A couple more thoughts…

…about last night's kick-off event for Jay Inslee.

Campaign event planners should be tracking down the young jazz trio that opened the show. The were fine players and obligingly extended their set when Jay and the Ambassador were delayed. Bet they can be had for a song, too.

The way Jay opened his own event to Darcy Burner was simply one of the classiest things I've ever seen in politics. While challengers often show up at incumbent's events, it's usually in the hope they can catch a quick introduction and wave while they work the sidelines. Jay put Darcy front and center, and Darcy took full advantage.

This was, of course, outside the 8th, and while I hadn't seen her live and in person myself, I've been paying pretty close attention to Darcy for some time, so I had fairly high expectations. She exceeded them, and judging by the stream of folks heading for the lit tables to pick up her envelopes, I wasn't the only one she impressed. Darcy's main pitch was for volunteers to fill out a heavy schedule of doorbelling and phone banks every day from now to the election. If you've already made all the financial donations you can but still have some time to spare, any time spent working for Darcy may be the time that puts her over the top. You can just click here to get started.

Darcy Burner's no easy act to follow, but Joe Wilson's no slouch as a closer, either. Whether relating anecdotes from his diplomatic career or playfully imagining the upside of the lawsuit (Bob Novak's Corvette in the Wilson garage while Cindy Sheehan camps on Valerie's new ranch land in Texas), he's exactly the kind of intelligent, articulate and seemingly fearless individual that I'd like to think is typical of our ambassadors everywhere. A sharp wit doesn't hurt a bit, either.

If you haven't seen Ambassador Wilson and couldn't make it last night, never fear. He made a very public offer to come back and campaign for Darcy, and Darcy readily took him up on the offer, so there should be another opportunity to meet him in the near future.

I'll put fresh batteries in the camera for that one, I promise.