Washington State is a microcosm of the rest of the nation. The western, urban part of the state goes overwhelmingly Dem, the eastern, rural part goes overwhelmingly Rethug, and the suburbs are where the battles are fought. Our congressional delegation has long included "Baghdad" Jim McDermott (D-WA7) and the odious "Doc" Hastings (R-WA4). In recent years Democrats have tended to win statwide elections, giving us two Democratic Senators (Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell). In 2004, we elected a Democratic governor in an exceedingly close (129 votes) election.
Next Monday, George W. Bush comes to suburban Bellevue (the city, not the nuthouse, although it's sometimes hard to tell) to help Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA8) raise bucket-loads of cash for himself and the Rethuglican party. Things have changed here since last Bush visited.
As Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly writes to "Mr. Bush" in this morning's paper:
The location of Monday's fundraiser for Rep. Dave Reichert is at the center of what used to be the Republican heartland -- inasmuch as your party has a heart -- in Western Washington.
Using a phrase coined by Republican strategists, however, the Eastside has undergone a historic realignment. It's happened under your watch, my man. Out of 12 state legislators from the 41st, 45th, 47th and 48th districts, 11 are now Democrats.
It's enough to drive a local Republican officeholder to drink. And the lone surviving GOP legislator -- state Rep. Fred Jarrett -- is an outspoken green.
We are winning here in the other Washington, from the bottom up, election after election, we are increasing the Dems in office and ousting the Rethugs. If our election for governor were held today, we would win by a whole lot more than 129 votes.
The VIP reception Monday will touch up rich Republicans for $10,000, part of which will go into the coffers of the state Republican Party.
But no amount of money is going to win back those legislative seats, or take Reichert off the "endangered" list, unless bad policies get reversed.
Of course this reversal won't be happening any time soon, but that doesn't mean we can be complacent. (I don't share Connelly's confidence that money can't "buy" Rethug votes.) Just because we are winning, doesn't mean that we have won.
Bush's itenerary for his visit here seems to be little more than to take in the Hyatt Recency's largest ballroom. As has been true of his entire presidency, he will be completely walled off from reality. I want desperately to put a crack in that wall.
As maccabee's excellent diary makes clear, breaking through that wall, especially as a demonstrator, will be an incredibly difficult task.
I will be out there, nevertheless, on the street. I'll have a sign that says, "Worst President Ever". I will be wearing some sort of wild costume with the hopes of providing the local media something colorful to put in the paper and maybe even on TV. I will bring my family and friends.
If you live anywhere near Seattle, come help us pull down the wall:
Monday, August 27th, 12:00 noon - 4:00 p.m.
Downtown Bellevue Hyatt. Corner of NE 8th and Bellevue Way.
AfterDowningStreet.org and WashingtonForImpeachment.org are gearing up with speakers, banners, a "die-in", and other street theatrics.
If you don't live around here, you can help by making a donation to "Rubber Stamp" Reichert's likely re-match opponent in 2008, Darcy Burner.
Let's make Bush afraid to look outside.