Rolling Stone Chews McCain Up, Spits Him Out

I'm trying to remember the last time a major national magazine pummeled a Presidential candidate this ferociously and comprehensively. What makes this piece most damning is that 90 percent of the sources quoted in it are Republicans, all of whom basically consider McCain mentally unfit to lead the country in such a tumultous global political climate (remember what I said about WWIII). And about that "war hero" tag? His brothers-in-arms call bullshit on that in a big way, and we go on to learn that McCain was a comically bad pilot before his capture. What's more, the Reagans thought he was an asshole for dumping his first wife, to the point where they essentially cut ties with McCain — which sure punctures the credibility of McCain's relentless Gipper worship. Suffice it to say, this is a must-read, folks.

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Reprieve for Nickelsville 'til Wednesday

Two weeks after the Nickelodeons set up 150 pink tents before dawn in city-owned lot on West Marginal Way, the encampment remains alive and fighting. Over the weekend Nickelsville was given a reprieve by the city, which bumped the deadline for it to leave Discovery Park to noon Wednesday. (The city had previously said the homeless residents had to vacate by noon today.) A spokesperson for Nickels says the mayor agreed to extend the deadline at the request of the Nickelodeons' attorney. Encampment residents are pursuing possible legal action in an effort to stay on land adjacent the Daybreak Star Center until a permanent location can be found. Meantime, Nickelsville organizers have also written letters to 22 property owners— including the University of Washington, Washington Department of Transportation, Sabey Corp., Seattle School District, Port of Seattle, Burlington Northern Railroad, and Prescott Development LLC— asking for help in finding a site.

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Poll: Gregoire and Rossi Tied

photo by Kevin P. Casey

The latest Rasmussen Reports poll has Gov. Christine Gregoire tied with challenger Dino Rossi at 48 percent apiece— an improvement for the incumbent over last month's numbers, which had Rossi ahead by six. Gregoire may have gotten a small bump due to strong performances in the three debates since the last poll took place. The numbers may also be a sign that voters aren't necessarily blaming her for the bleak budget numbers. Yet. But the latest poll shows Rossi's popularity with unaffiliated voters growing. He leads Gregoire by 20 points with this group. Still anybody's game.

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Howland Moving to Seattle Channel

After two years as the city council's communications specialist, George Howland Jr., former long-time Seattle Weekly City Hall scribe , is leaving. But he's not going far. Howland will take over as communications manager for the Seattle Channel. His last day at council is Monday.

Howland says there aren't many jobs that could've lured him away, but that he loves the Seattle Channel "because of its great public affairs programming... and because it shows all council meetings and forums and all mayoral press conferences— a necessary and vital link in keeping our city's politics healthy and vital."

Sounds like he won't have any trouble getting on his new message.

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Palin Clears the Underground Bar, But Biden Still Clobbers Her

Yes, the Republican's Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah "Margie Gunderson" Palin, exceeded expectations last night, a pretty easy trick when the proverbial bar is so low as to be buried underground. But that doesn't mean people shouldn't still be scared shitless by the prospect of this immensely unqualified, intellectually shallow woman's ascent to the second highest office in the land — and while Palin didn't embarrass herself, Joe Biden still creamed her in last night's debate. Of all four candidates, in fact, Biden's performance was far and away the best. By the way, I'm pretty sure Palin's chilly reaction to Biden's choking up was somewhat innocent, in that she likely spaced on the fact that Biden lost a child in a tragic car accident many years ago. When you're too busy trying to pull off the political equivalent of pulling an all-night cram session for the most important mid-term in your life, these sorts of details tend to slip the mind.

That said, I actually felt as though McCain narrowly won last week's Presidential debate, if only because, in sharp contrast to Palin, Obama fell short of clearing his ridiculously high bar for success. In winning the debate, however, McCain also made it very clear that World War III will commence within the first two years of his Presidency. That's really what it comes down to, folks: Are you psyched to fight World War III and see the enthusiastic reinstitution of conscription? If the answer is yes, by all means, vote McCain-Palin.

