As a resident of Washington state's 36th legislative district and supporter of Alice Woldt's primary challenge against 32 year incumbent democrat Helen Sommers, I was suprised to see a house sporting a Helen Sommers yard sign and Bush/Cheney '04 signs in the window and on the front door.
My own take on the 36th district Primary is that Sommers recent legislative record does not serve her home district. Sommers' support of Republican budget cuts has protected Olympia's Republicans from taking responsibility for their fiscal decisions.
Sommers' "tough choices" have been to cut the budget by taking resources from Washington state's most vulnerable while leaving corporate tax breaks unexamined and untouched.
Sommer's penchant for brokering deals in committee has prevented Washington state residents from a full hearing of critical budget issues. In the current polarized political climate with Republicans up and down the ticket leaving nothing on the table, this is less like compromise and more like capitulation.
Even so, I was surprised by the idea of Bush/Sommers '04!