Elway has released a new poll today of 405 registered Washington state voters interviewed from Feb 7-9. The poll offers several interesting head-to-head match-ups with Obama:

Here are the highlights:

• Obama is +11% against Romney, 49% to 38%
• Obama is +8% against a generic Republican, 50% to 42%
• Romney loses about 6% of Republican voters compared to a generic Republican candidate.
• When Ron Paul is added to the mix, 17% abandon Romney for Paul.

Republicans are having troubles warming up to the Mittster.

Obama has maintained a solid lead over Romney in Washington state. He led by +8 (49% to 41%) in last November’s Survey USA poll. Before that, the October Washington Poll found Obama leading by +9.5% (50.2% to 40.7%):

Obama will be visiting Washington state on Friday where, among other things, he’ll visit a Boeing manufacturing plant in Everett.

Just in time for Valentines Day, Gov. Christine Gregoire has signed the marriage equality bill. Help us celebrate on Tuesday. Grab your sweetheart and join us for a celebration of love and equality under the influence at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

(Mercifully…there are no Republican debates or primary events to kill the mood….)

Drinking Liberally–Seattle meets every Tuesday at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Our starting time is 8:00 pm, but some of us show up a little earlier for dinner.

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Presidential candidate Valentines day cards.

Roy Zimmerman with a new version of vote Republican:

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Can’t make it to Seattle? There are also meetings on Tuesday night of the Tri-Cities, Bellingham, and Vancouver, WA chapters. The Tacoma chapter meets this Thursday. And next Monday there are meetings of the Woodinville the Olympia, the Yakima, and the Shelton chapters.

With 232 chapters of Living Liberally, including twelve in Washington state and six more in Oregon, chances are excellent there’s one near you.

Here are a few things that came out over the weekend (i.e. too late for the Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza).

WA Senate Democrat’s Week in Review podcast:
[audio:http://www.sdc.wa.gov/podcast/ITL_2012_7.mp3]

Obama’s Weekly Address: Extending the Payroll Tax Cut for the Middle Class:

Arianna Huffington talks women’s issues on SNL.

Bill Maher on Republican’s divided America:

What the Koch Brothers say on-line but won’t say under oath.

Bashir: With Congressional approval at 10%, Republicans intensify anti-Obama attacks.

It began five years ago today:

Jennifer Granholm: Michigan rebounds thanks to ‘active’ leadership.

Bill Maher: New Rules.

White House: Science fair.

The Delicious G.O.P. Primary

• ONN: GOP introduces new “Mystery Candidate” with paper bag over head
• Young Turks: Santorum’s Hat-Rick
• Buzz 60: Santorum sweeps all three!!!
• Alyona’s Tool Time Award: Santorum and women’s emotions.
• Young Turks: Santorum claims Obama is destroying religious liberty, families.
• Sam Seder: Santorum compares health care to an iPad.
• Young Turks: Low GOP turnout helps Santorum.
• Maddow: Rick Santorum’s billionaire benefactor (pt. I)
• Maddow: Rick Santorum’s billionaire benefactor (pt. II)
• Young Turks: Rick Santorum on women in the military.
• Newsy: Santorum sweep reveals Romney campaign trouble.
• Mitt Romney: The web influence.
• Maddow: Mitt’s 4 year anniversary.
• One Minute News: Romney’s 1983 dog-on-the-roof story surfaces again.
• Mitt: “We’re on the same page and same verse” as the Ryan plan to privatize Medicare
• Sharpton: MITTion Impossible (or Willard’s Woes).
• Actual audio: Mitt loves America.
• Mitt Romney: What will he say today?
• Bashir: Why conservatives don’t trust Willard.
• Mitt’s Hits!
• Sam Seder: Paul double dips on expense reimbursements.
• Ed and Pap: Newt’s new Southern Strategy.
• Sam Seder: Ron Paul Fan, “He’s not a bigot, you Jew!”.
• Jimmy Kimmel: Mitt Romney’s believe it or not.

White House: West Wing Week.

Mark Fiore: The heart and mind-o-matic.

ONN: Panel analyzes Obama’s furious, profanity-filled rant at nation.

Thom: Are politicians now SuperPAC puppets?

The Week in Marriage Equality:

• Newsy: WA passes same-sex marriage law.
• Young Turks: Rep. Maureen Walsh’s (R) heartfelt speech to the WA House of Representatives.
• One Minute News: Prop-8 ruling stay.