Topics: Campaign 2008

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The Eastside's Dueling Drug Policy Reformers

Containing parts of Kirkland, Redmond, Woodinville, and points east, the 45th Legislative District is hardly a hotbed of radicalism. But the two candidates for the district's statehouse seat share a position well out of the political mainstream: They both advocate wholesale changes to the War on Drugs.

In his time away from the capital, incumbent State Rep. Roger Goodman
heads the King County Bar Association's Drug Policy Reform Project,
where he works on moving drug policy's focus from crime-and-punishment
to public health. His challenger, Toby Nixon, who held the seat from
2002 to 2006 before leaving to run for State Senate (he lost his bid for
an open seat to Eric Oemig) has spoken out in defense of Washington's
medical marijuana law and pushed a bill requiring performance audits of
drug enforcement policies.

If a moderate Eastside district has voted to elect both these
candidates, is the general public ready for wholesale drug policy
reform? "I think people are receptive," says Nixon, "if you can get them
to settle down and have a conversation. Too often it's fear and hysteria
driving our policies." Noting that "some have observed that it's
unfortunate that we're running against each other," Nixon adds that he's
not sure he and Goodman have any disagreements on drug policy reform.
But he wishes Goodman had followed his lead and pushed more drug policy
reform bills as a legislator. "It's unfortunate that the house
leadership has not allowed him to pursue an important issue."

However, Goodman sees the legislator's role in drug policy reform
differently. Noting that Washington is already more progressive than
most states when it comes to drugs, he says further progress must be
preceded by "cultural change," before adding, "I work on that in my
other job [at the KCBA], and by educating my colleagues. But I was
elected to represent my district. I'm not a grenade thrower."

Goodman points to his work on public safety and education issues as the
stuff he was elected to do. He recently received the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration's "Safety Champions Award" for his
drunk-driving prevention ignition interlock bill, and also co-sponsored
bills to create Washington's Head Start program and allow for the
expansion of Children's Hospital. Nevertheless, as Vice Chair of the
Judiciary Committee, Goodman is in line to replace retiring Chair
Patricia Lantz (D- Gig Harbor), if he wins in November. Should he get
the chairmanship, Goodman hopes to advocate for some "innovative
treatment practices in drug courts," such as applying the
methadone/heroin model to other drugs in an attempt to more effectively
transition chronic addicts into treatment.

"With a $3 billion deficit, we don't want to cut health care or
education, but what about Corrections?" he reasons. "Maybe we shouldn't
be locking people up for a health problem."

Topics: Campaign 2008

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The Gigli of Debate Drinking Games

Maybe all the tension will make Biden and Palin realize they're secretly in love.

The disastrous LA mobster Ben and J.Lo vehicle is oft bandied about as a contender for worst movie ever made. The plot, dialogue, characters, clothing (oversized leather jacked in a so.cal. summer?)—hell even the soundtrack—are a muddled disaster start to last. So of course I've seen it a dozen times, maybe more.

Here's the problem my fellow Giglites and I have—how to structure a drinking game that doesn't land everyone in a coma by the end of the opening credits. Every terrible mistake made is repeated over and over. When we tried to define the game in terms of cinematic success—every time someone got through a scene without breaking character, say—we didn't get to drink at all.

I'm running into a similar problem trying to dream a drinking game up for tomorrow's Palin/Biden showdown. A shot every time she spews a stream of jibberish in answer to a question she doesn't understand requires keeping Harborview on speed dial. A sip every time he rolls his eyes, snorts, or winces at her answers and you'll want a bucket handy. And if we drink whenever dear Palin actually answers a question with a well phrased bit of insight, we'll be woefully sober by the end.

Any ideas?

