Month: September 2004

Linda Smith left and then Don Carlson and Joe Zarelli lost in the 3rd

Randy Tate lost in the 9th

Now Dave Reichart and Dave Ross are going at it in the 8th District, the last seemingly Republican District in western Washington. And, the question begs to be asked. If the Republicans lose there, will they retreat from the last bastion of conservative power (such that it is) in western Washington.

In logical terms, the 3rd and 6th Districts should be rural bastions of conservative politics, but they’re not. Of course, Norm rules in the 6th, and by pulling in strangely yet almost religiously Dem Grays Harbor and some of Tacoma, he’ll most likely keep the district until the end of time.

And, it seems like the Republicans have given up on the 3rd, at least for now. You would think of having the double bad luck of first Trent Matson pulling out and then Joe Zarelli turning out to be a neocon welfare cheat, that they would come back with someone serious this time. But they didn’t.

They did almost as bad in the 9th, when perennial candidate for Alaska’s congressional seat (as a Dem) C. Mark Greene ran.

Basically, in three districts in western Washington where the Republicans should be putting a serious hurt on the Dems, they’ve been reduced to also rans and joke candidates.

This is somewhat like what the Weekly is saying today, but different. They seem to think that da’Dems have a chance to win back the Inland Empire district. Well, maybe a chance, but in a high Dem turnout primary Don Barbieri was out polled by all Republicans 55,000 to 84,000.

Is it indifference or are they just lazy? Will the same thing happen if Dave Ross wins? Boy, I hope so.

You know how there are some things that will happen in other parts of the country that generally won’t happen in Washington and there are somethings that will happen here, but not across the country. And, that thing here end up being just a bit dorky?

Yeah. We got that.

It started with civil rights activist Carl Mack challenging Seattle police on their growing use of Tasers, and police officials defending the electric stun device. It has come to this: Mack, president of the Seattle chapter of the NAACP, and police Chief Gil Kerlikowske each will be shot with 50,000 volts of electricity at 10 a.m. today at police headquarters.

…”I said, ‘Well, I’ve never actually experienced it, but if you’re willing to experience it, then maybe I should do this also,’ ” he said. “Of course, immediately thinking that (Deputy) Chief Harry Bailey or (Assistant) Chief Nick Metz would jump in and say, ‘Oh no, chief, we’ll do it.‘ Instead, neither one of them did.”

Yet another Republican who wasn’t there…

In preparation for my impending shopping spree at Powells early next month, I’ve been trying to bone up on some of the authors I want include in the spree. So, I’ve been perusing some new Vaclav Havel, and I realized something that I hadn’t heard brought up at all during all the arm chair history writing during the week after Reagan’s death.

Reagan gets a lot of credit from Republicans and the like for ending the cold war and freeing eastern Europe and the entire world (short of parts of Asia and Latin America) from the cold, un-Godly grip of Communism.

In all that talk, I heard no discussion of the people who actually were there, like Havel and Lech Walesa (both of whom went to jail and suffered under communism). I’m sure, though, none of them had anything do to with the fall of communism.

Bob Blume (or at least hs company), the man who brought us the South Sound Center and the City of Lacey, is now the one agenting the sale of the ol’Tumwater Brewhouse. How fitting.

The Man Who Ruined Olympia, by sucking us dry in the 60s and 70s, and cutting off the city’s eastward expansion with the planning monstrocity that is Lacey, is now selling the second most important building here. Second to the Capitol.

I convinced Keri to watch a spooky half hour of Riverman last night. Of all the Green River Killer stuff that is coming out right now, it was a weird choice of a movie to make. I mean, Ted Bundy never really helps them, so the movie turns out to be a ineffective Silence of the Lambs wanna-be. I know its based on what really happened, but is it exciting enough to make a movie out of it?

The guy who played Dave Reichert was spooky close looking to the real sheriff.

Again, going to Bundy didn’t crack the case, why make such a big deal about it? Why make a movie?

Riverman hit the air about the same time the real Reichert and Ann Rule both came out with books. I actually am looking forward to reading Rule’s more than Reichert. I feel that Rule has been waiting her entire career to get a crack at this book.

Two more things anyone should read on the Green River Killer/Gary Ridgeway:

The Seattle Times’ 1987 investigation. Why did they spend so much time talking to Bundy and not enough time arresting Johns? This page also includes some of the legal documents.



King Co. Sheriff’s Office Green River Page. Sheriff Reicherts crew put a lot of what they have on the internet, including video of Ridgeway.

Speaking of yet another reason why I don’t like the South, is that I’m jealous in way. The South has such a developed literary tradition and I want one. Sense of place and all that.

Anway, that makes things like this peice in WW all the more important. If its purpose was to promote some new PDX writers, it worked. Even though Timberland and Evergreen don’t have his book, I’m going to track down Richard Melo’s Jokerman 8.

Having fun with Powells.com

For our first anniversary, Keri got me a shopping spree at Powells. We’re heading down there sometime in October, hopefully Sean will join in the fun.

Here’s my list so far. Its mostly stuff under “books I’ve checked out from the library or given away that I want.” The Kitteredge and Berry essays I’ve read mostly, but would like to read in my own good time. I used to own “Disturbing the Peace,” I read it my junior year in high school, and is the most significant book I’ve ever read. I gave it away to an important politician, and I’d like it back to keep. I threw the other Vaclav Havel books in there for good measure. I checked “Art of the Impossible” out yesterday and it seems great.

I’m considering putting some fiction on the list, possibly the two books from Douglas Coupland that I haven’t read yet, and the new David Guterson.

Come on! Whatchoo Got!?!?

I watched the entire Bush speech a couple nights ago. The best part about it was watching Kerry at midnight in Columbus, Ohio get right back into the Republicans face. I expected a lot more coverage of Kerry’s response speech yesterday, but it was understandably overshadowed by Russia and Clinton.

I don’t think we can underestimate the effects of this speech though. It shows what kind of man Kerry is and what kind of campaign he’s going to bring. Never before has something like this happened, that a presidential candidate given a speech immediately after his opponent accepts his party’s nomination. No Retreat. No Surrender.

Tonight, President Bush got up and told us that he’s got a plan for the economy. That’s exactly what he said four years ago. But with the largest deficit in American history, I don’t think we can afford four more years of this president’s plans. That’s because for four years, this president has taken us in the wrong direction.

I consider myself to be a good Dem, and most people I know, for ill or good, would think the same. But, I have to agree with Mr. McGladrey on this one.

I usually have WashPirg folks come to my door every so often in the summer. Hey I can’t blame them, its $8 an hour and sometimes you actually get a response. I don’t feel bad saying no to WashPirg types either, especially when the last one accused me of “leading her on.”

I was sorry to see when the DNC started using the same tactics this summer. Twice on weekday evenings I’ve had folks come to my door and start the quick talking scapula that is almost guaranteed to turn people off.

Come to the door and ask people to help out. Come to the door and hand out some literature, get them to vote. Ask for their support. But, lord don’t ask me to write no check.