Posted Wed, Apr 25, 1:11 p.m.

Well done, Mossback. I love the sound of 'Fiffel Tower'. Are there readers with photoshop chops to show us what it would have looked like? Sadly, no Virtual Space Needle website exists for alt locations and color schemes. But there is a Century 21 Museum located next the the International ...

Posted Wed, Apr 25, 12:38 p.m.

Ah, missed an update. I'll take Mr Van Dyk's word on the substance of the conversation, he is certainly correct that Nixon's style was no secret, but I'd hope he had a quiet word with some well placed official about the concerns of those agents regarding Mr Agnew's associates. As ...

Posted Wed, Apr 25, 12:03 p.m.

@sjenner, even during Nixon's day, there were US District Attorneys that put the law ahead of politics, such as what actually happened later during Mr. Agnew's tenure. As Mr Harris has pointed out, Mr Van Dyk was well placed to know which official to go to in such a difficult ...

Posted Mon, Apr 23, 2:07 p.m.

Either those agents you sat with were whistleblowing, in which case good for them, or they were crossing ethical lines. Did they expect action from you by imparting the information, and either way did you act on it? If both answers are no, you were enabling their transgressions and they ...

Posted Mon, Apr 23, 12:02 p.m.

Ted Van Dyk is party to ethical transgression by Secret Service agents he knows, then decries for pay in column about how other Secret Service agents have lost ethical compass. DC culture in a nutshell. Have you met my friend Pogo, Mr Van Dyk? http://www.igopogo.com/we_have_met.htm

Posted Fri, Apr 20, 4:18 a.m.

"Fight the project if you want, but please don't villify the developer for excercising what they are entitled to do, no matter where they are from." Tell that to the Red Sox fans enjoying the centennial of Fenway this week. A structure beloved by a community, old, uneconomic and decrepit, ...

Posted Thu, Apr 19, 6:59 p.m.

KOMO-TV had a piece on tonight's news about the fate of the fabled Bubbleator, now employed as a greenhouse at Redondo. The owner bought it disassembled for $1000.

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 2:39 p.m.

dbreneman's dynastic history is flawed, but but like many of my fellow geezers who remember Century 21, I'm with him on his originalist color choice for the Needle. Mossback's descriptions of the variants are adequate and all, but a gallery would be even nicer. That rainbow selection no doubt has ...

Posted Tue, Apr 17, 4:10 p.m.

dbreneman and I stand united on this pressing issue. The gas flame should be reinstalled as well.

Posted Wed, Apr 11, 11:16 a.m.

Forgot to add that the top rant about modern journalism while using Fox and MSNBC is also typical in another way. While complaining about terrible reporting of these networks, TVD speaks of his personal connections to the offending "headliners" and then doesn't call them out by name, absolving them of ...

Posted Wed, Apr 11, 11:02 a.m.

Kudos on Afganistan. "I keep wondering why the GOP does not also support the legislation, since it means so little substantively." If you're going to be a national politics pundit specializing in promotion of the wonders of non-partisan politics , you might want to absorb the fact that the current ...

Posted Tue, Apr 10, 5:31 a.m.

Warning labels? Waste of time. As long as driving is considered a civil right, a significant fraction of drivers will drive as carelessly as they please without a moment's consideration of consequences. When a Kirkland cyclist is fatally run down on the shoulder and the driver hit with a $42 ...

Posted Mon, Apr 9, 7:06 p.m.

OK, the new server farms have 141 diesels for generators. How often are they expected to run, based on similar farms elsewhere? How many diesel trucks, tractors, generators are currently used by traditional farmers in the area, and how often are they used? How many semi trucks pass hourly 10 ...

Posted Thu, Apr 5, 12:27 a.m.

PJS, perhaps you'd care to provide a link or three for those columns that Mr Meyer has "opposing the "idea" of Mr Van Dyk" I don't recall seeing this existential approach in the comments. Rather than addressing the questions he's put to Mr Van Dyk (which is an honest way ...

Posted Thu, Mar 22, 2:52 a.m.

Knute, you certainly were around to read The Helix, which printed words Mr. Brewster is too civil to employ himself or under his former paper's banner* (See 1-6). Heck (0), that's a subject worth a post in itself. Seattle readers have had easy access to naval vocabulary in their newsprint ...

Posted Tue, Mar 20, 11:32 p.m.

Harris, when even the Shrill One uses that term, it would seem we've lost that framing battle. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/opinion/krugman-hurray-for-health-reform.html?ref=opinion But as he points out, it's difficult to make an honest case against the reform- unless the alternative is Medicare for All, in which case it would be much easier.

Posted Fri, Mar 9, 12:14 p.m.

@sarah90, Mr Meyer's position is closer to yours than most readers of this column are, and while David Broder has left this world, his attitudes and and ways of thinking are very much alive in the village that is Washington DC and in the writings of the author of this ...

Posted Thu, Mar 8, 4:03 p.m.

@dbreneman- President Gore wouldn't be where he is today without his many friends in the liberal media. I've read comments at Free Republic complaining about the liberal coverage Fox is giving the campaign, so you're not alone in your assessment. "Grown in office"? Care to point out an example of ...

Posted Thu, Mar 8, 5:14 a.m.

"shrewdly shying away from identification with its true believers." Really? Is that why he's flipped on abortion and his own medical care system? This month the campaign is on true believer turf, let's see if he decides to play to the elusive middle or to the true believers. Those Reagan ...

Posted Wed, Mar 7, 11:39 a.m.

@northender- that would carry more weight if they got their facts straight. Senator Dicks is a rep. In any case, if Dicks the younger is wrongdoing, it would behove the accusers to present the facts of it rather than wave their hands and smear.

Posted Tue, Mar 6, 2:34 p.m.

"patient attempts at education and persuasion and reachouts to people who are undecided or initially skeptical. That is how the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, .... and other historic breakthroughs took place. They could never have happened in a polarized, angry environment." No polarization or anger around Martin Luther ...

Posted Tue, Mar 6, 8:27 a.m.

"Americans voters, of all persuasions, historically have been wary of soak-the-rich policies" Which is why the effective top rate was greater than 50%, and as high as 94%, for roughly half of the 20th Century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#Historical_income_tax_rates_.281913.E2.80.932010.29 But then, it is easy for bi-partisans to confuse their own opinions with general ...

