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The latest Rasmussen Reports election poll shows Sen. Maria Cantwell holding a 15 point lead over putative GOP challenger Mike McGavick for the third straight month, 51% to 36%. Cantwell’s job approval rating is a comfortable 58%.

It is also interesting to note that Gov. Christine Gregoire’s job approval rating continues to climb, now standing at 55%. Come 2008 it looks like she’ll hold all the traditional advantages of incumbency.

Oh my God… Seattle P-I capitol correspondent Chris McGann totally sticks it to the grandstanding idiots leading the GOP caucus:

Republican leaders vowed Thursday to protect family farms from the ravages of Washington’s estate tax as they set their sights on killing the so-called death tax.

But they overlooked one important detail — farms are exempt from the estate tax.

You gotta read this piece… it’s hysterical. And keep in mind, that McGann is a reporter, not a columnist — if it sounds like he’s editorializing, well, how could it not sound that way when the Republican leadership is so totally and utterly clueless?

The revised estate tax passed last year exempts the entire value of all agricultural land and equipment… in addition to a $2 million exemption on other assets.

That fact was all but lost in the fanfare as Republicans in the House and Senate joined forces to promote their agenda for the coming Legislative session, a “contract with the State of Washington,” designed to restore trust in government and improve the quality of life.

Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, said the estate tax would be a top priority because it’s particularly hard on agribusiness.

“Their land is worth so much money,” he said.

Um… it’s an unlimited deduction. According to Department of Revenue Spokesman Mike Gowrylow, not a single family farm will be lost to the estate tax.

Nonetheless, Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, called the effect of the estate tax on family farms “an atrocity.”

“When you look at farms and you see the amount of property that it takes to farm and the amount of equipment and storage facilities it takes to farm, it adds up pretty quick,” Armstrong said.

It’s an unlimited deduction!

Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, said growers and producers who fuel the state’s largest industry are “hammered by the high cost of government programs that create obstacles.

“Taxes are literally eating up our family farms,” he said.

What part of “UNLIMITED DEDUCTION” don’t these guys understand? Did they even bother to read last year’s bill before they voted against it? Um… apparently, no:

When asked if they had overlooked the farm exemption — the Republican panel was stymied.

“I think (the exemption) was based around maybe hobby farms, not necessarily large-scale farms,” said House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis. “I haven’t seen any language that would help any of the farmers in my district.”

Hey Richard… try reading the fucking bill! That’s what we pay you for, isn’t it?

Well, at least one of the R’s showed a touch of political savvy.

Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, changed the subject.

Hmm. “Angry Ed” sounds like he could be one of our trolls.

Quite frankly, I’m stunned. Either the state GOP has elected an amazingly stupid, misinformed, and lazy leadership team — even by Republican standards — or they are simply all a bunch of conscienceless, bald faced liars. And if McGann sounded a bit snide and disrespectful in the way he covered this pathetic performance, it’s because the GOP leaders disrespected him and his fellow journalists by treating them as if they were as stupid as the R’s apparently believe voters to be.

If this is the GOP’s idea of restoring trust in government, it’s gonna be a long time coming.

UPDATE:
In the thread, reader Proud to be an Ass comments on the GOP’s “sheer mendacity.”

This event should be the subject of op-ed pieces from now till November.

Absolutely.

The news media should understand… they totally dissed you. The GOP caucus leaders apparently have so little respect for the Olympia press corps that they didn’t even bother tasking a staffer with fact checking their bullshit rhetoric before calling a press event. (Or, they simply lied.)

How can the Republican leadership be trusted to set the state’s agenda when they can’t even be trusted to explain to the public exactly what their agenda is?

According to an inside source, another Alaska Airlines jetliner was hit and damaged by ground crews today at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Unlike last week’s hit-and-run that resulted in a nearly catastrophic decompression at 26,000 feet, this incident was properly reported and the aircraft was taken out of service. Airline officials have yet to respond to my inquiries.

Well… um… I suppose it’s good news that the low-bid, contractors Alaska hired to replace their union baggage handlers last May actually reported this incident. Now if only Alaska can teach them to stop driving into their airplanes.

UPDATE:
Well, I suppose I owe the low-bid contractors an apology. They didn’t drive the baggage truck into the airplane. They towed the airplane into the baggage truck.

It was the second such incident by an employee of Menzies Aviation in 10 days. Passengers were boarding the 737-700 about 11:30 a.m. for Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport when the plane was moved by a tow tug, causing the jet to strike a baggage loading machine and the open passenger door to hit the jetway.
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A spokeswoman for Alaska Airlines said the tow truck, operated by an employee of Menzies Aviation, accidentally pulled the plane forward about three feet. That means the tow truck would have been put into reverse.

