Luke Esser

One could say the Democrats' latest web video has gone viral since its release; but not the good kind of viral, more like the flu kind of viral. The video, which juxtaposes a black and white image of Dino Rossi with a series of local news reports about the BIAW's "mud-slinging" on Rossi's behalf followed by news clips talking about the BIAW's agenda.

No problem there.  

But it also plays the theme song to "The Sopranos" in the background, a move that is being harshly criticized by both the state Republican Party and the Italian Club of Seattle.

UPDATE: The Democratic Party has removed the video and will be re-releasing it soon with different backgroung music.

UPDATE: New video here.

As State Republican Party Chair Luke Esser noted in his press release yesterday accusing Gov. Chris Gregoire of being in denial on the negative aspects of the state's economy, a new revenue forecast is being released this morning by the Revenue Forecast Council. The Council, chaired by Rep. Jim McIntire (D-Seattle) and led on the Republican side by Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-Ridgefield), will release the forecast and discuss it this morning.

The budget and revenue forecasts have played a prominent role in the gubernatorial campaign, notably in Dino Rossi's campaign. 

Chris Mulick at the Tri-City Herald will be live blogging the event. Be sure to check back for more later.

State and local Republicans are trying to capitalize on the legal woes of Democratic state senate candidate Fred Walser (D-Sultan), who pled guilty two weeks ago to misdemeanor charges of withholding evidence. Walser maintains that that the entire incident was a misunderstanding, and told the Everett Herald's Jerry Cornfield that the sentencing was, "the worst day of my life."

Still, Walser is staying in the race to unseat state Sen. Val Stevens (R-Arlington), and the Republicans are using multimedia, Cornfield reports, to try to ensure that Walser's bad day lasts until November. The state Republican caucus has created a video modeled on the cable channel VH1's celebrity show, "Best Week Ever" to mock the week in which Walser pled guilty. Then on a grassroots level, 39th Legislative District resident Chris Nandor, better known in the blogosphere as "Pudge", wrote a song to coincide with the video.

SPOKANE -

Rep. Sam Hunt (D-Olympia) just introduced state Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz in a discussion about the "top two" primary, how it came about, and where it might lead. He enumerated the differences between Washington's current setup and the Louisiana process after which it was modeled. Hunt, like Pelz, is not a fan of the system.

Pelz read from the Supreme Court's decision that upheld I-872, notably the passage that created wiggle room by stating that voter confusion in the ballots could reverse the decision.

The party chair maintains that "it is our opinion that the courts did not uphold the constitutionality" of top two when they upheld it earlier this year, but rather they declined to rule on it.

"We think Democrats should pick Democratic candidates," he reiterated, "and Republicans should pick Republican candidates."

In a recent article in the Seattle Times, state GOP chair Luke Esser forecasted sarcasm and humor in this year's political attacks.

"I think humor has the potential to be far more devastating to your opponent than the meanest thing you can say about them," Esser told the paper.

Less than a week later he is living up to his promise. Esser sent out a press release Thursday deriding Governor Chris Gregoire for the op-ed piece she co-wrote on Thursday with King County Executive Ron Sims and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama created a minor media storm, very minor compared to Rev. Wright for instance, on Sunday in Pendleton, Oregon when he confessed at a campaign question and answer session that he was unaware of the problem with the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Cleaning up Hanford, which has required billions of dollars in federal funding and whose nuclear waste has the potential to dramatically impact the region if it escapes, is one of America's premier environmental issues.

A few days later, Washington Republicans continue to attempt to make Obama's foible a campaign issue here in the state. On Tuesday Washington State Republican Party Chair Luke Esser wrote a letter to supporters attempting to raise money on the issue.

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

At least not according to the national GOP. Postman and State Republican Chair Luke Esser note that "we're not guaranteed to get anything" out of the $31,000 per person Victory Dinner with John McCain. Instead the eastside cash will flow to states that national Republicans think will be battleground states in November. Read: not Washington.

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.

The Kitsap Sun has the news from the Kitsap County Republican Convention, which took place Saturday. Despite the absence of the scheduled keynote speaker, Republican Party Chair Luke Esser, the attending candidates were hopeful of their chances to gain seats in November.