So, hypothetically… if you were a former insurance industry super-lobbyist running for the US Senate, and you wanted to downplay your lucrative past to voters, would you…
A) Have the American Insurance Association throw you a big fundraiser in Washington D.C.?
B) Rake in over $275,000 in campaign contributions from the insurance industry (more than any other industry)? or
C) Invite AIA President Marc Racicot to fundraise for you in your home state?
Well, if you’re Mike McGavick, you apparently do all of the above, with Option C having been accomplished just yesterday.
According to the Spokesman Review, Racicot, the former RNC chair and current AIA president, was out in Spokane raising money for McGavick, who himself was a top AIA lobbyist back in the 90s, and until recently, its vice-chairman.
Hmm. Funny way to distance yourself from your lobbying days. But then, McGavick and Racicot have a lot in common.
Both cashed in on their political connections to earn big bucks lobbying for wealthy corporations and against the public interest… Racicot as “the star of Enron’s Western states ‘advocacy team,” in which role he once lobbied Gov. John Kitzhaber of OR without revealing his connections to Enron… and McGavick as the AIA’s top lobbyist on Superfund cleanup legislation.
And both have well deserved reputations for running political smear campaigns. As RNC chair, Racicot was intimately involved with misleading, negative attack ads nationwide, and earned a reputation for sharply partisan rhetoric during the Florida recount in 2000. And McGavick’s reputation for political shrewdness is large based on running Slade Gorton’s 1988 campaign, which according to the Seattle Times is “still remembered for negative TV ads.”
One Gorton ad suggested opponent Mike Lowry wanted to legalize marijuana, and others compared his appearance with that of Yasser Arafat.
Yikes. And this from the guy who says he wants to restore “civility” to the Senate.
You’d think McGavick would want to keep as far away as possible from characters like Racicot, who might remind voters of his history as a political hatchet man and lobbyist. But I guess it’s kind of hard to run from your past when it’s financing your campaign.
Nice research. Now at least we know what we are facing when see the attack ads.
They think they can buy a Senate seat. They thought they could buy Washington’s governorship, too. I’m glad to see Republicans never learn, and keep throwing away their money. They’d be dangerous if they ever got any smarts.
Mike McGavick is going to lose because he’s too stupid, too rich, and too arrogant to hug a rabbit. He thinks hugging a rabbit is beneath him. Ptooie!!! That’s what Dave Reichert thought, too, and look where it got him.
Alaska’s Senate candidate (AKA Insurance Guy Mike) would stand a better chance with Washington voters if he were:
a) running for OUR Senate seat
b) not taking money from every right wing special interest group on earth
c) not a republican
No wonder he’s down double digits!
I don’t think that McGavick is being “stupid” — arrogance is the better word. This is the way these guys play the game. They assume that voters (and even the MSM) won’t really start paying attention until fall, so they get while the getting is good.
I hope that Cantwell doesn’t just play good defense; a carefully developed attack early on could knock out McGavick. Isn’t it time the Democrats learned to fight?
Buying senate seats is only for dems! Maria financed hers with a sham job at realnetworks. Of course, when the market tanked in the middle of her campaign, she had to borrow heavily, and then pay back those loans with lobbyist money granted from Hillary.
But never mind! Repubs are evil and money grubbing!
“One Gorton ad suggested opponent Mike Lowry wanted to legalize marijuana, and others compared his appearance with that of Yasser Arafat.”
You mean Lowry and Arafat were actually seen together? ;)
Roger your friends need help in Adelanto, they became a sport for the local dogs.
http://www.sbsun.com/columnists/ci_3813425
Coursing ban makes no sense
Jim Matthews
ADELANTO – The jackrabbit broke out of the high cover and headed toward a distant fence line across flat, open ground. Three salukis zeroed in on the rabbit from different tangents and shifted into a blurring overdrive, closing the gap between themselves and the jack. At the fence, the rabbit made a hard right and sped along the far side of the fence with one of the salukis just 20 yards behind.
When the rabbit cut into heavier cover, the lead saluki changed its angle, closing the distance, and forced the rabbit to reverse its course and go back to the fence line. The rabbit was at top speed now, going back along the fence the same way it had just come. The second saluki had been behind the lead dog, but now it cut in behind the rabbit, just a couple of yards behind. This dog really turned on its speed trying to catch up, but the rabbit was pulling away slightly from both dogs.
