Dave Reichert

Shirley Hankins steps aside with class while Tim Eyman mortgages his house. Here are Washington state's Winners and Losers for May 9, 2008.

And don't forget to vote in this week's Cartoon Caption Contest. Voting ends on Friday at noon.

Washington state Republicans are getting some publicity help from a higher source. The Republican National Committee sent out an e-mail to media today urging them to check out the Washington State Republican Party's latest attack video.

This spot goes after 8th District Democratic candidate Darcy Burner by painting her as inexperienced and inappropriate. It begins with a black screen and text that reads, "Darcy Burner is running for Congress again...with the same thin resume voters rejected in 2006." This comes just two days after her opponent, Rep. Dave Reichert, was listed by Roll Call as one of the ten most endangered incumbents in Congress.

Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn)U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn) earned a dubious distinction in the pages of Roll Call, the newspaper that focuses on congressional politics. Yesterday, the former King County sheriff was featured in an early edition of the newspaper's "10 Most Vulnerable" House incumbents list.

Reichert, involved in a high-profile rematch of 2006 with challenger Darcy Burner (D-Carnation) in the 8th congressional district, was chosen along with four other Republicans and five Democrats from across the country, including well known names such as the scandal embroiled Don Young (R-Alaska) and Nick Lampson (D-Texas), who represents a disrict that heavily favors Republicans.

Here is Roll Call's Josh Kurtz' quick take on the race:

It's tough to go from hero cop to endangered incumbent in such a short stretch of time, but that's the former King County sheriff's fate in a suburban Seattle district that is steadily becoming more Democratic. Reichert still has a reservoir of good will to draw from as he fights off Democrat Darcy Burner for the second straight cycle. But Burner has become a more polished and confident campaigner - and has outpaced the incumbent on the fundraising front for the past few quarters.

Congressional candidate Darcy BurnerDarcy Burner, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 8th District, will be taking her campaign back to the earth this weekend. As part of an event to encourage community service, Burner will join the 47th LD Democrats and the national grassroots service organization Democrats Work to clean up garbage along the Green River at Flaming Geyser State Park this Saturday morning. The cleanup falls at the end of "National Volunteer Week."

The Green River, of course, is the same that helped her opponent Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn) gain national attention before he became elected by overseeing the catching of a serial killer whose nickname was shared with the rural Washington river.

Darcy Burner's impressive fundraising may have deterred State Rep. Rodney Tom from running, and Rep. Dave Reichert's incumbent status is keeping out the Republican challengers, but neither barrier is daunting enough to keep two new candidates from coming forward to join the race for Congress in the 8th District.

C. Mark GreeneRunning under the banner of the Party of Commons is C. Mark Greene, a veteran of the USMC and of three past Congressional campaigns, and the self-styled "fighting Democrat" from Orting, James Vaughn, has decided to put his hat in the ring, as well.

Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dave Reichert have gone kosher and sworn off the pork. Which sounds admirable but also correlates to their effectiveness rating, and will likely get them less goodwill than a couple of good projects for their districts would have. On the other side, Rep. Norm Dicks won Citizens Against Government Waste’s “April Porker of the Month” for trying to get the Air Force to buy from Boeing. What nerve!

Darcy Burner's campaign has provided PolitickerWA with a response to the National Republican Congressional Committee's trumpeting of today's Seattle Times article about Burner's lack of public service experience. 

Today being Earth Day, it is fitting that 8th District Congressional candidate Darcy Burner (D-Carnation) should announce the support of someone prominently attached to the celebration. Earth Day founder Denis Hayes said today that he is endorsing Burner in her race against Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn), calling her the "real deal" and a "true environmentalist".