Bush’s latest numbers should give Republicans pause

Democrats were abuzz last week about a new poll that suggests challenger Peter Goldmark has a shot against first-term Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris.

The poll – by Lake Research Partners, which works mainly for Democrats – had McMorris below the “magic number” of 50 percent when it first asked how respondents would vote, and had the two candidates near even “after both candidates get their messages out.” (Translation: after pollsters describe McMorris’ votes the way the Goldmark campaign might characterize them in the coming months.)

Of course, it is extremely early to get too excited over horse race numbers. But the poll has a couple of things that would seem more worrisome to Republicans.

President Bush’s favorability rating – that is, where people say they have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of him – is only 44 percent while 42 percent said they had a very unfavorable opinion of him. That’s better than he’d do in downtown Pugetopolis, but not very crimson for an acknowledged red district.

The number of people who rated McMorris’ job performance as good or excellent was 44 percent, while 47 percent said it was “just fair” or poor.

The results come from a phone survey of 400 likely voters in late July. The poll has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

Word war I

To help voters distinguish between Johnsons in the state Supreme Court primary, the secretary of state’s office has invoked a law on how to keep the ballot from confusing voters.

The law says an election officer may add a “descriptor” behind the names of candidates with similar names. So the Sept. 19 ballot will say:

Michael Johnson, attorney

Stephen Johnson, attorney/state senator

Wait a minute, you might be saying. Aren’t all the candidates for Supreme Court attorneys?

Well, yes. So the ballot will also contain a line after the list of names that says “Descriptors added to distinguish candidates with the same last name. All candidates for this office are attorneys, as required by law.”

No one asked us, but wouldn’t it have been easier just to add “the one who’s the state senator” after Stephen Johnson, and “the one who’s not the state senator” after Michael Johnson?

Word war II

Democrats showed at Monday’s rally for Maria Cantwell they have settled on an adjective for the minimum wage/estate tax/sales tax and research & development deductions bill. See if you can catch it:

“A cynical, unconscionable effort,” said state Rep. Timm Ormsby, who introduced Cantwell.

“A very cynical bill,” said Cantwell herself when she took the mike.

“A cynical attempt …” said Dana Simmons, a home care worker Cantwell introduced as an example of someone who works on minimum wage.

We might have believed they came up with the same word at random, all on their own … if we weren’t so cynical.

Republicans, meanwhile, spent part of the week complaining about different parts of the failed bill, such as the research and development tax credit and the timber tax breaks.

They should be advised, however, that Democrats are practically salivating over the chance to trash another provision in the bill, the reductions in the federal estate tax. Republicans like to call it “the death tax.”

Last week, Democrats were calling it the Paris Hilton Tax.

Catch the candidates

Sunday: Sen. Maria Cantwell at Spokane County Democrats annual salmon feed. North Picnic Shelter, Riverfront Park, $35, (509) 324-8525.

Monday: Fundraising lunch with Senate candidate Mike McGavick and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Noon, Doubletree Hotel, $100 per ticket, (509) 327-1459 for information.

Wednesday: Rep. Cathy McMorris meeting with the Spokane Valley City Council. 1 p.m., 11707 E. Sprague, Suite 106.

Thursday: Green Party Senate candidate Aaron Dixon meeting with supporters at a local supporter’s home. 7 p.m., 1022 W. Ninth, (509) 624-3035 for information.

Also: congressional candidate Peter Goldmark meeting with supporters at Country Homes Christian Church. 7 p.m., 8415 N. Wall.

Saturday: Goldmark at a rally with military personnel, families and veterans. 12:15 p.m., Gondola Meadows, Riverfront Park.