Can someone from Eastern Washington beat U.S. Sen. Patty Murray next year? Specifically, can Spokane Congressman George Nethercutt do it?

He obviously wants to try, judging by the letters he sent out to Republicans not long ago, asking for advice in making his decision, and the usual $1,000, $500, $250, $100, or whatever you can send by way of encouragement.

Like President Bush’s tax cut when Congress got through with it, however, he’s probably aiming too low to do any good. He himself says he may have to spend $12 million. Former House Speaker Clyde Ballard of East Wenatchee says give him $5 million and he’ll do it.

Considering how the Democrats always refer to the GOP as those rich Republicans, Nethercutt should have started at please send $100,000 and go from there.

Anyway, at the Mainstream Republicans Cascade Conference May 17 in Chelan, I served on a news panel of five who were on the program, and none of us gave the thumbs up to Nethercutt.

“It’s difficult for anyone in Eastern Washington to win statewide,” said Tracy Warner of the Wenatchee World. “I’m not sure he could win in Bellevue or Kirkland,” said Craig Groshart of the King County Journal, “But I can’t pick any better candidate.”

“We elect Republicans but I’m not sure he can get elected in Yakima County,” said Sara Jenkins, editor of the Yakima Herald. “The term limit thing hurt him a great deal. I can’t think of a name that would be better. There is a sense that the east side doesn’t matter.” (Nethercutt was elected in 1994 on a promise to serve only three terms, but changed his mind in 2000, saying there was work he had to finish, and has been reelected since, despite national publicity flaying him and other Republicans who made similar promises and reneged on them.)

“I doubt he could pull off a statewide victory,” said Kate Riley of the Seattle Times. “Sid Morrison could.” Former Congressman Morrison of Zillah was present but has shown no inclination to reenter politics after retiring as Transportation Secretary.

My own opinion was that, once he is the candidate, the baggage George Nethercutt carries for that term limit fiasco is going to get heavier and heavier and may be the thing that drags him down, just as President Bush 41’s “Read my lips, no new taxes” was what did him in.

State Republican chair Chris Vance kissed off the non-endorsement of his man by the press panel. “The thinking of the state party is that we are pumped up and ready to go to war for George Nethercutt,” he said. “If George Nethercutt decides to run, Patty Murray is in a world of trouble. In a recent poll, only 41 percent thought she should be reelected, 49 percent thought we needed a new person. Those are the same numbers Slade got in 1999 And Patty Murray is not a colossus if George doesn’t run. Patty Murray is vulnerable.”

Washington is one of four states targeted next year by the GOP, said Vance, and he wants one candidate for the Senate and one for governor, no primary. If Seattle billionaire John Stanton runs for governor, “Gary Locke is in a world of hurt. I’ve never seen the party so united. There is no us and them, there is nothing but we, one Republican Party in the state and the Mainstream is part of that. The key is which side can hold together the biggest coalition. Nationally, things can’t be going much better than now. More Americans believe that President Bush has a clear agenda while 67 percent can’t name the Democratic candidates for president. We’ve got George W. Bush and we’ll boast the strongest presidential push in history and push Patty Murray out of office.”

Having the most money doesn’t always win elections. The Seattle media is packaging Patty as queen of pork for her state, even when she proposes it and doesn’t get it, and pork promisers are loved by voters. The real Patty’s remarks a la the war may be her undoing but you aren’t going to see them quoted much. Not in the media that has the most influence here.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, WA., 98340.).