As Eli at the The Stranger confirms, President Barack Obama is coming to Seattle on Aug. 17 to hold a fundraiser for Sen. Patty Murray. What’s so special about Aug. 17? It’s primary election day.
And as Eli explains:
There aren’t very many Senate races in the country that get the president’s personal attention. So it’s a sign of both Murray’s good relationship with the White House, and the seriousness with which national Democrats view Dino Rossi’s challenge to Murray’s re-election, that Obama will be here.
Yeah, true, though I’d add that taking the race seriously and “knows she’s in trouble” (as the Rossi campaign asserts) are two different things. I would sure as hell hope the Democrats would take this race seriously, regardless of the opponent, just as Murray and the Democrats took George Nethercutt’s challenge seriously back in 2004. Indeed, one of the big differences between 2010 and the electoral disaster of 1994 is that Democrats are taking damn seriously the possibility of a Republican wave… thus making one that much less likely.
So if I were a WA Republican, I wouldn’t exactly be buoyed by news of a presidential visit.
Another nuance that Eli fails to mention is that this is one of the regions where support for the president and his policies is strongest, and thus one region where a presidential visit is nothing but good news for local Democrats. In fact, you could say that Obama’s visit symbolizes one of the most striking contrasts between the two campaigns: the degree to which the candidates’ stance on major issues is in or out of step with public opinion.
For example, Sen. Murray fights and votes for President Obama’s health care reform bill, and then brings the president home to this Washington to fight for her, while Rossi promises to repeal health care reform after heading to D.C. for a closed-door, high donor fundraiser hosted by anti-HCR GOP senators. Sen. Murray fights and votes for President Obama’s Wall Street reform bill, and then brings the president home to this Washington to fight for her, while Rossi promises to repeal Wall Street reform after heading to Manhattan for a closed-door, high donor fundraiser hosted by hedge fund manager Paul Singer. Sen. Murray fights and votes for President Obama’s DISCLOSE Act, and then brings the president home to this Washington to fight for her, while Rossi refuses to support these tough new public disclosure rules after heading to D.C. for a closed-door, high donor fundraiser hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
See a pattern here? Sen. Murray is bringing President Obama to our Washington to campaign for her because the policy agenda they mutual share is totally in step with the values of Washington voters, whereas Rossi has to slink off to NYC and DC to quietly raise money from powerful corporate interests, because the policy agenda they mutual share is totally out of step with WA voters.
Out of sight, out of mind, I guess his handlers hope.
I mean, if Rossi is so intent on repealing the Obama agenda and returning us back to the George Bush era, why doesn’t he bring former President Bush out here for a high-profile event? In fact, I dare him.
Gee, Goldy, you had to wait for Eli to “confirm” it? I got the email from Patty’s campaign a couple of days ago.
Not sure I’m ready to drop $500 to get into the room, but I haven’t completely rejected the thought.
Dino Rossi taking dares from you?
No.
I dare Dino though to have Mary Lane Strow be a campaign surrogate and hold a rally at the doors of King County Elections. Everybody will wear pink, toss pink bouquets on stage, and chant “NUMBER OF VOTES EQUALS NUMBER OF LEGAL VOTERS EQUALS NUMBER OF EQUAL VOTES”.
What a pathetic 2004 idea. Reeks of what Goldy is thinking at the moment. Gotcha!
In the mix of hypocritic idiocy, Rossi is attacking Murray for her earmarking money for WA whilst failing to mention that McMorris-Rodgers is running on bringing lots of money to her District (albeit while also decrying the bailout she voted for under Bush).
Hey Dino, so tell me again why spending in this Washington some of the tax money that we send to that other Washington is a bad thing? It’s our money, right? Why not spend it here instead of giving it to your buddies on Wall Street?
If Bush is so popular and Republicans are so nostalgic for the good old days, why is Bush waiting for November 9 (a full week after the election) to release his memoirs? His spokespeople may be saying this election is not about him, but I think this election is really not about him.
The sweet anticipation of this fall’s epic embarrassing evisceration of Dino is only outdone by knowing he’ll be wearing the four time looser dunce cap.
what office will he seek next? Issaquah dog catcher?
