Phil Talmadge is withdrawing from the race for Washington governor because he has a kidney tumor and may require surgery.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WA%20Talmadge
Phil Talmadge and Howard Dean are two of a kind. They tell the truth that other people don't want to hear, and they stand up and make sure that they are heard. But their message is not 'let me lead you into the promised land'. Their message is "You have the Power!". It's time to stop waiting for leaders, and become leaders ourselves. We are the ones that we have been waiting for!
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Friday, April 23, 2004
Times: Republicans want another look at Gregoire investigation
From the Seattle Times: "Senate Republicans yesterday announced plans to look into what role Attorney General Christine Gregoire's top deputies played in an investigation of her office's failure to appeal a $17.8 million verdict against the state.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Finkbeiner said his caucus wants to find out whether Gregoire's aides improperly influenced the outcome of the 2000 investigation, which was billed as independent by Gregoire's office. "
Hang on, folks - it's gonna be a bumpy ride! Talk about the gubernatiorial candidates here.
From the Seattle Times: "Senate Republicans yesterday announced plans to look into what role Attorney General Christine Gregoire's top deputies played in an investigation of her office's failure to appeal a $17.8 million verdict against the state.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Finkbeiner said his caucus wants to find out whether Gregoire's aides improperly influenced the outcome of the 2000 investigation, which was billed as independent by Gregoire's office. "
Hang on, folks - it's gonna be a bumpy ride! Talk about the gubernatiorial candidates here.
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Rossi Tackles The Important Issues
Rossi wants soda syrup tax repealed
The Spokesman-Review reports that Dino Rossi, the likely Republican Nom for the gubernatorial race has annouced his far-reaching plan to repeal the tax on soda syrup. Oh, and he also thinks that Washington State should freeze minimum wage increases in hard times, cut red tape and develop better customer service attitudes among its workers.
The tax raises about $18.5 million every two years. In an interview after his speech, Rossi argued that "out of a $23 billion budget, that's not much." He said he didn't have cuts in specific programs he'd propose to cover the loss of that revenue, but would handle it with "a combination of decisions."
Whew! Tax cuts without a plan to replace income; man, that's what we need in the governors office!
Oh, and it should be noted that he accepted the endorsement of the Washington Restaurant Association, thanks to that wee little bit of pandering.
Got ideas for other pander-ific taxes to cut? Talk about them here!
Rossi wants soda syrup tax repealed
The Spokesman-Review reports that Dino Rossi, the likely Republican Nom for the gubernatorial race has annouced his far-reaching plan to repeal the tax on soda syrup. Oh, and he also thinks that Washington State should freeze minimum wage increases in hard times, cut red tape and develop better customer service attitudes among its workers.
The tax raises about $18.5 million every two years. In an interview after his speech, Rossi argued that "out of a $23 billion budget, that's not much." He said he didn't have cuts in specific programs he'd propose to cover the loss of that revenue, but would handle it with "a combination of decisions."
Whew! Tax cuts without a plan to replace income; man, that's what we need in the governors office!
Oh, and it should be noted that he accepted the endorsement of the Washington Restaurant Association, thanks to that wee little bit of pandering.
Got ideas for other pander-ific taxes to cut? Talk about them here!
Friday, April 16, 2004
The MMOB: Mainstreet Moms Opposing Bush
This is how we're going to win in November - hundreds and thousands of brilliant ideas like this, being embraced by thousands and millions of ordinary folks.
Volunteer extraordinaire Mary Robinson is going to be presenting the MMOB concept at the Democratic Party meetup on Wednesday, April 21st & the Kerry meetup at the Carpenter's Hall on Thursday the 22nd.
This is a project for locating and registering unmarried women (a key swing voter block) in battleground states and writing letters to them. It is a fantastic idea, and one that we encourage everyone to check out at http://www.themmob.com.
Know of any other awesome, do-it-yourself, grassroots volunteer organizations? Let us know about them here!
This is how we're going to win in November - hundreds and thousands of brilliant ideas like this, being embraced by thousands and millions of ordinary folks.
