crosscut.com : Washington Legislature

Sausage Links, tears for Obama edition

Crosscut — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:00:01 PDT

Who says there's no crying at conventions? Michael at NW Progressive, a delegate for Sen. Hillary Clinton blogging from the Democratic National Convention in Denver, says he "broke down and cried" when the former first lady moved to suspend the rules of the convention and nominate Obama by acclamation yesterday. "That was the low point of the entire week for me — emotionally and physically drained, and a bit numb," wrote Michael. Not exactly a rosy picture for party unity. But after more tears, hugs, handholding, and a classic Bill Clinton mid-speech lip-bite, most Democrats, even die-hard Clinton supporters, rallied behind Obama. Speaking of tears, Eli Sanders at the Stranger wonders why this convention has been awash in them. ...

Turning foreclosures into affordable housing

Crosscut — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:00:01 PDT

Several American cities have been buying up foreclosed and abandoned homes, refurbishing them, and selling them quickly to developers and homeowners. Boston, San Diego, and Minneapolis are using the idea, which both helps prevent troubled neighborhoods from deteriorating further and addresses the shortage of affordable homes for the local workforce.

Sausage Links, 'piece of cake' edition

Crosscut — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:01 PDT

So. What did you think about Hillary Clinton last night? Most opinion writers in the media say the former first lady's speech at the Democratic National Convention was one of her finest moments. As Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly put it, the speech "erased the bad blood of a lengthy nomination battle ... and raised the party's blood for the fall campaign." Eli Sanders at the Stranger said she was "magnanimous," also calling it her "best, most selfless moment." I'm not sure I buy it. But I'll leave it up to you. Discuss. ...

Sausage links, Clinton overkill edition

Crosscut — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:01:01 PDT

Michelle Obama's speech last night at the Democratic National Convention has the pundits praising — and rightly so. Like Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial cartoonist David Horsey wrote: She "hit it out of the park." But as Camp Clinton prepares to take the stage in Denver tonight and Wednesday, the convention buzz has turned to back to speculation about Hill and Bill. And I'm getting tired of it. ...

Sausage Links, convention caucus edition

Crosscut — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:33:01 PDT

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) starts today, and the nation's focus will turn from the Olympics in Beijing to Obama in Denver. But if you're not into Obama-palooza, there's plenty of local political news to keep your whistle whetted. ...

Crosscut's 2008 election predictions, UPDATED

Crosscut — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

We asked our pundits to weigh in with their predictions for the general election, considering what can be discerned from the primary vote earlier this week in Washington state. Composing the Crosscut Index for this survey were Knute Berger, David Brewster, Jim Compton, Clark Fredricksen, Pete Jackson, Jerry Grinstein, Floyd McKay, Jeff Reifman, and Ted Van Dyk. We give you their consensus predictions in key races, and some reasons from the pundits. More votes have come in since the first post, changing the prediction for the governor's race.

Sausage Links, Obama waiting game edition

Crosscut — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:00:01 PDT

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Has Barack Obama texted you yet? He sent me a text message two days ago that read: "Barack Obama is proud to announce Wash. Sen. Patty Murray will be his VP nominee in the November elections. Yes We Can." But it was not to be. ...

Sausage Links, 'be nice to reporters or else' edition

Crosscut — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:18:01 PDT

The Seattle Times editorial board slams Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi today for what it calls "artfully misleading" campaign ads. At Horse's Ass, liberal blogger David Goldstein says the ads reflect "Rossi's artfully misleading personality." But as Democrats bemoan the tactics of the Rossi campaign, Republicans say there's a new liberal bully in town — and this one is taking more than just lunch money. Chris McGann at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports the newly formed Evergreen Progess PAC has "emerged with more than $2.4 million in spending power" and is giving "Rossi a drubbing." Eric Earling at Sound Politics has a breakdown of that story. ...

Sausage Links, primary hangover edition

Crosscut — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:00:01 PDT

So, who were the big winners and losers in last night's inaugural "top-two" primary? On the winning side were incumbent Supreme Court Justices Mary Fairhurst and Charles Johnson, who virtually guaranteed their re-election by winning more than 50 percent of the vote. Along with incumbent Justice Debra Stephens, they'll run unopposed in the general election. Last night's losers, however, were easier to spot. ...

Top-two. Ho-hum.

Crosscut — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:30:01 PDT

Top-Two changed — almost nothing.

The top-two primary system was supposed to be the beginning of the end of politics as we know it in Washington state. Both chairs of the state's political parties (Luke Esser, Republican, and Dwight Pelz, Democrat) spent much of the last several months warning about the perverse outcomes that would result from our new system. The most perverse of all, of course, was the scenario in which two members of the same party would advance to the general election instead of the top Democrat and the top Republican.

