Um… no.
Some Republican insiders believe Congressman Dave Reichert is in trouble, not because his opponent Darcy Burner, is anything great, but because the Democratic tide could be so high it sweeps out moderates in swing districts. And the 8th District is ready to swing.
God forbid she give any credit to Darcy Burner—one of the smartest, hardest working candidates I have ever met—for coming from nowhere to put herself in a position to win. And I suppose it never occurred to Balter to put part of the blame for Dave Reichert’s vulnerability on Reichert’s own “undistinguished” performance in Congress?
No, now that they see the handwriting on the wall, and suspect that Darcy might actually win come November, the Times editorialists just cover their eyes, ears and asses by blaming Reichert’s woes on tides, swings and Obamania.
Shorter Balter: stupid voters.
She might be great, as you say, but if she wins this year after having run last year and lost, what else would you attribute this year’s success to other than the political mood of the country/district? Certainly nothing Darcy has done has changed their minds, Balter is right. Compared to 2006, there is no difference in her this time around. Including that “responsible plan,” which was nothing more than a PR bandwagon for D challengers to congress.
not a dime, not a penny, not a fraction of a cent to that fish wrapper, that bird cage and cat box liner.
‘Darcy Burner—one of the smartest, hardest working candidates I have ever met’
Jeez Goldy, you need to get laid or what? Try one of those dating sites. Maybe you’ll get lucky if Ditzy manages to worm her way into gov’t, and maybe she’ll give you a real job.
Reichert is no prize, but I’ll always vote for a Republican over a left-wing loonie.
Could it be Goldy that your crush on her has so completely jaundiced your view of The Darcy and that maybe it is YOU that needs to look at the handwriting on the wall (as in The Sherriff heading back for a 3rd term)?
Since there’s no chance Big Hair wins this year I am very happy and could not care less why or how it happens. Just so long as it happens and Washington has one less asshole trying to extend the Bush recession and the Bush war for oil.
4:
Then you’re clearly no lover of freedom.
DIIIIIIIIS-missed!
Calvin @ 1: Reichart would probably be more than satisfied with a finish as good as the “squeeker” he won in 2006. If he hopes to repeat that feat, he’s dreaming. Aside from the groundswell of public disenfranchisement with all things Republican, some of the following have occured:
(a) Although Reichart could argue that a Freshman Congressman isn’t expected to accomplish much, after another term it is clear that Reichart won’t accomplish ANYTHING in Congress, no matter how long he stays there. He’s just a reliable vote for the party leadership, because he can’t really think for himself. The only reason he’s running again this time is that a third term qualifies him to receive a full Congressional pension and lifetime medical benefits, which he can then stack on top of the pension he gets from the King Co. Sheriff’s Dept.
(b) Burner started the 2006 campaign as an unknown to the voters in her district. Now she has name recognition, and she has proven that she is a creditable challenger by coming VERY close to winning.
I’m always amazed by the double-talk by Republicans who say Burner has proven she can’t win against Reichart and that she hasn’t done accomplished anything since the last race other than campaign; yet then they proclaim that Rossi will win in November because “he came so close last time” and he’s spent the past four years campaigning to run again. Pick one side or the other guys, but don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth at the same time. You have to give a good reason why things will be different this time around, other than “it was so close last time”, and “hasn’t done anything since then”.
Hold on a minute, Goldy.
Balter employed the inexcusible and intellectually dishonest Katie Couric “some say” meme. She should be laughed out of town for that alone.
However, in her defense, she is merely conveying the beliefs of lunatic inside republicans that HairSpray is a ‘moderate’. This is a true barometer of how far to the political fringe the current gop has gone.
And she did say the 8th is ‘ready’ to swing. Seems fair to me.
To @9 I would only add: who the hell relies on Joni Balter for political analysis anyway? I honestly don’t know why she has the job. I suppose she may know more about Seattle politicos than I do, and may eat cocktail weenies at their parties, but dayum…I find her to be pretty insufferably stupid.
