Republican Dan Satterberg is back up on the airwaves again just a week and a half before the November election, touting his “non-partisanship” in the very partisan race for King County Prosecuting Attorney. Media observers tell me that Satterberg has booked $180,000 of TV and radio time, an extraordinary amount for a campaign that just ten days ago reported just $126,000 cash on hand.
How can he afford it? Well it looks like Satterberg is plowing everything into broadcast while the Washington State Republican Party picks up the rest of the tab via in-kind expenditures… and man is it shaping up to be some tab. The WSRP “Non-Exempt” Committee has hauled in nearly $170,000 over the past couple weeks, including $25,000 a pop from Martin Selig and Bruce McCaw, and $50,000 from diminutive Eastside developer Skip Rowley. Oh, they’ll say the money wasn’t earmarked but we all know that’s not how this game works, and reliable sources tell me that Rowley has said his primary motivation is to get a Republican on the King County Elections Canvassing Board.
That “Republican” would be Dan Satterberg.
I always expected Democrat Bill Sherman to be outspent two-to-one, but even against those odds I honestly always expected him to win. But four-to-one? It doesn’t look so good. You just don’t win a relatively low-profile race like this when you’re opponent is steadily up on TV, and you’re limited to direct mail. I find it incredibly disheartening to see Democrats allow Republicans and their developer patrons to buy this election with cold hard cash.
get a Republican on the King County Elections Canvassing Board.
A Republican that will always carry the ugly standard of the vote suppression crowd.
Dan Satterberg right now is getting the single best endorsement he can possibly get. Sharkansky is going after him.
Is it too late to see if we can raise $$ a la the Burner route?
Can donations this late even be turned into media exposure effectively? How long does it take to write / record / produce / and purchase air time for an ad?
Where is Christine Gregoire in all of this? She should be supporting the Democratic ticket this year in King County — especially the Democrats running against Republicans in county-wide races: Bill Sherman for Prosecuting Attorney, and Alec Fisken and Gael Tarleton for Port of Seattle commission.
Unfortunately, Gregoire is dissing the entire King County Democratic ticket this year, and is not supporting a single Democratic candidate in any of the Democrat vs. Republican races this year. Gregoire has not taken a public position on the Port of Seattle races. (In 2005, Gregoire supported Republican Pat Davis over Democrat Jack Jolley.) In the prosecuting attorney race, Gregoire’s personal lawyer, Democrat bigwig Jenny Durkan, is supporting Satterberg — something which sends the signal that Gregoire herself would prefer Satterberg over Bill Sherman, but dares not take a public position on the matter.
At least Dino Rossi has some good political savvy and party loyalty. Rossi is very clear and enthusiastic in supporting the entire Republican ticket this year — Dan Satterberg for prosecuting attorney, and Bob Edwards and Bill Bryant for port of seattle commission. Rossi has even recently decided to endorse the toxic Jane Hague — AFTER her drunk driving arrest, fake college degree, and campaign finance violations became public.
This is politically wise for Rossi. All four of these Republicans supported Rossi in 2004, and they will be supporting Rossi again in 2008. A very smart move to get Republicans into office in King County, where Rossi was heavily outpolled in 2004 and needs to gain ground in 2008 if he wants to have a prayer of getting elected.
Democrats need to tell Christine Gregoire — SUPPORT YOUR PARTY IN KING COUNTY! Don’t take our support for granted! We have the chance to get a Democratic prosecuting attorney for the first time in 60 years. And we have a choice between a solid progressive majority on the port commission, or a solid Republican majority. Christine, where are you?
Christine Gregoire and Dwight Pelz — WE NEED YOU RIGHT NOW TO COME OUT FULL BORE FOR BILL SHERMAN!
@5 Mr. Mouse
I keep saying this. Gov Gregoire is a very poor leader. I have heard that she is a good bureaucrat and talented backroom negotiator, BUT unless she learns to lead .. whether it is this or Prop. 1, she is really an accessible target for the Reps AS WELL AS a poor leader for us all.
SeattleJew @ 6
“Gov Gregoire is a very poor leader.”
Hogwash. You don’t like her because of what she did as AG.
In fact, she has shown admirable leadership on numerous issues over the last 3 years. Sometimes that includes knowing when to NOT say anything.
My criticism of Gregoire is that her PR team hasn’t always been good about translating her efforts and leadership into media coverage….
I will laugh so fucking hard when Sherman loses…he and Darcy can weep on each other’s shoulders about the curse of the becoming the object of your lust.
