As Friday’s filing deadline approaches, I’d like to take a moment to categorically deny rumors that I plan to challenge Dave Irons in the Republican primary for King County Executive. Those rumors were irresponsibly started by me, last night at Drinking Liberally, and are utterly ridiculous… considering the cost of the filing fee.
So I just want to make it absolutely clear, that I will not enter the race… unless somebody comes up with $1,653.05 by the Friday, 4:30 p.m. filing deadline.
But while Irons apparently won’t benefit from a stiff primary challenge, according to the Seattle Weekly, Safeco CEO Mike McGavick may have some competition in the Republican primary after all.
While the state Republican party establishment moved quickly to coronate McGavick as the GOP challenger to Cantwell, former KIRO-TV anchor Susan Hutchison had pollsters in the field checking out her prospects against Cantwell. … Hutchison describes herself as a “moderate Republican” who lives in Seattle and sends her children to public school. She has not decided whether to run for Senate. Would she oppose McGavick for the GOP nomination? Says Hutchison, “I am not competitive, but I am pragmatic.” Says Republican political consultant Brett Bader : “Susan wouldn’t shy away from a tough fight.”
A “moderate Republican” huh? Isn’t that just another way of saying “Democrat”…?
In another hotly contested race that is sure to capture the imagination of several people, one of my favorite local bloggers, Carl over at Washington State Political Report is mulling over a run for an open seat on King County Cemetery District #1 (Vashon Island). As we all know, Cemetery District is a political stepping stone to the highly coveted Weed Control District. Best of luck Carl as you start a promising political career.
And finally, a big round of applause to HA regular Richard Pope for finally screwing up the courage to run for public office. Richard will be challenging 20-year incumbent Patricia Davis for Position No. 4. Despite the fact that I disagree with almost everything he writes in the comment threads — and quite frankly, I find him a little nutty — Richard strikes me as smart and honest and incorruptible… and so he has earned my official HA endorsement. (There… that should put the final nail in his political ambitions.)
Does Richard have to report this as an “in kind” contribution?
ConservativeFirst @ 1
“Does Richard have to report this as an “in kind” contribution?”
No. It wasn’t all that kind, now, was it?
Great news, Richard! It looks like I will be true to my “non-Democrat” claim and vote for a Republican!
dj @ 2
“No. It wasn’t all that kind, now, was it?”
So Richard can report Goldy’s advocacy on his behalf as an “unkind” contribution?
Goldy: “A ‘moderate Republican’ huh? Isn’t that just another way of saying ‘Democrat”?
No. A “moderate Republican,” or a “moderate Democrat” for that matter, are the only ones that can lay claim to truly being “Progressive.”
Mark @ 4
‘A “moderate Republican,” or a “moderate Democrat” for that matter, are the only ones that can lay claim to truly being “Progressive.”’
Not exactly. The “moderates” can go either way. The mushy middle is made up of D’s and R’s who are not rooted in principle. These folks can get more legislation passed because they are willing to compromise. I would not call them very progressive on the left side or conservative on the right.
Re: Richard Pope
Pat Davis? Isn’t she on the Seattle Port Commission? I’d vote for ANYBODY who runs against ANY incumbent on the SPC. Even Benito Mussolini! The Port Commission is a failure of democracy worthy of the Guinness Book of Records.
Re: Susan Hutchison
Doesn’t she know what GOPers do to “moderate Republicans?” She should give John McCain a call. She’s not in for a “fight,” she’s in for savagery. She’ll need to be nuclear-armed to take on the GOP’s right wing. The Democrats are the least of her problems.
Re: Right Wing Nut @ 5
America would be much better off with more moderates and fewer extremists. The only “principles” right wing assholes believe in are (1) looking out for #1, (2) lining their pockets with OPM (other people’s money), (3) freeloading, and (4) lying, cheating, stealing, and doing whatever else is necessary to get what they want.
Roger,
I’m willing to concede your points regarding the description of the Far Right. In fact, I’d add a few more negative terms myself. Religious intolerance, self-righteousness, hypocrisy and arrogance are the first few that come to mind.
Are you willing to be just as critical of and honest about the Far Left?
NoWonder @ 5
You only deride it as the “Mushy Middle” because moderates from both sides scare the hell out of the extremes of both parties. I have plenty of principles. I just don’t march lock-step with the party I identify with more. I actually read up on issues and candidates and don’t just mark “R” on my ballot. I don’t have a problem with Democrats, in general, and even respect a few here and there. I DO have a problem with Kool-Aid sipping lemmings from either side that can only regurgitate the talking points of Rush or MorOn.org. And, yes, the Rush and MorOn.org are morally-equivalent flip-sides of the same intolerant, closed-minded coin.
I thought a Moderate was one who stands for nothing….and falls for everything!
So cynical, are you saying that your kids are terrors and brats? I mean clearly you believe that they should demand what they want and have fits till they get it.
BTW cynical, tough talk for someone whose only stated position seems to be that you hate liberals and anyone who questions anything you say is a . . . lets see how do you put it. . .oh yeah a LEFTIST PINHEAD. And you actually have the balls to say that moderates stand for nothing?