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Sims on Obama Conference Call

King County Executive Ron Sims may have hopped on the bandwagon late— staying with Sen. Hillary Clinton until the bitter end— but he's on with Barack Obama now and moments ago he participated in a conference call with the Obama Campaign to discuss Washington's newly formed African American Leadership Committee. He spoke primarily about health care:

It's clear that African Americans are disproportionately out of the health care system. ... I'm ecstatic that for the first time in the country, rather than talk and talk about the need for health care, we’re going to have a president that will deliver health care for everyone. … His message is resonating deeply across the state in Washington. That’s great news.

It's no secret that Sims was eyeing a potential cabinet post in a Clinton Administration, and that now he might be interested in a cabinet post, period. During the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Gov. Chris Gregoire told Joel Connelly that she'd pitch Sims for Energy Secretary should Obama win. That all sounds nice, but having high-profile cabinet leadership coming from our corner of the country was a long shot anyway— a shot made even longer by Sims' choice to back the wrong candidate.

That said, it's important for the African American community, and Obama, that Sims is lending a hand— no matter how late it is in coming.

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Nude Palin: NSFW and NSF Your Mental Health

From benderbending on Flikr

Is Palin a natural brunette? A Chicago artist with space at the Old Town Ale House, a legendary Second City haunt, thinks so: from The Windy Citizen:

The Palin portrait has quickly become the bar’s star attraction, drawing a steady stream of picture-snapping admirers. According to the hand behind this and the rest of the paintings, former golf hustler and bar co-owner Bruce Elliott, his latest piece is even pulling in regulars from rival establishments.

"It’s been very successful," Elliott said, "Generally what I do is sex, but I think I’m going to do a little more politics."

My favorite note from the Elliott interview on Palin's facial expression: "That smirk says ‘I was the town whore in high school and look where I’ve gone'."

Topics: Campaign 2008

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The Debate Game

McCain (1-0)

Where was Obama's reputed debating skills?

"Senator, you can't win a war you never should have begun."

That's my line, not his.

Where was Obama's reputed Kennedyesque humor?

"Senator, why are you the only man who can overreact to something ten days old?"

That's Jon Stewart's line, not his.

Next game: Oct. 7, @ Nashville. Suggestion: Arrive fully e-quipped,

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Vote 08: Will It Be 2004 All Over Again?

Every vote counts, but every vote can’t be counted—typically not in King County, anyway. This is why we still don’t know the true intent of voters in the chaotic and twice-recounted 2004 gubernatorial race between Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi, and it’s likely why we won’t know which candidate a majority of voters really intended to elect in next month’s rematch, either.

According to records obtained by Seattle Weekly, county voter invalidations have steadily risen since 2004, when about 3,800 of 568,000 county mail ballots were disqualified because of signature and mail-deadline failures. Those were votes that could have unpredictably swung the general election Gregoire won by a 133-vote statewide margin. In the most recent election, the August 2008 King County primary, the disqualification rate was more than double the 2004 general-election figure, even though fewer people voted. About 9,400 of 311,000 mail-in votes could not be counted because they arrived late or lacked verifiable signatures.

Next month, a record 800,000 of the county’s 1 million voters—one third of the state’s total number of active registered voters—are expected to turn out, with most of them utilizing the relatively simple absentee mail-in process: marking a ballot, inserting it inside a security envelope, inserting that inside a signed return envelope, and mailing it by Election Day (envelopes can also be dropped off at polling places). But given the rising invalidation trend, and with another dramatic Rossi-Gregoire finish looming Nov. 4, thousands of well-intended and possibly decisive ballots are likely to again go uncounted.

“Even with inserts in mail ballots calling attention to any unusual issues for voting, and with instructions on the ballots, we still experience a surprising number of voters failing to follow instructions,” says King County Elections Director Sherril Huff, who thinks that more diligent oversight by her department contibutes to the increasing disqualifications. Besides the signature and mail-deadline problems, 17 primary voters sent in empty envelopes. Others failed to completely fill in the circle next to their preferred candidate’s name, instead checking it, putting an X inside it, or circling the circle, leaving it unreadable by electronic tabulators.

