I'm biased…

…because it grants my wish and lets me keep my own personal Congressman, but the Gorton/Ceis Congressional redistricting map looks pretty good to me.

Ya' think?

My own personal Congressman imagines the (hopefully distant) future…

"I suspect that when I decide I'm not gonna run, there will be a couple of people who are interested in my seat."

Good guess, Jim. Keep 'em waiting. I'm sure it builds character or something, and you're doing fine.

Like déjà vu all over again.

While I was basking in the glow of the suddenly departed great yellow orb, the deck chairs were being arranged for upcoming elections. It seems like everybody wants to be the Comeback Kid.

Down Olympia way, Denny Heck is gearing up to run in whichever Congressional district reapportionment puts him in. It's likely to be more favorable to him than the old 4th proved to be last time around, but if it's particularly more attractive to a Democratic candidate, there might be more than a couple of contenders.

When last seen, Laura Ruderman gave up her legislative seat for a statewide run for Secretary of State. She was one of the most credible candidates Democrats have put on the ballot for that office in recent years, but couldn't break the stranglehold Republicans seem to have established there. Now, if Jay Inslee gives up the seat for the Governor's race, she'll take a run at the 1st Congressional District. Living on the border of the 1st and 7th, I'm susceptible to redistricting and that may be the contest to determine my own personal future Congressman.

Of course, I'm perfectly happy with Jim McDermott as my Congressman, would just as soon see Jay stay put and build clout and, after the debacle of the Gregoire years, wouldn't mind if they'd just shutter the Governor's office for a few terms, but I suspect Laura's more likely to get her wish than I am to get mine. Just let me keep Jim, OK?

Locally, former Councilmember Janet Way is seeking to return to the Shoreline City Council. An advocate for both environmental and historic restoration and preservation in our community, Janet's also a friend and fellow blogger. She's a Democratic Party activist, too, and should find some institutional support from that direction (Our city government is officially non-partisan, but, like our big southern neighbor, uni-partisan's likely a better description.) The seat she's seeking this time is currently held by Doris McConnell, but the field's never defined till filing is closed. This could be one of the more interesting contests in our city's relatively short but spirited election history.

Meanwhile, it's filing week for a variety of local offices, which usually provides a few spills and thrills for political junkies. I'm off in search of news...

The name has changed…

…but the spirit of McDermott-Wellstone lives on. Via The Sideshow...

Bernie Sanders and Jim McDermott have introduced single-payer bills in both the Senate and the House, as well. The twin measures, both called the American Health Security Act of 2011, would provide federal guidelines and strong minimum standards for states to administer single-payer health care programs.

The dream will never die.

And, yep, I'm proud to say that that's my own personal Congressman keeping it alive.

Not all local news…

…is good news. My own personal Congressman can't be touched electorally, but that doesn't protect him from the crosshairs...

A California man accused of threatening to kill Seattle Congressman Jim McDermott has been arrested and charged in federal court.

Charles Turner Habermann -- a 32-year-old Palm Springs, Calif., resident with a $3 million trust fund -- was arrested Wednesday morning on allegations that he made threatening phone calls to the office of the Seattle Democrat late last year.

A millionaire anti-tax zealot this time, not a crazy kid. I wonder what a review of his reading and viewing habits would reveal...

Inch by inch…

…ballot by ballot, we're starting to get a pretty clear picture of the election outcome in the upper left. Patty Murray has extended her lead, holding nearly 51% and expected to increase that lead a couple points as King County ballots continue to be counted. My own personal Congressman will continue to be my own personal Congressman, with over 80% against his "prefers independent" opponent.

I'm not happy to see Denny Heck go down in the third. I'm not sure whether he would have ended up being Jay Inslee or Adam Smith once in office, but my bet is on the Inslee side of the progressive divide. Either would have been an improvement over the relatively renegade Democrat Brian Baird. Republican Jaime Herrera is, of course, the worst alternative of all. Third District Democrats need to get to work on preventing Herrera get entrenched in '12.

Inlsee, Smith and Norm Dicks will be returning to D.C. with Jim McDermott, but there's still a question mark in the 2nd District, where Democrat Rick Larsen has taken a 507 vote lead after trailing in election night returns. This one could take a while.

