As I’ve previously predicted on numerous occasions (for example, here and here), the normally Republican-shilling Seattle Times broke character today, and endorsed Sen. Patty Murray. Why?
The truth about Murray is she delivers for Washington and the Northwest. She secured funds to begin to replace the I-5 bridge connecting Washington and Oregon, which helps business and ports. She rounded up federal dollars to repair the Howard Hanson Dam and protect the Green River Valley. She saved the veterans hospital in Walla Walla and secured funds to add a clinic there. She worked for years to win approval of the Wild Sky Wilderness Area in Snohomish County.
Or at least, that’s the reason why I’ve been convinced since Dino Rossi entered the race that Murray had the Times endorsement wrapped up. The Blethens may be a lot of things, but they’re not the kind to toss out one of the most powerful appropriators in the nation.
That said, it’s actually a pretty damn glowing endorsement of Murray from start to finish, and takes more than few shots at Rossi and his lackluster, GOP-talking-point-mimicking campaign. For example:
On almost every topic, Murray is studied and has an answer. On the issue of net neutrality, which involves unfettered access to the Internet, Rossi did not have a clue, even though this issue is pressing within the tech industry.
Not to mention a pressing issue with the Blethens. I mean, it’s not like they haven’t editorialized in favor of net neutrality like, dozens of times or something, so you’d think Rossi might have bothered to at least know what it is. But then, that’s what happens when your campaign is run by out-of-state gunslingers with little feel for the local lay of the land, and when the candidate himself is remarkably disengaged and, well, lazy.
And the last thing Washington needs right now is a lazy, disengaged U.S. Senator. Or so says the Seattle Times.
Good call, Goldy … spot on. Too bad the Times is so discredited that this endorsement won’t add much (if anything) to Patty’s eventual margin.
Does this one now free them to switch back to Sheriff Hairspray? I’m sure they’ll back the tea-hadist up in WA-02, and that they’ll probably ignore the rest of the Congressional Districts (WA-01, -04, -05, -06, -07).
Any bets on whether they’ll end up with a perfect score on the initiatives and referenda? That’s perfect as in perfectly wrong, BTW. They’ve gone 4-for-4 so far — wrong on the soda tax, wrong on liquor privatization, wrong on BIAW’s takeover of L&I, wrong on bonds for green schools.
Okay, I’ll admit it – I was wrong. I previously predicted the Times would go for Rossi. Even though I later revised it to a 50-50 chance, I’m willing to admit I called this one wrong.
Of course, even a broken watch can be correct twice a day. And most of the time I would probably come out ahead by betting that the Times editorial board would go the wrong way.
But then, that’s what happens when your campaign is run by out-of-state gunslingers with little feel for the local lay of the land,
that is every campaign for every senate seat. all seats are bought and sold and wholly owned by the senate’s corporate constituents. patty murray-boeing. neither goldy nor “the blethens” seem to want to talk about public campaign finance laws.
The Tacomic celebrates this endorsement with a cartoon link!
http://comics.feedtacoma.com/t.....ded-dildo/
So, when did this endorsement hit? It wasn’t in this morning’s paper. I guess that means they “threw it out with the garbage” late on a Friday before what is, for some, a three-day weekend? The Saturday paper is the least-read of any published on the weekdays.
So what does this mean? Does the Seattle Times want to take credit for endorsing Murray, while ensuring that the endorsement has as little impact as possible?
I noted previously that they tended to publish Murray’s accomplishments (such as the Howard Hansen Dam appropriation) late on a Friday, but Rossi’s news would be published first thing on a Monday morning.
Lazy indeed. And so are his campaign workers.
There is a major road by my house. When someone pulls up the Murray signs, the signs are replaced in just a few hours. There were a few Rossi signs there weeks ago, but someone pulled those out. Never replaced. Seems to be a trend in many locations according to my anecdotal research.
RHP, I’m continually amazed at how you can state such ignorant opinions with such unabashed authority.
The Times’ endorsement of Murray will appear in the Sunday newspaper, which is read by more than a million people.
Rossi’s accomplished something?
Driving around Wuville today and noticing that Rossi signs are mostly posted on the chemically enhanced putting green lawns in front of the mega-mansions. Seems that Rossi has the greed vote wrapped up, anyway.
And Rossi doesn’t even have the excuse of brain injury following a blow to the head. Does he?
Rossi accomplished getting within .03 of tennis shoes, and closing daily per realclear politics take considering many polls. This is a throw the bums out election. Don’t underestimate that, the tides a turning
At this point, someone would have to hold a gun to my head in order for me to vote for a republican. If it were Rossi, they’d have to pull the trigger.
I’m a little shocked the Times endorsed Murray. It’s about time they faced facts and did what’s right. Patty has worked hard for the people of this state, has the ability to bring jobs here and deserves another term. Dino has worked hard to fill his pockets, has only the ability to fill a suit and deserves nothing more than to lose (again).
It’ll be interesting to see how much ego gratification Meg Whitman gets for the $120,000,000 of personal money she’s throwing at the California senate race. At least Rossi is smart enough to run on other people’s money.
@11
Uhhhh….If Realclearpolitics threw in a Democratic paid poll then maybe you would have a point. Rasmussen (chortle) AAF/Fabrizio (Republican internal) Time/CNN & Survey USA don’t make a good sample.
