Karen Porterfield

The perception is accepted as fact at this point: Washington's redrawn 8th Congressional District was crafted into a Republican safe haven, an area impossible for Democrats to steal from the grips of Auburn's Dave Reichert come November. But Reichert's challenger, Karen Porterfield (who officially announced her candidacy last week), is sitting on some information that turns that perception on its head.

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This is considered a big day in American politics. Before we pick our president every four years every single state hosts candidates from each party and then holds a caucus or a primary vote. Those are a lot of primaries to keep up with, not to mention the countless debates, public events, fundraisers and campaign stops. So today is the day when primaries try to shake things up and try to settle the score but don't worry, we'll be quick and help you understand the highlights.

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It's a non-binding straw poll that doesn't officially determine who gets most of Washington's GOP presidential delegates. But Mitt Romney will take it. By notching a roughly 38 percent plurality vote in today's state Republican caucus and finishing ahead of Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, Romney at least becomes the candidate most likely to emerge victorious at this summer's state GOP convention.

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What does it say about the Mitt/Rick/Ron/Newt bandwagon rolling into Washington for Saturday's caucuses when the state Republican Party welcomes visitors to its website with this greeting: "Do you want to defeat Obama? Contact your county party to found out how you can help!" Is it an ungrammatical stab at admitting that no matter what this freaky-deaky parade of would-be presidents say, it's too late to matter?

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Roseanne plans a "One Million Bitches" march

We now have this memorable assessment by statesman Zbigniew Brzezinski, who served Democrat and Republican White Houses, on the crop of 2012 GOP presidential contenders shuttling in and out of Washington in advance of the state's Saturday caucuses:

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Local investor

Not unexpectedly, Mitt Romney has invested some of his millions in Boeing and Microsoft stock, according to the Republican presidential candidate's 550 pages of just-released tax returns, and made a tidy profit off the aerospace and software giants. But he's also done well buying and selling Costco stock - one of many investments that helped him become one of the richest candidates to run for the White House.

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The good news for Jay Inslee is that he's closed the gap to three points -- 46-43 percent -- with GOP challenger Rob McKenna, according to the latest Survey USA poll for KING 5 News. It's the closest Democratic congressman has been in months. Still, there are some ominous signs, as the survey of 617 voters statewide show that the Attorney General remains well-positioned to become the state's first Republican governor in 32 years.

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From the outset of the campaign, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee has lagged behind state Attorney General Rob McKenna in the polls. He's also finding McKenna to be formidable fundraiser. In fact, since the gubernatorial combatants began raising money last June, McKenna has generated $560,000 more than his Democratic foe.

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Suzan DelBene narrowly lost her race to Republican Rep. Dave Reichert in the 8th District two years ago. Now she's hoping the newly-minted 1st District, which stretches from Medina to the Canadian border, will bring better electoral luck.

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There was a time late last year when Washington's governor's race was considered "the most competitive" contest in the nation. Not any longer, according to Politico's final 2011 gubernatorial ranking. And that's due to state Attorney General Rob McKenna, who Politico writes, has the "genuine moderate sheen that fits the state at the moment."

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