Northwest Progressive Institute Advocate

Healthcare reform bill passes U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 220-215

2009-11-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

Earlier tonight, by a vote of 220-215, the House passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the first significant health care reform in decades.

Representative Ahn "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana was the only Republican to vote in favor of the legislation. An astounding thirty nine Democrats joined all of the rest of the Republican caucus in voting "nay".

Within the Washington delegation, the aye votes were Jay Inslee, Rick Larsen, Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott, and Adam Smith. They represent the Evergeen State's 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 9th Districts, respectively.

As expected, based on his statement from yesterday, Brian Baird shamefully voted with the Republicans in the delegation(Dave Reichert, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Doc Hastings) to retain the status quo and keep affordable, quality health care out of the reach of so many of our fellow Americans.

Baird could have taken the principled approach of Adam Smith, who took the trouble to explain his yes vote, despite having misgivings about the bill:

My vote, in effect, is to move the process forward. This is not the final phase in the process and in the weeks ahead the Senate will vote on its version of the bill and then the House and the Senate must reconcile their differences. I am hopeful that through this process my remaining concerns will be addressed and we can finally move to provide universal access to health care and reform our system in a way that protects individuals and reins in out of control costs. More than anything, my ‘yes’ vote today reflects the fact that, despite my concerns with the current bill, I cannot vote in favor of the status quo.

Instead, Congressman Brian Baird chose to become one of the instantly infamous Thirty Nine (including Walt Minnick of Idaho) who turned their backs on their constituents and did the bidding of insurance companies.

Many in the Pacific Northwest's delegation who voted yes to pass the bill have released statements. Here's Jay Inslee, of Washington's 1st District:

When considering this issue, I thought of all the benefits my parents provided to me and what I’m going to leave for my grandchildren.

They deserve, as all our children and grandchildren do, affordable health care so they can live their lives to the fullest. I am proud of the work we have done on behalf of all Americans who will see their health care costs go down and their health security go up.

David Wu, of Oregon's 1st District:

This is a historic day. This legislation will stand beside Social Security, the GI Bill, and Medicare as a pillar of American health care and humane values.

The vast majority of Americans already have health insurance. I voted for this bill because, in addition to covering millions more Americans, it will increase security and stability for those who already have health insurance.

Earl Blumenauer, of Oregon's 3rd District:

Tonight I voted for every Oregonian who has faced bankruptcy when they've lost their care or has been denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Tonight, I voted to protect every Oregonian who has health insurance but sees their costs rising every year.

Passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act marks the most important single step in 100 years in addressing the health care needs of American families. For the first time, the U.S. government has dealt comprehensively with the entire health care system.

Kurt Schrader, of Oregon's 5th District:

I am proud to have cast a historic vote today to overhaul America’s failing healthcare system to improve the healthcare of all Americans. This bill prohibits exclusions based on preexisting conditions and ensures American families will no longer be one illness or job loss away from bankruptcy.

It also protects America’s senior citizens by fixing the donut hole sooner and allowing more drug price-negotiation to ensure seniors are getting the best prices for their medication. For the first time in our nation’s history, we say that every American deserves access to affordable quality healthcare.

We'll post excerpts from more statements from the Pacific Northwest congressional delegation as they become available.

Mike McGinn: Seattle's next mayor

2009-11-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

Looks like it's time to say hello to the next Mayor of Seattle: Mike McGinn.

The race has finally changed from "too close to call" to "it looks like we have a winner." In the afternoon returns reported by King County Elections around 4:30 PM, McGinn doubled his lead over rival Joe Mallahan and then nearly repeated the feat in evening returns, reported several hours later.

As of this afternoon, the two men were separated by 1,209 votes:

Mike McGinn: 75,657 (49.99%)
Joe Mallahan: 74,448 (49.19%)
Write-in: 1,240 (0.82%)

As of this evening, the gap had grown to 2,384 votes:

Mike McGin: 85,416 (50.31%)
Joe Mallahan: 83,032 (48.91%)
Write-in: 1,328 (0.78%)

Mallahan has never led in the count and now it's a good bet that he never will. Congratulations to Mike McGinn on his apparent victory.

NO on I-1033 reaches 57% of vote statewide

2009-11-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

Another day, another milestone for NO on Initiative 1033.

