A look shows the devil’s dollar also in the details

Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell’s campaign raised $2 million in the last three months, and her Republican challenger Mike McGavick’s campaign said he’s pulled in $1.7 million. Those were the headlines from the two U.S. Senate candidates last week when they previewed their latest financial reports, which will be out in more detail this week.

A bigger disparity shows up in the amount each has on hand, to spend for things like television ads or campaign offices.

Cantwell, who has raised about $11 million total, has $6.4 million sitting in the bank. McGavick has raised about $4.4 million and has about $1 million left after paying bills.

Cantwell’s notice repeated her 2000 pledge to avoid special interest PAC money.

But, says state Republican Chairwoman Diane Tebelius, those new Cantwell commercials flooding the cable channels are funded by the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, and it does take PAC money.

Yeah, but, Cantwell spokesman Michael Meehan counters, Cantwell has no say in where they get their money, which is legally got.

“The committee that she controls is the only one that she can set the rules for what it can take and not take,” Meehan said, adding she has no idea who contributes to the Democratic Central Committee.

She could find out, of course. The Federal Elections Commission’s Web site ( www.fec.gov) allows anyone who’s curious and has a little time to look it up.

Over the years they’ve picked up money from various union PACs, plus some ideological groups like Emily’s List, Human Rights PAC. Other big sources of money, not surprisingly, are other Democratic groups.

Taking the job, and the pay

Cantwell’s campaign switched course last week and revealed what it is paying former primary foe Mark Wilson to come to work for her: $8,000 a month, through the end of the campaign.

Both Wilson and Cantwell folks initially refused to say what he’d be paid for in his campaign position when he announced last Sunday he was getting out of the primary. That prompted the other anti-war Democrat still in the race, Hong Tran, and Republicans to speculate what kind of a payoff was being made.

But at midweek, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer pointed out what political mavens inherently knew, but the average voter might not: Campaign expenses have to be reported to the FEC, so when the campaign turns in its next report in September, the number will come out.

A Thursday press release cut short the wait, and the speculation.

Testing 1-2-3

While Cantwell was accepting Wilson into her campaign fold this week, McGavick was traveling the state on his “Open Mike” tour. He parks the big red bus in a lot somewhere, comes out and answers questions. The tour also allows him to hit parades, festivals, fairs and other down-home stops on the summer campaign trail.

“Open Mike,” as the campaign has dubbed this, will be in Republic and Colville on Monday, and in Spokane at noon Tuesday, at Boone and Division.

Democrats are counterprogramming with something they call “Is this Mike On?” showing up at some of the appearances to ask questions about his stances on issues where they disagree, like Social Security, Medicare drug coverage and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Will “Open Mike” meet “Is this Mike On?” in Spokane? Don’t bet against it.

In the Spotlight: Rick Larsen

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen probably shouldn’t think about quitting his day job as a congressman to go into stand-up comedy. But he was pretty funny Wednesday night as the straight man for Steven Colbert discussing Northwest Washington’s 2nd Congressional District.

The state has a medical marijuana law, Colbert noted. So was Larsen high right now?

Wasn’t then, had never been, Larsen replied.

Didn’t ask the second part, countered Colbert, perhaps you doth protest too much.

The whole interview is available on the Internet, at www.youtube.com. Just type Rick Larsen in the search window.