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There’s talk once again about having a primary election for the presidency. While I’m less anti-primary than Russ Feingold or Dennis G, I’ll stick with Obama.

Many of the complaints about the possibility of primarying Obama are the same complaints we heard about Hillary Clinton staying in the race in the last primary. That it’ll somehow damage Obama, and he won’t be able to win. That didn’t happen last time, and I trust Obama on the campaign trail enough that I don’t think it’ll happen if he faces a challenger this time.

While Kennedy challenging Carter is a counterexample, generally speaking primary elections are good for whoever emerges from them. Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and a bad economy were more responsible for the result of that election than Ted Kennedy. Primary elections serve the party that undertakes them in a few ways. They clarify where we are as a party and they draw some attention to the positions of the incumbent.

If Cornel West, Ralph Nader, or whoever wants to try to convince Democrats that they have a better way forward for the next election, that’s fine. We’re a big party that can accommodate its own liberal wing. I’d certainly rather they do it in a primary than in November when they might cost Obama votes.

As for the news cycle, I don’t know about you, but I’d rather see coverage of someone going after Obama for being too centrist than hear Rick Perry and Mitt Romney discuss how much of a socialist he supposedly is. Of course with the 24 hour news there can be plenty of both. But a primary against Obama might crowd out some of the silly stuff from the Republicans, especially in print and network/local news where there’s more limited space.

Still, if there’s a primary challenge and it’s still going on, somehow, when Washington caucuses, I’ll proudly go for Obama. He’s brought us the most comprehensive health care reform of my lifetime, moving us a lot closer to universal coverage. He’s winding down Iraq. He’s passed meaningful consumer protection laws. Oh yeah, and he got Bin Laden. None of those is perfect, and there have been baffling strategic decisions along the way, as well as policies I’ve opposed. Still, he’s earned a second term.

And besides, if you’re looking for Democrats to primary, I’d like to suggest that there’s much more bang for your buck at the local level or at Congress.

The Supreme Court has denied a stay for Troy Davis, so he will probably be executed shortly. America is less of a country whenever the state puts a needle in someone’s arm and methodically ends their life. If they’re certainly guilty, and more so if there is a chance the person is innocent. There’s no need for any state to keep killing people, and I hope here in Washington we can be the next to end it.

My heart goes out to his family, as well as the family of Mark MacPhail.

– Hey, people who make fun of Seattle for being somehow uniquely dysfunctional, here’s Bellevue.

– Taxing the rich is popular.

– Tacoma School District negotiators should go back to the bargaining table.

– Don’t Republicans like multimillion dollar industries?

– Some scientists have nicknamed the planet “Tatooine” after the name of the home planet of Luke Skywalker, the hero in the 1970s science fiction movie Star Wars. In the story — in a hypothetical galaxy far, far away, — a circumbinary planet’s double sunset was first brought to the screen. The public’s vision of circumbinary planets thus goes back decades. But today science fiction has become science fact, and that galaxy far, far away has become our own galaxy.

Please join us for an evening of politics under the influence at tonight’s Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

We meet every Tuesday at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Starting time is 8:00 pm, but a few folks show up earlier for dinner.

Can’t make it tonight? The Tri-Cities chapter of Drinking liberally meets every Tuesday night. And the Everett chapter of Drinking Liberally meets at the Buzz Inn in Snohomish next Monday at 7:00 pm.

With 228 chapters of Living Liberally, including thirteen in Washington state and six more in Oregon, chances are good there is something near you.

1) Crime is down in the city, but we’ve seen some horrible incidents with the police in recent years. How do we ensure public safety and not have those sorts of things happen in the future?

I believe the Seattle Police Department is composed of very professional officers who take pride in protecting the well-being of our residents. But recent events have shown that there are indeed some “bad apples” in the bunch. The City Council should send a strong message to the Police Department that these types of incidents will not be tolerated, and that we should continue to support and strengthen the Office of Professional Accountability Review Board’s mission. I am certain with these actions, we will continue to have a police force that our Seattle residents will be proud of, and that unfortunate incidents such as these will become a thing of the past.

2) Now that the Viaduct is coming down, what should the waterfront look like?