A day after Pierce County flipped to the light side, following in the lead of Benton County, which had done the same the day before, NO on I-1033's total percentage of the vote statewide has reached fifty seven percent. If the current trend continues, by the time of certification it should be past fifty eight percent.

No counties have changed their allegiances as of today's count, but there are several counties where I-1033 is barely passing and would be in the NO column except for a few votes. (Like Okanogan, where Eyman's initiative has a slim lead of only fifteen votes. That's less than one block of one town).

Mason, Chelan, and Grant are also close, but not as close as Okanogan. Mason has been trending NO in recent returns, and it's possible that it could be next to flip.

King County, meanwhile, is outstripping every other county in its quest to hold the title of most resounding opposition to I-1033. As of today, the NO vote in King County had topped sixty eight percent and was on its way to sixty nine. Pierce County, to the immediate south, has firmly shifted into the NO column with fifty one percent of the vote there against Initiative 1033.

Action alert on healthcare reform for progressives in WA-03 and WA-09

2009-11-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

Editor's Note: This post has been updated to include Congressman Adam Smith of Washington's 9th Congressional District in the call to action.

On Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to vote on HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This evening, we received an urgent message from the Thurston County Democrats regarding Congressman Brian Baird, Congressman Adam Smith and their positions on the bill (or lack thereof).

Congressman Baird's office is saying that he hasn't made up his mind on how he is going to vote, despite the fact that there are phone banks set up in Thurston County and the 3rd Congressional District every day of the week, with constituents calling urging support for health care reform with a robust public option.

So, this is a call to action for all of our readers in Congressman Brian Baird's district. Now is the time to make a phone call and ask Congressman Baird to vote for HR 3962. Explain to the Congressman's staff why you believe that access to affordable, quality health care is a right for all Americans and express your support for a robust public option. Be polite, but be firm.

We're told that as of this hour, Congressman Baird's office voice mail in Washington, D.C. is full and you can't leave a message. So if you call tonight, please call Olympia or Vancouver. If the voice mail boxes are full, please call Washington, D.C. in the morning when staff are there to take messages directly to the Congressman. Here are the phone numbers:

Washington D.C. - (202) 225-3536
Olympia - (360) 352-9768
Vancouver - (360) 695-6292

It has also come to our attention that Congressman Adam Smith has not decided which way he is going to vote. So, if you live in the 9th District, please give one of Congressman Smith's offices a call. Here are his office phone numbers:

Washington D.C. - (202) 225-8901
Tacoma - (253) 593-6600

Once you have made your phone call, please ask as many of your friends and neighbors who live in the 3rd or 9th as you can to make a phone call of their own, or cut and paste this post into an e-mail and send it to them.

We can't allow Congressman Baird or Congressman Smith to take a vote on Saturday without hearing from constituents on this most important issue. Let's keep the momentum from Tuesday's election going and ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care.

Governor Gregoire issues statement on the passage of Referendum 71

2009-11-05T17:17:00.000-08:00

Via email from Governor Chris Gregoire's office:

I am extremely pleased that voters have approved Referendum 71. I signed the original bill and believe it is the right policy for our great state. Washington state has a history of fighting to ensure everyone – mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters – enjoys equal rights. From the first bill I signed in 2007 to this new law, we have proudly made great strides on behalf of all Washington families.

And thank you, governor, for your support of this important civil rights legislation, which wouldn't exist today without your signature.

As of this evening, Referendum 71 has surpassed 52% of the vote, and is now passing more comfortably than it was on Election Night, partly thanks to King County's heavy support. There are 687,374 votes in favor and 625,793 votes against. Support for Referendum 71 is coming almost exclusively from the state's northwestern quarter, with the southwest and the east opposed. (Thurston County is the lone exception, although it is on the border of the northwest and southwest).

Pierce County finally flips, joins majority of state in saying NO on Initiative 1033

2009-11-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

Amazing!

A little less than forty eight hours after Election Night, Pierce County has finally flipped and joined most of the rest of the State of Washington in saying NO to Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033. Pierce gained notoriety last year for being the only county to (narrowly) support Tim Eyman's misguided Initiative 1033.