Posted Tue, Mar 6, 8:06 a.m.

Frank Chopp cut his political teeth in Seattle, but his political views were already well formed when he came here as a student at the UW. They were forged in Bremerton, soon to be Norm Dick's district, where his working-class-conscious Dad worked in the shipyard. He has much more in ...

Posted Thu, Feb 23, 3:19 a.m.

Mr Carlson deserves an answer to his question. It's this- while the President's personal feelings on the subject of marriage are not in harmony with that of his base, his actions as an official give no indication that he would in any way act to block legislation or court actions ...

Posted Tue, Feb 21, 8:43 p.m.

"several states are passing laws and even amending their constitutions refusing to recoginize such unions?" They can pass laws and amend their constitutions until they're confederate grey in the face, the U.S. Constitution has explicit language on the matter- http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#A4Sec1 Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State ...

Posted Fri, Feb 10, 2:28 p.m.

"Thank God that the Bush Family emerged and so successfully became America's real historical, presidential family." I'll take private, legal, deeply unethical, consensual (that's what she says in the book), sex over the legitimization of torture from now until forever. Unpalatable choice to be sure, but since animalal wants to ...

Posted Thu, Feb 9, 3:54 p.m.

Just curious, animalal & BlueLight- Seattle voters or not? The Ayala Zone though, very good concept. But Hizzoner might well be in the Moyer Zone, good guy, slow starter with a surprisingly strong finish using what others call junkballs. Too early to tell really. Sure, mock all you like. He's ...

Posted Wed, Feb 8, 5:55 a.m.

After having watched this news conference, the only remarkable thing about it was that a smaller part of the usual venom was directed at fellow-Republican Romney, while the greater part was directed as it normally is, at Obama in particular and the Democrats and the media in general. Santorum is ...

Posted Tue, Feb 7, 2:04 p.m.

@louploup- Perhaps my point is poorly put. It's not his politics that are wanted, quite the reverse, it's I-man's technique of writing the law as he thinks it should be, putting that proposed law to the public to gather signatures to put that proposal on the ballot, and then passing ...

Posted Tue, Feb 7, 5:20 a.m.

Gingrich started his campaign to market his book sales, and when the other not-Romney's melted one after the other thought he really was going to do it. "the most negative and vicious ever delivered in American presidential politics" - that's a high bar, Mr. Van Dyk. Perhaps you're right, but ...

Posted Tue, Feb 7, 4:42 a.m.

Surprised not to see this new study not referenced here: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2009/11/18/study-washington-state-has-usas-most-regressive-taxes/ which shows the Great Nearby as having the most regressive tax structure in the Union. In your face, Mississippi! State voters turn down an income tax on millionaires, overturn a tax on fizzy sugar water and Seattle voters overturn ...

Posted Tue, Jan 31, 2:57 p.m.

@dbreneman, perhaps you'd care to join me in asking the folks at the Museum of Flight why it lacks a Dyna-Soar exhibit, plaque, anything at all- whenever you visit, as I do. The local engineers who could help with their stories and artifacts won't be around forever, if they're still ...

Posted Mon, Jan 30, 2:40 p.m.

This is the most jaw dropping post yet from serious Democrat Ted Van Dyk. So affordable college education, such as was common from WW2 until the 1980's, is as ludicrous as putting 15,000+ people on the moon as residents. Right. Obama's "targeted constituencies" - "voters underwater on their mortgages", which ...

Posted Wed, Jan 25, 2:57 p.m.

I'd like to see your take on another city mover of the era- Royal Brougham. I haven't reread his work from that time, but IIRC he boosted the city in more ways than as a major league sports franchise opportunity. Oh, and since you're there, reflections on the Argus would ...

Posted Tue, Dec 13, 6:50 a.m.

"We've had our limit of anger and polarization." Really? Who is this 'we' of which you speak? Significant fractions of both sides have only had their fill of the other sides' anger and polarization and are frustrated that the leadership of their own side has been too accommodating to the ...

Posted Tue, Dec 13, 5:53 a.m.

Good piece. I was nearly run over last week by a driver running a red light on Lake City Way while I crossed in the crosswalk in the middle of the road. For all the wailing about cyclists running lights, I'd wager that drivers running stop signs and lights outnumber ...

Posted Thu, Nov 10, 10:49 a.m.

Tom's excellent review is in error about it ending tonight. It continues at the Metro Cinemas at least through November 17. Support thoughtful film making.

Posted Tue, Oct 25, 7:36 p.m.

Drat, life without editors. "while gas prices jump up with popular votes to stop them" ought to read while gas prices jump up withOUT popular votes to stop them. And 'lege' for 'leg'. I regret my errors in haste.

Posted Tue, Oct 25, 7:32 p.m.

Seconding louploup, the voters implimented a flat tax on tabs and the leg left the city and county with few options to raise additional funding for transportation needs. We'll soon discover that underfunding mass transit, eliminating entire routes, is more regressive than adding half a single bus fare for each ...

Posted Tue, Oct 25, 5:53 a.m.

"I'm not sure why, for a nanosecond, Boeing would consider locating a new plant our state." Because, cranyoldlady, if the company has learned anything from the 787 case history, it's that tech and engineering involve steep learning curves, which impact profits each and every quarter and tarnish the brand and ...

Posted Tue, Oct 25, 5:33 a.m.

Nice bit of reporting, but the question of consequences is left half answered. People on foot are whacked in a more unpleasant fashion than any briefcase can administer , but what happened to the drivers? The slaughtered Kirkland cyclist's prep was hit with a massive $42 fine, the Queen Anne ...

Posted Fri, Sep 30, 4:39 a.m.

"Christie clearly has political gifts. He has strong approval ratings in a heavily Democratic state" According to the Quinnipiac Poll in August, the approval rate level in New Jersey was 47 percent positive versus 46 percent . But that's for Republicans, that's strong! "Clinton, as Secretary of State, has been ...

Posted Sun, Sep 25, 5:02 p.m.

