Not quite what I expected…

…but that Pacific Northwest Inlander piece on WA-5 is online now. It's less a profile of Peter Goldmark (though he is, indeed, depicted in a fairly flattering light) than a history of previous challengesin the 5th, both Democratic and Republican, for over a half a century and a look at the lessons that history offers. I think there's a good case for the basic conclusions. The first is somewhat sobering...

Lesson One of Eastern Washington politics is that voters here stand by their member of Congress. Republican Walt Horan served 22 years, and Foley served 30. George Nethercutt Jr. probably could have served for the rest of his life if he hadn't given up his seat to challenge Patty Murray for her Senate seat in 2004. That makes the first run for reelection even more crucial here — if Cathy McMorris wins again, she'll be well on her way to enshrinement.

...while the next offers some reassurance in light of the current political environment…

Lesson Two is that when Eastern Washington changes horses, it's only after some kind of tectonic political shift. Horan came into office with a lot of other new recruits as World War II got underway; Foley won in the Democrat landslide of 1964, when the country rallied around LBJ's Great Society; and Nethercutt was the sharp end of the Republican Revolution of 1994, a movement still in power. So history tells us it's less about the candidate than it is about what's happening in the nation.

In a nutshell, it's critical for Democrats to take this seat this year, or we face another generation of Republican mis-representation of the 5th District. Happily, this year, Peter Goldmark can win back Speaker Tom's seat.

But not without your help.