Posted Mon, Apr 9, 12:14 a.m.

Westneat himself did the call for change no favors with his original column on the subject of towing fees, in which he made no distinction between stranded motorists on the roads and people who choose to park on restricted private property and expect to get away with it. I have ...

Posted Thu, Apr 5, 5:12 p.m.

I'm not familiar with any of the people posting to this article, but I would agree that Mr. Van Dyke calling Romeny a moderate calls for some sort of additional evidence...who knows what he really believes? I'd be more confortable just calling Mr. Romney an opportunist. Nor did I see ...

Posted Tue, Mar 20, 2:55 p.m.

I am one Democrat who always enjoys reading what Chris Vance has to say about electoral politics...he is an astute observer and sees the strengths and weaknesses of all the candidates, be they Rep or Dem. But he did mess up on one thing in this otherwise excellent piece: He ...

Posted Sun, Mar 18, 12:31 p.m.

Wow...what a non-issue. The writer gives no evidence that there is some sort of pent-up demand for more of these carts. The fees are the same as in Portland. The 50-foot setback rule doesn't seem exactly like government oppression of small business. As to which city can claim the title ...

Posted Sat, Mar 17, 2:11 p.m.

I applaud Jay Inslee's decision to resign from Congress and campaign full time for the office of Governor. He is a very able man with a vision for our state and the talent to get things done. I also wish McKenna would resign and campaign full time for Gov...the sooner ...

Posted Mon, Mar 12, 11:20 p.m.

Maybe the worst column I've ever read from Mr. Connelly...does he really equate Inslee quiting his minority party seat in the House (in an election year) to run for Gov, with Palin just walking away fropm her office so she could make more money in the private sector? What IS ...

Posted Fri, Mar 9, 11:56 a.m.

Kucinich had become the Ron Paul of the far left...to his fans, he could do no wrong even if it meant moving to Washington and screwing up a House race (and possibly helping a GOP to win). I agree with Snus's take on Heck and Kilmer...and we've got a very ...

Posted Thu, Mar 1, 6:07 p.m.

Westneat's snarky "curmudgeon" persona has worn thin with me...as has the inflated ego of Dennis Kucnich, who is not indespensible to the liberal movement. If they would both get into a car, and leave Seattle for points east via 520, I would happily pay their toll. And on their way ...

Posted Tue, Feb 21, 4:03 p.m.

McGinn continues to amaze me in that every time he manages to do a half-way decent job on something (e.g. recent snow removal) he then quickly reverts to form and again looks like he's detached from reality. How many times does Seattle need to get burned by out-of-town rich guys ...

Posted Fri, Feb 17, 4:06 p.m.

Many thanks to Mr. Valdez for my political "Chuckle of the Day." McGinn still has a long, long way to go before he can be considered anything more than an underdog for re-election...ditto for his mini-me, Councilman O'Brien. Dave Smith's take on this is right on the mark...is our current ...

Posted Thu, Feb 2, 11:44 p.m.

What a total non-surprise. Now that they've made Reichert's House seat pretty safe, there is no reason for Dave to give up his comfy place on the back bench for anything as strenuous as a hopeless statewide run against Cantwell. When the history of Washington State politics of this era ...

Posted Wed, Feb 1, 1:02 a.m.

Odd headline for this article...the implication being what...that anyone who was following this race actually thought the GOPs might win? Also funny is the idea that Cornilles could be considered a "moderate" GOP. Well, maybe some might call him that...the same ones who cheer when Newt calls Mitt a Massachusetts ...

Posted Mon, Jan 30, 7:58 p.m.

Interesting to learn from posts here that the only way to judge a Mayor's abilities is via how snow storms are managed...and that any problems with crime are the complete fault of the Mayor and the City Council...so much great information available on the Internet!!

Posted Mon, Jan 23, 12:03 a.m.

Funny, I know a lot of men and women in their 20s and 30s who read the newspaper, love to go to video and book stores, and enjoy all sorts of commercial and personal interactions which have nothing whatsoever to do with anything on line. It's possible I don't run ...

Posted Wed, Jan 18, 5:44 a.m.

I suppose there is room in Oregon for a revitalized GOP...but not with walking, talking right-wing cliches like Mr. Cornilles. If the voters of the first allow him to win, they will sure deserve what they get.

Posted Sat, Jan 14, 12:30 a.m.

Poor Billy Kristol and his right-wing friends...they can smell death in the air for GOP prospects in November...and so then come up with really desperate and silly ideas like this. Fine, if you're that bankrupt of ideas...as W used to say "Bring it on!"

Posted Sun, Jan 8, 11:10 p.m.