Well, that makes me feel much better. Next time I fly Alaska I’ll just have to remember to quickly leap from the jetway into the airplane, just in case they move the plane as I’m trying to board it.

State Sen. Adam Kline (representing my 37th LD) has a great guest column in today’s Seattle P-I, ripping Tim Eyman a new one:

Uh-oh. Hold onto your wallets, folks. Tim Eyman is back.

That’s right, the professional initiative salesman, who secretly pocketed hundreds of thousands in campaign contributions, began his most recent screed (“2006 initiative: Save our $30 tabs,” Dec. 29) by stating that nobody trusts politicians. The veteran of umpteen initiative campaigns proceeded to attack politicians for allowing additional fees for vehicle registration. No mention, of course, that the fees are still there because he failed to eliminate them in the drafting of his own initiative, which he falsely advertised as the “$30 Tab Initiative.” Talk about truth in advertising.! He could have fixed it again with Initiative 776, which he dubbed “$30 Car Tabs for Everyone.” But he didn’t. He blew it, not once but twice, and now he blames it on “politicians.”

To quote Eyman: “The arrogance is overwhelming.”

It should also be noted that Eyman’s scandals have finally caught up with him, at least in terms of his so-called “grass roots” support. Of the $593,000 he raised for Initiative 900, over $514,000 can from a single source: investment banker Michael Dunmire of Woodinville. All it takes to qualify for the ballot is a half million dollars worth of paid signatures, and with a deep pocketed sugar daddy like Dunmire, Eyman is virtually assured ballot access. But that won’t mean his latest $30 car tab initiative has popular support.

Indeed, in the wake of I-912’s resounding defeat, targeting the other third of the funding for the state transportation package doesn’t sound like such a sure thing to me. I just hope the business community puts up the money to help kill Eyman’s latest folly, putting a fork in his dying initiative career.

Um, I’m guessing Sharon’s stroke was most likely due to the fact that he was a bitter, old, fat tub-o-lard… but hateful televangelist Pat Robertson insists it was the Lord’s work:

“He was dividing God’s land, and I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU, the United Nations or United States of America.”

Media Matters has a transcript and video clip of Pat Robertson once again threatening divine retribution against anybody who disagrees with the right-wing political agenda. Robertson goes on to suggest that Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination was also an act of God.

What a prick.

Bellevue attorney Randy Gordon has dropped his bid for the Democratic nomination to challenge first-term Rep. Dave Reichert in WA’s 8th Congressional District. This leaves Darcy Burner as the only declared challenger.

While Gordon struggled to raise money, by all accounts Burner has exceeded targets set for her by the DCCC, Emily’s List and other potential big donors, and surely, her fundraising advantage must have played into Gordon’s decision to withdraw. In prior conversations, Gordon had assured me that should he drop out, he would actively support the eventual nominee, and thus I expect he will eventually endorse Burner.

In a letter to supporters Gordon said that he would “consider other elective positions.” I was unable to get ahold of Gordon for comment, but when I asked Progressive Majority’s Dean Nielsen for his take on the prospect, he was quick to respond:

“Randy’s a great guy, a great candidate and should really consider running for the state house.”

Run for the state house? Hmm. I believe Gordon lives in the 41st Legislative District, home of my favorite Republican, state Rep. Fred Jarrett. Jarrett is pro-choice, pro-environment and a just plain reasonable, thoughtful guy — I like to think of him as a Democrat with an “R” next to his name. Indeed, House Speaker Frank Chopp has been trying to get him to switch parties for years, but Jarrett refuses to leave a GOP that left his fellow suburban moderates long ago. No doubt Gordon would garner enthusiastic support from Chopp and Labor, both eager to put another progressive in the Democratic caucus… and it certainly would be fun watching the righties being forced to grit their teeth and spend scarce resources defending a moderate R.

Yeah, it’s kinda too bad to see one of the good Republicans targeted, but as was recently explained to me by somebody wiser in the ways of electoral politics, it’s always the moderates who are first to go in any legislative body. Why? Well, the reason they are moderate is that they usually represent districts where the other side holds an electoral advantage… a scenario certainly true of Jarrett and the 41st LD, which has grown increasingly blue over the past decade.

Personally, I like Jarrett. But I also like Gordon, and think he’d be an excellent campaigner and a great addition to the Democratic caucus. The 41st is a Democratic district, and it’s time we have a Democrat in Jarrett’s seat.