Newsy: Pelosi’s “stop Colbert” spoof ad goes viral.

Pap: How the GOP war on workers backfired.

Lobbyist poses as anti-union mechanic in Superbowl advertisement.

Maddow: The absurdity of GOP legislators rallying against ideas they previously supported:

Andrew Breitbart totally loses it at Occupy protesters.

Thom with the Good, the Bad and the Very, Very Ugly.

Contraceptive Choice:

• Jennifer Granholm: WWJD about birth control debate?
• Sam Seder: Catholic Bishops attack on contraception…which 98% of Catholics use.
• Alyona: The MSM’s birth control hysteria.
• Ann Telnaes: Playing with women’s private lives.
• Young Turks: Reasonable compromise.
• Obama speaks on contraception accomodation.
• Ed: Republican War on women’s health heats up.
• Jennifer Granholm: Obama’s reasonable compromise.
• Ed and Pap: Republicans hope culture war will re-ignite base.
• Alyona’s Tool Time Award: GOP is fucking INSANE over birth control.
• Sam Seder and Markos: Contraceptive compromise.
• Obama: Contraception.
• Thom: It’s about health care, not bad Catholics.
• Ann Telnaes: The Catholic church reaches outside its flock.
• Newsy: Obama announces birth control compromise.

An interview with Jay Inslee.

Alyona: Time for a national popular vote?

Hannity’s Bizarre Claim:

• Ed: Fox’s ‘syphilitic liar’ Sean Hannity says that ‘Obama didn’t want bin Laden dead!’.
• Young Turks: Hannity’s bizarre theory that Obama wishes bin Laden was alive.

Lawrence O’Donnell: Buffoon Donald Trump thinks endorsing Romney guarantees him a position in Willard’s cabinet!.

Pres. Obama’s record on jobs:

Ed: Update on the Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) scandal.

The CPAC Funny Farm:

Young Turks: Herman Cain on “stupid people”.

Alyona: CPAC’s freedom for some.

The CPAC Carnival for Conservatives.

Embarassing: FAUX News contributer’s rap video at CPAC.

Sharpton: Juvenile taunts at CPAC.

Mitt Romney: Then and now (at CPAC).

Young Turks: Gay Republicans not welcomed at CPAC.

One Minute News: So you want to be a Conservative.

Alyona’s happy hour: cruising for gay sex at CPAC

Ed: CPAC starts with juvenile attacks on Obama.

Buzz 60: Santorum and Romney battle for CPAC love

Young Turks: CPAC dating seminar.

Sam Seder: State Sen. Constance Johnson (D-Oklahoma City) on he amendment to a Wingnut personhood bill .

Ann Telnaes: Russia and China reject U.N. resolution condemning Syria.

Obama and the marshmallow launcher.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Obama announces “an accommodation” on the birth control issue:

The “accommodation” is reasonable, and The Catholic Health Association (which was considered subversive by some Bishops during the 2009 health care debate) is “very pleased with the White House announcement”.

The original issue is complete bullshit—yet another unholy liaison between religious extremists and right wing political opportunists. As MoJo’s Nick Baumann points out, much of the policy dates back to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling back in December, 2000, that went entirely unchallenged by the Bush administration:

“It was, we thought at the time, a fairly straightforward application of Title VII principles,” a top former EEOC official who was involved in the decision told Mother Jones. “All of these plans covered Viagra immediately, without thinking, and they were still declining to cover prescription contraceptives. It’s a little bit jaw-dropping to see what is going on now…There was some press at the time but we issued guidances that were far, far more controversial.”

After the EEOC opinion was approved in 2000, reproductive rights groups and employees who wanted birth control access sued employers that refused to comply. The next year, in Erickson v. Bartell Drug Co., a federal court agreed with the EEOC’s reasoning.

So what changed? Almost nothing:

“We have used [the EEOC ruling] many times in negotiating with various employers,” says Judy Waxman, the vice president for health and reproductive rights at the National Women’s Law Center. “It has been in active use all this time. [President Obama’s] policy is only new in the sense that it covers employers with less than 15 employees and with no copay for the individual. The basic rule has been in place since 2000.”

The real issue at stake IS about religious freedom. It’s about whether an employer can impose its religious views on employees—and their bodies. It is whether individuals who work for religious-affiliated employers are required to accept their employer’s extremist views.

