Ever since Goldy at HorsesAss published a leaked recording of Rep. Dave Reichert (WA-8) saying, in what he thought was a closed-door conversation, that he'd "taken them (environmentalists) out of the game in this district," by strategically voting against the GOP on a few environmental issues, we've been trying to get comments from the key players in this embarrassing—and potentially damning story.



In the audio Reichert cites a few votes he cast as part of his strategy to appease  environmentalists in the 8th. He voted to create the Wild Sky Wilderness Area in 2007, the first new wilderness area in Washington at the time in 23 years. Up until the final vote in the House the main opponents of the measure had been Republicans. Another vote Reichert cites a vote to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which spans the Cascade range in Washington, protecting an additional 22,000 acres of wilderness.



To prove that he's really a Republican and not some sissy Democrat he said "all the TARP votes are no, all the stimulus package votes are no, the health care I’ve been no all three times." (Conveniently, he didn't remind his partisan audience that he voted with the Democrats—and environmentalists—on the House cap and trade bill.)

Despite our efforts, we've had little to no luck getting virtually anyone to respond to the audio.

First, we called Reichert's office in D.C. Every attempt but one to reach Charles McCray, Reichert's press secretary, has been forward to his voicemail by a secretary. The one exception was when I was supposed to be headed to his voicemail, but he picked up. He said he wasn't sure what Reichert's response was, and that he'd need to check with his press adviser before he could tell me. That was yesterday, and every attempt to reach him today has ended in a voicemail.

I asked the National Republican Congressional Committee if they would comment on the leak, but they said that'd be something that would have to come from Reichert's office.

Next was Washington Conservation Voters, a statewide environmental advocacy group. Goldy pointed out that WCV's executive director Kurt Fritts held a fundraisng event for Reichert in March. We thought that, since this is a trifle embarrassing for WCV, they might want to comment. They have not responded to several phone calls and voice mails to date.

Finally, there's the Seattle Times . That paper's editorial board has endorsed Reichert again and again for his bi-partisan tendencies, once noting that he was on a "conscience-driven independent streak." But the Times has remained completely mum on this audio leak that makes a mockery of their assertion. Jim Simon, the Seattle Times' assistant managing editor, said he's been out of town for four days so he hasn't heard much about it, and that the paper does not typically comment on what they do not cover.

What Reichert said in the recording isn't really a surprise. He was essentially describing what most politicians do in order to maintain their constituency, especially when they're in a divided district like the 8th. But the fact that Reichert has gained literal environmental credit from his pro-environmental votes (and received $1,000 from the League of Conservation Voters for his re-election campaign this year), which he apparently cast not because of environmental convictions, but to mollify environmental lobbyists in his district, deserves to be addressed both by the press, the environmental lobby, and his office.

The Seattle PI, Tacoma News Tribune, and we here at PubliCola linked Goldy's scoop last week, but the important story has died since then.