By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  November 9th at 01:00 AM  | 

The 2012 elections are barely behind us and there’s already another contest heating up… for House Republican Conference Chairman The two announced candidates running for the House GOP’s #4 position are the Conference’s current Vice Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Republican Policy Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA).  Yesterday, Erick issued an endorsement for Congressman Price. This isn’t surprising; they’re  from the same state and may well be acquainted with each other. | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  September 23rd at 10:27 PM  | 

Barack Obama’s FDA has issued a directive banning over-the-counter asthma inhalers because they utilize chlorofluorocarbons as a propellant. What does this have to do with poor, black children, you say? As it happens, black children are more likely to suffer from asthma than any other major demographic group in the United States. Additionally, data indicates that their asthma is less likely to be well-controlled. What’s | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  November 8th at 06:42 PM  | 

King County residents may remember that back in the fall of 2007 the  County Council approved a special property tax on all residents to support the creation of a Ferry District to fund the Vashon Island passenger ferry and year-round service for the West Seattle Water Taxi. The Ferry District was sort of a pet project of King County Executive Dow Constantine when he sat | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  October 26th at 04:26 PM  | 

Joni Balter Not many people are as self-satisfied and self-important as Joni Balter. She’s recently penned two op-eds, not on any topic with relevance to the real issues facing voters in this election, but something even more important; the race for newspaper endorsements. And of course by this vital yardstick, Dino Rossi may as well concede the race now. I’m not even sure why this | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  October 24th at 08:59 PM  | 

As I noted here, the Murray campaign appears to be critically short of foot soldiers. How terribly inconvenient. Fortunately for the Senator, this is another one of those distasteful jobs that Americans won’t do, but illegals are only too willing to take on. And at no cost to the Murray campaign! “Illegals for Democrats” is a project of OneAmerica Votes. Can you guess who tops | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  October 22nd at 03:07 PM  | 

Unsure whether or not their 1st LD candidates can win on merit in what appears to be a very bad year for Democrats (or a very good year for Republicans if you’re a glass-half-full kind of person), the Washington State Democratic Central Committee has chosen to instead muddy the waters with mail pieces intended to paint the Republican candidates, Dennis Richter (Pos. 1) and Heidi | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  October 22nd at 03:04 PM  | 

Would Jay Inslee even recognize the truth if it walked up and punched him in the nose? Which is sort of what it did this week when he lied about his reason for missing a ceremony to rename a post office for local Medal of Honor recipient Bud Hawk. Giving credit where credit is due, Inslee was responsible for passing the legislation renaming the post | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  October 14th at 04:21 PM  | 

A lot of hay has been made in California over the course of the past several months about Carly Fiorina’s leadership at HP; a quick Google search turns up article after article about the California Senate race that mention, usually in unflattering terms, the company’s fortunes – or lack thereof – during her tenure as CEO. Contrast this with the treatment Suzan DelBene (D) is | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  August 25th at 02:11 AM  | 

Everyone knows by now that Clint Didier, despite having made it very clear during the primary season that he would support the GOP nominee, whomever it might be (and knowing that it could very well be Dino Rossi), has withheld his endorsement from said nominee. Rather than getting wholeheartedly behind Rossi, Didier chose to enumerate three conditions upon which his endorsment would be based. I | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  March 27th at 02:04 AM  | 

None at all. Congressman Jay Inslee won re-election in 2008 with 68% of the vote. It looks as though he won’t be having such an easy time of it in 2010. A poll of WA-01 released yesterday by James Watkins’ campaign shows Inslee to be more vulnerable than this WA-01 resident had previously had the audacity to hope. You may remember me wondering back in August | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  March 23rd at 05:58 PM  | 

Because, really, she is the State of Washington, isn’t she? Washington’s governor, Christine Gregoire, says she will oppose Attorney General Rob McKenna’s plan to to file a lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of the State. Says Gregoire, “He did not call and consult me. I don’t know who he represents. He does not represent me (emphasis mine).” The staggering arrogance of that statement | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  January 7th at 04:58 PM  | 

You may be familiar with the 1969 book, The Peter Principle, in which Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull promulgated the theory that, “in a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” This came to mind when I heard yesterday, via @nwdigest, that a “top Democrat” from Washington is rumored as a potential replacement for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar if | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  January 5th at 01:10 AM  | 

