Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Pollster: Inslee Barely Ahead in King County; McKenna Surging
The latest poll numbers showing Republican Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna beating US Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA,1) 46-39 in the 2012 governor’s race contain some more grim news for Inslee: He’s barely ahead in King County, traditionally a Democratic stronghold.
PubliCola reports that the Democrat is "supposed to win King County" and Inslee does in the latest poll: 45-39." But that's hardly something for Democrats to crow about. In 2010, Patty Murray (D-WA) beat Republican challenger Dino Rossi in King County in 2010 64.59 to 34.91.
Says Kevin Ingham, vice president for polling and research at Strategies 360, told PubliCola:
Republicans need to be in the mid-40s in King County on election day to have any chance of winning, says PublicCola. Right now McKenna has a 40 percent favorability rating in King —which is higher than he scores in any other part of the state. Inslee’s favorable rating in King County is 42 percent."The size of Inslee’s lead in King County should be a concern for Democrats. In 2004, Chris Gregoire beat Dino Rossi 58 percent to 40 percent in King County. At this point, McKenna has as much support as Rossi did, while Inslee has far less than Gregoire wound up with."
To read the full article, click here.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Santorum Up - Perry Down
Last night's GOP Presidential debate featured one significant gain, one significant loss, one recovery, one new person, and slight gains or no change for everyone else.
THE GAIN
Former Senator Rick Santorum increased his standing with his overall answers but especially his give and take with Governor Rick Perry about Perry's support for allowing illegal immigrants to pay in state tuition at Texas universities and colleges. Sen. Santorum's position, that giving a benefit to illegal immigrants that is not available to legal citizens was well taken and stated in a forceful manner.
THE LOSS
Gov. Rick Perry lost ground on several issues. The aforementioned tuition for illegal immigrants was one. He also rambled through an attempt to call former Governor Mitt Romney a flip-flopper but either forgot, got confused, or lost interest during the course of his statement.
Perhaps the largest gaffe was not revealed until later. When asked about his support for the mandatory HPV vaccination program and questioned about his being lobbied by former associates, he made the statement that he had been lobbied by a 31 year old woman with cervical cancer and this was part of the reason for his decision. Fact checkers later discovered that he had not met the woman he referenced until AFTER he instituted the program. This type of untruth is very disconcerting.
THE RECOVERY
After absolutely whiffing on the question about what percentage of the money someone makes should go to the government, Representative Michelle Bachman recovered with her statement about not having to choose a moderate to run against President Obama. Rep. Bachman started by saying how she wanted to answer the question about taxes then went on for the entire answer period without saying anything. This was disappointing. Her comment late in the debate that, against Pres. Obama, Republicans do not have to settle for a "moderate" candidate was good to hear in contrast to all the media folks' talk about candidates being "too conservative" or "too radical" to win.
THE NEW PERSON
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson made his first debate appearance. He did have the best line of the debate with his comment that his neighbor's two dogs had made more shovel ready projects than Pres. Obama. However, it was pointed out later that this was actually a quote from Rush Limbaugh. Otherwise, he was not really involved.
THE REST
Former Governor Mitt Romney was cool and collected. He managed to withstand questions about RomneyCare and joined Sen. Santorum in the attack on Gov. Perry's tuition position by pointing out that the difference in cost between in-state and out-of-state tuition was almost $100,000.
Businessman Herman Cain shared his personal story about being a cancer survivor and pointed out that, he believes, he would not have survived if ObamaCare had been in place. He contended that having access to immediate treatment rather than having to go through a bureaucratic process was what allowed him to now be cancer free.
Representative Ron Paul was his usual feisty self. He always seems to be able to make two or three great points then throws out a clinker. All at the same time.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich was also his usual self. It appears that he is not really interested in actually being elected but wants the personal exposure and the exposure of some his ideas.
Former Governor John Huntsman comported himself well but there was really nothing to distinguish him from the others.
THE GAIN
Former Senator Rick Santorum increased his standing with his overall answers but especially his give and take with Governor Rick Perry about Perry's support for allowing illegal immigrants to pay in state tuition at Texas universities and colleges. Sen. Santorum's position, that giving a benefit to illegal immigrants that is not available to legal citizens was well taken and stated in a forceful manner.
THE LOSS
Gov. Rick Perry lost ground on several issues. The aforementioned tuition for illegal immigrants was one. He also rambled through an attempt to call former Governor Mitt Romney a flip-flopper but either forgot, got confused, or lost interest during the course of his statement.