Locally, Democrats swept the legislative seats in the 32nd District, averaging about 60% of the vote. I've always said that if everybody does what they're supposed to do, this is a 60% D district, so apparently everbody did. Congratulations, then, to everybody, and in particular to Senator Maralyn Chase and Representatives Cindy Ryu and Ruth Kagi.

Not every legislative district produced such a definitive result, but despite some too-close-to-call races and our snails pace ballot counts, it looks like Democrats will continue to hold both legislative bodies. Given the challenges bound to be produced by some of the ballot measure outcomes, that's a mixed blessing. They seem fated to spend the next session apportioning misery. Still, though I'm glad there will be Democrats in charge of the painful process.

More on those ballot measures later...

About your disappointing Democrat…

…if helping my own personal Congressman keep his chairmanship isn't good enough reason to vote for any damn Democrat on your ballot, maybe keeping this guy from keeping his will help...

U.S. Representative Joe Barton (R-Texas), the congressman who ruffled feathers on Capitol Hill last summer by making a public apology to former BP CEO Tony Hayward, is "confident" he will become the next leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee if Republicans win the U.S. House in next week's elections.

Every Democrat counts. Vote.

And if you're in the upper left, fill the damn thing out and mail it in today.

About that disappointing Democrat of yours...

I'm luckier than most Democrats. My own personal Congressman, Jim McDermott, is a liberal legend, a champion of working families, national President of Americans for Democratic Action and the co-author of single payer health care legislation. The list goes on and, well, obviously, I feel very well represented.

It's a nice feeling. I've spent too many years of my life in districts represented by entrenched Republicans, meaning I wasn't much represented by my Representative at all. It's not just blue folk in red districts that feel unrepresented, though. I know some of y'all have a Blue Dog or some other incarnation of what you think of as Republican-lite on your ballot, and some of y'all ain't at all delighted with the prospect of voting for the right label on the wrong person, someone who makes a partisan claim to your allegiance at election time but will almost certainly disappoint you on the House floor come legislation time. There are no doubt more than a few of you are pining for a Jim McDermott to vote for.

Well, when you vote for your somewhat disappointing Democrat, whoever that might be, you're also voting to retain the majority that makes it possible for Jim McDermott to be the chair of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support. Because of our Democratic majority - because of your periodically disappointing Democrat - Jim McDermott is able to apply his progressive priorities and the budgeting skills he honed as Chair of the Ways & Means committee in the Washington State Senate to meeting the needs of the neediest of us on behalf of all of us.

Jim's not just my own personal Congressman. He's a subcommittee Chair. Our subcommitee chair. Your subcommittee chair. Only, though, because of our Democratic majority which your Democratic member of Congress, even if he or she is the bluest of dogs, is part of.

That's right, if you were wondering if it was worth holding your nose and voting for someone who doesn't seem to remember what a Democrat is from time to time, or practically all the time, well, you can cast that vote with pride and confidence. When you vote for your Democrat, you're voting to re-elect Jim McDermott to his chairmanship.

That matters, and it's something you should be enthusiastic about.

On a local level...

...I've been a bit derelict in my duty to the local D's, but, frankly, they don't need a whole lot from me. I heartily endorse the ticket, of course, and will doorbell my precinct on their behalf, but there's no reason to believe that there will be anything but a Democratic triumvirate representing us in Olympia come next year. I'm lucky in that, I suppose. Similarly, my own personal Congressman is unthreatened, if not unchallenged.

I do want to give our candidates, Rep. Maralyn Chase for State Senate, former Shoreline mayor Cindy Ryu for Maralyn's current seat and Rep. Ruth Kagi for well-deserved re-election, a shout out for the Democratic sweep of the Seattle P.I.'s 32nd District endorsements, and a promise to do better by them between now and the general.

Worth repeating…

…though it's a shame it has to be said in the first place. James Vega...