The third and trailing saluki had shot through an opening in the fence just as the rabbit had been turned and cut back on its own tracks. The rabbit didn’t see this dog because the brush was too high, but this trailing hound slowed, turned completely around, and then accelerated back toward the fence. The jackrabbit cleared some brush and ran right toward the third dog, tried to turn, but the saluki turned with the rabbit and the two merged. The dog snapped it’s jaws in a fluid motion, killing the jackrabbit instantly.
It had happened so fast, there was still settling dust for 30 to 40 yards along the courses they had just run, and a small cloud was dispersing where the chase had come to an end at the convergence of three dogs and a jackrabbit.
It was like watching one of those incredible cheetah kills on the Discovery Channel, where you sit spellbound, realizing only later that you weren’t breathing during the whole chase
For all you folks, who have rabbit problems, do not have the hart to kill them, check out the product below. The city of Seattle has been using the product in the Green Lake for years. Next years the greyhounds will be hunting for the furry critters instead.
http://rabbits.com/eflp.php?pi.....s&K2=
Don’t fall for animal urines or foul smelling repellents. Very seldom do they actually work… they smell horrible… they wash off in the rain… they can stain your clothes, and the smell around you, your home and garden is unbearable. None of these unpleasant repellents or the aggravation in using them are necessary or very effective…
Our All natural patent pending formula is the absolute most effective product available specifically formulated
to repel rabbits & groundhogs (woodchucks) from your bulbs, flowers, plants, Edible fruits, vegetables and forest and fruit tree’s.
We are sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the Lemon fresh scent and astonished by the results.
For once, Janet S who thinks a woman’s place is in the home keeping her kids from fighting in a war she claims to support and I agree. Republicans are evil and moneygrubbing!
And of course, the difference between “buying” your Senate seat with your own money and letting big oil (from Alaska no less) and big insurance buy it for you is that the latter requires you to be the butt-boy of the big oil and insurance companies.
re 5: Hear! Hear!
And of course, the difference between “buying†your Senate seat with your own money and letting big oil (from Alaska no less) and big insurance buy it for you is that the latter requires you to be the butt-boy of the big oil and insurance companies.
Comment by LeftTurn — 5/12/06 @ 8:56 am
LeftTurn who’s butt-boy do you belong to these days?
klake at 7,9,10
Brought to you by the whacko coming totally out of left (or is it far right?) field, another episode of Totally Unrelated Crap.
I hope that Cantwell doesn’t just play good defense; a carefully developed attack early on could knock out McGavick. Isn’t it time the Democrats learned to fight?
Comment by Green Thumb — 5/12/06 @ 7:09 am
Girly-boys never learn how to fight let alone dirty.
There’s a difference between our trolls ( corporatist fascists ) and real conservatives. http://www.antiwar.com/orig/ed.....cleid=8966
Robert Scheer, in this article, gives timely info. on Grand Poobah Hayden’s nomination: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060522/scheer0509
Brought to you by the whacko coming totally out of left (or is it far right?) field, another episode of Totally Unrelated Crap.
Comment by rwb — 5/12/06 @ 9:00 am
RWB and what you had to say was related to the subject matter? I really have to stretch my logical mind to reference where you are coming from, but I suspect you head is stuck past the sphincter muscle and between the small intestine. But you can blame that on those great schools in Seattle for your success.
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – The chairman of the city’s Democratic Party and four others were convicted Wednesday of scheming to buy votes with cash, cigarettes and liquor in November.
Charles Powell Jr., 61, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit vote fraud, along with the city’s former director of regulatory affairs and three Democratic precinct committee members.
Prosecutors relied largely on secretly recorded audiotapes in which they say the accused could be heard talking about paying $5 per vote to get key Democrats elected.
State records showed that tens of thousands of dollars were transferred from the St. Clair County Democratic Party to committee members in East St. Louis days before the Nov. 2 election.
Party leaders said it was for legitimate expenses, including rides to the polls for people without cars.
The defense had argued that the government’s case was flimsy because of unreliable witnesses whose testimony often contradicted one another and, at times, was recanted.
A date for sentencing was not set. Each count carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In March, three other precinct committee members and a precinct worker each pleaded guilty to a related count of vote buying. They also are awaiting sentencing.
East St. Louis is a struggling former industrial center of 31,500 across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.
errr ahhhh
Mike Lowry doesn’t look like Arafat? Oh, yeh .. he looks like Kermit! I like Lowry, buy he is one froggy guy!
As for marijuana, unless Lowry is a lot less intelligent than I think he is, why would he opposed to this”
sssshhhhh
Roger and Gang this sounds like K12 in the Republic of Seattle, but it will take more than money to fix a socialist system. The Folks need a vision and a great leader to change the failing systems. Maybe the new Democrats will fix the problem if they get bigger bribes?