Volunteer extraordinaire Mary Robinson is going to be presenting the MMOB concept at the Democratic Party meetup on Wednesday, April 21st & the Kerry meetup at the Carpenter's Hall on Thursday the 22nd.
This is a project for locating and registering unmarried women (a key swing voter block) in battleground states and writing letters to them. It is a fantastic idea, and one that we encourage everyone to check out at http://www.themmob.com.
Know of any other awesome, do-it-yourself, grassroots volunteer organizations? Let us know about them here!
Get A First-Hand Look At A Local E-Voting System
We know that "black box voting" is a huge issue this election cycle, and one we are extremely concerned about. A local company, TruVote International, claims to have a voter-verifiable paper trail. We're not endorsing their solution, but think that everyone interested in this issue should take advantage of this invitation from TruVote:
"TruVote International, Inc and Microsoft cordially invite you to attend a demonstration of the TruVote DRE voting system. The TruVote system provides a voter verifiable paper audit trail.
There is also an additional optional feature that will allow a voter to verify that his/her vote was actually counted in the official election results. TruVote’s chief technology officer will be available to answer any questions you may have about the system.
The demonstration will take place on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 from 10:00am to 12:00 noon. The address is as follows:
Microsoft Corporation
Hood Room
Building 33
16070 N.E. 36th Way
Redmond, WA 98052
Please RSVP to truvote@truvote.com or 425.451.1964. We look forward to meeting you and demonstrating this state-of-the-art voting system."
Let us know what you think about this important issue!
We know that "black box voting" is a huge issue this election cycle, and one we are extremely concerned about. A local company, TruVote International, claims to have a voter-verifiable paper trail. We're not endorsing their solution, but think that everyone interested in this issue should take advantage of this invitation from TruVote:
"TruVote International, Inc and Microsoft cordially invite you to attend a demonstration of the TruVote DRE voting system. The TruVote system provides a voter verifiable paper audit trail.
There is also an additional optional feature that will allow a voter to verify that his/her vote was actually counted in the official election results. TruVote’s chief technology officer will be available to answer any questions you may have about the system.
The demonstration will take place on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 from 10:00am to 12:00 noon. The address is as follows:
Microsoft Corporation
Hood Room
Building 33
16070 N.E. 36th Way
Redmond, WA 98052
Please RSVP to truvote@truvote.com or 425.451.1964. We look forward to meeting you and demonstrating this state-of-the-art voting system."
Let us know what you think about this important issue!
Monday, April 12, 2004
Democracy Volunteer Corps Meeting, Wednesday 4/14
7pm, 4th Ave. Uptown Espresso
There are two Democracy Corps groups meeting this Wednesday night at 7pm at the Uptown Espresso on 4th in Belltown. If you'd like to volunteer either with the Event Planning & Voter Registration team, or with the Information & Opposition Research team, come on by and join us!
We're putting together a solid group of folks who want to do more than just vote in this election. We're committed to putting action to our words, and this is a great way to get involved, meet new people, and change the race for the better.
Hope to see you there!
7pm, 4th Ave. Uptown Espresso
There are two Democracy Corps groups meeting this Wednesday night at 7pm at the Uptown Espresso on 4th in Belltown. If you'd like to volunteer either with the Event Planning & Voter Registration team, or with the Information & Opposition Research team, come on by and join us!
We're putting together a solid group of folks who want to do more than just vote in this election. We're committed to putting action to our words, and this is a great way to get involved, meet new people, and change the race for the better.
Hope to see you there!
An Interesting Turn In The Gubernatorial Contest
Seattle Times: Sims to take a hard left in campaign for governor
From Sunday's Times: King County Executive Ron Sims is planning an aggressive run to the left in his bid to capture the Democratic nomination for governor.
Sims is crafting a campaign message he hopes will appeal to devout Democrats. He's promising the sky for education and vowing to make health care available to all.
Too costly? No problem; he's putting together a proposal for a state income tax. He's speaking out in favor of gay marriage and against charter schools.
It's a risky strategy. Few, if any, politicians have ever been elected statewide on such stridently liberal themes.