If those two are really fighting for the soul of the GOP, then there is truly no hope for the Republican Party.

Posted Fri, Jan 6, 12:47 a.m.

Although I agree with most of what Savage says about Santorum, I actually can't stand either of them...two self-absorbed and moralizing know-it-alls. And clearly each of them profits from the statements of the other.

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 1:42 p.m.

The reason these caucuses and primaries often have such odd results is because too many people are too lazy or disengaged to participate (but always have the energy to gripe about the results). It isn't the fault of the system but of a disinterested electorate, which expects to have the ...

Posted Tue, Jan 3, 12:41 p.m.

If he's so concerned about leadership, why did he quit?

Posted Mon, Jan 2, 12:09 a.m.

Is somebody at Crosscut working for the McKenna campaign, or does it just smell that way? Your headline says that the race is "no longer" competitive...but the actual Politoc article indicates that Politico still rates it as #4 of the 8 most competitive gov races for 2012. Would your McKenna ...

Posted Wed, Dec 28, 4:55 p.m.

I read elsewhere that there are four od the announced Dems who ended up in the new 1st, including Burner, Goodman and Ruderman. Is Koster in that mix? Who else can the GOPs come up with at this late date? Is there some unknown Republican Golden Boy or Girl waiting ...

Posted Sun, Dec 25, 12:25 a.m.

I'm generally pretty optimistic about the future, but I have to laugh to imagine that anyone would think that any time soon we're going to see a revival of some old-timey Dan Evans-Joel Pritchard-Sid Morrison kind of GOP here in Washington State. Last I checked, these same GOPs elected Kirby ...

Posted Thu, Dec 15, 4:21 p.m.

I didn't realize it was a secret that Tim Burgess will be running, and possibly St. Sen. Ed Murray. I think either one of them would defeat Mayor McGinn, and do so with ease. If they both run, it's even possible that Mayor McGinn would not make it past the ...

Posted Tue, Dec 13, 5:43 p.m.

All traffic laws in Seattle seem to be underenforced. I for one would love to see more tickets handed out to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists...too many in each group seem to think that the laws are only for other people to obey.

Posted Mon, Dec 12, 9:27 p.m.

The idea that the GOPs consider Raul Labrador to be a "rising star" is evidence that the Democrats are in a better position than I'd thought!

Posted Mon, Dec 12, 9:23 p.m.

Man...almost a year to go and the smarty pundits are already writing off the Inslee campaign. Do they imagine that 95% of the voters are even paying attention to the Gov race at this point? I would say that those voters are not even slightly engaged and that McKenna's so ...

Posted Tue, Nov 29, 12:05 p.m.

I agree with Mr. Bowker... we do not need high density on every downtown block.

Posted Tue, Nov 22, 6:26 p.m.

I thought it was a well-crafted movie. I wasn't expecting to see a documentary, but an interesting character study, and I was not disappointed.

Posted Tue, Nov 22, 6:20 p.m.

Why not just bring back Paul Schell...another "visionary" who was also tone-deaf to political reality and who conducted himself as if he was somehow "above" the umpleasant world of retail politics. None of the people mentioned in this article are going to be nominated for or elected Mayor in 2013...I'm ...

Posted Fri, Nov 4, 5:46 p.m.

Does Mr. Royer really imagine that extended times for some parking meters is going to be a big election deal in 2013? Will there be demonstrations in the streets in favor of some divine right of free parking? Lots of cities have metered parking until 8 or even 10 o'clock ...

Posted Tue, Nov 1, 5:35 p.m.

Let's put the merit of the original accusations aside for a moment and just look at the complete botch Cain and his people have made of it. Why were they surprised that someone would dig up something like this, even if it was twenty years ago? As Ted pointed out, ...

Posted Tue, Nov 1, noon

The main trouble here in Seattle is not the crappy condition of the roads...it's the fact that about 10% of every group (cars, motorcycles, bikes, pedestrians) seems to think that the laws are for others to obey and they can do whatever they like. I'd be happy to pay higher ...

Posted Sun, Oct 23, 4:42 p.m.

Walk down a street in midtown Seattle during any weekday afternoon. Ask ten adults at random if they can name the Mayor, any members of the City Council, or any members of the County Council. You would no doubt be dismayed at both the lack of knowledge and also the ...

Posted Sat, Oct 22, 8:13 p.m.

Hilarious stuff! The Forbes crowd ahs always engaged in wishful thinking...do they really imagine that there's some conservative revival about to happen in a country where a tiny percentage of the population controls so much of the wealth? As Mr. Baker pointed out, if anything the migrations will start to ...

