I disagree with some of Ryan Ryals comments in his article “Tea Party doomed to the dustbin”, which came out Aug. 27. First of all, I saw photos of the 500,000 plus people of all race and religious backgrounds who attended a nonviolent rally in Washington D.C. Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., gave an inspiring speech to the crowd which included many tea party members. I don’t think she or the 500 thousand citizens can be swept into the dustbin.

As far as Dino (Rossi) is concerned, he is not an opportunist and I doubt he will sign a pledge from Didier, who has a lot of gall to demand conditions from another politician when he only received 12 percent of the vote. Dino is first of all a family man and we have known him for quite a few years now. Dino has four children and a down to earth wife, who, when I first met her in their modest home, apologized for not making the best cup of coffee. Last year Dino spent a weekend with my husband, sons and other dads at a boys camp in Oregon. He worked in the kitchen, hiked, played soccer and slept on the thin cots with all the other dads. He is a gentleman and a man of his word. He thought hard about running, knowing the stress it would put on his family but he believes he can help our struggling economy with his business and political experience. He was a state senator from 1997-2003 in the 5th Legislative District and was chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee where he wrote a bipartisan balanced budget without raising taxes. He is sharp, yet emotionally balanced. I think Dino Rossi can win against Senator Patty Murray who always votes with her party and is already slinging mud at his campaign. Maybe she’s as worried as the president, who used our tax money to fly in on the last day of a mail-in ballet vote to help her campaign.

Debbie Sweeney

Maple Valley