Matt Stoller, one of the major forces behind the liberal blog OpenLeft, is giving up his blogging on that site (for now) in order to take a job in... the House of Representatives.

He says he's going help patch a "rootsgap."

From the Daily Show, Anderson Cooper moderates the "debate" for first dog.

Remember how the Obama family couldn't move into the Blair House early because, according to the White House, the place was booked up? It was a lie—an expensive, pointless, graceless, classless lie.

Via Towleroad.

The most telling fact about last night’s elections forum—what, you didn’t know we’re having an election? We are, for King County Elections Director, next month—was that just three candidates, of a total of six, bothered to show. Given that this was one of the few chances candidates would have to face off in public before ballots go out next week, you’d think that the three absent contenders—Pam Roach, David Irons, and Julie Anne Kempf—would have welcomed the opportunity.

Instead, the 40 or so folks who made the drive to the Renton Carpenters Hall for the King County District Democrats’ candidate forum—moderated by HA blogger David Goldstein—were greeted with a half-empty panel. Seated at the bunting-draped table were current elections director Sherril Huff (appointed to the position by Ron Sims before voters made her job an elected position in November); former sports bar owner and Orting schoolteacher Chris Clifford; and former bank manager Bill Anderson. After state Democratic Party chair Dwight remarked that the voters, "in their infinite wisdom," had decided to make the elections director an elected position—a comment that elicited boos from the audience—Goldstein noted that he was an "ironic" choice to moderate the panel, given that "there isn’t anybody here more opposed to an elected elections director than I am."

Despite the wishes of some hyperventilating bloggers (who didn't bother to attend), the forum was mostly without fireworks—the one exception being a bit of sniping between Huff and Clifford, who bellowed (if you've ever heard Clifford talk, you know what I mean), "If you can’t tell people where you live and you do not submit a truthful declaration of candidacy about where you live, we cannot trust you!"—a reference to the fact that Huff moved to King County from Bremerton right before she filed. (More on that weird little sideline here). Huff responded airily, "I have a background of more than 30 years in public service and I will match my integrity with anyone’s, including my opponent here."

Of the three candidates at last night's forum, only one—Huff—is considered a serious contender for the job, and not just because she already has it. Since her appointment last year (and indeed, since she came on as assistant director in 2004), Huff has presided over major reforms in the county elections system that have resulted in more transparency and fewer election foul-ups. Like Anderson and perhaps Clifford (who left early to attend a Municipal League endorsement interview), Huff said she agrees with the idea of permanent and same-day voter registration (although she said same-day registration presented challenges counties would have to work out); unlike her opponents, she "unequivocally" opposed making the elections director an elected position. In response to Anderson's defense of the new system—"The citizens should have a say on whether I'm doing a good job"—Huff said that making the position elected "has taken a certain element out of the qualifications for what is a very demanding, high-profile position that requires a significant amount of public trust."

She might as well have been talking about her absent opponents—Kempf, who was fired from the position after lying about ballots that were mailed late; Roach, a Republican with a vendetta against the King County Council; and Irons, a onetime Ron Sims opponent whose bizarre feud with his family resulted in his own mother refusing to endorse him. Of those, perhaps the scariest is Roach, an oddball state senator who once allegedly pulled a gun on a senate staffer.

Ballots for the February 3 special election will be mailed out January 14 and 15; the next chance to see the elections director candidates is at a forum being put on by the Seattle Municipal League on Tuesday, January 13, from 7:00pm - 8:30pm at the Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St. NW.

Another reason for those sky-high approval ratings:

Kinda hard to hate on a guy holding a disabled puppy with only three legs!

Via Ben Smith.

His personality alone has been begging for a New Yorker profile for some time, but now that he's become chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services during the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, Barney Frank is practically required writing.

And voila, currently making the political rounds: a new Jeffrey Toobin profile of Frank in the current New Yorker. Required reading, if only for word on the title of a forthcoming Frank biography: Barney Frank: The Story of America’s Only Left-Handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman.

It's Christine Gregoire!

(Kidding, commenters.) Howard Kurtz reports that it may be the telegenic Dr. Sanjay Gupta, seen here discussing strokes:

Meanwhile, Burris was refused from the Senate:

A bit more information is here, but not too much. I'm kind of fascinated by Roland Burris. He doesn't seem too bright, or at all convinced of the righteousness of his position, but he's just putting his head down and marching forward, damn the torpedoes.

What a debacle. But some background facts to keep in mind as you judge the politicos of the Great State of Illinois:

Bobby Rush, the IL congressman who compared keeping Burris out of the Senate to a lynching, is portraying this battle as all about keeping at least one black man in the Senate. Hah. Back in the Democratic primary of 2004, when Obama was running against Rich White Guy Blair Hull for a seat that had been African-American Carole Mosely Braun's (with a Republican interregnum), Rush supported the Rich White Guy. Before that, Rush beat Obama for Congress in the 2000 primary by basically saying he wasn't really "authentic" enough to represent the South Side ghetto Rush has run since his Black Panther and Chicago Alderman days. Rush also owes Blagojevich big time: Rush has a little side gig as a minister—go figure!—and Illinois has funded some of his community organizations to the tune of millions.

Burris is a hack, and has no chance to win statewide. He was the first black elected to state-wide office in Illinois, true, but that was back in the day of widespread straight-ticket voting, when vast numbers of voters just pulled the lever that said Democrat or Republican. Burris was an insider pol who got slated to a harmless/powerless office (quick: what does your comptroller do?) and that's the only reason he got elected. In every primary he's run in—for Senator, Governor and Mayor of Chicago—he's had his ass handed to him. I'm hoping the Senate does the same here.

There's no telling how this will end, but one prediction: if the Senate Dems make a deal to seat Burris if he promises not to run in 2010, they will regret it: he will agree, be seated, and then just before primary season in late 2009 or early 2010, he'll change his mind and say the Lord told him to run again.

You can watch the swearing in of the 111th Congress live on C-Span here.

UPDATE: A man in black is saying, "Lord, we praise you as the father of us all..." as everyone in the House has their heads bowed.

This morning, Governor Gregoire's office answered yesterday's questions and speculation about her whereabouts:

The governor is visiting Iraq with a delegation including Governors John Corzine (D-NJ) and Rick Perry (R-TX).

Ok. I get the need for secrecy about trips to Iraq by U.S. elected leaders, but let's just replay part of the interview I had yesterday afternoon with Laura Lockard, spokesperson for Gov. Christine Gregoire, after news came that Gregoire had mysteriously disappeared:

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

A: "I’m not allowed to say.”

I don't see how it would have compromised the governor's security for Lockard to have confirmed that yes, Gregoire plans to continue serving out her term. Lockard even sent, when I asked for it, the legal chapter-and-verse on who would succeed Gregoire if she were to resign and, say, take a post in the Obama administration. (Lt. Gov. Brad Owen.)

Again, I get the need for secrecy in this situation. I also get the perils of speculation. But there are ways to waive reporters off certain lines of questioning without giving away the true answer. Poorly played.

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.