One big agreement with TVD, the DoD's budget needs a knife, but as that spending has been carefully spread out in just about every congressional district, so the bipartisan fairy isn't likely to check under that particular pillow. Another is investing in infrastructure, which if passed still have to clear ...

Posted Fri, Sep 23, 4:17 p.m.

So raising the marginal tax rates over $100K by 3.6 % (Clinton era rates) is "soaking the rich" ? That's barely a spritz, much less a soak. Care to cite rates from Eisenhower's time, 60 years ago? About 2-2.5x that, but then we benefited from having an economy untouched by ...

Posted Fri, Sep 16, 4:51 a.m.

Where to begin? Carter not only had Teddy actively campaigning to his left, but John Anderson to his right. The most trusted man in America was signing off on his telecast every night with a running total of how long American hostages were being held in the most humiliating episode ...

Posted Mon, Sep 12, 5:54 p.m.

Good list, but add another vote contra library, not without virtues, but overall another glass box. Meh. Count me in with the Smith Tower instead. The sculpture garden doesn't have anything to compare with Moore's Vertebrae or Newman's Broken Obelisk, but there's time to remedy that. One more reason to ...

Posted Tue, Sep 6, 11:39 p.m.

"focuses on the issues rather than on his poltical opposition, avoids blame-placing on others, accurately defines the challenges to be met, and is unafraid to make big proposals that have a chance to make a policy difference." That pretty much sums up his approach so far, and where has it ...

Posted Tue, Sep 6, 5:28 a.m.

Presidential basketball court? When the country doesn't immediately bounce back and the citizens start getting restive, he'll do a reverse Jefferson and sell the country to Brazil. Or better yet, directly to the Fortune 100, brokered by Sec of State Wally Walker. Starbucks continues to employ lobbyists, so his voice ...

Posted Fri, Sep 2, 4:49 p.m.

There's a lot of anthracite in Western Washington. My great-grandfather was killed in 1917 in a coal mine collapse near Black Diamond (the town named for the subject at hand). What's the outlook for local development of this resource? Could the Salish Sea basin become the new Appalachia? Our region ...

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 12:04 p.m.

This state once had something called 'progressive taxation' for vehicle tabs, people who bought more expensive cars paid more for the privilege of driving on state roads. But the voters threw that system out for a flat tax, and so any programs paid for out of those revenues hit the ...

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 12:03 p.m.

Oops, wrong thread-

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 12:02 p.m.

This state once had something called 'progressive taxation' for vehicle tabs, people who bought more expensive cars paid more for the privilege of driving on state roads. But the voters threw that system out for a flat tax, and so any programs paid for out of those revenues hit the ...

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 12:49 a.m.

Matt the Engineer at his blog Orphan Road has been championing aerial gondolas at his blog Orphan Road- http://www.orphanroad.com/blog/2011/03/seattles-flying-tram-system Just the thing for crosstown transportation for pedestrians and cyclists.

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 9:24 p.m.

Corporations may be owned by people, but so is real estate, and I've never heard anyone equate their sod with people. Corporations don't grieve over the loss of their children sent abroad to be killed in war, they don't sit in jail when commit crimes and they don't die like ...

Posted Wed, Aug 10, 2:06 a.m.

Tepublicans don't give a hoot for debt reduction, if they did the Bush tax cuts (oddly unmentioned by TVD) would not have been continued, military budgets would have been slashed, oil tax credits cut- but no, only expenditures that matter to progressives are on the agenda. For that matter, those ...

Posted Mon, Jul 11, 3:42 p.m.

Care to give a dollar amount that Social Security contributes to the deficit? I'll leave the Medicare rebuttal to the ca able Harris. And no mention of the Dept of Defense when it comes to draws on the federal dollar? Spending on weapons systems, logistics to our personnel all over ...

Posted Mon, Jun 20, 6:54 p.m.

Great name, great work, and a fine essay on the subject. Thank you Dr Webber, for your efforts. You've enhanced local culture by giving us a better sense of place. Not only the sea but the surrounding landscape has wanted a suitable name unique to the area. The wonder of ...

Posted Wed, Jun 15, 12:43 p.m.

A welcome byline, hope to see more. This town once had some terrific neon signage, and it's a damn shame so many people find commercial display in a commercial center troubling. Bright lights, big city after all. Signs at traffic level that are designed to distract, those are problematic and ...

Posted Wed, May 25, 3:31 a.m.

Private vendors? Great J. D. Ross's ghost, public broadband is the way to go. If there's no competion for my business at the modem, I'd just as soon rely on the same model that ably lights and hydrates my home. Certainly since broadband cleared the field of the small ISP's ...

Posted Sun, May 22, 7:57 p.m.

Good piece, and juxtaposed to the story about the forthcoming bleakness of the new waterfront park to boot. As to Red Square, it's stark - plain and somewhat severe, but as others have pointed out it's lively with people, and that isn't bleak. I'd like to credit Broken Obelisk, but ...

Posted Thu, May 19, 5:24 a.m.

Anytime I read a piece about how the author feels healthcare is bring pushed too hard, I wonder about their own situation. Who pays for their healthcare? What's their perspective? Are they in any danger of going without vital care? So, Kent, care to respond?

Posted Wed, May 18, 12:42 a.m.

I stand in solidarity with dbreneman.

Posted Sat, May 7, 5:01 p.m.

@db- burlesqued would accurate. And your point is taken, with dispute. Our tax burden is nowhere near the breaking point, but that's a matter of opinion that we won't agree on, however many pixels we spend on the matter here. Still curious on your views of how a simple majority ...

Posted Sat, May 7, 11:13 a.m.

@dbreneman, interesting theory of government you have there. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be describing taxes as theft, in which case you'll set a supermajority as 'whatever level of agreement as one that won't be reached'- ultimately any tax not agreed to unanimously as 'tyranny'. Or ...

Posted Thu, May 5, 5:57 p.m.

Too bad the two thirds rule wasn't in effect for placing the restriction on the legislature, or it would have failed. Instead, Washington continues its trek from the Soviet of Washington to Mississippi on the Columbia, pushed by voters living in areas that would have been economic wastelands without Federal ...

Posted Wed, Apr 27, 5:04 p.m.

