Michelle Obama's speech last night at the Democratic National Convention has the pundits praising her – and rightly so. Like Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial cartoonist David Horsey wrote: She "hit it out of the park." But as Camp Clinton prepares to take the stage in Denver tonight and Wednesday, the convention buzz has turned back to speculation about Hill and Bill. And I'm getting tired of it. ...
Imminently former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be the headline speaker at the convention tonight, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will be a featured speaker on Wednesday, along with Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Despite hopes that the convention will unify the Democratic Party, many party officials remain worried that many die-hard Clinton supporters, including those from Washington state, won't "get on board with Barack Obama." Eli Sanders at the Stranger spoke to state Democratic Chair Dwight Pelz, who reportedly was a "little fed up with all the teeth-gnashing from the Clinton crew." Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott is also at the convention, encouraging supporters of the former first lady to "cut their losses" and take "the best deal" by voting for Obama. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., an early Clinton supporter herself, said backers of the former first lady still want to see her get proper recognition for her historic campaign, though Murray was also confident Washington's Clinton delegates will line up behind Obama in November.
As for tonight's theatrics, operatives from both sides of the aisle will be watching carefully to see how Clinton's supporters react. The media coverage also promises to be intense, and headlines like this one from Politico – "Denver drama: Can Clintons get over it?" – almost guarantee complete and total media overkill. Consider yourself forewarned. ...
In other news:
Rally caps: As the final ballots are counted for Washington state's "top-two" primary, Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire leads Republican challenger Dino Rossi by just 2 percent, while 36th District Democrat Reuven Carlyle now leads fellow Democrat John Burbank by 4 percent. Both legislative candidates will face off in the November election. ...
Rally hits: Medical marijuana activists blasted a Department of Health panel yesterday about a proposed law that would further limit the amount of marijuana patients could possess. The panel said the activists have until Friday to make their case . ..
Base hit: The Public Disclosure Commission has fined the Washington State Republican Party $15,000 for failing to disclose nearly $300,000 spent on behalf of their candidates. David Postman at The Seattle Times has the story. ...
Bad call: The editorial board at The Olympian says the city of Olympia should toss its "unenforceable ordinance that bans nuclear weapons" in the capital. ...
Bad day: Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and his wife were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary in Eastern Washington earlier this month, when they saw a "Don't let Seattle steal this election" sign. Apparently he was really "pissed off." ...
Bad dog: And finally, don't register any of your pets to vote – unless you like community service and legal fees. While criminal charges against Jane Balogh, a 67-year-old Federal Way woman who registered her dog to vote, were dropped yesterday, she'll still have to complete 10 hours of community service and and pay $1,240 in attorneys and court fees. ...