As of a few minutes ago when it reported numbers for today, Pierce was rejecting Initiative 1033 by nine hundred and forty two votes:

Yes: 51,836 (49.55%)
No: 52,778 (50.45%)

Pierce follows the lead of Benton County, home to the Tri-Cities, which defected to the NO on I-1033 camp yesterday evening.

Except for Mason County, every county that touches Puget Sound is now rejecting Initiative 1033, as is much of central and southeast Washington.

King County, meanwhile, is rejecting I-1033 by even bigger numbers than before. More than sixty seven percent of King County voters are against Eyman's jobs-killing scheme. The total percent of the vote statewide opposed to I-1033 has almost reached fifty seven percent, and is likely to do so tomorrow.

Mike McGinn's lead over Joe Mallahan widens to five hundred and fiftten votes

2009-11-05T16:46:00.000-08:00

Not much movement in the numbers today from King County Elections in the Seattle mayor's race. Mike McGinn increased his lead over Joe Mallahan, but only very slightly. In fact, Mallahan's total percentage of the vote is also higher than it was yesterday too. (This is possible because the percentage of write-ins declined from .9% to .8% percent). The results suggest that McGinn's lead over Mallahan could be stabilizing, although this race is still too close to call.

If we had to guess who the winner would be, it would probably be Mike McGinn. But Mallahan can't be counted out just yet. If late ballots break in his favor, he could erase McGinn's lead. Here are today's results:

Mike McGinn: 65,172 (49.78%)
Joe Mallahan: 64,657 (49.38%)
Write-in: 1,100 (0.84%)

And here are yesterday's:
Mike McGinn: 52,238 (49.77%)
Joe Mallahan: 51,776 (49.33%)
Write-in: 946 (0.90%)

King County Elections received 63,446 ballots yesterday for a cumulative total of 438,557. We'll know in a few hours how many ballots were received today.

King County Elections is currently reporting 13,800 ballots on hand that need to be processed, as of a few minutes ago. This total does not, of course, include any ballots that have not yet been received. And obviously, not all of the 13,800 ballots received but waiting to be tabulated are from Seattle.

Tragedy at Fort Hood in Texas

2009-11-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

Grave news this afternoon:

The Army says seven people were killed and 20 wounded in a pair of shootings at the Fort Hood Army base in Killeen, according to the Associated Press.

An Army spokesman at the Pentagon says the shootings began about 1:30 p.m. Thursday at a personnel and medical processing center at Fort Hood, the AP said.

The spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Banks, says two shooters were apparently involved. There is no word yet on who they were, nor on identities of the dead, according to the AP.

Banks says the second incident took place at a theater on the sprawling base, the AP said.

An excerpt from President Obama's response:

These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and at times give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis. It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas. It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

I've spoken to Secretary Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and I will continue to receive a constant stream of updates as new information comes in. We are working with the Pentagon, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security, all to ensure that Fort Hood is secure, and we will continue to support the community with the full resources of the federal government.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families of the killed and wounded soldiers. It is absolutely appalling that anyone who wears the uniform would deliberately open fire on other soldiers at a United States military base. What is even more appalling is that one of the shooters was apparently an Army psychologist or psychiatrist. A mental health professional should know better.

Congress expands first time homebuyer program too far

2009-11-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

Despite criticisms of the program, the Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved an extension and expansion of the popular homebuyer tax credit. Since January, the tax credit has given first time homebuyers with incomes of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples an $8,000 tax break. The House approved the bill with a 403 - 12 vote on Thursday, with Washington's Congressional delegation voting in favor of the bill.

Under the bill, the program which expires at the end of November would be extended to May 1, 2010, with expanded eligibility requirements. Homebuyers not making their first home purchase would now be eligible for the credit, and its income limits would be almost doubled.

The tax credit has brought the number of homebuyers into the market that it was originally projected to, but only around a quarter of the 1.4 million buyers that used the credit through August would not have bought a home without it. This has led to criticism of the bill:

Extending and expanding the tax credit for homebuyers is projected to cost the government about $10.8 billion in lost taxes. While the measure passed the Senate by a 98-0 vote, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., questioned its efficiency in stimulating home sales.

"For the vast majority of cases, the homebuyer tax credit amounted to a free gift since it did not affect their decision to purchase a home," Bond said. "And for the small minority of buyers whose decision was directly caused by the credit, this raises the question of whether we are subsidizing buyers who may not have been able to afford buying a home in the first place.”