@MM, the NYTimes reports that Sec Gates will retire June 30. TVD also left out that Panetta is a former moderate Republican, having served in the Nixon administration until he resigned and switched parties. Gates retirement was first breached by Gates himself last August, so there's nothing surprising about his ...

Posted Thu, Apr 21, 12:16 p.m.

@hereica- you are mistaken if you think that sidewalks don't provide value and utility for the weak or infirm. The reverse is true, as those who are able to take benefit from even short walks are in a better position to do so if they aren't forced to do so ...

Posted Wed, Apr 20, 3:57 p.m.

@ddmiller, bravo. If that doesn't get an editor's star then you've been robbed. @Dana, second that about the way cars park along the street. On NE 15th, the city just blacktopped a few blocks of walkway that have immediately become parking strips. Perhaps the boardwalks uncovered from the Link dig ...

Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2:34 p.m.

Thanks, Knute, excellent list, even if I'd trade Koolhaus for the Troll in a heartbeat. And Leif counts as a meh on my list. Isamu Noguchi's Landscape of Time in front of the Jackson Federal Building is another one worthy of addition to any list of exemplary Seattle landmarks. Thanks ...

Posted Wed, Apr 20, 12:58 p.m.

Lenin decorated with Santa beards and caps during the holiday season (and why not bunny ears this time of year) is the kind of revenge that artists extract from their tormenters. He's there as a modern Ozymandias, look upon his works ye mighty, and despair. The Troll is first rate ...

Posted Thu, Apr 14, 2:14 p.m.

These kind of pieces are crunchier when solid possible deals are proposed. Sure, it'd be great to get some magic beans for the best player on the roster, but will they grow? Or rather, what could Z get in return for the one everyday player that makes this club a ...

Posted Mon, Apr 4, 2:18 p.m.

&dbreneman;, writing as a Seattelite I'd betray the Yeslers and the Dennys and stand with the friends of Maynard to agree with, as you are absolutely right on principle. Rename the entire range, rename the mountains that share a name with rockpiles in Greece, by all means. Had the Lord ...

Posted Mon, Apr 4, 1:47 p.m.

Why think so small? By that reasoning, the state itself ought to be up for a new name. We have a branding problem, sharing a label with the capital of the leading world power, where popular dissatisfaction with the central government is expressed by using variants of 'the mess in ...

Posted Wed, Mar 16, 11:02 a.m.

"This is one instance in which The Rest of the State is going to lead Seattle, not the other way around." Something to think about while driving down the R. H. Thompson Expressway.

Posted Sat, Mar 12, 11:17 a.m.

Oops, meant to include his name. Dave Olsen opened the Allegro in a former mortuary after having been charmed by the coffeeshops he visited in Italy while on a bike tour. He learned about the trade in San Francisco afterwards. For years the Allegro used Italian terminology instead of the ...

Posted Sat, Mar 12, 11:10 a.m.

Good story. The Allegro was one of Starbuck's first commercial customers, and they used it in their coffee for many years until after the founder sold the place and went to work for Starbucks as the person with the vision and plan to change their outlets from beans and implements ...

Posted Fri, Mar 11, 1:19 p.m.

@loren, the Forward Thrust rapid transit election that I believe anchors your 43 year span actually had a 59% approval. Unfortunately, the majority didn't rule as 60% was required for passage. An early taste of Mississippi-on-the-Salish government that the followers of Eyeman are so intent on bringing to our region. ...

Posted Fri, Mar 11, 3:21 a.m.

"McGinn is completely isolated on this issue — from the Legislature, the governor, the county executive, labor, the city council, the mainstream media, and business." Also isolated on this issue are the city's voters, oddly missing from this list of movers and shakers who, aside from labor and the council ...

Posted Sat, Feb 26, 9:42 a.m.

Of course McKenna will try to break the unions, it's now part of the Tea platform and no R will buck the Teas in 12 if they want to get to the general. I look forward to Crosscut pressing hip on this question, and if he dodges it to consider ...

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 1:26 p.m.

* oh yes, I know he wasn't a President. Just the true father of this country, but that's a different discussion.

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 1:25 p.m.

Henry Ford said it for many average Americans, "history is bunk", so this sort of response shouldn't surprise anyone. I'm mildly surprised that President Franklin* didn't make the list- after all he was good enough to get on the $100 bill he must have been a great one, no? Two ...

Posted Thu, Feb 17, 3:39 a.m.

Nice muse, Knute. There's nothing particularly sacred about the lay of the land here, between glaciers and lahars from Mt *Rainier* (thumbs nose at those folks from the city of Commencement), or the next Big One with tsunami on the side we all live on a big canvas that's regularly ...

Posted Wed, Feb 16, 2:14 p.m.

TVD, Social Security is solvent through 2037, it's not a problem, it's a solution. Alternative energy a waste of money? Ok, fine, let's drop all tax incentives to oil and coal first, if energy is a bad investment. And using domestic production to make ourselves energy independent? Have you looked ...

Posted Wed, Feb 16, 1:37 p.m.

So the mayor, who came from out of nowhere to beat a well known and generally popular incumbent, quite possibly because unlike the rest of the crowded field he took a popular antitunnel stance, should just say 'nevermind' and leave the citizens of this town with the inevitable bill? That ...

Posted Tue, Jan 25, 2:30 p.m.

TVD, lots to disagree about here. The pres spent far too much effort reaching across the aisle after the election while the Party of No refused all forms of compromise on all legislation. Calling the bailouts 2009-10 and ignoring the 2008 TARP business is either dishonest or blind stupidity. Shame ...

Posted Tue, Jan 25, 2 p.m.

@GaryP- and who would that be? Generic candidate in poll is one thing, but flesh&blood; candidates need enthusiasm and support, ie cash. The right-of-Ike president is a disappointment to most of us progressives, but someone has to convince us they could win in 2012 and do better in 2013. Tough ...

Posted Thu, Jan 13, 11:43 a.m.

Missiles fired trans-ocean are somewhat, shall it be said, iffy. Lots of critical hardware has to function correctly to deliver it's rare and expensive package to the right place. Being another cold war kid, I don't worry about North Korean missiles at all. Containers are my worry. Thousands of containers ...

Posted Wed, Dec 15, 12:30 p.m.