Why do 99% of congressmen get re-elected? Out of 435 House members, why are only a handful of seats “in play” in any given election, with most turnover caused by vacancies? What gives incumbents such a strong advantage over challengers?
Could it be partly due to a devil’s bargain between some members of the media and the natural human impulse of laziness that leads not-so-hard-working journalists to assume that the incumbent is the best possible candidate and automatically consider challengers as inferior?
@1 “what else would you attribute this year’s success to other than the political mood of the country/district”
Ummm … the clear failure of GOP policies that Reichert supports? Errr, the incompetence and corruption of the party that tells him how to vote in Congress? Uhhmm …, maybe a particular vote on a specific issue, such as his vote this week against veterans? Or — perhaps 8th District voters are simply tired of this do-nothing congressman who is all hairdo and no substance?
@2 Agreed; but that shouldn’t prevent us from reading it for free at newsstands or on the internet. For the purpose of criticizing it, of course.
@4 Hitler’s supporters said the same thing and look where it got them.
Damn those stupid pesky new young Obama voters, damn that Obama, damn that Darcy Burner!
Why can’t we all be like Joni Balter?
I wouldn’t expect anything positive in a Blethen publication about anyone who gets in the way of their business/profits…
I think this quote from a previous article illuminates why you’ll be seeing more anti-Darcy Burner articles/slams and an increase in pro-Reichert spin in the Seattle Times:
“After losing to Reichert in November 2006, Burner took a short break to spend time with her family and served on the Committee for a Two-Newspaper Town, a citizens group that intervened in a legal battle between The Seattle Times Co. and Hearst Corp. — owner of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer — in which The Times sought to end a joint operating agreement that could have led to the P-I’s demise.”
@4 (continued) You see, folks, that’s the difference between us and our idiot wingnut troll freeloader friends on this liberal blog. When all their arguments fail, they’re fond of saying, “B-b-b-u-t the Democrats are just like us!!!” That’s the wingnut version of a Hail Mary pass (except the pass has a chance of being caught).
No, we’re not just like them. There are many differences between liberals and wingnuts. Here’s one of them: We won’t support a bad Democrat, but they’ll keep voting Republican no matter what. A Republican pol can beat his mother, beat his wife, solicit child sex — it doesn’t matter what he does — and they’ll still vote for him. Simply because of the “R” next to his name.
But then, what can you expect from goosesteppers who long ago surrendered the ability to think for themselves, and the illegally registered dogs yapping at their heels?
A Republican and her dog are a terrible thing.
You’ve gotta wonder why dogs with Republican owners even vote Republican, because their owners probably kick them.
Speaking of Republican dogs, when the hell is the city going to euthanize Balogh’s mutt? There’s been way too much bureaucratic inertia in that case! That cur needs to be gone.
@9 It looks like Balter is bucking for a promotion from her (Republican) bosses. With the retirement of executive editor whatsizname and Boardman’s promotion, a whole series of people are moving up in the newsroom hierarchy and Balter perhaps is trying to grab a better chair than the one she’s been warming for the last 20 years before the music stops. After all, it’s going to be another 20 years before the music starts up again.
@16 Yep, the Blethen hate machine is in full rev against Burner … and anyone else who likes unions or inheritance taxes …
I can’t imagine there isn’t a growing awareness in the 8th of the lackluster performance of their Congressman. Sheriff Dave may have been due the benefit of the doubt as a wet-behind-the-ears freshman, but since being reelected he hasn’t seemed to improve at all. It has to be a pretty stark contrast–whether you agreed with her or not, Jennifer Dunn was sharp as a tack and worked her butt off.
From Balter’s column:
“‘Democrats are running a national election, on Iraq and George Bush,’ says pollster Bob Moore. ‘Republicans need to make it more of a local election, more of a personality election.'”
Oh, they’ll run a campaign based on personalities, alright. Republicans can’t afford to run on issues. In any election, anywhere, ever.