And from the New York Times:

While real estate groups and some economists say the credit has helped stabilize the housing market, critics say it is too costly a subsidy when low interest rates and home prices are incentives enough for most.

Expanding the bill to include buyers who are not purchasing their first home will not decrease the number of homes on the market, a major goal of the program. Current homeowners will have to sell their own home before using the tax credit to buy another. Housing and real estate lobbies have been pushing hard for the bill’s expansion and it has had a strong advocate in Senate Majority Leader Henry Reid (D-NV). Reid’s state has had the most claims for the tax credit per capita.

This expansion of an expensive program with an unvalidated cost vs. benefit looks like a giveaway to the housing lobbies and the powerful Senate majority leader.

Benton County, home to the Tri-Cities, joins NO on Initiative 1033 column

2009-11-04T19:17:00.001-08:00

A stunning turn of events tonight: After giving Initiative 1033 its support in early returns, Benton County has done an about face and joined the NO on Initiative 1033 column. As of this evening, voters there were very narrowly rejecting Tim Eyman's anti-government scheme, 50.07% to 49.93%.

Other than last year (when thirty eight out of thirty nine counties turned down Eyman's wildly unpopular Initiative 985), I'm not sure that Benton County has ever voted against a Tim Eyman initiative. We'd have to go back and check. But I'm pretty sure that it hasn't. So this really is historic. Amazing.

The difference between Yes and No is only forty one votes as of this writing, but if the trend continues, Benton will remain in the NO camp, creating a solid chain of counties opposed to Initiative 1033 that stretches from the state's northwest tip to its southwest corner. The result in Benton County certainly vindicates the resources the campaign put into getting the word out in the Tri-Cities.

Susan Hutchison concedes race for Executive

2009-11-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

We've gotten word that Susan Hutchison has conceded the race for Executive to Dow Constantine. Obviously, not earth-shattering news, as Dow declared victory last night, and the trends looked great for him.

Hutchison has not updated her website, Twitter feed, or Facebook page with the news that she is throwing in the towel. Nor has her campaign released a statement.

Of course, she could have conceded publicly last night and had the opportunity to appear gracious on television, but she opted not to. Too bad, so sad.

Dow Constantine, meanwhile, is moving ahead and preparing for the transition as he leaves the King County Council. His departure will create an opening on the Council, and it also leaves the Council without a chairperson. The Council will otherwise be unchanged, with incumbent Councilmembers Julia Patterson, Bob Ferguson, Reagan Dunn, and Kathy Lambert all easily cruising to reelection.

Constantine will take over from interim Executive Kurt Triplett, Ron Sims' chief of staff, who has been filling in since Sims resigned to go to work for President Obama at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

UPDATE: Okay, we have her statement now.

Although we are encouraged to see tens of thousands of additional votes in our favor this afternoon, we are certain the final outcome in this race will remain the same. This afternoon I called my opponent, Dow Constantine, to congratulate him on his election to King County Executive. Because the new Executive has only a few weeks until taking office, I want him to be able to move forward quickly to accomplish an orderly transition.

I am grateful for the tremendous support from our King County citizens throughout this campaign. Hundreds of thousands of voters recognized the need for new leadership in King County and believed in our promise to bring that change. I encourage Dow Constantine to reach out to all our voters in the county, setting aside divisive politics to solve the complex problems before us.

Although the outcome is not what we hoped for, it does not diminish my love of this county and its people. For nearly 29 years, I have chosen to live in King County and raise my family here. I will continue to serve this community as I have done and look forward to a bright future.

Now that Hutchison has conceded, we can all move on. Congratulations, Dow!

NO on Initiative 1033 reaches 56% of vote statewide, Referendum 71 close to 52%

2009-11-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

The Secretary of State has factored the latest numbers from King County into its vote totals for and against our two statewide ballot measures.

The news is good all around: NO on Initiative 1033 has reached 56%, while Approve Referendum 71 is approaching 52% (it's at 51.83% as of this writing).