I may not be a genius, but I don’t think you need to use rocket science to conclude that Chris Widener will make his Senate run official tomorrow morning. Patty Murray is the Senate’s most liberal legislator. Her lifetime ACU rating is 2.92, barely above Jim McDermott’s 2.52. But – get this – in 2008, Murray scored zero. She must be replaced. Look for Clint | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  January 1st at 07:59 PM  | 

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Western Washington is reeling at the deaths of six law enforcement officers in just under two months: Officer Timothy Brenton, Sergeant Mark Renninger, Officer Ronald Owens, Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Greg Richards, and earlier this week, Deputy Sheriff | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 27th at 10:34 PM  | 

I don’t really know all that much about Janet Napolitano but after her appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, I give her an F for her ability to evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. safety measures. Or as President Obama would say, she earns a solid B+. Napolitano’s assessment, from the transcript. What we are focused on is making sure that the air environment remains | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 27th at 12:35 AM  | 

By now you’ve heard about the Nigerian citizen, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was overwhelmed by other passengers while attempting a terrorist attack on a Northwest Airlines flight about to land in Detroit. Why did Abdulmutallab possess a visa allowing him to enter the U.S., despite appearing in at least one U.S. database which one would hope would result in automatic disqualification? The sources told CNN | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 23rd at 04:21 PM  | 

That’s all I ask. This is the kind of fighting spirit I expect from the GOP Congressional leadership; a bold play on 4th and 18. Going for the win rather than the tie in overtime. Instead, Mitch McConnell kicks a field goal to end regulation play. Perhaps McConnell believes that capitulation is preferable to a glorious defeat in the defense of liberty and prosperity. Perhaps | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 22nd at 06:14 PM  | 

If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude than the animating contest of freedom–go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen! ~Samuel Adams Thanks for the swell Christmas gift, Mitch, but I’m not | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 21st at 11:53 AM  | 

And I assure you, I have a vivid imagination. State of Washington Department of Corrections has lost an Arkansas felon. Sean Robinson, writing at the Tacoma News Tribune, fills us in on the details. He’s William T. Forbes, one of 14 Arkansas parolees Washington is required to supervise under the terms of an interstate agreement. Forbes is a fugitive – the only wayward parolee in | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 18th at 06:41 PM  | 

I can’t believe when I was pounding away on Christine Gregoire and her Department of Corrections for failing to adequately protect the public from convicted felons (and more here), that I forgot all about the case of Phillip Paul, the insane killer who walked away from a “field trip” to a county fair while in the custody of the Department of Social and Health Services | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 17th at 09:59 PM  | 

Just because Patty Murray represents Washington in the US Senate, it doesn’t mean she should be insulting the residents of the great State of Alabama. As reported in The Daily Weekly: With the Dreamliner finally up in the air, one could almost forget the unending controversy swirling in Boeing’s turbines.First there’s that little move to South Carolina planned to actually build the Dreamliner. But also | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 11th at 01:30 AM  | 

Like a sort of political Willy Loman, Brian Baird has announced his decision not to seek re-election to the US House of Representatives. Willy sacrificed himself so that Biff could collect on Willy’s life insurance policy; Baird steps out of the way so that another candidate can try to turn near certain defeat in WA-03 into a close race. It remains to be seen if | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 9th at 11:34 PM  | 

I once had an acquaintance with two school-aged children. She and her husband were both professional people, earning good incomes. They lived in a custom home in one of the nicest neighborhoods in their town, drove luxury cars, enrolled their children in expensive activities, bought them lavish gifts and took frequent vacations, on which their children usually accompanied them. On one occasion, they made a | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 9th at 06:57 PM  | 

Yes, even more excellent news. In a stunning development (at least to me!) Brian Baird has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2010. The time has now come to pursue other options, other ways of serving. Hence, I am announcing today that I do not intend to seek reelection to Congress in 2010…This is not an easy decision to be sure, but I | Read More »

By: itsonlywords (Diary)  |  December 9th at 04:58 PM  | 

We have a contest; James Watkins, a Redmond entrepreneur, announced today that he is a candidate for Jay Inslee’s Congressional seat. Says Watkins: I’m running against career office-seeker Jay Inslee because we can’t afford him any more. His voting record in Washington, D.C., shows he’s lost touch with our values. We’re at a moment of clarity in our country. We the People are paying attention | Read More »