Thursday, October 21, 2010

Dick Muri - Running for WA State 9th Congressional District US Representative

After receiving my ballot a few days ago, I had the idea to once again e-mail the candidates for the 9th District (as I did for the WA State Senatorial Race) on their stance on Taiwan. Of course it seems like the incumbent (Adam Smith) is way too busy for any sort of questions from his constituents, but I did manage to get a hold of the Republican candidate, Dick Muri. In my e-mail, I asked similar things that I did in the e-mail to the senatorial candidates. Questions such as what do they know about Taiwan, what do they support in terms of China/Taiwan, etc.

Here is what he had to say:

Richard,

I have always been a fan and supporter of Taiwan.  They are a nation that cherishes freedom and liberty.  That is one reason they have prospered.  Taiwan should be a member of the United Nations.  The 23 million citizens of Taiwan deserve to be represented.  I have only been to Taiwan once, that was in June of 1978.  Flew my C-141 into Taipei with a load of military hardware.  We were one of the last flights into Taiwan before those flights became restrictive.  As you next congressman, I hope to visit Taiwan!
Sincerely,
Dick Muri
 
When asked if he had anything more to add, as I did let him know that I might be publishing some or all that he had to say on Taiwan on this blog, he added:

I will sponsor and vote for all bills that support Taiwan's liberty and independence.

All Americans should support freedom and liberty, it is the essence of our countries foundation and  character.

Thanks,

Dick
On top of that, he added that he would stop by my blog and perhaps make some comments as well!

In his second response, I pressed him about whether he would be willing to say that he would cosponsor any future bills that are in support of Taiwan's democracy and human rights. I mentioned to him how Adam Smith had not responded to me e-mailing him to cosponsor the HCR316 bill I mentioned a few weeks ago.

I believe Mr. Muri's responses to be quite standard in terms of view of Taiwan, but his one trip to Taiwan does make Taiwan more personal to him than those who haven't. On top of that, he has unofficially stated that he would sponsor/support "all bills that support Taiwan's liberty and independence."

Something interesting that I have noticed in my many contacts with fellow politicians and hopeful politicians, is that in regards to Taiwan, many have visited Taiwan. Whether it be for personal reasons, business ventures, or past military posts/stops in Taiwan, it seems like Taiwan was definitely a go-to place in Asia before official diplomatic relations ended.

As I stated in the past and will continue to do so - there are many more pressing issues at hand for us today as Americans, but that does not mean we should lose sight of potential issues that will arise in the future. For many Taiwanese-Americans, U.S. support for Taiwan is an important one, and one that I hope many of us will continue to consider in one way or another when we vote for candidates. So while I assume many voters will not vote for Muri merely because of his stance on Taiwan, I do hope that voters who are concerned about Taiwan recognize that Muri is supportive of Taiwan's liberty and independence.

3 comments:

timera said...

well done Richard!
and it does sound like personal ties play important roles a lot of the time. That's why I have always been a fan of tourism for promoting Taiwan aside from rallying. the process might take much longer but I think it would definitely help in the long run.

Unknown said...

I am thrilled to see that an American politician is actually speaking out about Taiwan independence.

American business interests have, for far too long, have been the main reason the USA goes along with the fabricated "One China Policy".

American, multinational companies don't want anything to upset China on whom they depend on their enrichment. It's also why we've lost so many jobs to China. Multinational companies have no conscience and are driven solely by greed. Even if it means nudging Taiwanese to become a part of the dictatorial, Communist China.

Richard said...

Arnold - It's definitely refreshing to get non-Taiwanese Americans to talk about Taiwan and give their opinion on it. It's something that I've been working on with our local leaders in Washington over the past year or two. Check out my blog archive for August to see more responses from politicians.

Tim - Yeah, Taiwanese tourism is often overlooked, but definitely one of the best ways to get people to love Taiwan. And the Visa Free Waiver thing is something that should definitely help in the future. :)