Murray always runs hard and brings a few heavy hitters to town to campaign for her. This isn’t a big deal or a sign that anyone is worried. Come November it will be Murray by 12% and she’ll pull in 100K votes in Spokane County.
obama campaigning for her? and thats a good thing?
btw goldstein. in a way, you’re wasting your time because those who agree with you would vote socialist, i mean democratic, anyway. those who are on the fence and see you constantly bash rossi, see a vulgar, jewish liberal who doesnt like the way this country was founded and hates its christiasn traditions. you just push then away from anything you believe in. i know when i saw you on o’reillly, i saw, no offense, but someone who looked like the worst steroytpe of the new york jew (found out later you were from philly, same difference), and i hated your whole new/hollytwood/palm beach/ seinfeld bagel eating culture. just like you hste the deep south culture, yours makes mw want to vomit.
if obama is here on the 17th and murray comes in first, then it will be easier for obama to continue to lean on murray to fund his neoliberal privatized war on afghanistan, pakistan, and iraq. ain’t that great?
does didier support his fellow frenchman’s war on al qaeda or not? Qu’est que c’est
Goldy, in a time not so long ago, Dems harped constantly about special interests and a need for “public service”
I used to think that meant Dems were perhaps less greedy and more principaled.
but now, they just want power. Patty will rais a lot of money, Obama will waste taxpayer money coming here. If you really had principles, you’d tell Obama to save gas and save carbon, and stay home.
Imagine, he flies the world’s biggest private jet, to a fundraiser. I guess no diff than taking same to NYC for a datenight.
sad
@8
So, if Goldy staid out of it, Gregiore would have picked up more than the 104369* she picked up over in RED Spokane County against Rossi in 2008?
* Rossi got 112570 votes in Spokane County in 2008.
If Rossi & Reichert had their way, we’d be in the midst of the 2nd Great depression, according to two top economists (former Fed Vice Chair Alan Blinder, and Moody’s chief economist Mak Zandi).
Talk about a thankless job. Obama’s policies save us from economic catastrophe, and both the liberals and conservatives are mad at him.
So I’ll say it. Thank you, Mr. President.
Forgot the link
Perhaps Rossi will bring the GOP’s 2008 VP nominee to WA?
Oh, …… right.
So, it’s not just banks that get a bailout from the president.
The only reason that Obama is comming is Because she will need money. The Republicans
will be dumping in money… Obama more popular
than Murray in this state. Look at what it did
for Gregoire. The President is trying to bail
out democrats all over the Country. Did he
go to Penn.
It’s somehow a surprise that dumb as a carrot Patty is The Messiah’s little lackey lap-dog?
@18: Yeah. Dumb enough to get herself elected Senator 18 years ago and become one of the most powerful women in the free world.
And yet smart enough to vote against a dumb war.
The irony.
I’d love to see your resume, Mark, since you are so smart.
In the above comments, MoT demonstrates his hatred of anybody who is not white, anglo-saxon protestant, and especially his anti-semitism. A bit later Mark1 demonstrates once again his opinion that women are intellectually inferior to men.
Yep, pretty much a summary of today’s Republican Party. White, male, Anglo-Saxon Protestants who are angry that they aren’t in sole control of the country anymore, and determined to get rid of that “uppity” president and anyone who supports him.
And yet, they claim it’s not about race….
@19:
Well then my dear, by your rationale, I guess G.W. was smart and powerful too then, huh?
And I’m not running for public office, so my credentials and resume you needn’t worry your pretty little head over. I’m educated and successful, and work for a living, unlike most of the H.A. Happy Hooligans here. That’s all you need to know. Next please….. :)
So she’s scared enough to need the President’s help, eh? Isn’t he the same guy on the TV show, “The View” who referred to African-Americans as “mongrels”?
“Rossi has to slink off to NYC and DC to quietly raise money from powerful corporate interests”
Republicans are all about exploiting the many for the profit of a pre-selected few.
I love the smell of right wing desperation in the morning!
If I was Rossi I’d be worried about Clint Didier. In addition to the very expensive six-page mailer I got a few weeks ago, I had a doorbeller do a lit drop a couple of nights ago. Mind you I’m in a liberal for the 46th LD precinct with next to no Republican voters.
