The negative ads keep on coming in Washington’s U.S. House 5th District race between Cathy McMorris, Republican, and Don Barbieri, Democrat, despite promises from both candidates that they would run positive campaigns. And despite promises that they would protest when others use negative tactics in support of them.

The good news: The ads provide some lessons in spotting where attack ads depart from the reality of political life.

Let’s start with one of the negative ads against McMorris. It accuses her of being a “career politician” because she was appointed to the Washington state Legislature 10 years ago and has won re-election several times to remain there.

Reality check: The word politician has acquired a pejorative meaning. That’s unfortunate. A politician is simply “a person who is active in politics.” Career politicians are people who have made a commitment to public service.

And the best career politicians can do much good because of their longevity, experience and dedication. Tom Foley, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, proved it during the 30 years he represented Eastern Washington.

Over Idaho’s way, Larry Craig, a third-term U.S. senator, served in the Idaho Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1990. He’s been a career politician since 1974 and still serves constituents well.

With rare exceptions, so-called career politicians don’t molder in public life because they have no private-sector options. They possess the many skills needed in high-powered workplaces. They’ve experienced endurance-building campaigns. And while in office, they fine-tuned skills of negotiation and compromise.

Now to the recent attack ad against Barbieri. This one accuses him of “putting money and himself first.” As pointed out in an earlier editorial on attack ads, the Republicans’ own platform supports a businessperson’s autonomy to pursue profits in the business world.

But the reality check here is this: Candidates for public office must have some self-interest in pursuing office. They must possess a good dose of ambition, or they would never run. People who try for elected office put themselves out there – financially and emotionally. They open themselves to criticism, intense scrutiny and attack ads. They need healthy egos to survive it.

The recent attack ads, besides reflecting no reality pertinent to voters, remain a huge distraction. In recent debates, the two candidates spent time going back and forth over the ads. This banter took precious minutes away from their solutions to the health-care crisis and growing poverty here, two inescapable realities in Washington’s 5th District.