Sausage Links, 'Pledge Allegiance to the Top-Two Primary' edition

Crosscut — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:39:01 PDT

Today is the the "top-two" primary, and everyone expects the polls to be packed. But before casting your ballot, take a moment to remember our failed state primary formats of the past. As the editorial board at The Seattle Times writes: "Pause now for a moment of silence in remembrance of the state's defunct blanket primary, which served Washington's voters well for almost 70 years" — that is, until federal courts declared it was unconstitutional. After the blankie went bye-bye, Washington state tried the "Pick-a-party" primary, but voters didn't feel the vibe. Today, we've been blessed with the oft-litigated, much deliberated top-two primary, a format some people say is doomed to fail. But dammit, we might as well try it out. ...

Election reflections

Crosscut — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

A veteran political insider remembers good statesmen of the past and shares his choices for today's primary.

Sausage Links, top-two primary Cuban cigar edition

Crosscut — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:26:01 PDT

Today is "Top-Two" Primary's Eve, and as usual, the pundits have circled and speculated about tomorrow's big turnout. But we'll get to that in a second. First, Oregon congressional candidate Mike Erickson has a lesson for us titled What not to do when going on a "humanitarian trip" to Cuba. In 2004, Erickson said he visited a Cuban "medical center, met with doctors, and attended a presentation on the plight of the disabled." But according to a recent story in The Oregonian, the medical center Erickson said he visited does not exist. The story goes on to say that Erickson and some friends spent nearly $1,698 each for the weeklong Cuban vacation, which conveniently coincided with the Habanos Festival, an annual celebration of Cuban cigars. ...

Sausage Links, ice cream man edition

Crosscut — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:22:01 PDT

Despite the near-record temperatures predicted for the weekend, officials from around the state are asking agencies to "freeze." Last week, Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire ordered a hiring freeze for state employees in an attempt to ease Washington's mounting budget deficit. Yesterday, the Snohomish County Council ordered a hiring freeze for all of their county's agencies. Not to be outdone, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels proposed a $5 million spending freeze for the City of Seattle yesterday. On a related note, Seattle's fleet of ice cream carts are expanding their service around the city, in a move experts say could result in widespread brain freezes. ...

Sausage Links, abbreviated snack time edition

Crosscut — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:58:01 PDT

Gregory Roberts at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has an interesting story detailing how Washington state's past elections would have been different if we always had the "top-two" primary system. Think Locke versus Rice, ~~Goodspaceguy versus Mike the Mover~~, Dixy Lee versus McDermott. Meanwhile, Jeff Mapes at The Oregonian wonders if Oregon voters know what they could be getting themselves into with Measure 65, a ballot initiative that — if approved — would implement the top-two primary in Oregon as well. ...

Sausage Links, 'Everybody wants to rule the world' edition

Crosscut — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:00:01 PDT

Angie Vogt at Red County Washington has posted an exclusive one-on-one interview with Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi. However, don't expect attacks like those seen in Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire's interview with the Stranger last week — this one is fairly vanilla. From the start, Rossi channels the Obama-patented change mantra, saying "this election is not about me, it's not about Christine Gregoire; it's about changing the culture and direction of state government for a generation." It may be a sign Rossi is looking to court more independent voters like this. Or that he's sticking to the high road for now. His campaign, however, isn't so sure he'll be ahead after Tuesday's primary election. But they aren't worried. ...

Sausage Links, cops and memos edition

Crosscut — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:00:01 PDT

The local blogosphere is buzzing about a Democratic Party cameraman who was forcibly removed by off-duty police officers from a press conference for Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi yesterday. David Goldstein at Horse's Ass says the incident sets an unfair double standard, as Republican camera crews are allowed into campaign events for Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, while the folks at Sound Politics say the Democrats don't exactly have a "spirit of openness," either. Here's the YouTube video. ...

Sausage Links, 'text me ur VP selection' edition

Crosscut — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:08:01 PDT

It may come as no surprise that Republican U.S. Rep. Richard "Doc" Hastings isn't a real doctor — but did you know he's a college dropout? The folks at McCranium discovered that juicy detail in this Daily Record story about Hastings' recent commencement speech at Central Washington University. Since then, the blogosphere — comme d'habitude — has pounced.

Sausage Links, money for nothing edition

Crosscut — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:15:01 PDT

Was the latest Elway poll a little off? Released Monday, Aug. 4, the poll showed Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire leading Republican challenger Dino Rossi by a whopping 16 points. Today, Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly says Elway "may be wrong." Meanwhile, both candidates are still sparring over Gregoire's recent accusations of racism in a Republican attack ad. Rossi, however, has responded by saying: How could the ads be racist? I'm part Native American myself. ...

Sausage Links, slow news day edition

Crosscut — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:00:01 PDT

The editorial board at the Stranger posted their interview with Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire yesterday — and boy, did she get defensive. Along with saying Republican challenger Dino Rossi's latest ads were "racist" and offensive, the governor got fussy on rapid transit relief, gay marriage, and the economy. Meanwhile, Fox News is ~~making its case~~ reporting on Gregoire's continuing battle with Republicans over tribal gaming compacts, while Rossi will reportedly be endorsed by the Seattle Police Officers' Guild later today. ...