Thanks, your personal historical observations are always appreciated and worthwhile.

Posted Mon, Dec 13, 4:03 p.m.

TVD, wide-ranging overview, agreed with you on many details, the conclusion especially. But for someone with a background of having worked a lifetime in national politics under partisan politicians, what am I to make of "a broad public consensus favoring non-partisan problem solving"? I'd love to see a column from ...

Posted Sat, Dec 11, 5:16 p.m.

"We sent her back"- We? You have a democrat in your pocket, Mr Brewster? Wilbur is correct, and part of the system is that campaigning for the next office or other members of the party in the following election cycle is part of the package. She certainly didn't invent that ...

Posted Fri, Dec 10, 3:16 p.m.

"close to having been settled." Just like the monorail after the first three elections, full speed ahead.

Posted Fri, Dec 10, 1:28 p.m.

"May be" "a city of braggarts and salesman" ? Bill Spiedel on line 2, Knute. Growing up in Bremerton, it was a thrill to look at the skyline at night as we entered or left on ferry (the Kalakala, if I was lucky). Bright lights, big city. Seattle City Light ...

Posted Wed, Dec 8, 4:22 p.m.

The NBA can locate wherever it likes, but it shouldn't expect a dime of public money in underwriting or tax breaks. They've proved poor partners in the past, and there's no reason to expect a change for the better on that score. The Sonics were the first pro team I ...

Posted Sat, Dec 4, 11:35 p.m.

Sorry, that was -ep- who got the timeline corrected. I regret the error.

Posted Sat, Dec 4, 11:20 p.m.

TVD, twice you've written that Ms Palme was a headquarters worker, as if that makes her status as an undercover worker ok to reveal. She had worked in the field prior to her assignment at HQ, and that made those she worked with, whether they knew of her connections or ...

Posted Sat, Dec 4, 12:52 p.m.

Pepper, we agree on what you say. One would hope that the current administration deals with this issue more effectively than they've dealt with Wall Street or the Republican opposition, or than the last administration dealt with the same problem. Had LBJ taken a wiser course on Vietnam, he would ...

Posted Sat, Dec 4, 11:58 a.m.

Pepper, if nothing else this episode shows that security on these papers are pretty lax. Want to bet that they haven't already been seen by others willing to pay for privilege? The company I work for doesn't allow me access to such a wide range of communication, and we've been ...

Posted Fri, Dec 3, 4:14 p.m.

$5k doesn't buy a lot of snowplow. $50k doesn't buy much driver awareness, either, or even a single cop on the beat to ticket poor drivers cutting off pedestrians in crosswalks. It does buy some nasty headlines about waste in government from outlets that back a tunnel under downtown that ...

Posted Thu, Dec 2, 1:58 a.m.

Since the next two years may very well involve considerable gridlock in Congress, her time will be well spent accomplishing something useful, more and better Democrats in the Senate in 2013 & beyond. Good for Cantwell, the state, the region, and the country. Afterwards she'll have more than a few ...

Posted Sat, Nov 27, 3:38 p.m.

Funny how 'moderate independents' keep finding ways to favor the Republican. "Likely" based on what, Mr Brewster? The big wave of support for Dino in three elections, in which he downplayed his more extreme positions, like McKenna is already doing? Or how the Democrats lost both houses in the lege ...

Posted Thu, Nov 25, 11:22 p.m.

Let's see, a piece about a No Labels movement about "pragmatists" who are "moderate" or "liberal Republicans" or 'radical centrists'. All nice marketable labels for anyone who might find politics icky or messy or something. What's missing from this piece is a mention of policy, any policy, a stand, principle, ...

Posted Sat, Nov 20, 3:39 p.m.

One might get the impression that Android is a unified OS where every app works on every phone. Developers know that this is not the case, and many, but not all users do. But to ignore the issue completely or to hand wave it away is misleading at best. Apple ...

Posted Sat, Nov 20, 3:27 p.m.

What Bella said. Furthermore, the site could & ought to be used for core university purposes such as, oh, teaching & research. Football fans could gather there, have a pep rally and then commandeer the Link en masse to Qwest from the shiny new station. That land has a pretty ...

Posted Wed, Nov 17, 6:03 p.m.

What, no mention of MSNBC talking heads Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan who also made donations and were never suspended? Or perhaps entire networks like Fox tipping the scales 24/7 is worth mentioning either. KO's politics are not a secret, open or otherwise, and to advocate one standard for liberals ...

Posted Fri, Nov 12, 7:07 p.m.

Good call. Beats Flyflya Way, anyway.

Posted Mon, Oct 18, 3:06 p.m.

TVD earned a living for most of his life working for partisans and taking their money, now he writes that "reflexive partisanship will get us nowhere". Normfox and Harris, what TVD means is that partisanship is only bad when Democrats do it. Ted, I look forward to your column explaining ...

Posted Mon, Oct 11, 12:35 p.m.

So downtown is unhappy with McGinn because businesses having been moving out of town in the years before he took office, he's cutting their parking subsidy, and City Light and Water are charging rates somewhat closer to rates charged by for-profit firms? I like the use of the term "disenfranchised", ...

Posted Fri, Oct 1, 5:32 p.m.

Ok Mr Brewster, that's correct. But how about a little thought experiment? Libertarians elect a mayor after a recall, and part of her downsizing of government is to award street parking as a privately-run franchise. After all, private enterprise outperforms government every time! Do you think that these street spaces ...

Posted Fri, Oct 1, 10:28 a.m.

In the retail world, convenience stores charge the highest prices for items easily available at the moment of need while big box stores charge low prices for those buying in bulk for later use. This model is inverted for parking, with the cities socializing the cost for the benefit of ...

Posted Wed, Sep 29, 4:28 p.m.

Shorter Ennis- 'Metro promised the voters, so to keep our word we have break our contract with the union. ' Brilliant. I suppose after that line is crossed we can pay a smaller amount for newly-delivered busses, and short the oil companies for the gas they use. @I4L, how about ...

Posted Thu, Sep 2, 11:02 p.m.

Thank you Jon, Lord Stanley's Cup left Canada first for Seattle and this achievement is too often overlooked. Totems is still a better name, though. Lindy, that's a home run of a comment. Knute, the literary gift that is Ball Four almost makes up for having Spring Training, the glorious ...