You need to find some real right wing wackos to go after…demonizing genuinely good and thoughtful guys like Satterburg and Reichert just isnt getting it done for you. Why not try another “asshole” initiative? Oh yeah..that failed too. Sorry.
I will laugh so fucking hard… genuinely good and thoughtful guys like.. Reichert
Interesting… I laughed my ass off at this.
“Gregoire is dissing the entire King County Democratic ticket this year, and is not supporting a single Democratic candidate in any of the Democrat vs. Republican races this year.”
Interesting, considering King County was what got her elected back in 2004.
@10…PI…
She’s not as dumb as she looks!
The Piper
PI and Piper- no, the fact is the R’s created the story of King County conspiring to put Gregiore into office. The Sims operatives never forgave her for beating him in the primary. I forget the exact number, but there were several hundred qrite-ins for Sims in the governor’s election. Sims and Gregiore have never really reconciled. Look at Prop 1.
But the facts don’t fit your silly theories.
@12…K…
I didn’t propound a theory, I merely stated an opinion: she’s not as dumb as she looks.
Consider, though, that Ron Sims ain’t all that keen on county-wide Democratic candidates.
Will the last prominent Democrat in King County to abandon county-wide Democratic candidates please turn out the lights?
It will be interesting…
The Piper
Asshole @8,
I’ve never demonized Dan Satterberg. Never. (Unless, of course, your definition of “demonizing” means calling somebody a “Republican.”)
Isn’t it funny how the WSRP is dumping so many of its marbles into a “nonpartisan” race on behalf of a “nonpartisan” candidate? Smells like they’ve got an agenda in this race. An elections agenda, to be exact.
GOP to flood prosecutor’s race with late money
Well I guess dems are going to flood the ballot box with a late flurry of dead people votes. That is how it is done in KC. roof roof.
Goldy,
Whatever. You claim that Republicans want Satterburg so they can have a GOP vote on the canvassing board? You are either trying to demonize him for the liberal mouth breathers in here or you are as crazy as a shithouse rat. Ironically you sound more and more like a mirror image of Stephan. Conspiracies, partisan canvassing board…
Truth is Dan, like Sam Reed and John McKay, did his fucking jobs. Your after the fact attempt to spin Dan’s work on the canvassing board into something sinister is as laughable as it is transparent. I’m sure Mr. Burns and Kemper Freeman are all cackling over I-25 and Satterburg in a smoky back room as they plot to install Dino Rossi.
Again, you are more and more resembling a left wing version
of Stephan and Tim Eyman…your equally creepy right wing nemeses.
Anyone that trusts any republicon belongs in a straight jacket.
From now on their party is to be called the Republican Mafia.
They act like the mafia. Just like the mafia.
The state GOP pouring their tens of thousands on a “non-partisan” candidate. Yeah, and pigs fly…..
Sherman has a 7 point solid lead. Quit stressing.
Gov. Gregoire HAS endorsed in ONE hot local race, she endorsed David Della in his race for city council vs. the quasi Dem. Burgess who writes hate mail and lies a lot… very rare move from any Gov. FACT, good guy Della has Gov Gregoire, Gov. Locke and Gov. Lowry, impressive.
I think that is real smart, it keeps Seattle’s LGBT and Asian communities in her hand. And, NARAL and the Gov. stand together to defeat an anti choice dog, Burgess.
Love you Christine Gregoire. Viva.
Sherman is safe, unless Maleing comes back to campaign. Pope, can you make that NOT happen? I am sure you have studied the occult, it fits.
Gee – a 4:1 difference in spending might make a difference in an election.
It did in MA-5 last week, except it was the Dem fat cats piling on a Rep challenger.
Where were the crocodile tears on that one, Goldy?
It should say something that Dems, prominent or not, aren’t supporting Bill Sherman. Regardless of the position, a person’s vote in any election should go to the most qualified candidate. The county prosecutor is a unique position, with demands unlike that of many other elected positions. In a position like that, experience matters, and Sherman just doesn’t have it. Instead of working at his job, he’s been off campaigning. He’s never had to make the big decisions (like whether to seek the death penalty) nor has he been involved in that process. Maybe some Dems realize that Sherman ISN’T the more qualified candidate.
About the money – Satterberg has made his position on partisanship in the office clear. He can’t stop people from donating money and if his party wants to support him, they can. If it were the other way around, and to a certain extent it is, Dems wouldn’t be complaining.
As a Dem, I’m disappointed to see so many people blindly supporting the party instead of really acquainting themselves with the facts.