Higher Learning in France Clings to Its Old Ways
By ELAINE SCIOLINO
France’s archaic state-owned university system is over crowded, underfinanced and disorganized.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05.....ref=slogin
It was student discontent on campuses across France that fired up the recent protests against a law that would have made it easier for employers to dismiss young workers. College students were driven by fear that their education was worth little and that after graduation they would not find jobs.
The protests closed or disrupted a majority of France’s universities for weeks, labor unions declared solidarity and eventually the government was forced to withdraw the law.
“Universities are factories,” said Christine le Forestier, 24, a 2005 graduate of Nanterre with a master’s degree who has not found a stable job. “They are machines to turn out thousands and thousands of students who have learned all about theory but nothing practical. A diploma is worth nothing in the real world.”
The problems stem in part from the student revolts of May 1968, which grew out of an unexceptional event at Nanterre the year before. One March evening, male students protesting the sexual segregation of the dormitories occupied the women’s dormitory and were evicted by the police.
A year later, Nanterre students protesting the war in Vietnam occupied the administration building, the first such action by students at a French university. The student revolt spread, turning into a mass movement aimed at transforming the authoritarian, elitist French system of governance. Ultimately 10 million workers left their jobs in a strike that came close to forcing de Gaulle from power.
Maria Cantwell can’t lose. This senate seat is safe for Dem’s.
Reichert on the other hand, Baaa haaa haaa, he’s gonna be a one hit wonder.
Someone mail Reichert the want ads, maybe he can find a job as a security monitor at the South Center Mall.
Baaa haaaa haaaa haaaa.
Roger and Gang are the Democrats dreaming or not?
“The threat of the Democrats taking the majority in the House this November is very real.”
That’s the message that our Republican counterpart, the NRCC, sent to their supporters yesterday after Democrats went public with our agenda.
They’re terrified — terrified that their stranglehold on power will be broken, and terrified of Democrats reversing their corrupt, right-wing policies. They’re terrified that when Democrats take over we’ll raise the minimum wage; allow Medicare to bargain for lower prescription drugs prices for our seniors; reinstate rules demanding that new spending and tax cuts be accounted for and offset in the budget; cut in half the interest rates on student loans; and implement all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
I just had to share this email with you.
Democrats across the country are surging, but they need your help. The iron’s hot, and with less than six months left it’s time to strike. Support the DCCC today and make sure our Democratic House candidates win in November
We need your help now to keep up our momentum and fund our candidates so they can continue to fight on the battlefield across the country.
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Maria has too many big-moneyed interests on her side. Glazer at realnetworks bought himself a great senator by having her on staff and paying her with stock options for several years, thereby evading campaign finance donation limits. Al Franken is getting the same treatment today.
Anyone ever figure out what it is she did at the realnetworks, besides warm a seat?
But that’s okay. She is a dem, and these things are okay. The fact that she dances to the dem leadership is really a point in her favor in this state. We want no independent voices, we want those who will be commanded. Just like darcy will be if she gets elected.
Left Turn @ 27:
May I just say “BRA-V0000.” I just love it when I see conservatives getting slamme with their own bull shit lies.
This is exactly why we should NOT delete their posts from the blog.
Oh, and nice closing remarks, right on the money.
CORRUPTION WATCH: CALIF. REP. JERRY LEWIS is under investigation for links to the Duke Cunningham bribery scandal.
Maria has too many big-moneyed interests on her side.
Commentby Janet S— 5/12/06@ 10:02 am
Are you trying your hand at irony? For God’s sake, Mike McGavick has the insurance industry behind him. The insurance industry has so much more money and influence than any entity supporting Maria. Moreover, the industry is evil to the core. The whole premise is to take money from everyone and never give any back. Even Trent Lott has had his homeowner’s claim denied following Katrina and has had to sue. Why is it that Republicans bitch and moan endlessly about taxes but happily send their premiums off to insurance companies? When I look at what I pay for insurance on an annual basis (auto, home, life, disability, E & O, property, health, and who knows what else), while receiving nothing in return, I get a bit annoyed when I look at the profits the insurance industry sucks out each year. I don’t even get “peace of mind” in exchange for my premiums because I know that the odds are if I ever make a claim it will either get denied or my insurance will get canceled. We do not need a lackey for the insurance industry in the Senate.
25
In the mail, klake, in the mail. Meanwhile, tell your nazi buddies to grease their butts for the prison pudd pounding that’s coming their way soon.
