Open letter to Democrat state chair Paul Berendt

8:35 AM, Monday morning, March 7, 2005

Subject: Thanks for flattering me with your amusing, but factually incorrect, notion that my attempted recall of Dow Constantine wasn't my idea, but that of Karl Rove and the White House. Hilarious, but untrue! Why didn't you contact me before making such attributions to me?

Note to readers: See immediate prior post, if needed, for context, the Seattle Times article with Berendt's comments, and, hopefully, for some good laughs. I hope Paul has a good sense of humor as well.

Paul,

We've never met, but I've heard you on Mike Siegel's radio program, seen you on television, etc. I am guessing you might have heard me, or have heard of me, as well.

As you may know, I am the person who recently filed the petition to recall King County Councilmember Dow Constantine.

Considering the comments alluding to me, that were attributed to you in Saturday's Seattle Times article, I thought I'd contact you to let you know how surprised I was to learn of your remarks that I am working with the White House and Karl Rove.

This surprise and the factual inaccuracies you published about me (by obvious and direct reference) could have been avoided if you had contacted me first. I wish you had. I would have been happy to let you know I acted independently and could only have been astonished that anyone could think I had such connections as you have attributed to me.

Speaking of surprises, it may be news to you that it seems like it was just yesterday that I was a Democrat PCO in Seattle's central area. For the record, I am currently not officially affiliated with any party, and consider myself an independent. What I mostly am is an activist for open, honest, transparent, and reasonably efficient, government. I am particularly disturbed at the widespread corruption I believe exists in King County government under Ron Sims. In this regard, you may know that I have been the plaintiff in a Public Disclosure Act lawsuit agains Sims, over sports stadium documents, that went all the way to the state Supreme Court, having won at every one of the three court levels (see: www.ArmenYousoufian.com ).

And speaking of full disclosure, I have commented on the article from the Saturday Seattle Times at my blog. Feel free to see what I had to say, including my surprise over your attribution to me of my connections to the White House and Karl Rove. I hope you have a sense of humor.

http://yousoufian.blogspot.com/2005/03/flashpaul-berendt-reveals-my.html

Thanks for giving me the best laughs in the past couple of weeks.

And for the record, at the next available opportunity, or by return email, suitable for publication, I'd appreciate your giving me credit for having thought of, and implemented the idea to try to recall Constantine, entirely on my own. That is what happened. I thought you should know. And I'd also appreciate your passing that on to the same folks you distributed your comments to in your emailing and hard copy mailing.

In the meantime, don't be surprised if I post this email to you at my blog. I'd also like to post your response, which I'd appreciate at your earliest opportunity.

One last question: where did you get the idea that my effort to recall Constantine had anything to do with any Republicans, let alone Karl Rove and/or the White House? Inquiring minds, including this one, would like to know, and I'd appreciate the courtesy of an answer.

Armen Yousoufian
www.ArmenYousoufian.com (website)
www.yousoufian.blogspot.com