Posted Thu, Aug 26, 4:02 p.m.

Uh, sure. The Oakland Raiders have a face, and a strong leader. The Denver Broncos were Mike Shanahan for years, and now he's fearless leader in DC, which has a visible and strong ownership of it's own. Mike Ditka did the trick for the Saints. Baseball? Joe Torre had a ...

Posted Thu, Aug 19, 5:30 p.m.

Politically, the guy is an Eisenhower for our time, a non-crazy friend to the establishment. A clear and better alternative to the John Birchers who have taken control of the Republican Party. That works for me in the present enviroment. But the center is defined by the sides, and the ...

Posted Mon, Aug 9, 3:22 p.m.

Yay sean, and for once dbreneman & I agree on something. Neon light brings a vibrancy to an urban core that is difficult to replace with flat glass enclosures. Add to that list the many marquees of movie palaces long gone or repurposed.

Posted Wed, Aug 4, 12:36 p.m.

Ted VD already covered this oddly hot topic several weeks back. So, when we see a column on the corrosive effect of anonymous comments by politicians, staff, lobbyists, and others in that orbit to put out lies or misleading spin to a credulous press who seem to have misplaced their ...

Posted Wed, Jul 21, 1:08 p.m.

Comparing one politician to another is not an 'ad hominem' attack unless there's something about the second politician that is universally considered odious. Mud Baby was making a point that politically McKenna was little different than Craswell, and if many of us consider their politics odious, that's not the same ...

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 10:21 a.m.

Will the Tunnel Project be subject to Monorail rules, 5 elections, single loss closes it down? Those of you tired of waiting for the tunnel have no idea of what impatience for a transportation solution feels like. One great commonality of these two projects has been the poor financial planning ...

Posted Wed, May 26, 2:57 p.m.

Those of us that aren't paid to express opinions sometimes find that our personal opinions clash in various ways with what our employers or clients expect from their employees. It's the world we live in, and we didn't make it that way. Somehow the world coped with the *work* of ...

Posted Tue, May 18, 11:15 p.m.

And Democrats have won the Congressional by-elections since '08, Scott Brown excepted. You remember Goldwater in '64, Chris? I do, and I smell a repeat. There's plenty of time between now & November for the wingnuts to dig the grave of the Prefers-GOP-Party with their beyond the bend brand of ...

Posted Wed, May 5, 5:45 p.m.

JayBird, like the idea of the imported oil tax but think the fatal flaw is that the slogan then becomes "Drive and Support the Troops". Knute has it laid out pretty well, but we still don't know the end of this story- an oil fountain feeding the Gulf Stream and ...

Posted Wed, May 5, 4:50 p.m.

Seconding Harris here, and adding that TVD glosses over the history of one political party using social racial discomfort for political advantage since the end of the Jim Crow era, a time when he made a living as a professional Democrat. Southern strategy ring any bells? Philadelphia, Mississippi? Willie Horton? ...

Posted Wed, Apr 21, 9:58 a.m.

"I regard" is not a convincing arguement. Rail is still a cost-effective way to move freight anywhere, and it works well for Asia & Europe. Oil demand is increasing in Asia while world supply is shrinking. How effective will that bridge be in 20 years when the price of gas ...

Posted Sat, Apr 10, 3:26 a.m.

Hackinflack, had a fine meal in the '75 at the Mirabeau, took the stairs down 47 flights afterwards much to the annoyance of my friends. It's location at the top of the box the Space Needle came in may compare in height, but not at all in fame or glamor, ...

Posted Fri, Apr 9, 1:41 p.m.

Hackinflack, this dustup is not callng private enterprise as a concept into question in any way. But the fact that it is privately run doesn't shield it from criticism either, nor does the fact that the Wright family built this achivevement 50 years ago give them the privledge of ripping ...

Posted Fri, Apr 9, 10:24 a.m.

After reading the post and comments here, I expected something out of Isvestia or Pravda, but what I read was nothing like that. In short, local company in civic landmark exploits both landmark and city to rob their patrons. And when I write "rob", that's short for "provide little value ...

Posted Tue, Apr 6, 10:45 a.m.

Better reconsider this post, TVD, as we're in absolute agreement, especially the final clause. But one quibble, this country has had a debt since the inception, and somehow, unlike many other countries in the meantime we've managed our operational affairs without complete breakdown. Debts, properly managed, are nothing to fear.

Posted Mon, Apr 5, 12:09 p.m.

Nothing personal, TVD, one of my best friends lives in the Netherlands, a plucky country I greatly admire for their tolerance, industry, and rationality. And I shop at Van deCamps. I stepped over the line a little to make a point. I applaud your work for LBJ, who did more ...

Posted Mon, Apr 5, 11:47 a.m.

Presidential terms with Dutch-names: Van Buren, (Roosevelt), Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt. Ok, silly excercise. But Dutch-Americans weren't on the recieving end of discrimination since before the establishment of our country, or counted as 3/5's of a citizen with no natural rights of their own, visible at a distance as ...

Posted Sun, Apr 4, 3:50 p.m.

"The Senate, after all, is the body intended to provide unlimited debate and protection of minority views" No, no, no. How in the world did you ever make a living in government? Never mind, this is a window in the thinking of our modern Democratic Party moderates. The Senate was ...

Posted Sun, Apr 4, 3:11 p.m.

"Reagan Democrats" in 1968 & 1972? Uh, those were Wallace voters, and your lying eyes didn't mislead you at the time, the economic concerns that those polls discovered?- were that shiftless brown-skinned people were getting benefits that are ok for white workers just down on their luck. They went to ...

Posted Thu, Mar 25, 8:28 p.m.

Oh, answering Harris's question about "What do you think the Republicans would say about that if the tables were turned?" It would involve "activist judges", "tort reform", and my favorite- "get over it".

Posted Thu, Mar 25, 2:50 p.m.

Seconding Harris here. Mr Brewster, this is an on-line publication you're running now, maybe an illustrative link or three to demonstrate which Democrats are going over this top you write about? Defunding the suit might be a strong measure, but it's how legislative bodies express their will, after all. And ...

