Republican's "martial law" - feudal lords
When Republicans wonder why some of the flock bolt for the Libertarian Party, they need look no further when Congress behaves like feudal lords. The Republican controlled committees may be using a new "martial law" rule to ram through legislation, with no time for representatives to consider, before the vote. If the incumbent Republicans were honorable they would vote to reject ANY legislation submitted for consideration under "martial law" procedures. Sadly, I have little confidence that the incumbent R's will... [read more]

Mark Shattuck: Dark Horse in the 35th
Also posted at Thurston Pundits While most have their eyes on the Democrat primary of Sheldon v fruit loop tribal favor Lucas in the 35th district, the GOP has overlooked a potentially terrible strategic play of events: No candidate to run against the special favor candidate if Sheldon gets eaten alive. Suppose fruit loop tribal favor Lucas beats Sheldon in the primary? In the past that would have been highly unlikely. However, with the new rules for primary elections, voters... [read more]

6 + 4 = 1 Tenuous Existence
That is the title of this story from the L.A. Times written by Sam Quinones. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-quadruplets28jul28,1,325626.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true You do have to register for a free account to see the whole story, but I think it is worth the read. I will touch on some of it below: An illegal immigrant couple with six children were already living in poverty. Then the quadruplets arrived. They're still in a daze. Neither Magdaleno nor her husband speaks English, though she has been in the... [read more]

Our House Delegation Loves Pork
Back on May 23, Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona proposed 19 amendments to strip earmark pork items and managed to engineer a by name vote on all 19. Since earmark pork is usually buried in mammoth omnibus appropriations bills voted on as all-or-nothing votes, this gives us a rare chance to see how individual members vote on individual items of pork. Sadly, our Washington House delegation voted extremely poorly, with most of them voting to approve all 19 items of... [read more]

Republican Minimum Wage Plan
Outgoing centrist Republican Congressman Sherry Boehlert believes that the House leadership will offer a plan that ties a hike in the minimum wage to association health plans (AHP). If this is true, I say bully for House Republican leaders. My support for a minimum wage hike is somewhat selfish. The truth is that raising the mandated Federal wage floor is good for states like Washington where the mimimum wage is higher than what Congress requires. This will also be a... [read more]

Re-Discovering My Inner Envar'menist
Our family just returned from a great trip to the Oregon Coast, where I managed to get in touch with my inner persnickety tourist and my inner envar'menist. It's laudable what the state, and to a lesser extent the feds, have done to preserve and enhance public access to the wondrous Oregon Coast, and the adjacent trails and forests. More here, and here. Hope you enjoy the pix, and find the travel tips useful.....sometime soon.... [read more]

How to post on the public blog
These are the basic instructions for posting entries here on the Sound Politics Public Blog 1. One-time step: Click here to obtain a TypeKey universal login. (If you already have one you may use the one you have). It's free, only takes a moment to sign up, and you'll be able to use it at many other websites. NOTE: even if you previously registered for the scoop-based "diaries", you'll still need to obtain a TypeKey login. 2. Click here (or... [read more]

John Carlson slaps the Sonics
John Carlson in his King County Journal column: "The other side of the Sonics sale could be good news" OK, someone's gotta say it, at least on this side of the Continental Divide. The sale of the Seattle Sonics and Storm is probably a good thing. It's good because the NBA needs a cold, crisp reminder that its economic model is slowly but inexorably crumbling. Just 11 short years ago the newly minted KeyArena was being touted as one of... [read more]

Mrs. Gregoire slaps I-200
[Mrs.] Gregoire Calls for Increased Diversity in Contracting OLYMPIA - [Mrs.] Gregoire today announced that she has called on Washington agency directors to work with the Office of Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (OMWBE) to improve fair access to contracting and procurement opportunities. "I believe in fair and competitive access to all contracting and procurement opportunities," said Mrs. Gregoire. "We are not doing enough to support these principles. We can and should do better." Mrs. Gregoire in a letter... [read more]

Democrats hope to capitalize on Supreme Court decision on marriage
P-I: "Decision opens a door for Democrats in Legislature" OLYMPIA -- The state Supreme Court ruling upholding Washington's ban on same-sex marriages comes as a crushing blow to the gay community, but it's a best-case scenario for Democrats hoping to broaden their majority in the Legislature this fall. In response to Wednesday's decision, Democrats can neatly tailor legislative proposals to suit individual constituencies, including those that want to allow gay marriage, maintain the status quo or build on the politically... [read more]

King County launches online candidate filing Monday
(this is a sample post just to help fill up the page) King County Elections announcesPeople wanting to run for political office can now file online in King County. King County Elections is using online banking technology to make it easier to file for office. Beginning Monday, candidates will be able to file from their personal computers instead of making a trip to downtown Seattle. Candidates still have the option to file in-person or by mail during candidate filing week... [read more]