Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Local Politics: Potpourri

Bits and pieces from the front.

The 1st distict King County Council has see-sawed back and forth between Edmonds and Ferguson, but at the most recent count has Ferguson up by about 1000 votes. This is enough to negate the need for a mandatory recount, which disappoints their GOP rivals, who love to put about that close election must therefore be a botched election (unless a Republican wins - then it is something called a "mandate").

However, we do have a very tight race that may necessitate are recount for second place in the Sherrif's race, which is also disappointing to conservatives because all those involved are cops. Rahr holds her commanding lead, but Fuda and Schmdt continue to vie for each other with a fractions of a percentage point difference.

Meanwhile, the State GOP has repealed the 11th Commandment. That is, the requirement that one not speak ill of other Republicans (yes, they really had a party rule on that). The rule has been used in the past to bludgeon recalcitrant candidates into line, more often by the Business-conservative GOP against the Social-conservative GOP. Odd that this happens after the primaries and all. The party officials hope to have new guidelines in place to encourage party harmony without making people laugh at them.

On a national level, former FEMA director Mike Brown has a new gig as (wait for it) a consultant to FEMA! Yep, we're definitely running government like a big corporation. Mr. Brown was on the Hill, blaming every non-federal individual around him for the disasters, including a head-nod to local political blog Horse's Ass, which had earlier outed his past experience, or lack of thereof. You know, its not fair in the competition for Best Local Blog if you're going to do real reporting!

More later,