Come Tuesday night, the people will have been heard.
Statewide measures and races for political seats will be decided upon, measures and races that have been contentious. In this last week, the mudslinging ads and last second appearances have been many. This year's senate race between incumbent Patty Murray and challenger Dino Rossi has been a dogfight. Each has run a multitude of no-holds-barred negative ads using haunting music and unflattering pictures of their opponents - ads that have ramped up in rotation in the last two weeks. Each have gotten big boosts, too. Murray brought in President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The Council of Metropolitan Police and Sheriffs just announced it was supporting Rossi.
In our Legislative District 36, each of its Democratic legislators is up for re-election. Longtime state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles is up against Leslie Klein in Position 2. In the state Representative race, rookie Reuven Carlyle runs unopposed and Mary Lou Dickerson goes up against Jill England. The 36th is heavy with Democrats. Kohl-Welles has been in the state Senate since 1994 and Dickerson since 1995.
Meanwhile, complex measures such as initiatives 1098 and 1100 have garnered most of the political buzz. According to the language in the intitiative, I-1098 would support education and health services by establishing a trust fund funded by an excise tax on joint incomes in excess of $400,000. Opponents say it unfairly taxes the more affluent residents and will hurt business - especially in terms of recruiting qualified executives.
Supporters of I-1100 claim the measure will create jobs and open up retail opportunities. Opponents fear it will encourage under-age drinking that it favors large distributors.
Obama's visit
In a line about 200 yards long outside the Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Democrats and other supporters stood and waited Thursday morning to get a glimpse of the man.
The man being the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
President Obama was in Seattle Wednesday evening and all of Thursday in a show of support for Patty Murray, who is making a bid for a fourth term as U.S. senator.
A crowd of people of all ages filled the 10,000-capacity pavilion, some waving Murray posters and wearing red Murray for Senate shirts, other wearing Obama pins, still others wearing yellow pro-union shirts. Debbie Hill from Bothell donned an "Obama Mama" T-shirt. She had driven down to Seattle the night before where her teen son and daughter waited in line for tickets to the free event. They were 15th in line. She wanted to come because she sensed that some Democrats have become disenchanted with Obama and felt his message of hope that ushered him into the White House had lost some of its luster.
"I love Obama," the stay-at-home mom said. "I wanted to come out and let people know I stood by him from day one. I think it's my job as a citizen to inform myself as much as possible and I want to teach my kids that they need to learn."
Another visitor was Christy Alexander, an unemployed urban planner who lives in the U-District. The University of Washington graduate had recently read an interview with Obama in "Rolling Stone" magazine in which the president spoke about meeting some of his campaign promises. "It invigorated me again," Alexander said. "That article really made me see that he has accomplished 70 percent of what he set out to do. And with the recession, anyone [in office] would have had a hard time. It will take years for these changes to come about. He's trying to make solutions."
Some people, such as Hyeeun Yun, were just curious and wanted to see President Obama in person.
"I came to see Obama just for the fun of it," the Seattle University student said then flashed a peace sign.
The day began with a local choir singing "Amazing Grace," "Lean on Me" and "The Star-spangled Banner." Then came a cavalcade of politicians beginning with King County Executive Dow Constantine, 8th Congressional District candidate Suzan DelBene, Congressmen Jay Inslee and Norm Dicks and then Murray and Obama entered the pavilion to a roar of applause.
Wednesday evening, more than 20 police cars, with lights on, raced along Interstate 5 escorting President Obama from Boeing Field to an undisclosed hotel downtown. The next morning, his presidential caravan made its way to the University District. At about noon, he and Sen. Murray came out of the pavilion tunnel. Each donning navy blue suits, the president and Sen. Murray waved and smiled as the crowd cheered with deafening volume.
Murray spoke first, reminding listeners that she'd come from humble means, understands the middle class and urged all to get out and vote. With President Obama standing by her side, Murray spoke for about 10 minutes and was warmly received. Then the president, with jacket off and white sleeves rolled up, took to the podium and implored the audience that this Senate race was a choice between two visions, the past and the future, but stated no specifics, except that there has been an overall climb in private-sector jobs for the past nine months. He said he was aware that the past two years have been "hard work" but that the people shouldn't be discouraged and that the government is there to help.
"Government should do for the people what the people can't do individually for themselves - looking out for one another," he said. Then glancing at Murray added, "I am my sister's keeper."
South Seattle resident, Jennifer Gavin, who brought her two sons to the event, had seen the president two years ago at KeyArena when he was on the campaign trail. This time, she came mainly for her sons.
"I wanted my children to see Obama," she said. "I wanted them to experience the same thing I did," adding that she was eager to hear the president and Murray talk about their plans for the next two years - particularly on health care.[[In-content Ad]]
