Pressed to be more visible in his antiwar stance, Congressman Mike Thompson told a Saturday gathering of Mendocino Coast Democrats that results are more important than appearing angry.
“It doesn”t matter how loud you are. If someone disagrees with you, just because you speak louder and shout more angrily, it doesn”t change their mind,” Thompson said.
Thompson”s manner was typically stern, unflappable and jovial all at the same time as he spoke and answered questions for about an hour to a supportive crowd. His inflection and facial expressions often convey as much as his words.
“I have news for you, the rest of the country isn”t like Mendocino County,” he said, getting laughs from the crowd.
“People in some of the red areas, they think we”re crazy, they think those of us out in California are nutcases, every one of us,” he added.
Peace activists nationally have been getting more strident in pressing Democrats to demand an end to the Iraq war, ousting Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut U.S. Senate primary and confronting the leadership of the party.
Outside Thompson”s Saturday annual fund-raising pasta feed at the Redwood Coast Senior Center, John Fremont, who is fasting for a “fast return of the troops,” picketed for peace, while three activists from Code Pink pressed Thompson inside.
One man asked Thompson what it would take to get the St. Helenan into a photo opportunity with a sign saying “bring the troops home now.” Thompson has repeatedly called on the administration to set dates for withdrawal and to begin the process.
“If I thought standing up with the sign would accomplish something, I would have been there three years ago,” Thompson said.
He reminded the activists of his highly controversial pre-war trip to Iraq, standing up to the administration at a time when many Democrats were supporting the war effort.
“I was there before the guy outside [Fremont] was there … I can”t tell you how many photo ops I was in, I was the poster boy for the Republican National Committee,” he said, referring to the fervent attacks on him at that time by Fox News and other right-wing talk shows and activists.
He said he was featured in Republican television ads in Louisiana, even though “nobody in Louisiana had ever heard of me.”
Thompson criticized attacks on liberal Democrats like Nancy Pelosi by the left wing of the party, intent on making Democrats become stronger activists against the war.
“We need to have a strategy that will allow folks across the country to feel comfortable [voting Democrat] so we can make changes necessary to have a better foreign policy, so we can have real national security, not this phony stuff based on fear,” Thompson said.
When pressed again by the peace activists Thompson got more laughs with the delivery of his response.
“I have a question for you: Why do you have such a hard time taking yes” for an answer?” Thompson asked.
The overflow crowd at the pasta feed fund-raiser was clearly bigger than last year.
“I am told we have to find a different venue. We”re outgrowing this. I think it”s reflective of people in our district caring about which direction things are headed in. I see it throughout the district,” Thompson said.
One reason for the bigger crowd was a group of sport fishing leaders who attended the event to thank Thompson for his work in favor of commercial and sport fishing. Mike Williamson, head of the newly-formed North Coast Fishing Alliance, sat with a table full from that group at the fund-raiser.
“If it hadn”t been for Michael, we probably wouldn”t have had any season,” said Williamson as the sportsmen talked about the abundant salmon and rockfish sport harvest this summer.
The Recreational Fishing Alliance chaired the event with Bill and Sandra McIver.
While beloved by the fishing industry, Thompson decried Republicans for concentrating on red herrings like flag-burning, gay marriage and calling Congress back into session to get involved in voting in a personal health issue, in the Terry Schiavo case, while ignoring the national health care crisis, the budget deficit and campaign finance reform.
He said Republicans were trying to change the Constitution because “two people burned the American flag last year. I am as American and patriotic as anyone out there … I did my time in combat, but the reality is you can”t legislate [free speech].”
“People want to know why in the world are we paying $3 a gallon for gasoline while giving oil companies huge tax breaks,” he added.
Hitting Republicans for hiding behind pseudo-issues to allow them to “do nothing about alternative energy,” Thompson also put his rhetoric where the pasta was Saturday night; the event included computer recycling and using all-biodegradable materials for the pasta feed. Spoons that seemed to be plastic were made of corn starch.
Thompson also described progress he has made setting aside public lands, including a bill that passed the House and now is before the Senate that designates more than 273,000 acres of Northern California as wilderness and approximately 51,000 acres as a Recreation Management Area for off-highway vehicles and mountain bikes. Some remote Mendocino County acreage was preserved, but a breakdown of that wasn”t available.
“The King range is recognized by everyone, even the administration, as the crown jewel in the entire wilderness system,” Thompson said.
Thompson also lauded progress in working with land trusts on agricultural conservation easements, which are designed to protect farmland from future development. A press conference is scheduled next week with mega-grape grower Andy Beckstoffer about the protection of a historic Napa Valley vineyard.
Thompson, who serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, spearheaded efforts to create a new tax break that increases deductions available to farmers, ranchers and other landowners who donate their property for conservation purposes.
He is seen by many in Congress and in wine industry publications as the chief advocate of the wine industry.
Thompson said he takes stands he can be proud of when he looks in the mirror, including his anti-war position.
“In our district it is about 50-50 whether we should set a timetable or should stay the course. It is not a slam-dunk issue,” Thompson said during the exchange with the peace activists.
In an interview after the event, Fremont remembered how speaking up helped end the war in Vietnam and supported Thompson”s call for bringing the troops home by the end of September.
However, Fremont added, “Why hasn”t he pressured the government the way Conyers and Murtha have? What results can he point to? Every day hundreds of men, women and children are killed in Iraq. We”ve lost almost 3,000 troops with more than 20,000 wounded and no end in sight.”
Fremont fasted with Code Pink in Washington from July 4 to July 11 (8 days) and for three or four non-consecutive days since returning, including the day of the pasta feed.
“Fasting to bring about change is a long and honorable tradition, made famous last century by Mahatma Gandhi, who said, An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind.” I intend to continue participating in a local relay fast (now in its fourth week) and may fast with others for seven to 10 straight days starting Aug. 25. Anyone wishing to join us can contact me or Erin Severi (lunrain@mcn.org), or they can stop by at Fabric Indulgence in Fort Bragg and speak with Erin or Erika,” Fremont said.
Thompson recently lost his long-time righthand man, Ed Matovcik, his chief of staff for the past 16 years. Matovcik left to become vice president for government and community relations with Foster”s Wine Estates Americas, the North American division of the global multi-beverage company which owns and sells over 35 premium wine brands in the U.S. including Beringer, Etude and Stags” Leap Winery.
Matovcik served as Thompson”s chief of staff since 1990 when the St. Helena native was first elected to the California State Senate after defeating a 12-year Republican incumbent. He remained as Thompson”s top aide when Thompson was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1998. The two made a formidable pair for editorial boards, working in tandem and seeming able to answer any question between them.
The annual pasta feed event at the senior center brings out local luminaries and is one of the key moments before campaign season for Democrats.
Listed as co-chairpersons for the event were Thomas Becker, Jim Caito, Mel and Susan McKinney, Bob Petersen, Gregory and Maureen Petersen and Dave Turner, all owners or mangers of well-known Mendocino Coast businesses.
Campaign season is about to begin locally. Serving the dinner were three members of the Fort Bragg City Council, Dan Gjerde, Doug Hammerstrom and Dave Turner, with Jere Melo in the audience and listed among the sponsors. Council candidate Meg Courtney was also on hand and was heralded by Steve Antler, head of the Mendocino Coast Democratic Club. Antler announced that local Democrats will soon have a campaign headquarters in the building that housed the Redwood Cookhouse, on Redwood Street just a block off Main Street in downtown Fort Bragg.
