President

The John McCain campaign for president announced its Washington Veterans for John McCain Leadership Team at an event in Seattle's Remembrance Garden yesterday. The group aims to work together to solidify John McCain's support among Washington's military veterans. The team is comprised of some 30 veterans from all branches of service, including 2006 2nd District congressional candidate Capt. Doug Roulstone, USN (Ret.).

"John McCain knows that as Americans, we are tremendously blessed with historic freedoms and liberties," Roulstone said of the presumptive Republican nominee. "Our freedoms have been secured and shared around the world through the brave actions of our servicemen and women. Due to their actions, John McCain has fought tirelessly to make the VA work for our veterans during his tenure in the Senate."

A fundraising lunch held yesterday by Michelle Obama on behalf of Governor Chris Gregoire (D-Olympia) raised at least $320,000 for the governor's campaign against Dino Rossi, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reported. Added to the figures from the Gregoire campaign's latest filings, the boost would bring the governor's current cash on hand to approximately $4.54 million.

Obama told the crowd of 1,600 that the tight race, a re-match of 2004's close election, was not necessary given Gregoire's record.

"What are you all thinking? This should be over." the P-I quoted Obama as saying. “Don't change a thing, it's not broken”

Washington is trade-dependent, yet the strongest epithet a campaign can level is that opponents’ money comes from out-of-state? We should get over our provincialism and take that money all the way to the in-state bank.

Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign announced today that it will be opening its Washington state campaign headquarters next week in Bellevue.

They will host a grand opening event at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July, 15 at 2330 130th Ave. NE, Bldg C, Ste. 103.

The top two lawyers threaten that the litigation isn’t over; the state is moving forward with the top-two primary as planned. If this keeps up, only the top two voters will actually turn out.

Telecom immunity. Public financing. Faith-based initiatives. NAFTA. Just words?

While you’re drinking cheap beer, waving flags made in China and trying to keep the kids from blowing their fingers off in the name of freedom, we hope you take a moment to appreciate this great nation.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama: Getty Images PhotoPresumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) leads Republican Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the latest Washington state presidential poll with 47 percent of the vote to McCain's 39, the Seattle P-I is reporting.

The poll, taken by the consulting firm Strategies 360, surveyed a relatively large sample of 1200 voters on June 26. In addition to the head-to-head, it also found favorability ratings of the two major party candidates. 54 percent of respondents reacted favorably to Obama compared to 37 percent negatively, while McCain had a 44 percent favorable and 46 percent unfavorable rating.

The margin of error for the poll was 2.75 percent.