Rob McKenna

When Republican presidential candidate John McCain came to Washington on Tuesday, state Democrats were poised and ready to hit back on his stance on Iraq and his connection to the French-American firm that won a hotly debated Air Force contract earlier this year. While the state party mocked McCain and Dino Rossi for supporting him, one Democrat was more straightforward.

Attorney General candidate John Ladenburg directly called on his Republican opponent, Attorney General Rob McKenna, to disassociate himself with the McCain campaign. McKenna is the McCain's Washington State Campaign Chair.

NORTH BEND -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain participated in a roundtable discussion on environmental issues today at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center in Eastern King County. McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, was joined by a wide slate of interested parties, ranging from Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland to REI CEO Sally Jewel, former Gov. Dan Evans and Mercer Island City Councilman Steve Litzow along with a handful of local business and non-profit group leaders.

Local Republicans in attendance at the event included Attorney General Rob McKenna, who is McCain's state chair, former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, state Sen. Cheryl Pflug and party Chairman Luke Esser. The first thing off their tongues was their excitement at having such a prominent national figure in town.

Sen. John McCain leads a roundtable discussion

Monday was the deadline for reporting April contributions and expenditures for campaigns here in Washington. Now that six months remain until election day, PolitickerWA.com will begin a monthly rundown of the financial status of the state's top races.

Here is how things stand as of April 30, 2008. The first number listed is contributions, the second number is expenditures and the third number is the difference between the two. Precluding any unusual circumstances, that third number is equal to cash on hand. The candidate with the most cash on hand is listed at the top of each section.

John LadenburgAt his official campaign kickoff last Monday, Democratic candidate for Attorney General John Ladenburg began his speech by talking about opening his first office as a trial lawyer in South Tacoma. He mentioned how he worked with tribes and blue collar folks from the neighborhood and boasted that he was one of the first lawyers around to work on behalf of battered women. 

Ladenburg still lives in blue collar South Tacoma, the neighborhood where he grew up. He even gets his haircut at the same barber shop on 56th and South Tacoma Way that he has been going to for thirty-odd years. It's just one of the ways that he keeps up with the local issues, and the gossip around town.

"I represented people in the neighborhood," he said.

More importantly, does it matter? Looking at our leaders, the experience trope has been inconsistent at best.

On the national level, touting her experience hasn’t worked at all for Hillary Clinton, and experience was not required of George W. Bush.  read more »

We like to complain about gas prices. We also like to drive. On Earth Day Eve, we ought to recognize both that gas prices will continue to go up, and that we will continue to drive just as much as before.

By bringing environmentalists into the reality-based community, we can help them refocus their goals to support better-engineered cars that burn cleaner fuels.  read more »

TCH's Chris Mulick has compiled a list of some of the state's notable fundraisers for March over on his Olympia Dispatch blog.

Rep. Steve Kirby (D-Tacoma) stood out among sitting legislators, bringing in $11,660 between March 14 and March 31. It is also worth noting that Kirby's seat is currently uncontested.  read more »

Incumbent Attorney General Rob McKenna faces an easy challenge by former Pierce County Prosecutor and Executive John Ladenburg. Although Ladenburg enjoys being a Democrat in what is certainly a Democratic year, McKenna has given voters no reason to oust him. A moderate record with little flash and solid cooperation with Governor Gregoire leaves McKenna in good shape to keep his office.  read more »

RENTON -

Pierce County Executive and Democratic Attorney General candidate John Ladenburg addressed a crowd of precinct officers, candidates and party activists at the monthly King County Democrats meeting Tuesday night at the Carpenter's Union Hall in Renton.

In an interview with Legal News Line, state Attorney General Rob McKenna discussed the issue of tort claims against the state. McKenna argued that settlements have become too high, with the state doling out $500M over 25 years according to the AG, at the expense of state services that would otherwise use the money.