I personally believe that the central portion of the Viaduct should not be torn down. As shown with the Highline in New York City, a fortified Viaduct (in conjunction with a rebuilt seawall and the removal of traffic from the structure) will allow the structure to remain in use for pedestrians for many years to come. In its existing state, the structure can connect all of the major attractions that bring visitors to downtown Seattle, including access to Safeco and CenturyLink fields, Pioneer Square, the Central Business District, and a possible connection to Pike Place Market and the Waterfront Sculpture Park.

An added benefit to the Viaduct is its double decking. The top levels could be used as a park, allowing City residents and tourists (both local and others) to enjoy an unparalleled view of Seattle’s downtown core, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains. The bottom level could be used as a place for local merchants, including artisans and food vendors, to sell their merchandise. The top level would act as a covering, allowing the structure to be used year- round, allowing for increased usability and access throughout the year.

The street level beneath the Viaduct could be used as an alternative route to the Waterfront Streetcar, and would allow for a (reduced) number of parking spaces. This would allow the city to take much less of a hit on parking revenues, while allowing a place for cyclists to have an enjoyable trip along their waterfront.

3) As the great recession drags on, the city budget is still hurt. What do we need to cut, what do we need to keep, and do we need to raise more money via taxation?

Due to the Great Recession, many working people and families are struggling to make ends meet, and cannot afford to pay increased taxes. I believe that we should focus our efforts and available funding toward projects that will maintain our present infrastructure, while identifying areas of city government that need improvement and developing a plan to improve them. This way, projects that will be needed in the future will already be identified and can be executed when available funding can be secured.

Services that are vital to the well-being to residents’ livelihood, such as transit, neighborhood infrastructure improvements (like sidewalks and street repairs) should be maintained at their current levels, while additions such as streetcar extensions should be postponed until funding becomes available.

4) With its budget shrunk at least until the end of the recession what should Seattle parks look like?

Despite the shrunken budgets, I believe that there is no excuse for Seattle’s park maintenance to become lax. Although it is desirable to continue to expand the park system, the current economic situation requires that we continue to maintain our parks at the same level of care that Seattle residents have come to expect over the years.

5) What is the Seattle’s role in education and public transportation given how important they are to the city, but that other agencies are tasked with them?

Seattle’s role in education, although limited, should be to provide a safe environment free of crime and intimidation. Over the last couple of years, we have heard about a disturbing trend of violent crimes being committed near some of our schools. This reduces the safety of our students and creates an atmosphere that makes both parents and students reluctant to attend school. The City should work with school administrators and Seattle Police to ensure that crime and intimidation will not be tolerated at any of our schools. By doing this, we can provide a safe, caring environment for those who are working hard to make a bright future for themselves and become productive members of our society.

Seattle’s role in public transportation is also quite pronounced. Even though Metro is not directly funded or operated by the city, it is important that the City provide decent infrastructure. I believe many of our residents are inclined to take transit and reduce vehicle trips, but are reluctant to do so when it is unsafe or inconvenient to access them. We must work to maintain our roads and arterials, which, when properly maintained, provide the foundation for all safe forms of transit, and help Seattle achieve its goal of reducing transportation’s effect on the environment.

The Washington State Democrats have officially endorsed I-502, the initiative from New Approach Washington (NAW) that aims to legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and establish regulated markets for its production and sale. A number of internet commenters are treating this as a new milestone, but it’s not the first time the state’s Democrats have endorsed a legalization initiative. The Washington State Democrats also endorsed Sensible Washington’s I-1068 in 2010.

But one thing is missing from both Just Say Now’s post and this editorial in the Spokesman-Review, and it remains the most divisive aspect of the initiative: the proposal of a 5ng/ml per se marijuana threshold for all drivers.

To most people, the idea of creating a system for marijuana similar to how alcohol is dealt with is a no-brainer. And the backers of New Approach Washington make no bones about the fact that finding an initiative that can pass a statewide vote is their priority. But the science behind this limit is simply not there, and it could have serious repercussions not only for medical marijuana users, but for anyone who uses the roads in Washington.