Posted Fri, Oct 21, 9:14 a.m.

Electing council members by district in Seattle would probably lead to a Balkanized gridlock which would make the current fetish for process look like some kind of fast-track operation. Many years ago, Seattle used to have council members elected by district, but that system was so corrupt that the city ...

Posted Wed, Oct 12, 3:12 p.m.

I am pleased and a little surprised that the Mayor has been very even-handed in his dealing with this event...maybe he really is growing in the job?

Posted Sun, Oct 2, 12:59 p.m.

This is an old discussion...are we the people entitled to know all the details and make judgements about how a candidate's health might affect his or her performance in office? We know now that in the past much was hidden from the public about the health of Presidents, e.g. Cleveland, ...

Posted Sat, Oct 1, 5:14 p.m.

What has Ted been smoking recently? The idea of Clinton or anyone makeing a primary challenge to the President is hilarious. As to us moving to a parlimentary system of government, let's leave that to places like Israel and Italy...it works so well for them...ha.

Posted Thu, Sep 29, 2:57 p.m.

Yes, let's have a "means test" to make sure that the "wrong" kind of people don't subscribe to Crosscut. I do hope that lrlopez does find his/her "kind of web site" and does so soon...pious and self-righteous moralists from the left and the right should all be put in a ...

Posted Fri, Sep 23, 4:58 p.m.

Yeah, I'm sure Seattle is all hot to go for another "outsider" candidate, especially one who was part of the Schell administration, beloved by theorists and loathed by most of the rest of us. She was his Deputy Mayor? I hope she was not as tone deaf to the residents ...

Posted Wed, Sep 14, 5:45 a.m.

Do we really need any more op/ed pieces from people like this, who think their position of moral superiority entitles them to break the traffic law when they feel like it? If you want to be a happy-go-lucky, free spirit, move to the country...life in the city includes motor vehicles, ...

Posted Sun, Aug 28, 4:26 p.m.

Not one of the better NYT "36 Hours" articles...if I didn't already know Portland, this would not really encourage me to go visit.

Posted Wed, Aug 24, 3:53 p.m.

Yet at the same time Huntsman seems ever ready to hop in bed as VP with one of the anti-science nut cases who are running high in the polls. That does not speak well to questions of character...he has zero chance of either the P or the VP nomination, so ...

Posted Fri, Aug 19, 1:10 p.m.

Nice review...but it might lead the reader to think that there is little or nothing on the Artusi menu other than meat dishes...not so! I was there about ten days ago and made a superb meal out of small plates, all of which were either vegetarian or fish based. Drinks ...

Posted Sat, Jul 16, 7:37 a.m.

Try as he may, John Carlson will never be able to get out of his partisan mode. His claim that Obama = Bush III is so laughable that it needs no more comment. As Sarah pointed out, MOST of us who voted for candidate Obama in 2008 understood clearly that ...

Posted Sat, Jul 9, 1:08 p.m.

There are many of us who hope to see Reuven Carlyle as Speaker of the House in the not-to-distant future. There are also other very plausible candidates who will be running for Mayor next year...I don't think some "smart" veteran of the Schell administraion is going to generate a lot ...

Posted Wed, Jul 6, 5:18 p.m.

I noted Mr. B's correct observation that our current Gov does not seem able to paint a very encouraging picture of the future of our state. I first met Jay Inslee when he and I were in High School and can assure all that he has always approached the issues ...

Posted Thu, May 26, 10:57 a.m.

One other thing...it should be made clear that the rules of conduct for police using profanity are vague and can be enforced in a very arbitrary manner. I imagine they were written that way in order to give officers a certain amount of discretion and freedom in their choice of ...

Posted Thu, May 26, 10:54 a.m.

Great piece, Mr. B. I haven't the faintest idea why an earlier poster brought up the subject of fines against a couple of ball players. Those who toil in the world of corporate sports are well-paid for their efforts and the biggest danger any of them face on a day-to-day ...

Posted Mon, May 23, 10:45 a.m.

I do not agree with Sen. Tester about these issues but am not about to call for his head either...his 2012 GOP opponent is wrong on pretty much every issue, not just a few. It's the real world and those are the choices...a loss by Tester in the next election ...

Posted Thu, May 12, 1:20 p.m.

I can't follow the post from Tom9...he seems to say that without the Seattle vote that King County would vote more conservative. But he also seems to say that Seattle is not liberal. And even more odd he cites The Stranger as an "outlet" for the "Democratic point of view." ...

Posted Thu, May 12, 1:07 p.m.

