Baumgarter all over the map about Ukraine

Michael Baumgartner is, figuratively speaking, “all-over-the-map” about Ukraine—but effectively supporting Russia.

He agrees that Russia clearly started the war and was/is the aggressor, and he’s assured Thrive International Ukrainian refugees that he opposes their deportation. But he completely undercuts that by his Ritzville Town Hall statement, “I don’t think [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy is doing a great job”, and by his outlandish calls for Zelenskyy to resign after President Donald Trump humiliated Zelenskyy.

Does Baumgartner have such short memory or be so misinformed as to be ignorant that Zelenskyy is widely credited with saving much of the free world? Immediately after Russia attacked Ukraine--when Ukraine was considered no match for Russia and would surrender quickly--Zelenskyy bravely stood up against Russian President Vladimir Putin while inspirationally rallying Ukrainians behind him.

Democracies owe great debt to the bravery and sacrifices of Ukrainians and Zelenskyy, and no amount of support for Ukraine can adequately repay that debt.

Baumgartner should abandon his cultish political ambitions—incredibly loyal to 34-time convicted felon Trump—and show some US patriotism; i.e.. strongly support Zelenskyy and stand up against the Trump-Elon Musk-Putin autocracy alliance.

Most critically, he must listen to twice LD6 candidate Michaela Kelso. While admitting that Baumgartner’s Spokane Town Hall was unduly unruly—Baumgartner later slandered opposition as “unhinged lunatics”--Kelso added “it was needed given the dire situation the country is in. “’I’m from Germany. I know what fascism looks like. We are rapidly approaching 1939 [when Nazis invaded Poland]’” (Spokesman-Review, 3/18/25).

Norm Luther

Spokane