Wally Edge's blog

While you’re drinking cheap beer, waving flags made in China and trying to keep the kids from blowing their fingers off in the name of freedom, we hope you take a moment to appreciate this great nation.

Gregoire has a reputation as being tough, smart and decisive. So when the blogosphere erupts in concern about her “oh-so-careful” approach to governing, we wonder if the hesitancy is with Gregoire herself or with some misguided campaign consultant or kitchen cabinet member.

The deadline for turning in signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot is July 3, and three big campaigns are gearing up to take their “oughta be a law” ideas directly to the people.

Gubernatorial challenger Rossi, while not a member of the mob, is back to being a member of the Republican Party. At least according to his fundraising email.

This just in - Dino Rossi might be Italian. But not in the swarthy, cosa nostra, mafioso way. Which isn't what people should think of when they think of Italians anyway because that would be racist. Think of gelato instead.

Every election year, professional speculators say that young people will vote this time. Every year they don’t. Capturing the youth vote has become the quixotic dream of all politicians.

There is much speculation about down-ballot voting and how it will wash. But what is the effect on down-ballot races when the presidential race itself isn't at the top?

Lottery scratch tickets will no longer be available in candy themes, for fear that the children might be sucked in to state sanctioned gambling. Stupidity tax tickets will still be available in a wide variety of parent-friendly themes in order to draw the rest of you into state sanctioned gambling. Thank you for playing.

Treating elections like Project Runway or Rock of Love, we pick our favorite contestant based on what they are wearing and maybe one or two offhand comments. This is political theater, and any voter who does not already know the truth will probably not bother to find out.

State revenue forecasts are down nearly $167 million, which means that one state government program in the $33 billion dollar state budget might be marginally cut.