We're thrilled that Sims is moving towards the progressive ideals that we hold dear - but is it talk, or real action? Let us know what you think!
Seattle Times: Sims to take a hard left in campaign for governor
From Sunday's Times: King County Executive Ron Sims is planning an aggressive run to the left in his bid to capture the Democratic nomination for governor.
Sims is crafting a campaign message he hopes will appeal to devout Democrats. He's promising the sky for education and vowing to make health care available to all.
Too costly? No problem; he's putting together a proposal for a state income tax. He's speaking out in favor of gay marriage and against charter schools.
It's a risky strategy. Few, if any, politicians have ever been elected statewide on such stridently liberal themes.
We're thrilled that Sims is moving towards the progressive ideals that we hold dear - but is it talk, or real action? Let us know what you think!
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Interesting News From the Washington 5th
Mielke to switch races
According to the Spokane Spokesman-Review Online, former Washington State Rep. Todd Mielke announced Wednesday that he is dropping out of the race for Congress and will instead run for Spokane County Commissioner.
Mielke, a Republican, is running against incumbent Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley, a Democrat. He had been running to fill the 5th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. George Nethercutt, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
This winnows the race on the GOP side from four to three, the winner taking on Don Barbieri in the fall.
Mielke to switch races
According to the Spokane Spokesman-Review Online, former Washington State Rep. Todd Mielke announced Wednesday that he is dropping out of the race for Congress and will instead run for Spokane County Commissioner.
Mielke, a Republican, is running against incumbent Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley, a Democrat. He had been running to fill the 5th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. George Nethercutt, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
This winnows the race on the GOP side from four to three, the winner taking on Don Barbieri in the fall.
PI: Rossi's gubernatorial campaign rakes in $1.2 million
GOP candidate passes Gregoire in fund-raising for race
The P-I reports that Republican gubernatorial hopeful Dino Rossi now has more campaign cash than Democratic Attorney General Christine Gregoire, whose fund-raising machine has been shut down for months due to a state freeze on elected officials.
The article also notes that Sims has about $542,000 on hand. Strangely, no mention of Talmadge whatsoever....
The bad news: it looks like Rossi is benefitting from being the only guy on the GOP side. The good news: the Dem candidates have outraised him in aggregate, and Gregoire would undoubtedly have pulled down more had she been free to do so....
Tell us what you think of the great gubernatorial money race!
GOP candidate passes Gregoire in fund-raising for race
The P-I reports that Republican gubernatorial hopeful Dino Rossi now has more campaign cash than Democratic Attorney General Christine Gregoire, whose fund-raising machine has been shut down for months due to a state freeze on elected officials.
The article also notes that Sims has about $542,000 on hand. Strangely, no mention of Talmadge whatsoever....
The bad news: it looks like Rossi is benefitting from being the only guy on the GOP side. The good news: the Dem candidates have outraised him in aggregate, and Gregoire would undoubtedly have pulled down more had she been free to do so....
Tell us what you think of the great gubernatorial money race!
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Four hoping to succeed Dunn visit GOP club
From today's Times - A veteran lawman, a former federal prosecutor, a state senator and a former Bush-administration official faced off yesterday for the first time in their campaigns for the Republican nomination to succeed U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn.
The forum hosted by the Mercer Island Republican Women's Club produced little in the way of sharp disagreement. But it did provide an early glimpse of the messages the four candidates want to present to voters and of how they handle themselves on the campaign trail.
Read the article, and let us know what you think!
From today's Times - A veteran lawman, a former federal prosecutor, a state senator and a former Bush-administration official faced off yesterday for the first time in their campaigns for the Republican nomination to succeed U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn.
The forum hosted by the Mercer Island Republican Women's Club produced little in the way of sharp disagreement. But it did provide an early glimpse of the messages the four candidates want to present to voters and of how they handle themselves on the campaign trail.
Read the article, and let us know what you think!