So, if Jarrett wants to avoid the toughest reelection fight of his career, it’s time to give in to reality and switch parties… and with the new legislative session about to begin, now is the time to do it.

Word is that Okanogan County rancher and former WA Dept. of Agriculture Director Peter Goldmark has decided not to challenge first term Rep. Cathy McMorris in the 5th Congressional District. Too bad. Goldmark is exactly the kind of Democrat we need running in Eastern Washington.

More candidate news brewing….

Snohomish County is the latest WA county to move to all mail-in elections.

In a 3-2 split, Democrat county Councilmen Kirke Sievers, Dave Gossett and Dave Somers this morning outvoted Republican Councilmen Gary Nelson and John Koster.
…
The council made the move to avoid a state mandate to purchase machines to provide a paper audit trail for those who voted at the polls. That would have cost $860,000, plus ongoing storage costs.

Like King County, Snohomish will set up regional dropoff points on election day where voters can deposit their ballots in person. 35 of the state’s 39 counties have either switched to all mail-in voting, or have announced plans to do so.

On a related note, King County Elections has posted a PDF of the Election Center Report evaluating their performance during the November, 2005 election. It’s really detailed, so I haven’t had time to more than skim it, but it’s certainly far from the “shoddy” effort alleged by some OCD bloggers on the right.

The West Virginia mine tragedy, in which 12 of 13 trapped miners are now confirmed dead, reminds us that throughout the nation, and throughout our history, it is an army of anonymous laborers — not highly paid and celebrated corporate executives — who daily put life and limb at risk to keep our economy running.

While much will be written (after the fact) about the long record of safety violations at the Sago Mine, workers at even the best run mines know that they put their health and safety at risk each time they descend the shaft. The same is true in dozens of other industries and professions, from police and firefighters to commercial fishing to the pesticide laden fields of America’s farm belt.

In recent years the right has stepped up its withering attacks on organized labor, even as the union movement has continued to decline in size and influence, but it should be remembered that workers are only as safe as they are today due to decades of management’s grudging concessions to union demands, and the state and federal regulation that has resulted from union lobbying. When Republicans attack organized labor they are attacking the welfare of workers like the 12 miners who died providing the fuel that runs our factories and power plants.

I don’t want to overly politicize this tragedy, but the next time the anti-union rhetoric flies I hope we all remember who these unions represent, and the sacrifices these workers make every day.

State Sen. Bill Finkbeiner’s reelection prospects just got tougher today, when software engineer and activist Eric Oemig declared his bid for the 45th District Senate seat. In announcing his candidacy Oemig hit on themes which should resonate well in the increasingly Democratic Eastside district.

“Our district needs a leader who focuses on the basics. We need to solve problems in education. We can improve the financial health of our families and our businesses by making health care affordable. Everyone saves money when we waste less time in traffic,” said Oemig. “Our tax dollars should be spent on programs that return more value to families and businesses than we pay in.”

I first met Eric as a fellow classmate in the candidate training track at last year’s Camp Wellstone… and Finkbeiner should be worried. Eric is everything you want in a candidate: he’s smart, passionate, energetic, and personable. And after a career solving problems and creating efficiencies for high-tech companies like Microsoft, he has the personal wealth and freedom to devote to full-time campaigning. This is one Democratic candidate who most definitely will not be outspent.

Eric is also unquestionably progressive, but with a real-world business perspective that 45th District voters should find appealing.

“Bill Finkbeiner has been in Olympia since he graduated from college. Our district wants new leadership. We have things that need to get done. Finkbeiner spends his time flip-flopping trying to appease the right wing of his party instead of addressing the needs of the district,” added Eric Oemig.

“I worked in the private sector to eliminate inefficiencies. I will work to bring that same attention to fiscal accountability to state government. More importantly, I have the integrity to make sure people know how I will vote on key issues,” said Oemig.

Finkbeiner, who recently resigned as Senate minority leader, is being stretched between a GOP leadership that’s moving ever further to the right and his own constituents who are growing ever more moderate. Last year he held party unity in defeating the anti-discrimination HB 1515 by a single vote. This year, all eyes will be on Finkbeiner to see if breaks rank with his party and votes for the bill… just as he did when he was a Democrat in the state House.

For his part, Eric is unequivocal:

“Let me be clear,” said Oemig, “I will be happy to cast the deciding vote to ban this discrimination.”

That’s the type of strong statement that will play well with voters, when compared to a flip-flopping career politician like Finkbeiner.