Of course, King County has a lot to do with this. Check out the numbers:

Initiative Measure No. 1033
YES: 92,65 (33.28%)
NO: 185,721 (66.72%)

More than two thirds of King County voters are voting Initiative 1033 down. Landslide doesn't really do these numbers justice.

Referendum Measure No. 71
APPROVED: 202,125 (66.59%)
REJECTED: 101,403 (33.41%)

Likewise, Referendum 71 is passing by a more than two to one ratio. If you look at these numbers, you can see that even though the percentages roughly correspond to Initiative 1033, the raw numbers do not. This suggests that many voters in King County missed Initiative 1033 on their ballots.

Ahem.

Memo to King County Elections: Please make sure that in the future, the top contest on the ballot isn't hidden under a long column of instructions.

New numbers from King County: Mallahan gains, Constantine holds steady

2009-11-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

King County has just updated its election results to include new returns tabulated today. It's mostly good news: Referendum 71 continues to enjoy widespread support and Initiative 1033 continues to face widespread opposition.

Our next King County Executive, Dow Constantine, is holding steady with more than 57% of the vote. He's actually widened his lead by several thousand votes, assuring his victory over Republican Susan Hutchison. She is simply too far behind to have a serious chance of catching up and overtaking him.

But if she wants to be a sore loser and not concede, well, that's fine. It just affirms that the people of King County made a smart decision in choosing Dow.

Meanwhile, in the Seattle mayor's race, Joe Mallahan has narrowed the gap between himself and Mike McGinn. Mallahan is now at 49.33% of the vote to McGinn's 49.77. They are separated by only four hundred and sixty two votes. If this trend continues, Mallahan could conceivably overtake McGinn, but it's also very possible that McGinn could end up ahead again when all is said and done.

At this point, the race could go in either direction and it's too close to call. Pundits who have declared a McGinn victory are getting ahead of themselves.

What is with Seattle and close mayoral elections?

Washington Poll projects passage of Referendum 71, 52% to 48%

2009-11-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

While we're waiting for King County to post its numbers later this afternoon, here's some data to chew over courtesy of the Washington Poll about the fate of Referendum 71, which as of last night's results, is leading narrowly.

The Washington Poll, which is sponsored by the University of Washington, correctly foretasted victory for Dow Constantine and NO on Initiative 1033 last week, as well as victory for Referendum 71. UW political scientists Matt Barreto and Loren Collingwood have prepared a new analysis (PDF), using last night's returns to project the final margin of victory for Referendum 71:

These projections assume the vote patterns will hold by county, and project forward to 50% turnout statewide. Current statewide turnout is 28% but this varies from county to county.

When all votes are finally counted, we estimate a total of 1,757,924 votes and R71 will pass by 81,529.

If that projection holds to be true, the outcome on Referendum 71 will be almost exactly the reverse of what happened in Maine with Question 1.

Of course, Maine was voting on marriage equality itself, not domestic partnerships, and its population is smaller, and those differences are not insignificant.

The Washington Poll had projected a wider lead for Referendum 71, but King County was oversampled in the poll, so that could help explain why Referendum 71 isn't passing by a more comfortable margin.

Referendum 71 winning, but not by much

2009-11-04T01:06:00.000-08:00

Referendum 71, which would same-sex domestic partnerships many of the rights currently available to married couples, is leading with 51% of the voters approving and 49% rejecting the Referendum. That is at the state level.

It is a different story in King County, where R 71 is carrying a 66% approval vote. Whether that bodes well for R 71 is unclear at this time. King County has approximately 115,000 ballots to be counted, while the rest of the state has approximately 225,000 go be counted.

The difficulty in predicting R 71's fate is how those other 225,000 ballots from the remainder of the state turn out. There are a number of Western Washington counties that have supported R 71. But the rest of the state has voted against it.

Whether there are enough as-yet-uncounted ballots to carry R 71 to victory remains to be seen. But the point to take from the numbers so far is that R 71 should be more than a King County issue--it is one of statewide proportions. Sadly, the numbers show a clear split within the state on this issue.

Let us all hope the remaining ballots in other counties will show more uniformity in favor of R 71. Uniformity would be nice, but the most important thing is that R 71 ultimately passes.

Collapse of Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033 proves that teabaggers are just a fringe

2009-11-03T23:48:00.000-08:00

"Let’s make Initiative 1033’s vote in November the ultimate tea party."