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Changing The Rules In The Middle Of The Game: Part II
The Washington Post reports today that the Bush administration is completely freaking out over the fundraising ability the Dems have displayed so far. They never expected to be evenly paced in their race for cash, so now they are trying to change the rules, as our Executive Director Ray Minchew talks about in this week's Commentary.
Read Ray's analysis, and the Post article, take action by writing the FEC, and then come back here and brainstorm with us about what we can do to ensure that this blatant power-grab never sees the light of day.
The Washington Post reports today that the Bush administration is completely freaking out over the fundraising ability the Dems have displayed so far. They never expected to be evenly paced in their race for cash, so now they are trying to change the rules, as our Executive Director Ray Minchew talks about in this week's Commentary.
Read Ray's analysis, and the Post article, take action by writing the FEC, and then come back here and brainstorm with us about what we can do to ensure that this blatant power-grab never sees the light of day.
Locke vetoes 'Top 2' primary, creates separate party voting
The Seattle Times reports that Gov. Gary Locke today used his veto power to create separate party primary elections in the state for the first time in nearly 70 years.
Locke rejected a "Top 2" primary system similar to Louisiana's primary, in which all candidates appear on the ballot and the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
Instead, he replaced Washington's popular wide-open blanket primary with a system like that used in Montana, where candidates appear on separate primary ballots, but voters choose which ballot to cast.
Locke said he opted to give voters more choices in the November election. The Top 2 system would have advanced only two candidates, likely freezing out minor parties and raising the prospect of all-Democrat or all-Republican contests in the fall.
This issue is shaping up to be a big conversation in our gubernatorial and AG races this fall. What do you think?
The Seattle Times reports that Gov. Gary Locke today used his veto power to create separate party primary elections in the state for the first time in nearly 70 years.
Locke rejected a "Top 2" primary system similar to Louisiana's primary, in which all candidates appear on the ballot and the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
Instead, he replaced Washington's popular wide-open blanket primary with a system like that used in Montana, where candidates appear on separate primary ballots, but voters choose which ballot to cast.
Locke said he opted to give voters more choices in the November election. The Top 2 system would have advanced only two candidates, likely freezing out minor parties and raising the prospect of all-Democrat or all-Republican contests in the fall.
This issue is shaping up to be a big conversation in our gubernatorial and AG races this fall. What do you think?
Had to share Rob Brezney's horoscope for today:
"GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Visualize a scenario in which Israelis and
Palestinians are still embroiled in a hateful state of siege for another 100
years. Imagine that the personal problems bugging you now will continue
to torment you indefinitely. Live your life as if you believe the world is
falling apart and that we human beings are parasites bent on wrecking the
paradise we've been blessed with. APRIL FOOL! Don't you dare indulge in
any of the hackneyed cynicism I just spouted. While educated idiots might
try to convince you that badmouthing the future is honest and intelligent,
it's actually a bad habit based on delusion. Here's your *real* assignment,
Gemini: Retrain your mind to expect the best. Visualize in graphic detail
the transformations you'd love to see. Cultivate delight using all your
ingenuity."
So, let's pass that on to everyone. Visualize a new President and a new Democracy in November 2004, then act to make it reality!
Chad Lupkes
chadlupkes@earthlink.net
http://www.democracyforwashington.com/
"GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Visualize a scenario in which Israelis and
Palestinians are still embroiled in a hateful state of siege for another 100
years. Imagine that the personal problems bugging you now will continue
to torment you indefinitely. Live your life as if you believe the world is
falling apart and that we human beings are parasites bent on wrecking the
paradise we've been blessed with. APRIL FOOL! Don't you dare indulge in
any of the hackneyed cynicism I just spouted. While educated idiots might
try to convince you that badmouthing the future is honest and intelligent,
it's actually a bad habit based on delusion. Here's your *real* assignment,
Gemini: Retrain your mind to expect the best. Visualize in graphic detail
the transformations you'd love to see. Cultivate delight using all your
ingenuity."
So, let's pass that on to everyone. Visualize a new President and a new Democracy in November 2004, then act to make it reality!
Chad Lupkes
chadlupkes@earthlink.net
http://www.democracyforwashington.com/
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