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Concerned that I didn’t give the buttoned-up Christian business man’s group that hosted Dino Rossi in Tacoma today a fair shake after they denied the News-Tribune’s Niki Sullivan access to a Rossi appearance and thus the ability to do part of her job, I decided to check out their national website. Nothing too unusual. Biblical inerrancy combined with a multi-level marketing approach to religion, plus plans to proselytize the known universe (or at least the top 100 cities in the country, anyhow.)

You know, the usual type of far right Republican-Christian symbiosis they’ve perfected. But nothing political going on, no-sireee. They’re charging $210 per table to meet the GOP candidate for governor just because he’s a swell guy.

But I can see now I was being unfair. Their slogan is “A movement of men,” and I think these screen shots pretty much show just how unfair I was being.

Not that there’s anything wrong with being well-dressed.

Did Kentucky just seal the nomination for Obama? Then who should he pick as a running mate? What does Sen. Ed Murray (D-43 LD) really think about Rossi’s transportation plan fantasy? Is American democracy being poisoned by right-wing hate rhetoric? What’s the matter with the DNC’s 50-state Blogger Corps Program? Goldy and friends frolic in these questions and more, and then conclude with a sober discussion of Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Goldy was joined by a star-studded cast of political pundits: Washington state Senator Ed Murray, Seattle P-I columnist Joel Connelly, DailyKos uber-blogger mcjoan, author of Outright Barbarous: How the Violent Language of the Right Poisons American Democracy, anthropologist, and blogger Jeffrey Feldman, Firedoglake front page editor Dave Neiwert, and EFFin’ Unsound’s Carl Ballard.

The show is 56:14, and is available here as an MP3.

[audio:http://www.podcastingliberally.com/podcasts/podcasting_liberally_may_20_2008.mp3]

[Recorded live at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. Special thanks to creators Gavin and Richard for hosting the site.]

Oregon Democrats were incredibly fortunate to have two strong, progressive Senate candidates in Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick. In the end Merkley won the primary by a slim 45% to 42% margin, but managed to win a plurality of votes in all but three counties. Congratulations Jeff.

Novick ran an impressive underdog campaign, producing some of the best political ads I’ve seen in quite some time, so he deserves congratulations too for being himself and making it so close. But in the end suburban and rural Democrats felt more comfortable with Merkley’s more traditional style. From a strategic perspective I think there were good arguments as to why either might have been a better matchup against incumbent Sen. Gordon Smith, but that’s all moot now. The job from here on out is to convince Oregon voters that Merkley will do a better job representing their interests than Smith.

On a personal note, this was a difficult primary for me, and I’m glad to see it over. I had the opportunity to meet with both candidates and genuinely liked them both. But I also had close blogger friends passionately on either side of this race, and at times felt like a child caught in the midst of a nasty divorce. My hope is that in focusing on November, we can come together as one big happy family again… without a custody agreement or court oversight.

Did sexist press coverage sink Hillary Clinton?  I’ll be a guest on KUOW’s The Conservation this afternoon, sometime during the 1PM hour, to discuss this and possibly other issues.

I was talking to a real journalist last night, and not surprisingly the subject of the Burner-Reichert race came up. Also not surprisingly, the journalist raised the question of whether Darcy Burner had done enough over the past two years to address concerns about her perceived lack of relevant experience.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard a member of the local media raise this question, and it immediately got my hackles up. Campaigns tend to focus on the job performance of the incumbent, not the challenger, and with good reason: to criticize the challenger for lacking the relevant experience of the incumbent would be an automatic argument for incumbency.

To wage a successful campaign a challenger must typically do two things: A) raise substantial doubts about the job performance and/or character of the incumbent; and B) present themselves as an acceptable alternative who voters might reasonably give a chance in the job. And generally, in that order.

But that’s not how this race has been covered thus far. The media narrative, that Burner must somehow match Dave Reichert’s legislative experience to qualify for the job, is a narrative that comes straight from the Reichert campaign, and one that she cannot possibly win, as it can be argued that nothing prepares one for Congress like on the job experience. It is a narrative that runs counter to the intent of the founders, who envisioned a citizen legislature, and counter to the mood of a public grown weary (and wary) of professional politicians. It is a narrative that defaults to the incumbent.

But elected office has never been a prerequisite for holding elected office; it was never an issue during Mike McGavick’s run for the US Senate, and it hasn’t seemed to hamper Gov. Schwarzenegger in California. Indeed, representing one’s fellow citizens in Congress is supposed to be an act of public service, not a reward for it.

