HUNTING -- The pressure on sportsmen applied by the NRA and other gun rights organizations to "vote their sport" is particularly troubling since in the past 25 years it’s strayed from the big picture of fish, wildlife and habitat conservation to the narrow premise that a candidate is viable only if he has an unblemished record of opposing gun control.

This narrow approach to voting in 1994 helped unseat former Speaker of the House Tom Foley, the last major Washington candidate, I believe, to pose in a duck blind with a shotgun for statewide campaign ads.

Sportsmen are distinguished for being politically savvy, but they got snookered in that election.

RIP Tom Foley.  I hope sportsmen reflect on your service and ability to work with all parties to keep wildlife in the equation.