It's nice, I suppose...

...that anyone out there notices anything that happens up here at all, and the fundraising value is not to be underrated, but I wonder if Markos' endorsement will bring Darcy Burner a single vote she hasn't already locked down in the newly configured 1st CD.

On the down side, it's fodder for the folks who are pushing the line that Darcy's to far left for the newly configured 1st CD. It's fairly considered a swing district, but that doesn't necessarily equate to a moderate electorate. It's probably as polarized a populace as we've got in the state, with union towns and evangelical farming communities, Tea Partiers and Occupiers, intra-party contests and divisions on both sides of the idealogical fence. The Republican candidate will be definitively partisan and idealogical. There's no reason for the Democratic candidate to be less so.

Darcy's already strong, if not the clear favorite. among rank and file Democratic activists and liberal independents, more because, I think, than despite her willingness to ruffle feathers at the State Party office and identify so strongly with the leftward territory of blogtopia (™ Skippy). In other words, she's been doing just fine with the constituency she shares with Mr. Moulitas, so this looks like an endorsement that's worth exactly what she can raise off of it.

I hope it's a lot. Despite my record of supporting Darcy's previous races, I'm still agnostic on the crowded primary up north. I don't have a vote, so for now I'm mostly holding my voice. Just the same, it's important that the most identifiably liberal voice in the field has the resources to be heard by folks who don't read blogs.

Do I seem to betray a bias there? Hey, I said agnostic, not disinterested...

Look for the union label.

Via The Daily Olympian...

The Washington State Labor Council is giving an early campaign endorsement to Jay Inslee in the governor's race. The decision followed a vote by council delegates meeting in Olympia today. The council also endorsed U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell for a third term and Bob Ferguson for attorney general.

Unsuprising choices, perhaps, but a ticket this strong consoldiated this early is an encouraging sign for Democrats at every level.

Congratulations to the candidates and Council alike for getting this done.

Possibly the most under-rated decision we make…

…in King County is who will serve on our Port Commission. The Port's most visible symbol is probably the massive container cranes on the south end of Elliot Bay, but it's reach extends to the operation of Sea-Tac International Airport and what's fast becoming one of the busiest cruise ship terminals on the west coast. It's doubtless the largest economic driver in the region, and King County voters are charged with electing Commissioners to protect the public interest in its operations. It's no small thing. Happily, the choices are nearly as easy as the Director of Elections race.

Gael Tarleton was elected four years ago, attracting a broad coalition of support including Democrats and labor with her call for reform at the Port. She's kept the faith and her friends during her first term and deserves another. Her opponent is a perennial candidate with the usual anti-tax axe to grind. I'm voting for Gael.

Dean Willard gives us the chance to strengthen the reform movement Gael has spearheaded. I endorsed Dean in the primary election and I'm standing by him with my general election vote.

The Elections election…

…between King County Director of Elections Sherril Huff and "Political and Literary Consultant" Mark Greene is among the easier choices I'll ever have to make. Greene is a Republican crank with a chip on his shoulder about a primary loss. Huff is an elections professional who has led the county through the transition to all-mail elections so deftly that even I have come to a grudging appreciation for the system, and her administration of it, though the curmudgeonly longing for my polling place lingers.

Sherril Huff. Without a doubt.

An Upper Left endorsement.

Since Rob McKenna chased him out of the governor's race, one of the most prominent names being floated as a possible Republican opponent for Senator Maria Cantwell is Seattle Port Commissioner Bill Bryant. Bryant, meanwhile is on the re-election campaign trail, courting the local Teapublican outfit, the Shoreline Caucus.

A Teapublican Senator for Washington? Bad idea. A Teapublican Port Commissioner in King County? Just as bad.

Bryant's Port Commission opponent, Dean Willard, has been endorsed by ten 12 Democratic Legislative District organizations.

And me.

Get to know him better.

There's always an election somewhere…

…and hereabouts we'll be electing a variety of boards, commissions and councils this year. It's filing week, and so far the biggest wrinkle seems to be a challenge to Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton, who has already racked up an impressive list of Democratic Party endorsements, including the County Central Committee, from Michael Wolfe, executive director of Washington Ceasefire and an officer of the 37th District Democrats.

Three council seats will be on the ballot in my fair city. So far, incumbent Chris Eggen is unchallenged, while former Councilmember Janet Way has filed to challenge incumbent Doris McConnell. The third seat is open, with Councilmember Terry Scott stepping away, and a two way race between former city Planning Commissioner Robin McClelland and attorney Jesse Solomon, who is a public defender representing indigent clients, is shaping up. Way and Solomon have already secured the endorsement of the local Democratic organization.

It's something of a surprise to me that the three Shoreline School District seats that will appear on the ballot have so far drawn only one candidate between them, but filing doesn't close for a few hours and I'm sure the roster will fill out by then.

Any local filing news of note in your locality?

I know not what course others may choose to take...

...but as for me...

An early endorsement.

Susan Sheary won't be seeking re-election as Chair of the King County Democrats, and the first candidate to emerge is longtime local activist Steve Zemke. I don't know if any other candidates will emerge, but I'm sure no better candidate will. Steve brings decades of experience and success as an organizer and advocate for issues ranging from tax fairness to the urban tree canopy.

Plus, he's a blogger. There's a solidarity issue here.

Steve knows how to work within the system, how to work the system and how to raise a little rabble when the occasion requires. He'll be a great Chair.

The truth…

…about Patty Murray, according to the Seattle Times...

The truth about Murray is she delivers for Washington and the Northwest.

According me, too.

Congrats for the endorsement, Senator!

On a local level...