Posted Tue, Mar 23, 11:37 a.m.

Disappointing to see the Editor & Publisher confusing manner with substance, in the fashion of political reporting out of DC and the other coast. George W Bush had a pleasant enough manner as well, and quite a few people in this country concluded that his manner did not trump his ...

Posted Fri, Mar 12, 3:24 p.m.

So what is the future of the site? Condos? That corner isn't a good place to generate a lot of traffic. Here's hoping someone else opens a stand alone place there. The Blue Bird, say.

Posted Wed, Mar 3, 5:46 p.m.

Ted, my goodness. An opening paragraph telling us that information from partisans are read partisan? Astonishing. "a lifelong Democrat". Yep, you and Bob Shrum, eight time loser as campaign manager running Democrats as middle of the road apologists for the party. Hint- liberalism needs no apologies, making apologies only makes ...

Posted Wed, Mar 3, 12:17 p.m.

Bobo, perhaps I made myself murky. That is entirely my point, for the present day. Post-disaster, when the memory of what came before is never far away the attitude would be different, I think. The Dutch learned to deal with disaster, because disaster made regular visits. We've been relatively lucky ...

Posted Wed, Mar 3, 3:03 a.m.

The "future Pompeii" link is need of fixing. Perhaps we ought to listen to dbreneman after all and call the Mountain Tahoma. if it buries the city or simply buries a lot of people the the Mountain's name will be mumbled only quietly with a hint of dread. But it ...

Posted Wed, Mar 3, 2:25 a.m.

Good post. Other than the regional environment, Cascadia lacks an organizing focus*. No late warlike attacks from without to bond the locals as a group, English as a common language but not much of a distinguishing local dialect (alas, poor Chinook Jargon), people arriving from around the world in dribs ...

Posted Mon, Mar 1, 6:15 p.m.

A few years back I was informed that only the Cubs fans outnumbered the M's fans in the Cactus League, although I never checked the hard numbers. Cubs fans! The Stanley Cup spent a year in Seattle since their last baseball championship. It is a terrific facility, I certainly enjoyed ...

Posted Fri, Feb 26, 10:12 p.m.

VinceInSeattle, good plan. Every five years the ages shift back 5 years, 30 & 50, 35 & 45, finally universal coverage after 15 years. President Obama had good tactical reasons for this summit, but substantively, bleh. The Republicans enacted their Health Care Reform plan under Bush's watch. Their plan was ...

Posted Fri, Feb 26, 11:02 a.m.

Here's to the NBA not listening to Bill and losing more money and more fans. What happened to the owning class in this country to want to run their businesses into the ground? Flouride in the water? Was Ripper right?

Posted Thu, Feb 25, 10:42 a.m.

If Obama were American (as he most certainly is), he'd be Eisenhauer, thankfully with Biden instead of Nixon. Modern conservatives don't embrace Ike, preferring the John Birch Society (present at this year's CPAC) who considered Ike an active commie. Why anyone who calls themself a democrat thinks we need Birchers ...

Posted Tue, Feb 23, 4:51 p.m.

Thanks for the response, TVD. However, politics have changed since our youth. Teddy Roosevelt, noted Republican president was denounced at CPAC by Glen Beck this week and cheered as he did so. The progressive movement had leaders in the republican party like him and LaFollette, while the Democrats had the ...

Posted Tue, Feb 23, 2:45 p.m.

So, TVD, which republican fence sitters have been lost? The Down Easterners? Long talks with them last year failed to get them on board. Who else? It was always going to be a democrat only bill, because the republicans have made a decision as a disiplined party to not agree ...

Posted Tue, Feb 23, 2:45 p.m.

So, TVD, which republican fence sitters have been lost? The Down Easterners? Long talks with them last year failed to get them on board. Who else? It was always going to be a democrat only bill, because the republicans have made a decision as a disiplined party to not agree ...

Posted Tue, Feb 23, 8:33 a.m.

TVD, go have a beer with Bob Strauss at the 70's club. Maybe there's a Republican moderate or two to drink with, but you won't find one in Congress. Bob Dole was 'hard line' Republican when he ran with Ford in 76 but he'd be considered a moderate today, when ...

Posted Mon, Feb 22, 3:20 a.m.

Fair points about style as admistrators between Mike & Dixi, but not mentioning her politics undercuts your point somewhat. She ran & won as a Democrat but was decidedly a non-liberal, being unfriendly to labor, a stuanch supporter of nukes, unfriendly to enviros, friendly to her pal Ron Reagan and ...

Posted Sun, Feb 21, 4:26 p.m.

Hey wfprice, there was no popular or local vote on the state being Washington, either, Vancouver (who belnged to a warlke slaving culture himself, without even bothering to dominate the local waters) designated the ground as New Georgia- which he did without asking the other local mariners or inhabitants either. ...

Posted Fri, Feb 19, 12:58 p.m.

Common ground! Fine post, great expectations, change we can certainly believe in. Lovely graphik too, those of us around long enough to nurse a grudge against the commisioner for his wanton destruction of our local hopes in 1970 (spring training is the most sacred time of year, dammit!) remember that ...

Posted Wed, Feb 17, 10:18 a.m.

This is very good news for John McCain. Oops, he's in bigger trouble than any supposed trouble than Patti is, Tea Baggers dislike him for his "moderation". Patti will do fine this fall, she campaigns well, has the resources, and has actually gotten some work done in Washington City. She'll ...

Posted Fri, Feb 12, 9:57 a.m.

-dbreneman, FTP is also a spellcheck insertion for a misspelling of "drop" in that note, overlooked by this sloppy writer prior to post, as the butler said in the Big Sleep, "I make many mistakes". Small l libertarian, noted, a close friend shares that tag, white collar anarchists I calls ...

Posted Thu, Feb 11, 7:15 p.m.

dbreneman, I'll FTP the ampersand since it bugs you, but perhaps I shouldn't not include the "/snark" (which I find an annoyance online) following sarcasm since that seems to have been missed. Perhaps I've misread your political complexion, but as self described democratic socialist, I'm very in favor of public ...

Posted Thu, Feb 11, 8:12 a.m.

