vote for either candidate if I knew there exact position on whether they support an adult adopted citizen’s right to unconditional and unaltered access to their original birth certificate and birth records.
Only a few minutes left before voting…
Not sure Lori. Interesting thought!
I did a little research and sought the advice of a friend who has a more indepth understanding of both these candidates and did vote.
Without having the ability to question the incumbent and candidate in-person, it’s virtually impossible to get an in-depth understanding of who they are and what their core beliefs are, so I appreciate the comments in your blog.
Now should Siddoway have a connection to the ACLU … that deeply concerns me.
I read a comment made by the Director of the ACLU Privacy Project, that the ACLU would support a bill that would seal all original birth certificates after the age of 18.
If either one of these two want my vote and my vocal support, they need to whole-heartedly and unequivocally support the civil and human right of adult adopted citizens having to access my original birth certificate and adoption records.