Another quality old place which looked a tad seedy was The Gay 90s, at 627 Pike (later kitty corner at 701). It was a small dining room and a slightly larger bar, but the chef (a fellow named Dick) was a genuis who could dish out top quality food for ...

Posted Thu, May 12, 1:01 p.m.

The Chef's Salad at The Dog House was actually quite tasty, with some sort of "Caesar" dressing that tasted home-made, even if it wasn't. And real (not fake-o processed loaf) strips of turkey in the thing. One place with cheap and excellent food which I truly miss is Kettel's Corner, ...

Posted Thu, May 5, 9:40 p.m.

ARGH! No no no no no and, to make it more clear, NO! This is just the sort of idiotic stunt which could flip a house seat from the Dems to the GOPs. Of course, given the martyr-like mind-set of many on the far left, that would be OK...better for ...

Posted Tue, Feb 22, 8:55 p.m.

"Secret relationship with the council"? If that is so, it's certainly been a well-kept secret compared with the much more public one. I"m glad he's lost weight and I'm pleased he chose to actually give a speech but he has a very long way to go to convince a lot ...

Posted Wed, Feb 16, 4:53 p.m.

I have to agree with several of the other posters...I have no idea what point Mr. Berger is trying to make here. You could make the same argument he is making about Seattle about every other city in America or maybe even the world...it's always about people "taming" the wilderness ...

Posted Sun, Jan 30, 7:43 p.m.

Yes, Jean...the Christian right has always been underestimated here in Washington. I recall when no one except the Christian right thought that Ellen Craswell had a chance of being elected Governot, and THEN look what happened! Oh, wait, she lost. Well, that's OK...the big wall of Christian right votes in ...

Posted Thu, Jan 20, 9:23 p.m.

Rep. Carlyle is one of the real bright lights in Olympia and I hope this measure is quickly adapted and signed into law!

Posted Wed, Jan 19, 11:43 p.m.

What rubbish...it amazes me the free ride this woman seems to be getting from those who should know better. She wouldn't let her daughters have pets. She tore up greeting cards they'd made for her and told them to do better. She berated them for coming in second instead of ...

Posted Mon, Jan 10, 11:36 a.m.

It's hair-splitting to attempt to determine the killer's poltiical agenda if he even had one. The role of the Tea Party in this tragedy stems more from their freqent use of violent imagery in speeches and advertising...added to that the constant repetition of it in the media and on the ...

Posted Wed, Jan 5, 4:55 p.m.

There are plenty to pick from, but I think one of McGinn's "best" low points was his telling us that his "polling" indicated that 80% of the voters in Seattle want extended opening hours for bars. I doubt in this day and age that you could get 80% of the ...

Posted Mon, Jan 3, 8:45 p.m.

A very unpersuasive piece about unions...of course it's a classic tactic of GOPs and the "I've Got Mine" conservatives to look at any program or concept and have a fit about the 10% to 20% of it which is no good, and so dismiss the 80% - 90% which is ...

Posted Fri, Dec 31, 12:12 p.m.

I hope Mayor McGinn as a better year in 2011 than he did in 2010. Iif he does the same or even worse, it will be a disaster for the city and the region. Harrell has not been a very impressive council member, and for anyone who thinks that "ethnic ...

Posted Sat, Dec 18, 9:16 p.m.

P.S. hanks to "serial catowner" for a great post. The name of the old Bellevue restaurant S.C. is remembering was Clark's Crabapple.

Posted Sat, Dec 18, 5:16 p.m.

Sorry for anyone who is unable to appreciate the Canlis experience...there is nothing else to match it in Seattle, and few places anywhere manage to be so elegant and profesional, while also being welcoming. No one has mentioned the view, which is spectacular, or the blessed lack of a stupid ...

Posted Sun, Dec 5, 8:43 p.m.

What a load of rubbish...not that anyone should count on Tyrell for anything other than right-wing propaganda. We hear this kind of nonsense on a regular basis from those who wish it were so...but, so typical, just give the voters a refresher taste of the self-described "conservatives" (actually the real ...

Posted Thu, Dec 2, 7:46 p.m.

Boo hoo hoo...maybe I'd care if this group was serious about actual bicycle safety...why should any bike rider be allowed to bomb around on our city streets at night with no light or reflective clothing...and with no helmet? If this bike club didn't seem to self-absorbed and self-righteous, they'd get ...

Posted Thu, Dec 2, 7:35 p.m.

I applaud Ms.Fenich for trying to convert her fellow GOPs to this cause, but she's wasting her time. Our Republican friends, in order to make short-term gains with their fading base, have pretty much written off trying to appeal to Hispanics. It isn't that GOPs are talking a lot about ...

