When the Nevada Democrats and FOX News decided to host a debate for the Democratic candidates, some folks wondered… why? FOX is openly hostile to Democrats. They are biased against Democrats, and go out of their way to lie about Democrats.

So John Edwards told them to fuck off.

You may have heard by now that John Edwards was the first candidate to officially say no to the Fox News debate in Nevada — and because of the hard work of so many grassroots and netroots Democrats, news is breaking tonight that Fox is out.

Fox has already started striking back at John for saying no. (There’s a surprise – Fox attacking a Democrat.) Last night, Roger Ailes – the life-long Republican operative who is now Chairman of Fox News Channel – said that any candidate “who believes he can blacklist any news organization is making a terrible mistake” and “is impeding freedom of speech and free press.”

[…]

Fox News has already proven they have no intention of providing “fair and balanced” coverage of any Democrat in this election.

In recent weeks they have run blatant lies about Senator Obama’s background. And Fox was only too happy to give Ann Coulter a platform to spew more hate a few days after her bigoted attack on Senator Edwards and the gay community.

Now it’s time for Democrats to stand together and send a clear message to Roger Ailes, Fox News and all the rest of them: bias isn’t balance, but turning tables is fair.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, when faced with the facts, weren’t able to decide before the debate was canceled. Bill Richardson accepted the debate invitation only to decline hours before the Nevada Democrats pulled the plug. While I understand Richardson’s hesitation (he’s betting the farm on a good showing in his neighbor state), Obama and Clinton have no excuse. FOX News has called Obama a Muslim terrorist, and their crimes against the Clinton family are well known.

I’m an Edwards guy, but I hope all the candidates get some clarity about who’s on our side and who’s not. Or maybe they’ll just get some “brass ones.”

(note: this is my two cents on Goldy’s earlier post)

I hope Ross Hunter runs for Congress. I’m guessing that Darcy Burner will give it another shot, too [UPDATE BELOW]. Tony Ventrella is already saddled-up and on the trail. Unlike Goldy, I’m not committed to supporting a single candidate. At least not yet.

I think Ventrella is going to have to really earn the support of Democrats. Being a celebrity is not enough to win. Hunter has the resume, but is a “moderate” guy like him going to “fire up” liberal suburban Democrats while reaching out to “guns and butter” conservative Democrats? Does Burner even want to run again, considering her biggest opponent wasn’t even Reichert, but the lying-sack-of-shit Seattle Times editorial page?

I’m excited to see how this thing plays out. It seems all the big shots are lining up behind Hunter, with Andrew and Goldy (and more) with Burner. Tony Ventrella… well, what about Tony? Come to Drinking Liberally, Tony!

In other news, the GOP has a 2-to-1 “precinct committee officer” advantage in the 8th Congressional District. Perhaps this might be more important than the horse race stuff.

UPDATE:
Darcy’s in, according to Postman.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates testified before a Senate committee today about education. He did digress, however, into a topic that has perked my interest for some time:

Gates said the nation’s economy depends on keeping the country’s borders open to highly skilled workers, especially those with a science or engineering background. Federal law provides 65,000 H1-B visas for scientists, engineers, computer programmers and other professionals every budget year. High-tech and other employers say that’s not enough.

“Even though it may not be realistic, I don’t think there should be any limit,” Gates said, adding that Microsoft hasn’t been able to fill approximately 3,000 technical jobs in the United States because of a shortage of skilled workers.

In short, Democrats have been cool to the idea of lifting the H1-B cap on basic labor grounds. Letting in foreign workers drivers down wages and take jobs from high-skilled Americans, or at least that’s the common refrain.

While I understand the concept of protectionism, and why it’s good for some sectors of the US economy, I don’t see why it’s a good idea to train thousands of foreign students for our technology economy only to kick them out when they graduate. What are these students going to do? Instead of working at Microsoft or Apple, they’re going to start their own companies in Asia (or wherever they’re from) to compete with American companies. Not so great.

It would be as if the Seattle Mariners first round draft picks were allowed to go as high as AAA, only to be cut loose to sign with another team. Dumb.

There, I said it.

President Bush is a gift to the Democratic Party. When he leaves office in 2009, Democrats have the chance to send at least four new Senators to DC. States MN, OR, ME and NH have vulnerable incumbents. Colorado is an open seat in a state which is trending blue. Hell, even Virginia, Kentucky, or even Mississippi could break our way.