- Tim Eyman, April 15th, 2009

Tim Eyman's most destructive initiative yet has met a fitting fate.

Voters across Washington State - from Clallam County to Asotin County - are overwhelmingly rejecting the Mukilteo watch salesman's latest scam by a collective total of 55% to 45% as of this hour, a margin that will likely only become more impressive in the coming days as additional ballots are counted.

The defeat of Initiative 1033 is more than just a landmark victory; it's unprecedented. Tim Eyman has never been beaten at the ballot in an odd numbered year. He's never been defeated at the ballot consecutively. He's never lost when he's qualified an initiative that purported to lower people's taxes.

And that's because, for the first part of this decade, he was able to seize power in a vacuum. Without determined, year-round opposition (like the kind Permanent Defense provides) he seized control of the debate and dominated the discourse. Back then, few elected leaders were willing to stand up to him. (The exceptions? Mark Sidran, Ron Sims, Dwight Pelz, and Adam Kline, to name a few).

Even fewer in the traiditonal media challenged Eyman. Newspaper editors repeatedly reprinted his recycled ramblings on their op-ed pages. Television reporters showed up with their cameras to film him in costume. Radio hosts allowed him to speak uninterrupted at length on their shows without rebuttal, or without an opponent who could effectively reframe and refocus the discussion.

Several times, Eyman was able to convince a gullible public to buy into his ideas. But his successes came at a price. As the years went by and Eyman kept bad ideas rolling out of his initiative factory, more and more Washingtonians began to sense that perhaps this was a man who didn't have the public interest at heart.

In other words, Eyman himself has become toxic over time.

Of Eyman's last three successful measures, that qualified for the ballot and then passed, only one made it across the finish line comfortably. The other two, Initiatives 776 and 960, squeaked through rather narrowly.

Now Eyman has been beaten decisively - on the ballot - two years running. And his Failure Chart has a new entry: Initiative 1033.

Eyman has repeatedly said in the past that his measures are not about him. But in actuality, they are. His measures don't help people and they don't improve our quality of life. Rather, they aim to forestall investments, interfere with our democratic traditions, and cause trouble for elected officials. They are promoted with all the mischevious glee of a class clown who has no interest in learning.

Eyman keeps running initiatives because he likes attention. He gets paid handsomely by Michael Dunmire to seek people's attention.

And he's become so skilled at media manipulation that he arrogantly believes he doesn't need to do any real work to sell his horrible ideas. He has always expected them to sell themselves after qualifying for the ballot. That's why, every year since the summer of 2003, he has spent six months asking his remaining followers to donate to his personal compensation fund.

Earlier this year, Eyman figured he could latch on to the Fox Noise-sponsored teabagger "movement" as a source for funds and signatures. He showed up at "tea party" events on April 15th to deliver anti-government tirades to a motley crowd of extreme libertarians and conservatives who are against things. (I say things because it's not always clear what they're against). And he later boasted that the "tea parties" provided huge momentum for his initiative.

Eyman wrongly believes that he speaks for the people of Washington State. Or he pretends to, anyway. It's evident in the way he talks. When he introduces an initiative, he claims it will be "wildly popular" even before he starts a signature drive. After he qualifies a measure, he boldly predicts its passage, and then proceeds to start whining when business executives and labor unions donate heavily to defeat him. He sneers that big money can't stop him from winning but then turns around and claims that he lost because he was outspent.

That's how Eyman operates. He's shifty, dishonest, and ego-centric. Just as he is unconcerned with the consequences of his initiatives, he has been unconcerned with the consequences of his unethical and immoral behavior.

Now he is reaping what he has sown. Finally.

Eyman has managed to stretch fifteen minutes of fame into a decade of fame. But he is no longer the force he once was. People across Washington are sick and tired of his unchecked swagger and his me-first initiatives.

Anyone who phonebanked against Initiative 1033 knows this. Many people wouldn't let us get any further than "This is Tim Eyman's latest initiative." They didn't want to hear the arguments against. All they cared about was that Eyman was behind it. That was enough for them to be adamantly opposed.

Nothing felt more heartening in recent weeks then witnessing fatigued activists summon the strength to help make the NO on I-1033 field effort one of the most successful in the history of Washington ballot measures.