If we want Nancy Pelosi to keep being the Speaker of the House, it ain't gonna happen because we sit at home and stew because the Democratic candidate in our district is too conservative for our tastes. You vote for whichever Democrat won the primary because that's how you support Nancy Pelosi and Alan Grayson and Al Franken and all the other Democrats who you do like. That's the meaning of strategic voting and critical support.

Of course, as a constituent of local liberal lion Jim McDermott, that's a pretty cost-free position for me to take. Jim hasn't always been my own personal Congressman, though, and my straight-ticket tendencies have led me to pull the handle, push the pin or fill the bubble for some less optimal D's over the years.

Sometimes you've just got to do what's got to be done.

These are some of those times.

So, what do we know?

With about 80% of the votes on hand counted and an unknown number of votes just arriving or yet to arrive, we don't know everything about the primary outcomes, but we know some things.

We know, for instance, that the anti-incumbent fever we've been hearing about all year hasn't spread to our state. Rick Larsen in the 2nd is the only Democratic member of Congress polling under 50% and even Larsen is leading his Palin-endorsed opponent. He also faced a couple of challengers from the left, and when they're rolled in the Democratic vote clears the 50% threshold handily.

On the Republican side, Dave Reichert's in a similar spot, under 50% with a couple of Republican challengers siphoning off another 10% or so. He'll face Democrat Suzan DelBene, whose 26% isn't an especially encouraging number against an incumbent so mediocre that he lost his traditional endorsement from the Seattle Times. Still, this isn't the General Election electorate, and the campaign's just been engaged. If her primary performance doesn't depress DelBene's fundraising too much, there's still a shot at a Democratic pickup in the 8th.

In the 3rd, Democrat Denny Heck will face off against Republican Jaime Herrera for the seat opened by Brian Bairds retirement. Heck leads in the vote totals, with about 30% in a crowded field. We have a fine candidate and a good chance to hold this one. There's work to do, but there's always work to do.

Locally, my own personal Congressman leads five other candidates (you can't really call them 'challengers,' can you?) with 78.87% percent of the vote. Apparently I'm not the only one who hearts my own personal Congressman.

More later on the US Senate and legislative races.

Quote of the day.

My own personal former Congressman, Jay Inslee, who joined my own personal current Congressman in voting against the Defense Supplemental for Afghanistan...

"It is wrong to be borrowing money from China, laying off American police officers, to train police officers in Afghanistan."

Yes, it is. Speaking of my OPC, Howie's got Rep. McDermott's remarks here.

My own personal Congressman…

…top ten with a bullet! Via Howie...

Here are the ten most progressive members of the House of Representatives (as measured by lifetime Progressive Punch scores on crucial votes):

1. Grijalva, Raul D AZ-7
2. Schakowsky, Jan D IL-9
3. Baldwin, Tammy D WI-2
4. Edwards, Donna D MD-4
5. Sánchez, Linda D CA-39
6. Olver, John D MA-1
7. Conyers, John D MI-14
8. Lee, Barbara D CA-9
9. Payne, Donald D NJ-10
10. McDermott, Jim D WA-7

Jim makes the cut with a lifetime score of 94.14, but his current mark is 98.18, second only to Speaker Pelosi in the current Congress.

Other Democrats from the upper left range from Jay Inslee, ranked 115 with a score of 81.95, to Adam Smith, trailing the delegation at 166 with a 72.31 score.

Find your own personal congressmember here.

Filing week Wednesday.

We're halfway to the end of filing week in Washington, that magical time when dreams are dashed, rumors are confirmed and suprises are always in store. My notes so far…

I'll be talking more about my confidence in Patty Murray at the top of our state ticket this year as time goes on. Frankly I think Dino's entry is the greatest gift so far. I note that the perennials (Goodspaceguy, Mike the Mover) show a marked preference for the Democratic Party, as meaningless as that may be in a top two primary.

My own personal Congressman has drawn five challengers so far, including three self-ID'd Democrats. This may hold him under 65% of the vote in the primary.

There will be a Democratic contestant in every Washington State Congressional district. Long odds for a sweep, but you can't win if you don't play. Score one for State Party Chair Dwight Pelz and his team.