Mark @ 8
‘I DO have a problem with Kool-Aid sipping lemmings from either side that can only regurgitate the talking points of Rush or MorOn.org. And, yes, the Rush and MorOn.org are morally-equivalent flip-sides of the same intolerant, closed-minded coin.’
It is not about marching lockstep – I think the Rush and MoveOn.org listeners/fans influence the talking points. There are just too many critical issues where the middle is pacified in order to pass laws and policy. The result is confusion regarding what is right and wrong. (Both extremes think they are right and the other side is wrong.) Issues like abortion, the death penalty, gay marriage, right-to-die, etc. end up with solutions that bleed with inconsistancy.
I am not afraid of the moderates. I cringe at the effects they have had over the years, even though it has saved us from the left-wing policies I see as damaging. Now that the right is gaining a bit of steam I of course hope that more of my wishes come true – time will tell. I do think the moderates are thinning a bit the last few years, with the left and right picking up more of them.
“A “moderate Republican†huh? Isn’t that just another way of saying “Democrat”…?”
RR @ 6 “Doesn’t she know what GOPers do to “moderate Republicans?†She should give John McCain a call.”
Or she can just ask the last moderate Republican president we had. Bill Clinton.
Oh Donnageddon, I am so pleased to see that I’m not the only one.
I’ve long said that Bubba was the best Republican president since Teddy Roosevelt.
bill–@10 & 11
Chill bill..
I never said I hate Liberals. I don’t.
I do find LEFTIST PINHEADS to be the very core of our Country’s problems however. You and your ilk are the “anal canal” of the Universe.
I have never stated my position on anything?? Yeah right.
I am a staunch advocate of the 2nd Amendment dude.
Chill on that one awhile.
staunch advocate of the 2nd amendment? Are you saying you’re gonna shoot your bratty kids?
See you just proved my point “You and your ilk are the “anal canal” of the Universe.” BTW, you might spend 5 or 10 minutes reading posts, who said I was a liberal? Did you actually notice what exactly I was disagreeing with?
You my friend are a pocket of puss on the face of the earth.
so goldy…if i cough up the cash are you going to run??????
bill@16–
owwwwww! “a pocket of puss”??? Substantive comment bill!
You proved your point…about you!!
Reply to 7
Absolutely! I used to know a guy who belonged to a splinter socialist party, and he was not only politically intolerable, but also personally lacking in any redeeming social qualities. As for communists — history speaks for itself.
Reply to 9
We already know how ignorant you are, Cynical. No need to put it on public display.
Cynical is a good example of what happens when a person has been bricked up inside his house for 20 years, and has forgotten what it’s like to have social contact with other human beings.
Man, I LOVE this place.
HA.org ROCKS!
er… I mean .. RAWKS!!
Comment on 12
You don’t get it. Politics generally isn’t about “right” or “wrong,” and the introduction of this rhetoric into a political process is counterproductive, serving only to polarize people. Our society is not made up of one group of people who are “right” and another group of people who are “wrong.” It is made up of a large number of groups with different and often competing interests. Politics should be a process for resolving this competition of interests by reaching workable compromises.
What universally characterizes extremists of both right and left is they want to impose their world view on others in an uncompromising fashion. Of course they cannot achieve this with the consent of the governed, which is why extremist movements are universally totalitarian, and are well versed in the arts of deceit and thuggery, because those are the only means by which they can hope to gain or keep power.
15
Glad you support liberals having guns, Cynical. With people like Ann Coulter running around we just might need them.
Roger @ 23
You mean for when you run out of pies?
roger@23…are you sure ann coulter isn’t just being “metaphorical?”
Now another addition of reflections by a quite pond:
A left leaning moderate is a dumbass that doesn’t know they are a dumbass.
This concludes our weekly reflection by a quite pond.
Ann Coulter with a pie thrown at her! :)
Now that is good entertainment!
RR – What do you use for target practice, a blue dress?
I’ve shot at (1) commies, (2) criminals. Haven’t gotten around to (3) fascists yet.
RUFUS@26–
That is an outstanding, on-target BURN!!!
Keep up the fine work.
The moment RUFUS gets credit for an “on-Target Burn”…
Well, it’s time to say goodbye to the right wing.
RR @ 29 Reminds me of Woddy Guthrie’s guitar
“This Machine Kills Fascists”
If they want a fight, they are gonna get one.
Woddy = Woody
OK, XmasG?
Your favorite bunny served a 13-month tour in the Nam and afterwards was an infantry weapons instructor in the Reserve — does that answer your question, Rufus?
Rossi lost despite the best these idiots could do to illegally help him win. These WA State neo-cons got beat by a girl. They don’t have that streak of Roy Cohn Self-hating mean-streak gayness like Rove and Bush have working for themselves. How do you like things now. You aren’t even really resisting the notion that your heroes wear pink underwear.
They’ve both been treated for string warts in their private areas.