This is going to be one of the mostly hotly contested races in the state Senate this year… unless Finkbeiner, finally facing a well-financed, well-equipped challenger, decides to drop out.

The Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally meets tonight (and every Tuesday), 8PM at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E.

Please join me for some good beer and conversation.

Adult diapers are the hot new fashion accessory on Capitol Hill today, as GOP uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleads guilty and cooperates with prosecutors.

Mr. Abramoff, 46, is pleading guilty to fraud, public corruption and tax evasion, setting the stage for prosecutors to begin using him as a cooperating witness against his former business and political colleagues. In exchange, Mr. Abramoff faces a maximum of about 10 years in prison in the Washington case.

After entering his guilty plea in United States District Court in Washington, Mr. Abramoff will also announce a plea agreement in a related Florida case, in which he was indicted last year. In that case, he is pleading guilty to fraud and conspiracy in connection with his purchase of the SunCruz casino boat line, and will face a maximum of about seven years’ prison time.

The sentences will be served concurrently, but gees… ten years? If ten years was the best deal he could swing in exchange for bringing down sitting congressmen, just imagine how crooked this guy must have been.

UPDATE:
It’s now official, and the Washington Post has all the details, including names of DC insiders who may be caught up in the scandal.

NW Progressive Institute has posted it’s first annual Neiwert Awards to honor NW progressive bloggers (you know… like “Best Muckraker… me.) I’m not sure what the selection process was, but it’s hard to argue with any of the recipients. Even if you’re one of those people who tend to dis awards like this (and admittedly, I tend to be one of them,) it’s worth looking at the list of winners just to learn more about some of our region’s other great blogs.

It’s also hard to argue with honoring David Neiwert by naming the awards after him (though in Judaism, we tend to name after the dead.) David’s Orcinus is one of the best written, best researched blogs bar none, which is why he has deservedly attracted a national audience. Congrats to David and all the other winners.

NW Progressive Institute has posted a diary to Daily Kos. Please recommend so that the rest of the nation can learn about some of our great local blogs.

A poll conducted by Military Times found a precipitous drop in President Bush’s support amongst active-duty military personnel.

Approval of the president’s Iraq policy fell 9 percentage points from 2004; a bare majority, 54 percent, now say they view his performance on Iraq as favorable. Support for his overall performance fell 11 points, to 60 percent, among active-duty readers of the Military Times newspapers. Though support both for President Bush and for the war in Iraq remains significantly higher than in the public as a whole, the drop is likely to add further fuel to the heated debate over Iraq policy.

Bush’s defenders will of course dismiss the relevance of this poll, but that’s not what they said back when the president’s numbers were strong.

In 2003 and 2004, supporters of the war in Iraq pointed to high approval ratings in the Military Times Poll as a signal that military members were behind President Bush’s the president’s policy.

So if USA Today and Fox News thought the poll was significant last year, I assume they’ll think it significant this year too, huh?

Over half of the respondents said they have been deployed in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. When the Commander In Chief starts losing the support of those he commands, I think that tells us a little bit about his job performance.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is sponsoring an immigration bill that could devastate Eastern WA’s agricultural industry. The bill would increase border patrols and build a 700-mile fence along the US-Mexico border. It would also criminalize giving assistance to illegal immigrants, potentially handing out five-year prison sentences to doctors, priests and church volunteers who provide humanitarian aid. But as the Seattle Times editorial board points out, what the bill doesn’t do is actually deal with reality.

Missing from Sensenbrenner’s bill is a legal guest-worker program. With only enforcement and no accommodation of economic realities, industries such as agriculture and construction will get stuck with apples left on trees or buildings unfinished.
…
Washington Republican Reps. Doc Hastings and Cathy McMorris, who represent the state’s two most agrarian districts, voted for Sensenbrenner’s bill even though both support a guest-worker program in concept. They acknowledge this bill’s approach makes for a job only half done.

Once again McMorris and Hastings are voting with the GOP hardline over the sentiment and interests of their own constituents. I’ve watched Yakima Valley farmers plough under fields of ripe tomatoes for want of the farm workers to pick them. I’ve seen orchards littered with fallen fruit as growers failed to round up sufficient labor to meet the narrow window for harvest at optimal quality. The farm labor shortage isn’t hypothetical — it’s happening now — and it will only get worse should Sensenbrenner’s draconian and shortsighted immigration bill pass.

Illegal immigration is driven by economic reality: poverty abroad and the need for cheap labor at home. Nobody is suggesting we should ignore border security, but neither should McMorris and Hastings ignore the economic well being of their own constituents.