City Hall
Audience Hisses Reichert's Name at NARAL Luncheon
Josh and I just got back from the NARAL Pro-Choice Washington luncheon—the first of those things I've been to in as long as I can remember that I didn't end up stuck at the reporters' "coffee table." I hardly knew what to do with myself. (NARAL was honoring me with its "Power of Choice" award; the other recipient was longtime NARAL volunteer Catherine Minch.)
So I grabbed a pen and did a little reporting.
• In her speech, the governor focused on the need to preserve taxes passed during the last legislative session on soda and beer. Tim Eyman and the soda-pop industry have filed initiatives to repeal the taxes, which fund health care and early childhood education. "Two cents on a can of pop is not too much to pay for health care," Gregoire said. "Twenty-eight cents on a six-pack of beer is not too much to pay."
• The crowd stuck mostly to polite applause, except for one moment. When NARAL Executive Director Lauren Simonds name checked US Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8) as a politician "in our backyard" who voted for the original Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) amendment to prohibit abortion funding, the crowd—which included Reichert challenger Suzan DelBene—actually (and loudly) hissed.
• City Council Member Tim Burgess, who (along with Council Member Mike O'Brien) was at my table, wrote a check to NARAL. (Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton made the pitch). I'm not sure how much Burgess gave—I have a call in to him to find out—but it's interesting to see him give anything at all. (O'Brien also wrote a check.)
Before he was elected in 2007, Burgess wrote in a 2005 editorial that he and other people of faith (he's a Christian) "don't like abortion." In 1999, he did work for Concerned Women for America, a conservative group that opposes women's right to choose, believes homosexuality is a disease, argues that birth control is abortion, and opposes medically accurate sex ed.
Burgess later disavowed that statement, telling me in an interview that he supports abortion rights.
On the way out, I snagged a list of all the politicians who were on hand. Among them: Republican Stephen Litzow, who's challenging incumbent state Sen. Randy Gordon in the 41st District. (Gordon was also there.) It may surprise you that a Republican turned up at a pro-choice fundraiser, but it shouldn't—he's on NARAL's PAC committee.
Two notable no-shows: State House candidate Mike Heavey, whose two opponents, Joe Fitzgibbon and Marcee Stone, were there; and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, who had a table but was "in meetings at city hall," according to a spokesman, and couldn't attend.
Also on hand:
Gov. Chris Gregoire
King County Executive Dow Constantine
State Rep. Reuven Carlyle
State Rep. Eileen Cody
State Sen. Karen Fraser
State Rep. Roger Goodman
State Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez-Kenney
King County Council member Jane Hague, a Republican
State Rep. Sam Hunt
State Sen. Karen Keiser
State Sen. Derek Kilmer
State Sen. Claudia Kauffman, who's in a tough race for reelection in her Eastside swing district, where she's being challenged by Joe Fain, a longtime aide to King County Council member Pete Von Reichbauer (R-Arizona).
State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles
State Rep. Marko Liias
State Rep. Marcie Maxwell
State Sen. Joe McDermott
State Rep. Jim Moeller
State Sen. Ed Murray
State Rep. Sharon Nelson
State Rep. Ruth Kagi
State Rep. Mary Helen Robert, a champion for women who helped win $30 million for child care in this year's state budget.
State Sen. Ross Hunter
State Rep. Larry Seaquist
State Rep. Geoff Simpson
State Rep. Larry Springer
Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton
State Sen. Rodney Tom, a Republican-turned-conservative Democrat who's being challenged in his Eastside swing district and who might be nervous about being at an event at which Dave Reichert was hissed.
State Rep. Scott White
3rd U.S. Congressional district candidate Denny Heck
3rd U.S. Congressional district candidate Craig Pridemore
State House candidate Dean Willard
State legislative candidate Lillian Kaufer, a political unknown who got the endorsement of the Washington State Labor Council in her race against Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs, who wasn't there.
So I grabbed a pen and did a little reporting.
• In her speech, the governor focused on the need to preserve taxes passed during the last legislative session on soda and beer. Tim Eyman and the soda-pop industry have filed initiatives to repeal the taxes, which fund health care and early childhood education. "Two cents on a can of pop is not too much to pay for health care," Gregoire said. "Twenty-eight cents on a six-pack of beer is not too much to pay."
• The crowd stuck mostly to polite applause, except for one moment. When NARAL Executive Director Lauren Simonds name checked US Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8) as a politician "in our backyard" who voted for the original Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) amendment to prohibit abortion funding, the crowd—which included Reichert challenger Suzan DelBene—actually (and loudly) hissed.
• City Council Member Tim Burgess, who (along with Council Member Mike O'Brien) was at my table, wrote a check to NARAL. (Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton made the pitch). I'm not sure how much Burgess gave—I have a call in to him to find out—but it's interesting to see him give anything at all. (O'Brien also wrote a check.)
Before he was elected in 2007, Burgess wrote in a 2005 editorial that he and other people of faith (he's a Christian) "don't like abortion." In 1999, he did work for Concerned Women for America, a conservative group that opposes women's right to choose, believes homosexuality is a disease, argues that birth control is abortion, and opposes medically accurate sex ed.
Burgess later disavowed that statement, telling me in an interview that he supports abortion rights.
On the way out, I snagged a list of all the politicians who were on hand. Among them: Republican Stephen Litzow, who's challenging incumbent state Sen. Randy Gordon in the 41st District. (Gordon was also there.) It may surprise you that a Republican turned up at a pro-choice fundraiser, but it shouldn't—he's on NARAL's PAC committee.
Two notable no-shows: State House candidate Mike Heavey, whose two opponents, Joe Fitzgibbon and Marcee Stone, were there; and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, who had a table but was "in meetings at city hall," according to a spokesman, and couldn't attend.
Also on hand:
Gov. Chris Gregoire
King County Executive Dow Constantine
State Rep. Reuven Carlyle
State Rep. Eileen Cody
State Sen. Karen Fraser
State Rep. Roger Goodman
State Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez-Kenney
King County Council member Jane Hague, a Republican
State Rep. Sam Hunt
State Sen. Karen Keiser
State Sen. Derek Kilmer
State Sen. Claudia Kauffman, who's in a tough race for reelection in her Eastside swing district, where she's being challenged by Joe Fain, a longtime aide to King County Council member Pete Von Reichbauer (R-Arizona).
State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles
State Rep. Marko Liias
State Rep. Marcie Maxwell
State Sen. Joe McDermott
State Rep. Jim Moeller
State Sen. Ed Murray
State Rep. Sharon Nelson
State Rep. Ruth Kagi
State Rep. Mary Helen Robert, a champion for women who helped win $30 million for child care in this year's state budget.
State Sen. Ross Hunter
State Rep. Larry Seaquist
State Rep. Geoff Simpson
State Rep. Larry Springer
Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton
State Sen. Rodney Tom, a Republican-turned-conservative Democrat who's being challenged in his Eastside swing district and who might be nervous about being at an event at which Dave Reichert was hissed.
State Rep. Scott White
3rd U.S. Congressional district candidate Denny Heck
3rd U.S. Congressional district candidate Craig Pridemore
State House candidate Dean Willard
State legislative candidate Lillian Kaufer, a political unknown who got the endorsement of the Washington State Labor Council in her race against Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs, who wasn't there.