...I've been a bit derelict in my duty to the local D's, but, frankly, they don't need a whole lot from me. I heartily endorse the ticket, of course, and will doorbell my precinct on their behalf, but there's no reason to believe that there will be anything but a Democratic triumvirate representing us in Olympia come next year. I'm lucky in that, I suppose. Similarly, my own personal Congressman is unthreatened, if not unchallenged.

I do want to give our candidates, Rep. Maralyn Chase for State Senate, former Shoreline mayor Cindy Ryu for Maralyn's current seat and Rep. Ruth Kagi for well-deserved re-election, a shout out for the Democratic sweep of the Seattle P.I.'s 32nd District endorsements, and a promise to do better by them between now and the general.

From the "Like father, like son" file.

Via Politics Northwest…

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates supports the income-tax initiative and will vote for it, according to the I-1098 campaign.

Sandeep Kaushik, a spokesman for Yes on 1098, said Gates' father, Bill Gates Sr., had a long conversation with his son on the matter and confirmed his support for the ballot measure.

Sandeep hasn't asked me (nor has anyone, for that matter), but I'll confirm my support for the ballot measure, too.

From the "Me neither" file.

Failed Grand Old Palin Tea Party Senate candidate Clint Didier…

"At this moment, I cannot endorse Dino Rossi."

Me neither.

I'm trying to come up with something interesting…

…to say about the US Senate primary, but so far the results are tediously predictable. It'll be Patty Murray against Dino Rossi, but you knew that last week. Last month, for that matter. Probably could'a guessed last year.

When the rest of the votes from the Puget Sound corridor come in, it'll be interesting to see how close Patty comes to the 50% mark with the traditionally conservative primary electorate, but other than that the results are most interesting as a lead-in to the Sarah Palin scorecard in the upper left last night.

Palin made three endorsements in this state. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is an establishment incumbent, and the safe bet paid off for Sarah last night. John Koster in the 2nd CD is a challenger, but still a known quantity among Republicans in northwest Washington and was likely to come through the primary with or without the Palin seal of approval.

The campaign that really tested the value of a Palin endorsement, of course, was Clint Didier's US Senate bid. She jumped aboard early, while Dino was still picking up pin money on the foreclosure seminar circuit, and Didier played her name for all it was worth. She never appeared in the state on his behalf, though. As far as I know, the only face time he got with the former half a governor was when she summoned him away from the state Republican convention in Vancouver while she had momentarily lit down in the tri-cities. There was a recorded message for a last minute round of robocalls, but I'd imagine it all added up to a lot less than Didier had hoped. At least 22% less, which is how much he trails Rossi for second place as the results stand.

When she's not attacking…

…she's endorsing. Timothy Egan considers the outcome...

As for the Palin brand, it seems to represent no consistent philosophy, no guiding principles, no remedial vetting. It stands for one thing — Palin — and in that sense, she does have a legacy, though it can only be measured in dollars.

Palin's endorsement of Clint Didier may turn out to be the high point of Dino Rossi's Senate campaign.

Hat tip to Darryl.

Howdy.

Logging in from the internet cafe down the road while we take a brief hiatus from phone service at Upper Left World Headquarters (yep, things have been that dire.) My fifteen free minutes with a cup of coffee is running out, but on Shoreline City Council, I'm voting for:

Position 1: Keith McGlashan

Position 2: Will Hall

Position 3: Shari Tracey

Position 4: Chris Roberts

My brilliant rationale for each of these choices will have to wait. Oh, yeah, and Debi Ehrlichman for school board.

Oops, the timer...see ya! Put that ballot in the mail!

Exercising the Franchise, Part 5.

At the top of the back of my ballot are two contested races for the Seattle Port Commission, and the choices are pretty clear cut.

For Position 3 my choice (and the choice of the King County Democrats, the King County Labor Council, Governor Gregiore, County Council members Dow Constantine and Bob Ferguson, my own personal Congressman and many others) is Rob Holland. He's extraordinarily well qualified for the Commission having worked with and around the Port for nearly two decades. If he were half as experienced and capable, he'd be a good choice.

His opponent, David Doud, is a conservative activist who brings little more than ideology to the position. He's been running one of the nastiest smear campaigns of the year (perhaps the nastiest, but it's getting hot and heavy in my local city council contests, too. More on that to come.) This is a chance to reward a great candidate and punish bad behavior.

The choice isn't quite as clear in Position 4. Seattle Monorail owner Tom Albro brings strong business experience and some impressive endorsements to the race. He leans a little hard on the "not a career politician, nor a pawn of special interests" angle for my taste (experience tells me that candidates who make too much of not being a pawn often end up being pawned by those very interests), but there's no doubt we could do worse.

We can do better, though, too. My choice is career longshoreman and former legislator Max Vekich. Max knows the Port from the inside out, and his commitment to the Port as a driver for local employment is unparalleled. He brings understanding, integrity, and energy to the race, and he'll deliver the same on the Commission.

Rob Holland and Max Vekich for Port Commission.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Susan Hutchison is a liar.

...and a Republican.

But I repeat myself.

From the "Like rain on your wedding day" file.

Goldy, on the the County Exec race…

Kinda ironic for Hutchison to lose the Chamber of Commerce’s endorsement when a central theme of her campaign has been her promise to declare the county “open for business.”

Heh™.

From the "Sad but true…" file.

Well, not that sad, from a Democratic perspective. Pretty sorry, though, and probably true. Texas Gov. Rick Perry on his Alaskan counterpart's support…

"If there's a bigger endorsement in the Republican universe, I don't know who it is than Sarah."

From the "Generalissimo Franco is still dead" file.

The Hotline…

VP Dick Cheney today endorsed John McCain and Sarah Palin...

That's it? At the eleventh hour they roll out the guy who's hated by even more people than the number of people who hate the president who is hated by more people than any other president in history.

And we're not supposed to get cocky?