I’ve also seen lots of Didier sign wavers during my commute. They seem to really like the pedestrian bridge over 520 at Evergreen Point.
Didier seems to really want to be Senator and his supporters seem really fired up. Rossi and Rossi’s supporters? Not so much.
I’m hoping Didier and not Rossi faces Murray in November, a bit of a clearer choice for those who don’t like Murray for whatever reason. Of course I also think Murray will have an easier time crushing Didier.
@22 John 425,
Nice Breitbart job, Chickenshit. Whay can’t put out the the complete statement? BTW, He likely referred to YOU as a mongrel too.
From the news article linked on Drudge:
When asked about his background, which includes a black father and white mother, Obama said of African-Americans: “We are sort of a mongrel people.”
“I mean we’re all kinds of mixed up,” Obama said. “That’s actually true of white people as well, but we just know more about it.”
All of us lily white Euro types better get over it too. As a first generation American English parents), I am quite aware that African Roman troops were garrisoned in England…and soldiers do what soldiers do.
@20
rhp,
your anaylisis of most post was the typical liberal misrepresentastion of what i said. i never said i hated anybody who was not waspy. reread. i said goldstein hated the fact that wasps founded and controlled this country and was trying to remake it in the image of new york city. i said i hated the ny culture, which i do, but mostly i said it as a counter to his hatred of the southern culture.
@20
rhp,
your analysis of my post was the typical liberal misrepresentastion of what i said. i never said i hated anybody who was not waspy. reread. i said goldstein hated the fact that wasps founded and controlled this country and was trying to remake it in the image of new york city. i said i hated the ny culture, which i do, but mostly i said it as a counter to his hatred of the southern culture.
11. righton
Obama will waste taxpayer money coming here. If you really had principles, you’d tell Obama to save gas and save carbon, and stay home…Imagine, he flies the world’s biggest private jet, to a fundraiser.
Like it or not, that’s the way it’s done these days, whther Republican or Democrat. In 2004 president Bush traveled on our dime across the ountry over and over hawking his candidates and his wars. I don’t remember you complaining.
At least this president doesn’t have his top political adviser illegally subverting our public federal departments to shill for political candidates.
I guess no diff than taking same to NYC for a datenight.
It would be different, but of course the Obamas never did that.
@29
I guess no diff than taking same to NYC for a datenight.
it would be different, but of course the Obamas never did that.
he didnt go to a broadway show?
My mistake about the NY “date night.” The presidetn took a small jet to NYC to take his wife out as he promised, and travel and security cost $11,648.17. They paid for eveything else out of their own money.
Now, what do you think it cost to steam the USS Abraham Lincoln around in circles 25 miles off San Diego to give president Bush his “We have prevailed in Iraq” photo op?
The MoT @ 8 says
And Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence, Third president of the United States of America & Co-author of the United States Constitution says
The Mot has a curiously warped view of history, doesn’t he?
@31
My mistake about the NY “date night.” The presidetn took a small jet to NYC to take his wife out as he promised, and travel and security cost $11,648.17. They paid for eveything else out of their own money.
lol, pretty good detail for something you “forgot”. just kidding
Demint (Sen, Cracker Party-South Carolina) endorses Rossi, here:
http://voices.washingtonpost.c.....rossi.html
I bet ol’ Dino’ll make a BFD o’ that! (NOT!)
Who wants to bet we’ll see ol’ Jimmah come here to campaign for Dino!? (I’ll wager a Southern Comfort cocktail, NOT!)
But who knows!? Shit happens: Dino signs off on the Teahadist Contract ON America, in a Freedom Works (the “Dick Army” professional Teahadist liars) endorsement:
Here: http://nwdigest.com/politics/0.....edomworks/
Let’s wrap up, shall we? Mosselini Also versus American Taliban Darling (Demint) and Prick Army: Will the Teahadist vote split?
A shame, I think Clit Diddler is probably toast. It would have been a much more interesting election.
OTOH, Rossi’s now committed: we’ve got plenty to TeaBag motivational speaker and reluctant Senate candidate Dino Rossi into a van down by the river!
Nice rundown except healthcare hasn’t been reformed.
so big money donors are OK for the democrats, but big money donors are TEH EVUL for republicans…lol
the hypocracy continues….and people wonder why govt never changes.