As I wrote last time I discussed this initiative, a ng/ml measurement of the active marijuana THC compound is not an indicator of impairment the way that a blood-alcohol measurement is. Medical marijuana patients often have very high ng/ml measurements at all times, even if they haven’t used it in over a day. And in some cases, those individuals no longer experience the psychoactive effects from the drug that creates the impairment in the first place.

Recently in Colorado, attempts to enact a limit similar to the one NAW proposes have stalled several times. Last week, a workgroup that was put together to establish a 5ng/ml limit ultimately decided not to move forward, citing these problems. Compounding the issue is the fact that – despite what many people seem to take for granted about driving while stoned – there’s very little evidence showing any correlation between testing positive for THC and road fatalities. In fact, the link above points out that the numbers of road fatalities have plummeted by 20 percent in Colorado since medical marijuana became legal. And another study has shown that there’s no increased incidence of accidents for even up to double the proposed limit (10ng/ml). (see update below)

The reasons for that are likely a combination of the inaccuracy of the ng/ml metric as a valid measurement of impairment, as well as the somewhat counter-intuitive nature of driving while stoned. While driving under the influence of marijuana is certainly not a smart idea, it tends to have some of the opposite effects that alcohol does. The common generality is that a drunk driver will drive through a red light while a stoned driver will stop at a green light. Alcohol impairment tends to go alongside reckless and aggressive driving while marijuana impairment tends to go alongside overly-cautious and passive driving. Despite that, the main reason not to drive stoned is that you won’t be able to act quickly in an emergency situation. Driving requires your full attention, and if there were a way to accurately measure impairment, I’d be perfectly fine with sanctions for those who aren’t capable of operating their car safely. But there just isn’t right now.

Up until now, charges for driving under the influence of marijuana are relatively rare. Without a per se limit, most defense attorneys know how to defeat them, and it’s often not worth an officer’s time to take a driver to get a blood draw that won’t hold up in court. In order to obtain a conviction, prosecutors have to prove impairment in other ways, which is difficult to do. However, if this limit is approved by the voters, that burden of proof is gone. What would happen then isn’t entirely clear, but it’s not hard to imagine that officers will be more likely to demand a blood draw for any situation in which they can conjure up probable cause (which is not very hard). In fact, one attorney I spoke with last month stated that under this new limit, if a medical marijuana patient is doing nothing wrong, but is struck by a reckless driver (who then dies), he or she could be given a blood draw and then charged with negligent homicide.

The folks behind NAW think that none of this will matter in the election, and they very well could be right. Medical marijuana patients make up only about 1-2% of the overall population. The vast majority of people will see this provision as a plus (as the state Democrats did), and perhaps for a small percentage of folks, it will be the difference between a yes and a no vote. But what worries me the most isn’t even the additional risk for medical marijuana patients. It’s the fact that we already have a very difficult time keeping drunk drivers off the road. The prospect of expanding the scope of that enforcement to include a subset of the population that is statistically far less likely than drunk drivers to kill someone is bad prioritization and will inevitably lead to even more repetitive drunk drivers falling through the cracks of the system.

I’ve had some good discussions with supporters of the NAW initiative, and the difference really comes down to how one sees this whole process playing out. While it would be nice to finally see a statewide legalization initiative finally pass, it’s also possible that if we pass it, the federal courts could strike down some parts of the law, but still leave us with the DUI limit and only a one-ounce decriminalization (which a number of states already have). There are some concessions I’m very willing to make in the greater effort of ending marijuana prohibition, but this attempt to appease the anti-science beast is still a bridge too far.

UPDATE: The study linked above (which I’ve struck) was using a different metric for measuring ng/ml than what the I-502 initiative proposes. The study only claims that there’s no difference up to the 5ng/ml limit. The complete study can be read here.

Ryan Blethen trying to explain The Seattle Times’ new feature, Just Fix It, doesn’t do a good job making me want to read it. I’m going to ignore the fact that the title implies simple solutions. And I’m going to ignore that the Seattle Times’ vehement opposition to tax increases means that they don’t really want to have the conversation they say they want to have. No, my problem is even more basic.