Throw out the poll commissioned by the GOP and you’ve got Murray 49.66666 to Rossi 47, and one of those is Rasmussen. So while I admire your optimism Id, you’re still looking at Rossi needing to receive nearly 100% of undecideds or pull at least a decent sliver of Murray voters away. Murray needs to pick up enough undecideds to move her percentage .4 points.
Ain’t gonna happen for Rossi.
Face it, this editorial judgment was a no-brainer, because Rossi is a great big nothing. Millions of dollars of other people’s money have bought him name recognition but that’s all he has going for him. The guy is a great big zero. He has accomplished exactly nothing. He couldn’t even have written the so-called “Rossi budget” when he was in the state senate if Gary Locke hadn’t handed it to him on a silver platter. Rossi has been sponsored all his life. Without sponsors he’d be pushing a broom on the night shift.
@11 The most you can say about this election is that it might be a throw the bums back in election. It doesn’t make sense that people upset about 9.6% unemployment would elect the party that made them unemployed in the first place, but who ever said voters are rational?
Upset because your home is being foreclosed? Elect your mortgage broker! That’s the GOP sales pitch for this election. Why anyone would vote for them is a fucking mystery. You gotta hate yourself to vote Republican.
Going to make me change my policy of looking at the Times endorsements and doing the opposite.
Heh Roger, it was obama who failed to stop the forclosure hacks this week, and I have a realtor friend who says it is so tough out there that they and their attorneys go after forclosure bank paperwork to find the very errors that were the premise of the bill he veto’d. 83% of this paperwork is in such error that the homeowner is allowed to walk away after a short sale without having to pay the difference, and file bankruptcy.
PS it would truely be hard to argue that it is not a throw the bums out election, but we’ll know in 20 some days.
@19: You have it exactly backwards. The foreclosure hacks, i.e., bankers, are the fraudsters and they slipped a fast on through the Congress (and our clueless Dems), but Obama vetoed it.
This is a big issue right now as courts, and public pressure, in some states is bringing the foreclosure mills to heel.
We are still (well, maybe) a nation of laws despite what the fucking banks think.
oopas….”are” instead of “is” 2nd graff. Apologies to the grammar police.
@19 ld on 10/08/2010 at 6:20 pm:
“…it was obama who failed to stop the forclosure [sic] hacks this week, …83% of this paperwork is in such error that the homeowner is allowed to walk away after a short sale without having to pay the difference, and file bankruptcy.”
Yet, “Bank of America on Friday halted foreclosures on homes across the country so it could review paperwork in tens of thousands of cases for flaws,…”
Somehow in October of 2010 you seem to think the crisis in sloppy mortgage paperwork is Obama’s fault, never realizing that the paperwork was compiled in the deregulation gun-ho Bush administration.
Speaking of endorsements, I want to thank both Slade Gorton and Ken Eikenberry for endorsing their respective initiatives. Now that In know which side the snakes are on, I can vote the other way.
I know that this will force me to vote against Mr. Canlis and Mr. Douglas and the other greedheads who want to make another buck every time that they sell a drink. Sniff. Sniff.
Slade and Mr. Gates debated the income tax initiative at EDCC Wednesday night. The Herald won’t admit it, but I’m betting that Mr. Gates wiped the floor with him.
The Times’ endorsement of Murray will appear in the Sunday newspaper, which is
readopened to the sports and comics by more than a million people.…almost every Sunday!
Birds of a feather?
Ohio Tea Partier Spent Weekends Playing Nazi Games
Can you imagine how long the voting lines in Rebulican districts will be with all those humming electric wheelchairs in the que?
23
And let me guess you work for the state as a teacher
In My household of 4 there will be 4 Hell no’s on an income tax
@26
Another twisted righty goes down do to a little sunshine shone in a dark corner.
Lazy beats stupid any day.
@19 “Heh Roger, it was obama who failed to stop the forclosure hacks this week”
Wrong again; but then, you’ve never been right about anything in your entire life.
@19 “it would truely be hard to argue that it is not a throw the bums out”
Actually, it’s extremely easy to argue that, whatever this election is, it’s not a throw the bums out election. Fact 1: Republicans pitched America into a deep pit. Fact 2: Democrats pulled us out of that pit. Is there still a long way to go? You bet. Republicans dug us into such a deep hole that it will take years, if not a generation, to fully recover. But when you look at the GOP prescription for what ails us, putting Republicans back in power would cast us right back into the hole. Why would anyone vote for Republicans?
@19 As you’re an ignorant fuck who doesn’t read the news, I’ll explain it to you. Obama sent the foreclosure bill back to Congress because it didn’t protect consumers enough. Meanwhile, the “robo-signing” scandal is erupting into headlines. Across the country, banks have filed false, inaccurate, and misleading documents in hundreds of thousands of foreclosure cases. A Florida judge threw out 63 foreclosure actions in one day because the banks didn’t have their shit together. It doesn’t take congressional legislation or a DOJ criminal investigation to force them to clean up their act; all it takes is for courts to refuse to go along with their clowning around. And that’s happening across the country. The solution is to refuse to approve any foreclosure, anywhere, until the bankers decide to stop lying to courts and pursue their legal rights in an appropriate manner.
roger rabbit is our very own Judge Roland Freisler
look it up dipshits, you just might learn something.
@19;
If you don’t have the paperwork to prove that you actually own the mortgage, you shouldn’t be forcing a short sale.