Washblog

Washouts has the word on the very well attended Whatcom Dems endorsement meeting this week:

Nearly a hundred local Democrats attended the meeting. Local candidates were asking for the Parties endorsement for the August 21st primary. For each candidate the question was asked: "does this candidate meet the criteria for endorsement and stand for the principles of our Platform to gain the endorsement of the Whatcom County Democrats?" A simple majority vote was required for endorsement and all candidates who received 50% plus 1 vote were endorsed.

The full list is here. I turned off comments here, show some love over at Washouts.

[ED Note: Also see Tower Guard Vigil, Washington Outsiders, and Dying to Preserve the Lies. NM]

Returning Iraq veteran, Evan Knappenberger, who well knows tower guard duty in Iraq, launches his  'tower guard' duty in Bellingham, Washington this week.  He wants to draw attention to the US military 'STOP-LOSS' and INACTIVE RESERVE policies which he submits are being used as a substitute for conscription in a political war. See press release and his new website www.TowerGuard.org

This military family agrees with him - we know the 'back door draft' all too well with two of our own caught up in it After they were already deployed in Iraq and had not much other choices.  My son-in-law going back for second 'stop lossed' 15 month deployment to Iraq this year - 2007, hints that it may be longer - 18 months or longer. Pay attention to the rumors that there may be additional extensions beyond the already announced 15 month deployments applied to all the troops.

Evan, respect and my hat is off to you in your 'tower guard' vigil up there in Bellingham.  (first blogged at Washington Outsiders ) See Evan's press release below the fold

 

Army Spc. Jonathan J. Santos

photo: MilitaryTimes

... 22, of Whatcom, Wash.; assigned to the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed Oct. 15 when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Karabilah, Iraq. [Editor's Note: Lietta and Doris Kent exchanged emails about yesterday's article in the Seattle Times and we received permission from Doris to publish. In researching the story I also found an earlier article about Jonathan and this family that was absolutely eloquent. Copyright laws don't allow publishing of the full articles so I am publishing excerpts from each and providing links to each article in its entirety. - Arthur]

The election integrity group Whatcom Fair Voting is hosting a panel tomorrow (Saturday Feb 24th) from 10:00am thru 2:00pm to discuss our state's voter registration database. See below the fold for the press release, address, etc.

I know this is late notice. Many apologies.

I'll be heading up around 8:00am, from North Seattle, if anyone wants a ride.

City of Bellingham is the first in Washington state to initiate City Council Resolution 'Bring The Troops Home'.  Hearing was held Sept 26, 2006. Congratulations and thank you for your courage Bellingham - our neighbor to the north!

See article in The Bellingham Herald titled
  City asked to send anti-war message; parents of soldiers bring resolution to council; 150 attend meeting.
(special shout out of thanks to Marie Marchand, Executive Director of the nonprofit Whatcom Peace & Justice Center for helping military families make this happen in Bellingham)

 

QUICK FACTS

The Troops Home! Resolution urges Congress to end the occupation of Iraq and bring American troops home.

Some 106 other U.S. cities have passed similar troop withdrawal resolutions.

To date, no other Washington cities were listed as having passed this type of resolution.

Other cities in Washington state interested in initiating a City Council resolution to bring the troops home; see toolkit at link Cities for Progress.

  The council will vote at its Oct. 9 meeting to adopt the resolution or not.

  [insert] Video of the City Council meeting and Hearing on Resolution is available online at http://www.cob.org/council/packets.htm (September 25, 2006). The Hearing begins around minute 22 of the video.

Good news up north in the 42nd LD - Washington Outsiders opine on the revelation that a couple of up-and-comer Democrats will be challenging the likes of Sen. Dale Brandland and Rep. Doug Erickson.

You may remember Brandland from last year's temper tantrum on the floor of the senate.

"I've had enough," he said on the floor, which was mostly empty because Democrats were still in caucus. "You don't like the way we do this job, then come down and do it yourself. I'm outta here."

More over the flip.