Reply@23,
Glad you support liberals having guns, Cynical. With people like Ann Coulter running around we just might need them.
You are afraid of a 110 lb blond?
Reply@35,
You call yourself headless when it should be brainless.
Rossi lost despite the best these idiots could do to illegally help him win.
Please tell us just what was done illegally to get try to get Rossi elected? Unlike the actual cases of Democrat vote fraud and their documented convictions for such all that you can do is make unsubstantiated allegations.
peanut and jelly asked @ 36 “You are afraid of a 110 lb blond?”
No, I am afraid of the 270 lb forever virgin Neo-Con Symps who think she makes any sense at all.
Fit you pbj?
Ghost @17,
You come up with the cash for my filing fee, and I promise I will run. I just haven’t decided which would be funnier… to run to the right or the left of Irons.
37
Afraid? No, I’m not afraid of nutball right wing haters who publicly advocate violence against liberals. Just concerned, that’s all. I don’t know if they really mean it, and I can’t read their minds; if I seem them coming at me, the sensible thing to do is drop ’em.
So Rupert: You do condone Randi Rosen firing off an imaginary four rounds on tape against Bush. Again your argument is soooooooo weak!
Excerpt: “The red-hot rhetoric over Social Security on liberal talkradio network Air America has caught the attention of the Secret Service.
Government officials are reviewing a skit which aired on the network Monday evening — a skit featuring an apparent gunshot warning to the president!
The announcer: “A spoiled child is telling us our Social Security isn’t safe anymore, so he is going to fix it for us. Well, here’s your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [audio sound of 4 gunshots being fired.] Just try it, you little bastard. [audio of gun being cocked].
The audio production at the center of the controversy aired during opening minutes of The Randi Rhodes Show.” – You need to Google today Rupert Wabbit so I gave you something to do this morning!!!! BTW, she did apologize, but only when the kitchen heat got too hot!!!
Apparently it is OK for liberals to say they are going to kill the president, make plays called “Kill Bush” and such. But when one guy says anything about Fraudoire – it is off to the slammer for him.
Donna@39,
No, I am afraid of the 270 lb forever virgin Neo-Con Symps who think she makes any sense at all.
You mean the ones protecting her when liberals try to attack her on-stage? Yeah, you ought to be afraid of them. When your kind tries to physically assault a 110 lb blond you shouldn’t be surprised at the ass kicking you get in return.
Liberals make nice speeches about how they are all for freedom of speech – until someone says something they don’t like.
Hello all! Been on a few daze off here.
You guys still discussing you govnor erection up there? Wow, I say on another blog that the KCEC hasn’t met some FOI requests in a timely manner.
Regarding pie throwing, I like pie eating, both types!!! But that being said, pie throwing at your opponent is assault! So I suppose you lefties are proud of pie throwers?
I forgot about Randi Rosen on scare america!!!
Comment on 45
What blog, Sound Politics? If you believe KCEC hasn’t complied with the public records law just because Stefan Sharkansky says so, I have some lovely Florida swampl … er … real estate that I’d like to interest you in.
I’ll bet you’ve never read even 1 paragraph of Washington’s public records law and have no idea what it says. In fact, I’ll bet you can’t even provide the RCW cite for it.
Let me clue you in about Stefan — he not only doesn’t know squat shit about the public records law, he’s also a liar. Not so long ago, he claimed on his blog (Sound Politics) that KING 5 TV got a certain list of voters as a result of Stefan’s request to KCEC for the list. That’s total bullshit! KING 5 TV got the list in response to KING 5 TV’s request for it, and then that low-life lying bottom feeder, Stefan, tried to give himself credit for what KING 5 TV’s lawyers did.
What actually happened was the Stefan requested the list from KCEC before the list existed, and KCEC denied his request. This action by KCEC was legal and will be upheld by the courts because Washington law is crystal clear that a public agency (a) does not have to provide a document that doesn’t exist, and (b) doesn’t have to create a document in order to satisfy a public records request.
The reason the list didn’t exist is that KCEC didn’t have access to the voter names that Stefan (and, later, KING 5 TV) requested while Rossi’s election contest lawsuit was pending because those ballots were sealed as evidence and weren’t accessible without a court order. Neither the GOP, nor Stefan, nor Stefan’s lawyer, asked Judge Bridges to issue an order to break the seal and compile a list of the names on the ballots inside the sealed evidence container.
After the lawsuit ended and the sealed container was returned to KCEC, it was opened and KCEC made a list of the voter names on those ballots. Then KING 5 TV submitted a public records request and got the list. Stefan would have got it, too, if he had submitted a new request at that time.
Instead, Stefan is asking his gullible readers to contribute money to his legal fund so he can file a lawsuit against KCEC he is 100% certain to lose. If you want to take Stefan’s side in this, then by all means, be my guest and send him money!!!
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Wow Rupert Rabbit, you be mean to PacMan. Why you be hatin? Are you taking it out on PacMan because I proved McDimwitt is a convicted felon? Take a chill pill. You may be right about Stefan, I don’t know. I now know you are an esquire.