From: Paul Gottlieb <paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com >
Date: Sep 11, 2007 4:11 PM
Subject: letter to the editor
To: bob@bobforde.com

Greetings, Bob.
We received the letter to the editor below, and in fairness it deserves a response from you.
Can you respond to it at your earliest convenience in 250 words or less? We don't reveal the names of letter writers whose letters we get responses to until they appear in the paper.
Thanks very much, and feel free to call me at 417-3536 with any questions.
Also, as I told Sue when I called your home this afternoon, you'll be receiving a voter guide questionaire from me in the next few days.
Isn't all this fun?
Anyway, thanks for your time, which I know is in shorter and shorter supply as the mailout of ballots approaches (yikes!).
Regards,
Paul

Letter to the Editor:

Our family recently moved to Clallam County and we are making a substantial investment in building a new home here.

We have always assessed the local political climate where we have lived and routinely do research on local issues and candidates.

We were told that Bob Forde, candidate for county commissioner, has a history of declaring that the Washington State Constitution is, in effect, "unconstitutional."

Our search into this history turned up an article in the Peninsula Daily News (2/6/04) in which Forde and his wife claimed that they weren't required to pay a $5,000 debt that was in the hands of a collection agency because the state of Washington has no authority to license the agency.

They claimed (you guessed it!) that the state does not have a valid constitution.

I can't imagine having a county commissioner who thinks he doesn't have to pay his debts because Washington State is, somehow, an illegal entity.

What does that make Clallam County? An illegal stepchild of an illegal entity?

We have met Steve Tharinger. He is a man of experience, integrity and—most of all—good sense!

He has led our county for the last eight years. He is part of what makes our community stable and attractive.

We need his commitment and leadership.

Bob's Response:

This letter is ironic, since my history has come down strongly "pro-Constitution" on the issues, which requires limited government by the consent of the governed.

The lawsuit regarding the disputed bill with the PDN for publishing in connection with my wife Sue's business, was withdrawn the same day we filed our response. It was settled out of court, as it should have been from the beginning. It was hastened to an early resolution by bringing the original Constitution issue. I never claimed the Constitution was invalid. The statement was taken out of context. The court agreed that the constitutional issues we raised were proper and valid. This defense has been used frequently, and Constitutional scholars have debated this issue for over 100 years. It accomplished the goal of getting the case settled quickly.

I invite you to meet and talk with me directly about where I stand, and to hear the real story. You will be pleasantly surprised.

You can go to my website – www.electbobforde.com, and read "Slant is obvious" letter to the editor which was published in the Sequim Gazette; "Forde responds to lawsuit with counterclaim; PDN quits case"; and "PDN lawsuit against Fordes ends" for further information.

Bob Forde, Candidate for
Clallam County Commissioner District 1