Eastern Mythology
Last week, to deflate high Democratic expectations for the Eastside (Dems think they have a shot to pick up 4 to 6 suburban seats in the state house), GOP State Chair Diane Tebelius told me the Ds are misreading the trends.
While Dems point out that: the Eastside went for Kerry in 2004; gave I-912, 2005’s gas tax repeal, a thrashing; and have gone from zero to six seats in the Eastside ‘burbs since 1998—Tebelius counters with some compelling examples herself: Dino Rossi carried the Eastside; GOP AG Rob McKenna carried the Eastside; and perhaps most compelling—she says Dave Reichert beat Democrat Dave Ross for U.S. Congress in 2004.
But wait a minute. Tebelius has that wrong. Reichert actually didn’t carry the Eastside. While Reichert did win the 8th Congressional District overall (which includes turf like North Bend, Snoqualmie, Carnation,Issaquah, and Black Diamond) he actually lost in the 41st, the 48th, and tied in the 45th. This means, in the turf that constitutes the Eastside (Mercer Is., Bellevue, Woodinville, Kirkland, and Redmond) Ross beat Reichert: 86,287 votes to 84,255 votes.
Hat Tip: Dean Nielsen, Washington State Director, Progressive Majority
Did anyone catch KING5's RAW streaming video of his visit to Aberden? The TV crew was negligent in their knowledge that everything was being heard on the air as it happend. And someone either operating the camera or beside the camera and microphone noted Tom Cruise's Butt crack. The video camera followed the comment of Tom having a Plumber's butt and zoomed up close. I wonder if that's how professional these KING5 (BELO) folks are? I suppose that's just raw footage.