The world's deadliest gig?

With all due respect to my buddies on the Northwestern, it ain't crab fishing. Being Al Qaeda's #2 wins hands down.

A koan...

...for John Boehner, via Scott Nance...

What’s the point of being speaker if you’re not truly in charge of the House?

From the "Wild about Harry" file.

The Majority leader make's 'em think it's Hell on the Senate floor today. via AMERICAblog…

In just a few minutes we're going to proceed to the START Treaty. I'm told the Republicans are going to make us read the entire treaty in an effort to stall us from passing it. Isn't that wonderful?

That piece of -- that treaty has been here since April or May of this year. Plenty of time to read it. These are additional days of wasted time we could be using to pass legislation to get home for the holidays, yet some of my Republican colleagues have the nerve to whine about having to stay and actually do the work of the American people.

We make large salaries, Madam President. We could work as most Americans do during the holidays. Perhaps Senators Kyl and DeMint have been in Washington too long because in my state, Nevadans employed in casinos and hotels and throughout the state of Nevada, on ranches, basically every place, have to work hard on holidays, including Christmas, to support their families.

The mines don't get shut down on Christmas. People work. They get paid double time a lot of times when they have good contracts, but they work on Christmas holidays. Most people don't get two weeks off on any time, let alone Christmas week. And these people who are lucky enough to have a job in these trying times need to work extra hours to make ends meet. So it's offensive to me and millions of working Americans across this country for any Senator to suggest that working through the Christmas holidays is somehow sacrilegious.

They decide to work with us, we can all have a happy holiday. If they don't, we're going to continue until we finish the people's business.

Madam President, I move to proceed to Executive Session to Calendar Number 7, the START Treaty. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Damn straight, Senator.

Congratulations are in order…

…to the new leadership of the King County Democrats. Via Steve Zemke...

This last weekend the King County Democrats met and elected new officers for 2011 and 2012. Here is a list of who was elected.

Chair: Steve Zemke
1st Vice Chair: Megan Gustafson
2nd Vice Chair: Andrew Villeneuve
3rd Vice Chair: Chad Lupkes
4th Vice Chair: Omaha Sternberg
Secretary: Chris Maryatt
Treasurer: Jeff Upthegrove
State Committeeman: Javier Valdez
State Committewoman: Ann Martin

It's been awhile since I've been active at the County Level, but there are some names there familiar even to an old-timer like me, along with an encouraging number of new ones.

Among the familiar, Javier Valdez was chair of the 43rd while I was chair of the 32nd LD, and has been a great deal since. I suspect he doesn't know what an inspiration he has been to how many Democrats, young and old, over the years. A special shout out to you, Javier. Congratulations and thanks for your continued service.

From the "Reports of our death…" file.

President McCain isn't going to like this. CNN poll via The Plum Line...

Please tell me whether you agree or disagree that Barack Obama has the personality and leadership qualities a President should have.

Agree 64%
Disagree 35%

This likely won't cheer him up, either...

New CBS News poll finds 57% approve of Obama’s handling of the foiled Christmas Day plot; 52% approve of his overall handling of terror. That’s after yesterday’s CNN poll with similar results.

This Obama guy seems very popular. Maybe he should run for office.

My own personal councilmember…

…is the cheese.

Bob Ferguson is the new King County Council chairman.

Congrats, Chairman Bob!

It's time for...

From the "Credit where it's due" file.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Tom Foley's Seat), via The Hill…

“I certainly don’t condone violence, I don’t condone calling President Obama Hitler and painting swastikas on signs at town halls,” continued McMorris Rodgers, vice chairwoman of the GOP conference.

McMorris Rodgers is the first member of the House Republican leadership to decry the Nazi comparisons...

Will she be the last? Or, perhaps, will this be her last statement as a member of the House Republican leadership?

Either (or other) way, credit where it's due.

Hat tip to John DeVore.

Sorry, Senator…

…this won't do.

Darlene Fairley is not only my own personal State Senator, she's a leader in Olympia, a committee chair and member of the Powerful Senate Ways & Means Committee®. That stature (not to mention her safe seat in this capital D throught C Democratic district) makes this weak tea on taxes particular disappointing...

There was talk this session about increasing the sales tax by 0.3% (which would amount to 30 cents on a $100 purchase) to maintain funding for our health care safety net. By law, all tax increases have to be approved by a majority of voters. However, polling showed that people in several districts are not willing to pay more in taxes to provide these services. Polling also showed disapproval of a personal or corporate income tax, although studies indicate that our reliance on a regressive sales tax makes us the state with the most unfair tax system for lower and middle income taxpayers in the US. We’ll have to see what happens with these tax proposals in the future.

"Polling showed..."? "We'll have to see..."? Sorry Senator, but as one of the 49 people out of more than three and a half million elected to provide leadership and representation for your constituents and our state, you'll have to do better than that.

As you knowingly labor session after session to craft budgets based on "the most unfair tax system for lower and middle income taxpayers in the US," you must be likewise aware that you are ill-representing those lower and middle income taxpayers, a good many of whom you must know live right here in the 32nd. Our only hope is your leadership, and your leadership offers us "we'll have to see."

Who, exactly, is "we" if it is not the Democratic leadership of the Washington State Senate? Who will take the challenge of bringing those voters in "several districts" (not, I'm guessing, yours) out of the wilderness of fear and ignorance about tax justice and revenue security for our state if not the Democratic leadership of the Washington State Senate? Who will put a proposal before the people for a stable l and equitable revenue stream for our state if not the Democratic leadership of the Washington State Senate? Who will conduct the aggressive campaign of public education - time and again if need be - that will lift us out of last place in the tax equity standings, if not you?

Sorry, Senator. 'We'll see' won't do.

From the "Since you asked" file.

Dave at Hominid Views wonders...

Is it really a tough choice here? Obama, the confident and reassuring natural-born leader with intelligent, experienced, and mindful advisors—who he actually listens to… or McCain, the political version of Mike Tyson biting the ear of Evander Holyfield in a desperate clinch before losing not only the fight, but any dignity he may have previously had?

Since you asked, no.

Hey, nobody's perfect…

…but Harry must be doing something right. Via Taegan Goddard

Meanwhile, the New York Times notes the "uncommonly antagonistic relationship" between Reid and President Bush.

But Majority Leader Dodd? Pretty damn tempting.