Perhaps the largest gaffe was not revealed until later. When asked about his support for the mandatory HPV vaccination program and questioned about his being lobbied by former associates, he made the statement that he had been lobbied by a 31 year old woman with cervical cancer and this was part of the reason for his decision. Fact checkers later discovered that he had not met the woman he referenced until AFTER he instituted the program. This type of untruth is very disconcerting.
THE RECOVERY
After absolutely whiffing on the question about what percentage of the money someone makes should go to the government, Representative Michelle Bachman recovered with her statement about not having to choose a moderate to run against President Obama. Rep. Bachman started by saying how she wanted to answer the question about taxes then went on for the entire answer period without saying anything. This was disappointing. Her comment late in the debate that, against Pres. Obama, Republicans do not have to settle for a "moderate" candidate was good to hear in contrast to all the media folks' talk about candidates being "too conservative" or "too radical" to win.
THE NEW PERSON
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson made his first debate appearance. He did have the best line of the debate with his comment that his neighbor's two dogs had made more shovel ready projects than Pres. Obama. However, it was pointed out later that this was actually a quote from Rush Limbaugh. Otherwise, he was not really involved.
THE REST
Former Governor Mitt Romney was cool and collected. He managed to withstand questions about RomneyCare and joined Sen. Santorum in the attack on Gov. Perry's tuition position by pointing out that the difference in cost between in-state and out-of-state tuition was almost $100,000.
Businessman Herman Cain shared his personal story about being a cancer survivor and pointed out that, he believes, he would not have survived if ObamaCare had been in place. He contended that having access to immediate treatment rather than having to go through a bureaucratic process was what allowed him to now be cancer free.
Representative Ron Paul was his usual feisty self. He always seems to be able to make two or three great points then throws out a clinker. All at the same time.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich was also his usual self. It appears that he is not really interested in actually being elected but wants the personal exposure and the exposure of some his ideas.
Former Governor John Huntsman comported himself well but there was really nothing to distinguish him from the others.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Candidates Show Weaknesses - Bachman the Winner
At the Republican Presidential Debate held on September 12, Michelle Bachman advanced her cause. She answered questions well, made her points, and kept a calm yet serious demeanor. She did enter into the sniping once but later made up for it when she told the moderator to ask the other candidate when pressed about his position on an issue.
Several candidates showed some weakness. This was especially true of the front runners, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. After starting with a carryover of the sniping from the previous debate, they managed to get by this and onto the issues. This is where the weakness started to appear.
Romney once again defended RomneyCare in Massachusetts. His argument is that it is a states' rights issue and therefore acceptable if done at the state level. This is different than ObamaCare, which he is against, which is a federal program. So.....it is OK for the state to mandate that I spend my money in a certain way but not the federal government. This is a distinction without a difference. There should be no way that any governmental agency can force me to buy something just for the privilege of living. This concept is continuing to be troubling.
Rick Perry trotted out the same state rights' excuse when addressing the issue of Texas allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition. Whether the state can do it is not the point. The point is, it is the wrong policy. If we continue to reward people for entering our country illegally, why should they stop. Also, once these people have a college education, they can not legally hold a job as they are still illegally in this country. This point seems to never be considered.
Perry also was forced to defend his position on requiring (with opt-out) young girls to have an HPV vaccination. Romney attacked him for using an executive order to implement this rather than going through the legislative process. Perry admitted he should have done it differently but defended having the requirement. Bachman and Santorum then attacked Perry on the issue of the government requiring anyone to have a vaccination for something that doesn't affect others. Perry's actions seem to indicate that he feels that government knows better than we do. I do not agree with this premise.
Ron Paul gained some ground with his libertarian views on domestic issues but lost all of that and more on the issue of international security. His isolationism and allowing Iran, and anyone else, to obtain nuclear weapons is simply inviting another attack on US soil. This is especially disconcerting on the day after 9/11.
Newt Gingrich was his usual glib self and very entertaining. However, he did not really advance his cause in any way.
Herman Cain stuck with his 9-9-9 plan but didn't really do much else.
Rick Santorum had good answers and comments but his delivery was questionable. He came across as either passionate, frustrated, or panicked depending on your view. I was just not comfortable for some reason with this.
I have wondered previously why John Huntsman was in attendance. I am still wondering.
Several candidates showed some weakness. This was especially true of the front runners, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. After starting with a carryover of the sniping from the previous debate, they managed to get by this and onto the issues. This is where the weakness started to appear.