The coalition and its field staff (especially Mindie and Sierra) deserve kudos for pulling so many together so late in the campaign.

We proved something amazing: that even though we didn't get going until really late, we had the endurance and the tenacity to overcome all of our disadvantages.

This victory belongs to an incredible number of people. It is a privilege to have met so many fellow Washingtonians during this campaign who share the same passion for keeping our state a great place to live, work, and play.

This victory does not mean an end to Tim Eyman. He and his teabagger friends are just a fringe, but they are a dangerous and loud fringe. So long as Michael Dunmire is able and willing to underwrite Eyman's signature drives, he will be able to buy his way onto the ballot. But he won't be unopposed. We are committed to maintaing a permanent defense against him until he is out of business for good.

Governor Gregoire releases statement on failure of Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033

2009-11-03T22:20:00.001-08:00

Governor Chris Gregoire has released a statement (via email to NPI) on the overwhelming defeat of Tim Eyman's most destructive initiative ever:

I am pleased that the voters appear to have rejected Initiative 1033. Voters understood that this misguided proposal would have precluded our ability to recover from these extraordinarily difficult economic circumstances and would have made providing quality health care and education to our citizens virtually impossible.

Although we still face a $1.7 billion shortfall that needs to be addressed in the coming legislative session, passage of this initiative would have made the problem in the short and long term significantly worse.

Good thoughts, governor. Thanks for vocally speaking out against this horribly shortsighted measure and working to ensure its defeat.

Kim Allen wins another term on Redmond city council in early returns

2009-11-03T22:02:00.000-08:00

Redmond city council member and fellow progressive Kim Allen has a large lead over her opponent, Sally J. Chen, in early returns from King County Elections. Allen is winning with 61.9% of the vote. If she should keep her lead, Allen will serve her second term on the council.

This race was the only contested city council race in Redmond. John P. Vache kept his Position 2 seat and John Stilin won a first term in Position 6.

It's close for I-1033 in Pierce and Yakima counties

2009-11-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

Pierce county is going for Inititative 1033, but just barely:

Yes - 50.32%
No - 49.68%

The statewide totals, now including heavily populated Pierce county and Yakima county, have changed just a bit but are still a substantial defeat for Tim Eyman:

Yes - 44.54%
No - 55.46%

Yakima is holding the line against the measure by just one one-hundredth of a percent.

Yes - 49.99%
No - 50.01%

It looks like Washington has chosen not to buy another faulty product from the Eyman bad idea factory. That is one factory we would be happy to see move offshore.

Dow Constantine declares victory, looks to be our next King County Executive

2009-11-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I'm here at Dow Constantine's Election Night party and it is rocking. The first (and only results for tonight) from King County put Dow at 57% and Susan Hutchison at 43%. People are ecstatic! Cheering of "Dow Now" are rampant through the packed ballroom at the Edgewater Hotel.

Local politicos such as Sharon Nelson, Fred Jarret, Ross Hunter, and Suzan DelBene are here mingling and celebrating. It looks as though Dow Constantine will be victorious in this race; the next Executive of King County.

Sharon Nelson introduced Dow as someone "I can trust and someone I can believe in."

Dow gave a magnanimous speech. He thanked his environmental supporters, the labor movement, the business community, and his fellow councilmembers Larry Gossett, Julia Patterson, and Bob Ferguson.

Dow then thanked his opponent Susan for a spirited competition.

And to her supporters, he said "Give us a chance... I share your concerns about the future of King County." Dow added that "this election was about who was the best person to lead us forward to bring real reform to King County."

The voters have spoken "loud and clear" in support of a progressive future for King County. Voters were looking for change consistent with their values. Dow proclaimed that "tonight marks a new beginning for King County on the path towards a better future for our children and grandchildren."

"This was not a 'throw the bums out' election where voters were looking for a newcomer pushing a radical change agenda," Constantine's communications director Sandeep Kaushik told NPI. "In fact, our research showed that voters in King County were very concerned that the next Executive have local government experience and a demonstrated track record of getting things done."

"They also wanted someone with an established track record as a pragmatic reformer. Dow had all of these qualities, Susan Hutchison had none of them."

This is an exciting party after what I think many would agree was a thrilling election. Progressives in King County can feel good about what happened tonight. Dow Constantine appears to be our next King County Executive.

