United for Peace of Pierce County, WA - We nonviolently oppose the reliance on unilateral military actions rather than cooperative diplomacy.

Port Townsend attorney Paul Richmond, the recently declared candidate challenging Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA 6th), was in Grays Harbor on Thursday attacking Dicks's record on the Iraq war, civil liberties, and "the war economy," the Daily World (Grays Harbor, WA) reported Friday.[1] -- On Mar. 20, the Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA) noted that Richmond has taken a stand "against Dicks' co-sponsorship of the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, saying it expands the list of actions that could be considered terrorism."[2] -- Paul Richmond said that his candidacy, announced on Mar. 18, was spurred by concern about this bill, the Peninsula Daily News (Port Angeles, WA) reported.[3] -- Jeff Chew noted that Richmond is "a former supporter of Dennis Kucinich for president." -- "Richmond supports the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq as soon as possible," Chew added. -- The North Kitsap Herald (Poulsbo, WA), omitting all mention of Richmond's antiwar position, said that Richmond, 46, "has never served in elected office" but "feels that his advocacy efforts and long-time support of civil liberties makes him a strong candidate for Congress."[4] -- Three weeks after Paul Richmond's declaration of his candidacy, the News Tribune of Tacoma has yet to make any mention the antiwar candidate to its readers — another example of a pattern of neglect and silence with which its readers are very familiar. -- See Paul Richmond's campaign web site for more information. -- The 6th Congressional District, where Richmond is contesting Norm Dicks's 32-year incumbency, covers the Olympic Peninsula (Clallam and Jefferson Counties), Bremerton and much of surrounding Kitsap County, Grays Harbor County, Mason County, and the northwest corner of Pierce County, including most of Tacoma....

[PHOTO CAPTION: The Daily World Port Townsend attorney Paul Richmond, a Democrat challenging Congressman Norm Dicks, answers questions at a Grays Harbor Democrats meeting Thursday night at the Polish Club in Aberdeen.]

Port Townsend attorney Paul Richmond was on the Harbor Thursday, trying to drum up support for his long-shot bid to unseat entrenched incumbent Congressman Norm Dicks.

Richmond tried to rally up support before the Grays Harbor Democrats during a speech at the Polish Club in Aberdeen.

The gathered Democrats were cordial and several seemed interested in what Richmond had to say, but the bulk of them appeared to support Dicks, who has brought a lot of money to the Harbor over the past few decades.

“I’m frankly concerned about the direction a lot of Democrats have taken,” Richmond told the local party members. “We’ve got a party where, frankly, if you look at some of the candidates now, Richard Nixon would be considered kind of liberal. And that’s pretty scary.”

Richmond’s campaign is focused on connecting Congressman Dicks with his votes in support of the war in Iraq.

He calls Dicks “a consistent booster of the war economy.” Richmond also criticizes Dicks’ previous support for the PATRIOT Act, a post-Sept. 11, 2001, law that expanded the federal authority to fight terrorism but has also been used domestically.

“Mr. Dicks . . . is someone who has voted in favor of a lot of anti-terrorism legislation that has been taking away our civil liberties,” Richmond said. “What I’m trying to do is get us to behave a little bit more like Democrats.”

Arguably, Richmond said that because of new laws implemented under the Bush Administration, “95 percent of us could be charged as felons.”

“For example, if you’re driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit and they charge you the right way, that’s a felony,” he added. “And we have this very deep problem.”

Richmond said he considers himself a champion of protecting civil liberties. He said he helped end a pilot program that had the National Guard accompany police on drug raids, helped keep the University of Washington Police from acquiring M-16 rifles, and helped convince numerous city councils that “those with less money still have rights.”

A Port Townsend attorney has formally announced his candidacy for the congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair.

Paul Richmond, also a Democrat, said in a press release this week that he's spent most of his adult life advocating for civil liberties. He influenced Jefferson County to change a policy about letting homeless people sleep in county parks, helped prevent of University of Washington police from getting M16s, and helped stop the National Guard from working with police on drug raids in Oregon, according to the statement.

"I've helped kill some pork barrel projects and get some bad politicians out of office," he said in an interview in late February.

Richmond said he's against Dicks' co-sponsorship of the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, saying it expands the list of actions that could be considered terrorism.