Locally, all three legislative positions in the 32nd District are on the ballot. The Senate seat is open, due to Sen. Darlene Fairley's retirement. So far the Senate seat and incumbent Democratic Rep. Ruth Kagi have drawn typically token Republican challengers, but the action is in the House Position 1 race, where Shoreline City Councilmember Doris McConnell and former Councilmember Cindy Ryu have filed to replace Rep. Maralyn Chase, who is running for the open Senate seat. Ryu won an early nomination from the local Democratic organization, but in our party-blind top two primary system, they could both run as Democrats, or Democratic Party "preferers," all the way to November.

Meanwhile, filing week continues and there's still time for you to get involved. If you aren't a PCO and your precinct needs one, it's never been easier to get on the ballot in King County. If you're reading this, you can click over to King County Elections and file online. No fuss, no fee. Get your name on the ballot. Good for your Party. Good for your country. Good for you.

From the "Seems to me…." file.

A lot's been said lately about honoring the memory and legacy of Senator Kennedy. Seems to me the best way to do that now would be for the House to suck it up and pass Senate bill .

It's just a step, but a step beats a stumble. We're going to end up fixing the damn thing every year for years to come, anyway. You've gotta start somewhere.

When the Speaker says she hasn't got the votes "at this time," she could be saying "get me the votes." I'd like to think so, anyway. It's time to call your Democratic Member of Congress and tell them to get the one thing done that we know we can do.

Ordinarily I'd trust my own personal Congressman to do the right thing on health care issues, but I'm sure there are elements of the Senate bill that give Jim McDermott cause - arguably good cause - for pause, so I'll be calling his office to encourage him to secure what will be a hard earned, if not difinitive, in a battle that has very much been the cause of his life as much as it was of Kennedy's.

Call and encourage your Congressmember to declare victory, too.

On the other hand…

…my own personal Congressman's taking a stand against the escalation, and he makes some good points...

...No matter how many troops we commit, the United States cannot bring about the change necessary to stabilize Afghanistan. This responsibility ultimately falls on the Afghani government and its people, and no outsider can force this change to occur.

Not only is this war costly in human terms, but it is bleeding our ability to provide for our own people and construct economic recovery and security at home.

The Bush administration made a fatal mistake when it led us into Iraq and away from finishing the task in Afghanistan, and we have been paying the price ever since. I fear that we are asking our troops to fix a problem of our own making that the military cannot solve alone.

I'm afraid that's a fear I share.

Thanks, Jim!

Democracy for America has collected a list of "Health Care Heroes" that deserve our encouragement. I'm perfectly pleased (though not the least bit surprised) to find my own personal Congressman on the list.

One reason among many to say 'Thanks, Jim!'

On yet another issue…

…my Representative represents me. My own personal Congressman, via The Hill

“Clearly, people all over the country are using marijuana. We have filled our prisons at enormous costs...and we have no money for education….We spend more, and more, more money in [the Drug Enforcement Administration], and rounding up people, and spraying fields, and all this stuff. And, from a social policy, I don’t see any reason not to legalize it, control it, sell it, [and] tax it.”

Me neither, Jim, and thanks for speaking out.

My own personal Congressman…

…writes…

...yesterday I introduced The Clean Environment and Stable Energy Market Act of 2009, HR 1683, that would reduce emissions 80 percent by the year 2050. As a Member of the Ways and Means Committee, I propose a solution that addresses the issue from the prism of financial impacts — providing a price signal for producers of greenhouse gas emissions to change to newer, clean technologies, and at the same time, provide a stable market that encourages the significant investments that will be required to transform America.

Using the budget process as a vehicle for social progress was a hallmark of Jim McDermott's tenure in the Washington State Senate, but he's served a good deal of his time in the U.S. House in the minority, blunting the impact of those very skills that helped put him in Congress. Seeing Jim back in high gear doing what he's always done best is only one of the reasons I'm thankful for Democratic majorites, but it's a particularly satisfying one.

My own personal Congressman…

…answers The Big Question…

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.): There is no American more capable or better able to serve our nation as Secretary of State than Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and I enthusiastically applaud the news that she has accepted an invitation to serve from President-elect Barack Obama...

So, is Jim considered "center-right" these days?