State election map shows where the I-1033 votes are falling

2009-11-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

If you take a look at the Washington state elections map, you'll see a large swath of green down the center of the state indicating approval of Initiative 1033, with yellow (that's our color) flanking it on both sides.

Most Puget Sound countes except for Mason county are rejecting the measure. Pierce county will be reporting any minute now. Chances are, it will join the other Puget Sound counties and turn yellow too.

The statewide results:

Yes - 43.78%
No - 56.22%

Elections roundup - Thurston County

2009-11-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

With the election results from Thurston County coming in, even with 20,000 votes yet to be counted, it's shaping up to be a great night for Democrats.

Change is coming to the City of Lacey, where the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are being blown out by Democrats Ron Lawson and Andy Ryder respectively, and Cynthia Pratt is defeating another incumbent councilmember. All of the incumbents are longtime city councilmembers. The vote is further complicated by an effort by the City to form its own fire department. Of late, Lacey has been represented by more conservative elected officials, compared to its neighbors Olympia and Tumwater, due to the presence of a large number of military voters, who as a voting block, tend to be conservative.

Ron Lawson 3,646 votes 55.55%
Graeme Sackrison 2,918 votes 44.45%

Andy Ryder 3,642 votes 55.72%
John Darby 2,894 votes 44.27%

Cynthia Pratt 3,935 votes 59.44%
Ann Burgman 2,685 votes 40.56%

As for the Thurston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Karen Valenzuela has comfortably won against Republican Pat Beehler. Valenzuela was appointed to her post by Governor Chris Gregoire, after the other two commissioners were unable to come to agreement after receiving a list of 3 candidates from Democratic party precinct committee officers to fill the vacant District 3 seat. Despite being a nonpartisan office, the Valenzuela win means all of the incumbent commissioners are Democrats.

Karen Valenzuela 27,161 votes 55.82%
Patrick Beehler 21,497 votes 44.18%

In addition, voters in Thurston County have done their part for defeating I-1033 by voting against the measure by a margin of 58.57% to 41.43%. R-71 is also on track in the county, with voters approving the referendum by a margin of 56.38% to 43.62%. Of course, these totals are only a small part of the statewide numbers.

King County is rejecting I-1033

2009-11-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

With 23.5% of the King County vote counted, you could drive a truck through the gap between votes for and against Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033.

Yes - 34.28%
No - 65.72%

Let's hope these numbers are sustained through the evening. Stay tuned.

Initiative 1033 failing in Spokane County

2009-11-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

Spokane is rejecting Tim Eyman's latest bad idea. Current results from Spokane County are 43% in favor and 57% against the initiative. This important swing county has looked at the damage this measure would do to its already beleaguered governments and said ,"No."

With just four counties reporting, I-1033 is getting spanked:Yes - 45.9%

No - 54.1%

This could be a positive sign for the rest of the night.

Maine voters roll back marriage equality

2009-11-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

The news was good early on from Maine on Question 1:

Early returns showed a close contest, as had been forecast. With 70 of 608 precincts reporting, the gay-marriage side had 53 percent to 47 percent for the other side.

A vote to uphold the law would mark the first time that the electorate in any state endorsed gay marriage. That could energize activists nationwide and blunt conservative claims that same-sex marriage is largely being foisted on states by judges and that the public is not ready to embrace the idea.

Question 1 is like Proposition 8 last year in California. A no vote preserves marriage equality in America's most northeastern state; a yes vote would roll back the law passed by Maine's legislature earlier this year. So far, No On Question 1 is maintaining its edge, although it's still too close to call.

There are so many people looking for election returns that Bangor Daily News' website is crashing under the load. Real time results unfortunately do not appear to be available directly online from the Maine Secretary of State.

Meanwhile, voters in Kalamazoo, Michigan, have passed an ordinance declaring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation to be illegal.

UPDATE: Late returns have delivered a victory to the forces of bigotry in Maine. It's very sad and very disappointing, but at least Referendum 71 is passing here in Washington State.

The title of this post has been updated to reflect the final outcome. With close to ninety percent of precincts reporting, the total yes vote stands at 52.75% and the no vote on Question 1 stands at 47.25%.