Everett, Wash. Published: Friday, October 10, 2008
HERALD ENDORSEMENTS
Inslee set to help lead clean energy revolution
In the First Congressional District, which a decade ago was considered a toss-up at election time, Democrat Jay Inslee has become a dominant force.
After beating Republican Larry Ishmael by more than a 2-to-1 margin two years ago, Inslee faces Ishmael again this fall in his quest for a sixth two-year term. The incumbent has an overwhelming advantage in campaign cash -- his war chest approaches $1 million, while Ishmael's is so close to empty, it might as well be.
Listening to the candidates side by side, however, reveals no such mismatch. Ishmael is an intelligent, self-confident candidate whose knowledge of issues has deepened since 2006. If elected, we could serve well in a district that includes most of Snohomish County south of Everett, and part of Monroe.
Inslee, though, is poised to lead significant progress toward energy independence and reduced carbon emissions based on the development of renewable energy sources, an issue he has championed for years with his New Apollo Project. With Inslee in the majority party, and the next president -- whether it's Barack Obama or John McCain -- ready to embrace a more forward-thinking and greener energy policy, Inslee will be at the forefront of a clean energy revolution in Congress.
The development of a "green economy" with good-paying jobs has been a central part of Inslee's plan, and it has only become more urgent with the recent economic downturn. Innovation, Inslee has long argued, is the key to a future where Americans aren't sending billions of dollars abroad to enrich foreign oil producers -- many of whom don't like us much.
Ishmael has a rational take on energy, too, one that's heavier on short-term solutions like expanding domestic drilling and building new nuclear power plants. He'd have government work with the private sector to develop ways to deal with nuclear waste.
Both say it's time to start getting most U.S. forces out of Iraq and to focus on winning the war in Afghanistan. Inslee gets credit, along with 2nd District Rep. Rick Larsen, for opposing the Iraq war in the first place. Both argued -- correctly, it turned out -- that invading Iraq in 2003 would be premature, would bog down the U.S. military, strain our alliances abroad and create new enemies.
