In D.C.

But if Governor Gregoire's announcement tomorrow isn't big, this whole evening of mystery and intrigue will end up being a good case study in how not to manage media expectations. The disappearing act, the declining to narrow down the range of possibilities—that's what politicians do when they want to create suspense. The implicit promise: the climax will be worth it.

Talking to local political types this evening, I'm hearing a number of cautions—and statements of disbelief—at the idea that the mysteriously-disappeared Gov. Gregoire is about to be nominated as Obama's Commerce Secretary. The governor's office, for its part, is staying mum until early tomorrow morning, when all will be revealed.

The backstory is here. (She's disappeared! An announcement is set for tomorrow morning!) The Slog poll is here:

Where is Governor Gregoire?

State Democratic Party chair Dwight Pelz hadn't heard anything about Gov. Christine Gregoire seeking an appointment with the Obama administration (for context, see below), but said, "She just worked really hard for her election. I can't even possibly fathom that."

Update: Another Democratic source claims it's "highly unlikely" that tomorrow's announcement will be very exciting, although Gregoire will reportedly speak via satellite feed.

More speculation about our mysteriously absent governor: The second (and my preferred) theory (after the commerce-secretary theory cited below) is that Gregoire—who is reportedly in D.C.—is going to announce that Washington State is getting a big chunk of Obama's proposed stimulus package, and/or funding to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct

The Stranger Election Control Board sized up Brad Owen in our election endorsements back in August...

Anyone but Brad Owen

Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen has been on call since 1996 in case the real governor drops dead. This leaves him plenty of extra time, which he uses to tour the state with his crappy-ass rock band and crusade against pot. This year we support all four of Owen's challengers: An empty bag of chips (Marcia McCraw), a one-eyed dog (Arlene A. Peck), a crusty come sock (Jim Wiest), and a man without a website (Randel Bell). All are more qualified to hold this post than Brad Owen.

And please join the SECB and vote stoned as a matter of principle.

Brad Owen: less qualified to be lieutenant governor than an empty bag of chips, a crusty come sock, a one-eyed dog, and a man without a website. God help us if Gregoire is joining the Obama administration and Owen takes over as governor.

Some tea leaves: The Governor of Washington State has disappeared. Her office, while very tight-lipped about her whereabouts, tells me there will be an announcement early tomorrow morning. Obama's transition team plans to announce the new Commerce Secretary nominee (replacing Bill Richardson) "very quickly."

From my interview just now with Gregoire spokesperson Laura Lockard:

Q: Is Governor Gregoire going to be Obama's nominee for Commerce Secretary?

A: “We’re not able to speak to that so we’ll do a release in the morning.”

Q: Where is she?

A: “She’s out of state.”

Q: Is she in the country?

A: "I’m not allowed to say.”

Q: Is she going to continue as Governor of Washington State?

A: "I’m not allowed to say.”

Like everyone, I await tomorrow's announcement. But I will say—and again this is just tea leaves—that Lockard didn't sound like a staffer who was mourning some sort of personal tragedy in her boss's life.

And, not to get too far ahead of things, but: Governor Brad Owen?

First, Paul Krugman says Obama's proposal for massive tax cuts is "bad news":

There’s a reasonable economic case for including a significant amount of tax cuts in the package, mainly in year one.

But the numbers being reported — 40 percent of the whole, two-year plan — sound high. And all the news reports say that the high tax-cut share is intended to assuage Republicans; what this presumably means is that this was the message the off-the-record Obamanauts were told to convey.

And that’s bad news.

Look, Republicans are not going to come on board. Make 40% of the package tax cuts, they’ll demand 100%. Then they’ll start the thing about how you can’t cut taxes on people who don’t pay taxes (with only income taxes counting, of course) and demand that the plan focus on the affluent. Then they’ll demand cuts in corporate taxes. And Mitch McConnell is already saying that state and local governments should get loans, not aid — which would undermine that part of the plan, too.

Then Eliot Spitzer, writing for Slate, says Obama's stimulus package should be focused on transforming the economy, not building roads and bridges:

Paving roads, repairing bridges that need refurbishing, and accelerating existing projects are all good and necessary, but not transformative. These projects by and large are building or patching the same economy with the same flaws that got us where we are. Our concern should be that as we look for the next great infrastructure project to transform our economy, we might rebuild the Erie Canal and find ourselves a century behind technologically.

And blogs all over are reacting to the fact that Obama still hasn't mentioned transit as part of his otherwise roads-centric stimulus package. Here's one take from the California High-Speed Rail Blog:

At some point Obama is going to have to use the bully pulpit to help Americans see that rail must become a much more central part of our transportation and economic policy. It would be good if he did that at the outset of his administration.

Instead I am hearing reports that policy change will come later in 2009 when the Transportation Equity Act (TEA) comes up for reauthorization. At that time, Congressional insiders claim, we will finally see the bigger shift away from highways and towards passenger rail. Kerry's HSR bill will be taken up around the same time and will likely be a part of that broader policy shift.

It's not how I would do it - politically it makes more sense to open with a call for change, while you have a 75% approval rating. That has a tendency to reduce resistance in Congress.