In the House, Democrats are poised to hold seats won in ’06, while expanding their majority. Even the functionally retarded Sheriff Reichert is keeping his head down. This must be why, on the Eastside, you’re more likely to see the Zodiac Killer in public than Dave Reichert.

I understand why some of my Democratic friends are excited about impeachment, even if it’s all but impossible to do. Folks are pissed, and they want justice, Sergio Leone-style. But handing the GOP a stick to bash you with ain’t smart politics.

Besides, for the last six years, it’s been all about George W. Bush. Now that we’ve got Congress, it ought to be about the American people.

Just sayin’.

I caught Goldy’s half hour on “The Dori Monson Show.” I’m not blowin’ smoke; I think the chief did good. I’m not sure if Dori knows the meaning of “context,” however, and I encourage Dave Ross to highlight the word in the KIRO On-Air Staff’s Dictionary. It might prove useful.

That said…

Did you hear the first half of the hour? Dori’s guest was Neal Boortz, author and talk show host. Dori spent the half hour basically smooching Boortz on the rear. I mean, really, Monson was laying it on thick. He was feeding him the “Local Outrage of the Day.” Dori told him a story of a school that taught communitarian values to students by forcing the kids to tear down their “Lego town” and rebuild it using Marx-Leninist teachings. Boortz then launched into the evils of government-run schools. Dori had to interrupt the guy to tell him it was a private school… Oh well, I guess its a matter of “context.”

Lastly…

Boortz happens to be a libertarian. Dori saaaays he’s a libertarian, but he’s a Bush Buddy on the Iraq War and the Drug War. It’s like those girls you knew of in high school, the ones who went to Third Base with entire football team but declared themselves virgins. Right. Methinks Dori needs to own up to the fact that he’s one of the 30% that thinks Bush is doing a super job.

I don’t want to be too hard on D-Mon. After all, he gave Goldy his big break. Radio is a business. When I hear my liberal buddies whine about how Dori’s a douche bag and an idiot, I have to tell them to just turn off the radio. Dori may be wrong on everything, but he’s got the radio gig down pat.

Even if he’s got a “man-crush” on Neal Boortz.

Sen. Brian Hatfield at Postman:

In the 28-19 Senate vote last week for the domestic partnership bill only one senator’s vote was likely in question. Sen. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond, had a pro-gay rights record while in the House. He voted against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1998. But Thursday he was one of four Democrats who voted against Senate Bill 5336.

“Something I didn’t appreciate and understand 12 years ago (as a freshman lawmaker) was that people of faith are very concerned this is going to hurt our society,”

I respect the Senator a great deal, and I don’t want to pick on him. He’s not being hateful like the batshit insane Sen. Val Stevens (R-Old Testament). But I must ask, Senator Hatfield:

Who’s getting “kicked in the teeth” when longtime couples have the chance to exercise rights of inheritance? Who’s personal and deeply held beliefs are trampled when one gay parent cannot make health decisions for the couple’s child in an emergency?

As a fellow straight guy, I’m not a natural advocate for the rights of gays and lesbians. I mean, I’m straight. I already have all the rights I want. But it seems an affront to common decency that we haven’t, until now, afforded our gay friends the kind of common sense legal framework all us straights take for granted.

When I think “kick in the teeth,” I think about families with two dads or two moms, and what they’ve endured. Do domestic partnerships hurt society? Hardly. In fact, I believe they make it stronger.

There has been a lot of noise recently in the blogosphere (local and nat’l) concerning Clinton, Edwards, and Obama, and their statements regarding Iran.

Hillary Clinton: “In dealing with this threat … no option can be taken off the table.”

John Edwards: “ALL options must remain on the table.”

Barack Obama: Iran “one of the greatest threats to the United States, Israel and world peace”

If Iran developes nuclear weapons and declares an intention to use them against Israel, I would expect any President, Democrat or Republican, to use military action as a last resort against this threat. The difference between the Democrats running for President and Bush is that the current President has no credibility on the world stage. Clinton, Edwards, or Obama, if elected, will have the chance to use the diplomatic tools Bush and Company have declined to use for most of his seven years in office.

There are some on the Left who are, post-Iraq war, a bit gunshy when Democrats use tough terms to describe the nature of our relationship with Iran. I have heard nothing from Democratic contenders that would lead me to believe that a new administration would be anything other than a total 180 degree change from what we’ve seen under Bush.

Rarely do politicians just come out and say it. This is Kline in a letter to an ATV rider:

There is nothing sporting — athletic, physically demanding — about riding any machine anywhere. And it’s a damned annoyance to folks who see the outdoors as a place to go for quiet and solitude and self-exploration. I would be happy to ban the use of the internal combustion engine off-road, by anyone without a handicapped sticker, subject to a stiff fine. Maybe we could call this an anti-obesity measure.

