Washblog

On the heels of Joel's first column whining about partisan meanies picking on his friend Mike!, now he's complaining about bloggers and Democratic "brickbats" coming his direction.  Well, Joel, that's because both of these articles is nonsense.  When you write nonsense, you get brickbats.  What do you think you would have gotten from the GOP and their storm-bloggers if you wrote about how nicely Maria Cantwell is running her campaign - strawberry shortcake and a pillow fight?  

Yeah, Joel - despite your running Mike!'s contention that "my opponent and her allies" are running a big mean character assassination campaign, Maria has never said word one about Mike! McGavick.  Mike!'s opponent has been doing her job in the Senate.  Besides, I hardly think it qualifies as character assassination to point out that Mike! is a lobbyist (he is), or that Mike! took advantage of his shareholders with the giant golden parachute he's now using to fund his campaign, or to highlight things he actually says on the campaign trail.

You think we should roll over because he took a pretend "civility pledge"?  

Joel sez:

He sees nothing wrong with exercising more than $20 million in stock options upon leaving Safeco to run.

Hey Joel - a lot of people do see something wrong with that.  A lot of people, including shareholders and the great-granddaughter of Safeco's founder.  You think that's a partisan attack?  How about shareholders trying to protect their investment?

Tell ya what.  I promise to be a nice guy and pet kitties from now on.  Now that I've made that promise (and lots of people will vouch, I'm pretty good company if you join me for dinner, just like Mike! and his buddies), I'm going to start taking 5% from the till at the end of my shift at McDonalds.  I mean, I see nothing wrong with exercising my right to a share of the profits that I helped create by working.  How can you question me?  I promised to be a nice guy.

Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Joel now takes time to make scawy pwedictions:

With Bush's popularity in the tank -- an Associated Press poll released Friday found only 33 percent approval of his performance -- only Democratic blunders can keep the party from major gains in November.
What sort of blunders? Getting shrill and personal, appearing weak on national defense, and stereotyping all who don't toe the party line.

Um, except for the "weak on national defense" bit (and thanks for that, Joel - always nice to have that canard repeated), it sounds like the exact formula that's given the GOP control of 28 governorships, the White House, both houses of Congress and the judiciary.  Suddenly because Democrats are fighting back the populace is sensitive?  C'mon Joel, I expect better analysis from someone who's been writing about politics for 372 years.

As for being shrill and personal - Mike! release a cynical attack press release against Maria for her vote against the tip credit bill.  That was wrong, and we have the right to fight back.

Mike! supports cutting the wages of tipped employees in Washington state by $5.50 per hour, supporting the Tip-credit bill - which bastardizes the sales tax deduction Maria Cantwell is trying to make permanent, and he used cynical GOP talking points to attack Maria for opposing this nonsense.  That was wrong, and we have the right to fight back.

Mike! wants to screw my kids out of a quality science education, thinking instead that creationism's latest bastard "theory" should be taught in science class, throwing all scientific principles out the window to appeal to evangelical Christians who've become convinced that their 89% majority in America is under attack.  That is wrong, and we have the right to fight back.

And Joel, the bottom line is this:  two-thirds of Americans believe Bush and his administration have us on the wrong track.  Our foreign policy is a visible manifestation of the incompetence and ideological rigidity of today's Republican leadership - and Mike! supports their policies.  If for no other reason, he deserves as vocal and vibrant an opposition as we can muster.

He can say he's a great guy, Joel, but that don't make it so.  He's got a past, and like all politicians, that past can be looked into (and should be).  He's got beliefs that run counter to what Americans, and more importantly to this race, Washingtonians believe.  It isn't shrill or personal to use his words to highlight how out of step he is with the voters in our state, it's just good politics.  The shrill personal attacks and party-line stereotyping, Joel?  Keep an eye on Diane Tebelius and the GOP slime machine for that stuff - they'll offer plenty before all is said and done.

Joel, I look forward to your articles decrying the nasty push-polls in the 8th, or the false claims of push-polls run by Democrats, or the repeated attacks against Maria Cantwell, or the incessant attacks against voters in King County.  I assume you'll be infuriated when they challenge thousands more voter registrations in the last week of September.  I eagerly await these articles.