And, no mistake about it, a prohibition on contraception in America, in 2012, is an extremist view.

No. Individual rights to private matters of conscience—and matters of personal health—trump those of religious institutions.

The government is right to protect individuals from that institutional violence.

Today Horsesass.Org is participating in a Washington United for Marriage and Daily Kos blog swarm to help support the marriage equality campaign in Washington State. HA is joined by bloggers from Bilerico Project, Pam’s House Blend, Good As You, AMERICABlog Gay,the Prop 8 Trial Tracker, the Seattle Lesbian, The Bent Angle, on the-Ave, MadProfessah, HRC, Hella Bus, Step Forward, LGBT POV, FrontiersLA, the Left Shue, Peace Tree Farm and more.

This has been an incredible week! On Tuesday a three judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals ruled Proposition 8 unconstitutional. In the majority opinion, the court wrote,”Prop 8 served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California.”

On Wednesday, the Washington State House passed a same-sex marriage bill, and now it the bill is headed to Governor Gregoire’s desk for her signature. She promised to sign the bill before Valentine’s Day!

Please click here to thank Governor Gregoire.

Governor Gregoire’s leadership was instrumental to the success of passing a marriage bill in Washington State. She not only supported the bill, but she introduced the bill. This is as much her legislation as it is our community’s legislation.

Please join us during this blog swarm to thank Governor Gregoire for her leadership and her friendship. There is little doubt our opponents will make their voices heard, but we know that together our voice for equality is so much stronger.

Please click here to the Washington United for Marriage’s and Daily Kos’ joint petition to thank Governor Gregoire for making history.

When our friends speak up for us, we need to speak up for our friends, so join us in thanking Governor Gregoire today!

Did you sign the thank you petition? Share it with your friends: http://wufm.it/4

Jerry Cornfield summarizes the likely trajectory of ESSB 6239, the same-sex marriage bill.

A vote should come this afternoon…watch it live on TVW.

There is something you can do before the debate and vote begins…call or email your Representatives encouraging them to support passage. Even if your Rep. already supports the legislation, a show of support is important—you can probably imagine the type of campaign opponents are undertaking right now.

You can very quickly find contact information for your Representatives here.

Update: As expected…it passed.

I’m livebloggin’ it from the Montlake Alehouse!

Ladies and gentleman, the comment thread is open for your pleasure….

5:17: We have CNN on the tube, sans sound. I’ll see if I can find streaming audio. Otherwise, this will be an impressionistic report based on video and emotional stimulus only….

5:19: The teevee tells me that Romney and Santorum are tied in MO at 36% each. Go Frothy!

5:21: Romney puts Santorum down -1%.

5:23: In Missouri, Uncommitted is slightly ahead of Ron Paul. Go Uncommitted!!!!

5:38: I’ve been on the phone with my neighbor for the last 10 minutes or so, but I see there has been some action. Santorum moved on top of Romney, then Romney moved back on top of Santorum. Somebody get a hose, please.

5:52: In MO, “Uncommitted” has just pulled ahead of Ron Paul! Go Newt!

5:45: And now Romney is tied with Santorum. Ewwwwwwwww!

5:47: Minnesota weighs in and Mitt is way, way down…in THIRD place.

5:49: In Missouri, Paul is now +2 over uncommitted. And by “uncommitted”, I think they mean “Gingrich”

5:53: Minnesota. Remarkable:

• Santorum 49%
• Paul 22%
• Newt Mitt 15%
• Gingrich 14%

6:20: Carl Ballard is here, so I’m chatting instead of serving you…

6:20: How totally awesome is this…Santorum is on top in all THREE states. If you believe in a God or god or Gods or gods, pray that this holds when more than 1% of the vote is in.

6:22: A hat-trick by Santorum tonight will cost Mitt Romney about $25 Million, will cost SuperPACs another $15 Million, and will leave all the candidates bloody and battered by the General election.

6:25: Carl Ballard isn’t wearing a sweater vest tonight. But that’s because he bicycled in tonight. He has an orange safety vest for biking in…and it doubles as a spiffy uniform when he joins the moon colony.

6:30: Romney goes on top of Santorum in CO….well, it was fun while it lasted….

6:35: Santorum is going to win the M states tonight. Mmmmmm for Santorum!