9
Yeah, I watched one of those coursing deals a few years ago when I was visiting my Uncle Zack in ‘Zona. It was a riot! Uncle Jack went straight for the fence line, just as you described, and let the dogs think they had him penned. Then Zack dived into his Spider Hole and came up with his AK-47, and following a series of sharp staccato cracks, with puffs of dust kicking up from the cracked gray earth, there were three quivering, punctured bodies lying among the mesquite in oozing pools of maroon-colored blood. Then the buzzards ate the dogs, ripping strips of meat from their torn, mangled bodies. Man, watching that was a kick!!! So I asked Uncle Zack, “This is what you guys do for fun?” and he replied, “Every Friday night! The tourists flock here and place pets on which dog will get it first.” I asked him to show me his AK-47, and that’s how I learned to shoot a ’47.
10
Greyhound coursing is coming to Green Lake Park!!! Way cool!!! (click-click)
15
So now klake is going to share with us his expertise on fighting.
Before I forget — klake is a nazi
MEMO TO DAVE REICHERT
(Personal and confidential. If you received this message in error, please forward to as many Republicans as you can.)
Have you hugged a rabbit today?
Janet S:
Cantwell lost her House seat to Rick White in 1994 and went to work at Realnetworks as Senior Vice President of Consumer Products in 1995. She wasn’t elected to the Senate until 2000.
Your theory is that Glaser knew Cantwell would be running for Senate in 2000 so he hired her in 1995? And the stock options that were standard for tech companies at that time were really disguised campaign contributions? Unless you are a member of the tinfoil hat brigade like JCH, you either know your claims are full of crap, or more likely, you just don’t care.
The Dow is getting crushed for a second straight day. Looks like the markets are expected a recession! I’ve been saying all along that Bush’s reckless fiscal policies and credit card spending would lead to high interest rates, high inflation, and high unemployment.
Janet S once again delivering the GOP wingnut party line and demonstrating how extremist the WSRP has become.
Why is it such a stretch to imagine that Maria still had political aspirations, after she lost in 1994? What better way to cultivate your candidate than putting them in a high level job, and paying them lots of money? The stock options were just icing on the cake. And, no, no one anticipated that they would tank during her campaign. But the damage was covered, and today her options are again worth quite a bit. So realnetworks has their senator, and all are happy.
Anyone hear about Al Gore and his google options? He could self finance another run at president. Nothing wrong, but I just have to wonder what value he provided to google to warrant such a big score. At least the guy at Exxon worked there, and built a company.
Personally, I don’t care how much anyone spends on a campaign, or where they get it. It should just be public information. All the campaign finance laws do is make everyone sneak around and come up with nasty little schemes, usually secret, to get around the law.
Klake said: “Goldy this site is being monitored by the KGB they are recruiting for new agents.”
Typical. The KGB hasn’t existed for well over a decade, but the right-wing still acts as if it does. Still trying to use the “there’s a bear in the woods” to scare us into voting Republican. I bet they cry every night, missing the end of the cold war. In the meantime, they run foreign policy in a manner which seems designed to create a war with the entire muslim world.
Is this because they think that without a war (or constantly on the verge of one), they cannot justify their illegal actions which keep them in office?
Signed your kids up for the war yet? How about that oil well in your backyard – when will we see that?
Commentby LeftTurn— 5/12/06@ 10:28 am
LeftTurn you will be in uniform on the drill field with your bags pack to see parts of the world your Daddy missed. You will not be drilling for oil in the desert, but we had one in our front yard in Illinois, everyone sat in a rocker on the front porch, and counted their money. You will not be that lucky, and you have to power your car on methane from your out house. Do not worry about your kids we do not use goats into the military anymore for security.
Is this because they think that without a war (or constantly on the verge of one), they cannot justify their illegal actions which keep them in office?
Commentby rhp6033— 5/12/06@ 12:11 pm
Rhp the Democrats have been running this country for the most part of the last fifty years. You do not like the stink get off you dead ass and leave the sanitation can for someone else. Hell move to Canada with all your friends from West Seattle. You do not have to swim the river to get there like those from Mexico. Just bring your big bank account and marry one of the locals.
“Buying senate seats is only for dems! Maria financed hers with a sham job at realnetworks. Of course, when the market tanked in the middle of her campaign, she had to borrow heavily, and then pay back those loans with lobbyist money granted from Hillary.
Commentby Janet S— 5/12/06@ 7:52 am”
Cantwell has this race in the bag. The ONLY way McGavick has a chance is if the fringe lunatic left start shrieking & attacking…and you KLOWNS cannot help yourselves!!!