Romney once again defended RomneyCare in Massachusetts. His argument is that it is a states' rights issue and therefore acceptable if done at the state level. This is different than ObamaCare, which he is against, which is a federal program. So.....it is OK for the state to mandate that I spend my money in a certain way but not the federal government. This is a distinction without a difference. There should be no way that any governmental agency can force me to buy something just for the privilege of living. This concept is continuing to be troubling.
Rick Perry trotted out the same state rights' excuse when addressing the issue of Texas allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition. Whether the state can do it is not the point. The point is, it is the wrong policy. If we continue to reward people for entering our country illegally, why should they stop. Also, once these people have a college education, they can not legally hold a job as they are still illegally in this country. This point seems to never be considered.
Perry also was forced to defend his position on requiring (with opt-out) young girls to have an HPV vaccination. Romney attacked him for using an executive order to implement this rather than going through the legislative process. Perry admitted he should have done it differently but defended having the requirement. Bachman and Santorum then attacked Perry on the issue of the government requiring anyone to have a vaccination for something that doesn't affect others. Perry's actions seem to indicate that he feels that government knows better than we do. I do not agree with this premise.
Ron Paul gained some ground with his libertarian views on domestic issues but lost all of that and more on the issue of international security. His isolationism and allowing Iran, and anyone else, to obtain nuclear weapons is simply inviting another attack on US soil. This is especially disconcerting on the day after 9/11.
Newt Gingrich was his usual glib self and very entertaining. However, he did not really advance his cause in any way.
Herman Cain stuck with his 9-9-9 plan but didn't really do much else.
Rick Santorum had good answers and comments but his delivery was questionable. He came across as either passionate, frustrated, or panicked depending on your view. I was just not comfortable for some reason with this.
I have wondered previously why John Huntsman was in attendance. I am still wondering.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Logger's Playday Parade
If you thought our appearance in last year's Logger's Playday Parade was great, just wait till you see what we have in store for tomorrow!
Logger's Playday Parade
Saturday, September 10
1246 5th Street, Hoquiam
10:30 a.m. to prep
Parade at noon
Saturday, September 10
1246 5th Street, Hoquiam
10:30 a.m. to prep
Parade at noon
Lace up your walking shoes, grab some sunscreen and bring the fam! Join us at 10:30 a.m. at 1246 5th Street, Hoquiam to help decorate vehicles and get ready to form up and march. Walkers of all ages are welcome! Parade starts at noon! Be sure to bring your own water bottles!
The community is invited to a free barbecue immediately following the parade at the small park located directly behind the fire station near the corner of 8th and M Streets in Hoquiam, across from Saron Lutheran Church. This event is hosted by the Dan Griffey for State House campaign. Donations accepted.
The barbecue will include food, fun, and the chance to meet and hear from some of our great candidates for the 35th Legislative District and the U.S. Congress! See ya there!
For more information, contact Justin Smith: jsmith1120@live.com
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Republican Presidential Debate - Mediocre
The Republican Presidential Debate that was held last night at the Reagan Library was mediocre at best. There were no new ideas or programs presented, and the format of the questions was terrible.
Rather than asking the Candidates their view on an issue or asking them to explain their positions or statements the moderators asked them to comment on someone else's positions or statements. This was obviously done in an attempt to cause the Candidates to attack each other. Unfortunately, several of the Candidates rose to the bait. Suprisingly, the two biggest culprits were the front-runners, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. I would have expected them to stay above the fray and provide points differentiating themselves from President Obama. I was waiting for a response like: "If you want _______(insert Candidate's name here) opinion, you should ask him/her. My position on this matter is .....". But instead they sniped at each other.
Also, eight people is an extremely large number to attempt to have a debate in which everyone has a chance to have significant time to express their views. While I don't have the exact times for each Candidate, it certainly appeared that Rick Perry and Mitt Romney had the largest portion of time. They were followed by Michelle Bachman then Rick Santorum. Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and John Huntsman were present but did not seem to really get much of a chance.
One of the topics was RomneyCare. There were questions asked about this but I don't recall any questions about ObamaCare. This was an interesting situation. (Does this say something about the positions of the Moderators?) It was the perfect opportunity for Romney to declare that it "seemed like a good idea at the time" but wished he hadn't done it. Unfortunately, he maintained his support of the program.
Rick Perry also whiffed when he was confronted with the fact Massachusetts has a very high insurance coverage rate whereas Texas has much less. Mr. Perry did not simply point out the cost of the Massachusetts coverage and that it was pushing the State into bankruptcy.
