Perhaps the references to monies received is about ‘winning elections’, as stated, exclusively. However, once a senate seat is won, (as our focus needs to be) does the member go on to vote ‘no’ or ‘yes’ on what’s best for the those representated? Or does he or she vote according to those dollars donated, as many suspect? Could that have been the original point in stating it at all?

So, let me understand, there are about 50 State Senators in Washington State, and Don Benton takes $3,500 donation from Lending Tree and Christine Gregoire, as governor of the whole state, receives $4750 in bundled contributions from the same source. Well, dollar for dollar, that seems a lot for one senator out of 50 when the governor of the whole state receives less than double that amount. But then again, that’s only semantics.

My personal opinion about why Mr Horvath posted Senator Benton’s contributors was to draw attention to the AMOUNT of dollars contributed, and from whom. Senator Benton has the precarious position of having collected the most contribution dollars of all Washington State incumbants and challengers in 2008. For this reason alone, we as citizens, have the obligation to know and evaluate each and every contribution, no matter what party and what senator.

Has anyone looked at Sen. Pridemore or Rep. Fromhold’s contributions? How about Sen. Margarita Prentice’s? They’ve all received checks from either Phillip Morris or RJ Reynolds. Wal-Mart’s also given hefty contributions to both Fromhold and Prentice. In addition, all of them, including the Democrat Majority Leader Sen. Lisa Brown, have received contributions from the big cell phone companies.

And what about the Governor? Christine Gregoire has received ridiculously generous donations from every organization above, and Gregoire shows bundled contributions from Moneytree totaling $4750.

The fact is, these kinds of contributions are being given out across the board, and, if a candidate is smart, they take them. Each of these candidates, both Democrat and Republican, has a record of winning elections over and over again so they must be doing something right.

Blasting Benton for accepting contributions that are also accepted by a number of Democrat leaders is absolutely ludicrous and, by definition, completely hypocritical. I’m not a Benton fan, but let’s at least try to be fair and objective here.

This is lunacy and is sad.

The people of the 17th District need to realize what is going on with this situation: Their money is being funneled from what they believe will pay their bills, to fund-raising for a man who will continually push them further in debt and potentially move them down the social and economic ladder. It is apparent in this list of donors that Don Benton offers no chance of social mobility for individuals that he claims to represent.

Dr. Carrier offers mobility and hope. Dr. Carrier is being offered money from the people that he will represent: the individual.

Don Benton’s signs say “Now more than ever.” This is only partially true. It should read, “Now more than ever I need to be out of office.”

Go Dr. Carrier. I am sorry that life has been so hectic for me, otherwise I would be out there on the ground with you.