Still others were disqualified by scribbling complaints and epithets on their ballots. “One of the issues that is always sad,” says Huff, “is when voters write us a note on their ballot, or make a correction and then sign their name to verify the statement or correction.” According to state law, “A ballot is invalid and no votes on that ballot may be counted if it is…marked so as to identify the voter.”

Some also failed to observe a requirement that voters have heartbeats. In an echo of 2004, 20 of the invalid August voters were found to be dead. Some disqualified ballots may have been illegally cast by family members or friends, while others might have involved voters accidentally killed off by the Social Security Death Index, which sometimes supplies misinformation to the state voter registration database, says Huff. Many of those voters discovered their untimely passing after showing up to vote at a local polling place. “If they are not in the poll book,” says Huff, “they are given a provisional ballot, and then we follow up.”

Huff says new operations and oversight procedures and an extended certification deadline this year will improve vote verification. But there will be more voters than ever next month in King County. The Gregoire-Rossi rematch and an historic White House battle between John McCain and Barack Obama have helped push registration of new King County voters to an average of 15,000 every month this year. Officials were amazed to see 19,200 new registrants last month; then 21,300 signed up in the first three weeks of September alone. Come registration deadline Saturday Oct. 4 (new state residents have until Oct. 20), the county expects to have added more than 140,000 new voters this year, which would mark a slight increase over 2004.

Continue reading "Vote 08: Will It Be 2004 All Over Again?"

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Sarah Palin's Baby Names

I'm sure this has been shared elsewhere on the web, but if I were a baby of Sarah Palin's, I'd be Spoon Archer Palin. What would your name be? Click here to find out.

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Economist, Gas Station Lobbyist Clash over McKenna Gas Price Study

AG candidate John Ladenburg has been criticizing current AG Rob McKenna for the latter's recent gas price study, which was performed to explain regional variations in gas prices and to determine whether such variations were the result of anti-competitive practices. Ladenburg and Tim Hamilton, Executive Director of Automotive United Trades Organization, an organization representing independent gas sellers, argue that the investigation was less than thorough in its search for price fixing, and thus misleadingly exonerated industry players. Keith Leffler, the University of Washington economist who has worked extensively on petroleum issues and who was commissioned to perform the study, responds via e-mail:

"I am surprised that Mr. Ladenburg makes light of the AG Report. I can attest that the investigation was thorough. Many parties interviewed, much data analyzed, substantial opportunities for critics to influence the direction of the Report. I don’t recall Mr. Ladenburg being present at any of the various public forums or offering any comments, questions or suggestions during the extensive period for public comment? I suppose finding that the market works is not a good message when gasoline prices get to $4...

"This was not a price fixing investigation although we were certainly alert to that question. The data concerning wholesale prices, however, demonstrated that nothing was out of line with supply and demand explaining the prices. In addition, since wholesale gasoline markets are certainly geographically at least as broad as the west coast (as explained in detail in the Report), a single state investigation is of little value. Indeed, the FTC simultaneously conducted an investigation focused [on] the collusion issue and found no evidence. Mr. Hamilton is correct that the explicit purpose of the study was to attempt a better understanding of regional variations in prices. I believe it was successful."

Hamilton responds that "the FTC didn't do an investigation either," and recalls having to pay $1,500 of his own money to provide data for a recent FTC investigation in California, because the FTC lacked the budget to do so itself. ("Welcome to the world of George W. Bush," he says.)

"As politely as he said it, no price investigation was done in the state of Washington. The bottom line is that you cannot do a price investigation by not going to the powers of subpoena, by not putting people under oath. The data they gave him, you could get tomorrow morning on the Internet. He had zero to work with. I feel sorry for him, because this guy is good. I've told him before that I would hire him if I could afford to. But this is not rocket scientist shit. A high school kid with Excel could do this."