6:40: Holy SHIT! He is leading all 3 states…. Santorum spreads his philosophy across mid-continental U.S.

6:42: Santorum smears the competition in Missouri…CNN projects.

7:03: CNN has grainy, out of focus footage coming from their “caucus cam.” Isn’t that what got Rep.Anthony Weiner in trouble

7:21: I keep getting excited every time CNN shows Santorum way up in Colorado. But really, it has been the same result for a long time now. They keep repeating it over and over again, nevertheless it may not be true. But mark my words, the Romney camp is shitting their pants right now.

7:24: Okay…just as I posted that, new results came in from CO. Romney is tied with Santorum.

8:46: Holy shit…after Romney’s shit-eating-grin-festooned speech, he is shaking all kinds of hands, and we see TELEPROMTERS in the background. My God…Obama got more than Health Care Reform from Mitt Romney!!!

9:22: Goldy is here and he is totally vexed by the low numbers in Colorado…where Santorum is totally beating expectations by leading Romney. Unfortunately, the reported votes are not a random sample, but we can wish for a Santorum win…

9:25: And, of course, the second I leave the previous comment, Romney captures the lead from Santorum. Come-on, PRAY, people, PRAY!

9:40: Romney spreads his lead over Santorum….

9:51: 70% reporting in CO, and it looks like Santorum may just squeeze out a victory…. And Colorado Springs hasn’t reported yet, which ought to work in his favor.

10:03: Holy shit…Santorum pulls a HAT TRICK!!!! Incredible…an (un)clean sweep.

Please join us for another evening of electoral politics under the influence at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

There are three primary events tonight: The Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and the no-stakes “show-me” primary in Missouri. This one looks pretty interesting. The latest polls show:

• Gingrich is polling third in Colorado, behind Romney and Santorum
• Santorum has a slight lead over Romney in Minnesota
• Santorum may even take Missouri (though based on a slightly older poll)

Will Santorum really win two out of three?!? Clearly we’ll have some live blogging going on for this G.O.P. train-wreck.

Drinking Liberally–Seattle meets every Tuesday at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Our nominal starting time is 8:00 pm, but some of us will show up much earlier for the political happenings.

Can’t make it to Seattle? There is also a meeting tonight of the Tri-Cities chapters. On Thursday, Drinking Liberally Bremerton meets.

With 227 chapters of Living Liberally, including twelve in Washington state and six more in Oregon, chances are excellent there’s one near you.

Today is an auspicious day for Mitt Romney. It was four years ago today that he surrendered:

Romney’s candidacy, into which he has dumped well more than $35 million of his own fortune, had become a longshot, slipping far behind John McCain and losing ground even to Mike Huckabee. But he said he was pulling out of the race and clearing the way for McCain’s nomination for the good of the party and, ultimately, the country.

The good of the country?!? What the fuck?

As president, either of the Democratic contenders, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, Romney asserted, “would retreat and declare defeat” in Iraq and the war on terror. “And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be part of aiding a surrender to terror,” Romney said.

Oh yes…we all remember that day when our President, Barack Hussein Obama, handed keys to the White House over to Osama bin Laden—you know, shaped into and delivered to Osama in the form of a bullet. To the head. But, you know, with a limited stealth operation instead of a full military invasion, it was kind-of surrenderish.

Four years ago now, the G.O.P. front-runner was John McCain. My Monte Carlo-based analysis of the polling data had McCain leading Sen. Obama by 341 to 197 electoral votes and Sen. Hillary Clinton by 310 to 228 electoral votes.

How did Romney stack up against Obama at the time? My last analysis in that match-up had Obama trouncing Romney 378 to 160 electoral votes. Four years later, the “score” has Obama up 335 to 203. Not much of a marginal return on investment after the first $35 million!

Today is auspicious for another reason. Romney will win at least one of the three primary contests—Colorado caucus for sure. But he’ll sure be red-faced if he only wins one of the three. And the last polling in Minnesota shows Santorum with a double-digit lead over Romney—who may even finish third or fourth. The most recent poll for the Missouri primary was from late January and showed Rick Santorum over Romney by +11%.

If he does suffer a pair of losses tonight, Mitt should consider for future 7 Feb to not even get up in the morning—instead, he should spend the whole day nestled in his recharging unit.

That’s the Appeals Court ruling on California’s same-sex marriage ban.

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples,” wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt. “The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”