Posted Thu, Dec 2, 7:28 p.m.

I didn't blame Mayor Nickels for the snow response and certainly don't blame Mayor McGinn for the fact that some Seattle cry-babies got stuck in traffic...but that isn't enough for me to change my opinion about him and contemplate supporting him for re-election in 2013. Mr. Brewster hits it right ...

Posted Tue, Nov 23, 5:12 p.m.

Recent polling has indicated that much of the hostility expressed by Tea Party types is not directed to the wealthy, but to the educated. And from the other end of the spectrum, we are battered by those who are desperate not to "offend" anyone. Who said being educated was supposed ...

Posted Mon, Nov 22, 2:37 p.m.

If the GOP is going to make any kind of "comeback" in Washington, they had better start coming up with a more viable "farm team." I mean...who can they run against Cantwell who has even a shred of substance? Doc Hastings? He's like George Nethercutt without the pizzazz (that's a ...

Posted Fri, Nov 19, 3:01 p.m.

All the nit-pickers about this article are missing the point. We, the people, want and demand services but simply don't want to pay for them. We, the people, refused to approve a state income tax on the wealthiest which would have at least been a start to get us out ...

Posted Fri, Nov 19, 11:12 a.m.

What a lot of rubbish...I am surprised that Prof. Morrill chooses to read so much from the tea leaves of one election. Comparing the Nethercutt and Rossi campaigns tells us little. Nethercutt, despite his inflated reputation as the giant killer of 1994, was not well-known statewide, and did not benefit ...

Posted Tue, Nov 9, 6:12 p.m.

If I were a GOP, I would now want some new blood in the party, including a new state chair and also a lovely catered "Farewell to Politics" party for Dino. Since I am a Dem, I'm happy to see Mr. Berger's passive-agressive encouragement for Mr. Rossi to "fatten up" ...

Posted Mon, Nov 8, 2:51 p.m.

I don't think it's any secret that the probable GOP candidate for Gov in '12 will be AG McKenna, and the probable Dem candidate will be Rep. Jay Inslee. I think the GOPs will continue to have a great deal of trouble even holding their own in Greater Seattle, much ...

Posted Mon, Aug 30, 12:42 a.m.

Mr. Berger seems to see much more in Mayor McGinn than many of us do...the mayor has yet to demonstrate that he is anything but tone deaf as far as his working with others. Working with others does not mean you always embrace the other view or that you capitulate ...

Posted Sun, Aug 22, 6:23 p.m.

Turnout was low in the big Dem counties such as King, Pierce and Snohomish...even slight uptick in turnout in November will give Sen. Murray a comfortable margin. It won't be a "breeze" but I'd guess she'll beat Rossi by 5 - 8%. BTW, Didier's silly post-primary posturing about his "demands" ...

Posted Sun, Aug 22, 6:16 p.m.

Although I am what would be called in some places a "yellow dog Democrat" I always enjoy reading Chris Vance's take on things. Sure, he might slant things toward the GOP but he usually has some evidence to back up what he's saying. But he's off on the idea of ...

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 7:06 p.m.

I agree with the headline to Mr. Berger's article with the one difference than I would insert the word "NOT" between the word "Let's" and the word "vote." McGinn looks more and more like a lost soul and a lost cause. How soon is 2013, anyway?

Posted Thu, Jul 15, 7:03 p.m.

Mr. Berger sums it up very well. Rather than his comnments being charicteristic of "Seattle style" as some have remarked, I'd say the remarks from the faux-hipster excuse makers for the little a-hole are more in keeping with the tenor of the times around here. I'd like to point out ...

Posted Tue, Mar 16, 8:48 a.m.

Not to split hairs, but I would suggest that Viola Patterson, wife of Ambrose, was more of a modernist than he! And certainly painter Walter Isaacs, who built the art department at the U of W in the 20s and 30s, would also deserve some consideration for this list.

Posted Tue, Nov 10, 3:35 p.m.

For obvious reasons, Mr. Vance and other GOPs want to read as much as possible into the Gov wins for their party in Virginia and New Jersey. In each of the states, the Democratic candidate was deeply flawed..Mr. Deeds in Virginia ran a disorganized and reactive campaign, and wasted much ...

Posted Tue, Nov 10, 3:24 p.m.

To my mind, the McGinn campaign was flat-out the nastiest one I've ever seen for political office in Seattle...trying to link Mallahan to the NRA, condemning Mallahan for spending a few months as an intern to Gorton (when Mallahan was a college freshman), yapping about "stopping the tunnel" and "taking ...