Continue reading "Economist, Gas Station Lobbyist Clash over McKenna Gas Price Study"

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Clinton, Inslee: Let's Break Barriers and Put a Woman in the White House

Sen. Hillary Clinton at Benaroya Hall, Oct. 22, 2007. Audio & Photos by Chris Kornelis.

Just a couple weeks ago I heard Sen. Joe Biden on Meet the Press tell Tom Brokaw that "I just think, you know, all folks are a little more discriminating than just merely whether or not it's the same sex or the same ethnicity or whatever." It got me thinking about how it was not so very long ago that the Democrats were doing their best to put their woman in the White House. And not just on basis her policies and experience. I didn't hear much "Vote for Hillary because she's a woman" talk from reasonable human beings, nor have I heard "Vote Palin Because she's a woman." But there certainly was some inference that voting a woman into the White House would be a big step forward for woman, particularly, as Sen. Clinton pointed out at Benaroya Hall, for the 90-year-old set born before women could vote.

Consider the following applause lines and anecdotes from Clinton's Oct. 22, 2007 stop at Benaroya Hall. The Palin camp could carbon copy these for the governor's speeches:

From Sen. Clinton's Speech:

"But, there are two groups of people who constantly put a smile on my face and inspire me to keep going. One are women in their 90s who come to my events. And they all say something, like ... I'm 95 years old, I was born before women could vote in this country, and I'm going to live long enough to see a woman in the white house.

The other group are the children who come, and the parents who bring them, and they listen and they squirm, they bring coloring books and Cheerios that they spill everywhere, I sometimes get very distracted because they're so adorable ....Then as I go out and shake hands in the crowd, I often here --- could be a father with a child on his shoulders, or a mother holding a little hand --- a parent lean over and say to a daughter, "see honey, in this country you can be anything you want to be."

Rep. Jay Inslee, Introducing Clinton:

Rep. Inslee told the audience about a story a cabbie in Iowa told him. After explaining to his daughter that the people she saw on the side of the road were campaigning for Sen. Clinton: "... His daughter turned to him and said, "Dad, does this mean I can be president, too?"

"When Hillary Rodham Clinton is President of The United States, the Democratic party will have done what it does best: break barriers. And for those who don't think America can elect a woman president, I stand on this firm belief as a rock: if America can elect the most incompetent man in America, it can elect the most admired woman in America."

Topics: Campaign 2008

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Debating Debate

Since everyone else has written something about McCain's call to postpone the debate, here's my own two cents.

In high school I was a member of the National Forensics League (the only NFL that matters to kids who suck at sports and have bumper stickers with slogans like: "Subvert the dominant paradigm!"). I competitively debated all the way through college with some degree of success.

Like many of my fellow master debaters (beat you to it), watching campaign "debates" always makes me cringe. The rules are set up in such a way to guarantee that most of what's said, by both sides, is blowhard posturing. In those minute response times you can hardly expect any nuance and if by some miracle anyone is specific they don't have the time to back up their plan.

"If elected I'll guarantee health care to all Americans under age five with expansion of Medicaid to close the gap between needs and affordability. How? When? Out of time, next question."

"I'll bolster defense spending to ensure that Americans never have to fear another Sept. 11. Why will more money there work better than increased funding to the State Department? Great question but I believe we've moved on to gay marriage."

One of these days my dream of seeing a well-structured debate inspired by the rules of high school Lincoln-Douglas competition will come to fruition. Each side will be given seven minutes or so to construct their case for election, followed by two or three minute grilling sessions from the other candidate on the specifics, then ten minutes to respond to everything that's been said and three minutes to wrap it up.

Would it be so bad if we actually learned something about our candidates during these things?

That said, this is what we get, and with less than two months until we vote, it's time for a little head to head. On with the "debating."

Topics: Campaign 2008

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