The LAST thing Cantwell wants to do is to get into a debate over integrity. But you KLOWNS will certainly open the door. McGavick needs to have the discussion you refer to Janet S. It will be even more effective for him if it is in response to these early attacks. Since Cantwell has done NOTHING in 6 years other than disappoint her LEFTIST base and be propped up by the Dems in the last year of her term (ala Patty Murray) with a couple photo op type issues…..she needs to act like the winner. KLOWNS like you HA characters will do more harm than good.
Snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory….is that what you are trying to do????????
Like Aaron Dixon. If you KLOWNS run him off, a much, much better Green Party candidate will likely step forward.
READY, FIRE, AIMMMMMMMMM!
“the democrats have been running this country for most of the last fifty years”
???
Do the nice nurses know you chewed through the leather straps again?
@ 24 “Someone mail Reichert the want ads, maybe he can find a job as a security monitor at the South Center Mall”
I am sure the new janitor, Rossi, would put in a good word for Davie.
wayne @ 38 — Janet S’s theory of corrupt influence also requires that Glaser knew in advance that REAL would be a big success – unlike most tech starts.
Hmmm. If Glaser knew that, there must have been an even BIGGER conspiracy behind whatever enabled him to rig the software market.
Goodness gracious, this is getting serious!
Janet S has changed her argument three times in three posts. I guess that’s the way you work when you’ve lost.
Just how far out of touch is Baby Bush?
http://www.bloglines.com:80/myblogs
Even two important right wing turds are attacking him. Man I love watching the news these days. You never know which republican will be arrested, indicted, sentenced or will speak out about Bush ruining our country.
“All the campaign finance laws do is make everyone sneak around and come up with nasty little schemes, usually secret, to get around the law.
Commentby Janet S— 5/12/06@ 12:07 pm”
From the mouths of Konervative Krime Klowns the truth occasionally slips out.
Any one care to know why the Konservative Krime Klown, aka Ms Chicken, aka Mr. Cynical turn out the way he did??
Perhaps in your childhood you were never spanked or ridiculed. Your parents likely isolated you from all criticism and sarcasm…hence, you morphed into the LIBERAL PINHEAD you are today.
Commentby Mr. Cynical— 5/10/06@ 9:49 pm
So, by the Konservative Krime Klowns analogy, the way to raise a republican is to: Spank, ridicule, criticize, and project sarcasm on your children.
Well, that explains everything about Bush, Cheney, JCH, Mr Cynical, Rufus, Janet S. and the rest of the conservatives. They were humiliated children who grew up to be angry, spiteful, anti-social, hateful adults.
This statement certainly validates the study done in Berkeley that well adjusted children grow up to be Liberals, while whiny, snot-nosed, piss-ant kids grow up to be Konservative Krime Klowns.
Thanks, Mr Cynical.
I can’t believe it!!! A republican has just told the TRUTH!!! Or, more accurately put, let the truth SLIP OUT
Commentby GBS— 5/11/06@ 10:20 am
GBS @22 HOWS MCDONALDS WORKING OUT FOR YOU.LOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSER.
HEY GBS BE A MAN AND NOT THE PISS ANT YOU ARE SHOW US THE DD214 WHERE YOU GOT OUT AS AN EN-1.LIAR
I’d like everybody to stop the partisan attacks for just one moment and lets all acknowledge YO’s learning achievement @ 52.
The other day he kept misspelling “LIAR” by spelling it “LIER”. I pointed it out to him and showed him how to spell the word correctly. I noticed in his post today, he spelled it correctly!!
YEAAAAAAAAAAA for YO!!!!!
Everybody; Liberals, conservatives and independents, let’s all give YO some words of encouragement. I’ll start.
YO,
You did a goooood job spelling today. Good for youuuuuu. You get a gold star. If you keep trying, realllllllly, realllllly hard you might even learn how to use punctuation. Can you say that big word??? You don’t think you can? I bet you can. C’mon, try with me; “punk-choo-a-shun”. goooooood boy.
Do you know what that word means? No? Sure? Want try just a teensy, tiny bit?
OK shy boy, I’ll tell you the BIIIIIG secret. It’s the symbols you should use when you are writing your BIG BOY sentences so other people will understand more clearly what you’re trying to say.
All right, whose next?
GBS
Don’t you think you might be pushing YO a bit too fast with punctuation? I’m thinking maybe he could use some instruction on how to use a big boy potty first. He really needs to start wiping himself.
Proud Leftist:
And here I thought Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” act was about education not getting brain-dead conservatives to wipe their own behinds.