Give Olympia the Bird

SPOKANE – The state Republican convention saw delegates getting rowdy Friday, April 19, inside the Spokane Convention Center as the morning session stretched into the scheduled lunch break.

Angry supporters of gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird of Richland objected to the Candidate Committee’s report initially withdrawing the governor’s race from the endorsement process due to what was described as “late-breaking information that violated the vetting standards” regarding Bird.

The report of the Candidate Committee was amended to include the governor’s race and was adopted by the body and delegates, who were then released to breakout sessions by congressional delegation, but not before a fair amount of drama played out.

Before getting to a vote to adopt the report with the amendment, a request to make public the negative information behind the decision of the Candidate Committee was ruled immaterial by Walsh, a ruling that was immediately challenged by a delegate who wanted to hear the reasons.

The most recent disclosures regarding Bird have centered on a bank fraud charge from 1991. Bird has admitted pleading guilty in 1993 to using his father’s name and Social Security number to obtain a bank loan on a fraudulent basis.

While the delegations were in the process of a county-by-county tally on overruling the chairman’s decision, another delegate came to the microphone to read a statement from Reichert, saying it was just posted on his campaign’s social media page. Reichert’s statement referenced the endorsement process as in disarray and said: “I’m withdrawing my name for consideration for the gubernatorial endorsement through this convention process.

“I am still seeking the endorsement of Republicans statewide and reconfirm my intention to fight for the state as a Republican all the way to November.”

Following the brouhaha, the Washington State Republican Party endorsed Bird on Saturday of the convention.