The intractable, sophomoric politics that has come to define this era is nothing new. Americans have been dealing with such bursts of dysfunction since the beginning of the republic.

While I don’t like the intractability of today’s politics, it seems that The Seattle Times would oppose the sorts of things that would make our politics more, um, tractable. On the state level, they should eliminate the 2/3 requirement to pass any taxes. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen editorials in favor of that very requirement. Nationally, I’d suggest eliminating the filibuster will tract the hell out of things. In both cases, fundamentally, make our representative democracy more democratic.

But I suspect people like me and the rest of the rest of blogtopia (y!sctp) are part of what he means by “sophomoric” (although he only names cable news). You know, people willing to admit an ideology. People who care more about outcomes than the game. People who say fuck and shit. People who aren’t the right people. People who didn’t have their idealism and ideology sucked out of them at journalism school and then learned the right way to do things with some father figure (sometimes more literally than others) in the business.

No, those of us with our sophomoric notions about how to express ourselves in the absence of our daddy’s newspaper will continue right along.

– I’m not much of a beer person, but the White House homebrew is pretty amazing (h/t).

– Perhaps the oddest thing about the people so eager to cheer the death penalty is that they don’t think the government can do anything right.

– Drug patents.

– The Mariners may be terrible but at least they aren’t going to lose 100 games.

– Boxing is my favorite individual sport, but the standards of sportsmanship escape me.

Last week’s contest was won by Liberal Scientist. It was the location of the “Cheers” bar in Boston.

This week’s contest is somewhere in Washington state, good luck!

Genesis 11:10-24
Two years after the flood, when Shem was one hundred, he had a son named Arpachshad. He had more children and died at the age of six hundred. This is a list of his descendants:

When Arpachshad was thirty-five, he had a son named Shelah. Arpachshad had more children and died at the age of four hundred thirty-eight.

When Shelah was thirty, he had a son named Eber. Shelah had more children and died at the age of four hundred thirty-three.

When Eber was thirty-four, he had a son named Peleg. Eber had more children and died at the age of four hundred sixty-four.

When Peleg was thirty, he had a son named Reu. Peleg had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty-nine.

When Reu was thirty-two he had a son named Serug. Reu had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty-nine.

When Serug was thirty, he had a son named Nahor. Serug had more children and died at the age of two hundred thirty.

When Nahor was twenty-nine, he had a son named Terah. Nahor had more children and died at the age of one hundred forty-eight.

Discuss.

Thom: The Good, The Bad, and the Very, Very Ugly.

Olbermann with Ali Soufan on misinformation about success of torture & waterboarding.

President Obama marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Stephen: Michael Moore admits he’s a bigot….

The Republican Primary Asylum:

• Colbert celebrates Ron Paul gaining the coveted ‘shit faced vote’ (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Young Turks: Nicknames for GOP candidates.
• Red State Update: Recapping the CNN Teabagger debate.
• Young Turks: Michele Bachmann’s vaccine problem.
• Young Turks: Huntsman calls Perry treasonous.
• David Schuster and comedian Lizz Winstead on Michele Bachmann’s dubious HPV vaccination claim.
• Olbermann on Bachmann’s bizarre claim about HPV vaccine.
• Sam Seder: Not just Ron Paul…all conservatives say “let ’em die.
• Ed and Pap: Perry and Bachmann — The fringe frauds
• Young Turks: Ron Paul’s DEAD UNINSURED former campaign manager.
• Mark Fiore: Sarah and Michele fillin’ in.
• Thom: Let the uninsured die!
• The Donald had dinner with “Jim” Perry.
• Sam Seder: Conservative secret fears.
• Susie tackles Michele Bachmann.
• Jon on The Teabagger Debate (via Political Wire).
• Olbermann with Alan Grayson: Letting the uninsured die.
• Red State Update: Rick Perry and the rise of the Red State Jackiebaggers
• Sam Seder on The debate.

Roy Zimmerman: My Conservative Girlfriend:

Stephen on FEMA’s waffle house index.

David Schuster and comedian Katie Halper on the revelations in Joe McGinniss’ book about Sarah Palin.

Sam Seder: The future of Libya.

Jon: Obama’s Solyndra scandal.

