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.
