Archive for June, 2008

It’s madness to have a Congressman like Doc Hastings stumbling around the halls of Congress. With the quarter ending in just hours, I think it’s time to show some support for George Fearing. I just did… you should too. This George Fearing guy can win if he has our support. So it is up to us to make it happen.

Also, don’t forget my favorite wet sider Darcy Burner. She is cool, calm, collected and dead on target for changing the face of Washington’s 8th District. It’s one of the most competitive districts in this election and Darcy is an outstanding candidate.

Do it. You can make a difference.

(note to self: Try not to narrate after going to the dentist)

Goldy has a good post, and a surprisingly good discussion in the comment thread on the criticism Gregoire has taken over the Tribal Gaming Compact.

Go read…

I was a first hand witness to the politicization of this issue by Wa. Republicans and frankly this looks kind of desperate on the Wa GOP Republicans. I found it somewhat of a paradox in that here we had a tough former AG as Governor tightening laws, and a Republican minority trying to exploit it by being more hard line.  And despite the Gaming Compact, the bargain between revenue sharing and expansive gambling, which I disapprove, did not go that far into the depths.

(As a side note, if Republicans represented the tribal interests, they would be happily accepting contributions as well so they can just get off that boat.)

There seems to be a Law and Order/Morality discussion taking place in the Wa. Governor race that I find disturbing.  On one hand, we all want a safe place to live and could live without the negatives gambling brings.  On the other, we don’t want to be over regulated and policed to death.  If we continue down this politicized path, what is the eventual outcome?  I wonder if this could produce a backlash on both parties?

Remember the “New CocaCola”?

Brings you Chris Mullick:

Ever wonder what happens when someone stages a press conference and the press doesn’t show? Me, too. And until I leave the business I’ll never know.

But initiative promoter Tim Eyman found out today. He scheduled an 11 a.m. press conference to turn in his first batch of signatures for Initiative 985, which deals with traffic congestion relief.

They probably would have showed up if it was a slow news day, but the press was covering the State Revenue Forecast.

Ha!

Montana:

He says the speculation comes from internet bloggers with too much time on their hands, and he says it is ‘ridiculous’.

Well add insult to injury why don’t you Brian. It’s not that I have so much time on my hands… I don’t. I just like the idea of an Obama/Schweitzer ticket. We bloggers dream big sometimes.

Update: Further insulting:

Schweitzer said his name pops up only on a “very long list.” The governor said “nut jobs” on the blogs are keeping his name alive.

Um… yeah, nut jobs like John Tester…

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester helped fuel speculation when he mentioned Schweitzer as a potential VP pick earlier this month on a cable news show.

The fellow Democrat says he thinks Schweitzer has the credentials for the job, and probably has made the lists because he impresses people with his knowledge of the issues. Still, he thinks Schweitzer will remain governor.

“Brian would make a great vice president — and he makes an even better governor for Montana. Selfishly, that’s where I want to keep him,” Tester said.

Guess I’ll get back to my nuts.

Um… it’s a beautiful day here in the Tri-Cities. I think summer decided to finally, and officially, show up. Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities has become quite the gathering and I don’t expect anything less in this great weather. What better than to be able to hang out on the (shaded) deck and drink liberally with 20 or so of your best friends! Well, even if you don’t know a soul at DL, all persuasions of political, gender and hair color are allowed!

Seeya there…

Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities

O’Callahans - Shilo Inn

50 Comstock Rd.

Richland

7pm till?

I find it revolting, and insidious (and dangerous as you see at about 2:05 into the video).

But this is funny… And if only, for the sake of everything that’s good in the world, the media would at least acknowledge that John McCain’s other crazy pasture is his own mouth.

(Audio NSFW so turn it down kiddies)

But in the spirit of “This week in Doc Hastings Bullshit”, I give you… the previous weeks…

Cheers!

Nobody knows what it’s like but the candidate’s themselves.

Given the European penchant for country music I always wondered about how they perceived George W. Bush in the 2000 election. The bravado and swagger might have actually seemed appealing then… until they got a load of the guy. Nearly 8 years, and a war later I even wonder about American country music’s viability across the pond. Just as images are ruined by reality, the European ideal of the Bush cowboy persona probably hit the tanks like the “Achey Breaky”. But nothing is as real as the real thing.