If I sound a bit defensive it is because I am, for Darcy Burner is clearly being held to an unfair standard. Capitol Hill is filled with Representatives and Senators who never held lower office before first being elected (or appointed) to Congress. Ironically, the best example I can think of to support the notion that legislators should work their way to the top before acceding to Congress is Reichert himself, who had zero legislative experience before winning his current office, and whose track record there shows it.

The primary question before voters is not what Burner has managed to accomplish since losing her race in 2006, but what Reichert has managed to accomplish since winning. Which brings us to the video clip at the top of this post, in which Rep. Jay Inslee cites Burner’s Responsible Plan while debating Iraq War funding on the floor of House.

Inslee describes Burner as a “citizen,” and that’s all she is, and yet through sheer grit and determination she has managed to influence the public debate on Iraq, while Reichert, with all the powers of office at his disposal, has done nothing but parrot the platitudes of the Bush administration. Where is Reichert’s plan? Where is his leadership on this issue or other pressing issues? What has he done during his four years in office other than issue an endless stream of press releases and glossy franked mail pieces?

When critics ask what Burner has done these past two years to prepare herself for office, voters should ask what Reichert has done these past two years with it? And local journalists, however well meaning, should start asking the same question.

More and more news is surfacing about the ongoing problems that medical marijuana patients in this state are facing. Here are some more links:

Dominic Holden writes about another transplant patient being denied.

Carol Ostrom writes in the Seattle Times about how the State Department of Health is now likely to miss the deadline for establishing a legal 60-day limit for medical marijuana patients and providers because law enforcement didn’t like the initial number proposed. I commented on the whole mess here.

This is what the GOP has been reduced to:

Pathetic. And this is exactly the way to respond:

HuffPo cofounder Arianna Huffington is speaking at Seattle’s Town Hall tonight at 7:30PM, and signing her new book “Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe.” Eighth and Seneca.

In a more intimate setting, FrameShop founder Jeffrey Feldman will be stopping by Drinking Liberally tonight, chatting with folks and signing his new book “Outright Barbarous: How the Violent Language of the Right Poisons American Democracy.” 8PM, Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E.

See a theme there?  Somehow, I’m going to manage to attend both.

It’s been all over the news, so you’ve probably already heard it, but Sen. Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. I’ve got no idea what the prognosis is, but clearly, things like this are never good.

Kennedy has long been a bogeyman for the right, beyond all reason, and no doubt there are more than a few assholes out there cheering his illness. But for the most part the reaction from the right has been muted thus far, and the statements of his Republican colleagues have been respectful, supportive and downright heartfelt.

I personally don’t believe in prayer, but those of you who do, have at it.

Well, the Times hasn’t endorsed Barack Obama in the general election yet, but they will. They’ll also endorse Dino Rossi, Dave Reichert and Rob McKenna. But you know, because they’ll endorse the Democrat at the top of the ticket it will prove that they are in fact nonpartisan.

Remind me of my prediction come November.

I just got back from a long weekend in Chicago, and I’ve apparently missed out on a few local medical marijuana cases. Here’s a quick roundup:

– A medical marijuana patient named Alex Morris, who is suffering from Crohn’s disease, is serving a 30-day jail sentence and is unable to use the medicine a doctor has authorized him to use. He’s lost 10 pounds in 8 days. Even under the Washington State law approved by the voters, his medicine is not legally available to him while in prison.

I’m not able to find out if Morris was sent to jail for marijuana-related charges or something else, but the effects that his lack of medicine is having on him should make us question having a person in his condition serving a 30-day jail sentence in a state where the prisons are already overcrowded.

– Another Crohn’s patient named Steve Senn was sentenced to one year in jail today, although he will be out on bail awaiting appeal. A Snohomish County judge has ordered Senn not to use his medicine while under Department of Corrections supervision. Even though Senn had already served his deferred prosecution for a refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test, the judge cited failed drug tests due to his legal medical marijuana use as the reason to invalidate the deferred prosecution.

– Bruce Olson, the husband of Pam Olson, had a pre-trial hearing today in Kitsap County. The case may be postponed until after July 1, when the state Department of Health is expected to announce the quantity guidelines for medical marijuana patients. As with all cases, showing up at the courthouse to show your support for the patients is always appreciated.

Speaking of political campaigns making effective use of the Internet, the WA State Dems have put up a new web site of their own, The Real Rossi. I especially like this audio clip of Rossi, which I think pretty much sums up his entire campaign:

[audio:http://horsesass.org/wp-content/uploads/rossismile.mp3]