Please circulate this to all motorized sports enthusiasts, so they can remember never to vote for me.

Adam Kline

I may not agree wth Kline, but that’s not the point. Kline telling the ATV crowd to ‘fuck off’ is the coolest thing ever. Our local politcians are so boring. Thank God the Klinester is out there keeping it interesting.

If you really want to have a laugh, read the comments on this post over at Postman’s blog. Here are a few:

A great example of tolerance on the left. If it’s not something that he agrees with, Kline would simply legislate it out of existence. Senator Kline, how about legislating the banning of dogs as pets. After all, sometimes they bark loudly. Or maybe another Senator would like to propose a law banning an activity that Senator Kline enjoys to help illustrate why he is wrong.

Posted by Jeff B. at 06:39 PM, Mar 02, 2007

Amazing that a politician could alienate so many people in such a brief letter! To be honest, that takes serious talent.

His elitist attitude is truly disgusting and is well beyond acceptale even when applied to the conduct of politicians. I sincerely hope he is called to the carpet over this matter.

Posted by Moe at 09:45 PM, Mar 02, 2007

Good stuff.

Gary Randall of the retardedly-named Faith and Freedom Network:

Randall said, “I think a number of legislators who are not comfortable with voting for gay marriage chose this vote as an alternative. Unfortunately, rather than a helpful compromise, this decision will most likely prove to be an enabling step toward same-sex marriage, as we are seeing in New Jersey.” Randall also said, “As this plays out over the next year or so, some lawmakers may find themselves at odds with their constitutes, in that a majority of Washington citizens do not favor gay marriage.”

Gary is probably right. If put to the voters, marriage equality would likely fail at the polls. That’s why Senator Ed Murray is a smart guy. He’s going step-by-step. If straight people like me can see and understand how absurd it is to discriminate against gays, change will come.

To be honest, I don’t really care about gay marriage. I don’t care about it because it doesn’t affect me. Gay people getting married doesn’t affect me at all. The Gay Mafia aren’t going to kick down my door and force me to watch Project Runway.

I understand why Gary Randall doesn’t like gay marriage. It’s two things, really; one he likes (marriage), and one he doesn’t (homos trying to GET married). Marriage is the bedrock of society, but gays can’t get married because… something about the Bible. I don’t know the passage, as it’s hard to find among all the other passages that talk about poverty. Gary can criticize the “gay lifestyle” all he wants, but does he want to allow lots of normal tax-paying, children-having, house-buying homosexuals to have the benefits of a union blessed not by God, but by a guy in the King County Administration Building?

Like I said, none of this shit affects me. Gays have to spend thousands of dollars to get what I have for free. I can visit a family member in the hospital, inherit a spouse’s assets, and make all sorts of medical decisions for a loved one. Gays? When their partner goes in the hospital, they better pray their doctor isn’t some fundementalist asshole.

The best arguement I ever heard on this issue is by the comedian Louis CK. Click here to see the video.

Liars! Liars! Liars! You guys are all liars!

City Councilman Nick Licata will be taking your questions over at the Seattle Times. Ask him about living in the PRAG house (nevermind, it’s ony viaduct questions).

Lee’s got issues with liberal bloggers writing posts about 9/11 conspiracy theories. Why, Lee? Are you a part of the conspiracy?

An update on what rural conservatives are spending your money advocating.

Does anyone know a good place to get a Reuben? I know one place, but I need to expand my Reuben universe. Put your suggestions in the comments.

Lynn Allen gets an interview with Governor Gregoire. Here’s the Governor’s answer concerning the “surface plus transit” option:

We did entertain it earlier but couldn’t make it work. We have a set of criteria we have to meet. We have to maintain safety. We have to meet capacity for both moving freight and people in that corridor.

We’re not accommodating increases in capacity if we either rebuild the viaduct or build a new tunnel. There won’t be an increase in today’s capacity. It’s now somewhere in the neighborhood of 110,000 per day.

Gregoire says she wants to move “both freight and people.” She then cites the number of cars that use the corridor, not the number of people. I don’t know if Governor Gregoire knows the difference between moving cars and moving people, or why that’s important. Also, I have no clue how she can say that “we’re not accommodating increases in capacity” by rebuilding a viaduct or a tunnel. I don’t believe the facts bear this out.

