Campaign Finance: Dean vs Barnette

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Being a representative in Congress is kind of a big deal. I know this is an obvious statement, but these are the people who represent We the People directly in a way senators and presidents can’t. Our congressional representative should reflect precisely what our community wants and needs. They know our towns, our roads, and our schools. They understand what’s important to us on a scale that’s very different than other federal officials. Madeleine Dean has been my congresswoman for two years and I’ve done my research on her as a congresswoman and a candidate – and that’s why I’m voting for Kathy Barnette on November 3rd.

MAD (as she likes to be called) is a smart woman and no one can deny that, but I feel she’s out of touch with the people who elected her two years ago. She’s voted with Nancy Pelosi 100% of the time – 100%! I don’t agree with anyone 100% of the time! This tells me that MAD knows how to tow the party line. Political survival? Perhaps. But I like my politicians a little scrappier than that. I like when they think for themselves and don’t just nod their head to everything their party lays across their desk. But hey, if MAD feels she needs to follow Pelosi’s lead on everything, that’s her decision – I just don’t have to vote for her to keep it going.

I also like to see where they’re getting their money, so I did some searching. MAD’s campaign has more money than Kathy Barnette’s, which is to be expected since she’s the incumbent. But more than half of MAD’s campaign money (over $700,000) comes from PACs according to her last campaign finance report, https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/591/202010159294906591/202010159294906591.pdf. Barnette’s percent is significantly lower – by a lot. I also took note that while it appears MAD hasn’t contributed any of her own money to her campaign, Kathy Barnette has. This tells me that Barnette is truly invested in her campaign, in every sense of the word. And I believe these numbers help illustrate a larger point. Kathy Barnette really believes in what she’s doing and is focused on the individuals in her district (not just the ones with deep pockets), while Madeleine Dean wants to support anyone who can keep her in power, whether that’s Nancy Pelosi or those contributing large sums of money to PACs.

The first time I saw Madeleine Dean on the national stage was when Attorney General Bill Barr testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee in July of this year. Forgive me for not noticing her sooner, but she didn’t exactly do a lot to get noticed up until then and my house tends to stream more PJ Masks than C-Span. Regardless, I was watching the testimony and suddenly noticed that my congresswoman, Madeleine Dean, was questioning Barr. I was taken aback by how condescending and dismissive she was. When she asked him questions and he tried to answer her, she claimed he was interrupting her and moved on to another point. And near the end of the exchange, she said something that really stuck with me, partly because of the superiority of the statement and partly because of her tone – “I’m surprised at your lack of respect for a member of Congress.” Well, I was surprised at how she had allowed partisan politics to bleed into everything she does, everything she stands for, and every statement she makes. She could have simply asked her questions, received her answers, and moved on. But no. She felt a need to talk down to the U.S. Attorney General because *gasp* she’s a member of Congress.

Politicians shouldn’t get involved to simply push their agenda or make a name for themselves. They should get involved to better the lives of the people they represent, but sometimes I think they go to Washington and their priorities shift into gaining power, keeping power, and expanding their power. Madeleine Dean seems like a typical politician to me. She seeks to stay relevant and important and gets her support and money from people with plenty of influence. But unlike MAD, Kathy Barnette isn’t a career politician who’s been waiting for her big break. She even openly announces that she’ll only serve two terms in Congress. Her support comes from normal people who simply want her to represent them when she gets to Washington – and I believe she will. After all, she’s been pounding the pavement for months going door-to-door and talking to the people of this community. I can respect that. I can also respect that she’s someone who just got tired of complaining about politics and decided to get involved to make a difference. That’s the kind of public servant I want fighting for me. That’s the kind of woman I want representing me.

Paid for by Kathy Barnette for Congress.

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