With little of new substance on issues the only separating feature I saw was the way the Candidates comported themselves. That is, did they look and act Presidential. I found the Perry/Romney bickering to be annoying and not very Presidential. The calmest, and most Presidential in this debate was Michelle Bachman. She came off well, spoke calmly, and left the slogans at home.
Hopefully the next debate on September 12 in Tampa will be more enlightening. This debate is sponsored by CNN and the Tea Party Express which is a very interesting combination.
Rather than asking the Candidates their view on an issue or asking them to explain their positions or statements the moderators asked them to comment on someone else's positions or statements. This was obviously done in an attempt to cause the Candidates to attack each other. Unfortunately, several of the Candidates rose to the bait. Suprisingly, the two biggest culprits were the front-runners, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. I would have expected them to stay above the fray and provide points differentiating themselves from President Obama. I was waiting for a response like: "If you want _______(insert Candidate's name here) opinion, you should ask him/her. My position on this matter is .....". But instead they sniped at each other.
Also, eight people is an extremely large number to attempt to have a debate in which everyone has a chance to have significant time to express their views. While I don't have the exact times for each Candidate, it certainly appeared that Rick Perry and Mitt Romney had the largest portion of time. They were followed by Michelle Bachman then Rick Santorum. Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and John Huntsman were present but did not seem to really get much of a chance.
One of the topics was RomneyCare. There were questions asked about this but I don't recall any questions about ObamaCare. This was an interesting situation. (Does this say something about the positions of the Moderators?) It was the perfect opportunity for Romney to declare that it "seemed like a good idea at the time" but wished he hadn't done it. Unfortunately, he maintained his support of the program.
Rick Perry also whiffed when he was confronted with the fact Massachusetts has a very high insurance coverage rate whereas Texas has much less. Mr. Perry did not simply point out the cost of the Massachusetts coverage and that it was pushing the State into bankruptcy.
With little of new substance on issues the only separating feature I saw was the way the Candidates comported themselves. That is, did they look and act Presidential. I found the Perry/Romney bickering to be annoying and not very Presidential. The calmest, and most Presidential in this debate was Michelle Bachman. She came off well, spoke calmly, and left the slogans at home.
Hopefully the next debate on September 12 in Tampa will be more enlightening. This debate is sponsored by CNN and the Tea Party Express which is a very interesting combination.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
10 Cannots and You
1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
3. You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
5. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
6. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
7. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
9. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative
independence.
10. And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can
and should do for themselves.
I wish I could take credit for writing these but I can’t. They were written in 1916 by William J. H. Boetcker. He was born in Germany and immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult. Ronald Reagan was impressed enough with these thoughts that he quoted them in his 1992 speech at the Republican Convention in Houston.
It appears to me that the current policies of our Government (at all levels) violate every one of these “Cannots”. As we are getting into the campaign and election season, all of us in Grays Harbor County need to apply these “Cannots” to the candidates we are supporting and voting for. This should be done at every level of government from City Council to President of the United States.
I would encourage everyone who believes in these “Cannots” to fully support those candidates that share this belief. While “fully support” certainly means voting for these candidates; there is much more to “fully support” than that. “Fully Support” includes volunteering your time and, if possible, your money. Candidates need help in a myriad of tasks both public and non-public and are flexible with the amount of time you can spare. I am sure any candidate would be grateful for two hours per week. With the electronic age upon us, many of these tasks can be done from home. We also know that it costs money to get elected.
If will all do a few things, no one will have to do everything. If we are going to change the current course of our government, it will take the effort of all of us. Please contact a candidate of your choice and volunteer. You will not only have an opportunity to redirect our Country to the proper path but also meet some great people.
Rev. Boetcker also penned the “Seven National Crimes”
1. I don’t think.
2. I don’t know.
3. I don’t care.
4. I am too busy.
5. I leave well enough alone.
6. I have no time to read and find out.
7. I am not interested.
Please don’t commit any to these “Crimes”.
Get Involved Today!!!
2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
3. You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
4. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
5. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
6. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
7. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
9. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative
independence.
10. And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can
and should do for themselves.
I wish I could take credit for writing these but I can’t. They were written in 1916 by William J. H. Boetcker. He was born in Germany and immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult. Ronald Reagan was impressed enough with these thoughts that he quoted them in his 1992 speech at the Republican Convention in Houston.