It's very odd to read piece after piece on this issue and never seeing the late monorail referenced. An in-city transportation project with genuine popular backing in four, count-em four elections that was killed by the mayor because of poor financing. The tunnel is popular with the business community but ...

Posted Wed, Feb 10, 5:51 p.m.

Lost the manned space program, @dbreneman? Only the socialist MSP, the free market will no doubt step in to pick free up the slack as it so often does. Or have you joined those of us already in the socialist rank and file? Solidarity, comrade! @RNewman, thank you. Your suggestion ...

Posted Wed, Feb 10, 5:31 a.m.

A floating theatre? The Kalakala was a rattletrap, as Mossback infers, conversation was a challenge. Then again, if it were operational again on that basis it could only be after a total rebuild in any case. Considering how many people are either too young to know her or have moved ...

Posted Tue, Feb 9, 3:43 p.m.

The state's # 1 newspaper, the Bellevue Times is a republican enterprise, as is Vancouver's daily, so no state Democratic officeholder should ever consider their seat 'safe' unless they're running against a nobody. Patti will not treat hers as such, and she'll weather this election come what may. Oh, the ...

Posted Sun, Jan 31, 6:58 p.m.

Almost have me today, save the "Ben Bernanke, the real savior of the situation" which is unsupported here, possibly because it might be difficult when the man appointed by GW Bush raised no alarm and seemed quite at ease with the system until the crunch was unmistakably upon us. And ...

Posted Fri, Jan 29, 3:39 p.m.

Thanks Ted, I simply haven't seen you write anything but attacks on liberals here on Crosscut, and I don't know your political history, much less in detail. Those are all good liberal causes to have been involved with, and as a liberal I thank you for the work you've done ...

Posted Fri, Jan 29, 1:17 p.m.

@brenenan- "The Supreme Court was seen by popular culture as a sacred pillar of virtue as long as it upheld The New Deal, The Great Society, "Homeland" security and all sorts of other expansions of government power. Now that we have a court that respects the Constitution's limitations on the ...

Posted Sun, Jan 24, 2:59 p.m.

Riiiiiiiggghhhhttttt....... because KStreet is underwritten by unions, non-profits, and trade associations. And corporations are unfamiliar with marketing or other forms of persuasion. Poly-sci-fiction.

Posted Fri, Jan 22, 3:31 p.m.

@Harris Meyer- you are correct that no health care bill is bad news for the dems. But the Senate bill's poison pill of a mandate for working people to buy crappy insurance that won't pay for most of their health care costs is also very bad news for them. They've ...

Posted Fri, Jan 22, 2:18 p.m.

Heartily agree that the election was a wakeup, but does anyone doubt that had Ted been 20 years younger and healthy, his liberal ass would have won in a walk? Poor candidate, poor campaign, plus a media that made the same assumptions that she did and didn't bother covering Brown ...

Posted Wed, Jan 20, 4:07 a.m.

"Another option would be to step back, add provisions acceptable to Republicans and independents, and come back in a few weeks with a fresh health-care plan." Oh, that's inspired. Both independants in the Senate voted for the senate democratic version, and the republicans have decided that their health care plan ...

Posted Mon, Jan 18, 6:19 p.m.

Ted_Van_Dyk, offering his knowledgable and experienced analysis of liberal icon Senator Warren Magnuson of the great state of Washington: http://www.seattlepi.com/opinion/219982_vandyk14.html He was a rough-edged people's Democrat who would have scoffed at today's political correctitude. I always thought of him as the embodiment in his time of the best qualities of ...

Posted Mon, Jan 18, 2:01 p.m.

Hey Ted, were you concerned about the hyperpartisanship when the repubicans were calling out democrats who opposed the war as traitors? Maggie no doubt had friends on both sides of the aisle and would have beened saddened by the current landscape, no doubt. But the man was a proud liberal ...

Posted Sun, Jan 17, 2:17 p.m.

My error, compromise position (government optition) on HCR.

Posted Sun, Jan 17, 2:15 p.m.

"Should Republicans regain a Senate or House majority, they are quite likely to operate in a similar one-party manner." and that would be a change, how? Calling out Obama and the dems for partisanship after having reached across the aisle to Collins, Snow, Grassley and any other R senator to ...

Posted Sat, Jan 9, 1:24 a.m.

Mora is gone because his team went downhill as the season progressed and as injuered players returned to the lineup, the Texans game the team looked utterly unprepared, the loss at home to the one win Bucs was shameful, and the losses to to better Packers and Titans the team ...

Posted Thu, Jan 7, 4:19 p.m.

Eyman exists because Mike Dunmire underwrites him and his work. A wingnut with a vision to turn the mossy corner into a mountainous version of Mississippi. And Lieberman campaigned as a champion of health care reform in. 2006, telling voters he'd that as a senior senator he'd be better positioned ...

Posted Sun, Dec 6, 11:17 p.m.

Bah. Boeing, Starbucks, Nordstroms, UPS, were all about doing something well, maybe even being the best of kind. Microsoft was similar, in that they set out to be The Standard OS, best by having eliminated all other entrants to the field. Boeing was run by engineers in those days and ...

Posted Mon, Nov 16, 2:44 p.m.

Tahoma does make sense, in that the salish-speakers that populated the area prior to the european settlers used that name. I look forward to advocates of that moniker for The Mountain moving to change the names of Puget Sound, Mts Baker and St Helens, Commencement & Elliot Bays, Vashon, Whidbey, ...

Posted Fri, Nov 13, 4:44 p.m.

I understand that there are only English on one side of the English Channel, Japanese on one side of the Sea of japan, and the Indian Ocean is not surrounded by India. Time to revise the world atlas to conform to the standards set forth by a few commenters here. ...

Posted Mon, Nov 2, 10:02 p.m.

And dbreneman, the old dispute over The Mountain, Rainier is a prettier name for it. How about we change name from being after Captain Peter Rainier R.N. to being named after the prevailing weather of the region?

Posted Mon, Nov 2, 9:57 p.m.

A good name for the entire region. Washington, becomes the State of Salish. the Province to the north becomes Royal Salish, & they combined become Greater Salish instead of Cascadia. Vancouver named the area New Georgia, which thankfully never stuck, except for the Straight of Georgia.