Even Term Limits Have Limits
The wily weasel has made a comeback in the far reaches of the Pacific Northwest. Rural Eastern Washington is home to the King Weasel, thanks in small part to cartoonist Garry Trudeau and in larger part to Rep. George Nethercutt Jr., of the state's 5th congressional district.
After Nethercutt reneged on a 1994 campaign promise to remain in Congress for just three terms, he soon became fodder for Trudeau's Doonesbury cartoon, which described the Republican congressman as "leading the weasel retreat" from the popular campaign promise and dubbed Nethercutt the "Weasel King."
Almost a year after the cartoon ran, the issue of Nethercutt's decision to go back on his word still shadows the politician, in the form of a furry, human-sized creature.
Michael Fagan, chairman of the nonprofit Eastern Washington Term Limits Action Committee, has pounced on the cartoon metaphor like a weasel on a field mouse. Since last summer, Fagan or one of his fellow term-limits advocates has attended Nethercutt's public events in the district dressed in a weasel costume. The weasel wears a crown, a sash that says "King Weasel" and holds a sign that reads, "Keep your word, George."
"We don't advocate for or against his re-election," says Fagan, himself a Republican. "But we feel there's a problem and a bad example being set."
|
Fagan's cause has been helped by a national term-limits advocacy group, U.S. Term Limits. The organization has spent several hundred thousand dollars on issue ads for both television and radio, which criticize Nethercutt for turning his back on the issue. Nethercutt became the group's poster child in 1994, when he ran on the issue and defeated House Speaker Tom Foley, who held the seat for 30 years.
"George Nethercutt owes his seat to his stated commitment to only serve three terms," says Paul Jacob, National Director for U.. Term Limits, who sees Nethercutt campaigning on the same platform Foley did, by emphasizing his seniority. "But what his district said is we don't want a congressman who buys us presents with our own money, then takes the credit," says Jacob.
Jim Dornan, a spokesman for Nethercutt, disagrees. Foley, he says, "did not lose because of the term limits (issue). He lost touch with the district."
Nethercutt struggled with his decision to run again, according to Dornan, who says his boss felt he could better serve the district by remaining in Congress, where he sits on the House Appropriations committee.
"To leave in the middle of the game would be unfair to the voters of the district," says Dornan.
He adds that Nethercutt has not turned his back on the term-limits supporters, he just doesn't want Eastern Washington to be penalized unfairly.
"George is for term limits," insists Dornan. "If it were a level playing field, George would be gone right now."
So far, however, Democrats have failed to capitalize on Nethercutt's obvious political vulnerability. Instead of seizing the opportunity to make an inroad in this traditionally Republican district, the Dems have yet to field a strong challenger.
 Rep. Nethercutt |
David Olson, who teaches political science at the University of Washington, says state democrats have been "less than well organized" in the district.
At present, two Democrats plan to run in the primary, but neither has held elected office.
Democrats or no, term-limits advocates contend the majority of Americans strongly support their cause. And they plan to make an example out of Nethercutt.
"Either this is someone who's been playing a con game all along, or this is someone who came to Washington and caught a serious case of Potomac fever," says Jacob.
The Nethercutt campaign calls the weasel a "joke" and his actions "unconscionable."
"The terroristic tactics are certainly not endearing themselves to Eastern Washington," says Dornan.
But Paul Olson of the University of Washington believes the issue could resonate among voters, for whom the issue of trust is becoming increasingly important. Olson says the broken pledge has already hurt Nethercutt, but much will depend on whether the term limits issue has staying power.
"The question to me is whether the weasel stays through the entire campaign," says Olson.
Fagan, the keeper of the King Weasel mascot, says his group has not thought that far into the future.
He claims that so far the character has been very well received at public events and he's even planning on expanding the weasel's role into schools. The proposed slogan: "It's time to make politics CHIC again." Chic is an cronym for character, honesty and integrity (in) Congress.