Read the whole interview (thankfully, it’s not all about the viaduct).

Last night, at a meeting of his fellow architects, Seattle City Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck announced that he will not seek reelection this fall.

I first met Peter in the spring of 2003. I had seen an article in the Seattle Weekly about how the mayor had “targeted” certain councilmembers for defeat, and Steinbrueck was on the list. Peter was a very strong candidate; it was conventional wisdom that he would pose a serious challenge to Mayor Greg Nickels. While I liked Nickels for playing hardball (unlike previous mayors), I liked Peter more, and committed extra time to his reelection bid.

As it turns out, he was a shoe-in. Peter’s main opponent (husband of Deborah Senn, Rudi Bertschi) dropped out of the race, leaving only a token candidate (no offense, Zander). This turned out to be a great thing; I was an awful volunteer coordinator. But it was fun, and getting involved in campaigns is a great way for folks to make a difference. This is especially true in local races; you get the chance to meet and get to know the candidate.

Peter Steinbrueck will leave the city council to do what he has done during his time on the council; fight for his beliefs. He’s mentioned that he might yet run for mayor, or even Congress.

Congressman Peter Steinbrueck (D-Seattle)… I could get used to that.

• Homeless people love the Viaduct. This is so very wrong, people. Very, very wrong.
• For Lent, Nick gave up talking about the ’08 campaign. This, coming from a guy who once told me there are seven different kinds of Southern Democrats. What did Nick not give up for Lent? Astute political analysis at his blog, Electoral Math.
• Postman:
  

  Chris Mulick of the Tri-City Herald writes:

  Longtime Richland state Rep. Shirley Hankins has repeatedly used the power of her office in the past five years to muscle state and local officials into directing business to her two daughters’ struggling tire baling company.

  A Herald investigation shows the Republican lawmaker’s efforts to promote Northwest Tire Recycling have ranged from carefully indirect to downright blunt, and the tactics raise questions about abuse of power.

  Hankins denies any wrongdoing or applying excessive pressure. Her hometown paper says that the work on behalf of the company included lobbying the state Department of Ecology.

  Who do I think should run against Rep. Hankins in ’08? This guy.

• Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is rocking the keyboard at a Seattle Times live chat tomorrow at noon right now!!!

Seattle is the sixth worst waterfront city, according to the Project of Public Spaces.

Seattle residents adore their scenic mountain vistas. But increasingly they are seeing them through windshields while stuck in gridlock on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, an elevated highway that divides downtown Seattle from the waterfront.

[…]

The situation is quite similar to what San Francisco faced in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which finally led the city to demolish the elevated Embarcadero Freeway. San Francisco made a difficult decision: They did not rebuild this busy artery. Today they are reaping the dividends with the greatest waterfront renaissance in the United States. Seattle could also make huge gains by taking down the Viaduct along the waterfront, and investing in transit service instead. The waterfront now feels disconnected from downtown, but the removal of the viaduct would open up new links between people and Puget Sound. Public destinations that are floundering today would flourish.

But what the fuck do they know? They’re just a bunch of people who know a lot about

“environmental design, architecture, urban planning, urban geography, environmental psychology, landscape architecture, arts administration and information management. The staff also collaborates on projects with architecture, landscape architecture and engineering firms, graphic design firms, transportation consultants, retail planners and community organizations.”

But Seattle is different and more special than every other place in the world! Nothing that worked in any other city could work here! Besides, it’s a state highway! That’s all that should matter! State highway! State highway! State highway!

From the Times:

The trail would be designed as a “dual-use facility” that could accommodate a high-capacity passenger rail line sometime in the future, said one of the architects of the deal, County Executive Ron Sims.

If a final deal is reached in the coming months, the Port would pay $103 million for the rail line, then swap it with King County in exchange for county-owed Boeing Field.

The Port would also give the county $66 million to build a biking and hiking trail south of the Snohomish County line. Freight trains would continue to run between Woodinville and Snohomish.

The really important thing to remember here is this: before everyone starts arguing about what to do with the right-of-way, we had to acquire the right-of-way. Idon’t know if rail will be feasible, I don’t want the rail line eliminated in favor of a trail-only use. At least not right away.

Here’s what Goldy had to say about it back in January:

The pro-rail group wants the corridor to be converted to commuter rail now, using the existing tracks, but transit experts who have studied the route insist that it just isn’t economical. The tracks themselves have been neglected over the years and would require expensive upgrades, while current commuter patterns simply won’t support much of the route. Or at least, that’s what I’ve been privately told.