He said his first priorities are reining in the "out of control war on terrorism," going after the Patriot Act, and taking care of veterans.

Dicks has been in office since 1977. He chairs the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and is vice chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. He's also on the Committee for Homeland Security.

PORT TOWNSEND ATTORNEY TO CHALLENGE REP. DICKS FOR DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
By Jeff Chew

PORT TOWNSEND -- Activist lawyer Paul Richmond made it official on the Jefferson County Courthouse steps Tuesday morning: He's challenging longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks for the 6th District Congressional seat.

"I think there is a real need for someone to run against Mr. Dicks," said Richmond, 46, who is running as a Democrat. Richmond was joined by his wife, Hannah McFarland, in making the announcement.

Richmond contends that Dicks, also a Democrat, no longer serves the people and has become entrenched with Washington, D.C.'s political elite.

Richmond and his wife drove to Port Orchard earlier Tuesday morning to make the same announcement in front of the Kitsap County Courthouse.

Dicks' spokesman in Washington, D.C., George Behan, said "from Norm's standpoint, he will address all challengers when they file for office, which takes place in early June.

"He will campaign based on his own record, and expects other candidates to come forward. This is a presidential year where there are lots of issues."

Dicks is the third-ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, serving on three subcommittees. He has served in the congressional seat since 1976.

He is the chairman of the Appropriations Interior subcommittee and is a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Richmond moved about a years ago from Seattle after 20 years there to seek a better quality of life in Port Townsend.

Richmond said he is targeting Dicks in large part because of the congressman's co-sponsorship of the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act of 2007.

Richmond -- who has practiced law since 2002 and is a video producer — is convinced that the civil liberties of U.S. citizens are at risk because of the Homegrown Terrorism Act.

The bill, which had broad bipartisan support, also was co-sponsored by Rep. David G. Reichert, R-Kent, and 13 other House members.

While in Seattle, Richmond represented plaintiffs against the Seattle Police Department and in medical marijuana cases.

Richmond in January stood before the City Council, helping to convince its members to delay an ordinance that would prevent the homeless from camping in Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park.

Richmond contends that the ordinance would "bulldoze the rights of the homeless," who have limited shelter available in Port Townsend during the harshest months or winter.

As a former supporter of Dennis Kucinich for president, he also spoke as an uncommitted Democrat during the Jefferson County presidential caucuses in Port Townsend.

"Because special interests are running our country, we're watching our country be destroyed," Richmond said.

"Because we're in an unnecessary war, we're taking on trillions in debt, while many of our soldiers go to Moneytree [which provides payday loans] to survive week to week."

--Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.

A Port Townsend attorney is challenging U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Belfair), in what is admittedly an uphill battle.

“My middle name is David,” said Paul Richmond, who formally announced his campaign yesterday with events in Port Orchard and Port Townsend. “We’ll see what I can do against Goliath.”

Richmond, 46, has never served in elected office. However, he feels that his advocacy efforts and long-time support of civil liberties makes him a strong candidate for Congress.

Richmond feels that Dicks’ incumbency -- the congressman is in his 16th term -- actually represents a disadvantage to the voters.

“Thirty-two years is a long time,” Richmond said. “I think Congressman Dicks isn’t representing our needs to Congress, rather he is representing their needs to us. This is backwards, and his priorities are reversed.”

Richmond, who said he has spent much of his life “taking on the powers that be in different ways,” claims to have spent most of his adult life advocating civil liberties. According to a press release, he has helped end a pilot program that had the National Guard accompanying police on drug raids and helped to keep the University of Washington Police from acquiring M-16 rifles.

“I have often successfully argued that those with less money still have rights,” he said.

Richmond said his campaign is privately financed, and has far less than the $500,000 that he said is in Dicks’ campaign fund. Aside from the financial inequity, Richmond will be at a further disadvantage if Dicks declines to participate in a debate.

“People want to know that he is involved,” Richmond said. “What better way to do this, than to debate his opponent?”

Press Secretary George Behan said that Dicks would debate any opponents who formally entered the race, but added “a lot of times people talk about running but they never file. If he (Richmond) files, we will see him on the campaign trail.”

“Government is out of control,” Richmond said. “In recent times, people on many ends of the political spectrum have warned our government is becoming so removed from the people it’s supposed to represent and so unaccountable, that we may lose all we care about.”