1. I guess Sen. Maria Cantwell was sad the Seattle Times endorsed her opponent Mike McGavick in 2006 (although, it didn't help him, he didn't even crack 40 percent). Reversing her past position on the Seattle Times editorial page's pet issue, Cantwell was just one of nine Democrats who voted to lower the estate tax last week in an otherwise straight partisan vote (Democrats 'nay', Republicans 'yea'). 

Hmmm. Also voting with the Republicans to cut taxes for rich families like the Blethens (it would raise the estate tax exemption from $7 million to $10 million per-couple and lower the top rate from 45% to 35%): Sen. Patty Murray. 

2. Seattle City Council Member Nick Licata officially announced he's running for his fourth term this weekend. (Morning Fizz first reported Licata was running for his council seat again back in late February. There had originally been talk Licata might run for mayor.)

Licata, a populist lefty, has two opponents: King County Parks Dept. employee Jesse Israel, who has raised about $12,000, and architect Martin Henry Kaplan, a member of the Mercer redevelopment stake holders committee who is upset about Licata's antagonism toward the Mercer project. (Licata has consistently been a lone vote against targeting money toward Mayor Nickels' Mercer "fix.")

Licata has about $30,000 in the bank.

3. The Seattle Times profiles mayoral candidate Mike McGinn this morning. 

4. I've been on a mini-vacation in New York for the last couple of days (and I'm still there), so that's all the fizz there is this morning. In the meantime, Seattle Transit Blog has some fat follow-up reporting  on the Rep. Geoff Simspon (D-47, Covington) bill we wrote about last week.