Gregoire Could Have Been On Supreme Court List

Politics

At least that’s what she tells hotshot Olympia political reporter Austin Jenkins at Crosscut.com:

“I know I was considered for the Supreme Court,” said the Democratic governor. “And I said I did not want to be vetted because I had my hands full being governor of the state of Washington.”

Jenkins also spotted a little evolution, as we did earlier in the week, in Gregoire’s latest statement about taking a job in the Obama Administration.

… Here’s what Gregoire told me last week:

“You know I’m not one who will say never, I don’t think that’s right. But I have been very clear since the president was elected that now is not the time for me, that I’ve got to stick to my job.”

And here’s what Gregoire is saying this week:

“I’ve got a job and I think the state really needs continuity right now, but you know I’ve never thought what it would be like to have the president of the United States ask you to serve. So, I can’t say never but I am also not looking for a job.”

Yesterday, the Seattle Times editorialized that Washington’s Governor “has what it takes to be Solicitor General.”

The more liberal SeattlePI.com might not disagree, but thinks Gregoire should tell the President she’s not interested.

Meet Patty Murray’s Professional Mudslingers

Politics

Meet Paul Tewes.

Described in media reports as a low-key Midwesterner, Tewes is a former political director under Patty Murray at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

In the past few years he’s made the jump from field organizer to heavy-hitting political consultant. And he’s now got a posse of fellow-travelers who get hired to destroy Republicans. Back to that in a minute.

Continue Reading

Gregoire Now Says She’s Open to Obama Job

Politics

Whether you believe it’s all parlor tricks, or a real world scenario, Gov. Gregoire is at least now publicly stating a willingness to consider a presidential appointment in the Obama Administration — and that’s a radical departure from all previous reports (i.e. Secy. of Commerce or Interior).

In fact, Gov. Gregoire says she’s now “humbled” to even be mentioned as a potential pick to replace Solicitor General Elena Kagan.

Continue Reading

Impacts of Health Care Bill on Washington State

National

By Roger Stark, MD
Health Care Policy Analyst
January 2010

U.S. House and Senate Democrats have passed two sweeping 2,000 page bills that would fundamentally and dramatically change our health care. There are significant differences between the two bills, but the more moderate Senate bill has the best chance of passing through the conference committee and being signed by the President. Both bills passed on a strict party-line vote, with essentially no support from minority Republicans.

Continue Reading

Slade Gorton Weighs in on Intelligence Failures

National

Former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA) was a 9/11 Commission member.

This story was originally published on December 31, 2009.

Read excerpts of the interview with KOMO News here.