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PolitickerWA Partners
June 14, 2008 - 1:42pm
News
Statewide nominees speak
By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com ReporterSPOKANE -
Washington's slate of statewide candidates gave speeches this afternoon after becoming the official nominees of the party.
Peter Goldmark, candidate for public lands commissioner, emphasized his roots as an eastern Washington Democrat, and talked of his commitment to sustainability and care for the land. He also went after incumbent Doug Sutherland as a stooge for corporate interests.
"He does not care about our land or our environment," Goldmark said of Sutherland. We have seen that clearly during the floods. He serves the industry at the expense of all else. It is time for him to retire."
Candidate for secretary of state Jason Osgood gave the first speech of his political career, and expressed his support for voter privacy, his opposition to the "top two" primary, and suggested that the Democratic Party is one that registers voters, while the Republicans try to purge them. He repeatedly brought up Secretary of State Sam Reed's move to remove 400,000 voters from the rolls during his term.
"I am a Democrat," Osgood proclaimed. "I am a proud Democrat. This is not a preference, this is a proud statement of fact. Only a Republican would be afraid" to prefer their party.
Candidate for attorney general John Ladenburg, the Pierce County Executive, stuck with his populist theme of being the people's lawyer, trying to paint Attorney General as a corporate lawyer light on experience and heavy on favors for the rich and privileged.
"I'm here to tell you something," Ladenburg said. "I'm a real prosecutor. And I'll get the job done for you."
He also repeated his Lloyd Bentsen-esque joke about knowing McGruff the crime dog and saying, "Rob McKenna, you're no crime dog."
The two other statewide nominees chosen were Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, who declined to speak in the interest of time, and Governor Chris Gregoire spoke this morning. The Democratic candidates for state treasurer, Chang Mook Sohn and state Rep. Jim McIntire, are currently being voted on by the delegation.
Related topics: John Ladenburg, Rob McKenna, Chris Gregoire, Peter Goldmark, Brad Owen, Doug Sutherland, Sam Reed, Chang Mook Sohn, Jason Osgood, Washington State Democratic Party Convention, JimMcIntire
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Pelz-Osgood: An Election System for Elites
Jason Osgood has come out, forthrightly, against the "Top 2" election system! Good ... not really, good, meaning for Mark Greene, also, a candidate for Secretary of State. Mark Greene helped put "Top 2" on the ballot through his chairmanship of the Committee of Commons & Political Affairs (CCPA). CCPA got around 500 signatures for "Top 2." Mark Greene is, also, a chairman of a minor political party, the Party of Commons.
"Top 2" does NOT disenfranchise minor parties as the anti-Top 2 propagandists would have you believe. People like Pelz, Esser (the Republican chairman), and Osgood care about minor parties like Dr. Kervorkian cares about a hospice patient. However, even the Green Party may tell you that the Pick-a-party system almost disenfranchised them in 2004, as they just made it onto the ballot that year after barely getting the required number of signatures for their then forced (mandated) nominating convention. "Top 2" eliminates forced conventions for minor parties and independents. "Top 2," by the way, was voted in through an initiative by the majority.
What else does Osgood oppose that the majority of Washingtonians favor? Voting by postal mail. An article in the Seattle Times (David Postman), said Osgood was the leading opponent of "all-mail" voting. The King County plan in question is not really all-mail, because there is a recourse for citizens to vote at regional polling stations if they prefer to vote in the traditional method.
According to the article, Osgood was in talks with the Democrat state chairman, Dwight Pelz, about the Secretary of State election. With Democrats in the Legislature trying to make it effectively harder to get initiatives (the Common People's Government) on the ballot, the Pelz-Osgood connection, in conjunction with the Democratic-controlled Legislature would topple "Top 2," overturn "all-mail" voting, and make initiatives as infrequent as appearances of Halley's Comet; regarding the latter, only majoritarian elites would have a direct say on issues.
You want an election system for elites, just vote for Osgood.
Mark Greene will defend "Top 2" to the hilt, make initiatives (the Common People's Government) somewhat EASIER to get on the ballot, and would support postal mail elections with a recourse, through regional polling stations, to vote at the polls. With the election of Mark Greene, there would, also, be a moratorium on the complete control of elections by the major parties.
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