Thom: More Good, Bad and Very, Very Ugly.

Ann Telnaes: The GOP base.

Anthropogenic Climate Change:

• The last hour of Al Gore’s 24 hours. (h/t Artistdogboy)
• David Mitchell’s Soapbox: Burden of Proof.
• Greenman: Energy efficiency (Part II).

Thom: The Good, The Bad, and the Very, Very Ugly.

Pap: Chamber of Commerce at odds with reality.

Ann Telnaes: GOP bathroom reading.

The PA Plan:

• Sam Seder on PA GOP electoral college plot.
• Young Turks: Republicans fighting electoral college.
• David Schuster and Ian Millhiser on GOP attempts to manipulate electoral college

ONN: Landmark civil rights act made racism slightly less overt.

Glenn Beck is BACK…as Worst Person in the World.

Thom: If you don’t have a job, you’re not free.

Pap: America’s income disparity explained.

Liberal Viewer: California ending the death penalty?

White House: West Wing Week.

The American Jobs Act:

• Jon: The plan.
• Thom: Lunatic Florida Gov. will turn down jobs monies.
• Alyona: Pass the jobs bill? Dream on!
• Ed and Pap: Soulless Republicans will never sign onto jobs bill
• Ann Telnaes: The only job the GOP cares about.
• Stephen: Paul Krugman explains how the government can create jobs

Young Turks: Panic!

Jon on NY’s 9th District.

Sam Seder: FBI investigating Scott Walker?

Thom: Republicans unfazed by 15% of all Americans now poor.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

The Tacoma Teachers strike is still going on, and that’s the perfect excuse for Lynne Varner to act like a jackass:

By defying a judge’s order to return to work, Tacoma teachers are courting danger. This Seattle Times editorial sums up general public impatience: get back into the classroom and continue to hammer out a good contract.

The first link doesn’t say anything about the judge’s order (it may have at some point). But Judge Bryan Chushcoff did in fact issue a temporary restraining order (pdf). But given #9 “The parties are ordered to return as soon as practical to collective bargaining and shall continue to bargain in good faith throughout out the term of this temporary restraining order” perhaps Lynne will demand fines for the school board. After all, the union lays out clearly:

Tacoma teachers came to the bargaining table with a new compromise contract proposal today.

After keeping teachers waiting 2.5 hours past the scheduled 1:30 pm start time, negotiators for the Tacoma School Board did not offer a proposal. They also failed to offer a response to the teachers’ proposal.

Negotiations ended at 5 pm.

I look forward to Lynne’s post demanding a fine for the administration for not showing good faith. Since the district isn’t working to “hammer out a good contract” she should be upset.

– I make fun of The Seattle Times ed page, but this is quite reasonable.

– The American Jobs Act just got a whole lot stupider.

– Olympians support the Longshoremen.

– Michael Moore shouldn’t have said that.

– Tim Ceis’s state map is a hard bargaining position (#3).

– This open thread dated by request in the last one. I don’t know if I’ll keep it up.

When The Seattle Times headlines an editorial “Timing off for Seattle’s mandatory paid-sick-leave law” perhaps they might hint as to when they’d come out in favor of mandatory paid sick leave. Seems like timing is an issue for them on a lot of issues recently. Their opposition to health care reform was because it’s time to put it on the back burner and focus on jobs. Their opposition to tax increases no matter what is because it’s the wrong time to increase taxes.

I can’t wait until the economy improves and The Seattle Times demands more workplace rules. And they demand tax increases. And they demand even more comprehensive health care reform. I mean unless you think they’re being cynical about the whole thing, and just using the bad economy as an excuse not to do things they don’t want to do.

The forecast is out and it’s brutal. Another $1.4 Billion down. Here are some random thoughts:

• We’ve already cut too far. It’s time to increase taxes. In Washington they’re often regressive and not a great idea in a bad economy. But they’re better than the cuts we’ll have to make.
• I can only imagine what this will do to schools and government services.
• We really need an income tax.
• Maybe I’m wrong, but it sure feels like everyone knew the forecast would be bad before it came out. In the last open thread there was some discussion about how we’d want to forecast more accurately.