It appears to me that the current policies of our Government (at all levels) violate every one of these “Cannots”. As we are getting into the campaign and election season, all of us in Grays Harbor County need to apply these “Cannots” to the candidates we are supporting and voting for. This should be done at every level of government from City Council to President of the United States.
I would encourage everyone who believes in these “Cannots” to fully support those candidates that share this belief. While “fully support” certainly means voting for these candidates; there is much more to “fully support” than that. “Fully Support” includes volunteering your time and, if possible, your money. Candidates need help in a myriad of tasks both public and non-public and are flexible with the amount of time you can spare. I am sure any candidate would be grateful for two hours per week. With the electronic age upon us, many of these tasks can be done from home. We also know that it costs money to get elected.
If will all do a few things, no one will have to do everything. If we are going to change the current course of our government, it will take the effort of all of us. Please contact a candidate of your choice and volunteer. You will not only have an opportunity to redirect our Country to the proper path but also meet some great people.
Rev. Boetcker also penned the “Seven National Crimes”
1. I don’t think.
2. I don’t know.
3. I don’t care.
4. I am too busy.
5. I leave well enough alone.
6. I have no time to read and find out.
7. I am not interested.
Please don’t commit any to these “Crimes”.
Get Involved Today!!!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
'Wow, We're Really Outnumbered!"
The Grays Harbor Republican Party had such a strong presence at last month's county fair that we sent the other party scurrying for reinforcements, saying "we really need help." Read their take on it in: "Wow, We're Really Outnumbered. "
That's okay. They ain't seen nuthin' yet.
That's okay. They ain't seen nuthin' yet.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
County Commissioners Lazy or Inept?
The County Commissioners are continuing their "across the board" budget cuts for the current year and, apparently, are considering the same approach for next year's budget. Why? Do they not recognize that certain services are a higher priority than others?
When a family encounters hard times, they don't cut their latte budget the same percentage as the kids' school lunch budget. They prioritize. Shouldn't our County Commissioners do the same thing? This is the type of leadership and tough decision-making that we should not only expect but demand from our elected officials.
Many believe the number one priority for government should be the safety of its citizens. To underfund the Sheriff's Office, Court system, and Corrections just so that "across the board" cuts can be made is at best lazy, and at worst is inept. There, undoubtedly, will be differing opinions on what the priorities should be and these should be discussed and resolved in a public meeting. Perhaps this means that some entire programs will be cut or some departments eliminated or significantly reduced while others suffer no cuts whatsoever. This may be unfortunate but it is the hard economic reality in which we are currently living.
The Commissioners are choosing to pass the buck to the various departments and agencies saying "You make the cuts." By doing this, they are providing political cover for themselves because they can always point to others who had to actually make the cuts and say it was someone else who cut that position or reduced that program. We should not allow them to do this.
We should demand that those serving at the County Commissioner level show leadership and make the difficult decisions. Then we must hold them accountable for those decisions. If they are unable or unwilling to do so, there is always the next election.
When a family encounters hard times, they don't cut their latte budget the same percentage as the kids' school lunch budget. They prioritize. Shouldn't our County Commissioners do the same thing? This is the type of leadership and tough decision-making that we should not only expect but demand from our elected officials.
Many believe the number one priority for government should be the safety of its citizens. To underfund the Sheriff's Office, Court system, and Corrections just so that "across the board" cuts can be made is at best lazy, and at worst is inept. There, undoubtedly, will be differing opinions on what the priorities should be and these should be discussed and resolved in a public meeting. Perhaps this means that some entire programs will be cut or some departments eliminated or significantly reduced while others suffer no cuts whatsoever. This may be unfortunate but it is the hard economic reality in which we are currently living.
The Commissioners are choosing to pass the buck to the various departments and agencies saying "You make the cuts." By doing this, they are providing political cover for themselves because they can always point to others who had to actually make the cuts and say it was someone else who cut that position or reduced that program. We should not allow them to do this.
We should demand that those serving at the County Commissioner level show leadership and make the difficult decisions. Then we must hold them accountable for those decisions. If they are unable or unwilling to do so, there is always the next election.
WSRP State Committee Meeting, Moses Lake
Montlake Park, site of post-SCM picnic hosted by Grant County Republicans.
Moses Lake
Dinah and Dan Griffey, George Rickle (Mason County)
Our next Attorney General (Reagan Dunn, L) and Governor (Rob McKenna, R).
(Photos of candidates does not necessarily imply endorsement.)
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