1. Isn't it weird that ... in his inelegant battle with City Attorney Pete Holmes about who has control over the DOJ settlement agreement to oversee the SPD, Mayor Mike McGinn is bringing up the 2011 tunnel fight?

It's actually not that weird. In a six-page letter to Holmes arguing that the mayor is the decider, McGinn's legal counsel Carl Marquardt referenced Holmes' losing standoff with McGinn, when Holmes challenged the tunnel referendum. Marquardt correctly pointed out that Holmes overplayed his authority (as the King County Superior Court ruled in that case).

It's a hard hitting analogy. So, score one for litigator McGinn. But unfortunately, that's how McGinn seems to be behaving here—like a litigator and not like a mayor.

Score one for litigator McGinn. But unfortunately, that's how McGinn seems to be behaving here—like a litigator, not like a mayor.

Speaking of the bigger picture: McGinn might also reflect on how that tunnel referendum turned out for him in the end as well. I'm not sure he wants to be bringing up his efforts against the tunnel in his public fight with Holmes as the mayoral election approaches. 

2. Isn't it weird that ... Peter Steinbrueck is Darcy Burner?

That's my analysis of today's big KING 5 poll numbers on the upcoming mayor's race, anyway. Think about it: Steinbrueck emerged from the pack of candidates (at least when you take popular theoretical candidate Ron Sims out of the mix) as the clear frontrunner for the right to take on the incumbent mayor, scoring 18 percent among Sims' supporters.

Like Burner, who also emerged from a crowded primary pack in early polling in last year's de facto 1st Congressional District Democratic primary for the right to take on John Koster, Steinbrueck has the name recognition and rabid culty niche following to make a good showing in the polls.

But we're waiting for the analogous Suzan DelBene to emerge: a quiet, well-funded candidate who finishes strong.

Speaking of sweeping analogies about today's poll numbers, I'd also say this: Ron Sims is Rick Perry. People love imaginary candidates, but once they get in the race .... Well, looked what happened to Perry's numbers.

3. Isn't it weird that ... State Sen. Don Benton (R-17, Vancouver), who is sponsoring a chart-topping 60 bills this session (we suspect he had help from the American Legislative Exchange Council website) left a survey on every senator's desk today under the auspices of his role as chair of the facilities and operations committee, asking his colleagues to rate several legislative service groups, including ALEC, and its Democratic rival group (according to the Republicans), the National Conference of State Legislatures?

(If you've missed the uproar over ALEC—the New York Times had a big story last year exposing the supposed legislative services group as a stealth right-wing lobbying group.)

The form asks members to say which groups should be funded by the legislature; currently, both ALEC dues and NCSL dues are covered. With Republicans controlling the senate, Democrats speculate that Benton is trying to zero out the NSCL dues while going all in for ALEC.  

Sen. Karen Fraser (D-22, Olympia), the ranking Democratic member on Benton's facilities and operations committee, which oversees everything from disciplining members (Sen. Pam Roach, for example) and staff parking, reprimanded Benton on the senate floor for handing out the official looking F&O survey without any prior notice or discussion in the committee.