The Democratic National Convention starts today, and the nation's focus will turn from the Olympics in Beijing to Obama in Denver. But if you're not into Obama-palooza, there's plenty of local political news to keep your whistle whetted. ...
Stealing the election: Democratic National Committee Chair and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean told Washington state Democratic delegates in Denver that Gov. Chris Gregoire's re-election "depends" on tapping votes from rural Washington, which is why he's preparing a "39-county" plan for victory. ...
Stealing the coverage: The local media at the convention does some credential swapping sleeping around to secure up-close coverage of the caucus floor. ...
Stealing the lane: Adam Wilson at the Olympian reports Tim Eyman's Initiative 985, which would "open carpool lanes to all drivers during nonpeak hours," goes against the recommendations of a "major report on traffic congestion." ...
Steals and assists: The Seattle Times has the story of a Tacoma man who grew up playing basketball with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. ...
Need some assistance? The Washington state Department of Corrections says prisons are open for business using inmate labor. ...
Need three votes: Incumbent state Rep. Alex Wood, D-Spokane, has locked his spot on the "top-two" November election ballot. But the race for the other spot, between Republicans Chris Bowen and Laura Carder, is tight. Really tight. In a race that may come down to a mandatory recount, Bowen and Carder are separated by just three votes. ...
Funny anecdote of the day: Jeff Mapes at The Oregonian shares a personal encounter with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden. ...
Hypocritical anecdote of the day: U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., has been hammering Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley for supporting a $34 million renovation of the Oregon state Capitol in Salem, including the addition of expensive desks and sofas for state politicians. But according to a report from The Oregonian, Smith voted yes to $625 million in renovations to the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, which, among other things, includes "85,000 square feet of new office space for lawmakers who, in many cases, already have at least two separate offices on Capitol Hill." ...