That’s surely anecdotal in an other sense, but Brian Schweitzer’s name keeps popping up as a potential candidate for Obama’s VP and that has implications of world affairs to think about. While I’m just as happy as canned peaches about the prospect, I’ve never thought he would be all that interested. Heck, had he run for President, I would have sold my house, packed up the inhabitants, and moved to Montana and lived in impoverished squaller to be an unpaid (thus the squaller) volunteer. That would not have gone over well of course, but begs the question “why?” Well, it’s like this… the Western Democrat that is Brian Schweitzer speaks to me every bit as much as Barack Obama. It is the antipoly of the persona’s, and common sense combined that makes the ticket’s prospect so very appealing. It speaks both to my rural roots growing up in Eastern Washington, and urban soul for the time I spent in big cities.

I like Schweitzer, ok! I like the idea of a Democrat from Montana who understands energy policy (heck, and foreign policy for that matter) in the smart rational man’s terms vs. the western republican (Colorado) closed door rape we got under Dick Cheney who I feel a surprise rapture in hell is in the near future. Schweitzer, who spent years in the Middle East on irrigation projects, likely has a better perspective to our republican projected enemy than the gated ideologic path the past 8 years have presented. Plain and simple, a VP ticket with Schweitzer highlights Obama’s message of possibility, change, and hope for a better economy and peaceful world.

But would he sign on?

Tight lips are the norm in times like this. But in the past, he has noted he didn’t want anything to do with Washington DC. Can’t blame him. But Schweitzer’s reluctance is appealing in the sense that it would take something real to get him away from beautiful Montana. Is Obama that reality? The “short list” is still to early to be anything but speculation. But if I was a betting man I would say that Governor Brian Schweitzer is on that list.

Schweitzer is the real deal. He speaks the language of middle America and doesn’t dance around the issues with dishonest rhetoric to deflect his positions. Democrats have needed a heavy dose of that for decades. And Democrats have been bluffing their way through the political card game for far too long now ignoring progressive ideals for political safety. If Schweitzer gets tapped, I’m all in.

If you were paying attention to the Herald recently, There is a new service some departments are using to provide “citizen alerts”. Richland Police Department signed up, and so did I.

Here is my first alert.

Attempted Robbery

An Attempted Robbery occurred on June 6, 2008 at 1145 hours at WalMart in Richland, 2801 Duportail St.

Suspect: Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 50-60 / Height: 6-00 / Weight: 250 (large belly) / Hair: Shorter, but shaggy / Facial Hair: Days growth beard, brown, white and gray colored / Clothing: Light blue shirt, Leather Jacket with eagle on the back and a skull on the left shoulder

Suspect Vehicle: Light Blue “Cutlass” like vehicle with a rusted hood and roof

The suspect confronted a woman in the parking lot as she was loading her vehicle, after she had put her child in the vehicle. Suspect demanded that she give him all her money and when she refused the suspect left in the above listed vehicle toward Duportail St.

The Richland Police Department is attempting to locate the above suspect. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Richland Police Dispatch at 509-628-0333.

Be on the lookout for fat old white guys at Walmart.

Well turn it off. As we are seeing, Hillary Clinton is doing the best version of concession available.

Howard Wolfson, one of Mrs. Clinton’s chief strategists, and other aides said she would express support for Mr. Obama and party unity at an event in Washington that day. One adviser said Mrs. Clinton would concede defeat, congratulate Mr. Obama and proclaim him the party’s nominee, while pledging to do what was needed to assure his victory in November.

Meanwhile, all day and night we have heard the speculation and punditry about this motive or that and the legacy media (teevee news) has spent since last night calculating the various motives… I say… Puleezzzz.

It’s over. Let the republicans drool over their prospects of McCain beating Obama and the media make hay. But it’s like this. McCain couldn’t draw 75k people in Texas (much less any state), Obama did it in Oregon.

There is a bit of perspective.

It’s tonight!  And every Tuesday night.  Come on down.  If the sun starts to come out we might be on the deck.

Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities

50 Comstock Rd.

Richland

7pm till?