Longtime U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-6), who represents the Olympic Peninsula, most of the Kitsap Peninsula, and most of Tacoma—is not PubliCola’s favorite member of the Washington State delegation. That’s mostly because of his close relationship with his top funder, the military contracting firm PMA, for which he recently came under fire. (Dicks, who was ultimately vindicated, is the chair of the defense appropriations committee in the House.)
And while he’s been a ‘Yes’ vote on the recent run of historic votes in the House—health care reform, financial reform, cap and trade—and a 100 percent on choice issues, progressive on gay rights (he voted to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell), and 
women’s issues (voting yes on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act) he has taken a few boner votes. For example, he let AT&T off the hook on the Bush-era spying controversy, voted for the Wall Street bailouts, and voted to extend the PATRIOT Act.
The reason to vote for Dicks is this: as a member of the House appropriations committee and chair of defense appropriations, Dicks, like Sen. Patty Murray, brings home the bacon—last year, Dicks secured $31 million in budget line items for Washington State, including the Tacoma Intermodal Transit Center ($974,000), the Pierce County Regional Gang Prevention Partnership, Safe Streets Campaign ($500,000), and a $2.5 million thank-you Washington National Guard.
Dicks faces a pair of underfunded Republican challengers.
PubliCola picks Norm Dicks.
They may be under funded, but they are ethical. I guess integrity, ethics and doing the right thing come in second to the old mighty dollar. I for one would like someone on my side, who not only “brings home the bacon”, but does so with all of the people in mind, not just companies who donate millions of dollars back to him after his “earmarks” to them.
Dicks is a Dick. True beltway scum. Has a lot of people fooled. He forgot the people that sent him to DC. 34 years of corruption and still ticking.
How are they ethical exactly TTown? Nothing ethical about a group of guys that scream about deficits but then as soon as they are in power. they run up the debt way more than the other party does.
Tax cuts don't pay for themselves. You've got to make cuts. Unfortunately for conservatives, Americans like their social programs. So good luck cutting anything substantive.
Norm has a great sense of loyalty to his constituency. He's very effective at fighting for the people he represents. If you contact him with an issue, he'll try to find a way to help you. He's also good on the environment – making possible Removal of the Elwah dam and restoration at Rainier NP. He's a gritty blue collar Dem, which we could use more of. He may be old school but he's good. You don't get to be chair of the house appropriations committee by luck.
The thing I've always appreciated about Rep. Dicks is that he's a policy wonk. Whether you agree or disagree, he dives into issues more than nearly all the politicians we see, probably owing to his background as a staffer and years of experience. As far as ethics are concerned, one of his first acts after taking over Defense Approps was to announce a prohibition with the Approps Chair a ban on earmarks for private for-profit corporations. That means no more picking winners between powerful corporate lobbyists. That's a huge move and one that benefits all Americans.