“Rossi could stage just the right campaign and attract independents flocking to the candidacy of maverick John McCain. Pollsters believe McCain has a good chance nationwide and could have his own pull.”
Yeah, right! McCain, the guy who blocked the Boeing aerial tanker deal in Congress, is going to capture Washington’s independent voters. Yeah, right … !!! Like Tip O’Neil once said, all politics is local. And that can’t possibly be good for McCain, or anyone hoping to ride his coattails.
The really interesting question is whether the anti-Republican tide will be strong enough to sink first-time attorney general Rob McKenna, who in 2004 eked out a modest victory over this state’s weakest Democratic candidate since Dixie Lee Ray. Personally, I’d like to see Democrats win every statewide office this year and gain total control of state government. Republicans just can’t be trusted with things as important as roads, ferries, schools, elections, or prosecuting criminals. (Just look at how the case of voting fraud felon Jane Balogh was handled, for example: Plea-bargained down to a misdemeanor with no jail time by a partisan Republican county prosecutor who wants the laws changed so he can fool voters into thinking he’s “nonpartisan”.)
25 Actually, Sam Reed’s done quite a good job, no doubt much to the chagrin of his party leadership. Maybe we can persuade him to change parties.
Joni says she doesn’t read blogs, but she knew whose button she was pushing this morning, and, sure enough, Darcy Bruner’s biggest cheerleader lit up like a pinball machine.
I am not sure Joni CAN read. Her analysis skills are severely lacking and she restates the obvious in an effort to be profound that comes off more a laughable.
Sorry – goldy is right on here – Balter couldn’t read tea leaves if they were sitting in her cup. this is an example of pathetically simple minded writing with no actual though involved. Repeating the same old stupid memes – and not challenging Reichert for HIS abysmal performance shows the lack of substance of the chattering class of so-called journalists like Balter.
@27 Darcy’s biggest cheerleaders are the 49% of 8th C.D. voters who voted for her in 2006, and the thousands of supporters who have helped her out-fundraiser Bad Hair Day in 2008.
One thing that might be different this time around (aside from a predictable bump in Dem leaning turnout) is the mood of women voters in the 8th CD, after watching the MSM trivialize Sen. Clinton for not having a penis.
Reichert and his pals would be wise to watch how they trash talk Burner. While that may be their only strategy (they obviously can’t run on his record), it may be one that backfires if you troglodytes don’t miraculously develop nuance in the next five months.
I think the only reason she wrote the entire piece was just so she could see the words “scalded dog” in print below her byline.
Jesus! She actually called McSame a “maverick”.
It’s like finding a butt plug in a co-worker’s desk drawer.
It’s gonna be hard to even make eye contact with her after this.
Why don’t we just ignore the Seattle Times. It is irrelevant. End of discussion (for me).
RR @ 19: You left out the most important one: the one thing we most can ill-afford is to leave a Republican in charge of anything which has any control over election management. (Florida 2000 & 2004, Ohio 2004, and an attempt in Wash. State in 2004). There were a few Republicans who still had ethics and refused to go along with partison prosecutions & electoral manipulations, such as our McKay & Reed. But you saw what happened to McKay, and Reed was probably squarely in the neo-con crosshairs until the Republicans found that they had a lot more to be worried about.
If voters reject the hard-line new-con Republicans, and the Republicans kick out the moderate Republicans, then who is left?
34 Maybe it’s time for the Republican party as we’ve known it to go the way of the Whigs, leaving the remaining moderates to scrape themselves up off the pavement and start over.
If I were feeling nasty today I would say that Joni Balter is the ugliest woman in King County, but I’m feeling charitable today so I won’t say that. She is one of dumbest ones though.
Fascinating….the slams against Joni here are nothing compared to the vilification she receives from the folks over at SP. Seems it just ain’t much fun being an “ink-stained wretch” anymore…if it ever was, that is.
@34 No, I mentioned “elections” in #25.